Asian Noodle Salad

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
7 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup canola oil
16oz bag coleslaw mix
2 packages Ramen noodles, broken up (throw away the seasoning)

In a skillet over medium heat, toast almonds and seeds until light golden brown.  In a small bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  Whisk in oil.  In a large bowl, combine coleslaw mix and Ramen noodles.  Add contents of small bowl and mix well.  Toss in the almonds and sesame seeds just before serving.

This is a tasty salad that could be served as a side or meal.  To make it more of a main dish I topped each salad with a salmon burger, crumbled.

Manicotti

Easy, delicious and freezable...does it get any better?

1 Package (8oz) Manicotti

15oz Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley (2 Tbsp fresh)
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper
3 Cups Spaghetti Sauce (28oz jar) - I used a home made red sauce that was amazing, I'll post this later.

Cook pasta according to package. Lay noodles on foil to cool. Heat oven to 350*. In a large bowl, stir together cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper. Spoon into cooled pasta tubes. Spread about half the sauce on the bottom of a 13x9x2 baking dish (I used to 2 8x8 pans when I froze half), arrange filled tubes in single layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over pasta (I sprinkled a little extra mozzarella over the top) and cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 15 minutes longer.

If you freeze:
Bake at 350* for about 2 hours.

Egg Drop Soup

This soup is another great recipe from my friend Jamie.  Super easy and tasty!  I served it with her fried rice and chicken with a maple syrup marinade. (I used the maple salmon marinade, doubled it, and poured it over 5 chicken breasts in the crockpot.  Cooked until tender and sprinkled with sesame seeds.) My family loved everthing and it statisfied our take out carvings.

(I know the picture doesn't do it justice)

2 Tb soy sauce
¾ tsp sesame oil - I prefer to leave this out
4 c chicken broth
frozen mixed vegetables - I use peas, carrots and corn
3 Tb cornstarch
4 Tb water
2 eggs, beaten
2 T vinegar
1/3 tsp pepper

Combine broth, soy sauce, dash of pepper and sesame oil, and bring to a boil. Add vegetables and bring to another boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water first then add to the soup and stir until thickened. Gradually pour eggs into soup and stir until eggs float. Add vinegar and pepper and stir over med heat until mixed well.

*On a side note, this is a wonderful make-ahead meal.  I started the chicken in the morning and let it cook on low all day.  I also made the rice and soup ahead and just reheated them when the chicken was ready. No stress dinner.....LOVE them!

Taco Soup

Now that the fall weather is finally deciding to make an appearance it is time to pull out all the soup recipes that have been hibernating all summer. I love this soup because it is by far the easiest meal I make.  You literally dump, heat and serve.  I do not have a picture of this yummy meal but take my word, it is absolutely scrumptious. I usually make this meatless but it is wonderful either way.  I also double it and freeze half for busy weekday nights.

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
15 1/4 oz can corn, undrained
15 1/4 oz can hominy, undrained
15.8 oz can Great Northern beans, undrained
16 oz can pinto beans, undrained
14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch dressing

Garnishes:  Cheddar cheese, chopped onion, sour cream, tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot.  Bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes.  TA-DA! It is that easy!  Around here we serve each bowl of soup with cornbread and honey butter.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Keaton has been begging me for weeks to make banana bread.  Actually he has been encouraging his sisters to NOT to eat the bananas so they would over ripen and I would have to make him bread.  So today I FINALLY got around to making his wishes come true.  I decided to try a new recipe that I found on All Recipes.com.  OMG! They are so delish...I hope Keaton will love them as much as me.  This is definitely a new favorite!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 11 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.  In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Fruit and Nut Energy Bars

This is a recipe that I found in the Family Fun Magazine.  We have tried two of the four combinations and they were both delish.  The Peanut Butter Snaps could easily pass as dessert in our house! They would also be great for sending as part of a school lunch.

APPLE PECAN BARS
2/3 Cup Pecans
2/3 Cup Pitted Dates
2/3 Cup Dried Apples
Cinnamon

Grind the pecans in a food processor fitted with a steal blade. 

