Garlic Breadsticks

GARLIC BREADSTICKS Recipe Courtesy Chef Bryan Woolley

2 teaspoons yeast 1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 stick butter, melted (8 tbsp)
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups flour

Garlic Topping:
8 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp granulated garlic

1. In a bowl, combine the yeast, honey, and water. Set aside for ten minutes.
2. In a separate bowl combine powdered milk, salt and flour. Whick together to combine.
3. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and add the melted butter. Knead until the dough is smooth. If more liquid or flour is needed to adjust add accordingly.
4. Knead dough for about 10 minutes and place in a greased bowl and allow it to double in size.
5. Once dough has doubled in size remove and divide into four balls. Divide each of those balls into 4 balls.
6. Roll each ball into a rope about 6 inches long. Place onto a prepared baking sheet, brush the tops with the garlic mixture and allow the newly prepared bread sticks to double in size.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden.
8. Remove from the oven and brush with butter/garlic mixture and serve. Enjoy!

Banana Bars

I got a recipe from Morgan a long time ago for banana bread/bars and it was sooo yummy.  Of course I don't have it anymore, so I'm going to try this one.  Morg.....if you still have the recipe, I would love it!!
I have about 20 black bananas in my freezer just waiting to make these yummy banana bars,  I probably won't frost them because I love just plain banana bread/bars.

2/3 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Sour Cream
2 T. Butter, softened
2 egg whites
3/4 C. mashed banana (about 2)
1 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 T. Finely chopped walnuts(optional)
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 375. Spray 9x9" pan. Beat sugar, sour cream, butter, and egg whites in large bowl 1 minute on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in bananas and vanilla on low speed 30 seconds. Beat in flour, salt, and baking soda 1 min. Spread in pan. Bake 20-25 minutes til light brown. Cool completely.

Frosting
1 1/4 C. powdered sugar
1 T. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-2 T. milk

Chocolate Chip Cookies

YUMMO!!!! These cookies look so good!!  I love Love LOVE making cookies and I can't wait to try this new recipe.  I think I will use her tip and use all butter instead of the shortening. 

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com/)

1 cube (1/2 cup) butter, softened *not melted!*

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Mix butter, shortening and sugars - do not over mix. (The key to this recipe is minimal mixing - try it with a wooden spoon instead of a mixer.) Add vanilla and eggs. Sift together dry ingredients and add them next. Mix until everything is combined. Add one package of milk chocolate chips. (Guittard is my all time favorite. The milk chocolate chips are large and so smooth and creamy... yum!) Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are barely brown. Serve warm out of the oven with a tall glass of cold milk... YUM!

**FYI--a note from Melanie:
A couple of years ago I quit using shortening in anything. I now use all butter in this recipe. So, I now leave out the shortening and replace it with an equal amount of butter ( 1/2 cup). I found that the cookies still have that perfect texture as shown and don't go flat, if you chill the dough for an hour or so before baking. You may need to bake for a few minutes longer--but DO NOT over bake--take out when barely brown. Then leave on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to the wire rack for cooling**

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

I was drawn to this recipe becuase the little title was "How peanut butter can help you get pregnant."  The girl told a story of how her sister did in-vitro 5, yes 5, times.  Her doctor told her she needed to consume a enormous amount of calories so she ate a jar of peanut butter a week and they finally got prego!!! Well, if it was as easy as eating peanut butter like it's going out of style, I think we would be pregnant by now.  Who knows, maybe it will work for you?!?  Try this recipe!

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com/)

Mix in pan and bring to a boil:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

Sift the following and add to the above mixture:

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

Mix and add to the above mixture:

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Stir well and pour into greased or parchment lined cookie sheet pan (jellyroll pan). Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Frosting

Mix in pan and bring to a boil:

3/4 cup butter
6 Tbsp buttermilk
1/2 cup peanut butter

Take off stove and add:

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp vanilla. Pour over warm cake.

BBQ Chicken Crusted Smoked Cheddar Mac

1 lb mini farfalle pasta (use any pasta of choice)

5 Tablespoons butter
5 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
4 Cups milk, I used 2%
5 Cups shredded Tillamook smoked cheddar cheese (you could use any cheddar cheese)

2 Cups shredded BBQ Chicken HERE is the recipe
1 Cup shredded Tillamook smoked cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter into a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute stirring. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Increase heat to medium high, stir continuously until liquid thickens and comes to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheddar cheese until smooth then add cooked pasta. Pour mixture into a large baking dish then top evenly with BBQ chicken. Sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

3. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.


Picture courtesy of picky-palate.com

Honeyed Strawberry Shortcake Yogurt Parfaits

4.5 oz package shortcakes, 4 count, cut into cubes
16 oz reduced fat vanilla yogurt
1 Cup chopped fresh stawberries
8 teaspoons honey
1 package Nature Valley Oats n’ Honey Crunchy Granola Bars (2 in package), crushed
1. Place an even layer of shortcake into 4 little parfait glasses. Top evenly with a couple spoonfuls of yogurt, then about ¼ Cup strawberries. Drizzle each cup with 1 teaspoon honey then top with a Tablespoon of crushed granola bar. Repeat this layering one more time and serve.


