Spaghetti with meatballs

This is a very yummy meatball recipe. In fact, this is the only recipe for meatballs to go with spaghetti that I have enjoyed so far. The sauce, I'm not so fond of. I'm working on finding a better spaghetti sauce recipe. But I will stick with these meatballs.

They are also very easy to make. That's always a plus!

The recipe can be found here:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Meatballs-with-Spaghetti-Sauce

German pancakes

Ah, German pancakes. Something I always looked forward to eating for breakfast on the weekends when I was little. And I still enjoy them!

Very simple. Preheat your oven to 350
in an 11X7 cake pan place 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine. Put in the oven and let it melt while your oven preheats.
Mix together:
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
a dash of salt.

Pour into the heated pan once the butter is melted.
Cook for 20 minutes.
Now, the secret to a nice fluffy pancake is
1, don't do aerobics while this cooks.  Keep your walking soft or it will fall
2, When the timer goes off, instead of immediately pulling it from the oven, crack the oven door (like you would when broiling something) and turn the heat off in the oven. Let it sit in the oven for about 5 minutes while the oven cools. This will help it retain is fluffiness when you cut into it.
If it does fall when you cut into it, it's okay, it will still taste yummy.
Serve with syrup, or fruit, or whatever you enjoy for breakfast.

Spicy French Dip

This was very good. It will have you going back for seconds!  Very easy to make, uses a crock pot, so perfect for busy days.
This does use jalapeno peppers, so there is a bit of a kick to it. Now, because I spent all of my school years (starting in the 8th grade!) staying away from anything spicy due to mad heartburn, Things that are spicy to me, aren't necessarily spicy to a lot of other people.
With this recipe, even if you can't handle spice, put the peppers in. The meat itself just retains a very nice flavor. It's the Au ju dip that will make you sweat. If you can't take too much spice, I recommend just making a beef broth, or searching for a separate recipe for the dip.
I enjoyed the dip, but after the first bite learned that I have to dip very sparingly in order to eat it. So keep that in mind when making this dish.

the recipe can be found here:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Spicy-French-Dip

Potatoes au gratin and glazed carrots

This is the perfect recipe to use the leftover Christmas ham in
I peeled 4 potatoes, chopped up some of the cooked ham, added a bit of onion, and threw it all in the crock pot. Then I used half a pound of Velveeta cheese and poured just a dash of milk.
Cook on low for about 5 to 6 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

This was four 2 people, so you can adjust recipe accordingly.

The glazed carrots were found in the comfort food diet cookbook. They were also cooked in the crock pot. I do believe I should have let them cook for a bit longer than I did, but they were still very good.

Carrot cake

Ah, Carrot Cake. No Christmas is complete in my house without it!  It's such a deceptive little desert. For the health-conscious person you think Ah! Carrot Cake! Something healthy! For the child it's Awww... CARROT Cake?
But, the cake is spiced and oh so yummy, and I think once you put the cream cheese frosting on.....  all healthiness goes out the window.
It's okay though, because Carrot Cake only comes once a year. So you must enjoy!
So...  My mom's yummy Carrot Cake recipe....

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup salad oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups grated carrots
2 cups flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Beat eggs until fluffy. Blend in sugar, salad oil, and flour. Blend in the remaining ingredients. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

For the Frosting:
1 cube butter
1- 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 box (1 pound) of powdered sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla.
Blend cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Add sugar and nuts.

Frost and enjoy!!

Creamy chicken salad

This salad is so super delish! Honestly, I'm actually surprised I tried it in the first place, because I don't generally care for things that have mayo in them. And the combo of ingredients seems a little strange. But it works really really well.
It calls for "ring pasta" I've never found that. I just use the tri-color spiral pasta.
 I've made this a few times, and plan to make it many more!

This recipe can be found here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Creamy-Chicken-Salad

2011 christmas cake.

