Michelle's Path Of Recipes

HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN WINGS

2010-07-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

I made these wings last night for dinner. After thawing the wings I did cut the skins off since Im on a low fat diet. I was really unsure if this would work and turn out ok, but it DID! It was very yummy. Ive never had a wing sauce that tasted like this. It was very different and very yummy! The hubby and daughter liked it too!

INGREDIENTS
3 lb Chicken wings
1/2 c Honey
3 tb Vinegar, cider
1/4 ts Pepper, black
x Garlic salt
1/4 c Soy sauce
5 Garlic cloves; minced

PREPARATION
Trim wings and Season with garlic salt; arrange in a 13"x9"x2" baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 325F for one hour until tender; drain all liquid. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and simmer five mins. Drizzle honey mixture over spareribs and bake, uncovered, at 350F for 30 mins., baste every 10 mins.

Low Calorie, Low Fat and DELISH Chunky Potato Chowder

2010-06-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

This soup is SOOO GOOD. I will make this, A LOT. Even Kayla loves it! I doubled the recipe so I could freeze some.
Its chunky, its meaty, its full of veggies and potatoes, its creamy, its delish!

8 oz 90% lean ground beef, ground raw turkey or ground raw chicken ( I used turkey)
2 cups skim milk
2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes
1 can reduced fat and sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
2 tbs snipped dried tomato ( I omitted this because I forgot to search for this at the store)
1/2 tsp dried basil crushed

Cook and stir meat in large saucepan over med-high heat until brown. Drain fat. Stir milk, potatoes, soup, veggies. Bring to boil. Stir in tomato bits and basil. Reduce heat. Simmer covered about 5 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

New label

2010-06-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

In my quest to lose weight, get fit and eat healthier and provide good, nutritous, wholesome meals for my family...I will be starting a new label of meals, Low Calorie meals.

You will soon be able to find all my low calorie meals by clicking on the 'Low Calorie'
label on the right hand side of my blog.

I'm excited for this and cant wait to start cooking!

I'm also, I think, going to do a small makeover on this blog.

Although, I wondering if I have enough readers here for a makeover to worth my time.

Any readers out there? Please leave me a comment!

Low Fat Low Calorie Chicken Salad- I made up!

2010-06-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

Like I said in my last blog post, I been craving chicken salad but didnt want all the calories of the mayo in it. So I threw this together hoping it would turn out good, and it turned out better than good. It was GREAT!

1 large can chicken drained
1 cup red seedless grapes, all cut in half
salt and pepper to taste
fat free mayo to taste
green onion to taste

Mix all together, serve on wheat bread!

Ingredient Substitutions

2010-06-10T00:26:00.000-07:00

So with my new diet and exercise I been looking at healthier meal alternatives. Today I decided to make chicken salad but was really highly against using mayo after reading the nutrition facts on the bottle.

So, I had some people give me helpful ideas about what to replace the mayo with in the chicken salad. Some website sites suggested oil. Ugh. With chicken salad? Really? No thanks. Someone else suggested dijonnaise, which I may have to try in the future. Another suggesting was to go to a health food store and get a soy based mayo which would be a good idea to try....if I didn't live on Guam where health food stores to my knowledge dont exist. Another suggestion was to mix plain yogurt with something, but not sure what.

I ended up just going with the plain old old fat free mayo with only 10 calories and 0 fat calories per serving AND cholesterol free, so cant beat that! My chicken salad turned out great. It will be lunch tomorrow too! And Yes, I will post the recipe...which really just came off the top my brain!

Here are some other helpful ingredient substitutions:
Buttermilk
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough regular milk to make 1 cup (allow to stand 5 minutes)
Flour, All-Purpose White Flour
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1/2 cup whole wheat flour plus 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.
TIP: It's generally recommended that you replace no more than half the all-purpose white flour with whole wheat flour. Too much whole wheat flour in a recipe calling for all-purpose flour might result in a reduced volume and a heavier product.
Flour, Cake
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Garlic
Amount: 1 small clove
Substitute: 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Herbs, Fresh
Amount: 1 tablespoon, finely cut
Substitute:
- 1 teaspoon dried leaf herbs
- 1/2 teaspoon ground dried herbs
Lemon Zest (fresh grated lemon peel)
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Marshmallows, Miniature
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 10 large marshmallows
Mayonnaise (for use in salads and salad dressings)
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 cup cottage cheese pureed in a blender
- Or use any of the above for part of the mayonnaise
Sugar, Confectioners' or Powdered
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch; process in a food processor using the metal blade attachment until it's well blended and powdery.
Tomato Juice
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1/2 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup water
Tomato Soup
Amount: 10 3/4 ounce can
Substitute: 1 cup tomato sauce plus 1/4 cup water
Wine, Red
Amount: Any
Substitute: The same amount of grape juice or cranberry juice
Wine, White
Amount: Any
Substitute: The same amount of apple juice or white grape juice

Aggression Cookies

2010-06-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

1 c. brown sugar
2 c oatmeal
1 c. flour
2/3 c. margarine or butter
2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Place all ingredients into a bowl. Knead and play with this dough as long as you wish. The longer the dough is worked, the better the cookies are.
Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet, bake 12 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Blueberry Muffins

2010-06-05T14:56:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
1/4 c. melted butter
2/3 c. sugar
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 c. flour
3/4 c. frozen blueberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Mix all ingredients except blueberries. Gently stir in blueberries. Spoon into muffin pans. Bake 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

BBQ Sanwiches

2010-05-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

One 3lb beef brisket
1/2 c. water
3 tbs white vinegar
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground cumin or chili powder
1 c. bottled bbq sauce

Cut meat, if necessary, to fit into crock pot. Mix together water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cumin or chili powder, pour over meat in cooker. Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

About 1 hour before serving, remove meat from cooker and cool to touch. Shred meat, and discard fat.

Discard liquid from crock pot. Set crockpot on high and return shredded meat to crockpot, stir in bbq sauce, cook for 30-45 minutes. Serve on buns. Serves 10.

Honey Lemon Chicken

2010-05-27T00:33:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
3 lbs broiler/fryer chicken (use breasts, thighs, and legs)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. veg. oil
1/4 c. honey
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 egg yolk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Wash chicken, remove skin, pat dry. Place chicken in large casserole dish, salt and pepper to taste. Mix next 8 ingredients in a bowl, drizzle over chicken. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Baste occasionally during cooking. Serves 4-6.

This is a perfect potluck! You can easily double or triple the ingredients to accommodate a large crowd.

Serve with buttered noodles and steamed broccoli.

Beer Burgers

2010-05-26T17:15:00.001-07:00

1 lb ground beef, 1 package dry ranch dressing mix, 3/8 cup (3oz) beer. Mix all ingredients. Form into patties.

(I cook them on the George Foreman, works great!)

I like to top mine with a squirt of bbq sauce, a strip of bacon, provolone cheese, tomato and avocado

Baked Ziti ( My Way )

2010-05-24T01:39:00.001-07:00

Baked Ziti, my way.

I dont know where I got this recipe. I dont remember, its been so long. But I altered it to the way we like it. You can do so much with baked ziti. If it werent for my picky husband I would add in all kinds of veggies...like fresh sliced mushrooms! Mmmmm! Or even pepperoni slices

This makes a lot of ziti, but I like to freeze it in small containers and break it out when Kayla and I need a quick lunch.