Picture courtesy of picky-palate.com

Cinnamon Twists

These delightful golden twists are perfect for a spring brunch or lunch. The brown sugar and cinnamon give them a delicate spicy flavor. It's a good thing the recipe makes a big batch, because people can rarely eat just one;

48 Servings
Prep: 25 min. + rising Bake: 15 min.
Ingredients
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°), divided
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
FILLING:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add 2 cups of flour, sugar, salt, milk, butter, egg and remaining water; beat on medium speed for minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough. Roll into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Brush with butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter. Let dough rest for 6 minutes. Cut lengthwise into three 16-in. x 4-in. strips. Cut each strip into sixteen 4-in. x 1-in. pieces. Twist and place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 4 dozen.


Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 71 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 97 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.
Cinnamon Twists published in Taste of Home April/May 1994, p31

Jiffy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

I got this recipe from my mom. I like to refrigerate the dough overnight to quickly bake first thing in the morning. -Heather Maldaner Rolling Hills, Alberta

6 Servings
Prep: 30 min. Bake: 20 min.
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold butter
7 to 8 tablespoons milk
FILLING:
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter, softened, divided
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk, a tablespoon at a time, and toss with a fork until mixture forms a ball. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 7-in. square. Spread with 2 tablespoons butter.
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter. Roll up jellyroll style. Cut into six even slices. Place cut side up in greased muffin cups. Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Melt remaining butter; brush over rolls. Serve warm. Yield: 6 rolls.


Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 239 calories, 10 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 26 mg cholesterol, 367 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Here's the scoop

You probably think I have nothing better to do with my time than to look for new recipes.....well lately, that's true.  I think I'm a little obsessed with it.  BUT here's the scoop.  I plan to print this blog into a book using http://www.sharedbook.com/ or some other blog printing website.  That way I can have all of these yummy recipes compiled into a fun little recipe book.  So PLEASE put recipes on here!!!  You'll be able to print the same book too, I think it wil be great!!  So help me out and start posting some recipes!!! :-)

Double Chocolate Brownie Mini Chip Cookies

Jodi is really the one that should be posting these bad boys since she's made them, but I will save her the time.  These look delicious!!! I can't wait to try these!  I seriously think I am getting fatter just by looking at all of these yummy foods :-)

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.picky-palate.com/)

1/2 cup softened butter
1 Cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 Cup sour cream
3/4 Cup prepared brownie batter of choice (I used Pillsbury)
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup cocoa powder, I used Hersheys
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 oz bag mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and well combined. Add egg, sour cream and brownie batter until well combined.

2. Place flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with mini chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

About 3 dozen cookies

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

I realize I already posted a chicken pizza recipe, but I thought this one sounded yummy with the ranch instead of the barbeque sauce.

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.karaskitchencreations.blogspot.com/)

1 pizza crust (homemade or try Boboli pizza crusts)  maybe the breadsticks recipe would work for this?


2-3 chicken breasts

1/2-3/4 cup Ranch dressing (I use homemade)

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes

1/4-1/3 cup green onions

1-2 cups cheddar cheese

Real bacon pieces you can buy or real cooked crumbled bacon.
Spread dressing over crust. Sprinkle mozzarella, then tomato, green onions, and chicken. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake 15 more minutes or till crust is lightly browned and cheese is melted.
Notes
-Roma tomatoes work best because they are more meaty and have less juice. If you want to use regular tomatoes, they will work if you follow these steps: Cut the tomato in half. Hold it over the sink in the palm of your hand and squeeze to remove most of the juice and seeds. Then proceed to dice the tomato. If you don't do this, the juice from the tomatoes will make the pizza soggy. Not so good.

-If you really love garlic, you can add an extra minced garlic clove to the dressing

Creamy Ranch Chicken

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.karaskitchencreations.blogspot.com/)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk

1-2 tsp dry ranch dressing mix

1/4 cup Hormel real bacon pieces

1 Tbsp fresh parmesan cheese

Hot pasta noodles

Cook chicken in a small amount of oil; set aside. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then slowly whisk in milk. Stir in ranch dressing mix. Cook and stir till thickened. Add chicken and bacon to the sauce. Serve over hot pasta and top with parmesan cheese if desired.

Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken

I've tried a similar verion of this before with just chicken and salsa cooked together in a crock-pot.  This one looks creamy and yummy, so I thought I'd give it a try.  Can you tell I LOVE my crock-pot?!?

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.myfavoritrecipes-rejoice.blogspot.com/)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup

1 cup salsa

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 cup sour cream

cilantro, for garnish (optional)
--Put chicken, soup, and salsa in the slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over everything. Cook on low for 6 hours. If shredding the chicken, pull the breasts out and shred; return back to slow cooker. Stir in sour cream and heat just until everything is combined. Serve over rice.

