Sunday, November 15, 2009
PISTACHIO MARSHMALLOW SALD
2 boxes of Jello Pistachio mix
2 large cans of crushed pineapple
1 large tub of whip crème
Mix pistachio mix with pineapple (do not drain pineapple – the juice mixes with the dry pistachio mix). Spoon in marshmallows and mix together with pistachio/pineapple mixture. Add whip crème and mix together.
Marshmallow Fruit Salad
I am getting so giddy that the holidays are getting close. This is one of my favorite salads my mom would make for special occasions. I will be making this one for Thanksgiving this year. Yum!
2 large cans of Pineapple Tidbits (or Chunk, but you have to cut the chunks in half)
2 large cans of Mandarin oranges
Small bag of mini marshmallows
Small bag of coconut
1 pint of sour cream
Drain pineapple and mandarin oranges. Put fruit in a large bowl and add mini marshmallows and coconut to your desire. Add sour cream by the tablespoon (start out with 2 tablespoons) and mix together. Add more sour cream, marshmallows and coconut as desired. Enjoy!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Warm Lemon Chicken Sandwich
2 Tbsp. FRESH thyme leaves
pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper
4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (Find this in the specialty cheese section of grocery store.)
1 Large Avacado
4 Kaiser Rolls, cut in half
In a shallow bowl, combine the juice of 1 1/2 lemons, thyme, pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper. Add the chicken breasts and toss to coat, let marinade for couple of hours in fridge.
Preheat a non-stick skillet over med-high heat (I used an indoor grill pan-either will work). Add a couple of Tbsp. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to pan, cook for 5-6minutes on each side, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil.
In the meantime while chicken is cooling in foil. Mix garlic, 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive oil, and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Spoon onto the top half of Kaiser Roll. Bake at 400 until cheese is melted and Roll gets brown around edges.
Thinly slice chicken and layer on roll, add sliced avacado, sprinkle a little salt, and enjoy!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
3 New Recipes Below
Cream Cheese Frosted Pumpkin Squares

1 cup sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Cream cheese frosting:
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 pkg. cream cheese (I used the Neufchatel 1/3 less fat and it was great)
2 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla or vanilla extract (I use pure vanilla and I think it makes everything taste better).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" square pan.
To prepare cake, put sugar and eggs in bowl and beat on med. speed for 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin and oil. At low speed add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt-beat 1 minute.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes. (Note: Use a toothpick to check the center, I had to cook my cake a couple minutes extra to get the center completely cooked.)
Prepare frosting and frost once cake is completely cooled.
Bisquick Coffee Cake

2 cups Bisquick (don't use non name brand pancake and waffle mixes...it doesn't work....stick with Bisquick, we have learned this the hard way!)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
Topping:
1/3 cup Bisquick
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. firm butter
Mix topping and set aside. Mix other ingredients and pour into greased 9" round cake pan (we use an 8"square or double the recipe and put it in a 9x13 pan-either works). Sprinkle topping over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Insert toothpick to make sure the center is cooked.
Makes 10 servings.
Sausage Soup
4 slices of bacon (I bought the thick bacon from the meat dept. it makes the biggest difference)
1 Lb. Italian sausage
1 Lg. onion, chopped
1 Lg. Potato, baked
1 cup water
2 cartons half and half (I think each one is 1 Pint?) They are just the small size ones.
2 cans cream corn
1 4oz. can green chillies
2 oz. pimentos (You can find these in the pickle section)
Cook bacon, drain and set aside.
Bake Potato and set aside.
In large pan cook the sausage with the onions. I added a little salt and pepper. Drain fat.
Add water and half and half to the sausage. Add creamed corn (don't drain), green chillies, and pimentos. Bring to a low boil and immediately reduce to low/med and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Stir frequently.
While the soup is simmering, cut baked potato into large cubes and break the bacon into bits.