This cake was an idea that accumulated over the year. The majority after my husband gave me an early christmas gift. The book Sugar Baby. The cake is the almond cake from the book. Then I used a small layer of fudge.... yes fudge.... as the filling.

Frosted with a light layer of chocolate frosting before covering with marshmellow fondant.
Than I started to make "cotton candy" aka "candy floss" aka "fairy floss" (the last is what I think I will call it )
The picture in the book looks so innocent and easy to make.
Apperently not the first try!
The first few went good. But the sugar started to harden on me. So I thought, I'll heat it back up and make it melty again and continue on.
Nope. That was when good sugar went bad.
But, the few first swipes that went right were perfect for my cake, and what I didn't use tastes divine. So I will be practicing this one until I get it right!

Update....  The cake turned out very well! That combo was delicious, although probably a splurge that should only happen once a year! ;-)


















I don't know why this photo is upside down.

Good sugar... Gone Bad...

What it should look like

2011 Christmas Cake

Berry bbq pork roast

This was a very good Sunday night meal. It takes a little time to cook in the oven, and I'm sure if you wanted it on a workday you could make it easily in the crock pot. The bbq sauce wasn't overpowering, just the right amount of tang.
Couldn't find a link to this recipe, it can be found in the Comfort Food Diet Cookbook, by taste of home.

Lighter eggnog

This version isn't as thick, and is non-alcoholic.
9 tablespoons of egg substitute (equivalent of three eggs)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 quart (4 cups) milk
Nutmeg
Mix together first 4 ingredients. Pour into cups, sprinkle with nutmeg.
For 1 person....
3 tablespoons egg substitute (1 egg)
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
Nutmeg
Enjoy!

*note, I used 1% milk and egg whites for this recipe

Creole chicken and lemon squash corn

The chicken....
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Chopped fresh cilantro
Mix the first six ingredients together. Place in a plastic bag. Add the chicken shake to coat. Heat a skillet abd spray with a non stick sray. Cook chicken until meat thermometer reaches 170
When finished top with cilantro if desired.

For veggies

Take a medium summer squash, or zuchini, and thinley slice it. Chop an onion and cook with squash in olive oil and about 1 teaspoon dried dill. When tender add 1 drained can corn and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Heat through.

Honey grilled pork chops and asparagus with mushrooms

We'll start with the pork chops. You need
4 pork chops
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Mix everything except pork chops together. If you are grilling outside, use as a baste as you grill. If you are cooking inside on the stovetop or using a george forman grill, use as a marinade.
Very very good and quick!
The asparagus was very good and went well with the pork chops.  It can be found here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Asparagus-with-Mushrooms

I used freshly grated ginger, instead of the ground ginger

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to my father in law

Steeler sloppy joes

These are super easy, as easy as using the canned stuff, but healthier.
For this you need...
1 pound hamburger
3/4 cup ketchup
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon groung cumin
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Brown hamburger. Mix everything else in and heat up. Serve on hamburger buns.

See..... super easy!
Enjoy!

Fruity glazed chicken and lemon pepper veggies

This is similar to the raspberry chicken. You take chicken and cook it in a frying pan until done. Than keep warm and carmalize chopped onions. When they are done, add raspberry vinegar and cook for a little longer before adding the chicken back in. Done!

For the veggies. Take frozen green beans and microwave them for about 5 minutes. Add a summer squash and microwave 2 minutes. Then add a chopped tomatoe. Microwave for another 2 minutes. Then take 1 tablespoon of butter and stir it in. Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning and italian seasoning over it all.

Very tasty and colorful way to get veggies into your meal!

Dijon herb pork tenderloin & flavorful squash

1 pound pork tenderloin
Dijon mustard
Dried sage
1/4 cup apple juice
Preheat oven to 375
Cut pork into 1 inch slices. Place in abaking dish. Spead a small amount of mustard on each slice. Sprinkle with sage and pour apple juice over it. cook about 35 minutes, or until meat reaches 170 on thermometer.
Pour juices in a saucepan. Add a tablespoon of cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and add to pan. Can add more applejuice if needed to make desired amount of gravy.

