Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

After exhausting every Hamburger Helper flavor when Kirk and I were first married, I found this recipe in my hometown church's cookbook. It was actually contributed from my aunt. We liked it and I have made it off and on ever since. Somewhere along the line I had stopped making it. The other day as I was making my menu, I decided to go through that church cookbook and there it was. Not only that, I made it and my whole family liked it. Success!

1 lb ground beef
1 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. Bisquick (I just happened to have Jiffy and it worked as well)
2 eggs

Cook ground beef, onion and salt. Drain. Spread in greased 9-in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese. Stir remaining ingredients with fork until blended. Pour into plate. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

The only thing that I noticed is that it fed my whole family perfectly. It won't be long until I have to start doubling it.

Happy Cooking!

Zucchini Bread

This recipe is from my mother-in-law. I have been making it a lot lately because everyone likes it (except my daughter). It is a great snack. This last time I added chocolate chips and it turned out great.

2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 c. grated zucchini

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. It makes 2 loaves or 5 little ones.

Allrecipes.com

I have found another website that has some great recipes on it - Allrecipes.

Check it out!

Happy Cooking!

Saucy Pork Chops

*Taken from the "Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook"

4 pork chops
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 T. oil
2 - 2 1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. hickory flavored liquid smoke
1 cup of onions

Season chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Brown both sides in oil in a skillet and drain. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and liquid smoke in a bowl. Place onions in slow cooker. Dip browned chops in sauce mixture and place on onions. Pour remaining sauce over chops. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours or high 4-5 hours.

I made this with coleslaw and it was yummy. Of course the kids don't like coleslaw, so I gave them carrot sticks instead.

With school and other activities starting up, the slow cooker is a big help.

Happy cooking!

After-School Shakes

While my mom was out visiting this last summer, she left a cookbook called, "Simple 1-2-3 Cooking For Kids." There are some cute ideas in there, 2 of which were shakes. I didn't know if the kids would like them, but when we were looking at the book together they said that they would. In honor of starting school, we made them as after school snacks.

Purple Cow Jumped Over the Moon

3 cups vanilla frozen yogurt (I used ice cream)
1 cup 2 % milk
1/2 cup thawed frozen grape juice concentrate, undiluted
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Place the frozen yogurt, milk, grape juice and lemon juice in the blender. Process until smooth and serve immediately. My kids liked it and drank it all up, all I can say was that it was interesting. I think that it helped that they saw it in the cookbook and had agreed that I should make it.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Shakes

1 1/2 cups of vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup milk
2 T. Creamy Peanut Butter
6 peanut butter sandwich cookies, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. strawberry jam

Place the ice cream, milk, peanut butter in blender. Blend at medium speed 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Add chopped cookies (I didn't do this); blend 10 seconds at low speed. Pour into glasses. Place jam and 1-2 T. water in small bowl; stir until smooth. Stir 2 T. of the jam mixture into each glass. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!
Happy Cooking!

Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Cilantro and Chilies

As I was making my weekly menu and sifting through all of my collected recipes (I need to figure out how to organize all of them. If you have any suggestions let me know), I stumbled upon this recipe that I made for Kirk on Father's Day. For that day I made him a T-bone steak and shrimp. I can't remember what else we had. The shrimp was a big hit, even for the kids. I was a little nervous about fixing shrimp - it was my first time de-veining them. It took a little bit of time, but it ended up being delicious. I didn't get the jumbo shrimp. I used medium shrimp. That gave me more to work with and it still turned out. Half of the shrimp I stuffed with the mixture and the other half I didn't. That way, the kids could still have one and it wouldn't be too spicy.

Jumbo Shrimp with Cilantro and Chilies

Try it before the summer is over!

Happy cooking!

Grilled Barbecue Pizza

I like to get the Food Network's emails. The latest one that I got had a video of the Neeley's making grilled pizza. Please note that I have tried to grill pizza before and my family didn't like it. As I was watching the Neeley's make this pizza, I was inspired to try it. It turned out and my family liked it. I loved the barbecue sauce, however I made regular pizza for the rest of the family - I know how they are. See what you think....


Grilled Pizza Video

The Recipe

I think that I would rather get a grill pan and make them indoors. I hate going in and out of the house all the time. I hope you try it, I am sure you will like it. Tell me what you think.
Happy cooking!

