Spicy Chicken Spaghetti

1/2 cup butter or margarine (I only used about a 1/4 cup and it turned out fine)
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
10 oz. chicken broth
1 can Rotel
3 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby, mozzarella or a mix) (I only used about 1/2 cup cheese)
1 lb spaghetti

Melt butter in a large skillet and add chopped onion and garlic and cook for 10 minutes. Add cream of chicken soup and chicken broth; cook for 10 minutes. Add Rotel and cooked chicken to the mixture and cook for 10 more minutes. Cook spaghetti to desired tenderness and drain. Combine spaghetti and chicken mixture and stir until combines. Pour spaghetti mixture into 9x13 pan and cover with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and browned.

Magelby's Syrup

1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla ( 2 tsp)
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Heat butter, buttermilk, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat until boiling, stirring often. Boil for 1 minute, remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda, stir until combined the soda will bubble up, so be careful.

Kneader's Carmel Syrup

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
1 cup light Karo syrup

blend together and heat on stove top until sugar is smooth.

German Pancakes

in a 13x9 pan melt 6 tbls. of butter or margarine in 425 degree oven.

Blend in a blender
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 c milk
1/2 tsp. salt

Pour into sizzling 9x13 butter do not stir.
bake 20-25 minutes

Fajita Bowls

These rice bowls are easy and so good. I got the recipe from here.

1 Lb. steak, sliced (You can also use Chicken)
1 pkg. fajita seasoning
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 pkg. Spanish rice
1 can beans, drained and rinsed (pinto or black)
Flour tortilla shells
avocado (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)

Prepare steak or chicken as directed on fajita seasoning packet. Add onion and peppers. Prepare Spanish rice according to package directions. Add beans and stir together with rice until hot. Prepare bowls by placing a tortilla inside of the bowl. (I made the tortilla bowls using my new tortilla bowls) Add rice/bean mixture to bowl. Add steak and peppers/onions. Top with sliced avocado and/or cheese.

Ritzy Chicken

Ritzy Chicken

1 c. sour cream (I used light)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. paprika

1-2 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 chicken breasts

For coating:

1 1/2 c. Ritz crackers (blended or crushed into crumbs)

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 c. butter (I actually just used 2 tbsp but I think you could also use spray butter to cut down on fat. I didn't have any on hand or I would have tried that.

2 T. poppy seeds (I didn't use these)

Combine first 8 ingredients in a gallon size resealable bag. Add chicken and marinade all day or overnight. Remove chicken and roll in crumbs and garlic salt mixture.

Arrange in a 9x13 or jelly roll pan and drizzle 1/2 of the butter over the chicken. Cook at 350 degrees uncovered for 30 minutes. Spoon poppy seeds and remaining butter over chicken and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

We had this for dinner last night and it was so good. I found the recipe here.

Reindeer Christmas Cards

Lindsay made these cute Reindeer cards with her Joy School class. I thought they were so cute we would post a picture of them. They made them with their hand prints and then used their fingerprints to make the border.

Christmas Ornaments

These cute ornaments were made by my children with a little help from one of the cute ladies in our ward. She is the one that had the little Christmas Party for them the other night. We got these ornaments at church on Sunday. Lindsay and Landon were so proud to show us.
The pictures I took of them are not the greatest, but you get the idea.

Snowmen

We live in the desert and because of that, we miss out on snow. We have had a few dustings of snow in the last 7 1/2 years we have lived here, but not a real snow that you can play in and build snowmen with. So, we have to be creative when it comes to Winter fun. I don't miss the scraping of sidewalks, or driving in blizzards, but I do miss playing in the snow.

My kids and I decided to have our own snowmen night.
We started out our night reading this fun book called "Snow Friends." It is about some little animals that build a snowman to play with.


Then we had our snowmen dinner. We found some great recipes in a Taste of Home Test Kitchen cook book. We had Snowman Party Stew, and Cauliflower Snowmen.

