Honey Orange Chicken

• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
• 1 cup frozen sweet peas (thawed)
• 1/3 cup cashews

While the rice is cooking, spray a skillet with nonstick spray.  Heat over medium heat until hot. Add chicken, salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes.

In a small bowl mix the OJ, honey, cornstarch, and orange peel.  Add the peas and the OJ mix to the chicken in the skillet, stir slowly until it thickens.  Stir in cashews, and server over rice.

Enjoy!

EZ Strawberry Shortcakes

These are sooo easy!

• 2 1/3 cup Bisquick
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp melted butter
• sliced strawberries
• whipped topping

Preheat oven to 425

In a large bowl mix together Bisquick and sugar.  Beat in milk and butter.  Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Will be 6-8 cakes.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Split the cakes in half , top the bottom with a few strawberries and whipped topping. Top with the top half of the cake, more strawberries, and whipped topping.  :)

Homestyle Breakfast Sausage

This is a large large batch of sausage. I make it ahead of time and freeze the patties, great to grab in the morning and just toss in the skillet, no messy hands! 

• 10 lb ground pork
• 4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp sage
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp pancake syrup
• 1 tbsp bread crumbs (only if needed to “firm” up the mix)

Prep: Tear a stack of saucer sized wax paper squares (for freezing)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Roll into balls and smash into patties.  Stack them alternating on wax paper.   Wax paper,patty, wax paper, patty, wax paper, patty…  and freeze.

When you’re ready to cook, just grab a few patties and pull off the wax paper.  Fry em up.  GREAT served on biscuits! 

EZ No Bake CheeseCake

• 1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 8-oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1 8-oz sour cream
• 1 8-oz bowl whipped topping
• 1 tsp vanilla
• cherry, strawberry, or blueberry pie filling (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients (except pie filling and pie crust).  Mix until smooth.  Pour into pie crust and refrigerate overnight.  Top with pie filling before serving (if desired).

For a low fat version:
use Fat Free Phili, Fat Free sour cream, and Cool Whip Free.   :)

Cranberry Brilliant Bread

• 2 Cups Cranberries (fresh or frozen, halved)
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1/4 Cup butter
• 1 Cup Milk
• 2 Cups flour
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp orange peel, (grated)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups Cheddar (shredded)
• 1/2 cups walnuts (chopped)

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a 9x5 loaf pan.

In a bowl combine: egg, butter, milk, and orange peel. In a large bowl, sift together: sugar, baking powder, flour, and salt.   Add the cranberries, cheddar, and nuts to the flour mixture and lightly mix.   Dump the milk mixture into the flour mixture and use a fork to  incorporate.   Place the moistened dough ball in your buttered loaf pan, and bake for an hour and 15 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).  Let stand 10 minutes before removing from the pan, and finish cooling on a wire rack before cutting.

This is a beautiful loaf, it almost looks like its filled with red brown and yellow confetti!

ENJOY!

Death by Chocolate – Slow Cooker Style

There is no easier meals than crock pot cooking.   Throw it in the pot in the morning on low and let it cook all day.  No fuss, no rush at the end of the day, and the house always smells delicious!  I love my crockpot, and other then my coffee maker it is the most used item in my kitchen!  Well, after my mixer.  Like I said, I love my crockpot. ~B

If you’re anything like me, than you are down for ANYTHING chocolate! YUMMO!  lol!  This recipe is so good, it almost feels ILLEGAL!

• 1 box Devil's Food Cake mix
• 1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1 cup chocolate chip morsels (+1/8 cup for sprinkles)
• 3/4 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk

Butter your crockpot.

In a bowl mix all ingredients, then pour into buttered crockpot.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining chips.

Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

 

*please note, sometimes this cooks up like a cake, and sometimes it cooks up like a gooey mess, but no matter how it turns out it is soooo delicious!  So ugly or not, stick it in your mouth and SMILE.  You will like it, I promise.

 

Enjoy!

Boston Baked Beans

There is no easier meals than crock pot cooking.   Throw it in the pot in the morning on low and let it cook all day.  No fuss, no rush at the end of the day, and the house always smells delicious!  I love my crockpot, and other then my coffee maker it is the most used item in my kitchen!  Well, after my mixer.  Like I said, I love my crockpot. ~B

These beans are GREAT for Pot Lucks and family get togethers!

• 4 cups navy beans (rinsed and sorted)
• 12 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp dried mustard
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 lb salt pork (cubed) or bacon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• pinch garlic
• 1 jigger Worcestershire Sauce or Red Wine vinegar

This recipe comes in 2 parts and takes about 18 hours.  I like to start the beans the day before, while Im cleaning up that nights supper dishes.

Step ONE: Cooking the beans.

Rinse the beans and pick out the bad ones.  Place beans, water, onion, pork, and salt in the Crockpot.  Cover and cook on low for about 12-13 hours.

Step TWO:  Making them yummy!