For the veggies slice an onion and saute in olive oil. Slice a summer squash and add to onion. Let it cook until almost done than add minced garlic. Cook a few minutes longer. Sprinkle basil, oregano, pasley and thyme.

Super yummy and super easy!

My mom's chili

I love my mother's chili recipe and have to have it at least once every winter. It makes quite a bit, so depending on the size of your family you may end up freezing leftovers. That's alright because it freezes very well.
4 cups pinto beans
1 pound hamburger
1 chopped onion
1 quart vegitable juice
1 heaping teaspoon chili powder
Cook the beans in water in a large stock pot, adding water as needed. This will take at least 4 hours. When the beans are almost done add everything else. Cook for at least 1 more hour.
Goes great with saltines

Raspberry chicken

2 tbsp olive oil
4 4oz chicken breasts
3 garlic cloves finely sliced
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
2 fresh tomatoes chopped
1 tsp sage
1 tsp basil
1 tbsp parsley
1/2 cup chicken stock
Heat oil in skillet. Brown chicken on both sides until almost done. Add 2 tbsp raspberry vinegar and garlic. Cover and simmer for 10 min, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken, keep warm. Add vinegar stir brown bits from skillet. Raise heat and boil vinegar until reduced to thick glaze. Add tomatoes and spices and chicken stock boil until liquid is reduced by half. serve over chicken.

Makes a tasty and elegent dish. Can be garnished with fresh raspberries if desired.

Slow cooker fajitas

I tried a handful of fajita recipies before stumbling over this one. The flavor in this dish was exceptional and it's been my go to recipe for fajitas ever since. I think it's the lime juice and cilantro that ties it all together.


find recipe here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Slow-Cooker-Fajitas

Garlic chicken and gravy

Let me just say... Yum. This was so super easy to make, and so surprising in flavor. I think this will be something I make again and again

Saucy parmesan chicken

This is one of those recipes that makes you wish you could just by alcohol by the cup... or 1/3 cup in this case. It turned out quite well. A simple to make dish that tastes fancy.

j
find recipe here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Saucy-Parmesan-Chicken

Accidental spaghetti sauce

It wasn't supposed to be spaghetti sauce, but I grabbed the wrong size can of tomato sauce and realized it just after I poured it in. So... it was cooked hamburger with a can of diced tomatoes and a 15 oz can of tomatoe sauce. I just dumped some italian seasoning in it and served it over shell noodles with parmesan cheese on top. Turned out pretty well.

Lemon chicken and fried potatoes

This is an easy dinner. Preheat oven to 400. Place chicken breast in pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add a good amount of lemon juice. Cook for about 20-30 min until done.
For the potatoes slice them thin, cook onions until tender, fry bacon, add the potatoes and some oil (or butter) and cook on a low heat with a lid on the pan. Stir often because they will burn easily!

Corn chips

Such a super easy thing to make. Simply take corn tortillas, cut them into 8ths, and fry. Add salt as desired. Sooo yummy with homemade salsa!

Vegetable medley

I have posted numerous times about this recipe. Since I keep making modifications to it and truly enjoy it, I'm going to post it here.
It's very simple. I use celery, carrots, green onions, zuchini, tomato, 1 tbsp onion soup mix, and olive oil.
Now, you can pretty much use any vegetable you like for this. For instance, in the picture posted with this I also had added asperegus since we had some in the house that needed to be used up. It was yummy. Or another time I didn't have a tomato (which I feel you definatly need to tie it together, but if your alergic of couse keep it out) so I opened a can of stewed tomatoes to use some of them. That ended in an interesting thrown together recipe later to use the remaining tomatoes. It's a fairly open recipe, so explore in the kitchen. See what tastes good!