Snowman Party Stew
1 pound of ground beef
1 package frozen veges
1 can beef gravy
2 cups mashed potatoes with a small amount of milk
16 whole black peppercorns
1/4 cup ketchup

In a skillet, cook beef until no longer pink. remove 24 peas and one carrot chunk from the stew vegetables and set aside. Add remaining vegetables to beef. Cook until veges are thawed. Add gravy; mix well. Pour into an ungreased 9 in pie plate. Top with eight mashed potato snowmen, using 1 tbsp of potatoes for each head, and 3 tbsp for each body.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cut the reserved carrot into eight strips. Insert one strip into each snowman for a nose, place reserved peas on each for buttons. Add peppercorns for eyes. Drizzle ketchup between head and body to form a scarf.


Cauliflower Snowman
6 cups cauliflower
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
10 whole ripe olives
1 baby carrot

In large saucepan, cook cauliflower in a small amount of water for 6-7 minutes. Drain.

In medium saucepan saute onion in butter for 2 minutes. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Add salt, garlic salt, and pepper.

Place half of the cauliflower in a greased 2 1/2 qt baking dish; top with half of the sauce. Repeat. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Add olives for eyes and mouth and carrot for the nose.

After dinner, we had these cute snowman doughnuts we found at the bakery at Walmart. There were lots of cute recipes for snowman treats online though too. You could google snowman treats if you don't find the doughnuts.

After dinner we made these cute ornaments. I found the idea here.

I found the red ornament at the dollar store. I painted my kids hands with white paint. Then I had them carefully place their hands around the ornament. Once the paint dried, I used sharpies and added a few eyes, nose, mouth, buttons, and a scarf to turn their fingers into snowmen. They turned out really cute.

Then after a the kids got out of their warm bath (the painting was kind of messy) we curled up on the couch to watch "Frosty the Snowman."

We had a great night, pretending we played in the snow.

Christmas Thumbprint Art

I saw a great idea here and thought I would try to make the little thumbprint trees with my kids. Then I got a Current Catalog in the mail and saw these cute snowmen and reindeer made out of thumbprints and thought we would try them too.
The kids had a blast and Daddy even went along with it. I made cards. You could also easily cut them out individually and glue them to a mason jar lid. Add some ribbon and make ornaments too.
My pictures aren't the greatest, but you get the idea. We just dipped our thumbs in black ink, and green paint. Then I just drew around it to make the snowmen and reindeer. For the trees I just used markers to draw ornaments and added a gold star on top.

Our little Snowmen Family

Our little Reindeer Family

Our little forest of Christmas Trees

Yams 2 Kinds

Mallow Yams
1 lb. of yams
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 teas salt
3/4 cup miniature or regular marshmallows

Boil your yams in salted water in skins.
When soft, peel and smash with all ingredients except marshmallows. Pour mixture in a 1 qt. buttered casserole top with marshmallows and bake until puff and golden brown. about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.


Yams with pecans

3 lbs yams
2 eggs
1/3 cup cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter
1 Tbs. vanilla

Boil yams in salted water. When soft mash with above ingredients. Pour into buttered caserole.
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 flour
1/2 stick butter
1 cup course ground pecans
Mix these together and sprinkle on the top of yams Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.they will be brown.

More Beaded Socks

Beaded Fancy Socks

Our ward had a Super Saturday today. They had lots of things to choose from, but this is what I ended up making. They are socks with crocheted edges and little beads strung on them. I thought they turned out pretty cute and I know Lindsay will love them.

Paper Hand and Footprint Turkeys

We babysat several extra kids yesterday and it was kind of crazy. I was trying to keep them in one spot and contain the craziness to one area, and do something fun too. We made these cute turkeys. The body of the turkey is their footprint and then the feather are 6 hands. I let the kids pick three different colors for their hands and then they decorated their feet. Landon wasn't too excited about his so I decorated his.

