Hot Spinach and Artichoke dip

Found this on allrecipes.com and its worked well for us. Not the best I've ever had but I have made it three times this month so it must be pretty good. I added extra garlic to the dip but there is still one missing ingredient and I haven't figured it out yet. I think a trip to Olive Garden may be in my future so I can figure it out.


1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish.
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned

Apricot Cream Cheese Thumbprints

I found this on allrecipes.com. We really like these cookies. They are soft and moist. Instead of apricot jam though I use my homemade peach jam but any type of jam works well with these cookies.


1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup apricot preserves
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration


In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the cream cheese mixture until just combined. Cover, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, and place them 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Using your finger, make an indention in the center of each ball, and fill with 1/2 teaspoon of apricot preserves.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Antipasto Heros

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
1 medium garlic clove, peeled
4 tablespoons evvo
salt and pepper
3/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
5 pepperoncini, rinsed and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped black olives
2 (12 inch long) baguettes
2 cups arugula leaves
1/2 pound thinly sliced hard salami or cappicola
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

In blender, puree artichokes, garlic, and 2 tablespoons oil until smooth paste forms. Transfer to small bowl and season with salt and pepper.


Combine red peppers, pepperoncini, black olives, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in medium bowl.

Slice baguettes in half lengthwise and pull out most of soft crumb from tops and bottoms. Spread artichoke paste on both sides of bread.

Fill bottom cavaities of bread with pepper mixture. Layer with argula, meat, and cheese, place tops of bread over bottom, and press firmly. Wrap each sandwich tightly in foil and weight down using heavy object (canned tomatoes are perfect) for 1 to 3 hours. Unwrap sandwiches, cut each in half, and serve.

Toasted Garlic and Sweet Pea Pasta

This recipe came from a Rachel Ray cookbook, the Express Meals one I believe. I really liked the pasta and so did the kids.

salt
1 pound long cut pasta, whatever you have in the cupboard
1/4 to 1/3 cup evvo
5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
black pepper
3/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 10 ounce boxes frozen peas
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano, plus extra for the table

Place a large pot of water with lid over high heat and bring to a boil to cook the pasta. Once it comes to a boil cook the pasta. Once it comes to a boil, add salt and pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente. Right before draining reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking liquid.

While the water is coming to a boil, add the evoo and the sliced garlic to a large skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat, spread the garlic out in an even payer in the oil, and keep an eye on the garlic, it can burn in seconds. Have a slotted spoon and some paper towels on a plate nearby. Once garlic is toasty brown, remove it from the oil with the slotted spoon and drain it on the paper towels.

Turn up the heat under the evoo to medium high, then add the red pepper flakes, onions, thyme, salt, and a little pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the onions become tender and lightly browned. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes, then add the chicken stock and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the peas and a couple of ladles of the pasta cooking liquid. Bring the sauce back to a bubble. With the back of a spoon mash about half of the peas in the skillet. Add the parsley and toasted garlic slices, stir to combine, then give it a taste and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Add the cooked drained pasta and toss to coat in the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add another glug of chicken stock. Stir in the cheese, then transfer the pasta to serving plates. Pass extra cheese at the table.

Ham and Bean soup

From December's issue of Cooks Country. We really really liked this recipe. However we did make this twice, once with navy beans and once with lima beans, and the time we made it with lima beans did not taste as good as when we used the navy beans.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound ham steak , patted dry and diced
1 onion , chopped
3 carrots , peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs , chopped
6 garlic cloves , minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups water
2 smoked ham hocks
1 pound dried navy beans , soaked overnight
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add diced ham and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, water, hocks, and beans. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are completely tender and soup is slightly thickened, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
2. Remove hocks from pot. (If desired, let cool 5 minutes, then shred meat and add to soup.) Stir in thyme, pepper, and vinegar. Serve.
3. Make Ahead: This soup can be refrigerated for several days, but the beans will continue to soak up liquid. If the soup becomes too thick, stir in 1/4 cup water at a time until the consistency is to your liking. Simmer the soup over medium-low heat until it's hot. Serve.

Knock off of a Cafe Rio salad

I have to say I've never eaten at Cafe Rio but on a message board I frequent they talk about this place all the time. The salad just sounded so tasty I had to give it a try and so we did. I don't know where the knock off recipes came from but I found them on the pinchingyourpennies website. This was a very yummy salad and one I can't wait to make again. My boys even really liked the pork, beans, and rice. This is going to be one very long post in order to post all the recipes involved.