Fruit Salad

We went to the beach not too long ago. I was in the process of making a fruit roll-up recipe, from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals show - one that aired about 4 year ago! It involved making a fruit mixture and rolling it into some flour tortillas. I made this recipe 4 years ago and it was really handy - but this time I forgot the detail about warming up the tortilla so that it would roll up easy. Since I forgot and I was in a hurry, my tortilla kept breaking and I got frustrated. Therefore, I scrapped that idea and made it into a fruit salad. It was yummy and the kids liked it. When my family came to visit, I made that salad again for our trip to the beach.

This is what I did, I mixed up a bunch of fruit -peaches, apples, grapes, bananas, strawberries - with lemon juice and strawberry jam (mine was homemade freezer jam). It was a perfect salad for a day at the beach. Next time I will post Racheal Ray's Fruit Roll-Up recipe - it is yummy too.

Decorating Cakes

I enjoy TRYING to decorate a special cake for my kids' birthday. I have always admired others creations. For my daughter's 1st birthday, I made a simple small chocolate cake. Her second birthday, I bought a Dora cake from the supermarket. For her 3rd birthday and my son's first birthday we had a bug party, so I made caterpillar cakes out of cupcakes. For my daughter's 4th and my son's 2nd birthday I made a Dora cake from nickjr.com. It was super easy. Those pictures I might post at a later date, but they are hard copies and not digital, and I don't have a scanner. For my youngest son's first birthday, I took a train recipe off the internet and followed their directions. It was very colorful!


For the next birthday, my daughter's 5th and my son's 3rd, I really wanted to use the special pans and tips. I borrowed the Barbie pan, tips, pastry bags and food coloring from a friend. It is a major investment to get started. The Thomas cake I came up with on my own by tweaking that recipe off the internet. I was pretty proud of it.
I found this Fire Engine cake recipe on the same site as I found the train recipe. I designed it to look like Red from the Race Car movie. That was fun too.


For my daughter's 6th birthday, I made a doll cake. We went to the store and picked out the doll that she wanted to use. I made 2 cakes and baked them in a pyrex bowl. I made two, in order to get it the height I needed so the dress to be able to fit the doll. The Snow Plow Thomas cake I made was a 3-D cake pan that I found.
This is the Happy Birthday Thomas that I made for my youngest son's 3rd birthday. (I also made him a banana cake.) I used that same pan that I used to make snow plow Thomas.


I made a High School Musical cake for my daughter's 7th birthday and the Lightening McQueen for my son's 5th birthday. I looked on the internet for ideas for the HSM cake. I bought the car cake pan. (I bought a Cinderella cake pan a couple years ago to make for a friend. I can't find that picture either.) So, now, I own 3 cake pans, several tips and pastry bags, and about dozen different colors in food coloring gel. It has been an investment, but I have enjoyed doing it. The main reason I wanted to post my pictures is that I wanted to show that anyone can do it and I wanted to encourage you to do it too. It does take me a couple hours to decorate it, but I like the challenge.What is the most important is that even though it might not look as great as I wanted it, the kids think it is the best. Isn't that the most important thing anyway?
These are my monogrammed cupcakes. Pretty cute.

Monogrammed Cream-Filled Cupcakes

Last night I attended a cupcake exchange. I had to take 24 cupcakes and 24 recipes to be exchanged with other cupcakes. It was cute. I don't really make cupcakes very often and I had a very busy week; so I was a little nervous how I was going to get it all done and what I was going to make. After some browsing I found this easy, cute recipe. It tastes like a Ho-Ho, or a Hostess Cupcake. They are called Monogrammed Cream-filled Cupcakes from Betty Crocker. They would be cute for an adult's birthday or a shower.

Happy baking!

Barbecued Chicken

Last week was Memorial Day and I made a barbecued chicken recipe that I saw Tyler Florence make on his Food Network show. He is quickly becoming my favorite chef to watch. Anyway, the chicken was great, I even made the sauce from scratch. The only thing I did different was that I pureed it so that my kids wouldn't notice the onions.

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Barbecued Chicken. Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Baked Beans

These baked beans are great and they would be tasty if you had them on Memorial Day. Enjoy!