Lindsay's Turkey

Landon's Turkey

Witches Hats

Lindsay had a Joy School Party today and they made these cute little Witches Hat. It is just an ice cream cone glued (with frosting) to a little piece of construction paper cut into a circle. The inside is filled with cereal, marshmallows, and m&m's.

Bloody Cups

I can't remember where I saw this. It looked kind of fun and they were really easy. I mixed corn syrup on a plate with red food coloring. Then I dipped the top of the cup into the syrup. Then you sit the cup up and let it drip as long as you want it to. Then put it in the freezer to stop the dripping. Spooky!

I also made some kid friendly with plastic cups for the kids.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

We had these for dinner tonight. They were so good. The kids ate a ton! Yummy!

This recipe is from joythebaker.com

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Dash nutmeg
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup packed brown or granulated sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Spread

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 dash ground cinnamon

In a bowl, combine flour, pecans, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, combine egg, brown sugar, milk, carrots, and vanilla; mix well.

Stir carrot mixture into dry ingredients until moistened. Pour batter by 1/4 cupful onto a greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on the top of pancake; flip and cook until golden brown.

Bat Hands

My kids were given a little Halloween activity book last year somewhere. I ended up just throwing it in with all of the decorations last year. This year we found it and today the kids colored a few pictures and we made some cute little bats out of their hands. I also saw that you could use a foot print as the body and use googly eyes on it to make the bat face. I think they turned out pretty cute. We hung them up and the kids are pretty proud of them. Don't you love how Lindsay's bat has a belly button and painted toe nails?

Halloween Chex Mix

8 oz white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped (I used white chocolate chips)
4 cups corn chex or rice chex cereal (I used a mixture of both)
2 cups bite size pretzel twists
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup candy corn
1/4 cup orange and black candy decors

In large microwaveable bowl, microwave chopped baking bars uncovered on High for 1-2 minutes stirring often until melted and smooth.

Gently stir in cereal, pretzels, and raisins until evenly coated. Stir in candy and decors.

Spread on wax paper or foil until cooled and chocolate is set. Break into chunks. Store loosely covered.

Layered Crock Pot Dinner

I found this recipe here. We use our crock pot a lot because it is so hot here. We make this all the time and it is really good.

--1 1/1 lbs rib eye steak
--1 T of your favorite seasoning rub
--1 T dried onion flakes (You may also use a small onion)
--2 T Worcestershire sauce
--1/4 cup broth, apple juice, etc.)

--2-4 potatoes
--2-4 ears of fresh corn
--aluminum foil


The Directions.

Put meat in the bottom of the crockpot. Rub with seasoning and onion, and flip over to get the other side. Add liquid and Worcestershire sauce. Wrap corn and potatoes in tin foil and place on top of the meat. Cook on high for 5-7 hours or on low low for 8 hours in your crock pot.

Cute Crayons

I saw this idea here. I thought they would make great favors to put in little bags for Lindsay's birthday party. I also thought it was a great way to get rid of all the little broken pieces of crayon we have all over. I would rather make them into cute little crayons then fish them out of my daughter's nose again. So with my coupon from JoAnn's I bought some silicone mini muffin tins and went to town unwrapping broken crayons. I didn't end up putting them in candy molds like the website did, but I still think they turned out pretty cute. Can't beat, cheap and cute party favors.

Ghost Feet

Today we added some feet ghosts to our hand ghosts. They loved this!

Ghost Hands

The kids and I made little ghosts out of their hands the other day. They turned out pretty cute. I was going to use black paint on their thumbs to make eyes and a mouth, but my black paint was to watery for some reason. So we used a sharpie instead.

We may try again using their feet. I think they may look more like ghosts.

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

I found this recipe here. We had them for dinner tonight and the kids gobbled them up. I think these would be great for Christmas Breakfast.

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

heaping 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

healthy pinch of freshly ground nutmeg (I didn't have nutmeg so I used allspice)

2 cups buttermilk (I used regular milk)

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (I used corn syrup)

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins

oil or cooking spray (for cooking)

Step 1: In a large bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, butter , maple syrup and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth. Fold in raisins and let batter set for a few minutes.