Cilantro Lime Rice
3 c water
3 c rice
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp salt
¼ cup lime juice
1/2 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro, remove large stems
1 small can green chiles

Place water, rice, bouillon, and salt in pot. Bring to boil. Place lime juice, onion, garlic, cilantro and green chilies in a blender and puree. Stir into rice. Simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes.


Black Beans
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 Tbl finely mined onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup tomato juice
3 Tbl chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 tsp salt
Fry onion, garlic and cumin in a small amount of olive oil. Add beans, tomato juice, cilantro and salt and heat through.


Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa
Pork Roast: Put it in a crock pot with a little water and cook until very tender (about 8 hours on low).
Shred pork and add:
1 can enchilada sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1 small can diced green chilies
1 can Coke (not diet coke)
1 cup brown sugar
salt to taste
Cook for one more hour.


Pico de Gallo
4 ripe Tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 jalapeno, minced (remove the seeds and veins if you don’t like a lot of heat)
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
lime juice, to taste
salt, to taste
Mix everything together.

Guacamole
2-3 ripe Avocados
1-2 Tbl lime juice
1/2 tomato, finely chopped
2 Tbl finely chopped onion
salt, to taste (or use garlic salt)
Mash avocado and lime juice with a fork. Fold in the tomato, onion, and salt.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 package Ranch Buttermilk Dressing mix
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup Mayonnaise (I use half mayo and half sour cream)
3 fresh tomatillos
1 cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Just put everything in a blender and puree.Refrigerate for a couple of hours and if you need to, adjust the thickness by adding more buttermilk to thin it out, or sour cream to make it thicker.


Now to make the salad place the following things on the plate in order listed:
1. Large Flour TortillasUse homemade or buy the uncooked ones and cook them on a griddle. Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top and cook until the cheese is melted. Place the cheesy tortillas in a cake pan.
2. Spanish Rice
3. Black Beans
4. Meat of your choice
5. Romaine Lettuce
Wash thoroughly, and cut into large squares.
6. Pico de Gallo
7. Guacamole
8. Lime Wedges
9. Grated Cotija cheese
10. Cilantro sprigs
11. Crispy Tortilla Strips Just cut some corn Tortillas in thin strips and quickly fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a little bit of salt.
12. Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Harvest Vegetable and Potato Soup

4 cups cubed potatoes (do not peel)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/2 cup string beans
1 green, red, or yellow pepper coarsely chopped
1 cup sweet peas
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 (10 ounce) bag spinach
6 cups water
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Place vegetables in a dutch oven. Add water, bring to a boil. Add butter, salt, pepper and herbs. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Plum Pudding Smoothies

4 canned purple plums, pitted
4 large strawberries
1/2 ripe peeled banana
1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons honey
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 to 8 ice cubes

Place ingredients in a large blender; cover and blend until smooth, scraping down sides once or twice. Serves 4.

Finnish Gingerbread Men (Pepparkakor)

We used this recipe to make gingerbread cookies. They were quite tasty and the boys really loved them. They had a nice spicy flavor to them. I was out of nutmeg though so I subbed ground allspice for the nutmeg. My husband thought they were missing something though.

2/3 cup butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon each ground cardamom, ground coriander seed and ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 to 1/3 cup water

Cream butter and brown sugar together in a medium bowl, beating until fluffy. Add spices; beat well.

Add baking soda, salt, flour, cider vinegar, and just enough water to make a smooth pilable dough. Roll into a ball. Chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Press ball into a disk and roll out on a lightly floured board to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes; transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet, placing cookies about 1/2 to 3/4 inch apart. Chill dough in between batches.

Bake 7 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks. Decorate.

Elsie's Gingerbread

This was a way yummy cake. All three of my boys loved it, so much so that we've made this two times so far this season. I found this in a newspaper insert from our local newspaper.



cooking spray
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg
3 tablespoons molasses
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom only of a 9 inch square pan or 9 inch tube pan with cooking spray.

Combine flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter and shortening to make a crumbly mixture. Scoop out 1/4 cup and set aside.