1 pound ziti pasta (penne works too), 1 chopped onion, 1 pound ground beef (I use ground turkey, a little healthier for you) 2 26-oz jars pasta sauce, 6 oz provolone cheese slices, 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese or sour cream, 6 oz shredded mozzarella (I use more, I'm generous with cheese!) 2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese (Again, I use more)

Cook pasta al dente, about 10 minutes. Brown beef (or turkey) and onion. Add sauce. Simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Butter (I use Pam) baking dish. Layer half of ziti pasta, all provolone, Ricotta (or sour cream),(pepperoni or veggies if you have it) half of the sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella, and remaining sauce.
Top with Parmesan. Bake 30 minutes.

Key Lime Pie

2010-05-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

This is easiest Key Lime Pie, ever. I decided to make this for a BBQ we are going to tonight. Kayla had a blast licking the spatula. Check out the seriousness on her face in the picture above. I got this recipe out of a cook book that was a gift to me from our friends, Tammy and Mark. Its their church cook book celebrating 140 years, Trade Lake Baptist Church and we all know churches have the best food! Tammy- I love this book!

Key Lime Pie

1 (6-oz) can frozen lemonade, 2-3 T. lime juice, 1 (5-oz) can evaporated milk, 1 (8-oz) ctn. whipped topping, 1 Graham cracker Pie crust

Mix lemonade, lime juice, and milk. Add whipped topping and mix well. Pour into graham cracker crust. If desired garnish with lime slices. Freeze. Serve direct from the freezer as it thaws quickly.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

2010-05-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

This is incredibly good. This is the 2nd time Im making this in about a month. So delish! So easy!

4 frozen ( or not) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided
1/2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix

1. Place the frozen chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on Low for 5-7 hours. ( depending on frozen or not)
2. Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. sump the rest of the sauces on it. Then pile it onto buns, or hoagie rolls and add whatever you like!
9

Salsa

2010-05-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here a recipe for a homemade salsa. I took a recipe I found on the internet and altered it a bit to make my own. Its very yummy. I cant stay away from it!
It made a great salsa for the scoops chips and this morning I may try to make an egg omelet with it.

3 tbs finely chopped onion ( I think it could use more)
2 small cloves of garlic minced ( again I think more would be better)
about 8 plum tomatoes ( I guess you can use any kind )
1 jalapeno finely chopped ( I removed seeds so its not too hot for the little ones, If it were for all adults I would use a couple more of these )
as much minced cilantro as you want ( Im generous here )
juice of 1 and a half limes
salt and pepper to taste ( Im generous here too)
1 can of drained red kidney beans ( I suppose any bean you want would be ok here)
1/2 a can drained sweet whole kernel corn

Put chopped onion and garlic in a strainer; pour 2 cups boiling water over them then let drain throughly. Discard water. Cool.

Combine onions and garlic with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate foe 2-4 hours before serving.

Apple and Sage Pork Chops

2010-05-10T03:22:00.000-07:00

This is a Mc.Cormick recipe that requires 5 different seasonings but its so good!
Serves 4
1 1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 paprika
1 tbs flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 red apples, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tbs brown sugar

1. Mix flour, all of the spices and salt into a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with tbs of the seasoned flour.

2. Cook chops in hot oil in large skillet on med-high heat until browned on both sides. Remove from skillet. Ad onion, cook and stir 3 minutes or until tender. Add apples, cook and stir 2 minutes.

3. Stir in juice, sugar and remaining seasoned flour until well mixed. Return chops to skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until desired doneness.

Key Lime Poke Cake- Altered + Fondant recipe

2010-05-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

For a Cinco De Mayo party we were invited to, I decided to bake a Key Lime Poke Cake. The recipe is from Betty.Crocker.com. I did alter the recipe quite a bit.

I wanted to practice making and playing with fondant for Kayla's 2nd birthday so this gave me a good reason to.

Nick came up with the idea to make the cake into a Sombrero. I will share the altered recipe and non-altered recipe here along with pictures of the cake and how we put it together. To make it easy...my altered recipe will be in italics.

But of course, you can take this recipe and just make a plain round or square cake, or cupcakes.
Cake:
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 eggs

Filling:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup Key lime juice or regular lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
4 drops yellow food color
1 drop green food color

My altered filling:
All of the above ingredients mixed with 1 container of whipped vanilla frosting and then flour and powered sugar as needed to make the filling thicker to use it as icing for the fondant to stick to.

Heat oven to 350. Spray and flour 2 small 8x8 EZ foil cake pans, or 13x9 pan.

In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan. During this step I added in some grated lime zest and green food coloring.

Now here is the directions for the normal cake:
Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. With handle of wooden spoon (1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter), poke holes almost to bottom of cake every 1/2 inch, wiping spoon handle occasionally to reduce sticking.

My directions:
Bake 26 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Turn pans upside down so the cakes can fall out and place on wire cookie rack to cool completely. Cut off corners of both square cakes to make into round cakes. Put one square cake on cake base (I used a cookie sheet with foil for easier transport to party) and top with generous layer of cake filling. Top with 2nd cake and then coat top and sides with generous amount of filling.

Top with fondant and shape into Sombrero! And store it in the fridge until ready to serve. We decorated it with jelly beans and sour spaghetti candies.

Fondant recipe:
1 16oz bag of mini marshmallows
3 tablespoons of water
2 lbs. powdered sugar and optional flavoring (I used lemon flavor and yellow color)
Put the marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl, add the water, and put it into the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until melted completely and mixing well after each zap.
Stir marshmallows making sure it’s all melted, then add your flavoring and powdered sugar to your liking. Knead dough on a powdered sugar surface and keep adding powdered sugar to make dough less sticky and more workable.(I used a whole 2 lb bag plus a little extra to use to powder the counter and my hands) There you have it!
Allow your fondant to set up overnight covered. Before you use, microwave for 30 seconds and knead until smooth and pliable.

Kitchen Tips
Key lime pie is not green in color unless food color is added. If you'd prefer a greener filling in this cake, add a couple drops of green food color to the filling before pouring it over the cake.
If Key limes aren't available in your grocery store, look for bottled Key lime juice near the other bottled lime juices.

I used both real limes for the zest in the cake batter and then bottled lime juice for the 1/2 cup filling.

No Bake Cookies

2010-05-07T23:31:00.000-07:00

I mean it when I say these cookies are EVIL. I dont make them but once a year because I will eat every single one.

No Bake Cookies

4 oz butter, 1/2 cup milk, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, 3 tbs peanut butter, 3 cups old fashioned or quick oats, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Place Ch. chips, oats, vanilla in bowl. Combine sugar, butter, milk in saucepan. Bring to rolling boil for 1 minute. Combine hot mixture with oat mixture. Stir well. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. I added in just a tiny bit of crushed walnuts too. You can add just about anything into these cookies. Coconut, dried fruit, raisins, nuts, etc.

New recipes are coming soon. Im just a little behind due to some tragic news of a friend.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2010-05-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Kraft picture about, not mine.