Step 2: Heat griddle or pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water, when the drops start to dance its hot enough.

Step 3: Pour 2 Tablespoons of batter onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone. Let cooked pancakes rest on a heat proof plate in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Low Fat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box Spice Cake Mix
1 15 oz can unsweetened pumpkin
1 C. Mini Semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet with Pam. Ina a large bowl, stir cake mix and pumpkin together until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to drop tablespoons of dough on cookie sheet. Bake for 12 -14 minutes. Remove to cooling rack after 1 min on sheet.

Whole Wheat Chicken Enchiladas

I found this recipe here.

Crock Pot:
4 Chicken Breasts
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 small can green chili
1 package taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup water or 1 can tomato sauce

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours, or LOW for 8.
Shred after its cooked.

1 can enchilada sauce
whole wheat tortillas
cheese

Fill each tortilla with chicken mix & cheese. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Top with left over Sauce & Cheese.

Bake @ 375 for 20-30 min.

Top with avocado

Ramen Noodle Cabbage Salad

I found this recipe on Cooks.com RAMEN NOODLE CABBAGE SALAD

1 head cabbage, shredded 8 green onions, sliced 1/2 c. sunflower seeds 1/2 c. toasted almond slices (I didn't add the almond slices) 2 pkgs. Ramen noodles oriental, uncooked Break up uncooked noodles and toss with remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over salad just before serving. Serves 10. DRESSING: 1 c. oil 2 tbsp. vinegar 4 tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 2 tsp. MSG (I didn't add the MSG) Ramen Noodle Seasoning Packet (I only used 1 packet of seasoning) Mix together.

Fish Tacos

My friend Michelle told me about this recipe. I was hesitant because I am not a huge fish fan. I really have to be in the mood. But, these were so good and even the kids liked them.

1 bag of Parmesan encrusted Tilapia (I found this in the freezer section at Walmart)
1 pkg tortillas
1 head of cabbage (I actually didn't use the whole head)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayo
salsa

Bake the Fish according to pkg directions.

I just cut up the pieces and placed on the tortilla.

Mix the yogurt and mayo together and drizzle over each tortilla.

Add some chopped cabbage and salsa.

Wrap up and Enjoy!

Smores Bars

I found this recipe here. They turned out really good.

1/2 cup butter, soft

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars
1 small jar marshmallow cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. This is tricky, I made balls as if I was making cookies and flattened with a rolling pin then arranged them on top.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Fancy Nancy's Extra Fancy Lemondade

I think that Lindsay has decided that she wants a Fancy Nancy Birthday Party this year. We have been reading lots of Fancy Nancy lately. We found this and I wanted to keep track of it so we could make it for her party. It was in one of her Fancy Nancy books.

A can of pink lemonade and water
A little cranberry juice to make it hot pink
Raspberries (two per cup of lemonade)
A teacup to drink it in
Cookies to eat with it

Homemade Protein Bars 2

I found this recipe here.

2 cups almonds
1/4 cup flax seeds, or pumpkin seeds (ground in a blender)
1/2 cup dried prunes, dates or raisins
½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
½ cup unsalted peanut butter (original recipe uses almond butter, we will use soy butter or sunbutter)
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup coconut oil (melted)
1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
a few squares dark chocolate, less than half a bar needed for thin layer (optional)

Place almonds, flax meal/seeds, dried fruit, shredded coconut, almond/peanut butter and salt in a food processor. Pulse briefly for about 10 seconds.In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over very low heat. Remove coconut oil from stove, stir sweeteners and vanilla into oil. Add coconut oil mixture to food processor and pulse until ingredients form a coarse paste. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, until mixture hardens. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate over very low heat, stirring continuously. Spread melted chocolate over bars; return to refrigerator for 30 minutes, until chocolate hardens. Remove from refrigerator, cut into bars and serve. Makes about 12-15 bars. Store in refrigerator or freeze for later enjoyment!