Add egg and molasses to flour mixture and stir. Combine buttermilk, baking soda, and salt. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir well (and there will still be a few lumps). Pour into prepared pan; sprinkle reserved flour mixture evenly over top.

Bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Sorry for the slow blog lately

Things just got really really crazy in our house. I should be back later tonight we a few more recipes and I'll try to keep up after that.

Dressed up French Green Beans

Dressed Up French Green Beans

4 cups frozen French style green beans
2 tablespoons crumbled cooked bacon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook green beans according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Drain beans; add bacon mixture and gently stir to coat.

Salisbury Steak with Gemelli

Salisbury Steak with Gemelli

1 egg

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Hot cooked gemelli or spiral pasta

In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, pepper, and garlic. Crumble beefo over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties.

In a large skillet, cook patties in oil over medium hgih heat 5-7minutes on each side or until meat is no longer. Remove and keep warm.

Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of drippings. Saute mushrooms in drippings until tender. Stir in flour until blended . Gradually stir in the broth, ketchup and worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Return patties to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Serve with gemelli.

Cheddar Soup

Again another recipe from Cook's Illustrated. I changed the recipe only slightly by using potatoes in the recipe. I added one potato chopped. However I also think this recipe needs a very sharp cheese or maybe a combination of some other cheeses. I'm still thinking about what type of cheese to use next time. I also added some green onion to the top of the soup right before serving.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion , minced (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot , minced (about 1/3 cup)
1 small rib celery , minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 medium clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 bay leaf
pinch cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons dry sherry
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , shredded (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper

1. Heat butter in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until foaming; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and garlic; cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring to coat vegetables, until mixture begins to brown on bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and half-and-half and add bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
2. Off heat, add cayenne and sherry; cool soup for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in cheese and thyme; season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Multi grain dinner rolls

I found this recipe in Cook's Illustrated magazine and we have love this recipe both for bread and rolls.

6 1/4 ounces 7-grain hot cereal mix , 1 1/4 cups

20 ounces boiling water (2 1/2 cups)
15 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (3 cups), plus extra for dusting work surface
7 1/2 ounces whole wheat flour (1 1/2 cups)
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon table salt
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, (unsalted)
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats

1. Place cereal mix in bowl of standing mixer and pour boiling water over it; let stand, stirring occasionally, until mixture cools to 100 degrees and resembles thick porridge, about 1 hour. Whisk flours in medium bowl.
2. Once grain mixture has cooled, add honey, melted butter, and yeast and stir to combine. Attach bowl to standing mixer fitted with dough hook. With mixer running on low speed, add flours, 1/2 cup at a time, and knead until dough forms ball, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes; cover bowl with plastic and let dough rest 20 minutes. Add salt and knead on medium-low speed until dough clears sides of bowl, 3 to 4 minutes (if it does not clear sides, add 2 to 3 tablespoons additional all-purpose flour and continue mixing); continue to knead dough for 5 more minutes. Add seeds and knead for another 15 seconds. Transfer dough to floured work surface and knead by hand until seeds are dispersed evenly and dough forms smooth, taut ball. Place dough into greased container with 4-quart capacity; cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 9 by 9-inch baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and cut in half crosswise with knife or bench scraper. Cut each half into thirds, then into thirds again, to make 18 even sized pieces of dough. Gently roll each piece in circular motion to make round, then roll one side of dough in oats and place in baking pan, oat side up. Repeat to fill both baking pans with nine rolls each. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes. (Dough should barely spring back when poked with knuckle.) Bake until internal temperature registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove rolls from pans and cool on wire rack before serving, about 2 hours.

Fry sauce

A novelty from Utah but it's quite tasty. Great on burgers, chicken sandwiches and french fries. This is another recipe that you can cater to your preferences.

1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup ketchup (or bbq sauce)
2 tablespoons pickle juice (leave out if using bbq sauce)

Mix together and serve.

Hamburger buns

Okay so I've been looking for a hamburger bun recipe so I can make my own. I found this recipe on Allrecipes and it looked so good. However I did not make this recipe following the one on allrecipes.com and that was a big mistake. Somehow I messed up the recipe in my quest of making it more nutritious and the buns were dry and not very tasty. Again I am telling myself not to play with a recipe until I try it as written first. I'm not even going to list how I screwed this recipe up but I went ahead and posted a picture of my failure. I'll update the next time I make the recipe with a better picture.