Sooo yummy! WILL make this one again, and again and again! The recipe calls for sour cream...I lost my grocery list on the way to the store so I forgot to buy the sour cream. I made the enchiladas without the sour cream and it still turned out really good. Next time, I will make sure not to forget though. Also, the hubby doesn't eat salsa, so I didn't add that either. Next time, I will.

From Kraft.Foods.com

what you need!
2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese, divided
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream, divided
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
12 flour tortillas (8 inch)
1-1/2 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
make it!
HEAT oven to 350°F.

MIX chicken, soup, 1 cup cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream and 3 Tbsp. cilantro until well blended. Spoon down centers of tortillas, adding about 1/4 cup to each; roll up.

PLACE, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with salsa and remaining cheese.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining sour cream and cilantro.

TACO BELL® and HOME ORIGINALS® are trademarks owned and licensed by Taco Bell Corp. kraft kitchens tipsSERVING SUGGESTIONServe with a mixed green salad and your favorite fresh fruit to round out the meal. SHORTCUTSubstitute 2 pkg. (6 oz. each) OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Chicken Breast Cuts for the chopped cooked fresh chicken. Or, use 2 pkg. (6 oz. each) OSCAR MAYER Southwestern Seasoned or Grilled Chicken Breast Strips, cut into bite-sized pieces. NOTETortillas can be warmed before use for easier handling. Just stack tortillas, then wrap in foil. Bake at 350ºF for 10 to 15 min. or just until warmed. Or, wrap tortillas loosely in wax paper and microwave on HIGH 1 min. or just until warmed.

Tater Tot Casserole

2010-05-03T23:09:00.000-07:00

This comes from Campbell's Kitchen .com.

And easy and tasty one. Not too healthy but not terribly unhealthy either.
Ive done French Fry Casserole, but this is my first time for this one.

1lb gr. beef, 1 medium onion chopped, 1 can Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (I used the one with roasted garlic) 1 tbs ketchup (I doubled the ketchup) 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce (I omitted this simply because I don't have it on hand and I'm trying to cut grocery costs down) 3 cups frozen tater tots
I also added tons of minced garlic in my ground beef, and hamburger seasoning, Mc.Kormic brand.

Cook beef and onion in skillet over med high heat until beef is brown, stirring to break up the meat. Pour off fat. I used lean meat so I didn't have any fat to pour off. I wonder how good ground turkey would be in this recipe?
Stir soup, ketchup and Worcestershire into skillet. Spoon mixture into 12x8 shallow baking dish. Arrange tots around edges of casserole. (I added some all over, not just on the edges) Bake at 425 for 25 minutes or until tots are done.

Deep Dish Sausage Pizza Bread

2010-05-02T15:52:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from K.raftFoods.com and let me just say this was just awesome! I WILL make this again! This isn't the best food to eat on my quest to eat healthier, but it wasn't terrible either and it was oh so delish.

what you need!
1 loaf (1 lb.) French bread ( I used 2 small baguettes, I didn't have an option)
3/4 lb. thawed frozen LOUIS RICH Turkey Sausage (I used a whole lb and reserved the extra meat and spinach mixture for an omelet the next morning!)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

make it!
HEAT oven to 375ºF.

CUT off top 1/3 of bread; scoop out insides, leaving 1/2-inch-thick shell. Reserve top and insides of bread for another use. Place bread shell on baking sheet.

COOK sausage in large skillet on medium-high heat 10 min. or until lightly browned, stirring frequently to break sausage into small pieces. Stir in spinach and Parmesan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella onto bottom of bread shell; cover with sausage mixture and remaining mozzarella.

BAKE 20 min. or until mozzarella is melted and lightly browned.

I topped them both off with a little spaghetti meat sauce. Without the sauce I think it would be a little too dry.

This was sooooooo fricken yummy!

Nick and I also come up with the genius idea that you could use so many different stuffings with this...such as chicken and bbq sauce. Or a Philly Cheesesteak type.

SERVING SUGGESTIONServe with a crisp mixed green salad tossed with your favorite KRAFT Light Dressing.SPECIAL EXTRAFor added flavor, sprinkle lightly with Italian seasoning before baking as directed. Then, drizzle with warmed pizza sauce just before serving.COOKING KNOW-HOWFor best results, use a serrated knife to cut the bread.

So here is MY picture: The one in the front is the one with spinach, the one Kayla and I ate. And the one in the back is just plain sausage, for Nick.

Here is the picture from K.raft.

Bacon, Cheddar and Potato Salad

2010-05-02T02:54:00.001-07:00

Bacon, Cheddar and Potato Salad

2 lbs red potatoes, cut into cubes, 1 cup mayo, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup sliced green onion, 8 slics of bacon crisp cooked, crumbled, 2 tbs milk, 1 tbs apple cider vinegar.

Cover potatoes with water, boil, simmer uncovered 10 minutes until tender. Drain and cool slightly.

In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add potatoes, toss to coat. Serve chilled or at room temp.

This is delish. I made it for a group of people at a BBQ and everyone was asking who made it!

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

2010-04-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from The Pampered Chef.

A friend of mine made it a long time ago, when Kayla was around 8 or 9 months, I think. Kayla loved it. I always said I was going to try to make it and for some reason forgot about it and never did. Then a few days ago when searching new dinner ideas I found the recipe in my email. So, I printed it and when we went grocery shopping I got the stuff to make it. Its so simple to make, not many ingredients, on the healthy side and VERY YUMMY. I vow to make this more often. Especially since its good for the little ones to eat. I couldn't get the camera to focus right on the salsa, but you get the idea.

Cinnamon Chips:
4 (7-inch) flour tortillas (I used 3 8-inch)
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray tortillas with water. Combine sugar and cinnamon in flour/sugar. Sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges; place in single layer on baking stone, or cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Remove to cooling rack.

Salsa:
2 medium apples, 1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped
1 small orange, 2 tbs packed brown sugar (I used light brown) 2 tbs apple jelly

Peel, core and slice apples. Cut apples into quarters and chop. ( I chopped all the fruits fairly small so Kayla can chew easily. She still does not have all her teeth) Slice strawberries. Chop kiwi. Place in bowl. Zest orange and juice orange. Add zest and juice, brown sugar, apple jelly to fruit mixture. Mix gently.

Serve with cinnamon chips.

Coming Soon!

2010-04-28T23:49:00.001-07:00

Coming Soon, to a blog near you......

Ok, that was cheesy.

But recipes coming soon.

Granola Banana Sticks
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Tater Tot Casserole
Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips
Chicken Parmesan
Deep-Dish Sausage Pizza Bread
Manicoti Corden Bleu (sp?)

I so want to make these Banana Cheesecake!

2010-04-26T20:20:00.001-07:00

Found this and want to make it!

Another version of a popular Banana Cake recipe...the yummy Banana Cheesecake recipe.

It's very easy to prepare, uses minimal ingredients and most importantly, it's soooo delicious!

Banana Cheesecake recipe.

Ingredients.

2 cups digestive biscuits or Chocolate Hob-Nobs, crushed

1/3 cup butter, melted

3 (8 ounce) packs of cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup caster or white sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/2 cup mashed bananas

1 banana, sliced, optional

Chocolate sauce, optional.

Preparation.

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C.

