Potholders

Anyone interested in a cooking craft????

My husband was out of town and I needed a little project to do, so potholders it was!!

I found a tutorial on http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/04/craft_project_simple_quilted_p.html

and it was very simple and I just used scraps of fabric!

I know with all the cooking we do, my potholders start looking pretty yucky! So make a few pot holders, they are really simple and use up your scraps!

Mini Smores

I found this on www.myrecipegarden.blogspot.com and think it is such a fun idea to do with kids!

I am going to have to try it, because I very "weak" to refuse a smore and these look too good!

Mini Smores

Simply sandwich one mini marshmallow and one chocolate chip (pressed gently into the marshmallow) inbetween 2 Golden Grahams Cereal pieces. Microwave for approximately 20 seconds (all depends on your microwave). You may have to replace a top or two, due to the marshmallows expanding in the heat. Enjoy.

Chicken Enchiladas

I found this recipe on www.mmmcafe.blogspot.com.

I am always trying to find the perfect enchilada recipe, and it seems I keep trying more even when I seem to have a few I like!! I really like this one and in fact so did my kids!

I halved the recipe because of my smaller family and didn't add the jalapeno because I had a whole can of green chilies instead! It turned out perfect, just spicy enough for me and not too spicy for the kids! I always figure you can add jalapenos on top if you want more heat! I am sure the cream on top added to the yumminess too!!

Chicken Enchiladas

4 chicken breasts

1 bullion cube

2 tbsp olive oil

1-4 oz can green chilies

1 jalapeno pepper diced (do as much or as little depending on desired spiciness)

1/4 cup diced onion

1-8 oz package cream cheese

2 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese

8 tortillas

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup enchilada sauce

1) Poach your chicken breasts in enough water to cover them with the bullion cube. (I usually put mine in a pan and when it starts boiling, turn it to low and cover for 20 minutes)

2) Saute green chilies, jalapeno pepper, and onion in olive oil.

3) Add cream cheese to sauteed ingredients over medium heat until melted. Then add 1 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese and heat until melted. Add shredded chicken.

4) Stuff the tortillas with your mixture and place them in a 9 x 13 pan. Top with heavy cream, enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.

5) Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 15-30 minutes, depending on preference of cheese crispiness.

6) Serve with whatever mexican toppings you like...sour cream, olives, green peppers, tomatoes, salsa, rice, etc....

Best Peanut Butter Cookies

I found this recipe on a blog I like to frequent that tells you where all the good deals are around! Recently peanut butter was a great deal, and so she had lots and lots of peanut butter recipes. I had to make 4 dozen cookies for Pioneer day, so I decided to try this recipe, since I knew it had to make lots!! Well it does, so unless you have lots of friends to share with, or deliveries to make, I might half the recipe next time!

It was a great cookie though, really moist and very good!

Best Peanut Butter Cookies

from krazy coupon lady

1 cup butter

1 cup butter flavored shortening (I didn't have this and used margarine instead)

2 cups sugar

2 cups brown sugar, packed

4 eggs

3 cups creamy peanut butter

2 tsp vanilla

5 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Cream the butter, butter flavored shortening (or margarine in my case), and sugars. Add eggs and blend. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and stir until well blended.

Measure out tablespoons or dough and roll into balls. (I used my cookie scoop for this part) Place 3 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make criss-cross patterns with fork.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until set, but not hard. DO NOT OVERBAKE!! Leave on sheets for 2 minutes before removing. Cool, and store in covered containers.

(This made enough for my 4 dozen needed plus maybe 4 dozen more, it made alot!!!)

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

I found this recipe in a Kraft foods magazine, and you can find it on their website www.kraftfoods.com! It was such a simple meal, and great for the summer when you want to avoid the oven! I didn't end up grilling my bread, but put butter and parmesan cheese on it and broiled it some in the oven!

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

1/2 cup KRAFT Classic Caesar Dressing, divided
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 thick slices Italian bread
1 clove garlic, peeled, cut in half
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 cups torn romaine lettuce
3 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
Make It!
POUR 2 Tbsp. dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag. Seal bag; turn to coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate.
MEANWHILE, heat grill to medium heat. Thread chicken onto 4 skewers. Grill 6 to 8 min. or until done, turning occasionally. Add bread to grill; cook 1 min. on each side or until toasted on both sides. Rub toast with garlic; brush with oil.
ARRANGE toast and lettuce on platter; drizzle with remaining dressing. Top with chicken skewers and Parmesan.

Blender Wheat Pancakes

I found this on http://www.everydayfoodstorage.net/ and they really turned out great! I didn't even tell my kids they were wheat, they ate them up! She has a berry syrup recipe with this that I haven't tried yet, but it sounded really good!

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Blender Wheat Pancakes

1 cup milk (3 tbsp powdered milk and 1 cup water)

1 cup wheat kernels, whole & uncooked

2 eggs (2tbsp powdered eggs, 1/4 cup water)

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp honey or sugar

Put milk and wheat kernels in blender. Blend on highest speed for 4-5 minutes or until batter is smooth. (I probably blended for 6 minutes or so, just to guarantee it was smooth) Add eggs, oil, baking powder, salt, and honey or sugar to above batter. Blend on low. Pour out batter into pancakes from the blender, only one bowl to mess!!

