Rolo Cookies

There was a sweet seminary student in Vernal who made these cookies for the teachers and my hunny loved them so much she shared the recipe with us. They are really yummy!

ROLO COOKIES

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
9 oz. bag of Rolo candy ( 48 rolos)

Combine flour, cocoa, and soda in a small bowl. In large bowl, beat sugars, and margarine until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs to sugar/butter mixture, beat well. Add flour mixture, blend well. Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped pecans (optional).
Shape 1 Tbsp of dough around one Rolo candy, covering completely. Put 1 Tbsp of sugar in small bowl and roll cookie ball around until covered with sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes. (they are better undercooked than overcooked)
After a day or so, if there are any left over, we love to put them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up again. Good, Good!

Key Lime Meltaways

A few years ago a good friend introduced me to Key Lime Pie and ever since that I have loved just about everything with Key Lime in it. I just saw this recipe in the Midland Daily News and thought I would try it and share it with you.

KEY LIME MELTAWAYS

1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp. key lime juice
Zest of 1 lime (or 3 key limes)
1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour
1/2 c. corn starch
1/4 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter until creamy. Mix in the lime juice and zest.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Drop teaspoon size balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Use your thumb to indent the tops of the cookies and create a "nest" for the frosting to sit in. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until set. These cookies should not brown or spread, and will be quite fragile.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet before frosting.

FROSTING

1/2 c (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. key lime juice

To make the frosting, in a medium bowl use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese with butter, scraping the bowl several times to ensure there are no lumps. Mix in the powdered sugar and key lime juice. Frost each cookie with a dollop of the frosting.
Cookies can be stored for 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Swiss Chicken

This is a recipe that one of my children always ask for when it is there dinner night.

SWISS CHICKEN

6-8 Chicken breasts
8 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup (can use cream of chicken)
3/4 c. milk
2 c. dry seasoned stuffing
1/3 c. melted butter

Put chicken in a baking dish. Put a slice of cheese on each piece of chicken. Combine milk, and soup; pour on top of chicken. Spoon stuffing on top. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 50 minutes.

Ham and Swiss Loaf

This recipe is from the ward cook book. It is from a great friend and my family LOVES it.

HAM AND SWISS LOAF

Bread Dough (can use your own or see recipe below)
8 thin ham slices, fully cooked
1/2 c. shredded (2 oz.) Swiss cheese
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tsp. mustard

Roll bread dough into a 9 inch square. Mix mayonnaise and mustard; spread onto dough. Lay ham slices and Swiss cheese on bread dough. Roll up tightly into a loaf; pinch edge of dough to seal. Pinch ends as well - fold ends under loaf. Place, seam side down, on cookie sheet; cover. Let rise in warm place 40 to 45 minutes. Cook at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 1 inch slices to serve.

For my family I always have to double this recipe

BREAD DOUGH

3/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 c. flour
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Mix all ingredients together and set aside for about 30 minutes.

Strawberry Cream Freeze

I found this recipe on the inside of the Philadelphia Cream Cheese box. We love anything with Cream Cheese and this was so yummy and refreshing.

STRAWBERRY CREAM FREEZE

1 pkg. (8 oz. ) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping
20 Reduced Fat NILLA wafers, coarsely broken
3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced, divided
1/2 cup strawberry ice cream topping
1 OREO Pie Crust

Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; beat 2 minutes.

Stir in Cool Whip, wafers and 1 cup berries. Swirl in ice cream topping.

Spread into crust. Freeze 6 hours until firm. Remove dessert from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Top with remaining berries.

I had some chocolate graham crackers and just made the pie crust. It is easy.

CHOCOLATE PIE CRUST

1 cup chocolate graham crackers crumbs
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. margarine, melted

Combine crumbs, sugar and margarine; press into the pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.

Meat 'n' Cheese Stromboli

Brooke came home the other day from school with this recipe in her backpack. First thing she did was pull it out and say "I want this for my dinner night". It looks wonderful so we will try it.

MEAT 'N' CHEESE STROMBOLI

1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 medium green pepper, sliced into rings
1 Tbsp. butter
2 loaves (16 ounces each) frozen bread dough, thawed
1/2 pound thinly sliced hard salami
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli ham
1/2 pound sliced mozzarella cheese
1/2 pound sliced mild cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. poppy seeds

In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in butter until crisp-tender; set aside.