The last 10 minutes add potatoes and bacon. I added a little more salt and pepper.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Aloha Cake
1 pkg. yellow cake mix with pudding in the mix
Filling:
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 Large (6 oz.)pkg. vanilla instant pudding
3 cups milk
Topping:
1 20 oz. can CRUSHED pineapple, drained very well
1 12 oz. carton Cool Whip
2 to 3 cups shredded coconut
Make cake mix as directed on package and bake in sheet cake pan (11x17) or 2 9x13 pans. bake only about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool. Beat softened cream cheese. Mix instant pudding and milk, add to cream cheese. Mix until smooth and pour over cooled cake. Sprinkle crushed pineapple (that has been thoroughly drained) over pudding mixture. Spread Cool Whip over cake. Spinkle coconut over Cool Whip. Refrigerate.
LOWER CALORIE VERSION:
Use low fat (non fat) cream cheese, lite Cool Whip and sugar free pudding-I promise it's just as good!!!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Fresh Peaches N' Cream Pie
1 baked graham cracker pie shell
6 fresh fully ripe peaches, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. Fruit Fresh
1 cup whipping cream (not Cool Whip)
1/4 cup sugar
Toss together peaches, sugar and Fruit Fresh, cover and refrigerate several hours. At least 2 hours before serving pie, drain peaches very well. Beat whipping cream until stiff, add cinnamon and sugar. Stir in drained peaches. Pour into pie shell. Chill before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Cold Pasta and Shrimp Salad
This is a recipe that we love to eat in the summer time with Chris's family. This recipe was made famous by Chris's Grandma B. It's cold and I think it's the only salad that actually leaves me feeling full. We serve this salad with hot rolls and homemade jam and slices of cheddar cheese. It's great if your on a diet and want something that will fill you up! Enjoy!
4 cups cooked shell macaroni (cooled completely)
1 cup finely chopped celery
Ranch dressing mix made up according to pkg. directions
1 Lb. marinated shrimp, drained (recipe below)
2 Tbsp. finely chopped green onion
Mix pasta, shrimp and vegetables. Add enough ranch dressing to make it very moist. You can use bottled ranch but I promise it's not nearly as good as freshly homemade ranch. When you dish it up, we drizzle extra ranch dressing on the top of the salad....sooooo yummy!
MARINATED SHRIMP RECIPE:
1 Lb. salad shrimp (these are the really tiny ones)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1-1 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
2 Tbsp. olive or canola oil
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh and chopped OR dried dill weed
While you are preparing all the other ingredients. Fill a bowl with hot water and let the shrimp soak in it for a few minutes. drain the water. Do this 2 or 3 times, and the last time soak them in cold water. This will take away the strong fishy taste, leaving a nice tender, not so strong flavor of shrimp for the salad. All shrimp should be nicely pink. Place shrimp in large shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, dill, vinegar, and lemon pepper until blended. Pour over shrimp, tossing until coated. Cover and chill at least one hour to overnigh, stirring occasionally. Drain before serving. Can be used as an appetizer, main dish, salad, etc.
When we make this we double or triple the recipe that way you can eat it for lunch the next day, and you have a healthy lunch.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Cape Cod Turkey Pita's
1 slice deli smoked turkey,cut 3/4" thick(about 1 lb.)
1/2 c lt. ranch dressing (I personally like the homemade ranch, it's tastes so much better!)
1/3 c sliced,blanched almonds
1/3 c Craisins,coarse chopped
2 scallions,chopped
8 small pitabreads (about 1 oz. ea) -I used wheat pita's to make them a little healthier!
Directions
Cut turkey in 1/4" cubes.
In a large bowl,mix together the turkey,dressing,almonds,Craisins and scallions. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
To serve,cut open each pita about 1" from the top. Spoon a scant 1/2 c of turkey mixture into each.
Tip: To make opening the pita's easier, cut them in half, put in microwave for 15-20 seconds, and they will split right open, making them easier to stuff!
Enjoy!
