Wednesday, October 27, 2010

French Toast Casserole

Grandma Jan gave me a really good recipe for french toast.

5 cups bread cubes
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp.vanilla
2 T butter
2 T sugar with 1 tsp. cinnamon
Sprinkle of salt

Spread bread cubes over the bottom of greased 8x8 inch pan. set aside

In bowl beat eggs, milk, 1/4 cup sugar salt and vanilla. Pour over mixture.

Dot with butter and sprinle cinnamon sugar over it. Cover and refrigerate over night.

Uncover and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Grandma puts the pan in another pan with water in it, then it stays soft.
Had it for breakfast this morning really good.

It's a good weekend breakfast you can do the night before. You can also double the recipe and put it in a 9x13 pan.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Broccoli, Rice, Cheese, and Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

2 cups water
2 cups uncooked instant rice
2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
1 small white onion, chopped
1 pound processed cheese food

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Mix in the instant rice, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.

3.In a 9x13 inch baking dish, mix the prepared rice, chicken, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, butter, milk, broccoli, onion, and processed cheese.

4.Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Stir halfway through cooking to help cheese melt evenly.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Liquid Fabric Softener

Here is a CHEAP and EASY alternitive to that pricy liquid fabric softner. This is a very simple solution that is certianly more natural than all the chemicals you are putting in your clothes with the store bought fabric softner and works even better!

I got the hair conditioner on sale (really cheap brand) for .89cents, and of course vinegar is about $2.00 for the 1/2 gallon size so this is MUCH cheaper and "greener"!

Instructions.

3 C vinegar
2 C hair conditioner (any kind)
6 C water

1. In a sealable container (if you have a couple old liquid fabric softener containers, those work well), combine 2 cups hair conditioner (I use a regular sized bottle- a little less than 2 cups), 3 cups vinegar, and 6 cups water

2. Mix all ingredients together

3. Store in air tight container.

4. Use same amount you would use with regular liquid fabric softener

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Green Tomato Bread

Yields 2 loaves (about 20 servings)

1/2 cup canola oil
8 ounces nonfat yogurt, plain
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup Splenda (or use all sugar)
2 cups green tomatoes, pureed, juice drained and discarded
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans. Combine oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, Splenda and green tomatoes in a large bowl and mix well. Sift together all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices and add to wet ingredients along with the whole wheat flour. Stir together just until combined. Divide evenly between two prepared pans and bake just until a toothpick comes clean from the center of the bread, about 45 minutes. Let cool in pans, then remove. To retain moisture, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. May be frozen.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Homemade Refried Beans

4 teaspoons canola oil
2/3 c. finely chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt ( I skip this because I use canned pinto beans, but if you use dried soaked beans you might want to add it)
2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, rinsed & drained (or the equiv. of dried/soaked beans)



In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, cumin, salt & cayenne. Cook & stir 1 minute. Add beans & mash (I use a potato masher). Add water, cook & stir until heated through & water is absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice.


Of course, you can adjust the spices/amount of garlic & onion to personal tastes.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Coffee Cake (Literally!) - Pioneer Woman

Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Difficulty: Intermediate | Servings: 12

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

■2 cups Flour
■2 cups Sugar
■¼ teaspoons Salt
■2 sticks Butter
■3 Tablespoons Instant Coffee Crystals
■½ cups Buttermilk
■2 whole Eggs
■1 teaspoon Baking Soda
■2 teaspoons Vanilla
■_____
FOR THE ICING:

■1-½ stick Butter
■1 pound Powdered Sugar
■2 Tablespoons Instant Coffee Crystals
■¼ teaspoons Salt
■4 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two round baking pans.

In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a pot over medium-low heat. While that’s melting, add 3 tablespoons instant coffee to 1 cup boiling water. Set aside.

Once butter has melted, add coffee mixture to the butter in the pot. Let it come to a boil for about ten seconds, then turn off the heat. Set aside for just a minute.

In a separate bowl, add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.

Pour the butter/coffee mixture into the flour mixture. Stir the mixture together gently. The purpose here isn’t to mix it together perfectly, but to cool down the heat before adding the egg mixture.

Add in the egg mixture and stir gently until well combined. Then pour into pans. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until set.

Allow to cool completely.

Combine all icing ingredients, then ice the cake. Chill for an hour before serving.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Crockpot Chicken and Biscuits

Four boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-2 c. mini carrots
1 onion diced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
(I like to add celery too, if I have some on hand)

Place all ingredients in crock pot

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook on low 7-8 hours

Take one can of refrigerated biscuits and cut each biscuit into four. During last hour of cooking, drop each quartered biscuit on top of chicken mixture and finish cooking. ***Optional, I sometimes add a tsp. of chicken bouillon to stew before adding the biscuits. I like things salty though. Add to your liking. I also add some frozen peas to stew before adding the biscuits. Yummy!!!