Baked Beans by Sandra Lee on the Food Network Website.


Happy Cooking!

Baby Back Ribs

What are your plans for Memorial Day? Well, I have a suggestion, Baby Back Ribs. Here is our favorite recipe from Food Network and Sandra Lee.

Click on this link: Baby Back Ribs


Tomorrow I am posting a great side for the ribs - baked beans!

Happy Cooking!

Creamy Cole Slaw

Kirk also made this yummy cole slaw for Mother's Day. I was surprised at how much I liked it and Kirk was surprised at how easy it was. Maybe this would be a good salad to make for your next up and coming bar-b-que. What are you fixing for Memorial Day? This recipe might be a good idea and everyone will be astonished because it is homemade! Kirk even shredded the cabbage and carrots himself. Try it, Creamy Cole Slaw by Bobby Flay from the Food Network Website.

Enjoy and happy cooking!

Grilled Salmon Fillet with Honey Mustard Sauce

For the last few years, Kirk has been making me a Mother's Day meal. This year he made me this Salmon recipe by Bobby Flay from the Food Network website.

Grilled Salmon Fillet with Honey Mustard Sauce

Check it out and try it. Salmon is great for you and it is very yummy on the grill. Thanks Kirk for the yummy Salmon!

Happy cooking!

Little Cheddar Meat Loaves

I got this recipe from a Taste of Home email. I actually love this feature. You can go to the Taste of Home's website and sign up for this. Every week ( it seems like they send it every week) they send me a few new recipe ideas to try. This is one and it is actually called Li'l Cheddar Meat Loaves.

1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef
2/3 c. ketchup
1/2 c. Dark Brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard

In a large bowl, whisk egg and milk. Stir in the cheese, oats, onions and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight loaves; place in a greased 13 X 9 baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over loaves. Baked uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until no pink remains and the meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

This recipe is so similar to my favorite meatloaf recipe and the kids liked the small little loaves. My friend Paula recommends pureeing the onion and I think that will work well for my kids, who don't like onion. If you follow my recipes at all, my other meatloaf recipe has green peppers in it as well as onion and the next time I make it, I will also puree the green peppers. I hope that your family will love this recipe.

Happy Cooking!

Garden Fish Packets

3 T. butter, melted
3 lbs. frozen cod or haddock fillets, thawed
2 tsp. seasoned salt
3/4 tsp. lemon pepper seasononing
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 medium green peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups (8oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Drizzle the butter over the 8 pieces of heavy duty foil (about 18 in. x 12 in.). Cut the fish into 8 portions; place one portion on each piece of foil. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and lemon pepper. Top with the vegetables and cheese. Loosely wrap foil around fish; seal the top and sides. Placed in 2 ungreased 15x10x1 inch baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Carefully open foil and transfer fish and vegetables to serving plate.

I got this recipe out of a Taste of Home cookbook. I have made this 2 times. Both times I omitted the onions and tomatoes. This last weekend I made it on our camping trip and it turned out great. Also, I used talapia instead of cod or haddock. I was surprised that my kids liked the fish - they didn't necessarily like the vegetables. My mottos are, "Keep trying, someday they will like it." and "Don't NOT try it just because you think the kids won't like it."

Happy Cooking!

Spaghetti Pizza

1 pkg. (8 oz.) spaghetti
1 egg or 1/2 c. egg substitute
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar (26 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain. In a bowl toss the spaghetti with egg and parmesan cheese. Spread evenly in a 15 x 10 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. In a skillet, cook beef, onion, peppers until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic, cook 1 minutes longer. Stir in spaghetti sauce and seasonings. Heat through. Spoon over spaghetti. Top with mushrooms and cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I got this recipe from a recipe exchange and was surprised that my family liked it.

Happy cooking!

Green Beans with smoked bacon and onions

2 lbs. green beans, trimmed
2 1/4 tsp. salt
4 slices thick cut smoked bacon cut into 1-inch wide strips
1 medium onion cut into 1-inch pieces

Blanch the beans. Prepare an ice bath. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the beans and 2 tsp. salt and cook just until the beans turn bright green - about 7 minutes. Drain the beans and plunge them into the ice bath until they are cool. Remove from the bath and drain on a towel.