Transfer the nuts to a small bowl, then process the dates and apples. 

Add the nuts back into the dried fruit with a dash of cinnamon and then process until the mixture holds together when squeezed.  Divide into 6-8 portions and mold into a bar.  Individually wrap in plastic wrap and store in an air tight container in the fridge.


APRICOT MUFFIN:
dates, dried apricots and almonds

CHERRY TART:
dates, dried cherries, and walnuts

PEANUT BUTTER SNAPS:
dates (1 1/3 Cups), peanuts, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and pinch salt.

Fried Rice

Had I only known how easy fried rice was to make ....

This is another amazing and easy recipe from my neighbor Jamie's blog, Dinner's Ready.  Next time I will double it though...my kids finished one dish off by themselves.

1 1/4 cups cooked rice (you can cook the rice the night before and leaves it in the fridge over night so that it's not so sticky)
2 eggs
1 Tb chopped onion
½ cup frozen peas (I use pea and carrot mix)
Salt, pepper and garlic salt
2 Tb soy sauce
6 Tb vegetable oil (or desired amount)

Beat egg, then cook in wok or large skillet in 2 Tb oil on high. Cook fast then remove from pan and sauté onion in same pan, using remaining vegetable oil, then add rice. Stir in peas, eggs, 4 Tb vegetable oil, then desired amount of soy sauce, salt, pepper and garlic salt.

Maple Salmon

The first time I made this was for Father's day and it was a HUGE hit, especially with my kids.  Of course I had been sick for two weeks and my kids had been surviving on dry cereal, mac 'n cheese, and pizza so I wasn't sure if they really loved it or if they were just excited to have real food.  Well my question was answered....they absolutely L-O-V-E! this salmon.  I made it again the other night for Justin and I after I had already feed the kids one of their favorite meals.  As soon as Justin sat down, the kids swarmed him and gobbled up his dinner.  And when they finished his plate they begged for more "pink chicken"!  Gotta love that!

1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon
In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.  Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork. 

Recipe from Allrecipes

Tuna Melt Flowers

Okay this is not a fancy "recipe" but is sure a great way to get your kids to eat tuna.  Sometimes looks ARE everything!

I mixed one can of tuna fish (drained) with a little ranch dressing and put one scoop in the center of each slice of bread.  Cover with a slice of cheese and put in the oven until melted.  Use a flower cookie cutter to trim the sandwich and garish with a carrot slice and celery stem.

Zucchini Banana Bread

 I made this yummy bread to take on our trip to Bison Ranch this past weekend. I served it with whipped cinnamon honey butter...mmmm!  It was a huge hit with the kids and adults.

3 eggs

3/4 C vegetable oil ( I used apple sauce)

2/3 C packed brown sugar

3/4 C white sugar

2 C grated zucchini

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 C all-purpose flour ( I used 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour)

1 T. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 C dried cranberries (I omitted these)

1/2 C chopped walnuts (also omitted)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch bread loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light yellow and frothy. Add oil, brown sugar, white sugar, grated zucchini, bananas, and vanilla. Blend together until well combined. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the cranberries and nuts. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Allow to cool in the loaf pans on a wire rack before removing and serving.

Whipped Cinnamon Honey Butter:

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup honey
Cinnamon or vanilla

In a small bowl mix butter, honey, and cinnamon on high speed until smooth ( about 5 minutes).  Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Spaghetti and Meatball "Stoup"

This is a Rachel Ray recipe that I have modified to fit our family.  It is one of her 30 minutes meals...of course it takes me a little longer that but is still an easy weeknight meal.  The name "stoup" is because it is thicker than soup, but thinner than stew.  It is hearty, full of flavor and makes enough for leftovers.

2 Tbsp Olive Oil, two turns of the pan

2 Carrots, peeled and sliced thin

2 Stalks Celery, chopped

1 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped - I leave this out for JT

3+ Garlic Cloves, I always add extra cuz we LOVE it!

(Note: I chop all the veggies ahead of time to save me the headache when I am making dinner.)