Drain the cooked beans, keeping about 2 cups of the juice.   In a large bowl mix that juice you just saved with all the other ingredients (dried mustard, brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, bell pepper, garlic, and Worcestershire Sauce)  I use a whisk, it incorporates it all better.

Return the beans to the crockpot, and pour the ketchup mixture of them.  Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

If you do like I do and start these after dinner the day before you need them…
the beans will be done around 8-9 am, by the time you add the sauce to make them yummy and that cooks up together, it will be Noonish and done in perfect time to get them to that potluck still warm!

*Im sure you can speed this recipe up by soaking the beans over night and then just cooking it all in one day, but I have never tried it that way.

Enjoy!

Baked Apples

There is no easier meals than crock pot cooking.   Throw it in the pot in the morning on low and let it cook all day.  No fuss, no rush at the end of the day, and the house always smells delicious!  I love my crockpot, and other then my coffee maker it is the most used item in my kitchen!  Well, after my mixer.  Like I said, I love my crockpot. ~B

• 6-8 apples, washed and cored
• 2 handfuls raisons
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup water

Butter the sides and bottom of the Crockpot.

In a bowl: mix raisons, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Stuff this mixture down in the holes of the apples.  Its ok to have some spilling out of the tops!

Melt butter in the microwave and drizzle over the tops of the apples.

Slowly pour in the water and cover.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Enjoy!

Crocked Stuffed Bells

There is no easier meals than crock pot cooking.   Throw it in the pot in the morning on low and let it cook all day.  No fuss, no rush at the end of the day, and the house always smells delicious!  I love my crockpot, and other then my coffee maker it is the most used item in my kitchen!  Well, after my mixer.  Like I said, I love my crockpot. ~B

Stuffed Bells are one of my favorite “comfort” foods.  They just remind me of HOME.

• 4-6 bell peppers
• 1/2 pound ground beef (browned and drained)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 package frozen corn (abt 10-oz)
• 1 15-oz can Dark Red Kidney Beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cup cooked rice (I like brown rice, but white works)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 pepper
• 2 cups shredded cheddar +abt 1/4 cup

Combine all ingredients except the peppers.  (that + 1/4 cup cheese) you will use at the end, so don't mix that in.

Carefully cut off the tops of the peppers, and de-seed them.

Then stuff them with the mix.  Carefully place the peppers (stuffing hole UP) in the Crockpot.  

Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours.   Just before you are going to serve them, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and recover for about 5 minutes so the yummy cheese can melt.

Enjoy!

**IMPORTANT NOTE**

Every Crock Pot is different.  My current crock pot only has 3 settings: Warm, Low, High.  The Low setting on my current crock pot burns EVERYTHING that is supposed to be cooked on LOW, so I actually set mine on LOW for the first 10-15 minutes, then switch it down to WARM for the rest of the time.  

*TIP*

Since I only cook 4 bell peppers, I always have a ton of filling left over. 

I usually but 3-4 spoonfuls in the crock pot, incase someone is extra hungry, and then FREEZE the rest. 

The frozen filling comes in great on those “Fend for Yourself” nights when the  kids want something easy like pizza and I would like Grown Up food.  :)

mock lasagna

There is no easier meals than crock pot cooking.   Throw it in the pot in the morning on low and let it cook all day.  No fuss, no rush at the end of the day, and the house always smells delicious!  I love my crockpot, and other then my coffee maker it is the most used item in my kitchen!  Well, after my mixer.  Like I said, I love my crockpot. ~B

This recipe is for some super easy “lasagna”.

• 1 box lasagna noodles (I use Oven Ready Lasagna by Creamette)
• 1 pound ground beef (lightly browned & drained)
• 1/2 pound Italian Sausage (lightly browned & drained)
• 1 med onion (chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 12-oz package of shredded Mozzarella
• 1 12-oz cottage cheese
• 2 6-oz cans tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan

Lightly butter your crock pot.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef, sausage, and onion.  Drain.  While that is cooking, chop your onion, and mince your garlic and just toss it into the meat as it cooks.

In a bowl, whisk together tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, oregano, and parmesan.

 

Place the meat in your Crockpot,
  top with your cottage cheese, lasagna noodles (broken into bite size pieces),
 

the shredded mozzarella,
 

and then pour the sauce mix over the whole mess.  Run a spatula around the edges down to the bottom, so the sauce can slop over the sides and get around the meat.

Cover and cook on low for 7 hours. 

**IMPORTANT NOTE**

Every Crock Pot is different.  My current crock pot only has 3 settings: Warm, Low, High.  The Low setting on my current crock pot burns EVERYTHING that is supposed to be cooked on LOW, so I actually set mine on LOW for the first 10-15 minutes, then switch it down to WARM for the rest of the time.   If you find your crock pot already causing everything to ‘stick’ after the first 10-15 minutes, lower the setting.  You can add a little water (like a cup or so) to re-moisten it all, and then let it finish cooking on that “warm” setting.

Great served with Garlic Toast and a side salad.

Ugly Garlic Cheesy Rolls

I love these, they are FANTASTIC served with meatloaf and even by themselves as a warm snack!