On two greased baking sheets, roll each loaf of dough into a 15-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Arrange the salami, ham and cheeses lengthwise over half of each rectangle to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with onion mixture; sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper. Fold dough over filling; pinch edges to seal well.

Brush with the egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 400 degrees for 15- 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool loaves for 5 minutes before slicing.

The Perfect Brownies

This recipe is from Julie Hales and it is REALLY good, fast, easy and great when you need to feed a lot of people. THE PERFECT BROWNIES 3/4 c. Margarine 3 c. sugar 1/2 c. cocoa 6 eggs 2 3/4 c. flour 1 tsp. salt Mix it all together and pour on a greased jelly roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. They are much better under done than over done. FROSTING 1/2 c. margarine 3 Tbsp. cocoa 3-4 Tbsp. milk place the 3 ingredients in a bowl and put in the microwave until the butter is melted. Then add: 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar Mix with blender until it is smooth and then pour over the brownies when they are hot.

Tortellini with Pesto & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

We love anything with cheese and pasta at our house, especially Brooke, so Brooke picked this recipe for her dinner night.

TORTELLINI WITH PESTO & SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

2 packages (9 ounces each) refrigerated Three Cheese Tortellini
1/2 cup Refrigerated Pesto with Basil
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 bunch basil, chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain; toss with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and cheese. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Onion and Herb Focaccia Bread

Truth be told, I haven't tried this recipe yet but it comes from an AWESOME source, Julie Hales, whom I totally trust. So, I love this type of bread and I will try it sometime soon.

ONION AND HERB FOCACCIA

3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 package(1 scant Tbsp) quick rise active dry yeast
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg
1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 tsp. rosemary or basil

Coat a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1 cup of the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix well. Heat water and vegetable oil in a small saucepan until very warm (120-130 degrees). Add warm liquid to the flour mixture, along with the egg. Beat at low speed until moistened, then beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in by hand an additional 1 3/4 cups of the flour. Continue stirring until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead in the remaining 3/4 cup flour. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Invert bowl over the top of the dough and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Place dough on prepared baking sheet and roll or press into a 12-inch circle.

Spray a length of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray and cover dough loosely; gently place a cloth dish towel over the wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 30 minutes. Remove cover from dough. With your finger or the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in dough 1 inch apart. Drizzle olive oil over top of dough. Separate onion slices into rings and arrange on loaf; sprinkle evenly with rosemary or basil. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove immediately from baking sheet and cool on wire rack. Makes 16 servings.

NOTE: Focaccia is extremely versatile and can be flavored with many different herbs, onions, and cheeses, so experiment with your favorites. Julie's favorite is to add Fetta cheese, Basil and Tomatoes, then cook it. Doesn't that sound wonderful?

To freeze, wrap cooled loaf in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition (per serving): 136 calories

Blender Whole Wheat Pancakes

This is actually a great recipe to use some of your whole wheat that you might have in storage. It is SO EASY, and you don't have to have a wheat grinder to make it.

Blender Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 cup milk or (1/3 c. powdered milk and 1 cup water)
1 cup uncooked dry whole wheat kernels
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. honey or sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Put milk in blender and turn it on to highest speed. Slowly pour in wheat. It will sound like popcorn popping. Blend until it stops making a popping sound (4-5 minutes). With blender on low, add all the rest of the ingredients except baking powder. After mixing well, add the baking powder. Run for 5-10 seconds. Have a hot griddle ready because batter will be rising.

For our family we always double this recipe. We also love adding blueberries or chocolate chips (chocolate makes everything better).

Sweet and Sour Chicken

We LOVE this recipe! We haven't found another recipe quite as good as this one. It a little bit of work but well worth it.

SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

1-2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken

Beat 2 eggs set aside.

Dip the chicken in the eggs then dip into Corn starch. This can be really messy, I've found it works really well to shake the chicken in a paper bag filled with corn starch. It is Much Easier!