1 Large Can of Tomato Sauce (3 cups, give or take)

4-5 C Chicken Stock

1 Lb Ground Turkey, or what ever meat you like

1/2 C Grated Parmesan

1/2 C Italian Breadcrumbs, I use Panko and just add about 1/8 C Italian seasoning.

1 Large Egg, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp Dried Parsley

1/2 Lbs Spaghetti, broken in half - I sometimes leave the noodles out...depending on my mood.

1/2 C Fresh Chopped Basil

Preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat.  Add oil and veggies and saute for 5 minutes or so.  Add tomato sauce and chicken stock and cover pot.  Turn up the heat and bring to a rapid boil.

While soup comes to a boil, mix meat, cheese, breadcrumbs, egg and parsley.  Roll into 2 inch balls.  Remove lid and slide meatballs into the stoup.  Bring back to a boil and add spaghetti noodles.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes more, until the noodles are tender and the meatballs are cooked through.  Stir in basil and remove stoup from the stove.  Serve with crusty garlic bread and side salad.  Yum-O!

Tortilla "Cigars"

I snagged this quick and tasty recipe from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld. It was ready, from start to finish, in less than 30 minutes and was jam packed with flavor.  I know that you would never guess that from the picture.  Justin and I ate most of them but the kids liked them too.  The best part...they can be served cold so they would be great for school lunches!

1 C Sauteed or Roasted Chicken or Turkey, cubed (or pureed) - I used shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 C Cheddar Cheese
1/2 C Yellow Squash Puree - I used squash and zucchini baby food
1/2 C Carrot Puree - Again I used baby food
4oz Cream Cheese
1/2 Tsp Garlic Salt
6 Large Whole Wheat Tortillas

Preheat oven to 350*.  In a large bowl, stir together chicken, cheese, squash, carrots, cream cheese, and garlic salt.  Cut tortillas in half and place straight edge facing you.  Spread about 2 Tbsp of the filling along the edge.  Starting at the flat edge, roll the tortilla into a cigar shape.  Place seam side down and bake for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool slightly, then enjoy!

Key Lime Chicken

This dish was prepared by my 6 year old Keaton, or at least the best part was, the marinade.  It took a little arm twisting to get him in the kitchen but once he was there he really enjoyed lending a helping hand.  As he watched Daddy grilling the chicken he keep commenting "Ooooh, that smells GOOD!"  and he was absolutely right.  It smelled great and tasted just as good.

(From the Gooseberry Patch Cookbook, In the Kitchen with Family and Friends)

3 Tbs Soy Sauce (I used Tamari)

1 Tbs Honey

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Medium Lime, juiced

3 Cloves Garlic ( I used a little more)

4 Chicken Breasts

Combine soy sauce, honey, olive oil, lime juice, and garlic in a small bowl.  Arrange chicken in a shallow baking dish and pour over the top.  Refrigerate for one hour.  (I let it marinate for a few hours and flip the chicken once.)  Grill and enjoy!

Homemade Oreos

All I have to say is YUM!  I am not a huge chocolate fan but I managed to scarf one down. (...okay maybe two!)  I found this one on The Sister's Cafe and it is definitely a fun, quick, easy and kid friendly recipe.  Oh yeah, and they super cute too!

For the Cookies:
1 Package Devil's Food Cake Mix
2 Eggs
1/2 C Oil

Cream Cheese Filling Recipe:
1/2 C Butter, softened
1 - (8 oz) Block of Cream Cheese
3-4 C Powdered Sugar (depending on desired consistency)
1 Tsp Vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add oil and eggs to cake mix and blend together. Roll dough into balls (a little larger than a quarter). Place on cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes or so. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet (until warm). Remove cookies from sheet and place on cooling rack.

To make the filling, cream butter and cream cheese and mix well, a good 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Add powdered sugar slowly until you reach your desired consistency.