• 2 cups bisquick
• 2/3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/4 cup butter (melted)
• 1/2 tsp garlic

Preheat to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl mix up all the ingredients.  Drop by tablespoon onto cookie sheet.  Bake 5-8 minutes or until done.    They will not “spread” while baking but will rise a little. 

They may turn out ugly but man they are DE-LISH!

enjoy!

Cheesy Veggie Casserole

My sister and my Auntie both cook this yummy side dish, so of course I love it.  Its super yummo and even easier to make!

• 1 stick butter (+ a half stick)
• 5 cans of Veg-All mixed vegetables (I like homestyle cut), drained
• 1 LARGE jar of cheese whiz
• salt and pepper (pinches)
• Parsley flakes
• garlic powder
• 1 roll ritz crackers (crushed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large casserole dish, melt 1 stick of butter. 

Melt the cheese whiz in the microwave, 

Add drained vegall to the casserole dish, add the cheese whiz, salt and pepper, pinch of parsley flakes, pinch of garlic powder, and mix it up.  

Use a rolling pin to crush the Ritz crackers, and top the veggie mixture.  Melt the remaining butter in the microwave and drizzle over the ritz crackers. 

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown!

Enjoy!

Peppermint Holiday Bark

I could sit and eat this candy ALL DAY.  It is so good, and super easy to make.  You don’t even have to chew it, just pop in a piece and let the heat of your mouth melt it away.  So good!  Great served with hot cocoa or coffee!!!

• 4 sq white almond bark
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 10 peppermint candies (crushed)
• food coloring (if desired)

Put the candies in a baggy and beat em up with a rollin pin.  :P

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Melt the almond bark in the microwave (30 seconds, stir, 30 seconds, stir… until melted)  If you want, stir in some food coloring.  Mix in the crushed peppermints and extract. 

Spread the mixture onto the foil lined pan.  Let cool.  Once hardened peel off the foil and break it into pieces.

ENJOY!

Kahlua Brownies

umm. YUM!

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cups butter
• 3 squares unsweetened bakers chocolate
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup Kahlua (+ 1 Tbsp)
• 3/4 cups walnuts (chopped)

Preheat over to 350 degrees (f)

Grease a 9x9 pan with either Crisco or Butter.   In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder,  and salt. 

In a saucepan, melt together butter and chocolate over medium-low heat.

In a second bowl, beat together Eggs and Sugar until light and fluffy.  Slowly mix in the flour mixture, and then the chocolate mixture.   Add 1/4 cup kahlua and mix well.  Fix yourself a shot too!  :)  Add the nuts to your batter and mix well.  Dump the whole mess into your greased baking pan.  Level out with a spatula and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.   Brush the warm brownies with the remaining kahlua, and have yourself another shot.  :)   Let cool for a bit before cutting, and you know what… who cares if they’re ugly, you’re drinking kahlua! hahah!

Seriously, these are soooo yummy.  I like to take mine out just before I would consider them actually done, it makes them stay kind of gooey/moisty in the middle.

Enjoy!

EZ Peppermint Patties

These are SOOO good.  Better then YORK Patties you can buy at the store!

• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 3 Tbs butter
• 2 or 3 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 evaporated milk
• 2 cups chocolate chips  (Nestles seems to work better then Hershey for some reason)
• 2 Tbs Crisco

In a bowl combine powdered sugar, butter, peppermint, and vanilla.  Add the milk and mix well.  Mixture will seem kind of thick.  Thats ok! 

Line a big cookie sheet with wax paper.

Roll the mixture into abt 1 inch balls and place on wax paper.   Chill for 15-20 minutes.  Using a glass or bowl bottom, flatten out the balls, and then chill for another 25-30 minutes. 

In a pan or microwave melt the chocolate chips and shortening.  Mix well.    Dip your chilled patties one at a time into the chocolate mixture and return them to the wax paper.  Chill for about an hour or until the chocolate sets.

Enjoy!

EZ Rice Pudding

 

• 1 bag boil in the bag Minute Rice, cooked
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 capful vanilla

Prepare rice as directed on box.

In a sauce pan over Med-high heat  mix 1.5 cups milk, sugar, salt.  Bring to rolling boil (abt 10=15 minutes), once boiling you will have to be stirring constantly with a whisk. So while its heating up, in a bowl mix the egg, the rest of the milk, and the vanilla.  At the rolling boil stage, dump in your rice and begin slowly working with your whisk.  It is important to whisk whisk whisk so it doesn't stick. 

Take a small measuring cup and scoop out some of the boiling hot mixture, and slowly whisk it into the bowl of egg/milk.  This will temper it so you don't end up with scrambled eggs when you dump it in the pan.   Add warmed egg/milk to the pot. Stirring well.  (abt 2-3 minutes) Remove from heat.  Add butter and WHISK it until melted.  As this cools it will thicken some. 

I like to pour it into my serving dishes while still warm, top with whipped topping and eat it warm.  For a little added pop, sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg!   Its great cold too.