Fry the coated chicken in oil until light brown (very light)

Lay chicken in a single layer 9 x 13 glass pan. Then make the sweet and sour sauce below to pour over the top of the chicken.

Sweet & Sour Sauce

3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 Tbsp. Ketchup
1 Chicken Bouillon Cube
1/4 c. water

Simmer until bouillon dissolves. Pour over chicken and then turn chicken to cover both sides. This never seems to be enough sauce for us, so we always Double it.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Sometimes I add some pineapple to the sauce mix. Brinli, Brooke and I love it that way but it is not the boys favorite.

We love it over rice.

Tortilla Soup

TORTILLA SOUP

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 med-sized green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 can (14.5 oz) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp lime juice
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 of a firm, ripe avocado, cut into chunks
1 cup crumbled baked tortilla chips (optional)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add green pepper, onion and jalapeno to saucepan and cook, stirring often, for 7 minutes. Stir chili powder into pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.

Pour broth and 1 cup water into saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium; simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, beans, lime juice and salt; cook for 5 minutes or until warmed through.

Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into bowls; divide avocado chunks among bowls. Serve with chips on top, if desired.

Game Day Mix

I am constantly looking for good, fun things for the kids in their snacks. On the back of the Cheez-it's I found this recipe. It is great

GAME DAY MIX

5 cups. cheez-It cheddar Jack crackers
5 cups Crispix cereal
1 cup small pretzels
1 cup roasted almonds (optional)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 tsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. EACH; celery salt, garlic salt, onion salt, garlic powder and onion powder.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cereal, cheez-It, pretzels and almonds. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, mixing well. Pour seasoning mixture over cereal and cracker mixture. Gently stir until evenly coated. Pour mixture onto 11 x 13 baking pan.

Bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

I just put it in snack size bags and put it in a basket so the kids can have it ready for their lunches or for an after school snack.

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

This is a Yummy, fun, frozen summer time treat.

STRAWBERRY WHIPPED SENSATION

4 c. fresh strawberries, divided
1 (14 oz.) can fat free Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 tub (8 oz.) cool whip lite shipped topping, thawed, divided
8 reduced fat OREO chocolate sandwich cookies, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Line 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with foil. Mash 2 cups strawberries in large bowl. Stir in condensed milk, juice and 2 cups of the Cool Whip; pour into pan.

Top with combined chopped cookies and butter; press into mixture. Cover

Freeze at least 6 hours. To serve, invert dessert onto plate. Remove foil. Frost with remaining cool whip. Top with remaining strawberries, sliced. Store leftovers in freezer.

Chewy Chocolate Brownies

I haven't used this recipe in a long time and I pulled it out last night for a young woman activity. After they were done I remember that they are WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS!! If you like chocolaty, this is the brownie for you.


CHEWY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES


2/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. butter softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
2 c. (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips over hot, not boiling, water. (I just put the chocolate chips in the microwave for about 2 minutes) Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs. Beat well. Slowly stir in melted chocolate. Blend together. Gradually add flour mixture to chocolate mixture stir until smooth. Stir in remaining chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Spread into a buttered 8 " square baking pan. I have used a 9x13 pan, just don't cook it as long.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cool. You can dust with powdered sugar.

Butter Rolls

I got this recipe from a good friend, Tanya Smuin, in Vernal, Utah. This is Daymon's favorite roll recipe.

BUTTER ROLLS

2 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. yeast
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
Dissolve yeast then add:
3 c. flour
mix this in and then add:
1 egg
1/4 c. oil
mix together and add:
2-3 c. more flour

Let this raise for 1 hour.
About 10 minutes before dough is done raising turn on the oven to 400 degrees and put a cookie sheet with 1 cube of butter on the pan. Melt the butter on the cookie sheet and after the butter is melted take the pan out of the oven.
After 1 hour take the dough out of the bowl and on a greased or floured surface roll out the dough about 1/2 inches thick. Use a circle shape to push into the dough to make the desired shape then dip the dough in the butter, and fold the circle in half and place on the pan. Continue to do this until all the dough is used and you fill up the pan with rolls.
Raise for 10 minutes and then place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, turning half way through the baking. Take out when golden brown.
YUMMY!

