Sesame Chicken

This is one of Todd's favorite dinners. He had this as a teenager at a friends house all the time. We emailed his mom many years ago and she shared the recipe with us! Now its my turn to share with you! It is always a hit with the kids and we usually have it over rice!

Sesame Chicken

• 3 or 4 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 cloves chopped garlic

Cut chicken into cubes or sometimes I do strips. In a large frying pan, combine sesame seeds and oil. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, just until seeds are golden (about 2 minutes). Let cool. In another bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger and garlic. When sesame seeds have cooled, add them to the bowl. Mix in chicken. Cover and chill for 1-4 hours.

Arrange meat with all of the marinade in a single layer in a 9 x 13 pan. Broil about 6 inches from the heat, until golden, about 10 minutes. Turn pieces over and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes longer. Serve over rice!

Chicken Noodle Soup

This recipe came from Simplify Supper. It is super simple and was really good! I didn't use vegetable broth this time, because I only have chicken bouillion. I added more noodles and more broth than called for too!

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 4 cans chicken broth
• 1 can vegetable broth
• 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups egg noodles
• 1 cup carrots, sliced
• 1/2 tsp basil, dried
• 1/2 tsp oregano, dried

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and celery in butter until tender (about 5 minutes). Pour in broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil and oregano. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes before serving!

Cherry Strudel Cake

This is an easy go to dessert. Especially if you have pie filling in your food storage. I bet you could use your apple filling you canned, but you would need to probably use only 1/2 a quart! I might try that next.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 small can of cherry pie filling

Cream together the sugar, butter and shortening. Add the eggs and extracts. Next add the flour in. Spread 2/3 of the dough in a 9x13 pan. Next spread the cherry pie filling on evenly and spoon the remaining dough on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until done. Now drizzle with a glaze.

Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 tbsp. of milk, beat together till smooth.

Apple Pie Filling

This is a recipe Sally Wilson gave me that she said was FABULOUS! I canned some this weekend and I am excited to try it! We did 2 batches and got 14 quart jars! Next time I do know that we will use an apple corer peeler!!

Preserved Apple Pie Filling

• 4 1/2-5 cups sugar
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 1/2-6 lbs peeled, cored and seeded tart apples

Put first 5 ingredients in heavy kettle and stir in 10 cups of water in slowly. Cook until thick and bubbly.

Add lemon juice. Put sliced apples in clean, hot jars. Pour cooked mixture over apples (or alternate in layers). Seal and process 20 minutes in a hot water bath.

Use 1 quart jar per pie!

5-chip cookies

This is a Taste of Home recipe and was super yummy! I didn't actually have all 5 chips, so I had a 3 chip cookie! But all the same they were very good and I am sure the extra 2 chips added next time would make an even better cookie! If you have to leave out a chip, don't leave out the butterscotch, that was my favorite taste!

5-Chip Cookie

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup each milk chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, vanilla chips, and butterscotch chips.
  

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chips.
2. Drop onto cookie sheets with cookie scoop and Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks!

Sugar Cookie Bars

These turned out super yummy and were super easy! I even think you could use a cookie cutter and get some shapes out of this recipe and then get to eat the scraps!

Thanks Real Mom Kitchen for another great recipe!

Sugar Cookie Bars

• 1 cup butter, room temp.
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 5 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In another bowl combine dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture. Mix until combined. Spread onto a greased cookie sheet (13 x 18 pan). (I used a mini roller to help evenly spread the dough out!) Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, room temp
• 1/2 cup shortening (I think I will try butter flavored next time)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 5 tbsp milk
• food coloring, if desired

For frosting, combine butter (make sure it is room temp, otherwise it will be lumpy in your frosting) and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1 cup increments until combined, then add milk and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. (I alternated the powdered sugar and tbsp of milk) Spread over cooled bars and enjoy!!

S'mores Brownies

I found this recipe on http://www.realmomkitchen.blogspot.com/ and decided to try them. I definitely like the REAL smore on a fire, but these were also good!

The kids thought they were great fun, I might leave off the graham crackers next time!

S'mores Brownies

8-10 graham crackers

1 box fudge brownie mix

3 cups miniature marshmallows

2/3 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

• Place graham crackers in a single layer on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan or line with foil. ( I sprayed the foil too!) A couple of the crackers will need to be cut/broken to fit in the pan.
• Prepare brownies according to package directions and pour batter over the crackers. (You could probably use a homemade brownie recipe too!)
• Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
• When brownies come out, top with marshmallows and chocolate chips.
• Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes and then sprinkle with nuts if desired.
• Cool before cutting into squares!