Homemade Protein Bars

I found this recipe here.

1 mashed banana
1 1/2 cups dry oatmeal
2 Tablespoons flax seed, ground
2-4 scoops protein powder
1/4 cup peanut butter (I used Sun Butter)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup water
1 large chocolate bar or 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients but chocolate together well (mixture will be somewhat sticky). Line an 8×8-inch pan with foil and spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Melt chocolate on the stove or in the microwave. Drizzle or spread over the mixture in the pan.

Place the pan in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Cut into 10 -12 bars and wrap in plastic wrap and/or foil and store in the freezer.

Thaw slightly before serving.

1/1oth of this recipe = approximately 260 calories and 11 to 13 grams of protein (depending upon how much protein powder you use)

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

This recipe came from the Cookbook Top Secret Recipes Treasury II. It takes restaurant favorites and makes them lower calorie.

2/3 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp dry pectin
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 1/2 tbsp grated Romano cheese

In a small saucepan, combine the water and dry pectin and whisk until the pectin is mostly dissolved.

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the Romano cheese ad place the pan over medium heat. Stir often until the mixture begins to boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Cool for about 10 minutes.

Stir the Romano cheese into the thickened mixture.

Allow the mixture to cool thoroughly, then pour it into a sealed container and chill for at least 2 hours.

Makes 1 1/3 cups.
42 calories per serving.

Peach Freezer Jam

Some Friends of mine went to California over the weekend. They brought be back a flat of peaches. I froze some, we ate some, and I made some freezer jam. It is so good. I have more peaches so I think I will be making some more too.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 package of pectin
4 cups of crushed fruit

Mix the sugar and pectin together. Add the crushed fruit and stir for 3 minutes. Ladle into clean jars or containers. Let sit for 30 minutes. Keep in the freezer. Once opened store it in the refrigerator. It made about 6 (8 oz) jars.

Rocco Dispirto's Chicken Fried Steak with Sausage Gravy

1 cup whole wheat lour
2 cups whole wheat breadcrumbs
3 large egg whites
4 (3 oz) portions lean filet mignon, pounded thin ( I used thin round steaks)
nonstick cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
6 oz turkey sausage
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Put the flour in a shallow dish, breadcrumbs in another, and the egg whites in another. Dip the steaks in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs. Place the steaks on a greased cookie sheet. Spray steaks with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Roast until they are golden brown, and crispy, 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick pan over high heat. Add the sausage and cook til done.

While sausage is cooking, whisk the chicken broth into the cornstarch in small bowl.

Add the cornstarch mixture to the sausage and bring it to a simmer. When the gravy has thickened slightly (about 2 minutes) remove from heat.

Stir the yogurt into the gravy. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Pour he hot gravy over the steaks and serve immediately.

Rocco Dispirto's Chicken and Dumplings

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups low fat low sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk (I used skim milk)
3 large celery stalks, sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion sliced think
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken (I used 2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.)
2/3 cup bisquick heart smart baking mix
1/3 cup buttermilk (I used skim milk)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I used dried parsley)

Place cornstarch in medium bowl and whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Pour he mixture into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil, whisking constantly. Add the celery and onion. Season with salt ad pepper and return to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, about 10 minutes.

Stir the chicken into the vegetable mixture and raise the heat to medium low. Cover the pot and bring to a steady simmer.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, stir the baking mix and buttermilk together until the mixture just forms a soft dough.

Drop 12 spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture into the pot, spacing the dumplings out as much as possible. Cover, ad simmer about 7 minutes.

Sprinkle the parsley over the dumplings. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.

Serves 4- 269 calories each.

Almost General Tso's Chicken

This recipe is from Rocco Dispirito's book "Now Eat This."

