Savory Ranch Chex Mix

My mom makes Chex mix every year; it's a good munchy to have on hand to cut the sweetness of all those cookies and candies. I made this ranch-flavored mix for book group a few months ago and it was so delicious.

9 cups Chex (Corn, Rice, Wheat or a combination of all three)
2 cups mini pretzels
1 bag cheddar Goldfish (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated, not shredded)
1 packet ranch dressing mix

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Melt the butter in the microwave, stir in the dressing mix and the cheese. Combine the other ingredients in a large pan with sides and pour the butter mixture over them. Stir to coat everything well, then bake for about 20 minutes, stirring at least once. Cool before serving. The last time I made this I left out the pretzels and added a few cups of popcorn after baking it. That was yummy too.

Chocolate Truffles

I just got this recipe from a friend. I haven't tried it yet myself, but it sounds good and looks really easy considering the potential product...

8 oz. softened cream cheese
8 oz. room-temp butter
4 C. powdered sugar
4 C. semi-sweet chocolate
4 oz. dark bittersweet baking chocolate
3 tsp. Vanilla or other flavoring


In a large bowl, beat 8 oz. softened cream cheese and 8 oz. room-temp butter until smooth. Gradually beat in 4 c. powdered sugar. Stir in 4 c. melted semi-sweet morsels, 4 oz. melted dark bittersweet baking choc., and 3 tsp. vanilla or other flavoring. Stir until no streaks remain. Refrigerate for one hour. Form into 1-inch balls. Roll in cocoa, coconut, ground nuts, or powdered sugar. Keep refrigerated. Makes about 100 truffles. Freezes up to 1 year!

Easy Frango Mints:

*1/2 c. butter * 3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
*1 1/2 c. powdered sugar * 2 tsp. vanilla
*2 eggs * 1 tsp. peppermint extract

Line a 8 by 8 pan with foil, then using a stick of butter, coat the foil with a thin layer of butter. Melt 2 c. chocolate chips (set aside the extra 1 c.) in the top of a double broiler. In mixing bowl cream butter & pwd. sugar together. Add eggs and beat well. Add melted chocolate, vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add peppermint and mix well. Chill in foiled pan. When completely stiff, melt then melt 1 c. chocolate chips and spread a thin layer on the top. Chill again. (If desired, you can flip, and add another layer on the bottom.) After hardened cut into small squares. These make great neighborly christmas gifts.


Hot Wassail Pot:

*46 oz. orange juice *1 Tbs. whole cloves
*46 oz. pineapple juice *6 cinnamon sticks
*6 c. apple juice *1/2 c. cinnamon candy
*1/2 c. sugar *1 tsp. all spice

Combine all ingredients in a 5 qt pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain before serving. Great for parties. I like to use my crockpot and instead of using the spices I use mulling spices (Williams & Sonoma) and a tea infuser. This makes your house smell of Christmasy goodness!

cranberry salsa

this is one of my very favorite recipes, and probably one that is most requested. i make is at least every thanksgiving and christmas. serve with tortilla chips.


Cranberry salsa

1/3 c. fresh lime juice
12 ounces fresh cranberries
2 jalapeno peppers seeded and minced (i usually only do one)
2 tablespoons grated onion
½ cup sugar
4 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Blanch cranberries. Cover and cook until they pop open. Drain immediately. Add all other ingredients and process or blend. Chill until cold.

here we go again

not very many people were posting, so i didn't know if there was a desire to continue or what. BUT, by popular demand (and a 2 month hiatus), we are back!

the new category is CHRISTMAS GOODIES. (thanks kim)

i realize that we already have a cookies/bars section, so you can just remind people of the recipe that you already submitted. but think of foods that you like to have around the holidays, it doesn't necessarily have to be sweet. the possibilities are endless, so get cooking! (and submitting)

How about a new theme for our recipes?

Maybe PIES?? ;-)

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 - whole onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (I like to use fire-roasted)
2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chilies, drained
4 (14 oz) cans vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste
1 (11 oz) can whole kernal corn, drained
1 (14 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Toppings:
tortilla chips (Fritos work, too)
shredded cheddar cheese
avocado, diced
sour cream
cilantro
lime juice

1. In a large pot, saute pepper, onion, garlic, and cumin in oil until tender.

2. Mix in the tomatoes and chile peppers. Pour in the broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutues.

3. Mix corn and black beans into the soup and continue cooking 5 minutes.

4. Serve in bowls over tortilla chips. Top with other toppings, making sure to squeeze some lime over each portion. Delicious!

Pappa al Pomodoro

This is a yummy tomato and basil soup, make sure your bread is a good quality, stale, country loaf.

1/2 lb cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
large bunch fresh basil, leaves picked, stems finely chopped
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 14oz can plum tomatoes
1 large handful stale bread

Preheat oven to 350. Prick cherry tomatoes; toss in a bowl with 1 sliced garlic clove and 1/4 of the basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil; add salt and pepper; put in a roasting pan and bake about 15 minutes. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pot and add remaining garlic and basil stems. Stir, sauteing for a minute until softened. Add plum tomatoes, then fill can with water and add. Break tomatoes up with a spoon; bring to a boil; simmer 10-15 mintues. Tear bread into thumb-size pieces; add to pot. Mix well; season with salt and pepper to tast. Tear in remaining basil leaves, reserving a few for garnish; let soup sit on low heat for 10 minutes. By now, roasted tomatoes will be done; pour into soup (including all juices, basil, oil and sticky bits). Stir; soup should be a porridgy texture, so adjust with some water if necessary. Remove from heat; add 3-4 tbsp. olive oil. Garnish with a little basil.

LEMONY Lentil Soup with CILANTRO!

So I know lentils may not be the most appealing ingredient, but if a dish has lemon and cilantro in it I have to try it! I actually love this soup, and it's deliciously healthy!

1/2 cup chopped cilantro
7 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (28 oz)
3 cups water
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Puree cilantro with 6 T oil and 1/4 tsp salt in a blender until smooth. Transger puree to a bowl and set blender aside.
Cook onion in remaining Tbsp oil in a 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 4-5 minutes. Add allspice and remaining 3/4 tsp salt and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add lentils, broth, and water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lentils are very soft, about 30 minutes. Transfer 1 cup lentils with some of broth to blender and puree until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then return to saucepan. Add lemon juice and pepper to taste. Stir in cilantro puree.

I add more lemon juice (of course), but other than that I think it's great!

vichyssoise

INGREDIENTS:
2 leeks chopped
1 onion chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup thinly sliced potatoes
2 1/3 cups chicken stock (i use vegetable stock)
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 1/8 cups heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:
saute the chopped leeks and the chopped onion in butter or margarine until soft (i always use butter) for about 8 minutes. do NOT let them brown.
add potatoes and chicken (or vegetable stock) to the pot. salt and pepper to taste. bring to the boil, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth. cool completly. gently stir in the cream before serving.

this is traditionally a cold soup, but in the winter i leave it hot and stir in the cream right before serving. it is REALLY good.

strawberry soup

i made this a lot year before last, but forgot about it this summer! it is kinda like a dessert soup, but it is SO good.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups frozen strawberries
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons white sugar, or to taste

DIRECTIONS
puree strawberries, milk, cream and sour cream in a blender or food processor until smooth. stir in sugar to taste (don't put in too much. chill 8 hours or overnight in refrigerator before serving.