Blueberry Banana Bread

BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAD

1 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 c. mashed bananas
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs, bananas and sour cream. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Fold in blueberries and nuts. Pour batter into greased and floured bread pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool in pans.
Makes 1 regular loaf and 1 small loaf or 3 small loaves

Blueberry Crisp

BLUEBERRY CRISP

4 c. blueberries
2/3 c. sugar
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

TOPPING:

1 c. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. oats (quick or old-fashioned)
1/2 c. margarine


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine blueberries with sugar, four, spices and lemon juice. Put mixture in a 8 x 12 baking dish. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over berries. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly.

Serve warm with ice cream or your favorite whipped topping.

Blueberry Sour Cream Cake

BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM CAKE

2 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 c. sifted all--purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 cake pan. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream better and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in sour cream. Add flour mixture and vanilla. Mix until smooth and well-blended. Fold in blueberries. Spread 1/2 of batter in cake pan. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture evenly over top of batter in pan. Spread remaining batter over top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Serve with confectioners' sugar or whipped topping.

Blueberry Muffins

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1 1/2 c. blueberries
2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil

Mix dry ingredients together. Add eggs, buttermilk and oil and stir until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Fill well-greased or paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
Makes 12-16 muffins.

Blueberry Buckle

Doesn't this sound yummy!

BLUEBERRY BUCKLE

2 1/2 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. BEat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to creamed mixture alternating with milk. Fold in blueberries. POur into greased 9 x 9 baking dish.

STREUSEL TOPPING

1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine sugars, flour and cinnamon for topping and cut in butter untnil crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan.

Yummy!

Blueberry Pie

It's Blueberry Season! I thought I would add the recipes from the Berry Patch for all of you to enjoy!


BLUEBERRY PIE

4 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
5 Tbsp flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. butter
Pastry for two crust pie

In a medium bowl, combine blueberries, flour, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Mix well. Pile this mixture into a 9 or 10 inch pie shell. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust in which slits have been made. Sprinkle with white sugar.
Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until bubbling and slightly brown. Cool before serving.

Chicken & Avocado Wrap

Easy and yummy!

CHICKEN & AVOCADO WRAP

3 Tbsp. Light Mayonnaise
4 (6-in) fajita size whole wheat flour tortillas
12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
1 medium avocado, peeled and sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup sliced red onion
2 cups mixed salad greens

Spread the mayonnaise on tortillas.
Layer chicken, avocado, red pepper, and red onion and salad greens down center of each tortilla. Roll and fold the filled tortilla.

Calzones

Every Friday night we have Pizza Movie night at our house. This is such a fun family tradition but sometimes, for the parents sake, it is good to shake it up a little bit. I don't think the kids ever get tired of pizza.

CALZONES

Dough-
1 package yeast
1 cup water (warm)
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups flour

Filling-
1 can sliced mushrooms (drained)
1 green pepper (diced)
2 slices of onion (diced)
1 jar pizza sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1lb Italian sausage (cooked)
1 small package sliced pepperoni
½ cup mozzarella cheesebutter (melted, for brushing)

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: To make the dough- dissolve yeast in 1 cup of warm water. In a large bowl mix sugar, oil, salt, and flour. Add water/yeast mixture and mix together until smooth. Knead well and cover and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
Step 2: While dough is resting. In a separate bowl mix mushrooms, green pepper, Italian sausage, onion, pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, garlic salt, and pepperoni.
Step 3: Split the dough in half and roll out each half on a flour surface into a 10” circle. Place 1-2 cups of sauce in the center of each circle of dough. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Step 4: Fold over and crimp shut. Place calzones on a greased cookie sheet.
Step 5: Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. After 15 minutes into the baking remove from the oven and brush lightly with melted butter. Return calzones to the oven and allow them to finish cooking.(Makes 2 Calzones)

Pasta Primavera with a Twist

This recipe is also from our Midland Ward Cookbook. I LOVE THIS COOKBOOK. This recipe is from one of my dear friends, Lesli Pennock.