Pork chops with gravy

This was another simple recipe that was perfect for a busy Wednesday.  It's one that you don't have to hover over and worry that it will burn when you are bot looking. So I was able to cook a large pan of veggies that we can eat with dinner tomorrow. This dish was very savory and felt very homey.

Maple glazed chicken

This was a quick and easy dinner. Five ingredients (chicken, apple juice, maple syrup, pepper, cornstarch) and you've got dinner. The glaze cooked up super fast in the hot pan that the chicken was cooked in. I'm not sure if it was supposed to gel up as fast as it did, but it turned out good and that's really all that matters.


find the recipe here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Maple-Glazed-Chicken

Chocolate crepes

This was fairly easy to make, but looked super fancy. You do need to prepare ahead because the batter needs to sit in the fridge for an hour. But it's well worth it. I filled these with a raspberry filling consisting of raspberries, water, sugar, and corn starch cooked together until thickened. And vanilla yogurt. Super super yummy!


find the recipe here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Chocolate-Crepes-with-Raspberry-Sauce

Southwest goulash

This was a quick and simple recipe that was very filling. It makes a lot of food though! It's a great all-in-one meal since the veggies are added to the dish.

Brisket with cranberry gravy

Such a simple recipe, with a taste to prepare you for the holiday season! It's a quick five ingreedients (brisket, cranberry jelly, onion, concentrated cranberry juice, water) that you throw in a crock pot and let it cook. Then just mix the drippings with some cornstarch and the gravy is done.


find the recipe here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Brisket-with-Cranberry-Gravy-2

Green tea chicken

This was awesome. I'm definatly going to make this often! It was a fairly simple recipe with a lot of asian ingredients like soy sauce and sesame seed oil. Now that gave me a pause because I'm not a fan of seseme seed oil, but it was such a small amount that it wasn't really noticable.
It went very well with a side of rice.



find the recipe here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Green-Tea-Teriyaki-Chicken

Tomato Pork Tenderloin

This was a random creation. It turned out pretty good. I took a pork tenderloin and cut it into slices then placed them in the bottom of a baking dish. I sprinkled basil and oregano over them, and poured diced tomatoes over the top. Cook it in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 min or until meat thermometer reaches 160. Tastes wonderful on top of noodles.

Chocolate zuchini bread

Mmmm what better way to use up a GIANT zuchini than in bread? It was a fairly quick recipe, I decided to try the new dark chocolate chips instead of the semi-sweet called for. I had both kinds on hand, just thought darker would be better. It turned out perfect. I'll be keeping this recipe on hand for future zuchini invasions.

Apricot...er orange stir fry

Why the strange title for this one? Well the previously mentioned substitution in the german short rib recipe caused a substitution in this recipe because I used all the apricot preserves and that was the apricot in the recipe. So after some looking around I decided to try orange marmalade and hoped for the best.
I also decided against buying a prepackaged stirfry veggie bag as the recipe called for. Simply because I was worried water chestnuts would be involved, and I don't care for those. So I looked at the picture on the recipe and just made my own. I added asperigus, celery, green onions, carrots, and mushrooms.
This turned out wonderfully. I made some coconut jasmine rice to serve it with and you can never go wrong with that!


Original recipe can be found here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Apricot-Beef-Stir-Fry

Stuffing coated chicken

This dish was delish and so easy to make. I couldn't find cream of chicken soup mix, so I substituted onion soup mix and it turned out just yummy. It also went well with the moms vegetable medley since that uses onion soup mix as seasoning. I keep onion soup mix on hand these days as it seems to be used in many recipes.


find the recipe here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Stuffing-Coated-Chicken-2

German short ribs

This was a super yummy dish that cooked up in the crock pot. It called for bone in ribs, which is rather funny because the meat just fell off the bone when they were finished making the bone useless. Rather than a tomato based sauce, this called for red wine.
It also had chutney, which I didn't find where I shop, and never made it to albertsons this week to get some. So I substituted apricot preserves and it worked out great.