White Chicken Chili

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 med onion diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2-3 14 oz cans chicken broth
3 16 oz cans great northern beans
1 c sour cream
1-2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Cook the chicken however you like, I like to lightly season it with salt, pepper, and garlic and bake it. Then cube it. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil and saute onion for a few minutes, then add garlic, chilies, and dried spices. Saute a few more minutes (It gets a little pasty but lets out all the spice flavors). Then add chicken broth, beans, and cubed chicken, bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the sour cream and cheese, stir until they are melted. Serve with extra cheese, of course, and chips, bread, or tortillas. I think you could add an extra can of beans or two in place of the chicken for you vegetarians.

I just love making soup because it is such a quick easy meal. These are by far my three favorites!

Potato Cheese Soup

3 c. cubed potatoes (I like to use the frozen hash brown cubes, they cook fast and are easy!)
1/2 c. chopped carrott (short cut for this is shredded carrots)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
14 oz. can chicken broth

Put these in a frying pan and simmer until the veggies are soft. While they simmer:

4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp butter
3 c milk
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed

In a soup pot melt the butter and add the flour, then the milk. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. When it has thickened, add the cubed cheese. Then add the simmered vegetables and broth mixture. Bacon bits are good if you like, but it's good plain, too. The total cooking time is 30 min or less! Nothing like easy dinner.

Peasant Soup

4 large potatoes, peeled
1 bunch green onion
2 yellow onions
1 carrott
2 stalks celery
2 1/2 c. water
1 cube butter
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 bunch spinach

Coarsely chop veggies and put all ingredients in a large pot EXCEPT spinach. Simmer for 1 hour, until veggies are tender. Clean the spinach while it's simmering, then wilt it in the pot when it's done. You can turn the heat off, or leave it on if you want the spinach more cooked.

ADD 1 c. milk or half and half, and then puree the soup either in parts in a blender or else I have a hand blender and I blend it right in that same pot. If your potatoes are too big you might need more liquid, you can add more milk or water until it is the thickness you like. MUST serve with thick crusty bread!

My kids hate veggies and they love this soup--they request it all the time.

new category

SOUPS are the next category. for those of you lucky enough to have fall weather - start experimenting. for those who actually still see the sun, turn up the air conditioning and get in the fall mood!

Clone of a Cinnabon

I didn't really think of posting cinnamon rolls as breakfast, but since Catherine asked...here are the best cinnamon rolls ever! It calls for bread machine yeast, and bread flour, I just use regular flour and yeast and they turn out fabulous...

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

German Apple Pancakes

So we just tried this tonight, and loved it! It's a Martha Stewart recipe, specifically a recipe that kids will like, that's why the directions are a little weird. We didn't top it with anything, but I'm sure fresh whipped cream would be delightful!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup flour

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cut into pieces (about 1 pound)

3 eggs

1/4 cup, light brown sugar

5 tablespoons granulated sugar plus more for tin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

This recipe makes 6 pancakes.
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt 2 T. butter, brush melted butter inside each muffin cup; coat with granulated sugar.
2.An adult can peel, core,and slice each apple into twelve wedges, then cut each wedge into three pieces.Toss with brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.Add the apples and saute, turning occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, until caramelized. Remove pan from stove; let cool 5 minutes. Divide the caramelized apples among the muffin cups.
4. Place flour, salt, granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 3 minutes.
5. Pour batter over apples. An adult should place tin in oven and lower heat to 400 degrees. Bake 15 minutes. Pancakes will puff up during last 5 minutes of baking.
6.Take tin from oven and turn it over on a flat surface to remove pancakes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.
One Giant Pancake: If you prefer, you can make a traditional large pancake to share instead of six individual ones. Follow the steps for the recipe, using an 8-cup apple pan or a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet or baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges become puffed and golden. An adult can run a knife along the edges of the pan and then, using potholders, turn out the finished pancake onto a serving platter, cut into wedges.

meat alternatives

i really like these vegetarian sausages by morningstar farms. i prefer the links, but they are both good. the patties are great for biscuits and gravy.

this recipe rocks. i love making it for overnight guests or for dinner. it sounds complicated, but is pretty easy. i don't always always use fresh orange juice, and it still turns out delicious. it turns out to kinda have a caramel sauce that you can spoon out and drizzle on it. love it.


Overnight Orange Pecan French Toast


INGREDIENTS
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/3 cup chopped pecans
12 (3/4 inch thick) slices French bread
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup 2% milk
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg whites
2 eggs
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, melted butter, and corn syrup. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish, and spread evenly. Sprinkle pecans over the sugar mixture. Arrange the bread slices in the bottom of the dish so they are in a snug single layer.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, egg whites, and eggs. Pour this mixture over the bread, pressing on the bread slices to help absorb the liquid. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C ). Remove the cover from the baking dish, and let stand for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

German Pancakes with Strawberries

These are delicious! Catherine, Josephine, and I once ate a double batch in one sitting. OK, now I'm embarrased and must add that there were a few of our kids there, too. A normal batch serves 4. Enjoy!

1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh strawberries, halved
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (8 oz) carton sour cream
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
Maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400. Put butter in a 9-inch glass pie plate or casserole dish. Place in oven until butter melts and bubbles. While butter is melting put milk, flour, sugar, eggs, and salt into blender. Blend on medium until smooth. Remove pie plate from oven. Adjust heat to 450. Immediately pour mixture into pie plate and return to oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 8-10 minutes more or until edges are puffed and browned. Remove from oven.

In bowl, sprinkle strawberries with sugar. Spoon into center of hot pancake. Cut hot pancake into wedges. Serve topped with sour cream, brown sugar, and syrup.

**I know the "serve with sour cream" sounds weird, but TRY IT!

Lisa

Peach French Toast

1 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. butter
2 tbsp. water
2 (15 oz.) cans sliced peaches, drained
12 (3/4 inch thick) slices day-old French bread, cubed (if you only have fresh bread, cube it and then dry it out in a warm oven for a few minutes. This really helps to avoid soggy bread.)
6 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 pinch cinnamon
1 1/2 C. milk

In a saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, butter and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour the brown sugar mixture into a 9x13 baking dish, and tilt the dish to cover the entire bottom. Place peaches in a layer over the sugar coating. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Dredge bread in milk and egg mixture, then put bread on top of peaches and pour remaining mixture over it. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove the dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking to come to room temp. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Uncover and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and egg mixture isn't goopy anymore. Spoon out portions to serve.

This is very sweet, so you can cut the brown sugar, butter and water mixture in half and it still tastes great. This is great with tart apples, too.

Julia

Crispy Potato Quiche

Okay, YES, I have too much time on my hands. But I love sharing tried-and-true recipes, so here is yet another post from me (and it is SO GOOD):

30 oz. bag frozen shredded potatoes (thawed)
1/2 C. (or less) melted butter
1 C. shredded pepper jack cheese
2 C. shredded Swiss cheese
2 C. diced cooked ham
1 C. Half & Half
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt

Press thawed potatoes into a greased 9x13 pan. Pour melted butter over and bake at 425 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and put cheese and ham on top. Pour beaten eggs, cream and seasoning salt over the top (do not mix in) and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350.

Sometimes I cook the potato and butter part the night before and refrigerate it, and then add the cheese, ham, eggs, etc. on in the morning. I can't quite remember, but it might need to cook a little longer if you do that, since it's coming from a refrigerated state.

Julia

crEpEs!!

Okay, this is one of our favorite breakfasts. There is SO much you can do with a crepe. Actually Cat, maybe we should have a section devoted to crepes. Anyway, they can take some time to make because you have to do them one at a stinkin' time, but they freeze BEAUTIFULLY... so make a ton and freeze some for later!