PASTA PRIMAVERA WITH A TWIST

1 can cream of chicken and broccoli soup
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 c. broccoli flowerets
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 1/2 c. cooked corkscrew macaroni
2 (5 oz.) cans chunky white chicken, drained

In a saucepan, mix soup, milk, cheese, garlic powder, pepper, broccoli, and carrots. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes, or until vegetables are slightly tender. Add macaroni and chicken ; heat through.

Strawberry Pretzel Squares

This recipe is so great, it is light tasting and very refreshing, it makes me think of summer!

STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SQUARES

2 cups finely crushed pretzels
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. milk
1 cup thawed cool whip whipped topping
2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (6 oz) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 qt (4 cups) strawberries, sliced

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix pretzel crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter. Press onto bottom of 13x9 inch pan. BAKE 10 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar and milk until blended. Stir in Cool Whip; spread over crust. Refrigerate.

Add boiling water to gelatin mix in large bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours or until thickened. Stir in strawberries; spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.

Beef & Salsa Burritos

I found this recipe on a package of hamburger and it is wonderful!

BEEF & SALSA BURRITOS

1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, drained well
1 1/4 c. prepared chunky salsa
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
3 medium flour tortillas (8-in) warmed

Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is not pink, breaking up into small crumbles. Pour off drippings; season with chili powder, salt, cumin, and pepper.

Stir in spinach and salsa; heat through. Remove from heat; stir in cheese.

Spoon about 1/2 cup beef mixture down center of each tortilla, leaving 1 1/2 inch border at bottom. Fold bottom edge up over filling. Fold right and left sides to center, overlapping edges.

Serves 4

I cut out the spinach and just added 1-2 cups rice to extend the amount it made. It was GREAT!!

Avocado, Strawberry Spinach Salad

Wow! This recipe title is a mouth full, I don't know the real name of the recipe so Monica, if you ever read this, let me know what the "real" title is. This recipe is Monica Pulsiphers and any of you that know Monica know that is has to be FABULOUS to be from her. It has unique ingredients that taste wonderful together. It doesn't have measurements to the recipe but I will share the ingredients.

AVOCADO, STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD

Spinach use just the amount you want to eat at that setting
Strawberries, until it looks good
Avocado, dice into small pieces, add as much as you like
green onion, depends on the size of the salad, just add what you think

It really is that easy!

Dressing:
This is the same dressing as the Festive Tossed Salad.

ENJOY!!

Shrimp Fradiavlo

I got this recipe from Denny Henson. YUM! This is one of David's favorite recipes and his request for his 9th birthday.

SHRIMP FRADIAVLO

2 small packages of linguine noodles - boil as directed on the package.

In a wok or whatever pan you like put
1 c. olive oil
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

Heat these two ingredients over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add:
1 (1 lb.) bag precooked cocktail or jumbo shrimp - our family like the smaller shrimp
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper flakes (you will probably need to make adjustments for how spicy your family likes things)
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. parsley or chives

Mix all together with the oil and garlic and serve over hot noodles.

Mandarin Orange Almond Salad

This is a great recipe from the Midland 2nd Ward cookbook. It is YUMMY!

MANDARIN ORANGE ALMOND SALAD


1/2 head lettuce
1 c. diced celery
2 green onions
1/2 c. sliced almonds
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 or 2 cans mandarin oranges

DRESSING

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper

Cook sugar and almonds together until sugar melts. Cool. I like to make more of the sugared almonds than asked for so I can save them for the next salad, or I just eat them for a yummy snack. 1 cup almonds and 6 Tbsp. sugar.

Add dressing, nuts and oranges before serving.

Pear and Cranberry Salad

PEAR AND CRANBERRY SALAD

1 large or 2 small ripe pears, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
3 cups salad greens
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine pears, cranberries and salad greens in large bowl.

In small bowl stir together vinegar, olive oil, canola oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over salad just before serving, toss well. Serves 4
I never use as much oil as it asks for. I usually cut it in half.

Approximately 125 calories, 17g carbs, 1g protein, 7g fat, 3g fiber, 170mg sodium.

Fresh Berry Salad

FRESH BERRY SALAD

5 cups mixed greens
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/4 cups raspberries
2 tbsp. almonds, toasted and chopped
1 tbsp. blue cheese
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Top mixed greens with strawberries, raspberries, toasted almonds and blue cheese.

