Zucchini Bread

This recipe is awesome. I like to make miniature loaves out of it. for some reason, they taste better smaller...

Recipe from allrecipes.com by V Monte
With my adaptations.

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 t. Salt
1 t. Baking soda
1 t. Baking powder
2 t. Cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 t. Vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1/4-1/2 cup applesauce (honestly, I never measure)

Grease 2 8x4 inch pans. (or if you are me 1 8x4 and 2 mini pans) preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, soda and cinnamon together. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, apple sauce and sugar together in large bowl. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in zucchini until combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for a few minutes then finish cooling on wire rack.

Best eaten within a day. If you plan on keeping it for more than 2 days, it should probably be refrigerated.

Banana Banana Bread

You read that right. Double bananas equals double flavor.

Recipe from allrecipes.com by Shelley Albeluhn

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 t. Baking soda
1/4 t. Salt
1/2 cups butter
3/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed over ripe bananas
( I never measure my bananas. that would be messy. I just add them until it looks like the right amount. I haven't seen it make a big difference)
chopped walnuts, optional

in a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture, just until moistened. pour batter into greased 9x5 loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

The Best Dinner Rolls

A couple of years ago I was at a friends house and had some of the best dinner rolls I've ever tasted. Of course, I insisted upon the recipe. Mine don't ever taste as good as hers do, but they are still dang good.

Recipe fills approximately 1 9x13 pan.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 c. Milk (mixture of half evaporated, half regular milk.)
1 half stick butter
2 T. Yeast (dissolved in 1/4 c. Water)
1/4 c. Sugar
1 1/2 t. Salt
4 c. Flour

cook or microwave the butter and milk together until butter is melted. cool just slightly while beating 2 eggs in mixer. add the butter mixture and yeast. mix well. mix dry ingredients separately, then add half at a time to bowl. Knead dough very well. Dough will be sticky. Let rise until double. Shape into rolls and place in greased pan. Cover and let rolls rise. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Gingerbread Men

Somewhere between the 4 cookies that I just ate in the last 5 minutes, I realized that I haven't yet posted this recipe. This is something that we look forward to making every Christmas season. Traditionally we just cut out gingerbread men and decorate them but this year we decided to get a little more diverse. that's the fun part. You can do whatever you want with them.

Ingredients:
3 c. flour
2 t. ginger
1 t. Cinnamon
1 t. Baking soda
1/4 t. Nutmeg
1/4 t. Salt
3/4 c. Butter
3/4 c. Brown sugar
1/2 c. Molasses
1 egg
1 t. Vanilla

Directions:
beat butter and sugar. Add molasses egg and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients. ( gradually). Refrigerate until stiff. Roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut in shapes. If you want to make ornaments out of them, use a straw to punch a hole in the top. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Once they are cool you can frost and decorate. For the icing I just mix together powdered sugar, vanilla, a little milk, and sometimes almond extract. I don't have exact measurements, I just add the powdered sugar until it's really thick. Then I scoop the icing into a baggie, zip it up and snip a tiny bit of the bottom corner to squeeze it out. we use little candies and sprinkles for decoration.

If you like your gingerbread cookies more crispy, you can bake for a little longer. they will also get harder as they set. I like to just leave mine out until they harden a little.

Fluffy flaky biscuits

Recipe from stolenmomentscooking.com.
Fluffy & Flaky Biscuits
2 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter, frozen
1/2 – 1 c. milk
1. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
2. Quickly grate the frozen butter on a cheese grater.
3. cut butter into flour mixture.
4. Pour in the milk, starting with just a half cup and adding more as needed until the dough comes together. You want the dough to be soft, but not too soft to handle.
5. Pour the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead for just a minute.
6. Roll the dough into a rectangle. Fold it on top of itself to make 3 or 4 layers. Roll out again and fold into thirds or fourths. Repeat at least one or two more times.
7. For the final rolling of the dough, leave it about an inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a biscuit cutter or glass.
8. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden brown on top. Fold remaining dough back together and roll out again. Repeat process until done.
Makes about 8 biscuits...give or take, depending on how big you make them.

Herb and Parmesan Potato Wedges

This is not an exact thing. I just throw things together till it looks good. These are my favorite! Ooh how I love these!!

Ingredients:
Potatoes (I prefer Red, but any would work. baby potatoes work great.)
olive oil
parm cheese
garlic salt
herbs (basil, oregano, parsley...whatever)

Directions:
Cut potatoes into chunks or wedges. Put in bowl. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle on some parmesan cheese, garlic salt and herbs. Stir to coat evenly. Lay single layer on baking sheet. Bake about 400 until tender.

Enjoy!

Yummy Honey Chicken Kabobs

This is very good! I didn't do this as kabobs because I can't find my skewers. I wanted to though. I just grilled up some chicken on my handy dandy indoor grill (which I got at a thrift store for $8 and LOVE) and served it with my favorite potato wedges (have I posted that? Must check...) and had a delicious dinner! This is a great marinade for any occasion.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil


1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 skinless, boneless chicken

breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cloves garlic

5 small onions, cut into 2 inch pieces

2 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces

skewers

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better).


