Juicy Turkey

we kinda followed the citrus brine with this recipe from allrecipes

Prep Time:
20 Min

Cook Time:
3 Hrs

Ready In:
3 Hrs 20 Min

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons ground dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons rubbed dried sage
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• (we used fresh rosemary, sage and thyme and rubbed under the skin with butter)
• 1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 orange, cut into wedges
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne
• (we skipped the carrots & celery and stuffed the bird with peeled oranges, wedged, & a peeled chopped onion)
• We dumped one bottle of sparkling grape juice over our turkeys and didn't even use the chicken broth.

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a turkey roaster with long sheets of aluminum foil that will be long enough to wrap over the turkey.
2. Stir together the parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the herb mixture into the cavity of the turkey, then stuff with the celery, orange, onion, and carrot. Truss if desired, and place the turkey into the roasting pan. Pour the chicken broth and champagne over the turkey, making sure to get some champagne in the cavity. Bring the aluminum foil over the top of the turkey, and seal. Try to keep the foil from touching the skin of the turkey breast or legs.
3. Bake the turkey in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. Uncover the turkey, and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Citrus Turkey Brine

I got this recipe here at Allrecipes

we made this brine for our turkeys this year and "soaked" them for 2.5 days, in my opinion brine-ing is a MUST and turns our wonderfully juicy turkeys!

Prep Time:
10 Min

Cook Time:
15 Min

Ready In:
2 Hrs 25 Min

Original Recipe Yield 1 1/2 gallon

 

Ingredients

• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 lime, sliced
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 1/2 gallons water

Directions

1. Combine the orange juice concentrate, orange slices, lemon slices, lime slices, thyme, pepper, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water in a large stockpot; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Wash and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator. Allow turkey to marinate 1 to 2 days before cooking. Remove the turkey carefully. Drain and discard the excess brine and pat dry.
3. Cook the turkey as desired reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster.

Home Lunch

I have been pretty successful at home lunches, perhaps it is the child, I will soon find out since next year I will have a 1st grader to please.  But I wanted to share what I have done in hopes to help out others.

We started Home Lunch because my 1st grader (now 6th grader) threw most of her lunch away everyday... I saw money being thrown in the garbage! :(  So we started Home Lunch, she then had her leftovers as an afterschool snack, in the beginning she would throw things away at school.  She couldn't lie when I asked and so I started asking daily if she had thrown her lunch away, it only took a month and she learned that was unacceptable.  If she had thrown her lunch away she wouldn't get a special snack/treat in her lunch the next day. (see later on when I tell you about our snack system)

in the beginning it was just sandwiches, occasionally a lunchable when they are on sale for $1.  We added a short Thermos Food Jar, I was going to snap a picture but it is in her lunch at school with Pizza Rolls in it.  :) so here is a picture from the thermos site, we did try a "store brand" thermos but I like the metal food thermos best!

The Thermos has opened us up to lots more options!
What we have done in our thermos:
burrito cut in half so it fits (I used to buy the el monerety kind but I now make my own frozen burritos), chicken nuggets, pasta... even those michelena meals that are about .88 at walmart (we don't do those often once or twice a month), pizza rolls, I get them when they are on sale, so I am guessing sending 5 in her lunch today cost .40 at the most.  We haven't done soup but we are thinking of branching out in that direction.  Also any dinner leftovers my daughter wants to take we warm up the food to HOT  and by lunch it is perfect!

From time to time (when she asks) I allow her to take cereal in a plastic container (an old sour cream with lid) and buy a carton of milk for .30 at school.   She loves salad and so she likes to take that often, at our house we usually top our salad with a taco salad like bean mixture.  quesadilla.  we do wraps with pb & honey in them too.

other supplies that I love, I have bought the solo brand side cups, that you get ranch or sour cream in at a restaurant.  They sell them at costco for about $10 for the cups $10 for the lids, so for $20 I have 1000 cups, we use these for dressings for salad, hummus with crackers, pb with apple slices, ranch for veggies.

okay Snacks at our house:  the kids can have whatever regular snacks they like, fruit, veggies, slice or bread, hummus, etc, but we have a list of special snacks: string cheese, granola bar, fruit snacks, cookies, cake & candy if we have any, fruit leather,  caprisun.  They are allowed to have any 2 special snacks per day.  This has worked like a charm, they budget their snacks, and know when they are done for the day and then go to the fruit drawer.  :)

So each day I suggest main dish/sandwich, a fruit or veggie or both if she wants, and then a snack/special snack, if she isn't using a special snack for a drink we send a water bottle with her.  I made her lunches in 1st grade, helped her in 2nd and by 3rd she was making her own but runs what she is putting in it by me.