Turkey Enchilada Cserole

Turkey Enchilada Casserole Recipe
This recipe is: Contest Winning Healthy

10 servings, Prep time: 30 min. Bake: 25 min.

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained }
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon each onion powder, garlic powder and ground cumin
12 corn tortillas (6 inches)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
Directions
In a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook the turkey, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the beans, salsa, tomato sauce, tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Spread 1 cup meat sauce into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with six tortillas. Spread with half of the remaining meat sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Layer with remaining tortillas and meat sauce.
Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Yield: 10 servings.


Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 318 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 52 mg cholesterol, 936 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 21 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 2 vegetable.

Healthy Chicken Cheese Enchiladas

Makeover Chicken Cheese Enchiladas Recipe

This made-over recipe features all the cheesy, savory goodness of the original in a much lighter form. Now Diane Witmer's family in Spencer, Wisconsin can enjoy these enchiladas for dinner with all the taste, but none of the guilt!
This recipe is: Healthy

6 Servings
Prep: 25 min. Bake: 45 min.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
12 fat-free flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
4 green onions, thinly sliced
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, soup, chilies and olives. Set aside 1-1/2 cups for topping. Add the chicken, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese to remaining soup mixture.
Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up tightly. Place seam side down in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with reserved soup mixture.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; top with onions. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.


Nutrition Facts: 2 enchiladas equals 508 calories, 18 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 123 mg cholesterol, 1,164 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 46 g protein.

Breadsticks....Pizza Factory Style

I think I'll make these for dinner along with Chicken Pasta with Tomatoes (the recipe for this is listed below on the blog. Try it, it is AMAZING!!!)  What are you having for dinner?!?

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/)

1½ cups warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast

Let that sit for 5 minutes. Then add:

3½ cups flour
1 tsp Salt

Mix until smooth then let raise for 10 minutes. Roll out dough onto a floured surface. Brush with melted (real) butter and garlic and then sprinkle with kosher salt. Fold in half and cut into 1 inch strips. Twist and place on a cooking sheet. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to raise. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately after baking, brush with more garlic butter and sprinkle with kosher salt and grated parmesan cheese.

Serve with marinara, alfredo sauce, or ranch for dipping.
*Dough also makes a great pizza dough, just roll out into a large circle, add your favorite toppings, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

A New Look

Hey everybody!! Go check out the look of our new recipe blog.  It's still in the works, but it's Springy and fresh.  While you're there, go ahead and leave us a new recipe!  Nobody has been leaving anything new but me, what's up with that?  I love that we have this recipe blog.  It helps me cook actual meals and try new recipes which is fun.  I am actually enjoying cooking - YAY!!!  I love looking for new recipes when work is slow....I start to get very VERY hungry.  Check it out and don't forget to leave a recipe!!

BBQ Pulled Pork

This is an easy one and it's pretty tasty too!  Try it, you'll thank me :-)

(This recipe is also on the back of the packet too!)

You Will Need
3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast, well-trimmed (you can use beef too!)

1 pkg. McCormick® Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup cider vinegar

PLACE pork in slow cooker.
MIX Seasoning, ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar until blended. Pour over pork. Cover.
COOK 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove pork from slow cooker.
SHRED pork, using 2 forks. Return pork to slow cooker; mix and heat with sauce before serving.
For best results, do not remove cover during cooking.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I thought this recipe looked yummy.  We really like the California Pizza Kitchen version of this....we'll see how it compares.

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.penniesonaplatter.com/)

Pizza crust (either home made, plain frozen, or even the Pilsbury ones that you bake....whatever you want for the pizza crust)

1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked shredded chicken


1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp of your favorite BBQ sauce

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

1 green onion, thinly sliced

In a small bowl, stir together the chicken and 1/4 cup BBQ sauce; set aside.

In another small bowl, mix the tomato sauce with the remaining 2 Tbsp BBQ sauce. Spread the mixture evenly on the pizza crust. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Next, layer the chicken and red onions, then top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes.

Garnish with green onions and cilantro.

Barbie Cups

Even though I'm not a huge fan of BBQsauce, I've found a lot of recipes lately that are really tasty and they all have BBQ sauce in them.    This recipe seemed super fast and easy.  Maybe your kids would like it?

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.paigeandbrooke.blogspot.com/)

Ingredients:
Hamburger
Your favorite BBQ sauce
Grands bisquits
Cheese

What to do:
Brown your hamburger, drain and then add your favorite BBQ sauce.
Spray a cupcake pan and put one Grands bisquit in each spot forming into the shape of a cup.
Fill the little bisquit cups with your hamburger/BBQ sauce mixture and bake at 350 - 375 degrees for 15 min. or until the bisquits are golden and done. Sprinkle cheese on top, and voila!!! Barbie cups!