2. In a bowl, mix together the biscuits and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a greased medium-sized round baking dish. Place in the refrigerator to allow it to set.

3. Meantime, in another bowl, lightly beat the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, then the vanilla essence and mashed bananas. Pour into the prepared crust.

4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the center is set. Cool, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

5. Place the sliced bananas on the cheesecake and pour chocolate sauce on top.

Tips:

1. I recommend using Philadelphia Cream Cheese as it's really soft and seems to do well when baked.

2. You can crush the biscuits in two easy ways: either pound on them gently without taking them out of their wrapping or place them in freezer bags and pound them to crumbs.

Be careful that you don't tear the wrapping or the freezer bag. That will result in crumbs flying all over your kitchen counter! Yikes!

3. Melting butter is easy; after measuring, place the lump of butter into a saucepan and let it melt over very low fire or you can microwave it on medium. I prefer the saucepan method though.

4. You can purchase the chocolate sauce in most quality shops selling baking products or established supermarkets.

Enjoy preparing this Banana Cheesecake Recipe.

Lime Turkey Burgers

2010-04-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

So, I really dont have a recipe per say...I just made this up as I went along.
I got the idea from a recipe I saw posted by someone on a recipe swap group I am part of on Face.Book. But that recipe was meant for already formed turkey patties.

Since the commissary here on Guam does not sell those, I had to get ground turkey and make them myself. I was also missing a few of the ingredients so I made some up as I went along.

The reason for turkey burgers is because I have committed to providing better, healthier meals for my family. Turkey instead of beef when I can is one of the permanent changes in my meal planning.

These burgers turned out very good. The only thing I would change is adding more lime juice and zest. I couldn't tell very much there was lime in them.

So onto the Lime Turkey Burgers!

I had 1 lb ground turkey. I juiced a whole lime (it was small) and added half of a lime of zest.

About 1/3 cup bread crumbs (which Kayla gladly dumped in for me) and 1 egg to make everything stick together.

Also 2 big cloves of minced garlic. A palm full of dried thyme, and palm full of cepotle (sp?) seasoning.

There is an avocado in the picture because I was going to top mine off with slices of it, but instead decided to top it off with a little hot sauce and bbq sauce.

I cooked them on the George.Foreman for a few minutes. Not long, just until done. Turkey cooks faster than beef.

The burgers were I hit. I served them on wheat bread. The husband and daughter loved them. The son...well...he has a few months to go before he can eat these. But he did enjoy the taste of his first orange yesterday!

Warm Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad

2010-04-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from The Pampered Chef. Its very good and healthy. I did alter it a little bit so I blog about the altered recipe, and it came out great. I will make this again.
A couple bulk mushrooms, sliced (Recipe actually calls for snap peas but our store didn't have any)
1 lb baby red potatoes, quartered
2 tsp salt (I omitted)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast (actually I oven roasted a whole chicken and then shredded the meat)
1 lemon, 1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 small red onion (I forgot to get to I sliced a yellow onion)
1 medium red bell pepper (Kayla picked out a green pepper)
1 jar, 6oz, marinated artichoke hearts, quartered, drained
1/2 cup fresh parsley (I omitted)
2 tablespoons lemon pepper rub, divided

Here are MY directions:

Start boiling potatoes. Slice up onion, green pepper, mushroom and place them in a pan with a little olive oil and cook until desired doneness.

Place shredded chicken in pan with small amount of olive oil, turn on low heat to keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon lemon pepper rub.

If using chicken breasts, rub with 1 tablespoon lemon pepper rub and cook chicken 7-9 minutes in pan. Set aside and keep warm.

For dressing: juice lemon to measure 2 tablespoons. Combine juice, remaining rub, and minced garlic in small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Set aside.

Combine chicken, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, parsley, artichokes in bowl. Mix. Add potatoes and dressing. Toss gently. Serve warm.

This was really good!

Chewy Oatmeal Squares

2010-04-18T20:30:00.001-07:00

One of Kayla's favorites!
Hard to believe she will be TWO in a few months. Hard to believe she was ever as small as the baby in the picture in the header of this blog...and even harder is to believe now we have her baby brother, who is even smaller than the little girl in the header picture.
Tis why I have been slacking over here on my path of recipes!

Anyways, Enjoy!

This is low in fat and very healthy for you.

Here is a good healthy dessert recipe. My one year old loves this. I throw in a small handful of chocolate chips to sweeten it up for her.
Chewy Oatmeal Squares - serves 18
1/2 cup vegetable oil Vegetable oil spray 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 4 1/2-ounces jar strained applesauce(baby food) 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups quick-cooking oats 1/3 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray a 9-inch square pan with vegetable oil spray. In a mixing bowl, combine oil, brown sugar, applesauce and vanilla. Add oats, walnuts, baking powder, and cinamon. Mix until blended. Press mixture evenly and firmly into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cut into 36 squares while hot. Allow to cool in pan. Store in an airtight container.

French Fry Casserole

2009-12-29T22:47:00.001-08:00

I have really slacked in the recipe department, no lie there.

But I do have good reason.

As you all know, Im sure, we are in the middle of the *hopeful* adoption of Kayla's biological baby brother due very early Feb, 2010. So things are crazy to say the very least. Its not going nearly as smooth as Kayla's adoption.

Anyways, I got a wonderful Christmas present from a blogger friend, who is more than just a blogger friend. I feel like I personally know them. They are the most kind, caring, thoughtful people I have ever met and I am lucky to 'know' them.

The Christmas Present you ask?

A cook book from their church full of delish recipes!

The first recipe I made from the cook book is French Fry Casserole.

1 lb hamburger, 1 can cheddar cheese soup, 1 can golden mushroom soup, frozen french fries Press uncooked burger into a square cake pan, add any seasonings on top you want. i just do salt and pepper. Mix the 2 undiluted soups and pour ove rmeat. Top with generous layer of frozen french fries and bake at 350 for about 1 and a half hours.

I cant tell you how this turned out because it's in the oven as I type this. I cant wait to dig in!

Cheerios Treats

2009-08-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

This recipe was as easy as could be and oh so yummy.
I decided to make this because yesterday was the first of Kayla's WIC checks that we got THREE huge boxes of cheeries. I know she/we cant eat it all in a fair amount of time and over every month we would just have a ton of Cheerios. So, I made this.

Im hosting a Pampered Chef party this weekend and Im going to be making this along with a slew of other things.

Cherrios Treats

5 cups Cheerios
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tbs butter
1 package mini marshmallows

Melt 3 tbs butter in saucepan. Melt in marshmallow and peanut butter. Remove from heat. Stir in Cheerios. Mix well. Press into 13x9 pan. Cool. Cut into squares.

It comes out sorta like Rice Krispie Treats, only with Cheerios and peanut butter instead.

Its hard for me to stay from these so I gave half of the pan to my neighbor.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

2009-08-22T13:56:00.001-07:00

TIME: Prep: 10 min. Bake: 15 min./batch
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2)
1-3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; beat in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg, bananas and oats; mix well. Stir in chips and nuts.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Yield: 4 dozen.

I skipped the chocolate chips and added raisins. These cookies are so GOOD! It was hard to stay away from them. So...yeah..I ended up throwing them away only because I couldnt stand to let myself eat anymore, and I had noone to give them to.