Recipe found in Family Circle magazine
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Banana Bread

5 large bananas (2 1/2 cups)
4 well beaten eggs
1 cup shortening
4 cups flour, sifted
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
Beat bananas to a liquid in blender or food processor. Add eggs. Cream together shortening and sugar and add banana mixture. Sift together flour, soda, and salt and pour into banana mixture. Pour into 2 well greased loaf pans. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until done.
Makes 2 loaves.
I have found that in my oven 250 degrees doesn't cut it, I do it at 350 for 6o minutes, and then check it with a toothpick, if I need to bake an additional 5-10 min's and check again.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Andes Mint Brownies
Ingedients:1 package (19.8 to 23.7 oz.) brownie mix
2 packages (4.67 oz. each) Andes Crème de Menthe Thins or 2 cups Andes Baking Chips
Directions:
Grease bottom only of 13x9 inch baking pan. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package. Spread into pan.
Bake as directed. Immediately place Andes Candies on surface of hot brownies. Allow to stand 2 to 3 minutes or until candies are melted.
Using knife or metal spatula, gently swirl together melted candies to cover the entire surface of brownies. Cool 2 hours or until slightly set. Cut into bars.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Honey Lime Fruit Toss

This is a great summer recipe!
Combine:
Pineapple chunks (drain chunks, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice)
Mandarin Oranges, drained
Sliced bananas
Sliced Strawberries
Sliced Kiwi
Prepare Honey Lime Dressing:
Stir reserved juice
1/4 teaspoon grated lime peel
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. honey
Toss and serve
Recipe by DOLE
Friday, May 22, 2009
Chicken Caesar Roll-ups

Makes 8 servings.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Refrigerate Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Garlic Powder, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Italian Seasoning, divided
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Black Pepper, Ground, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon milk
8 flour tortillas (8-inch)
2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
(Note: I used light mayo, fat free sour cream, and wheat tortillas-and the recipe was still great!)
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix oil, 1 teaspoon each of the garlic powder and Italian seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper in small bowl. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat. Refrigerate 15 minutes or longer for extra flavor.
2. Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, milk, remaining 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder and Italian seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.
3. Grill over medium heat or broil 6 to 7 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through. Cut chicken into strips. Spread dressing evenly on tortillas. Top with lettuce and sliced chicken. Fold tortilla over and serve.
Tips
Test Kitchen Tip: Use leftover or store-bought rotisserie chicken, cut into thin strips, in place of the marinated chicken.
Recipe taken from McCormick Recipes
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Chicken Enchilada Lasagna Bundles

12 uncooked lasagna noodles (12 ounces)
2 cans (10 ounces each) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
1 can (4.5 ounces) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles
1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)
2 cups diced cooked chicken (I used 2 chicken breasts and sprinkled a little salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper and a little paprika on them, and baked them on 350 for 30-40 min's and then shredded).
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers (4 ounces) (Note: I couldn't find Mot. Jack cheese with jalepeno, I just used Colby and Montery Jack cheese and it was still yummy).
8 medium green onions, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
Additional sour cream, if desired
Shredded lettuce, if desired
Total Time: 30 min
1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.
2. Mix enchilada sauce, chiles and tomato. Set aside.
3. Mix chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, onions and 1 cup sour cream.
4. Spread about 1/2 cup sauce mixture in baking dish. Then Spread about 2 teaspoons sauce mixture over each noodle; spread evenly with about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture. Roll up each noodle; place seam side down on sauce in dish. Spoon about 1 cup sauce over rolls. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.
5. Cover and bake 40 to 45 minutes or until hot in center. Heat remaining sauce in 1 1/2-quart saucepan; spoon over rolls. Top with additional sour cream and lettuce.
Recipe taken from Betty Crocker
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Cinnamon Pull Apart Rolls
What you need:
18 Rhodes Dinner Rolls
1/2 cube butter
cinnamon and sugar
Frosting:
You can use your favorite frosting recipe, here is the ingredients for the one I use with these rolls.