find the recipe here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/German-Style-Short-Ribs

Cran-orange pork medallions

This recipe was a bit interesting overall. First I couldn't find orange flavored dried cranberries. But really the cranberry just needs to be it's self. So I had no problem subbing regular cranberries. Then I missread the recipe a bit. It called for crushed coriander. All I had was whole coriander. So using a bowl and the meat mallet I proceded to crush the coriander. Now it was quite the pleasent smell when you do that!
All in all it turned out really well.


find the recipe here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Cran-Orange-Pork-Medallions

Pepperjack chicken

Such a simple recipe. Seriously. Grill chicken, slap a slice of cheese on top. You can add salsa and put it on noodles if you want. Obviously I didn't want. But I did throw a potatoe in the microwave and called it dinner.

Weekday lasagna and apple crisp

It may say weekday lasagna, but since it does take some time to cook I decided a weekend day would be best for this meal. Using noodles that cook in the sauce rather than having to precook them makes it a snap to put together. It was a delicious dish.
The apple crisp stems from my craving for it every fall. It's a simle recipe. Simply fill a 13x9 dish with apples. Than mix together 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups oats, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt and cinnamon to taste. Than pour 3/4 cup melted margarine over and mix until crumbly. Pour 1/2 cup water over the apples and pour mixture on top. Than mix it together and cook @ 350 for 35 minutes. Yummy yummy.



The recipe for the lasagna is here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Weekday-Lasagna

Getting ready

For next weeks shopping trip. Can't make recipes properly if you don't have all the ingredients.... and since we live at least 30 minutes from any grocery store, the last thing I want to do in the middle of cooking is go to the store.


But for the record I still disagree with my High School home Ec teacher... and agree with the student in the class. The question was "what is the one thing in your house you do not want to not have when you need it" The student answered "toilet paper" and with a glare the teacher said "no. Vanilla."

um. no. vanilla is not a necessity of life. you can always stop mid recipe and run to get some. I know, I've done it, the recipe turned out fine. On the other hand... recall the episode of Daria where they ran out of toilet paper.

Anyway. Getting back to the point, here is a snapshot of my desktop.



Gotta be organized if you are going to cook. Otherwise you have all the spices and sauce but no noodles. And that makes things too interesting. ;-)

Sunday chicken supper

Don't let the title fool you. This meal comes together very quickly in the crock pot, so it's ideal for a busy weekday. It turned out very well and it's always nice to have dinner finished as soon as you walk in the door!


recipe can be found here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Sunday-Chicken-Supper-2

Cranberry mustard pork loin

A wonderful crock pot recipe. Have to love meals that are all ready to eat when you get off work! Cranberries go very well with pork, it's an almost delicate taste.


Recipe can be found here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Cranberry-Mustard-Pork-Loin

Chunky chicken soup

This was a very filling dish. A good way to get your veggies in! I did, as a personal preferance, leave the peas out that were in the recipe. There was one point while making it where I wondered why I had decided to make it. But it turned out very good.

Braised pork chops

This was very good. The recipe led me astray as far as the gravy went. That has happened before. I followed it to the letter and then had to add water to get enough liquid to really have gravy. This recipe also gave me a chance to use my little used margarem spice. I've only used it in one recipe that I can remember before this. I paired it with the moms vegatable dish I made last week for the first time.

Steak and potato

Sometimes you want something simple and comforting. The perfect meal would be steaks with a baked potato. So yummy. I used cinnamon chipotle rub on the steaks.

Savory Pork Roast

This was quite the yummy dish. Recipe found in the Comfort Food Diet Cookbook. I did modify it a bit and cook it in the crock pot instead of instructed. But it turned out super tender and wonderful!

Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

This was another Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook recipes. It turned out quite well even without the onions I haven't managed to pick up yet. I was also forced to use both cooking sherry and chicken broth as I ran out of the sherry on this recipe. It paired quite well with a salad. All in all a very good dish that was fairly simple to make.