To assemble the cookies, add about a tablespoon of filling into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie similar in size on top of the filling. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

Spiced Apple Banana Muffins

The truth is I wanted to make pumpkin bread for the kids but since there is a shortage on pumpkin I had to make due with what I had available.  I combined the spices from my pumpkin bread recipe with my banana bread recipe.  I also didn't have enough bananas on hand so I added apple sauce to fill the void.  To my surprise they turned out pretty stinkin' good.    

1 C White Flour
3/4 C Whole Wheat Flour (You can use all white flour, I just like to sneak in whole wheat whenever I can)
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
3/4 Tsp Salt
3/4 C Sugar
1 Tsp Ground Cloves
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 Egg, beaten
3/4 C Mashed Banana
1/4 C Apple Sauce
1/2 C Milk

Preheat oven to 350* and line a muffin tin.  Sift together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate medium sized bowl, combine egg, banana, apple sauce and milk.  Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and mix until just blended.  Spoon into muffin tin and bake for approximately 20 minutes.  Let cool, then enjoy with a little butter...or a lot!

Cornflake Cream Chicken

I found this recipe on the What's for Dinner? blog and it sounded too yummy not to try.  I was right....it was D-licious!  Everyone in my family devoured it, which says a lot since my kids can be rather finicky. I served it with roasted garlic asparagus since it is not the healthiest dish but it would have been amazing with a cheesy vegetable casserole.  Maybe next time?!

4-6 Chicken Breasts

2 C Crushed Cornflakes (I used 1C Cornflakes and 1C Corn/Rice Chex because that is what I had on hand and it tasted wonderful)

16 0z Container Sour Cream

1/2 C Parmesan Cheese

1 Tbs Italian Seasoning

1/2 Tbs Garlic Salt

1 stick melted butter

Put cornflakes/chex cereal in a zip lock bag and roll with rolling pin till crumbs.  Your kiddos can help with this part, they will love it!  Mine did!

Mix together cornflakes, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and Italian seasoning in a shallow dish. (I mixed these together in the morning so we would be ready roll at dinner time.)  Dip chicken in sour cream, make sure to coat it thick. Then dip chicken in the cornflake mixture.  Place in greased baking pan, and drizzle melted butter all over. (I am going to cut back on the butter next time at least by a quarter, maybe half.)  Bake in 400F oven for about 30-45 minutes, or until golden, and done in the center.  Enjoy!

June Bug

I made these for my kiddos, served in frozen mugs with bendy straws, as an after dinner drink/dessert last night.  They downed them in seconds!  I also made Justin and I each one with a shot of Malibu added.  I thought they were a little too sweet but the kids thought they were amazing.  

3 C Ginger Ale
4 Tbs Grenadine
4 Tbs Orange Juice
3 Scoops of Orange Sherbet

Blend together!  I think next time I will use 7-Up and lime sherbet in hopes of adding a little tartness.  Sorry no picture but I promise they serve up pretty.

Easy Toffee

This is a recipe that my Mom makes during the Christmas season and I can never get enough. This is an ultra-easy, quick and yummy treat. 

1 Sleeve of Saltine Crackers

3/4 C Brown Sugar

1 C Butter

2 C Chocolate Chips

3/4 C Chopped Nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 400* and prepare cookie sheet by lightly spraying with cooking spray.  Cover cookie sheet with a single layer of saltine crackers.  Melt butter in a small sauce pan.  Stir in brown sugar and bring to a boil for 3 minutes.  Pour mixture over crackers and spread evenly.  Bake at 400* for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Bake again for 1 minute.  Remove from oven and spread melted chips with a spatula.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts. (I used pecans and only put them on half since one of my kiddos doesn't love nuts)  Cut on a diagonal immediately and then place in fridge/freezer to cool.  Remove from pan and store in the fridge.  Be careful when eating....it is nearly impossible to have just one!

Shrimp Herb Fettuccine

This recipe is one of my dear 'ol Mom's and it is rich and super delish.  Tonight was my first attempt at this meal and it was much easier than I had thought.  I did prep all the herbs and garlic in the morning so all I had to do was dump which helped a ton. Next time I would cut back on the shrimp, 2lbs was a little too much, and  I plan on adding sauteed mushrooms...just cuz' I love them. 