Cook the bacon. Add the bacon to a large skillet over medium high heat and cook until golden brown and lightly crisp. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.

Finish the beans: add the blanched beans, onion pieces and remaining salt and toss to completely coat with the fat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the beans are warmed through and the onions are softened - 4-5 minutes. Serve immediately. 8 servings.

I made these green beans for Easter dinner and I was pleased with the results. I got this recipe out of a Country Living magazine. I hope that you had a Happy Easter and that you got to spend time with loved ones!

Happy cooking!

Laundry Soap

Okay, not all recipes have to be about food, right? I have found a recipe for making laundry soap and I am trying it right now. I found it on the Duggar's website. They are the family with the show called, "17 and Counting." The recipe says that it makes enough for 640 loads (for a front loading machine) for just $2. I will try almost anything if it will save some money.

Laundry Soap Recipe

Happy Cooking and Laundry!

Easter Cookies - A Family Project

This is a family project and is to be made the evening before Easter. (I like to call it Resurrection Day.)

What you need:
1 c. whole pecans
3 egg whites
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vinegar
pinch salt
mixing bowl
mixer
wooden spoon
zipper baggie
wax paper
cookie sheet
tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. (This is important. Do not wait until you are half done with this recipe.)

Place pecans in the zipper baggie and let the children beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represents life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hands. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our sin.
Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:1-3

Beat with mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven and turn it OFF.
Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matthew 27:65-66

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb empty!
Read Matthew 28:1-9

** I got this recipe as a handout years ago and I kept it. I do not know it's origin. I haven't tried it yet because of my kids' age and the busy-ness of Easter Sunday. This Easter, I am going to try it and allow for enough time in the morning BEFORE church to experience the hollow cookies. If you try this activity, please write back and tell me how it went. I would love to hear from you.

Happy Easter planning and cooking!

Chicken Fold-ups

2 c. cubed, cooked chicken
3 oz. cream cheese (they actually make that size of cream cheese)
2 T. butter
2 T. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can crescent rolls

Topping:
1 T. butter
3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs or crushed croutons

Cook and cube chicken. Mix cream cheese and 2 T. butter. Add milk, salt and pepper. Mix chicken. Press together 2 crescent rolls into a rectangle on an ungreased cookie sheet. Spoon filling onto the center of the rectangle and bring up the corners. Press corners together. Spoon the topping over them. You might need to press it into the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20- 25 minutes. 4 servings.

I got this recipe from a friend, but I am unsure where she got it at. They are yummy!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Chili Soup

The weather is getting nicer, but there are still a few chilly days. Now is the time to make chili soup before the days are too hot for soup. I got this recipe when I was newly married and I still make it.

2 lbs hamburger
chili seasoning packet
2 cans chili beans
1 qt tomato juice

Brown hamburger and drain. Stir in all of the other ingredients and simmer.

Optional ingredients: canned tomatoes, green pepper, hot pepper, onion, a little bit of sugar. Can you think of any other ingredients that are good in chili? Of course you need to top it off with cheddar cheese and some crackers.

Happy Cooking!

Busy Day Beef Stew

2 lbs. stew meat, cubed
2 medium onions, diced
1 c. chopped celery
2 c. sliced carrots
4 medium potatoes, diced
2 1/2 T. quick cooking tapioca
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
10 3/4 oz. can tomato soup
1 1/2 soup cans of water

Layer meat and vegetables in slow cooker. Sprinkle with tapioca, sugar, salt, and pepper. Combine the soup and water and pour into slow cooker. Do not stir. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

This stew is easy and it makes the house smell so good. It is perfect for this time of year, when the weather is still brisk. It is best with corn bread. It is one of my favorite meals. The kids complain about eating it, but they still do. They love the cornbread. I got this recipe out of the "Fix-it and Forget-It Cookbook" by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good. I enjoy this cookbook, so I recommend buying it.

Tomorrow Oprah is having on some famous chefs. I believe that they will be showing cheap meals and the things that you should get at the grocery store. If you can't be home to watch it - try to record it. I am sure they will have some great tips for you.

Happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Pulled-Pork Fajitas

I found a recipe called Slow Cooker Barbecued Pulled Pork Fajitas at Betty Crocker. You can find the original recipe there, however, I tweaked it because my husband didn't like the barbecue sauce in it. We loved the way the meat pulls apart after it is slow cooked. So instead of using the barbecue sauce, salsa, chili powder and cumin, I substituted it with Stubb's Pork Marinade. It is a little spicy, so it makes it perfect for fajitas. You may not find that marinade in your grocery store, but I am sure you can figure something to slow cook with your pork. Another variation to the recipe is that I don't use the frozen peppers and onions. I slice them long and fry them in the skillet with some olive oil until they are tender. We eat these fajitas with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and guacomole. ( I make my guacomole by smashing avocados and mixing it with salsa and garlic powder - yummy!) Okay - truth - my kids don't eat the vegetables or the guacomole. I hope that this recipe idea is helpful.

Happy Cooking!

Classic Lasagna

8 oz. ground beef
8 oz. Italian sausage
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 jars (26 oz) marinara sauce
8 oz. ricotta cheese
8 oz. cream cheese - room temperature
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pkg. (8 oz.) "no-boil" lasagna noodles
1 cup. shredded basil
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13 casserole dish. Brown ground beef and sausage in a large skillet, season with salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cook until lightly browned. Drain. Add marinara sauce to meat and combine. Set aside. Mix ricotta cheese, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Season with remaining1/4 tsp. pepper. Layer in the following order: meat sauce, noodles, cheese, and basil. Top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with tin foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown, 10- 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I got this recipe from a recipe exchange. My husband, daughter, and one son like it. The other one is not big on lasagna. I had a hard time finding a recipe for lasagna that was easy enough for me and tasted good. This one worked. However, I am always on the lookout for other lasagna recipes!

Have a great week and happy cooking!

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

Okay - I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals T.V. show on Food Network. We love our pancakes with peanut butter and syrup and these pancakes are also delicious that way. These pancakes are a real hit with my family, except with my daughter. She doesn't like the bananas in it so I always put aside a bit without the bananas. I thought it would be easier to link the recipe to the Food Network website.

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

Happy Cooking!

Taste of Home Website

I am a big fan of Taste of Home recipes. I have stumbled onto their website and it looks full of information. They have some great Valentine recipes that you might want to try for this weekend. If you have time, go to Taste of Home's Website, you will be glad you did.

Happy Love Day Cooking!

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature (please use butter)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe following)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2, 9-inch layer cake pans with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl combine butter and sugar. Mix on high for 1 minute, until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add mashed banana and beat for 1 minute. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda, stirring well to mix. Add to banana mixture. On low speed, continue mixing until thoroughly mixed. Add milk and vanilla. Mix for 1 minute. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a rack for 10 minutes. Unmold and cool on rack for 2 hours. When cooled, place one layer on a serving plate and frost with cream cheese frosting. Cover with second layer and frost top and sides of cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter or margarine, room temperature
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese and butter. Mix on high for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla. On low speed, continue mixing for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy and thoroughly mixed. Mixture should be free of lumps. Frost Banana Cake or any cake.


I made this cake as a last minute cake for my youngest son's birthday. It was really yummy if you like banana bread or banana bars. It was definitely easy! He liked it, my oldest didn't. I got this recipe out of "The One-Armed Cook" by Cynthia Stevens Graubart and Cathrine Fliegal.

Happy Cooking!

Lattice Top Chicken

1 pkg. (16) frozen California Blend Vegetables, thawed and drained
2 c. cubed chicken
1 c. milk
1 can (10 3/4) condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. french fried onions
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tube (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls

In a bowl, combine the vegetables, chicken, milk, soup, cheese, onions, and seasoned salt. Transfer to a greased 13X9X2 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, separate crescent dough into 2 rectangles. Seal perforations; cut each rectangle lengthwise into 4 strips. Working quickly, weave strips over warm filling, forming a lattice crust. Bake 15 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown.

The kids didn't LOVE it, but they ate it. Isn't that what is important? Kirk and I liked it, however. I got this out of the Taste of Home cookbook that I used last week. So far I have been impressed with it. Happy Cooking!