Preheat the grill for high heat.

Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

Greek Lentil Soup

(From allrecipes.com by  Diana Moutsopoulos)

Jim and I both really liked this. Kids wouldn't eat it, but maybe they just need a few tries. This made just enough to feed my family with no leftovers.

Note from Jolie: You may not need to simmer for more than 10 more minutes at the end... it depends on how mushy you want your lentils. I like them to still be individuals, so I watch it and when they are soft, they are done.

"Fakes (pronounced 'Fah-kehs') is a staple in the Greek kitchen, and an especially filling meal. It is traditionally served with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of vinegar. Though the vinegar is of course optional, try it--it lifts the lentils and adds another dimension of flavor!" (um..I'm sure this is true but I don't do vinegar..)

Ingredients:

8 ounces brown lentils

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 onions, minced

1 large carrot, chopped

1 quart chicken broth (or water, bullion)

1 pinch dried oregano

1 pinch crushed dried rosemary

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon tomato paste

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place lentils in a large saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook for 10 minutes, then drain lentils into a strainer.


Dry saucepan, pour in olive oil, and place over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrot; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in lentils, 1 quart chicken broth, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the lentils have softened, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional water if the soup becomes too thick.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

These are pretty good. Easy shmeesy, quick weeknight dinner. Kids liked them. I liked them. Jim...well, he said they were ok. I imagine it would be great to freeze these after cooking and reheat for a minute in microwave.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

from www.ourbestbites.com

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can.


Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.


Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.
Dip ‘em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, spicy ranch, etc. Makes 12-16

Sweet Sour Chicken

I was really skeptical about this, but it turned out really good. Like you almost think you are in a chinese resturaunt. (or atleast thats what the husband said, in other words anyway) I was very happy with it, especially for the simplicity and the fact that you dont deep fry the meat.
Sweet and Sour Chicken


from melskitchencafe.com (Great site!)

*Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients - pour half over the chicken and follow the baking directions in the recipe and pour the other half in a small saucepan. Cook the sauce on the stovetop at medium heat for 8-10 minutes until it simmers and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken.

*Serves 4-6

Chicken:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:

¾ cup sugar

4 tablespoons ketchup

½ cup vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve the chicken over rice.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

I like a rich creamy alfredo sauce...but don't like all the calories. This is delicious.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce



Ingredients:
2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2-3 T flour
1/2 t salt
Dash nutmeg 1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don’t want to burn it.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it’s nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Verde Pork

Heres an easy, quick crock pot meal that Jolie gave me. Serve in tortillas with cheese or over rice. Or heck, eat it right out of the pan.

Verde Pork

Ingredients:
1 boneless pork roast
14 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:
Place roast in crock pot. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Add onions and garlic. Cook for 6-8 hours. (Ok...so mine was done in 3 hours... I'm assuming this is on a very low setting and a lot bigger roast than I had. But either way, it doesn't hurt to over cook this one, so don't fret)

Glace Icing

So...I figured out how to make sugar cookies look pretty. You know, the kind you see in the bakery all shiny and smooth with cool designs.. It's actually not that hard anbut you do have to wait for it to dry.. Use with my sugar cookie recipe.

*I usually half this. It kinda makes a lot..but maybe you need a lot?

Ingredients:
1 lb. powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)
6 T milk
6 T light corn syrup
(*note: 6 T is equal to 1/4 cup plus 2 T.)
1 t. extract (vanilla or almond are both wonderful)

Directions:
With a whisk, combine sugar and milk until smooth (no lumps!). Then stir in corn syrup and extract. This consistancy will give you the "glaze". Set half or so aside.
For the thicker Icing that you will use for piping, continue whisking in more powdered sugar until it is nice and thick, hard to stir, but still liquid.
Separate and add whatever colorings you would like. Too much coloring might make it too thin and you may need to add more sugar.
To use: Pipe the thicker icing around the edges. This will act as your dam. Let set for about an hour the fill in with the thinner glaze. Might need a small spoon (I sometimes use toothpick..) to spread the glaze to the edges of the piping. For extra decoration, wait until the glaze dries (couple hours?) and add more piping in whatever design you would like. Should set very hard so you can easily stack them without ruining the design.

The Best Lemon Bars

(recipe from allrecipes.com by Patty Schenck)
I can't eat Lemon Bars...they are WAY too sweet for me. BUT, I have a husband who has a HORRIBLE sweet tooth and sometimes begs me to make these for him...so it does need to be included in my recipe collection. This recipe does turn out good, got good reviews from everyone who tried it, so if you need to make lemon bars (or lime for that matter)...here you go:

Ingredients:
crust
1 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups flour
dash of salt

topping
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 lemons, juiced (a little over 1/3 cup. I use bottled)

Directions:
Preheat to 350. mix softened butter, 2 c flour and 1/2 cup sugar and salt. press into bottom of 9x13 pan. (If you like thicker crust, use 9x11 or something.) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until firm and golden.
Mix together the rest of sugar and flour. Whisk in eggs and lemon juice. Pour over baked crust. Bake for an additional 20 minutes in preheated oven.  Bars will firm up as they cool.