**She gets to have School Lunch once a week, this way I know she will eat it all cuz it is something she wants**

If this hadn't worked with my daughter, my next course of action would have been for her to loose after school snack until she took time to eat her lunch each day.

I hope this helps others and would love people to leave comments with ideas they have come up with!  :)

Homemade Ranch

I got the basis for my Recipe from "Our Best Bites, Mormon Moms in the Kitchen"

1 1/2 to 2C Mayo
1 1/3C milk (last time I used powdered milk, this time I am trying plain Almond Milk)
1TBSP Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp Parsley (I used fresh, about a handful, this time I used half fresh half dry)
1/4 tsp dill
1/2 tsp garlic powder (I used fresh minced garlic since I blend it in the blender)
1/2 tsp Onion powder
1 TBSP chives (I used fresh, a bunch the diameter of a pencil)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp Kirkland organic no salt seasoning instead of seasoned salt

blend everything in the blender  :)  refrigerate 4 hours before use.  Makes 32oz/4C.

I am going to try adding cilantro & lime juice next time!

24 hour potroast

YUMMY! The hardest part is smelling it for 24 hours, so fast Sunday may not be the best Sunday to make this.

1 roast

4 beef bouillon cubes

1 pkg Italian salad dressing mix

2 cups water

Put all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 24 hours. Yes, 24 hours! No stiffing or turning necessary.

Potato Soup

I haven't tried this, but it looked really good. It was posted in a forum where I would forget about it, so I thought I would put it here. I can't wait to try it!

8 potatoes peeled/chopped
6 chicken bollioun cubes
1 pint half and half
1 cup milk (I use 2%)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 to 1 pound bacon cooked and diced (depends on what you like, could also use cubed ham)

Add all of these to crock pot on low for about 3-4 hours or till potatoes are soft. Then add:

8 oz cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheese (any combo will work, I used a 3 cheese one from sams club)

Stir this and let it cook on low another 1 hour till its all melted.

This is so good, rich I know but its great

Herb Lentil & Rice

As a family we are trying to reduce the amount of meat we eat and increase the grains & seeds,  so here we go.

 Ingredients

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth (I used 2 C water and a tsp of Kirkland Organic no salt seasoning)

  1/2 cup and 1 tbsp dry lentils  

1/2 cup and 1 tbsp chopped onion  

1/4 cup and 2 tbsp uncooked brown rice  

3 tbsp dry white wine, or chicken broth (I used 1 TBSP white grape juice concentrate)

  1/2 tsp dried basil  

1/8 tsp salt  

1/4 tsp dried oregano  

1/8 tsp dried thyme  

1/8 tsp garlic powder  (I used chopped garlic)

1/8 tsp pepper  

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese, divided

I also threw in 1/2C of Quinoa and added at least 1/2C of water to compensate for that.

Directions

In a bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients; stir in 1/2 cup cheese.
Transfer to a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray
Cover and bake at 350*F for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until lentils and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring twice.
Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

I added 1 can Petite Diced Tomatoes, my hubby said it was a bit too much, so I would go with half a can next time I like the flavor it added.  Also on the site I got this from someone suggested to do Mexican Seasonings, I think I will try that next time.


Number of Servings: 3

Chicken Noodle Letuce Cups

I made these for dinner last night and all the kids had fun helping me cut the veggies and put it all together and on the table. Zoe, Austin & I really liked them. Makayla mostly liked them & Holden wouldn't try them at all. As a shortcut, we used leftover rotisserie chicken, shredded.

2 (8oz) skinless boneless chicken breasts

2 tsp olive oil

sea salt & black pepper

1 Tbsp sesamie seeds

1 Tbsp honey

1 bundle dried fine Chinese egg noodles or rice noodles

1/2 cucumber

2 small carrots, pealed

1 cup snow peas

2 scallions, trimmed

1/3 cup cilantro leaves

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp soy sauce

1 head Bibb lettuce

Optional garnish: 1 red chili pepper, finely sliced

Cook the Chicken: Get your barbecue hot. If cooking indoors, put the grill pan on high heat. Score the chicken breasts with a sharp knife at 1-inch intervals to help them cook more quickly and evenly Drizzle with olive oil; add a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Coat the chicken with sesamie seeds and honey. Move to a cutting board, then use 2 forks to shred the chicken.