Cheesy Corn with Chile's

2009-08-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

I bought myself a new slow cooker recipe book and Im so excited to try every single one!

The first one I tried was Cheesy Corn with Chile's because I was invited to Mexican night in my friend's neighborhood since I am always at her house. I seem to be part of her neighborhood these days.

The recipe turned out great. The corn was fantastic. I did omit the very last step...only because I forgot. When I make this dish again, I will still omit the very last step.

Makes 12 servings.

2 16-oz packages frozen whole kernel corn (thawed)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz)
1 14 3/4 oz can cream style corn
1 cup chopped tomato
1 4-oz can diced green chile peppers, undrained
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 16-oz carton sour cream
cilantro

1. In 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker combine, whole kernel corn, cheese, cream corn, tomatoes, chile's, onion, chili powder, salt.

2.Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or high heat for 3 hours.

3.Turn off cooker. Gently stir in sour cream and cilantro. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Again, I accidentally omitted step 3, and the corn still turned out great. I had many compliments on this dish and will make it again.

I will return!

2009-08-07T03:14:00.001-07:00

After our long trip to PA, and a long adjustment after getting home, and a sinus infection while battling with a severe allergy to poison oak, and teething and the purchase of a brand new car, and some teething and a terrible week....

I was left totally, comepletely and utterly exhausted.

But now, I shall return soon with new recipes!

Delay

2009-06-05T14:30:00.001-07:00

There will be a big delay of postings on this blog. I will not be home for 4 weeks starting next weekend. So until then, Im trying to rid my fridge of what is already in there instead of buying new things to make new recipes.

But after our trip, I will be back at it! Mid-July.

Sausage Meatballs

2009-05-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

These were soooo easy and sooo yummy! Cant wait to make them for Nick when he gets home!

SAUSAGE MEATBALLS
MEATBALLS:
2 lb. ground sausage
1 c. bread crumbs
2 eggs
SAUCE:
1 1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
Combine the sausage, bread crumbs and eggs. Form into meatballs. Brown the meatballs well and drain.
Combine ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar and red wine vinegar, in a saucepan. Heat and stir until sauce is smooth. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer 30 minutes. This can be frozen and reheated in a moderate oven 30 minutes.

Pampered Chef's Clubhouse Chicken Squares

2009-05-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

This Clubhouse Chicken Squares recipe comes from The Pampered Chef, which of I am a huge fan. I have a kitchen full of The Pampered Chef items!

This recipe is DELISH! And after making it, it sparked come creativity in my little brain because not only can you use these toppings but I thought of making so many other toppings. Almost anything is possible with this. You could do plain pizza toppings, BBQ chicken pizza topping, taco toppings, you could do BLT,turkey, ham...so much.

I took the ingredients to a friends house and we made this for dinner.

This was very easy and very worth it. In fact, Im going to have leftovers for breakfast this morning.

Clubhouse Chicken Squares

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls, 1 package 8 oz cream cheese softened, 2 tbs mayo, 1 garlic clove, (Plus use only 1 garlic clove. My friend added 3 garlic cloves and the morning after I'm still tasting garlic, Edward Cullen wont be coming after me! LOL!) 1 tsp dill, 1 can 10 oz chicken drained and flaked, (We used the oscar mayer chicken in the deli section)2 plum tomatoes seeded, diced, 1/2 of a small cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (We love cheese so we used double this amount)
6 slices of bacon crumbled (Again, we love bacon so we doubled this amount)

Preheat oven to 375. Unroll 1 package of crescent rolls, roll across 1 end of baking sheet. Repeat of 2nd can of rolls. Press triangles together. Bake 12 minutes. Cool completely. Combine cream cheese, mayo, dill, garlic. Spread over crust. Top with chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, bacon.
Refrigerate 30 minutes. (We were impatient and didn't do this step. It was still fantastic)
Cut into squares. Eat.

New list!

2009-05-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

New list of recipes to come soon! In no order:

New Orleans Crab Spread
Three Cheese Garden Pizza
Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip with Baked Pita Chips
Clubhouse Chicken Squares
Mini Ham Puffs
Tex Mex Chicken Melts
Mushroom Focaccia Bread
Deep Dish BLT Pizza
Classic Reuben Sandwich

Yes, all from The Pampered Chef.
I will be making one of these for dinner today. Just cant decide on which one.

BBQ Nibblers

2009-04-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

This is another party or crowd pleaser. It cannot get any more simple to make and its cheap if you have to feed a crowd on a budget. It gives them something hot and filling to snack on at low cost.
I have made this before although I dont have a picture of it. I think it tastes really great even though it sounds very weird. It has a flavor that your guests just cant figure out and leaves them wanting more!

BBQ Nibblers
(I throw it all in a crock pot and it works great)

1 bag of frozen meatballs, 1 package of cocktail wieners, I can pineapple chunks, BBQ sauce, 12 oz jar grape jelly.

Mix all in crock pot except pineapples. Right before serving add in pineapple chunks.
Serve.

That simple! And very Delish!!

Fabulous Fruit Dip

2009-04-25T23:45:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend I made 2 fruit platters with fruit dip. I made one tray for a Partylite show I hosted and another for a baby shower I was invited to.

Each party the fruit and dip was a huge hit. And each party ended with barely any fruit left on the tray and the dip bowl scraped clean.

The Partylite show I made the fruit less fancy. The baby shower I added extra cherries and bite size pieces of pound cake.

For the fruit, you can choose whatever you like.
I did honeydew, cantelope, cherries, kiwi, sliced up oranges, canned pineapple chunks and red seedless grapes. I wanted strawberries but the commissary was all out.

For the fruit dip..
1 8oz block or container of plain cream cheese, 1 jar of marshmellow creme, 1 orange.
Mixed the two then add as must orange juice and orange zest to your taste as you like.
I also added dried mint leaves on top of the dip and topped the fruit pieces too. Not a lot, just enough to get a hint of mint with a couple bites and to get people to wonder, "Is that mint that I taste!!??"

It was a HUGE hit.

Lemon Pepper Chicken

2009-03-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

So sorry I don't blog on here as much as I would like to. But last night I made a fantastic dinner! Lemon Pepper Chicken. I got this recipe from the back of the Lemon Pepper bottle. This was oh so good and so easy with little clean up! I WILL be making this again very soon!

I cut the recipe in half since I only made 2 portions. 1 for myself and 1 for a fellow deployed's spouse pregnant on bed rest.

This recipe calls for 4-ish chicken breasts.

Mix 1/4 cup flour and 2 tbs lemon pepper. Moisten 1 lb thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts with water. Coat with flour mixture. Cook 2 tbs butter in large skillet on medium heat 5 minutes on each side.

Weekend Waffles

2009-03-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

Im addicted these. SERIOUSLY.

1 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
(I add in lots of ground cinnamon)

In large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar. Set aside.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Add milk and egg yolks to flour mixture. Stir until smooth.
Add vanilla and oil to batter and mix well.
Fold in egg whites to batter. Pour batter onto waffle maker.
Top with fruit and syrup.
My favorite is bananas with either blueberries or strawberries with blueberry syrup.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2009-03-05T21:41:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from the WIC office months ago. Turned out good. I would add more cheese. I dont think it had enough cheese flavor in it. Overall, easy and good. I will make it again. Kayla loved it.