1 C flour
1 1/2 C milk
2 eggs
1 tbs cooking oil (though, I don't always use any)
1/4 tsp salt
(when I am making a crepe for a sweeter meal, I'll also add a dash of vanilla and a tablespoon or two of sugar)

Combine all ingredients in bowl until blended. Heat skillet on med. high and melt butter to coat bottom of pan when ready to pour in batter. Remove pan from heat and pour in just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan by tilting the skillet around. Pour in enough so that there are no holes or gaps in the crepe. It should just thinly cover the pan. Return pan to heat and flip when bottom side of crepe starts to brown.

Now, what to do with your crepe?

Our favorite thing to do (it may sound weird, but we LOVE it) is to lay the crepe on our plate, put a couple of tablespoons of cottage cheese down the center of it, and roll it up like a burrito. Then pour some hot maple syrup on top and ENJOY!

My husband's family likes to put their hot crepe flat on their plate, rub MORE butter all over it, then sprinkle powder sugar all over it and roll it up and eat it.

They are also good filled with fruits and jams.

TO FREEZE:
Lay crepes flat on wax paper. You can separate each one with paper, or save on the wax and separate by servings (3-5 crepes usually). Then lay flat in freezer. Easy to reheat in a microwave whenever you crave 'em!!

new category for first half of september

now that things are starting to settle down a little, it is time for a new category. this time it is BREAKFAST/BRUNCH. this category will last for the first half of september, then it will switch again. so, get posting!

Island Rice

Absolute Deliciousness is the best way I can describe this. Being rice, it is not a grilled dish, but it goes excellent with the Jerk-chicken, or really anything, it stands on it's own as an great side dish. It is lightly sweet and perfectly limey, need I say more?

2 1/2 c water
1 c uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 c chopped dried pineapple
2 tsp butter
1/2 tsp grated lime rind
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
2 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Bring water to a boil in a med. saucepan; add rice and next 4 ingredients. cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and juice. (yield 6 servings)

Greek Souvlaki

1 lemon juiced
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried mint
2 lbs, pork or lamb cut into 1 inch cubes
1 red bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, cubed

In a large plastic or glass bowl, combine first 8 ingredients. Add meat, pepper, and onion; toss to coat. Cover and refridgerate 2-3 hours.
Preheat grill
Slide pork, pepper, and onion onto skewers. Grill 10-15 minutes turning once.

Serve this with tzatziki (cucumber-yogurt dip) and pita bread, and with sliced tomatoes, it is yummy!

Jerk-Style Chicken

1 tsp grated lime rind

1/4 c. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. ground all spice

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1-2 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 c. chopped onion

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 lb)

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Cooking Spray

Combine first 12 ingredients in a blender, process until well blended. pour mixture into a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag, add onion and chicken. Seal bag; marinate in fridge 1-2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill chicken, covered 5 minutes on each side or until done. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 thighs or 1 breast half).

I know there are like a million ingredients, but trust me, this is worth opening all those spice containers, and it really is a fast marinade to make and SO DELICIOUS!!!

Lemon-Bay Shrimp

Well it has been too long since I've posted anything! But grilling is right up my alley :) These are delicious and beautiful!

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp feshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

32 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 1/2 lbs)

4 large lemons, each cut into 8 wedges

32 fresh bay leaves

Cooking Spray

Prepare Grill

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add shrimp; toss to coat. cover and marinate in fridge 10 minutes.

Place bay leaves and lemon wedges in a large bowl. Coat with cooking spray; toss to coat.

Thread 4 lemon wedges, 4 shrimp, and 4 bay leaves alternately onto skewers. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until shrimp are done. Yield: 4 servings.

Rocket's Marinade

This is pretty salty and sounds completely crazy, but it's oh so tasty.

1/3 C. creamy peanut butter
2/3 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. oyster sauce (if you don't have this, just increase the amount of soy sauce a bit)
1/2 C. brown sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
5 minced garlic cloves

Marinate meat of choice overnight in the refrigerator.

Julia

Tequila Lime Chicken (without the tequila) Marinade

This is from the Barefoot Contessa "Family Style" cookbook, and it is SO DELICIOUS. There's supposed to be 1/2 C. tequila in it, but I don't include that and just add a little more liquid somewhere else, usually more orange juice, or some vinegar. This is heavenly, citrusy, and is so good on a kabob with peppers and onions.

1 C. lime juice (5 to 6 limes)
1/2 C. orange juice (2 oranges) add more OJ or some vinegar to make up for the absent tequila
1 T. chili powder
1 T. minced jalapeno pepper (1 pepper seeded)
1 T. minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Combine ingredients, add chicken, and refrigerate overnight.

Julia (sorry, Julie Nye--I'm a dork and can't figure out how to log in with my own name)

Zesty Chicken Marinade

1/3 C. white vinegar
1/3 C. water
1 T. worcestershire sauce
1 T. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. pepper

Marinate for a few hours or overnight.

You can use this as a marinade for your chicken and cook it on the grill (SOSOSOSO YUMMY), or cook it in the oven: combine everything in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Place chicken in a pan, brush with half the sauce and broil in the oven 8 minutes. Flip the chicken, baste with remaining sauce, and broil 8 minutes longer or until done.

Julia

bbq time

For August, the new category is grilling/barbecue. This should be a good one to finish up the summer. Then, it is on to FALL recipes (what i am actually really excited about). But for now, fire up those grills and lets get cookin'!

Strawberry-Lime Punch

For any of you who were at the "Alice in Wonderland" party last September, you may remember this punch. It is delicious!

Strawberry-Lime Punch

1 ½ cups pineapple juice
½ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. lime juice
½ cup sugar
1 package (10 ounces) frozen sliced strawberries with sugar, thawed
4 ½ cups lemon-lime soda

Place juices and sugar in pitcher. Mix well until sugar is dissolved. Add strawberries. Mix well until combined. Slowly add lemon-lime soda to pitcher. Mix just until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish glasses with fresh fruit slices if desired. until combined. Yield: 16 servings.

Enjoy! Cami

grapefruit slushie

I haven't tried this out yet, but just had it at a friend's house. She served it with sliced grapefruit skewers, and it was good. I'm waiting for a sunny to day to try this - waiting and waiting and waiting...

Mix together:
46 ounce can Texas grapefruit juice
large can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 packet unsweetened strawberry Koolaid
1/2 cup sugar

Freeze until 1/2 hour before ready to serve. Scoop into glasses and add ginger ale.

amy

christian's amazing smoothies

i will probably not do this recipe justice since christian is the one who makes them in our house! but we always keep a supply on hand of frozen strawberries and pineapples (or when you have fresh on hand that's even better!)

he puts fruit in (strawberries, pineapple, nectarine, peach, raspberries, whatever you want), a banana, a scoop of sherbet, one container of yogurt, some orange juice and i like to add *lime. mix it up and you have some pretty amazing smoothies. i like to think they are actually a healthy food!

*someone posted earlier about fun ice cubes, i like to do a slightly different version. i am constantly trying to cook with lime or lemon. it makes meals taste amazing, but you don't always have them on hand or they are rotten before you use them. i suggest buying about 4 lemons and 2 big limes. squeeze their juice out into an ice tray and freeze them up. when they are frozen i wrap them in saran wrap and then put them in a ziploc baggie... so you have lime or lemon juice whenever you need it! (even for smoothies)

fresh fruit smoothie

we have this for breakfast and my kids love it sipped through a straw!

frozen strawberries
pineapple juice or orange juice
lime juice
banana

i don't do exact measurements, but the frozen strawberries eliminate the need for ice. this is a good recipe because you can use whatever fruit you have on hand, we have added pineapple, kiwis, mangos, blueberries and watermelon, and it has always turned out delicious, just don't skip the lime juice.

fun ice cubes

I like to freeze berries or slices of limes or lemons in ice cubes for water or drinks. It not only
looks pretty but adds a little flavor.