1 1/2 -2 Lbs Shrimp (would be great with grilled chicken also or meatless)

1/2 C Butter, divided

3-4 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 C White Zinfandel Wine

1 C Whipping Cream

1 C Parmesan Cheese, Shredded

1/4 C Fresh Parsley

1/4 C Fresh Basil

1/4 C Fresh Chives

8oz Fettuccine

*If you are using dried spices, use half the amount*

While the fettuccine is cooking, melt 3Tbs butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat;  add shrimp and saute 3-4 minutes.  Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Melt remaining butter in skillet over medium-high heat;  add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes.  Add wine and cook until mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Stir in whipping cream, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Add shrimp, cheese, and herbs.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheese is melted.  Serve over fettuccine.

Fruity Krispy Treats

Okay, I know that rice crispy treats are one the easiest things to make....for most people.  I, however, am not one of those people.  Every time I try to whip up a quick batch they either turn out hard as a rock or so gooey that they have to be eaten with a spoon.  Well, I am excited to announce that the cruse has been broken!  I finally was able to successfully make the easiest treat on Earth!

This recipe is from the Post Cereal website.  The only difference is that I made mine on the stove, not the microwave as they suggested.

1/4 C (1/2 stick) Butter

1 pkg. (10-1/2 oz.) Miniature Marshmallows 

 1 pkg. (13 oz.) Fruity Pebbles Cereal 

Spray an 8x10-inch pan with cooking spray. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Gently stir the marshmallows into the butter, and allow to fully melt. Stir until the butter and marshmallows are blended, remove pan from heat, and stir in the breakfast cereal until the cereal is completely coated with the melted marshmallows. Spread the mixture out into the prepared pan, refrigerate for 1 hour to set, and cut into bars. TA-DA! It is that EASY!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I needed a quick and easy meal for dinner tonight so I hit up my neighbor Jamie's blog for a little help.  I found a recipe for creamy chicken noodle soup, one of my favorites, so I gave it a whirl.  It was a huge hit all around.  It was super, duper easy, as well as quick AND everyone loved it.  I did make a few adjustments to work with what I had on hand but still fantastic.

1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded
6 C Chicken Broth
1 C Chopped Carrots
1 C Chopped Celery
1 C Frozen Corn
1 C Frozen Peas
½ C Chopped Onion
1 Large Can Cream of Chicken Soup
5oz Can of Evaporated Milk or ½ C Whole Milk
8oz No Yolk Noodles
Salt and pepper to taste

Shred chicken. Heat broth in a large pot, then add veggies and noodles. Simmer until veggies and noodles are tender. Add cream of chicken soup, milk, salt, pepper and shredded chicken. Simmer until heated through and ready to serve. Makes enough for 6-8 people.

Broccoli Salad

We love a good salad around here so when I saw this one I just had to give it a try.  The measurements are just a guideline, I just kinda eyeballed it.  It was soooo yummy and my two little girls gobbled it up too.  

   
1 Bunch Broccoli
1 C Grapes,cut in half
1/2 C Cashews
Red Onion (I didn't add onions to ours since my hubby HATES them but it was still tasty)
1/4 C Dried Cherries

DRESSING

3/4 C Olive Oil
2 Tbs Vinegar
2 Tbs Agava Nectar
4 or 5 Splashes of Tamari

BBQ Chicken

This is a super easy and delicious recipe that I found while blog surfing the other day.  It was originally intended for spare ribs but I opted for chicken since I am not a huge fan of eating meat on the bone. I served it with fresh corn on the cob and watermelon....YUMMY! 

BBQ Chicken

2-3lbs Chicken Breast (My crockpot is not large enough to hold this much chicken so I only used 6 breast)
1 onion, chopped
2 T butter
1 1/4 C ketchup
1 C packed brown sugar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 C barbecue sauce

To make sauce, saute onion in butter until tender. Combine sauteed onion with remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken in crock pot.  Bake in crockpot for 6-7 hours. Enjoy!