2 tbs olive oil, 2 onions chopped (I only used 1), 6 medium potatoes cubed (I used 6 small ones), 1 pint of water or stock (I used chicken broth), 2 heads of broccoli flowerets (about 2 cups), 8 oz cheddar cheese (I would use 10 oz next time)

1. Heat oil, add onions and potatoes.
2.When yellowish, add about 1 pint stock and one head of broccoli, salt, pepper.
3.Cook about 20 minutes at a fast simmer.
4.Add another head of broccoli, simmer for 2-3 minutes.
5.Remove from pan (I didn't) while new broccoli is still crunchy.
6.Add about 8 oz grated cheddar cheese and stir until cheese melts. Top with lots of ground pepper. Serve with fresh baked brown bread.

YUM-O!

I made it for lunch today and am taking some to a friend's house to go with dinner! Cant wait to eat more.

Beer Bread

2009-03-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

For Nick's last home cooked meal before he left, my friend B asked Nick what he wanted. All we could out of him was, "Beer."

So, she went on a hunt and found this beer bread recipe. I made it. It turned out real good. As I was mixing the ingredients, I thought it couldn't be right because it was so weird. But as it was baking in oven and the house smelled like a bakery, I knew it was going to be good.

And oh boy, was it!

You can serve this b read with soups, dips, or just have it as a snack to eat. Its so soft and moist. It really is fantastic.

Serves 6-8 But I found it to serve much more. I even ended up throwing a bunch away because we couldn't eat it all.

3 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using self rising flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1 12 oz can/bottle of beer
1/4 cup melted butter

1.Preheat oven to 375.
2.Mix all dry ingredients and beer.
3.Pour into a greased loaf pan.
4.Pour melted butter over mixture.
Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

If using a non-alcoholic beer add a packet of dry active yeast.

Bread dough

Dough in loaf pan topped with butter

Finished loaf of bread

I sliced the bread and we used it to dip into Cheeseburger dip. Recipe coming soon.

Michelle's Magnificent Chicken Wings

2009-02-25T19:07:00.001-08:00

This last few days I been on a chicken recipe hunt. I discovered our new favorite wings. We had a 5 lbs bag of wings in the freezer and I knew I couldn't eat them all before they got freezer burned. So my goal was to finish them before Nick left. We did.

Here's what I did.
I split the 5 lb bag into 2 dinners. So 1 meal that we shared was about 2 1/2 lbs.
I bought the Dales' Steak Seasoning and marinaded the wings in this for at least 30 minutes. It's steak seasoning, but on the bottle it says you can use it for anything. The ingredients in the sauce is soy sauce, garlic, onion, vinegar.

Marinading wings..

Then I placed all the wings into a zip lock bag, with half of a pack of McCormick Original Bufflo Wing Seasoning.

Shake bag. Then I added 5-6 tablespoons of brown sugar. Shake bag.
Spread on foil lined baking sheet in single layer.

Bake 30-ish minuted on 450 degree oven.

And you've got the most savory chicken wing ever! Ok, maybe not ever- but close! There is the PERFECT amount of spice and sweetness in every bite!!

Chicken Citrus Salad

2009-02-24T14:17:00.001-08:00

So, after our last visit to Hard Rock Cafe, I wanted to re-create the salad I had there. Chicken Citrus Salad. The attempt I made is very delicious but it's not that HRC salad I had. I cant get the dressing right. Mine is missing a spice and I don't know what it is. HRC's dressing was very citrus-y with a hint of kind of spice. Some to give it a zip. And I don't know what it is.

So, what did I put in my salad?
Lettuce- I used just your plain ole iceburg because I was in the mood for the crunch
red onion, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, butter toffee almond slivers, blue cheese crumbles, and southwest chicken strips cut into bite size pieces ( This is the oscar mayer chicken in your lunch meat aisle )

Its sweet and spicey and crunchy and oh so yummy. I cant get enough.

and the dressing..
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons of orange juice
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

but- the dressing is missing that zing- and I cant figure it out!

Great Grandma's 'Ice cream' sandwhiches

2009-02-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

So, this idea comes from my Great Grandma. Not sure where or who she got the idea from, but its marvelous!
All you need is whip cream and graham crackers. Pile some whip cream in between 2 whole graham crackers. Wrap in foil. Freeze for at least 24 hours before you eat it.
Why? Because the longer its in the freezer the better it is. The graham cracker gets soft just like those chocolate ice cream sandwiches you buy in the store. If you eat it any sooner then seriously, its not as good.

These are soooo good. Id say they are even better than the ones in the store. Well, except those strawberry shortcake ones from Turkey Hill.

Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

2009-02-15T13:32:00.001-08:00

I made these Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies over the weekend to take to a BBQ. I never made them before, but I had all the ingredients on hand, 1 box of brownie mix and 1/2 cup peanut butter.

Mix brownie batter as directed on package. Pour into greased pan. Microwave 1/2 cup peanut butter for 20 seconds or until melted. Pour over brownie batter. Swirl with butter knife. Bake as directed on package.

They turned out really good. The recipe came from the Skippy peanut butter.

Here they are baking in the oven and then finished. The house smelled really good while they were baking!

Cheeseburger Pasta

2009-02-06T15:37:00.001-08:00

I made this Cheeseburger Pasta last night, and I will not post the picture nor the recipe because I didn't like it. It didn't taste bad, it wasn't terrible, but it was just like the boxed Hamburger Helper....which I really don't like.

So, onto to trying something else...

Guam's Boonie Pepper

2009-02-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

These pepper are called Boonie Peppers. They are the local pepper that grow here on Guam. The peppers in the picture above are picked from my next door neighbor's backyard.
They are HOT! No, I have not tried them yet. What do I put them in? I dont know.
But here are some facts about these peppers here on this wonderful tropical island of Guam that I can call home.

GUAM BOONIES - very hot; Pequin/Piquin Type; 1 to 1.25 inches long by 0.5 to 0.75 inches wide; thin flesh; matures from medium green to orange to red; upright pods; green leaves; 36 to 42 inches tall; Very Late Season; Uses: Drying; from Guam; C.chinese.
They are extremely hot and definitely require gloves whilst cutting. They got plenty of heat but zero flavor.

Anyone up for a taste?

Apple Cinnamon Chex mix- YUCK

2009-01-31T13:28:00.001-08:00

I made the Apple Cinnamon Chex mix, and it turned out quite gross. I think I burned them. Yuck.

So, I will making something else very soon!

Muddy Buddies

2009-01-27T13:02:00.000-08:00

I so took this from chex.com website. This recipe is for Muddy Buddies, also known as, Puppy Chow, Reindeer Food, Monkey Munch and many others.

I make this a lot. Much more than I should. But ever sugary sweet calorie is so worth it.

9 cups chex cereal- any kind. We use corn chex because of my picky husband.
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, although, I never measure out the sugar. I use the amonut that looks good to me.