Make the noodle salad: Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions and rain well. While they're cooling, quarter the cucumber lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, then finely slice Use your vegetable peeler to cut the carrots into ribbons. Slice the snow peas in half, and finely slice the scallions. Toss veggies with cold noodles, cilantro, lime juice , and soy sauce. Peel whole leaves off the lettuce head, wash, and spin dry (or place between 2 paper towels).

Assemble the cups: Take everything to the table and let the family build their own lettuce cups.

Herb Roasted Salmon

1TBSP Olive Oil
1TBSP Butter, melted
1 tsp thyme
1/2C Onions finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 salmon fillets

Pre-heat oven to 475°

In roasting pan, place the oil and melted butter.  "Roll" the salmon in it till well coated.  Sprinkle thyme, salt, pepper & chopped onion over the top.

Roast fish in the oven for 5 minutes, then turn and finish cooking 3 to 5 min. (my hubby didn't flip the fish just cooked until an internal temp of 142°)

Chocolate Lava Cakes

This is from my Family Fun magazine - in the Let's Cook segment (cooking with your child). Makayla helped me for a while until I kept making mistakes and had to keep back tracking. When they were done they were AMAZING - they rivaled anything you could get in a restaurant!

1 stick + 2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1cup (6oz) bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate bar broken in pieces

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 tsp granulated sugar

3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup flour

Big pinch of salt

1. Heat the oven to 450. Use a double boiler or create your own by filling a saucepan with an inch of water then fitting a heat-safe mixing bowl in the top of the pan. Combine the butter and the chocolate in the bowl over hot (but not boiling) water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.

2. When it is completely melted, stir or whisk the chocolate mixture to fully combine the ingredients. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and stir in the vanilla extract. Set it aside.

3. While the chocolate mixture cools, butter six (8oz) ceramic ramekins or custard cups (the sides of each cup should measure no taller than 2 1/4 inches). Place 1 tsp of granulated sugar inside each one. Tip and turn the cups to coat them with the sugar, then set them aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk. Add the confectioners' sugar, and whisk again. The mixture will look lumpy at this point, but it will become smooth as more ingredients are added. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, then add the flour and salt, and stir with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth.

5. Divide the batter among the 6 baking cups and set 5 of them aside. You'll use the sixth cake to conduct a trial run of the baking process.

6. Place your trial cake in the coolest part of the oven and bake it until the top is flat (not sunken or bulging), about 9 minutes. Be sure to monitor the baking closely so that the cake does not overbake and become set in the center.

7. Remove the trial cake from the oven - making not of your exact baking time - and place it on a pot holder to cool for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the perimeter of the cake to loosen it from the baking cup. Place a dessert plate over the baking cup and, using the pot holder, invert the cake onto the plate. Wait 10-15 seconds, then carefully lift the cup off the plate. The cake should have a nice, round shape and be slightly sunken in the center. Use a knife to gently poke the middle of the ckae to find out if it's molten and lavalike beneath the surface.

8. Finish baking the cakes in 2 batches, adjusting your baking time up or down in one-minute increments as needed. Serve the cakes at room temperature (they need about 30 minutes to cool) with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We recommend splitting each cake into two servings, as they are quite rich. Makes 6 mini cakes.

Sweet Grilled Pork

I got this one out of my Parents magazine. My whole family really likes it and they say that the apricots are rich in beta-carotene.

1 lb. pork tenderloin

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup apricot preserves

2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

4 apricots, halved and pitted

2 tsp canola oil

1. Season pork with salt and pepper. Grill pork, covered, indirectly (I turn on 1/2 the grill and put it on the other half) over medium-high heat for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, mix preserves and soy sauce. Brush 2 Tbs. of it on pork. Cover and grill 5-10 minutes more, or until the pork is cooked through. Remove from grill; brush 2 more Tbs. apricot mixture over the pork. Cover with foil and let stand.

2. Brush apricots with oil and grill directly over medium heat for 2 minutes per side, or until slightly softened and browned. Slice pork and serve with remaining apricot mixture and grilled apricots on the side. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 259 calories; 25g protein; 5g fat; 30g carbs; 1g fiber; 20mg calcium; 1mg iron; 245 mg sodium

Thai Chicken Tacos

This was a good way to use up some cabbage. It comes from Better Homes & Gardens. For the most part, it was well received by the family.