Drizzle with raspberry vinegar and olive oil. Top with black pepper. 5 servings (I usually cut the olive oil down, you never need as much as they suggest)

approx. 70 calories, 10g carbs, 2g protein, 3g fat, 4g fiber, 1mg cholesterol, 25mg sodium

Dilled Chicken Salad Sandwich

I notice that I keep saying that I LOVE the recipes that I put on the blog and it is true for this one also. I LOVE THIS RECIPE. It is such a great mixture! It is making me hungry right now.

DILLED CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH

1 can (12.5 oz) water-packed Chicken Breasts, drained and flaked
¼ c. broken walnut pieces
¼ c. sweetened dried cranberries
¼ c. sliced green onions
1 T. diced red onion, if desired
2 t. chopped fresh dill
1/3 c. low-fat mayonnaise or salad dressing
Arugula leaves or mixed greens
4 focaccia rolls, split, or 8 slices whole wheat bread

In a medium bowl, combine walnuts, cranberries, green and red onions, dill and mayo. Layer arugula and ½ c. chicken mixture in each focaccia roll.

Festive Tossed Salad

This recipe was prepared for a Relief Society Enrichment meeting by Karen Smart and everyone LOVED IT! It was different enough that we all tried to figure out what the ingredients were, you may look at the recipe and wonder? but mixed all together it is truly FABULOUS!!

FESTIVE TOSSED SALAD

1 10 oz. bag Romaine lettuce or 10 cups torn
1 c. shreaded swiss cheese (4 oz.)
1 med. apple coared and cubed
1 med. pear coared and cubed
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. 1 c. cashews

DRESSING
I LOVE this dressing it is good on all types of salads.

1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. cider or red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c. vegetable oil (whatever oil you have)
2-3 tsp. poppy seeds

Put in every thing but oil and seeds in a blender and slowly add the oil while blending other ingredients. Then add seeds.
YUMMY!!!

Easy Crock Pot Pulled Pork

I found this recipe on line and I LOVE IT!! It was so good but the kids didn't like it as much as the regular BBQ pulled pork. It has a sweet and tangy taste to it. Try it and let me know what your family thinks.

EASY CROCK POT PULLED PORK
By Brad Kamer

1/2 Cup Ketchup
1/3 Cup Worcestershire
1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Ground Mustard
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
Dash Red Chili Pepper Flakes
Pinch Salt and Pepper
1 Medium Sweet Onion,
Chopped 3 Pounds Pork Shoulder, Trimmed of Fat.

Method1. Combine all ingredients except for onion and pork into crock pot. Whisk all ingredients until well blended.2. Place pork and onions into mixture, coating both sides of meat.3. Cook for 8 to 10 hours under "low" slow cooker setting.4. After meat is cooked, remove from slow cooker onto plate and break apart with fork. If meat has any bones, please discard at this time.5. Place meat back into warm sauce to reheat.6. Serve on hamburger buns or Kaiser Rolls.7. Enjoy.

Shortcut:When I am in a rush, I sometimes opt to use a prepared barbecue sauce from the grocery store which saves about five minutes of prep time. All you do is pour about cup and a half of sauce, 1/3 cup of water, and heat for 8 to 10 hours on low. The store sauces are okay, but it is better to go through the prep method above. There is no substitute for the slow cooker pulled pork marinade created by the sweetness of the onions contrasted by the sharpness of mustard and vinegar.

Salsa Shells

I haven't tried this one yet but it looks great. It is a recipe from Kierste, so it will probably be wonderful. I will let you know.

SALSA SHELLS

24 cooked jumbo pasta shells
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 c. fresh salsa
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. black beans
1 c. shredded cheese

Toppings:
Sour cream
Salsa
Green onions
Olives

Brown the beef over medium heat. Drain excess fat/moisture. Stir in salsa, tomatoes, and beans. Spoon into shells, then place in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings!!

Chicken Pot Pie

This is a great EASY recipe that even my kids like.

CHICKEN POT PIE

1 pkg. Pillsbury pie crusts
2 cans cream of potato soup
1 can Veg-All, drained
2 c. cooked, cubed chicken
1/4 tsp. sage or thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix soups, vegetables, and chicken. Follow pie curst directions. Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 40-50 minutes.