Kim C.

Pina Coladas

1/2 can frozen Bacardi Pina Colada mix (our very favorite)
1-2 c ice cubes (depending on what else you add)
1 c water
1 c frozen mango chunks
1/2-1 banana (opt)

Blend in a blender until smooth.

You can also add vanilla ice cream instead of ice cubes, it sweetens it a lot but makes it lots richer. We also like to make fruit juice based smoothies and add a spoonful or two of the Bacardi mix, it's great.

Wedding Punch

1 two liter ginger ale
1 can frozen white grape juice

mix together and serve, it tastes a lot like Martinelli's Sparkling Cider

Three Fabulous Punches

Hey Everyone! It has been a very long time since I last posted a recipe. I hope you enjoy these; they're three of the best punch recipes I know of. Nothing brings people together better than a good cup o' punch!

Lime Slush Punch

2 c. sugar
8 c. water
1 (12-oz.) can frozen limeade
5 fresh limes, juiced
2 (12-oz.) cans lemon-lime soda (take your pick)

~Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan and heat slightly until the sugar is dissolved. Add frozen limeade and juices of the limes. Mix and pour into a shallow pan. Freeze. Remove from freezer about an hour before serving and break up into slush. Pour into punch bowl and add soda. Yields 18 (4-ounce) servings. (I think a 4-ounce serving is pretty wimpy, so I usually make more.)

Very Cherry Slush Punch

2 1/4 c. water
1/3 c. sugar
1 large lemon
1 (12-oz.) can frozen apple-cherry or cherry drink concentrate
2 cans ginger ale

~In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Juice lemon(s) to measure 3 Tablespoons. Stir lemon juice and concentrate into sugar syrup. Pour in a shallow pan. Freeze. Remove from freezer about an hour before serving and break up into slush. Pour into punch bowl or serving glasses, and add ginger ale soda. Yields 16 (4-ounce) servings. (Again, these servings are wimpy, so I make more. I even like to add a fresh cherry or two to the drink. Fun!)

Eggnog Punch (Serious Yuletide Joy)

1 qt. eggnog (the best kind to use is the country eggnog; I can't remember the name)
2 c. premade orange juice
1 c. half & half (or cream works too -- you decide :)
1/2 t. nutmeg or more to taste
1 qt. 7-up
1/4 gal. vanilla ice cream, scooped (sometimes I let the rest of the ice cream melt, and I stir it in as well. I know - really low fat huh!)

~Combine eggnog, orange juice, half & half, nutmeg, mix well. Add scooped ice cream. Place in a large punch bowl and pour 7-up over eggnog mixture. (So this recipe is tricky. I usually have to taste it and see what it needs. Experiment!)

Thanks,

Krista

ITALIAN SODAS

I love these!!! They are so easy to make, yet they look impressive!

Fill glass 1/2 full with Sprite (you can use club soda, but I like sprite better)

Add ice
Add a splash of half and half
Add a splash of Torani syrup
Whipping cream to top it off
Serve with a straw (it tastes better that way ;)

Crockpot Oatmeal

So this is also late but we were moving when we packing when we were doing the crockpot recipes. It is nothing great just something that saves me in the morning. My twins LOVE their oatmeal and walk around the house REALLY grumpy until we spoon it into their mouths. I discovered that I can cook it overnight on low and have it done in the morning ready to serve. You can adjust the recipe to suit you tastes or preferences. Here is the basic recipe:

2 1/8 - 2 1/4 c. water
1 c. old fashioned oats (I don't use the quick so if you do you might want to try it out see how it works)
1/4- 1/2 t. salt, opt.

put it in the crockpot on low before you head to bed and it will be done when you wake up in the morning.

This one is a great but I don't use it all the that often, a fun treat though!
Crockpot Apple Oatmeal

2 cups milk
1/4 cup brown sugar (it has been a few months since I made this but I think if I remember right I cut the sugar down to 1/8 cup)
1 Tbsp. melted butter (I think I also cut this down to 1-1 1/2 t.)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup regular oats
1 cup peeled, chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped dates or raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

lightly spray the crockpot with cooking grease. Mix everything but the oats and stir. Add the oats last and cook on low overnight. It is a realy treat and people who don't really care for oatmeal enjoy this.

Kim C.

Chicken and Bacon Roll-Ups

I made this tonight for the first time and it was great.

1/2 c. light mayonnaise
1 t. minced fresh tarragon (I used dried to taste)
bit of curry to taste and salt
1- 1 1/2 t. lemon juice
4 whole wheat flat breads/ whole wheat tortillas
shredded romaine lettuce
chopped tomato
crumbled bacon (costco fresh bacon bits are great)
2 c shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast (I was short on time and used 2 cans costco canned chicken in water)

combine mayonnaise, tarragon, curry, salt and lemon juice to taste in a small bowl. Combine with chicken until lightly coated (I used all the mayo mixture and chicken and it was a great combination). Make into a roll-up using desired topping and enjoy.

Kim C.

Teriyaki Salmon Burgers

Sorry that these recipes are the current category but we are moving a lot right now and this was the best way to not loose them and we liked them SO much I wanted to share. They are both fairly easy to prepare and worth every minute!

1/4 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t garlic pepper blend (didn't have any so I added some garlic and pepper...seemed to work well)
1 salmon fillet (1 pound), skin removed and cubed
1/2 c. soft bread crumbs

In a large resealable bag, combine the first five ingredients; add salmon. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Drain and marinade and set aside (you are supposed to discard it but I used it to make the meat the right consistancy and then I discarded it) Place salmon in a food processor or mixer. Add bread crumbs (I never keep bread crumbs around so I just use the processor and crumb fresh bread when I need it. That way I can use whole wheat or whatever kind I prefer) and process until blended ( this is where I use the juices if it is dry or add a bit extra crumbs if to wet, you want it to form a patty and not fall apart); cover and refrigerate for one hour (I forgot to do this and it still turned out great!) Coat a grill rack with nonstick cooking spray or you can fry it on a griddle. Grill patties, uncovered, over medium heat for 6-7 minutes. Turn and grill 3-5 minutes longer or until thermometer reads 140 degrees.

Serve with mayo, tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion or anything else you like on a bun! Really great summer dish, Isaac LOVED and turned out eating just the salmon burger without the bun!

Enjoy,
Kim C.