Powdered sugar
1/2 cube butter
water
1 cap full of Maple flavoring (tastes like caramel).
To make:
Spray a muffin tin with non stick spray.
Defrost your rolls in the microwave just enough that you can take a pizza cutter and cut each roll into 2 pieces. If you over defrost, they will have a weird texture.
Melt your butter, set aside. Mix together cinnamon and sugar (I don't measure, just throw it together)
Dip one side of the roll into butter and then cinnamon and sugar and place in muffin tin. You will put 3 (1/2 rolls) into each muffin tin, making a total of 12 pull aparts.
Cover and let rise 3-5 hours (depending on how warm your house is).
Bake 15-20 minutes.
Immediately take out of oven and place on a cookie sheet. Immediately Frost
Instructions for Frosting:
The frosting needs to be really thin, because you are going to put it on as soon as the rolls come out of the oven. Melt 1/2 cube butter, mix in some powdered sugar, a little water, and mapleine. Keep adding powdered sugar and water until the consistency is just runny enough to run off a spoon. Drizze over hot rolls.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-ups
Prep Time: 25 min Total Time: 50 min Makes: 6 servings
What You Need!
1 lb. lean ground beef
4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pkg. (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
Make It!
HEAT oven to 400°F. Brown ground beef with bacon and onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Return meat mixture to skillet. Add VELVEETA; cook until melted, stirring frequently. Cool 10 min.
UNROLL dough onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Press into 15x8-inch rectangle; top with meat mixture. Roll up, starting at one of the long sides. Rearrange if necessary so roll is seam-side down.
BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown.
*Note: Don't take the pizza crust out of the refrigerator until ready to use.
Recipe taken from: Kraft food and family magazine
For pictures and Nutritional Value click here
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Tin Foil Dinners
Potatoes
Carrots
Onions
Dry Lipton Onion Packet (or Beefy Onion) either is fabulous!
Salt and Pepper
Tinfoil
Place a sheet of tinfoil on the counter. Shape a hamburger patty. Place on tinfoil, add a tiny amount of Lipton Onion Dry Soup, add cut potatos, baby carrots, cut onions, add salt and pepper. Take another sheet of tinfoil and fold the top and bottom foil together. Bake at 450 for 45 min's or until the meat is well done. Enjoy!
Note: I place tinfoil dinners on a baking sheet in case the dripping leak from the tinfoil. Easy cleanup!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Easy Cube Steaks and Gravy
Cube Steaks (2-4)
1 pkg. of Lipton Onion soup
Water
Cornstarch
I love my skillet, it's a great tool for this recipe. I place my Cube Steaks (thawed) in my skillet. Pour water over your steaks and into the skillet so there is about 1/4'' of water in your skillet for the steaks to slow cook in. Add your Lipton Onion Soup right on top of the steaks and surrounding the steaks into the water. I cook my steaks on the lowest setting for about 30 minutes, and I check them about every 10 minutes just to make sure the water hasn't been absorbed/evaporated. Flip about half way through cooking, to cook other side. If there's not enough water just keep adding water to keep the steaks moist. Once the Steaks are cooked through. Take 1-2 Heaping Tablespoons of cornstarch and add it to some water. Remove your steaks and slowly pour your cornstarch mixture into your skillet to mix with the Lipton Onion mix (this will make the most heavenly gravy for your steaks). Once you have poured the cornstarch mixture in and mixed it with a whisk, you can place your steaks back into your skillet for about 5 more minutes, or until your gravy is thickened to your liking. I love to serve this with my favorite potato recipe and favorite side veggie.
Note: I cook 2 Large Cube Steaks for this recipe, but there is a lot of flavor with a full package of Lipton Onion, so you can stretch one package of Lipton Onion for about 4 cube steaks, any more than that, I would add an additional package of Lipton Onion Soup.