1 cup whole wheat flour (I used 1/2 cup)
2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs (I used 1 cup of regular bread crumbs)
4 large egg whites
12 ounces of boneless skinless chicken breast cut up in little pieces (I used 1 lb chicken)
4 cups broccoli florets
3/4 cup Rockin Asian Stir Fry Sauce (see below)
3 packets splenda, or truvia (I used sun crystals)
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp chili garlic sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds (I couldn't find these so we left them out)

Rockin Asian Sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger (I used a few tsps of ground ginger)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch scallions chopped fine
1 tbsp cornstarch
6 tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
salt and pepper to taste

To cook sauce heat a nonstick pan over high heat. When pan is hot add the sesame oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallions and saute', stirring often about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile place cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add the soy sauce, chicken broth, rice vinegar, and ketchup. Whisk to blend.

Whisk the cornstarch mixture ito the saute' pan ad bring to a simer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickeed, about 2 mins. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store the sauce in a covered container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To cook chicken:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Put the bread crumbs in another dish, and the eggs in another dish. Put chicken in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Cook broccoli and keep warm til ready to serve.

In a large bowl, combine the Rockin Asian Sauce, sugar substitute, rice vinegar, and chili garlic sauce. Add the cooked chicken and toss gently til evenly coated with the sauce.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with broccoli. We also served it with rice.

Serves 4- 310 calories each

Orange Julius

1 Tray of Ice can be crushed
1 6 oz. frozen orange juice
1/2 cup sugar or equivalent of splenda
1/2 cup water
1 cup milk
1/2 teas. of vanilla
Blend all together

4th of July Cupcakes

We made these cute cupcakes for the fourth of July. I think they turned out better than my first attempt. We used the paste food coloring and it turned red instead of pink. So fun!

Plantains vs Bananas

We have been doing this fun food co-op called Bountiful Baskets for a few months now. It has been really fun and we have enjoyed trying new things. About a month ago we got a bunch of what a thought were bananas. They never got ripe. I finally got online and discovered that I think they were actually plantains. They are really hard to peel and don't quite taste like a banana. The kids like them though and I can eat them if they are in a smoothie. I thought I would post a few pictures of the culprit of lots of confusion at our house.

4th of July Sparklers

I made these sparklers out of pipe cleaners. I am going to let the kids in primary wave them and help me lead the music with them on Sunday during Singing Time. I think they turned out pretty cute and I think the kids will like them. They were pretty easy. I found a tutorial here.

FInger Nail Polish Washer Necklaces

I saw this idea here. I tried it out tonight. One side is a metallic pink, the other side is the same but I also put clear glitter polish on top. I am going to try this with other colors I think. It was easier than using the diamond glaze.

<div style="text-align: center;">I saw this idea <a href="http://www.u-createcrafts.com/2010/06/creative-guest-nail-polish-washers-by.html"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">here</span></a>. I tried it out tonight. One side is a metallic pink, the other side is the same but I also put clear glitter polish on top. I am going to try this with other colors I think. It was easier than using the diamond glaze. </div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqy8uhZxwB3ECcZSaFwPt5Cg4HDcLL_delRr85amhNmuEe8SiLYlx0O-IGeHUztHDhESfb1t_PbWpVlRamK9EZDJNSTkX4POgmKutif17AcZUpv4wsab77mmbRqPVQ-Ia7j6HhUqLxJSp/s1600/DSCF6189.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqy8uhZxwB3ECcZSaFwPt5Cg4HDcLL_delRr85amhNmuEe8SiLYlx0O-IGeHUztHDhESfb1t_PbWpVlRamK9EZDJNSTkX4POgmKutif17AcZUpv4wsab77mmbRqPVQ-Ia7j6HhUqLxJSp/s400/DSCF6189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487316658148084690" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxCd5wp5hnmmgrbDRNpu25O9pFojjMC-oQ0u160gyHULyIDludQJVIVnHvjZMp3sJl2s2QcMQ8FWYzuRYKZmchFpVMZT8Pnj-J1kEFAH8C7fWXMM208UBHJlmMKdKTHbQxQcygovhzbDj/s1600/DSCF6186.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxCd5wp5hnmmgrbDRNpu25O9pFojjMC-oQ0u160gyHULyIDludQJVIVnHvjZMp3sJl2s2QcMQ8FWYzuRYKZmchFpVMZT8Pnj-J1kEFAH8C7fWXMM208UBHJlmMKdKTHbQxQcygovhzbDj/s400/DSCF6186.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487316648773364786" border="0" /></a>