1 lime halved (about 1 Tbsp. lime juice)
1 lb. boneless, skinless Chicken breast cut into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces
1/4 C. chopped cilantro
1 large shallot finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (I used oyster sauce. Hoisin sauce would work too)
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2-1 tsp. crushed red pepper. (I used less than 1/2 because of the kid factor, but there was no heat in the end.)
1/2 tsp. hot chili sauce (I used sweet chili sauce)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
corn tortillas (flour would be easier to get down my kids)
1 recipe cabbage slaw.
Toss together:
2 C. shredded napa cabbage
1/2 C. shredded carrot
1/2 C. sliced green onions
1/4 C. chopped cilantro
1/4 C. chopped peanuts (optional)
1/4 C. rice vinegar -- not allowed by my family :(


Combine lime juice with chicken, cilantro, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, pepper and chili sauce in a bowl or bag. Marinate at least 1 hour.

In large skillet cook chicken mixture in hot oil until cooked, about 5 min.

To serve, layer two tortillas (I think this is because the tortillas tear, but I think it would be too dry if layered. Do what you want.) Top with chicken and cabbage slaw.

We liked sour cream on top. I think tomatoes would also be a nice addition.

Pork Verde Tacos

Brittney Goodey made these for us yesterday and they were YUMMY - at least Austin and I loved them. Holden and Makayla wouldn't try them.

4-5 lb pork roast in crockpot (if it's frozen, cook on high 9 hours, if thawed, 5-6 hrs on high, 10-12 hrs on low)

In Blender (looks like a lot, but it's just spices)
1 onion, quartered
3 stalks celery
1-2 jalapenos, seeds removed
3 garlic cloves
1/2 c water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
Blend together till everything is chopped. Poor onto roast. Add 3 bay leaves to the pot.

When the roast is shred-able, or 1/2 hour before serving, drain the juice (if you strain it, it makes a good base for taco soup or to use in rice). Shred pork, then add 1 16-oz jar green salsa.

Serve with shredded cabbage and Jalapeno Sauce.

Jalapeno Sauce
Blend together 1 cup mayo, 1/2 cup cilantro, 1 jalapeno (seeds removed), 1 Tbl vinegar, 1 Tbl water, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1 clove garlic.

I like mine with homemade tortillas:
Harina de Maiz flour
Water
Proportions on flour bag.

Cheeseburger soup

I got this recipe off another blog. I copied this from her blog, but I made a few changes. I halved the recipe - perfect for my family with no left overs. I also put in 1 whole tomato instead of a can since I had some that needed eating. My family isn't big on pickles, so I didn't add the relish to the soup, but I put some in my bowl. Everyone liked this soup, even Makayla who was disappointed that I didn't puree the tomatoes before adding them to the soup.

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

• 10 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tsp. garlic, minced
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can of petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (10.75 oz) can cheddar cheese soup
• 2 Tbsp, Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup dill pickle relish
• 1 (2.8 oz) can of French fried onions

1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from the pot and drain on paper towels.
2. Add ground beef, onion , and garlic to pot with bacon grease. Cook until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender. Drain off grease.
3. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, cheese soup, and Worcestershire sauce to the meat mixture. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through. Mix in pickle relish.
4. Serve in bowls topped with the cooked bacon followed by the French fried onions. Serves 6 to 8.

Mock Kneaders French Toast w Cinnamon Butter

Here's a recipe I love from Deals To Meals blog. Makes you feel like you are eating
french toast from Kneaders! It is absolutally {delightful}!! Thanks for letting me share on this blog!
-Amy

Cinnamon Swirl Bread (makes 5 loaves)

5 c. hot water
3 T. yeast
1 c. white sugar
2/3 c. vital wheat gluten
3 T. lemon juice
2/3 c. oil
2 T. salt
14-15 c. white flour

Filling:
1/2-2/3 c. cinnamon butter*
1/2-2/3 c. brown sugar
2 T. cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

In a large mixing bowl (or in your Bosche/KitchenAid mixer bowl), combine the water, yeast, lemon juice, sugar and vital wheat gluten together. Mix together and let the mixture sit until it becomes foamy and bubbly (about 10 minutes). Then add the oil, salt and flour (one cup at a time) to the yeast mixture. The dough should be sticky, but not so sticky that you won't be able to work with it. Once the dough has been incorporated, let it sit in the bowl until it begins to rise (about 15-20 minutes--you don't have to wait too long). Pour a few tablespoons of oil onto the counter and spread into a large rectangle shape. Empty the dough out onto the greased counter. Roll the dough into a very large rectangle shape (doesn't have to be perfectly rectangle). Roll until dough is about 1/4-1/2 inch thick (not as thin as a cinnamon roll dough would be).

