Sunday, November 27, 2011

Extreme Chocolate Cake

I made this chocolate cake and it was delicious. It was so moist and the frosting tastes like fudge. So good. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/extreme-chocolate-cake/detail.aspx
The batter WILL be soupy, don't worry about it :) Enjoy

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The BEST oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

My sister used to make cookies for my dad's company. This is her recipe, and it is dangerous!! Easy and delish!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter softened
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups quick oats
1 cup semisweet choc chips
1 cup milk choc chips

Cream together the sugars, butter and egg and rest of ingredients and mix well. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes. 6 minutes makes soft cookies and 8 will make them crunchy. When you pull them out squish the edges of the cookies towards the center to make them lumpier and prettier :) Enjoy! These are great fresh and make great milk cookies a few days later!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

"Ham"burger


I know grilling season is coming to an end, but if you get a hankering for a yummy burger, and it's warm outside, you should give this recipe a try.
“HAM”Burger by:
  • 1 pound hamburger (I used ground turkey)
  • 1/2 pound pork sausage (hot or mild)
  • 2 tablespoon ginger (ground or minced) I used dried ground
  • 2 tablespoons garlic (ground or minced)
  • 1/2 cup green onions chopped
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 4 each toasted buns or steam buns
Baconaise (I didn't make)
I mixed sriracha and mayo to how spicy I like it. YUM
  • 1/4 cup yolk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup canola
  • 1 cup bacon fat, warmed
  • Water
  • Salt and Pepper
Optional
  • Bacon strips
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • 1/3 cup baconaise
  • 2 each tomato sliced
  • 1/2 each cucumber sliced
  • 1 bunch watercress
  • 2 tablespoons sriracha
Preparation
In a blender on medium speed add the yolks/lemon juice slowly drizzle in the fat twice. Season and set aside for everything. If it gets too thick add water as need.
Combine all the HAMburger ingredients and form 4 to 6 patties. (I thought as 4 patties they were huge!) Grill over moderate heat until desired temperature is achieved. Pick from optional accompaniments and get your HAM ON!!
I used ground turkey instead of beef. I bet you could use turkey sausage too, might be a little better for you. :)

Monday, September 26, 2011

Easy Peasy Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

These are seriously UH-mazingly Delish! and super easy you aren't even going to believe me!

1 C creamy peanutbutter
1 C sugar(you could use 1/2 c white and 1/2 cup brown, but I just used white)
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
Chocolate chips or kisses(optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first 4 ingredients . Roll into small balls and place on non-stick cookie sheet. Smash down with fork. At this time place your chocolate chips or kisses on top. Bake for 10 min. Let cool and be careful since it doesn't have flour or many other things to keep them together. I didn't have a problem with them NOT sticking together. When I took them out of the over I immediately swirled around the chocolate chips so it was all over the cookies. I also made some without chocolate and they were just as good! Make sure you have a cup of milk nearby and have a fetish with peanutbutter like I do or they wont be as enjoyable!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Chipotle Chocolate Chili

I know what you are thinking, "chocolate chili?" I thought it too. But, since I wanted to try something different I wanted to give this recipe a whirl. This isn't your common chili. It has a spicy smokey kick but a tiny hint of sweetness. Don't worry, it doesn't taste like chocolate! It's different, but it was delicious!

Chipotle Chocolate Chili (Our Best Bites)
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 14.5-oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can beef broth
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
Chipotle sauce (from the can of chipotle chilies)
1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (1/2 unsweetened baking cube), chopped (optional; use to taste as needed; be careful, because too much will make your chili bitter) I didn't have any, so I omitted.
Light sour cream
Chopped green onions
avocado
3-4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Shredded cheddar cheese

Heat about 1 TB of olive oil in a pot and saute the onions, minced bell pepper, and garlic. Add ground turkey and after it is cooked through add brown sugar, salt, pepper, chili powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, chipotle sauce, beef broth, tomatoes, and beans.

**If you can't tolerate spicy I would use half a can of the chipotle sauce. I think the best way to get the sauce off the chipotle peppers is to pour a little beef broth in the can with the chipotle peppers, stir it around and pour it out. Repeat to get more sauce out if you want.

Let all the ingredients simmer for 30-40 minutes, uncovered. When it has reached your desired thickness add the red wine vinegar and the chopped chocolate, if using. You can add more vinegar to cut the sweetness. Add your toppings and enjoy!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Mango Salsa

We had a family reunion last weekend. One of our family members made this and it was delicious. I think it would be really good with tilapia as well, or even made into fish tacos or just serve with chips. Delicious!!