Garlic-Soy Chicken

This is a recipe in the Low fat "Busy Mom's Slow cooker Cookbook". I haven't tried this one yet, so I will try it and let you know. I think I will put it over rice. :D

GARLIC-SOY CHICKEN

1 small onion, sliced
2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 c. vinegar
2 lbs. bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed.

Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine onion, garlic powder, soy sauce, and vinegar in small bowl and mix well. Place chicken breasts in slow cooker and pour soy mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.

Stuffed Burger Bundles

This is a great recipe that I received from Sister Ward. She owned a catering company and was fabulous at it. Everything that she made was wonderful.

STUFFED BURGER BUNDLES

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. stove top stuffing for 6, prepared
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c. evaporated milk (or cream)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 Tbsp. catsup

Combine the ground beef and milk. Put out in 6 large patties. Put a generous spoonful of stuffing in the center of each patty. Close up the patty completely so stuffing is encased. Place patties in a glass 9 x 13 inch pan. combine soup, Worcestershire sauce, and catsup thoroughly. Spoon over the patties. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree over for 45 minutes.

Chicken & Rice

This recipe is seriously yummy and so quick. It is Brinli's favorite. The kids all have a night to pick and help fix dinner and Wednesday is Brinli's. I have to kindly persuade her to not pick this EVERY week.

CHICKEN & RICE

4 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can water
1 pkg. dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

Put chicken breasts, can of soup, water, and Italian dressing mix into crock pot;
Cook for 4 hours in the crock pot;
1/2 hour before it is done, add cream cheese. We love this over rice. May also serve over egg noodles. This is making me hungry!

Chicken Quesadilla with Mango Salsa

This is so yummy! I loved it! Some of the kids even liked it.

CHICKEN QUESADILLA WITH MANGO SALSA

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 dried ancho or pasilla chili pepper, stemmed and seeded
Salt to taste
4 - 10 in. flour tortilla
6 oz. thin sliced jack cheese
1 ripe mango, sliced thin
1/4 c. minced red bell pepper
1/4 c. sliced green onions
Mango Salsa (Recipe below)

Cook chicken on lightly oiled grill over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. Let cool and cut into bite size strips. Puree the tomato sauce and dried pepper in blender. Put in small sauce pan and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.
Add grilled chicken to pan and toss well to coat. Season to taste with salt. Place flour tortilla on flat surface. Top half of each tortilla with equal amounts of cheese, mango, bell pepper, green onion, and chicken. Fold over tortilla.
Cook in large skillet on both sides until cheese is melted and tortilla is crisp, about 5 minutes on each side.
Serve with Mango Salsa. Makes 4 entree servings

MANGO SALSA

1 large peeled, pitted and chopped mango
1/3 c. chopped red bell pepper
1/4 c. minced red onion
1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/8 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together! Yummy!

Minestrone Soup

I received this recipe while in Vernal, Utah from a great friend, Camille Rowe.

MINESTRONE SOUP

1/4 c. raw rice
1 small bay leaf
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. basil
3 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 qt. water
1 lb. browned hamburger
1 c. chopped onion
1 cubed raw potato
1 c. sliced carrots
1/2 c. sliced celery
1 c. shredded cabbage
2 1/2 c. bottled tomatoes, blended with blender
8 oz. cubed velveta cheese

This may seem like a different combination (specifically the cabbage and velveta cheese) but it is really good.
Mix together. Simmer for 1 hour

Strawberry Dressing

This is a Strawberry salad dressing to die for from Sister Murri. Everyone that has tried it wants the recipe, so I will share it with you.

STRAWBERRY DRESSING

1/3 c. berry vinegar (if you can't find that use 1/4 c. red wine vinegar)
1-2 c. fresh mashed strawberries (you can use frozen strawberries)
1/4 tsp. onion powder
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1 c. vegetable oil

Put everything in blender except the oil. Blend! After it is mixed well then slowly add the oil and blend slowly together.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

This is another recipe from Sister Murri. Like I said before, everything she makes is Fabulous.

CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH

2 c. cooked chicken , cubed
1 1/2 c. red grapes, cut in half
1 1/4 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. slivered almonds (opt.)
1/4 c. miracle whip
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Onera seasoning
(this contains salt, msg, garlic, and onion powders)
I just add a little of what I have to replace the Onera seasoning.

Mix and chill. Makes about 8 1/2 c. servings on a soft pita bread or croissant.
This is making me hungry! ENJOY!!

Broccoli Salad

I got this recipe from a dear sister, Sister Noel, that served a CES mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

BROCCOLI SALAD

1 bunch broccoli, raw
1 bunch cauliflower, raw
3 green onions chopped (optional)
12 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c. sunflower seeds
1 c. grated cheddar cheese

Dressing
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 c. sugar

Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar. Whisk until smooth (chill dressing overnight for the best results). Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dressing to remaining ingredients just before serving to prevent saturation.

Wendy's Hamburgers Chili

The name says it all. Chili is another favorite for Daymon and so I have tried many recipes and this is his all time fav.

WENDY'S CHILI

2 lbs. ground beef
1 (29 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (29 oz.) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (29 oz.) can pinto beans with liquid
1 c. diced onions (1 medium onion)
1/2 c. diced green chili peppers (2 chilies)
1/4 c. diced celery (1 stalk)
3 med. tomatoes chopped
2-3 tsp. cumin powder
3 Tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 c. water

Brown beef then add the rest of the ingredients to a large pot. (I just put it in the crock pot) Bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stir every 15 minutes for 2-3 hours. If you put it in the crock pot don't stir it so frequently. Cook it on high for about 3-4 hours or low for about 5-6. Stir only two or three time in that time frame. One thing that is nice about the crock pot is you really don't need to hang around and babysit the food, leave it in as long as you want. :)

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

I found this recipe from "Dole" and it is so easy and yummy

SPINACH AND STRAWBERRY SALAD
WITH FETA CHEESE AND BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

1 (5-7 oz.) package baby spinach or baby romaine
2 c. sliced strawberries
1/2 c. crumbled goat or feta cheese
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves, or 1 tsp. dried basil, crushed
Salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Whisk vinegar and olive oil in small bowl. Add basil and season with salt and pepper. Combine salad and strawberries in large bowl.
Add vinaigrette; gently toss to evenly coat. Sprinkle with cheese and pine nuts.

Parmesan Chicken

I received this recipe from Sister Murri, she and her husband served a CES mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in our area. She was an amazing cook, everything she made was WONDERFUL!

PARMESAN CHICKEN

8 Boneless chicken breasts
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 c. bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. oil

Pound chicken or cut chicken in half until 1/2 inch thick. Dip chicken into buttermilk then into dry ingredients, which have been mixed together. Fry in oil on each side until brown. Stove should be less than medium heat.

Pizza Hut Pizza Dough

We have a fun tradition to have pizza movie night every Friday night, needless to say, we have tried just about every pizza recipe imaginable. This one has been our favorite.

PIZZA HUT PIZZA DOUGH

1 1/3 c. warm water
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
3 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Mix all ingredients and let raise. Divide and place on greased pans and let rest in pans for 10-15 minutes.
Add topping and Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

We always have to double this recipe

Basic Bread

Everyone that tries this bread loves it. I think it is because it is so easy and it tastes great. I got it from a friend in Logan, Utah many years ago when I was just learning how to make bread and it has never failed. I think the combination of easy and yummy is great. We also use this dough recipe for wheat bread and scones. Yum!

BASIC BREAD

2 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar

Mix these three together and let raise until foamy (I usually omit this part because I don't have time)

Add:
2 c. warm water
6 Tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. salt
1 cube margarine melted

(let raise until bubbly, once again I skip this part)

Add:
8 c. flour (mix well) then start to knead and slowly add 1-2 more cups.

For the Wheat Bread Recipe just add 4-5 c. wheat flour in place of the white. I have noticed that mixing half white and half wheat makes it lighter and more enjoyable for the family.

Raise for 1:15 minutes punch it down and divide into 3 loaves.

Place in buttered pan and let raise for 40 more minutes

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, take out and butter the top and put back into the oven for approximately 10 more minutes.