In a large bowl measure out the cereal and set aside.
In a 1 quart microwaveable bowl, stir together chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave 1 minute, stir. Microwave 30 seconds more as needed until mixture can be stirred smooth. I find that 1 minute does the job. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into a 2-gallon ziplock bag.
Add powdered sugar. Seal bag. Shake until well coated. Spread on wax paper to cool. Store in airtight container in fridge. We never store these in the fridge though. Its usually all gone within 2 days.

Questions answered...

2009-01-24T16:21:00.000-08:00

Jody said...
"What are those things on the skewer??? So that's all you put in lumpia? If I was to make those, do I need a deep fryer or just a frying pan??? Also, can you get lumpia wrappers in the states you think???"

1. The things on the skewer is BBQ chicken. Also a huge tradtional food here on Guam. You just have to have it with the Lumpia. Im not sure what they use to marinade the chicken. I have to do some research on that. I bought these chicken already marinated and on the sticks. They turned out so good and I cant wait to go grocery shopping to make this again!

2.Yup, thats all that you put in Lumpia. This is the traditional Shangahi Lumpia. Of course, you can put in it whatever your little heart desires! But I like the real traditional stuff.

3.You can use either, a pan or a deep fryer. I made banana lumpia before in a pan, and these Shanghai lumpia a deep fryer. Both worked equally as well.

4.Yes, you can buy lumpia wrappers in the states, I am sure. I bought the lumpia wrappers in the frozen food section near all the Asian foods. Try looking there. It was in the same asile as the frozen pizza, hot pockets, etc.

Ummmm Ummm Shanghai Lumpia!

2009-01-23T15:26:00.001-08:00

Oh my gosh. OK. BY FAR, this is the best recipe I have EVER made. Yup, the best EVER. E-V-E-R! So of course I will be making this often. I made Shanghai Lumpia last night for dinner. I never made it before. This was my first attempt. It is kind of like the Philippine version of an egg roll I suppose. The locals here (Chamorros) eat this lumpia like its going out of style. They eat it with everything just like us Americans eat french fries with our burgers.
After a little research, I made the best lumpia ever. OK, probably not, but pretty dang close if you ask me and my husband and the next door neighbor. They tasted as if we were eating them downtown. DEEEEEEEEEELISH!

OK, so here's the pictures and recipe. This recipe makes 30 lumpia.
I used 2 lbs ground pork. You can use chicken, beef, shrimp or a mixture, but the traditional Shanghai Lumpia calls for pork. And it tastes best.

Brown meat and garlic and in pan. I used 4 cloves of fresh minced garlic. Make sure it's minced pretty finely. I took a handful of baby carrots, 2 sticks of celery and 1/3 of a red onion. I used red onion because Nick doesnt like too much of an onion taste and red onion is sweeter. I puree'd all 3 veggies because again, my picky husband will NOT go anywhere near a vegatble if he knows it's there.
I mixed the veggies in the with browned meat in the pan. You couldnt even see it in there! (hehe!)
You can create your own filling though. You can do a vegetable lumpia or you can mix the meat with shredded cabbage, green be ans, bean sprouts. The possibilites are endless.
Of course you need a 30 pack of lumpia wrappers, thawed out.
I took a tablespoonful of meat mixture and placed in on the wrapper. Wrapped it tightly and sealed the end with water and flour. It works like edible glue!
I deep fried for just a few minutes. They cook fast! And vio`la. Just as easy as that, they are done!
And my very picky hubby who wont go near a veggie with a 10 foot long fork, didnt even know what was in it! He just knew he loved the lumpia!
Here are pictures. Let me know if you have any questions!

Banana Loaf

2009-01-21T17:21:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been a while since I blogged a recipie. I will try to do better.
Please vote on my poll I have going on! Its on the right hand sidebar.

Coming soon........ Homemade Fresh From Scratch....PORK LUMPIA! Next grocery shopping trip I will be buying the ingredients.
What inspired me to do this? Today was Kayla's WIC appointment. In the parking lot is a little 'snack shop' on wheels where they sell lumpia for 3 for $1. I bought 6 and was in heaven eating all 6. I NEED some more of this. It's been too long since I had it! Now I know where to go for my craving! The WIC office parking lot! LOL!

But for now... my Banana Loaf.

So simple to make. That is my kind of recipie. A couple weeks ago I made this for a BBQ we were invited to. Everyone complimented me on it. It was the first time I made it, and I will make it again.

1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 eggs well beaten, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 3 medium bananas mashed, 1/2 cup ground walnuts (optional or raisins)

Cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs.
Add flour, baking soda to butter and egg mixture. Stir to blend well. Add bananas, nuts, raisins.

Pour in greased and floured 9x5x3 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes. (However, my load took longer than 60 minutes for some reason)

Remove from pan. Cool. Slice.

Taaadaaa! Enjoy!

Bacon Broccoli Raisin Salad

2009-01-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite salads! Its delish!

Cut 1 pkg (16 oz) fresh broccoli florets into bite size pieces, place in large bowl.
Add 1 cup Coleslaw Dressing (I use Kraft light Mayo) and 1/4 each of oscar mayer real bacon bits, raisins, sunflower kernels and finely chopped red onion, cover. Refrigerate atleast 30 min before serving. Makes 6 servings.

This salad is so tastey. I love all these flavors combined together and its so light and fresh.

Creamy Fruit Salad

2008-12-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

This recipe was good, however I wont make it again because I know of a better, easier, quicker way to make this thanks to my Great Grandmother. But I thought I would make this and try a different version. Not nearly as good.

This recipe is Creamy Fruit Salad
1 package 16 oz mixed frozen fruit, thawed and drained
1 cup whipping cream, 3 tbs white sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
In mixing bowl whip cream to soft peaks with mixer. Add sugar and vanilla, continue mixing to combine. Fold whipped cream into fruit.
Alternatives: Add banana slices, coconut, chopped nuts.

I added chopped walnuts and coconut.

A better version of this would be to just use thawed cool whip and fruit cocktail or fresh chopped fruit is which I usually do.

My Great Grandma calls this Heavenly Hash. Along with all these ingredients she adds in mini marsh mellows and maraschino cherries. I have made this several times for get together and every single time I get lots of compliments on it. It tastes just as it sounds. Heavenly.

Magically moist chicken+Oven fried eggplant

2008-12-26T02:40:00.000-08:00

So, the Cadum Pak'ju that I was to make, I messed up too. It turned out ok, but I wont post it until I make it the right way next time.

For Christmas Eve dinner I made Magically Moist Chicken breasts and Oven Fried Eggplant. This dinner was delish! I've had fried eggplant before but didnt like it. Oil poured from it and it really had no flavor. But this eggplant...Yum. I ate the entire eggplant myself. Nick doesnt eat eggplant...or anything that is a vegetable.

The chicken, he absolutely loved. This will now be a regularly made dish in the Alessi house.

Magically Moist Chicken (4 servings)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I had bone in skinned chicken breasts in the freezer I used up for this recipe and it turned out fine, I removed the skin before cooking)1/2 cup mayo, 1 1/4 cups italian bread crumbs
I also added in some other seasonings- whatever you wish and I mixed them into the mayo
1. Preheat oven to 425. 2. Brush mayo onto breasts, then coat with bread crumbs. 3. On pan arrange chicken breasts. Cook 20 minutes.
It's that simple.