Mango Salsa

2 mangoes chopped
2 avocados chopped
1 cucumber chopped
(place in bowl)


blend....
1/2 jalapeno
1/4 c. purple onion
1/4 c. fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
salt
(pour over the chopped goods)
HEAVENLY
(you may need a little more lime or a little more jalapeno...depends on your taste. You can also add more mangoes or anything else to your liking.

Mexican-style Tilapia

So, I would like to preface this by saying I am not a big fan of tilapia usually. But I made my mother-in-law's recipe while we were out of town and it was delicious and best of all it is super easy! A yummy way to eat fish that is cheap! Hope you like it.

Prep: 5 min. Cook: 30 min at 350.

Ingredients:

Tilapia loins
salsa, desired spiciness
Hint of Lime tortilla chips*
cheese

*If you don't have Hint of Lime chips you can sprinkle the tilapia with lime juice and use regular tortilla chips.

Preheat your oven at 350.
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Lay your tilapia on the cooking sheet and cover with a thin layer of salsa (about a 1/4 inch thick on top).
Then crush your tortilla chips until they are in small pieces and put on top of the fish.
Sprinkle the cheese on top, enough to cover the chips and put in the oven. That's it!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Amazing hot sandwich

My friend gave me this recipe. Cheap meal and it is extremely yummy

Ingredients:
1 loaf of garlic bread (I get the stuff from Walmart with no butter on it)
1 package of lunch meat (the 3 dollar stuff in the glad Tupperware)
1 package of mozzarella shredded cheese
butter to taste

-cut the bread and butter the insides. Broil it until the bread is only slightly browned
-take it out and put the lunch meat on one side and the cheese on the other
-Put it back in the oven just until the cheese is melted
-take it out, cut it up, and ENJOY!!

You can put other toppings on it or get the auju dipping sauce. So good and so quick

Friday, July 1, 2011

Honey-And-Apple Ribs

Honey-and-Apple Ribs (adopted from Better Homes and Gardens)


3 lbs boneless pork ribs

½ cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. cooking oil

¾ cup bottled chili sauce

½ cup apple juice, apple cider, white grape juice

¼ cup honey

2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

½ Tsp dry mustard

Place ribs in crockpot and cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours (no need to add water or anything. Pork ribs are fatty enough to produce juice to cook in).
For the Sauce: In a saucepan cook garlic and onion in oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove ribs from crockpot (drain juice in the crockpot), place in a serving bowl and pour sauce over top. I usually pour 1/2 the sauce on the ribs, and serve the remaining sauce on the side. Serve with rice, mashed or baked potatoes. Delicious!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Strawberry Salad

This is a family favorite during the summer months.

It is one of those kinds of recipes you can throw in any of your favorites, and add as much or a little as you like, but this is how I like it.

Salad greens-- spinach and spring mix

Fresh Strawberries or a combinations of frutis such as fresh pears, raspberries, pomegranate seeds, manaderine oranges, apples. Raspberries and Strawberries are really good together. You can also use dried cranberries if fresh fruit is not in season.

Green onions-sliced

candied pecans or almonds--put a little sugar and maybe about half a cup and about 2 or 3 tablespoons butter in a pan. Cook until carmelike and add nuts. Stir until nuts are well coated and then turn out onto waxed paper to cool.

Cheese crumbles-- I like reduced fat blue cheese crumbles but you could use whatever kind you like best.

Mix together above ingredients. Add dressing just before serving.

Dressing--Equal parts white vinegar, oil and sugar. Add together and mix well. Add dressising to salad just before serving as not to wilt the lettuce.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Dr. Pepper Ribs

I found the recipe here but I did somethings differently, so here is what I did, including options for grill, oven, and crock pot:

Dr Pepper Ribs

Rub: (I halved the rub, and still had a ton left-over. I stuck the left-over in a bottle in my pantry and just labeled it so it would be ready for the next time).
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper (I might only use 1/8 if you don't like them super peppery, because they are super peppery!)
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons of mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne

1/2 tsp dried jalapeno (that's what I had) or chipotle chili pepper (made from smoked dried jalapenos – you should be able to find it in the spice section of your grocery store)
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Coat the ribs with the rub (I coated medium light. This is DEFINITELY on the peppery side.), wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least four hours.


Make the glaze, and set aside: place all the glaze ingredients in a pan, bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes until thick and syrupy.