Deep Dish Pizza

1 pkg (1/4 oz)active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees-115 degrees)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 T. vegetable oil
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz)condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 tsp. each dried basil, oregano, and thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 small green pepper, julienned
1 can (8 oz) mushrooms stems and pieces, drained
1 c. (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Stir in sugar, salt, oil, and flour. Beat vigorously 20 strokes. Cover and rest for 20 minutes. On a floured surface, roll into a 13 in. x 9 in. rectangle. Transfer into a greased 13 in. X 9 in. X 2 in. baking pan. Sprinkle with beef.

Combine soup and seasonings: spoon over beef. Top with green pepper, mushrooms and cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until crust and cheese are lightly browned. 8 servings.

I got this recipe from the Taste of Home Family Collection Cookbook. My whole family liked it, although, the kids don't like mushrooms and peppers. On half of the pizza, I left them off. Also, I don't have a kitchen thermometer, so I just guessed. I knew that it couldn't be hot, so I just found a warm temperature and it worked out.

Happy Cooking!

Applesauce Muffins

Here is another recipe from the "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook written by Jessica Seinfeld. I made these muffins and Kirk, the boys, and I loved them. They were really yummy. It is a great way to get vegetables into my kids (and their parents).

Topping:
2/3 c. old-fashioned oats
1/4 c. firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. transfat- free soft tub margarine spread, melted

Batter:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. nonfat (skim) milk
1/2 c. butternut squash or carrot puree (I used carrot)
1/2 c. firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 c. vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Coat a 12-c. muffin tin with cooking spray or mine with paper baking cups. To make the topping, stir together the oats, suagr, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in the margarine. To make the batter, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl or zipperlock bag and stir or shake to mix. In a second bowl, mix the applesauce with the milk, vegetable puree, sugar, oil and egg with a wooden spoon. Add the flour mixture slowly, stirring until just moistened. Do not overmix - the batter is suppose to be lumpy. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake until the topping is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the muffins, 18-20 minutes. Turn the muffins out onto a rack and serve warm or cold.

As I said, all but my daughter liked them. I just saw this cookbook at Walmart for $10. Happy Cooking!

Menu Planner

Hey Friends! With the new year here, I am once again trying to achieve many goals. Some of which have to do with cooking. I would like to say that I plan a menu and then from that write my grocery list for shopping. When my life is zooming out of control, however, I usually find myself in the grocery store making it up as I go. At the moment, I am trying to get back to menu writing and grocery list making and I found a planner at homemadesimple.com I wanted to share with you this planner. If you don't already have a menu planner and you aren't regular at making your grocery lists, I hope that this article and planner will inspire you! I think that you will find that you save money in the process.

Happy cooking in the New Year!

Quesadillas (with butternut squash puree)

This recipe is taken from the Deceptively Delicious Cookbook, written by Jessica Seinfeld. I recommend this cookbook as a jump start to cooking with purees. This recipe is expecting that you already have purees on hand. I confess that I am not an avid puree user in my cooking, but I love the concept. I do use it once in awhile and this recipe is one of my favorites and the kids like it to. I actually have a variation for the recipe, but I won't mention it until the end.

Nonstick cooking spray
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. chicken cutlets or boneless chicken breasts, rinsed and dried
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. chili pepper, or to taste
1/2 c. canned navy beans, drained and rinsed
1/2c. reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 c. butternut squash puree
1/2 c. shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
4 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas
1/2 c. salsa

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Sprinkle with chicken with salt, pepper, and chili powder and add it to the pan and cook until no longer pink in the center, 4-5 minutes per side of cutlets. For chicken breast, cook 5 minutes per side, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 9-10 minutes longer. Cut the chicken into thin slices, or puree it, if necessary.

In a small bowl or mini-chopper, mash the beans with the sour cream. In another bowl, stir together the butternut squash puree and the cheese. Spread the bean mixture over the tortillas, then arrange the chicken slices on top. Spread the cheese mixture over the 2 tortillas and press one of each to form sandwiches. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the tortillas are crisp, 5-6 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa.

Rebecca's variation: When I have left over chicken or the grilled chicken goes on sale at the grocery store, I use that chicken in my quesadillas and I like to grill them on a grill pan and flip them like a grilled cheese sandwich. Also, I don't quite add as much puree as Jessica says to add - maybe 1/3 cup. When I don't have puree and the beans - the kids also just like cheese and chicken. It is a great twist to a grilled cheese sandwich!