Spread the cinnamon butter all over the surface of the dough. Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon all over the dough. Roll the dough into a large log, beginning with the end furthest away from you (like you would with a cinnamon roll). Cut the dough 'log' into five equal parts. Take each section and fold the sides underneath the dough piece to try and seal off the cinnamon swirl sections. Pinch the sides and bottom of the dough loaf together as best you can.

Spray each bread loaf with cooking spray. Place the dough pieces into each of the loaf pans and spread the corners of the dough into each corner. Place the loaf pans into a 170 degree oven and let them rise until they are just below the top of the pan. Once the dough reaches the top of the pan, turn the oven to 350 degrees (without opening the oven). Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. Remove from pans after bread has cooled. Serve with cinnamon butter or cut into thick slices and make into French toast.


Ultimate Cinnamon Swirl French Toast

7-10 thick slices of cinnamon swirl bread
2 eggs
2/3 c. milk
2/3 c. pancake mix (the dry powder/mix)
1 t. vanilla
Dash nutmeg & cinnamon
1 t. sugar
Dash of salt

Mix all of the items together (minus the bread) until smooth. Heat a large skillet or griddle until hot and then grease with butter. Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture and then place on the hot griddle. Cook on each side until golden brown. Serve French toast with syrup, cinnamon butter or whipping cream (or all three :)

*Cinnamon Butter

1 Cup butter, softened (not melted)
1/3 Cup sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup (or 1 T. honey)
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons cinnamon (I liked it with extra!)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together on high speed until light and fluffy.

Pepperkaker (Gingersnaps) ****

3/4C Butter
1C White Sugar

1/8C Molasses
1 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp baking soda
2C Flour

Beat together the butter and sugar until well incorporated, set aside.

Stir together the molasses and eggs, set aside.

Combine dry ingredients, set aside.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the molasses mixture, mixing well.

Take a TBSP  of dough and roll into a ball, dip in white sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes ( I found 8 min to be the best for my oven/altitude so they were soft still)

Gyros

Flat bread (you can buy it or make your own. I think navajo taco bread would work well, or scones, or naan)
Roast--pork, beef or lamb
Feta cheese
Tomatoes
Onions (optional)

Roast some sort of meat in the slow cooker. I did pork, but it was rather fatty so I think I'll do beef next time.


Sauce
1 c. yogurt
1/4 C mayo
1/4 C sour cream
1 lemon, juiced
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 packet italian seasoning mix
1/2 cucumber--grated. Squeeze excess water out.

Mix with a wisk and refrigerate until ready.


Place meat, sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and Feta cheese in flatbead and enjoy!

YUMMY Banana Bread

This recipe comes from a friend of my brother-in-law. It is YUMMY!

Crumb topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp flour

Mix dry ingredients, then cut in the butter.

Cinnamon & Sugar coating (I left this out because it just is messier when you are eating it):

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together. Spray pans with olive oil or pam, then toss mixture to coat bottom and sides.

Banana Bread:

3/4 cup butter, softened

3 cups white sugar

3 eggs

5-6 ripe bananas

1 (16 oz) container sour cream

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp baking soda

4 1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees for convection, 325 for regular.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, bananas, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon. Then mix in salt, baking soda, flour.

Pour into cinnamon & sugar coated pans. Top with crumb mixture. Bake for 1 hour (usually takes longer) or until toothpick comes out clean from center. (For the small loafs I baked at 350 for 35 minutes). Makes 3 large loaves.

Monkey Bread

When we were home for Christmas, Carol made this for us Christmas morning. I bought the ingredients 2 other times while we were there so we could have it again. It is so YUMMY and easy - but not in the least bit healthy, so this will be a "special occasion" recipe for my family!