Cook and enjoy!

Berry Syrup

2 cup mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, marionberries or whatever mixture you want)

3 tbsp sugar

Mix together and let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving!

Gingersnaps

I found this recipe in the family fun magazine many years ago and it is super yummy, well for a cookie without chocolate in it!!

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Gingersnaps

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening (I used margarine)

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, at room temp.

1/3 cup unsulphured molasses

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (I never have this and don't put it in)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sugar for topping the cookies

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1. Heat the oven to 375. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

2. Sift the flour, ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.

3. In a mixer, combine butter, shortening, sugar, egg and molasses. Mix together in your mixer on medium-high speed, beat ingredients for about 2 minutes, until well blended and fluffy! Add the lemon zest and vanilla and beat briefly.

4. Add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients, about a 1/3 at a time mixing as you go. The dough should be solid and hold together but still soft enough to be shaped.

5. Measure slightly rounded tablespoonfuls of dough and roll them into balls. Roll the balls into sugar, then place on baking sheets, about 2 1/2 inches apart.

6. Bake cookies. If you like soft, slightly chewy gingersnaps, bake for 9-10 minutes.

If you like crisp, crunchy cookes, bake 12-13 minutes.

Hot Pockets

I found this recipe on http://www.everydayfoodstorage.net/! I love her site, because she shows you how to use your food storage in all your meals! She makes it look so simple, and this one definitely was simple! Pick whatever you want inside, and you have an instant hot pocket! We made pizza pockets and the kids loved them! This recipe may make only 6, but they were bigger than say the store bought ones! It was a quick easy meal, and you could definitely make more if you made them smaller!

Hot Pocket Dough- makes six 6 inch pockets

from Everydayfoodstorage

1 C. Luke Warm Water2 T. Olive Oil or Canola Oil
1 t. Sugar
1/2 t. Salt
3 C. Flour (I usually do Half all-purpose and half whole wheat or all whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 t. Yeast

Dough by hand:Dissolve Yeast in warm water. Add Oil, Sugar, and salt. Slowly mix in flour and knead. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
Dough in Bread Machine: (this is my favorite because you can throw all the ingredients in and set the dough cycle and get some other things done while it’s doing the work for you!)
Add ingredients in order your bread machine specifys (for example: for mine I need to add the liquid first, then dry ingredients, and then form a well and pour my yeast in). You don’t want your dough to raise for more than one hour. Most bread machine dough cycles will “beat” down the dough and you’ll want to take the dough out before it does that. Consult your users manual for timing and instructions on how to put the ingredients in.

1. Pre-heat oven to 375
2. When dough is ready, separate it in to 6 portions. If you want to be really exact, you can weigh the dough. I usually just eye ball it.
3. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick circles.
4. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.
5. Put 1/4-1/2 cup worth of filling. If you’re making all the same kind of hot pockets mix all your filling items together and use a scoop to fill the pockets. (pizza pockets, ham and cheese, chicken and other various pizza and hot sandwich fillings)
6. Fold dough in half over the filling and clamp edges with fork.
7. You can brush the tops with an egg white wash (1 egg white beaten with 1-2 T. water) if you want them to look really professional! (I usually don’t because I think they look delicious with out the hassle. Besides I can’t ever figure out anything to use that one egg yolk in and I hate to waste it!)
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375.

Greek Pasta Salad

My Sister gave me this recipe and it has become an instant favorite!!

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Greek Pasta Salad

3 cups uncooked rotini pasta

1 med. tomato cut into wedges (I substitute with cucumbers)

1 small sweet red pepper

1 small green pepper

4 oz crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup sliced olives

optional: add cut up chicken

Dressing:

2/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil chopped up (I substitute some dry)

3 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp green onions

2 tbsp parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp oregano

Mix dressing in your blender until fairly smooth.

Pour over above ingredients and mix together and enjoy!!

Perfect Cake Mix Cupcakes

I found this recipe on http://www.realmomkitchen.blogspot.com/ and had to try them for 4th of July!

They turned out just as described, perfectly rounded on the top, well pretty perfect!

They had great flavor and they really did cook in about 15 minutes!

The kids helped decorate!!

Perfect Cake Mix Cupcakes

1 box (18.25 oz) cake mix (vanilla, devil's food, or yellow)

1 cup buttermilk (in place of water called for on the box)

vegetable oil (the amount called for on the box)

4 eggs (in place of the number called for on the box)

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin cups with paper liners.

Follow the box instructions, putting all the ingredients in a large bowl and using the buttermilk in place of the water specified on the box, using the amount of vegetable oil that is called for, and adding the eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and beat until thick, 2 minutes longer.

Fill paper liners 2/3 full. Bake 12-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool completely before icing.