Oven Fried Eggplant
1 large eggplant, 1 cup italian breadcrumbs (I just used left over crumbs from the chicken breasts) 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, salt, mayo
1. Preheat oven to 425. 2. In small bowl combine bread crumbs, cheese, salt. 3. Pare skin from eggplant. Slice crossways 1/4" thick slices. 4.Spread thin coating of mayo on each side sliced eggplant and dredge into the bread crumbs. 5. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. 6. Bake 10 minutes per side.

An EASY and YUMMY dinner!

Maple Dijon Chicken in the crock pot

2008-12-22T14:57:00.000-08:00

Last night's dinner was Maple Dijon chicken in the crock pot. It turned out great excpet I made one mistake. I thawed out the wrong chicken pieces. Yup, instead of grabbing the bag of breast tenderloins, I grabbed the bag of wings. This dish would have been 10 times better had I used the right chicken. It was easy to make and I will make this again, only with the breasts instead. And I think I will double the amount of mustard for more flavor. Since I only feed Nick and I, I cut the recipe in half. Plus he doesnt eat onions or sweet potatoes.

1 lb chicken pieces, breast tenderloins work best. 1 cup chicken broth, 2 sweet potatoes peeled, chopped, 1 onion chopped, 2 tbs dijon mustard, 3 tbs maple syrup, 3 cloves garlic chopped, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp thyme

Put chicken in crock pot, toss with thyme, syrup, mustard. Add sweet potatoes. Add onion, garlic. Pour in broth. Add bay leaf.
Cook low 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.

Since I used wings instead, when this meal was done the meat just fell right off the bones. It was so juicy and tender. But the skin of the wings wasnt good at all. Please use the tenderloins for this!!

I forgot to take pictures. Sorry.

Today Im going to try to make Cadum Pak'ju. It's a local dish here on Guam.

Lost my touch

2008-12-21T16:09:00.000-08:00

The last 2 recipes I have made didnt turn out. I think party because I was sick so I really wasnt in the mood to cook.
I did the Orange Glazed Wings, they didnt turn out good. Nick didnt even eat his wings. And the Thin Mints I did, except I forgot to put the peppermint extract into the chocolate so that defeated the whole purpose of Thin 'Mints'.
Oh well...
Im going to make Dijon Chicken today in the crock pot. I'll let you know how it goes.

Simply Sensational Truffles

2008-12-16T01:51:00.000-08:00

So, a couple of you want to make this recipe for the holiday coming up, as well as I do. I have never made these before so I dont have pictures (besides this one I stole) and I dont have an opinion of them yet since I havent made them. But, they do sound evil. Too evil. Evil meaning...cant stay away from them.

Here is the recipe. Taken from Kraft Foods.

Prep Time:
15 minTotal Time:
1 hr 15 minMakes:
18 servings, 2 truffles each

2-1/2 pkg. (20 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
decorations: chopped PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts, multi-colored sprinkles

MELT 8 chocolate squares. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm.

SHAPE into 36 balls. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet.

MELT remaining chocolate. Use fork to dip truffles; return to baking sheet. Decorate, then refrigerate 1 hour.

Sprinkle truffles with crushed peppermint candies in addition to, or instead of, the chopped peanuts and colored sprinkles

Hmmm, now that I've gotten to see this picture and read the recipe AGAIN, maybe I will make them in the next few days and let you all know how they turn out.

Thin Mint recipe coming soon! These, I HAVE made before!

Roasted Cornish Hen

2008-12-13T18:19:00.001-08:00

This is so simple. Its nothing special just a good easy simple meal.

You need 1 cornish hen, butter or olive oil and whatever seasonings you like. I used McCormick's Grill Mates Chicken Rub, fresh ground black pepper and McCormick's minced garlic. This is the first time I used the minced garlic instead of using fresh garlic. I must say, I like the fresh garlic better. I think you can taste it much more and the smell through the house is amazing.

Rub the hen all over with butter or olive oil. I used butter since I was low on olive oil. Then sprinkle generous amounts of seasonings all over hen.

Bake about an hour on 450.

Another idea which I have done a few times is to put chicken broth in the roasting pan. Then when the hen is all cooked add a little flour salt and pepper to the juices to make gravy.

Crispy Chicken Wings

2008-12-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

I WILL make these wings again. In fact, I will make this a regular dish in the Alessi household. These wings turned out better than I would have ever imagined had I not eaten them. Nick loved them too.

Crispy Chicken Wings, serves 4. However, for just Nick and I, I only made servings for 2.
1 tsp olive oil for baking sheets, 1 8oz package salted corn tortilla chips, 2 large eggs, recipe calls for 1 tsp paprika but I used McCormick's original chicken seasoning. Salt, Pepper, 12 whole wings

Preheat oven to 450. Line 2 baking sheets with foil paper, brush with oil. Set aside. In food processor pulse chips until finely ground. (Should be about 2 cups)
Transfer chips to shallow dish.

In separate bowl wish eggs and seasonings. Working in 2 batches, place wings in egg mixture. Remove wings one by one letting excess egg mixture to drop off. Transfer to ground chips. Toss to coat patting mixture with hands onto wing. Arrange on baking sheet. Bake switching pans 1.2 way through, 45 minutes.

Again, DELICIOUS! This was like eating Popeye's or KFC without the guilt and grease!
Go ahead...try it! If you do, let me know how you like it.

Parmesan Bow Tie Skillet

2008-12-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

Parmesan Bow Tie Skillet
3 cups bow tie pasta, cooked, drained, 14 oz spaghetti sauce, 1.2 cup ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine pasta, sauce, ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 2 tbs Parmesan in large skillet. Cook on medium for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

If your looking for a dinner that is fast and easy, this is a great one to go for. My husband loved this dinner. I thought it was good but I'm not the pasta fan I once was. If Nick weren't such the picky eater, I would have added some veggies to this. Ground beef added would be good too. It reminded me of and easier version of baked ziti. I will makes this dinner again.

Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms

2008-12-01T14:32:00.001-08:00

This is my very first recipe post! Since Im not sure if this blog will last, Im going to start out simple and not put too much time and effort into this just yet.
Last night I made Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms. Its very simple, very easy. I scaled the recipe down quite a bit since Nick doesnt eat any veggies. You need
1 bunch of asparagus and 1/2 lb mushrooms. The recipe calls for 2 sprigs of rosemary but instead I used McCormic's vegetable supreme seasoning. You also need about 2 tbs of olive oil, and salt and peper.

Preheat oven to 450. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place veggies in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and seasonings. Toss. Lay flat on cookie sheet. Roast 15 minutes.

I only roasted for 10 minutes and it turned out perfect. I like a little bit of crunch left in my asparagus.

ALso, I got a comment from Tina.
Tina said...
I love it.. maybe you could do a featured recipe once a month from one of your fellow bloggers :) that would be fun..im excited

I just want to let her know that I like this idea. Anyone else agree or disagree? Im not even sure I have enough readers to do this.

Welcome to my first post!

2008-11-29T22:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog! This will be all about my cooking and recipes. Please dont take me for a professional, I am not. I am purely a stay at home mom who likes to cook for her family for enjoyment. This site is brand new, so it's still a work in progress. Please, if you have any ideas, suggestions, advice or any questions, let me know any time!