Glaze:
2 cups Dr Pepper
1 cup ketchup
1/8 cup mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon dried jalapeno pepper

5 drops liquid smoke


Two racks of ribs (I used boneless pork-ribs, they're my FAVORITE...and easier/cleaner to eat. You can buy these in smaller quantities, and are usually much cheaper too. *If you are just making this for 4-5 people, I would definitely HALF the sauce and the rub!).
1/4 cup Dr Pepper

GRILL: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring ribs to room temperature (I put in the microwave for 1 minute to make them a little warmer). Put 1/4 cup (roughly) Dr. pepper in the bottom of your pan, and place ribs in pan. Bake covered for 45 minutes to 1 hour. (If you want your ribs even more tender, cook for 1.5-2 hours on 300). Take ribs out and spread glaze over, then barbecue on grill, turning and glazing frequently. Serve with left-over glaze.

OVEN: (without the BBQ): Turn oven onto 300. After an hour and a half, take the ribs out of the oven and spread some of the glaze on each side of the racks. Place back in the oven, meat side up and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take out the ribs and spread more glaze over them and cook for 30 more minutes or until ribs are desired tenderness. At this point, take the ribs out of the oven, spread more glaze on them and then cook each side under the broiler for four minutes. Divide and serve!

CROCK POT: After rubbed-ribs have sat in refrigerator overnight, place them in your crock pot and cook on high 3 hours or low for 5-6. Drain juice, but leave ribs in crock pot. Add 1/2 of glaze and let cook additional 1-2 hours on high for 2-3 hours on low. Cook to desired tenderness. When ribs are done (if not too tender), you can place them on the grill or under the broiler for a few minutes and cook on each side (continue to glaze as desired). Serve with additional "glaze"/sauce as desired.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Easy Parmesan Chicken



This is a super yummy and easy quick recipe. My family loves it!


Ingredients


Chicken Tenders or I'll just cut up chicken breasts into strips
1/2 c. butter melted
1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 roll of ritz crackers or club crackers
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese
garlic salt

•In a small bowl combine butter, sour cream and garlic together. Then in a seperate bowl crush the ritz crackers and mix with parmesan cheeses.

•Take chicken and dip into sour cream mixture then into cracker mixture. Place on baking sheet so they are not touching. Sprinkle remaining cracker mixture over chicken strips and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt and a little bit more of shredded parmesan cheese.

•Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Oven Chicken Fingers and honey-mustard dipping sauce

Need something fast and easy to make for dinner? These are popular and kid friendly!

Oven Chicken Fingers
1 cup Italian bread crumbs (I use whole wheat)
2 tbs Parmesan cheese, grated
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 1 tsp garlic powder)
1/4 cup vegetable oil, water, or 1-2 slightly beaten egg white
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (or 1 pkg chicken tenders)

In plastic bag, mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Set aside. Place your oil, water, or egg in shallow bowl. Cut your chicken into thin strips. Dip strips in oil; then coat with bread mixture. Place on greased baking sheet (or foil-lined baking sheet). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. (I usually cook for 15 minutes, then turn them over and cook them an additional 10-15 minutes). If you want them extra crisp, stick them under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end.

Honey Mustard Sauce (for dipping):
2 tbs cornstarch
1 cup water, divided
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard

Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbs water in a saucepan. Add honey, mustard, and remaining water. Bring to boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve with chicken for dipping.

Monday, May 9, 2011

{Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas}

I have heard rumor that many of you are wanting this recipe :) This is definitely in our top 5 favorite things to eat!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

6T Honey
5T Lime Juice
1T Chili Powder
1/2t garlic powder
3 Chicken Breasts (cooked and shredded)

8-10 Flour Tortillas
1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese
16 oz. Green Enchilada Sauce
(1) 8oz. Sour Cream

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour. Pour about 1/2 Cup Enchilada Sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving a bout 1 Cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the sour cream. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

** I like to throw my chicken in the crockpot on high for 3 hours and then shred it. It literally falls apart and makes it so easy! Also, I can usually get this recipe to make 11 or 12 enchiladas if I use 3 pieces of chicken.

Enjoy!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Witch Hunt

Ladies.  
I am on a hunt.  
At the Cinco De Mayo Party a few days ago, someone made "Honey Lime Enchiladas."  
Ever since, I have thought of almost nothing else.  
And (kid you not) I will literally die if I do not have this recipe soon.  

Does anyone know who brought them!?!  There will be a reward for any assistance I receive in gaining this recipe.  (Also, the mexican rice must be mine as well.)
HELP!!