Grate Cupcakes for Father's Day

I saw these in a Family Fun Magazine and thought they would be really cute for Father's Day!

Ingredients

• Brownie batter
• Black food coloring
• White frosting
• Orange sugar

• Caramel creams
• Red, yellow, and green candy fruit slices
• Hot Tamales candies

Instructions

1. To make a batch of 12, place liners in a muffin pan, oil them, and fill them two thirds full of your favorite brownie batter, then bake according to the recipe directions. Let the brownies cool.

2. In a small bowl, mix one or two drops of black food coloring with 1/4 cup white frosting. Transfer the frosting to a ziplock bag and snip a small section from the corner. Pipe grate lines onto each brownie and let them set for 20 minutes. Add embers with a sprinkle of orange sugar.

3. Prepare the grill food as instructed below and press it in place atop each brownie.

   
   Kebabs = A caramel cream and red, yellow, and green candy fruit slices, cut into small pieces + toothpick skewers

   
   Pork chop = two thirds of a caramel cream, molded with fingers + black food coloring, applied with a toothpick

   
   Hot dogs = Hot Tamales candies + black food coloring, applied with a toothpick

We made these for Pete for Father's Day. They turned out cute but the ones that Family Fun did were better so I attached their photo.

Flag Day Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for the kids for Flag Day. When you bite into them they are red white and blue. I thought they turned out cute. I found the idea here. They are cuter! Check them out. I think I will make them again for the 4th of July and try to find cute star sprinkles and red candy melts to make red stars. I like the white frosting better.

Anniversary Pasta

1 pkg bow tie pasta
1/2 c. (1 cube) butter - the real stuff
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1-2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 pint heavy cream ( I used milk, next time I think I may use half and half)
Salt and Pepper to taste
10-15 spears asparagus, blanched
1/2 c. bacon, crumbled
1/4 c. toasted pinenuts (or to taste)
Parsley, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Boil bow tie pasta in salted water until al dente. Do NOT overcook.

In wok or heavy skillet, melt butter. Ad minced garlic and saute a minute or so.

Add parmesan cheese and bouillon cube(s). When the bouillon cube is dissolved, slowly stir in heavy cream, salt and pepper.

Add cooked pasta to cream sauce and toss until pasta is well covered.

Add blanched asparagus. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, toasted pinenuts, parsley and parmesan cheese. Toss together. Serve immediately.

Anniversary Chicken

It was my anniversary yesterday. I was going to make this for dinner but we ended up going out instead. So we had it tonight. It was really good. I found the recipe here.
We also had the anniversary pasta to go with it.

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c. italian bread crumbs
1 1/2 cubes (3/4 cup) melted butter
Paprika (I forgot to put the paprika in, but we still really liked it!)

Combine parmesan cheese with breadcrumbs. Dip chicken breast in melted butter. Roll in crumb mixture until completely coated. Place in baking dish and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees. Do NOT overcook!

Glazed Lemon Coconut Bars

I have been looking for a recipe to use our fresh coconut that sounded good (I don't really like coconut) and also wasn't huge in calories. I found the perfect treat here. Each bar is only 150 calories.