New Category for July

Sorry about the relapse, with moving and all, it has been a little bit crazy! In honor of the hot weather (it is even hot in Seattle) the new category is BEVERAGES (smoothies, punch, mixed drinks etc...) You can even suggest your favorite store-bought drink. So go wild and experiment.

hello? hello?

is anyone out there? maybe no one has crock pots... or maybe you were all having a blast for the 4th! just double checking!!

crock pot roast (a la robin)

so the best thing i ever bought with my wedding money (wink, wink) was the fix it and leave it 5 ingredients only recipe book from costco. it is amazing. and it only calls for 5 ingredients! none of these exotic things that you have to search for! it has been fantastic. i highly recommend it.

just last sunday i made my own roast recipe (it's not hard, honestly!).

the night before i cut up potatoes, onions and carrots. i then added olive oil to a large freezer ziplock back. i added salt and pepper and garlic salt. then i added the vegetables and mixed them around and placed them in the fridge over night.

in the morning i added my roast and the vegetables. some more salt, pepper and garlic and about 5 hours later on low we had an amazing feast. i think it really made it more flavorful to leave the vegetables marinating overnight (although i was just going for fast on sunday morning! not necessarily tasty!) the carrots were slightly undercooked and crunchy... my dad reminded me i should have added a cup of water! so there you go... my super easy crock pot invention! ha ha. i know you are all uber impressed.

p.s. catherine just might kill me but i am in charge of making fancy schmancy cupcakes for a bridal shower next month so if anyone has a killer recipe please let me know! i found the magnolia recipe already and may test it out!

This is a good chance for me to try some new crock pot recipes, I love using it but don't have a lot of great ones.

I already posted my best crock pot recipe, with the mexican stuff. If you want to check it out the labels are crock pot, pork, or mexican. It's called Chalupa Mix.

Italian Crockpot Chicken

This is one of the easiest crockpot recipes I know. The nice thing is the ingredients are things I always have on hand, and because it doesn't take long to cook, you can decide to make it in the afternoon when you're trying to come up with what to make for dinner.

4-5 chicken breasts (I like to cut them into strips)
1 8oz pkg. cream cheese (I usually only use 1/2, I like it less creamy)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Place chicken in crockpot. In a saucepan, place cream cheese and soups. Heat until melted, then add Italian mix. Pour over chicken. Cook on low 3-4 hours (depending on your slow cooker). Serve over rice.

Barbara

Chicken Casablanca

Okay, I am such a loser - I haven't contributed to this blog in almost 2 months. Sorry! I will try to be better.

This recipe is straight out of the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook. I would have never tried this recipe if a friend hadn't told me about it (some of the combinations of ingredients might sound a little different) but it is actually really, really good. The cinnamon and cumin give it such a great flavor, and I like it because it's a little different from your basic meat and potatoes crockpot recipes. If you want some more spice, add a dash of cayenne pepper too!

Barbara

2 tbsp oil
2 small or 1 large onion
1 tsp ground ginger
3 garlic cloves
3 carrots, diced
2 large potatoes, diced
2 1/2 - 3 lbs skinless chicken pieces
1/2 ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp raisins
14 1/2 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 small zucchini, sliced
15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained

1. Saute onions, ginger, and garlic in oil in skillet. Transfer to slow cooker. Add carrots and potatoes

2. Brown chicken in reserved oil. Add chicken to slow cooker. (I usually skip browning the chicken - it works both ways.)

3. Combine seasoning in separate bowl. Sprinkle over chicken and vegetables. Add raisins and tomatoes.

4. Cover. Cook on high 4-6 hours, low 8-10.

5. Add sliced zucchini and beans 30 minutes before serving.

6. Serve over rice or couscous.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

I know we've moved on but I just tried this recipe tonight and it is awesome! There are couple twists from your usual cookie recipe.

2 eggs
1 c butter
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix on high for 4 minutes. Add:

3 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix again, just until the flour is blended. Add and mix by hand:

1 1/2 bags milk chocolate chips
1 c chopped walnuts

Bake at 290 for 20-25 min. until they are just barely starting to brown.

new category for June 16th

CROCKPOT/SLOW COOKER is our new category. This should be a good one, it is so nice to be able to make dinner in the morning when the day seems relatively sane. It doesn't necessarily have to be dinner, just anything you cook in it. Here we go again!

famous tanner sugar cookies

well, they aren't famous here yet... but they will be.

ingredients:

• 1/2 C shortening (i like to use the shortening bars, less messy and easy to store)
  
• 1 C flour
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 T milk
• zest of 1 lemon (this is the secret ingredient that makes these cookies AMAZING!)
  
• cream ingredients, add:
• 2 C flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt (+pinch more)
• 1/2 t baking soda
  

i like to roll a little ball of dough in my hand and place it on the cookie sheet. i then use the bottom of a glass cup, dip the bottom in a bowl of sugar and then use that glass bottom to press the round ball of dough into a flat round cookie. hopefully this makes sense! it's easy, it's quick and no need for cookie cutters!

here is the next secret: set your timer and only cook them for exactly 5 minutes @ 375. i know they'll look kind of pale and undercooked, but leave them on the cookie sheet until the next batch comes out. they'll keep cooking a little on the sheet and then you can put them on a cooling rack. this makes for perfectly soft sugar cookies!

four in one cookies

i'm not sure exactly why these are called four in one since there are really three big ingredients (oatmeal, coconut and chocolate chips) so realistically it should be three in one... but hey, i didn't write it! this has been a tanner favorite for a very long time.

ingredients:

• 1 c. shortening
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 3/4 c. flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 1/2 c. oatmeal (i add more)
• 1 c. coconut
• 1 pkg. chocolate chips

pretty simple, mix them up and bake them for 6-10 minutes on 350.

HuGe & aMaZiNG TRiPLe CHoCoLaTe CHiP CooKieS

4 1/4 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 C. soft butter
1 1/4 C. sugar
1 1/4 C. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbs. vanilla
1 C. milk chocolate chips
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C. white chocolate chips

*heat oven to 375

combine flour, baking powder, and soda... set aside

beat butter and sugars together until creamy
beat in eggs and vanilla

gradually add dry ingredients
stir in chips

drop by level 1/4 C. about 2 inches apart
bake 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown
cool on sheet for 2 minutes and move to a wire rack

last chance to post cookies

yum, yum, yum... I want to try all of the ones that have been posted, but I am moving on tuesday and so I haven't been baking much. I do plan on gaining 50 pounds when we move in our new house from trying all these desserts. :)

On saturday we will have a new category, so if you haven't posted one yet - here's your chance.

(for you ladies that check this blog often, but haven't posted, START POSTING!) we would love to have your recipes, or at least your comments.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

All right everyone, here is the best cookie recipes I know of, it's my grandmothers and Bob loves them so much he makes them all the time! It's made with pudding mix so the texture is perfect. It calls for chocolate pudding mix, but we use cheesecake pudding to get the best tasting chocolate chip cookies ever!!!
3 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c butter room temp.
1 1/2 c brown sugar
6 oz pkg chocolate pudding mix
3 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag white chocolate chips
1 bag milk chocolate chips

Mix in med. bowl:
flour, baking soda, salt

Mix in a Large bowl:
butter, brown sugar

Mix in a small bowl:
pudding, eggs, vanilla

Mix small bowl into large bowl, mix medium bowl into large bowl, add chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Classic Sugar Cookies

I love this recipe because it tastes great but doesn't need to chill before you roll out the dough, my kids aren't fans of that step.

1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 c. flour

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add sour cream, then the dry ingredients. Roll out, cut, bake, and eat! Bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes. Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting or glaze, I don't have a favorite so if any one else likes a particular one, post it!

labels labels labels

just a quick reminder that will help this blog be super easy to follow... when you submit a recipe please use the label section at the bottom. label it appropriately (for now, cookies) and then we can use the labels to search through all the recipes rather than scrolling through weeks of archives! thanks a ton. i updated all the entries thus far! let me know if you have any questions. i'm excited about all of these cookie ideas!!

waffle cookie

this is a cookie that you make on a waffle iron. My kids love these and think they are fun to make.

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. butter, melted
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 c unsweeted
1 c. chopped walnuts, opt.