Cherry Delight (Cobbler)

1 box of yellow cake mix
1 can of Cherry pie filling
1/2 cup of melted butter

grease the crock pot(i used non stick spray)

put the cherries in the bottom ad cake mix and butter and mix til you get a lumpy grainy mixture .

Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 let cool and serve with ice cream.

Mexican Chicken - Crockpot

Ingredients:
1-1/2lbs chicken breast shredded (or small chunks)
1 - can (15oz) whole tomato (I use diced)
1 - 10 oz can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion chopped
1 - can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 - clove garlic minced
2 cups of water
1 - (14-1/2 oz) can of chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen corn
1 Tbls dried chopped cilantro

Add everything to crock pot, mix together, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hrs. Serve with tortilla chips, you can also use sour cream, hot sauce, cheese.

CHICKEN STEW

Prep time: 12 minutes 
 3 Med potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes 
 2 cups baby-cut carrots 
1 package (8 ounces) fresh whole mushrooms,cut in half 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds) 1/2 tsp salt 
1 tsp instant chopped onion 
1/4 tsp garlic powder 
1 TBS tomato paste 
1 jar (15 ounces) roasted chicken gravy 
1/2 cup of dry white wine or water 

 Toss potatoes, carrots and mushrooms in 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Arrange chicken on top. sprinkle salt, onion and garlic over the chicken. Stir the tomato paste into jar of gravy. pour gravy mixture and wine or water all over. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until veggies are tender. Serve with a crusty bread....I have made chedder biscuits

Vegetarian Penne Pasta

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked penne or medium tube pasta
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 small yellow summer squash, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1.Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onion, summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic in butter until tender.

2.In a bowl, whisk the flour, seasonings and cream until smooth; add to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Drain pasta and add to vegetable mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 onion
1 1/2 pounds cooked, cubed chicken meat
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup fresh pea pods, halved
1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
6 cups cooked white rice
2 eggs
1/3 cup soy sauce

Directions

1.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft, then add chicken and 2 tablespoons soy sauce and stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes.

2.Stir in carrots, celery, red bell pepper, pea pods and green bell pepper and stir-fry another 5 minutes. Then add rice and stir thoroughly.

3.Finally, stir in scrambled eggs and 1/3 cup soy sauce, heat through and serve hot.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) package Ziti Pasta
16 oz Ricotta Cheese
4-6 slices Provolone Cheese
1 lb. shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 (32 oz) jar Spaghetti Sauce
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 C grated Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Basil (optional)

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 375*

Bring large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add Ziti and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse.

In medium bowl mix: Ziti, Ricotta Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, egg, and 1 1/2 C Spaghetti Sauce.

Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and spoon in Ziti mixture. Top with remaining Spaghetti Sauce, followed by Parmesan Cheese and then sliced Provolone Cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes; let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Sprinkle freshly topped Basil on top.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Orange Slush

Ingredients

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons white sugar
8 ice cubes
Dash of vanilla

Directions

1.In a blender, combine orange juice concentrate, milk, sugar, vanilla and ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Grape Jelly

Ingredients

3 1/2 pounds Concord grapes
1/2 cup water
7 cups white sugar
1/2 (6 fluid ounce) container liquid pectin

Directions

1.Sort and wash grapes, and remove stems. Place them into a large kettle and crush them. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and extract juice. Allow the juice to stand in a cool place overnight to prevent the formation of crystals in the jelly.

2.Strain the juice through a double thickness of damp cheesecloth. Measure 4 cups of the juice into a large pot. Stir in the sugar. Quickly bring to a full rolling boil. Stir in pectin, and allow to boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and skim off foam. Pour into hot sterile jars, and process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled
4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

1. In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry.

2. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C).

4. Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal.

5. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.

Footnotes

To test for jelling Place three plates in a freezer... after about 10 minutes of boiling place a tsp of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate. Return to freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate... if it doesn't try to run back together (if you can make a line through it with your finger) it's ready to be canned!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Fire and Ice Salad

Ingredients
5 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 medium onion, sliced
3/4 cup white vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large cucumber, sliced

Directions

1.In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes and onion; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, water, mustard seed and cayenne. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Pour over tomatoes and onion; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Add cucumber; toss to coat. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with a slotted spoon.

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