2 loaves frozen bread dough (or 24 rolls)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 lg (2 sm) pkg vanilla pudding, cook variety

2 TBSP Milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Thaw bread, but do not allow it to raise. Grease 9x13 pan. Tear one loaf into pieces & drop helter skelter into pan. Melt butter in sauce pan, add rest of ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour over the torn up loaf. Tear second loaf and throw on top (trying to place in empty spots). Let raise 2 1/2 -3 hours (or overnight in fridge). Place in 375 oven for 30 minutes. Let cool about 15 minutes, turn out on wax paper.

Chili Relleno Casserole

This is a great way to use up those peppers from Bountiful Baskets. I've tried several different versions of this and this one is by far my favorite. Much more filling and much more flavorful. If anyone has other ways to use the chilis, I'd love to hear it. Also, I discovered freshly made corn tortillas at Harmons. They're soooo much better than the regular ones you find in grocery stores, so I recommend trying those. If your kids don't like spicy, they can easily remove the peppers from their portion after it's all cooked.

*4-8 hot peppers, roasted, skinned, seeds removed
several corn tortillas (10ish), torn into 1-inch strips
1/2 lb. each Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese
2 to 3 tomatoes, sliced
8 to 10 eggs
1 tsp. each: salt, pepper, ground cumin and garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion salt

Preheat oven to 350°F; grease 9 x 13 pan. Cut chilies in half; lay out flat on bottom of pan. Cover chilies with half the tortillas, half tomatoes and half cheeses. Repeat for second layer. Beat eggs and spices; pour on top. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake 40 minutes, uncovered, until knife inserted comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

*To roast peppers, just place them on a pan on the highest rack in your oven and turn the broiler on. Let them cook until the skins char and bubble. You may want to turn them over so it does that on both sides. Then cool in a paper bag. The skins should easily come off, and if it doesn't, just leave it on.

key lime cupcakes

found these on a blog I follow and they look so good I am going to have to make them!
Key Lime Cupcakes

½ C. butter, softened
1 C. sugar
3 eggs
1 C. milk
1 C. flour
1 (14 oz.) Can sweetened condensed milk
10 graham cracker squares, crumbled
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
5 egg yolks
½ C. lime juice

è Start by creaming your butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add the 3 eggs, one at a time.
è In a medium sized bowl, shift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix in the graham cracker crumbles.
è Slowly add the dry ingredients, and the milk, to the butter mixture. Make sure you alternate between the dry ingredients and the milk. (dry-milk-dry)
è In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks, condensed milk, and lime juice. Pour into your batter and stir slightly.
è Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350.

For the frosting, I made a basic cream cheese frosting with a little lemon extract.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 8 oz package softened cream cheese
¼ C. soft butter
1 t. lime or lemon extract
4 C. Powdered Sugar

è Mix the cream cheese and butter until combined.
è Add the sugar and extract slowly. Beat on high until fluffy.

Pizza Dough

Dissolve 2 T dry yeast in 3 C. warm water. After it bubbles, add 1/4 cup sugar or honey and 1 T. salt. Mix thoroughly. Add 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add 2 more cups flour. If needed, add up to 2 more cups flour. Knead about 5-10 minutes by machine, adding flour to make dough not sticky.

Cut into 4 pieces. I thick crust pizza is desired, roll out dough onto pizza pan and let rise for 10 minutes. Otherwise, just pat or roll into pizza pan. Spread with sauce, sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Add toppings as desired. Bake 500 until done, about 20 minutes (mine burned on top at 500 so I would probably do it lower next time). Makes several pizzas. Recipe may be halved.

May use dough to make garlic bread. Place 1/4-1/2 of the original batch of dough in a greased bowl, let rise in warm place for 40 minutes. Punch down. Shape into load, let rise 1 hour on greased baking pan. Baking 375-400, 15-20 minutes. Slice, butter, sprinkle with garlic sale, wrap in foil, bake 20 minutes or pop in freezer.

Pistachio Pesto

My kids loved this one!

1 Cup packed spinach

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1 clove garlic, quartered

12 oz dried pasta, cooked and drained

Put the spinach, oil, nuts, cheese, salt, and garlic in food processor. Process until smooth. Toss with pasta and serve. Makes 6 cups.

Nutritional per cup: 361 calories; 10g protein; 16g fat (3g sat. fat); 44g carbs; 2g fiber; 60 mg calcium; 2mg iron; 253mg sodium.

**I added some shredded chicken to the mix before serving**