In a medium bowl, mix the sugar and butter together. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Then mix in the flour, cocoa, and nuts. Preheat the waffle iron. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto the iron (if it is a large iron you can do four cookie on the iron at a time). You can also do large ones and break it up into pieces.

Enjoy
Kim C

George W. Bush Cowboy Cookies

My friend gave me this recipe. I grew up having cowboy cookies but these are taken to a whole new lever. They are SOOOO good! And yes these are GW Bush's favorite cookies!

3 sticks butter/marg. 3 c. chocolate chips (1 1/2 c milk chocolate chips/ 1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 1/2 c sugar 2 c. oats
1 1/2 c. b.sugar 2 c. shredded coconut
3 eggs 2 c. Pecans, slightly chopped
1 T. Vanilla
3 c. flour
1 T. b. powder
1 T. b soda
1 t. salt
1 T. cinnamon

In a bowl combine flour, powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate large bowl cream butter and sugars. Beat eggs and vanilla and add to butter mixture. Add dry ingredients until blended. Stir in chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans ( you may have to dig in with you hands...this makes a lot, but don't worry it taste great and who doesn't like a bit of dough).
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Kim Campbell

Nauvoo Gingerbread Cookies

This is my VERY favorite gingerbread recipe. You can freeze them and they are even better, the favor improves.

1 c. sugar
1 c. molasses
3/4 c. lard (butter)
1/2 c hot water
2 eggs
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. ginger (I live to use fresh and grate it fine)
6 c.flour

Combine first four ingredients, rinse molasses out of the cupe with hot water. Add the eggs and mix. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until firm. Roll out and cut. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Eat or freeze and eat them frozen!
Kim Campbell

Pumpkin Bars

This really is straight out of Better homes and Gardens. I make it with whole wheat pastry flour so I don't feel guilty if the kids have seconds (or thirds, or...)

Combine: 2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Stir in: 4 beaten eggs
1 16-oz can pumpkin
1 cup oil

Spread in 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350.

Awesome with cream cheese frosting - it definitely frosts best when it's cool!

Beat: 6 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
2 teapoons vanilla

Add and beat: about 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Peanut Butter Bars

3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. peanut butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Cream all these together, then add:

1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. rolled oats (the quick kind)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda

Mix and press evenly into a large sheet cake pan. Bake at 375 for 10 min, just until they are lightly browned. Let cool, and frost with canned frosting. The frosting makes a big difference, our favorite is the Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge kind, it's in a blue can.

Somebody brings these every time we have a scrapbook night with my friends, and we can devour the whole pan in a few hours, they are our favorite! They were also the favorite treat of my sunday school class last year and I always get asked for the recipe. Just try and see if you can stop eating them.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(People always ask me for this recipe-it's from the Betty Crocker cookbook)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup stick margarine or butter, softened
(I use 1 stick margarine and 1 stick butter and let them soften on the counter-I think that this is and the cooking time are the most important parts of the recipe as far as the consistancy of the cookie.)

1 large egg

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 pkg (12 ounces) chocolate chips (2 cups)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees

2. Mix sugars, margarine and egg in large. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.
**I cook them for 8-8.5 minutes. They look a little underdone when you take them out, but they continue to cook a little on the hot cookie sheet.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Another easy, good recipe!

Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix
Reese's mini Peanut Butter Cups (24)

Mix the cookie mix as directed. Drop spoon fulls into an ungreased mini muffin pan (the dough should be evenly distributed in the 24 spots). Bake at 375 for about 11 minutes (just until they are barely starting to turn brown). As soon as they come out of the oven press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie. Let cool and enjoy!

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

I've been making these for years because they are so good!

3/4 cup Crisco Butter Stick
1 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 Tbs. Vanilla
2 Tbs. Milk
1 Egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
Chocolate Chips

Mix together the Crisco butter stick, brown sugar, vanilla and milk. Add the egg and mix. Add the flour baking soda and salt and mix well. Add as many chocolate chips as you like (I like a lot!) and stir together. Drop spoon fulls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies

The “Real Snickerdoodle” Recipe
These are super easy and so good! A sure hit every time!!!

Cookies:
Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix (in the bag)
Mini- bite sized Snickers (24)

Mix the cookie mix as directed on the bag. Unwrap the mini Snickers. Using a medium cookie scoop (or a spoon), scoop the dough into your hand and flatten it. Place a Snickers onto the flattened dough and wrap the dough around it. Then roll it into a ball with your hands, making sure all of the Snickers is covered. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes (until cookies are just barely turning brown). Cool about 10 minutes before putting the glaze on.

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 TBS. unsweetened cocoa
1 TBS. milk

Mix with wire whisk and drizzle on top while cookies are still warm.

cookie muffins!

this is my new favorite cookie treat and i am predicting it'd be a big hit with kids... all i do is get pre-made cookie dough, any kind and then i crumble the dough into a mini-muffin pan (make sure and spray the pan first). sometimes i even get mini peanut butter cups from trader joe's and drop one in the middle and cover it with more cookie dough... what do you get?? a delicious little cookie muffin! super cute and super easy.

i'll post some real cookies later.

Magic Cookie Bars II
SUBMITTED BY: Shawn Bowers"An extremely rich, yet delicious cookie bar!! Walnuts aren't the only nut you can use try any of your other favorites like pecans, peanuts or cashews."

Original recipe yield:2 dozen

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 1/3 cups sweetened condensed milk
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a 9 x 13 inch pan pour in melted margarine. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the margarine. Next place the chopped nuts over the crumbs, and spread the chocolate and butterscotch chips over the nuts. Add the coconut over all, and pour the milk evenly over the top.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Cool at least 20 minutes then cut into desired sized bars.

*My husband was asking for these today so I thought I'd put this one on here. We don't like nuts in ours.

Beth's Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
(This is from Allrecipes and they're awesome)
Original recipe yield:3 dozen
PREP TIME
15 Min
COOK TIME
12 Min
READY IN
50 Min


INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, butter flavored shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light and golden. Do not overbake. Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely. Store in airtight container. Make sure you get some, because they don't last

Cake mix cookies

1 box cake mix
1/2 cup butter melted
2 eggs
3 cups chips (chocolate, mint, PB, white choc, caramel, cinnamon etc...)

beat until combined, stir in chips
roll into balls (they look better this way) and bake for 7-9 minutes at 350

This is my new favorite cookie recipe because it is so easy and so versatile. So here is where it gets good. You can use any cake mix with any kind of chips. Some good ones are devils food cake mix with choc chips, chocolate cake mix with mint chips, chocolate cake mix with peanut butter chips, or vanilla cake mix with chocolate chips. I think pretty much anything goes. The thing that rocks about this cookies is that they are so easy. My kids love them because they are instant gratification.

New category for May 27th

Hey all,
It's time for something a little bit sweeter! Time to share our favorite cookie or bar recipes. We will be switching soon, so start posting (or experimenting for a good one). Have fun!:)

Mexican hot chocolate

2 T hot choc. powder mix

dash chili powder

dash cinnamon

just mix together and add hot water


It isn't spicy, just delicious. My favorite way to have hot chocolate (and I am kind of an addict).

Corn Salsa

1 can white corn, drained
1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 finely chopped tomates
1 bunch cilantro (chopped small)
1/2 a bunch chopped green onion
1 envelope Good Season's Italian dressing (prepared as directed on pkg. I use red wine vinegar)

Mix all above ingredients.

Just before serving add two avocados, chopped small and drizzle with lime juice.

Mix and serve with tortilla chips

This is REALLY good!