Bars
1	cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
2	tablespoons powdered sugar
2	tablespoons firm margarine or butter
3/4	cup granulated sugar
1/4	cup flaked coconut
1	tablespoon Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
2	teaspoons grated lemon peel
2	tablespoons lemon juice
1/2	cup fat-free egg product
Lemon Glaze
1/2	cup powdered sugar
1	tablespoon lemon juice

1.	Heat oven to 350ºF. In small bowl, mix 1 cup Bisquick mix and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Cut in margarine, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through mixture in opposite directions), until crumbly. Press in ungreased 8-inch square pan.
2.	Bake uncovered about 10 minutes or until light brown. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all remaining bar ingredients. Pour coconut mixture over baked layer.
3.	Bake about 25 minutes longer or until set and golden brown. Loosen edges from sides of pan while warm.
4.	In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth; spread over bars. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows.

Stickey Finger Salad

I found this recipe here. It was so good!

4 chicken breasts, cut into strips

1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup bread crumbs
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
2 tomatoes
croutons
cheddar cheese, grated
ranch dressing
craisins
2 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/3 cup Frank's Hot Sauce(Original)

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Dip chicken breasts into the sour cream and then into bread crumbs. Place on a sprayed/greased sheet pan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked and crispy. While the chicken is baking, prepare salad and make the dressing. To make the dressing, combine the 2 1/2 cups brown sugar, 1/3 cup Franks Hot Sauce, and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar in a pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Let boil for one minute, but no longer! If you boil too long it will turn hard. When the chicken is done dip into sticky sauce and place on a plate. To serve, place sliced strips on top of salad with any additional toppings (cheese, croutons, tomatoes, craisins, etc.) and drench in ranch dressing. Save the additional sticky dressing as an extra topping for the salad...it adds a little more tang!

Chicken Flautas

Ingredients

• 6 10-inch flour tortillas(I used whole wheat tortillas)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. cooking oil
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup bottled salsa
• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (2 ozs.)
• 2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro or oregano
• guacamole (optional)
• Bottled salsa (optional)
• sour cream (optional)

Directions

For each flauta, spoon about 1/2 cup filling across each warm tortilla about 1-1/2 inches from one edge. Roll up tortillas as tightly as possible. Secure with wooden toothpicks.

Place flautas on a large baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and heated through. Serve as directed.

Chicken Rolls

4 to 6 Chicken Breasts
1 pkg of cream cheese (I used Weight Watchers Cream Cheese)
Onion Powder
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Bread crumbs
Pilsbury Crescent Rolls (I used reduced fat crescent rolls)

Boil the chicken breasts and then cut them up. Mix them with the cream cheese and onion powder. Roll the chicken mixture into the crescent roll. Roll the roll in the olive oil, and then into the bread crumbs. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 16 minutes.

I found this on a blog. They were so good.

Yummy Salad

A friend of mine had this on her blog. It sounded good so we had it for dinner tonight. It was really good so we thought we would share.

Salad:
2 heads of leafy greens
3/4 c. Craisins
2 crisp apples
Orange juice (enough to toss apples in to prevent browning and add a little flavor)
2 oz. blue cheese or Gorgonzola (I don't like Blue Cheese and couldn't find Gorgonzola so we used Feta Cheese)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (We didn't use any nuts. Sunflower seeds would probably be good too.)

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette:

1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 c. canola oil

In a blender, combine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place lid on blender and blend on high. While blender is running, add oil in a steady stream. Store in refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks. Shake well before serving.

Crescent Rolls

Dough:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
4 – 4 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoons dry yeast, heaping

Combine all dough ingredients in bread machine ad set on dough cycle. When done, divide it into four equal parts.

Roll each part into a circle and cut into 8 wedges. Roll each wedge like a crescent roll.

If preparing ahead, place rolls, point down on baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, place in freezer bags and store in the freezer until needed.

To bake: Grease a baking sheet . Place frozen rolls on prepared sheet. Allow to thaw and rise for five hours or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 ° and bake rolls for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

2 Year Old Birthday Cake

I made a Race Track Cake for Landon's Birthday Party. I think it turned out pretty cute! We also made cupcakes that look like stoplights. What do you think?