Blackberry Yogurt Muffins

(From http://www.laurenslatest.com/)
These. Are. SO. Good. SERIOUSLY! YUM! It is a good thing that the coast has a literally neverending supply of blackberries because I will be making these again. And again. And again. Leave a few chunks of blackberry when mixing them into the batter. Oh, and they might look a little funny, but dont worry. Or maybe it was just something I did wrong... I'll take a pic next time.

Blackberry Yogurt Muffins

yield: 12 small muffins


Ingredients:

6 tablespoons softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt (usually comes in about this size)
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup fresh blackberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper liners and set aside. (I didnt use liners. Just spray muffin tin)

In large bowl, mix coconut oil and butter together. Cream with sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla, eggs {1 at a time}, yogurt and milk. Scrape edges and mix again until smooth. Pour in all dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape edges and mix by hand to ensure batter is evenly mixed. Stir in blackberries gently. (I was not gentle. I liked having the whole batter blackberry-y with a few chunks.) Scoop into prepared muffin tins evenly.

Place into preheated oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool 10 minutes and serve.

Spill the Beans Minestrone

Jolie gave me this recipe. I made it tonight and thought it was delicious. I found its even better after sitting for a while? I suppose you could always make it a crock pot meal too- Just add the noodles about 30 min before eating.  Excuse the cell phone picture- I couldn't find the camera. Atleast you got a picture, right? Oh, and dont forget to serve with SOME form of bread, this was a great dipping soup.

Spill-the-Beans Minestrone
1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 c. chopped celery

2 14.5oz cans chicken broth

1 15oz can of Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 14.5oz can Italian style stewed tomatoes

1 15oz can Red Kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup uncooked small shell-shaped pasta (I used and loved Ditallini)

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (1 tsp. if using plain tomatoes)

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 cups chopped kale, Swiss chard, or spinach (optional) (do it, though)

Grated parmesan cheese (optional)



In a soup pot, sauté onion, garlic, and celery in oil until translucent. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, pasta, and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10-12 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Stir in chopped spinach. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Easy Baked Parmesan Tilapia

I am usually a fresh fish only sort of gal, but recently bought a package of frozen tilapia just to try it out. This recipe did it justice. I really liked it, although it definately would have been better fresh. :) I suppose it would work with other white fish as well.

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets, thawed if using frozen
salt
lemon pepper
3 T. butter (melted or room temp is fine)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
pat fish dry, season with salt and pepper. Lay on baking sheet with non stick spray. (usually when I cook fish, I put in on a wire rack ontop of a cookie sheet.) Cook for about 10 minutes or until fish is just under done. (the time will depend on how thick your fish is, but watch closely because you dont want to overcook fish...yuck.)
Meanwhile, mix butter and remaining ingredients.
Remove fish from oven and turn oven to broil. Gently flip each fillet and spread butter mixture on fish. Return to oven and broil for a couple minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Creamy Chicken, Bacon and Tomato Pasta

This was a little tangy and I especially liked the contrast of the bacon. It was yummy and something different.

Ingredients:
3 cups bow tie pasta (farfalle)
1 pound chicken, cut into bite size chunks
5 (or more...) slices bacon, reseve 1 T. grease
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
pepper and salt to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta. Meanwhile, cook chiken. Add bacon, tomatoes, cream cheese, water, salt and pepper. Mix well. Cook until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, a couple of minutes. Drain pasta, mix into sauce. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Morning Glory Muffins

(Recipe from Big Oven posted by Sherri)

These are great for breakfast or a between meal snack. Packed full of healthy stuff and fills you up. Substitute or omit to your liking, of course. I like to make a batch, freeze them, then pull out as needed and microwave for about 30 secs. Could also add shredded zuccini or something.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cups of sugar
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 cups carrots, finely shredded
1 cup apples, shredded
1/2 c. raisins (or craisins)
1/2 c. walnuts
1/2 c. finely shredded coconut (might want to chop it its course)
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
2 t. vanilla

*optional substitution (I did this and it worked fine) lower sugar to 1/2 to 3/4 cup and trade half the oil for applesauce.

Instructions:
Stir together dry ingredients. Stir in fruit/veggies, nuts, coconut. In seperate bowl, mix eggs, oil and vanilla. Add liquids all at once and stir just until moistened. Spoon into muffin cups until almost full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the top of muffin springs back when lightly touched. After a few minutes out of the oven, pop out of pan and cool of wire rack.

Sweet Country Cornbread

Prepare to be amazed. This one is definitely a favorite in our family...cornbread!! This is better than out of the box, for sure. SO GOOOOD!

Ingredients:
1/4 c melted butter
1/2 c sugar
3/4 c corn meal (I'm a yellow corn meal sort of gal)
3/4 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (I add an extra pinch sometimes)
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl. Melt butter in bowl, add milk and egg, beat together. Make well in dry ingredients, add wet ingredients all at once. Stir gently just until moistened. Pour into greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.