-Kim Campbell

Black Bean and Cream Cheese Burritos

INGREDIENTS:
2 (10 inch) flour tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and
drained
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno peppers
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven heated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.
2.
Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Place onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapenos in skillet, cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour beans into skillet, cook 3 minutes stirring.
3.
Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to skillet with salt. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir cilantro into mixture.
4.
Spoon mixture evenly down center of warmed tortilla and roll tortillas up. Serve immediately

I just found this on allrecipes.com. The only changes that I made was that I omitted the jalapeno peppers, added the juice of 2 limes and doubled the cream cheese. The cream cheese sounded weird, but was actually really good. It made enough for 4 adults.

As most of you know, I am vegetarian, so I wanted to share with you what we use as a ground beef substitute. It is easy and fast and tastes like lean ground beef. You don't have to cook it, just warm it up. I put it in a frying pan, add taco seasoning, a little water and simmer for a couple of minutes. It is awesome in tacos, nachos etc.

You can find it in the freezer section, usually next to the frozen ravioli.

Tex-Mex Chicken Tacos

This is a delicious and healthy meal!

12 oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size strips
1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. snipped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. lime zest
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
1 med. red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 tsp. olive oil
1 c. frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
8 tortillas

Place Chicken in a plastic bag. For marinade, in a small bowl combine orange juice, cilantro, lime peel, lime juice, jalapeno, salt, black pepper, and garlic. pour over chicken; seal bag. marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Drain chicken, reserving marinade. In a large skillet cook and stir sweet pepper in hot oil over med.-high heat until crisp-tender. Remove pepper.
Add chicken to skillet. cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Stir in corn; heat through. In a small bowl stir together the reserved marinade and the cornstarch; add to chicken mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Return sweet pepper to skillet; stir to combine.

Serve with cheese, or sour cream,

Super Nachos

Here is another Rachael Ray recipe, and I'm totally addicted to it! I'd probably have it every day if my family didn't mind.
Beef and Beans Topping:
1 Tbsp olive oil1 lb ground meat (I like turkey)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sm. onion chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. dark chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. cayenne pepper sauce (add more if you like it hot)
1 15 oz can black beans, drained

Cheese Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
3 c. pepper jack cheese, shredded (I actually use whatever cheese I have on hand)

Heat a skillet over med. high heat. Add oil, garlic, onion, and peppers to the pan, and saute 2 minutes, then add meat and crumble with wooden spoon. Season meat with salt, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper sauce. Cook meat 5 minutes, then stir in beans and reduce heat to low.
In a med. sauce pot, melt butter and add flour to it. Cook flour and butter 1-2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in milk. Whn milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese. Remove cheese sauce from the heat.
Spread some tortilla chips out, put beef and bean mixture on and top with cheese sauce. Sooooo good! Top with guacamole, sour cream, or whatever you feel like.

Guacamole

Okay, this is the yummiest guacamole recipe I've found. It's from allrecipes.com.

3 avocados-peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomoatoes, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Julia

mexican cornbread

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes Yields: 6 servings

"This has got to be the tastiest and the most moist cornbread I have ever made. It is the most requested thing I cook, so I am sharing it. Don't let the ingredients fool you. It's unbelievable."

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, melted 1 cup white sugar 4 eggs 1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn 1/2 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers, drained 1/2 cup shredded Monterey

Jack cheese 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2.	In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in cream corn, chiles, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.
3.	In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to corn mixture; stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4.	Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of the pan comes out clean.

**yes catherine this is the bread that you scarffed down at the chili cook off!

easy & delicious salsa

i make this all the time (it's super fast) and a SUPER hit.
mix:
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes (usually one with chiles etc)
add:
juice from 1-2 limes
1 T sugar
chopped cilantro
finely chopped onion (optional)

stir it up and serve with scoop style tortilla chips! it is best if you make it the morning of so that it has a chance to soak up the lime!

fancy schmancy quesadillas

i'm more of the "cheese crisp" type (where you put grated cheese on a tortilla and melt it in a pan, oven or microwave) but i have to admit that this recipe i stole from realsimple is a nice touch. it's simple and yet fancy all at the same time... great if used with the mexican salad i posted.

ingredients:
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained
1 11-ounce can corn kernels, drained
3/4 cup salsa, drained (or you can even drain a can of diced, spicy tomatoes)
1 8-count package large flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack

Heat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, combine the beans, corn, and salsa. Place 4 tortillas on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the black bean mixture on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and sandwich with the remaining tortillas. Bake until the cheese has melted, 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer the quesadillas to a cutting board. Cut each into 6 wedges.

*i even added shredded chicken to mine.

Mexican Quiche

1/4 c margarine or butter, melted
5 eggs
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1--4 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 c. cottage cheese
2 c. grated monterey jack cheese

Mix all together and pour into greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 min.

Chalupa Mix

2-4 lb pork roast
1 10-14oz. can diced tomato w/green chilies
(depending on the size of the roast)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder (opt.)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic

Cook on low in a crock pot for 6 hours, or until it's soft. Take the meat out and shred it, then add 2 15 oz. cans pinto beans (drain if your roast has lots of juice, or leave the juice if it's dry). Cook on low 2 more hours.

For you carnivores, this is one of my all-time favorites. I can eat it forever and ever until it's gone, it saves and reheats well. It makes a great snack with a little shredded cheese and chips, or you can go all out for dinner with tortillas, sour cream, avocado, cheese, the usual taco-like fixings.
I don't know if the name is accurate, but it's what we've always called it.

Blog info. and NEW CATEGORY

As you may have noticed, there are a few changes to the blog. My friend Robin has accepted the position of tech. support and to her we are truly grateful!:) As you can see, she has added tabs and so we can access the recipes more easily. Also, now you can register yourself as a contributor to the blog. Sign in under 98105@hotmail.com and use the password seattlerecipes and then go to "settings" and then "permissions" and invite yourself to be an author of the blog. Then you can sign in with your google account, or just create one (super easy, just make a name and password, I don't have a gmail account and so I just created one for this purpose).

This way you can post as yourself, and the NEXT step is that you can create a profile, telling who you are, where you are living, post a picture under your profile and all that. It would be super fun to know who is blogging, and have a reference of who they are since we have all invited friends. Sounds complicated, but it is not. It doesn't take much time at all, and I think that it is completely worth it, because this blog is going to be a long-term thing. This blog is awesome! I have never made so many good salads in my life!

Okay, so now for more important things. Our next category is going to be LATIN. This includes mexican, spanish, cuban, brazilian, basically anything Latin. It doesn't have to be a main dish just anything that falls in that category. It would also be helpful to maybe give a meal plan, what to have as a side dish etc.. Yeah for Jenn Tukuafu for already posting some recipes that look REALLY good.

Let's get started...

hey ladies

just a note for all of you that will really help this blog be user friendly... when you post a recipe go ahead and give it a label. the label box is directly at the bottom of your "posting box" that you type your recipe in.... you can give one recipe several labels, such as chicken enchiladas could be labeled mexican as well as chicken dish. or fruit salad could be labeled fruit and salad.

this labeling processes allows the labels to pop up on the side of the blog so you can click on whatever label interests you and have access to those recipes, rather than going through the entire archive...

hopefully this makes sense! if not, let me know.

robin

mexican salad

this salad goes great with quesadillas or tacos or beans and rice, but it does not keep well so hopefully it gets eaten up!

Combine in a Bowl:
juice from 2 lemons
1 T olive oil
pepper & salt to taste (1/2t - 1t)

Add & Mix:
1 large or 2 small finely chopped onions
(i like to let this marinate while i do the rest)

Slice Romaine lettuce (or anything else you prefer) in about 1/2 inch thick slices.
Chop Cilantro (i really really like cilantro so i almost use the whole little bushel).
Add to bowl and mix with dressing,
Top with thinly slice tomatoes.

--Robin

Chicken Wonton Salad

I promise this is a good one! And yes, I have a comment after almost all the ingredients. This recipe makes a lot. I usually cut it in half.

3 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (I sometimes marinate chicken in a easy sauce if I think about it. Let me know if you want that recipe.)
1/2 pkg. wonton wrappers, cut into 1/2-inch strips (freeze other half of pkg.)
1 head of lettuce (you choose - I use romaine or combine different lettuces)
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (4 oz.) pkg. slivered almonds, toasted (I actually like to use caramelized pecans)
1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
5 green onions, chopped
(I sometimes add other things that sound good like sesame seeds, avocado, etc.)

Fry wonton strips in oil until crisp; cool on paper towel. In a large bowl, toss chicken with lettuce, oranges, chestnuts, and onions. Add wonton strips and nuts on top before serving.

Dressing:
4 T. sugar
1 t. salt
4 T. white wine vinegar
1/3 c. veg oil

Mix everthing together (I use a mason jar) and refrigerate until ready to drizzle over salad and serve.

Hope you enjoy!

Krista

Cabbage Crunch Salad

1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c sugar
3 T vinegar
1/2 t salt
Flavor packet from ramen noodles
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
4 green onions, chopped
2 T sesame seeds, toasted
1 package ramen noodles, broken and uncooked
1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted
Red seedless grapes, as desired

In a blender, combine oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and flavoring packet. Pour over cabbage. Add green onions and sesame seeds. Toss together. Just before serving, add ramen noodles, almonds, and grapes. Serves 6.

Lisa G

Four-Bean Salad

1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can golden wax beans
1 can cut green beans
1/2 c chopped white or green onion
1/2 c chopped red or green pepper
1/2 c white or red wine vinegar
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 t mustard
1/4 t oregano (optional)

Drain all beans and place ina bowl with onion and peppers. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over bean mixture. Cover and marinate for several hours or overnight.

This has become one of my signature dishes. I love it so much that I have often wondered if I could eat the whole thing by myself. By the way... it makes 12 servings.

Lisa G

Cilantro-Lime Dressing

1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 (3-inch) jalapeno pepper, cut and seeded (optional)
2 T chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime

Blend all ingredients in a blender.

This is delicious as a topping on a taco salad or as a dip for chips & veggies. Also, a side note on the taco salad... If you want to try a vegetarian taco sald, try substituting the ground beef with a mixture of black beans and corn, warmed up. It's one of our favorite meals.

Lisa G

Chicken Tacos

Combine the following ingredients in order and bring to a boil:

3 Tbsp. Butter
1 small Onion or 1 Tbsp. Onion Flakes
1 Tsp. Mustard
1 C. Ketchup
1/2-1 C. Water
2 Tbs. Vinegar
1 Tbs. Worceshire Sauce
2 C. Brown Sugar
4 Shredded Chicken Breasts

* Serve in tortillas and top with your favorite taco toppings.

Brazilian Limeade- Braza Grill

2 C. Water
2 whole Limes
1/3 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 C. Ice

Wash limes thoroughly. Cut off the ends and slice into eight wedges. Place limes in a blender with the sugar, sweetened condensed milk, water and ice.

Blend in an electric blender, pulsing 5 times. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove rinds. Serve over ice.

* This is fabulous (Jessica can attest)

Cafe' Rio House Dressing

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 C. Mayonnaise
1 C. chopped Cilantro
2 cloves Garlic
3 Tomatillos (canned- found on ethnic foods aisle)
1/3 cup Buttermilk
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Put all the ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.

Jenn Tukuafu

Cafe' Rio Rice

4 tsp. Chicken Bouillon
4 tsp. Minced Garlic
1/2 bunch Cilantro
1 can diced Green Chilies
3/4 tsp. Salt
1 Tbs. Butter
1/2 Onion, chopped
3 cups Rice (not instant)

Put chicken bouillon, garlic, cilantro, diced green chilies, salt, butter and onion in a blender and puree until smooth. Poor into saucepan and add 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Add rice and simmer for 30 minutes.

Jenn Tukuafu

Cafe' Rio Pork Barbacoa

5-6 pounds Pork Roast
1 Tbs. Cumin
1 C. Brown Sugar
12 ounces La Victoria Taco Sauce
20 ounces Coca Cola

Place roast in a crock pot and add water halfway up roast. Cook on low for 12 hours. Drain out the water and add the remaining ingredients, then cook for 4 more hours. Shred the pork and cook for 2 more hours.

I realize this doesn't go with the "quick" part of this recipe blog, but it really is good and since it cooks in the crocky, it is pretty easy! I made burritos and for my pickey toddler, I made quesadilla. It's fabulous with salad too!

Jenn Tukuafu

Chicken Alfredo

REAL alfredo w/ chicken

1/2 C. Butter
2 C. Parmesan or Romano Cheese, grated
1/2 C. + 2 Tbsp. Heavy Cream
Salt & Pepper, to taste.

Melt the butter in cream, then stir in the cheese, melt and blend in. Season to taste. Add to cooked chicken and then to Alfredo or Fettuccine noodles.

It is fabulous!

Jenn Tukuafu

Italian pasta salad

Hi everyone,
This is a salad that we always make in the spring and summer. It is easy to make and taste great.

1 16oz pkg colored pasta, cooked and cooled
1 can olive, sliced
1 bunch broccoli, florets cut small
1/2 -1 cup diced cheese, mozzarella, colby, cheddar or any other you like
1 green or red pepper diced
3 medium tomatoes diced
Italian salad dressing, you can use reg, light, or fat free; to taste

combine all ingredient and add salad dressing to taste. Let chill or serve immediately. You might want to add more dressing once the salad has had a chance to soak up a bit of the dressing.

Enjoy!!
Kim C.

Pasta Salad

1 box tri-color rotini pasta
1 bottle your favorite italian dressing (I love Kraft creamy italian)
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1 c. cubed cheddar cheese
1 cucumber, chopped
1 can sliced olives

Cook pasta according to box, drain, and rinse with cold water. (If I'm serving it right away, I throw a handful of ice cubes in the strainer to cool it down fast, otherwise just mix it all up and put it in the fridge until you're ready.) Add all the chopped stuff and olives, then squirt dressing on until it looks good, maybe 2/3 to 3/4 bottle. My friend puts sliced pepperoni (pizza topping) in and I like it, but I usually don't and it's good without. Serve cold, it's one of Justin's favorite things to eat in the summer. Warning, don't overcook the pasta because it absorbs dressing and gets softer over time.

Katie Lisonbee

Craisin Salad

Okay, I've never posted a comment to a blog, so I hope this shows up. I feel like my mom trying to use Microsoft Word--she seriously doesn't get it. Anyway, here's my FAV-O-RITE salad recipe, probably because it has an ample amount of sugar. This recipe makes a ton (like 15 servings), so cut it down as necessary.

Dressing:
1/2 C. sugar
1 C. oil (I always use less)
6 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. poppy seed (optional)

Toss together salad:
Iceberg lettuce
Spinach
Romaine
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 C. slivered almonds
1 C. Craisins

Toss dressing over salad just before serving.

Julia