1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Combine the milk, 1 cup of water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and let stand until lukewarm. If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until the dough starts to pull together. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions They should be a little larger than a golf ball. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching it at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. After the rolls sit for a minute and relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until it is 3 to 4 inches wide. You may want to oil your hand first. Set rolls aside until they double in size, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Mix together the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a cup or small bowl. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Position 2 oven racks so they are not too close to the top or bottom of the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the rolls from the oven and return them to different shelves so each one spends a little time on the top. Continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top and bottom.

Beef stew

This isn't a recipe that is exact or set in stone. I make it different each and every time I make it. If you don't like an ingredient sub something that you like. You can make it in the crock pot or on the stove.

Stew meat- however much you want and whatever type of cut you want

dredge the meat in flour and fry until brown

add one onion-sliced

6 carrots-chopped

celery-chopped

4 potatoes- chopped

2 cloves of garlic-chopped

mix with meat.

add liquid until everything is covered. I use a mixture of beef broth, water, and tomato juices. You can also used can tomatoes.

Cook on low heat 4-5 hours, either on the stove or in the crock pot. I use bay leaves for extra flavor. Use whatever spices you like. I usually use garlic salt and pepper.

You can also use oatmeal, barely, quinoa, or bulger for extra nutrients and to thicken.

I know this isn't a recipe that's easy to follow because its more of personal recipe.

Chili

Someone posted this recipe on pinchingyourpennies website and I had all the ingredients needed to make this chili so we gave it a try. It was actually really good. I used dried beans that I precooked instead of canned beans. I also only used about 1/2 lb of ground beef. We topped the chili with cheddar cheese, green onions, and sour cream. I served cornbread muffins with the chili.

Fannie Flaggs Chili (Whistle Stop Cafe)
2 lbs. ground beef (I only use 1 lb.)
2 medium onions chopped and peeled
3 cloves of garlic - minced
3 C. beef broth
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 14 oz cans diced tomatos - undrained
3 T uncooked oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
1 T sugar
1 T chili powder
1/8 t cheyenne pepper or hot sauce
3 cans beans - mix and match kinds (I cook mine from dry the morning of in the slow cooker.)Cook beef, garlic, and onion until browned. Add all ingredients but beans. Bring to a boil. Simmer 40 minutes and then add beans. Simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. Serve.

Beef and Cheddar Potpie

From Rachel Ray's Spetember 2007 magazine. This was okay but not something I think we'd make again anytime soon. I didn't really like the topping but the meat filling was really good. I think I'll use the meat filling as a basis for a goulash and see if I like it better.

6 tablespoons butter, chilled
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup beef broth
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 by 12 inch baking dish and set aside. In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and beef broth and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has cooked off, about 20 minutes. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, blend in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and the cheese until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir quickly with a fork to form a dry, shaggy dough. Gather the dough together and knead lightly in the bowl. Transfer to a floured work surface and roll or pat into a large, 1/2 inch thick round. Using a 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out 8 biscuits. Gather the scraps of dough, form into a new round and cut out more biscuits. Continue until all the dough has been used.

Place the biscuits on top of the beef mixture as close together as possible and bake until lightly browned, about 35 minutes.

Homemade croutons

Loaf of day old bread, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Layer chopped bread on cookie sheet. Mix garlic and butter/oil and evenly coat the bread. Bake the bread until its as crisp as you like. I usually go for about 5 minutes with me tossing the bread every minute to minute and a half.

Crispy Chicken and potatoes

2 teaspoons cornstarch
Table salt
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), giblets discarded, skin patted dry with paper towels
2 pounds small red potatoes , scrubbed and halved
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1. Line roasting pan with foil, letting foil come up sides of pan. Adjust oven rack to middle position (8 to 10 inches from broiler element), place roasting pan on rack, and heat oven to 475 degrees. Coat V-rack with cooking spray.
2. Combine cornstarch and 2 teaspoons salt in small bowl. Use skewer to poke holes all over chicken skin. Rub cornstarch mixture evenly over chicken.
3. Remove roasting pan from oven. Place chicken, wing side up, in V-rack, then place V-rack in roasting pan. Roast chicken 15 minutes. Remove roasting pan from oven and, using wad of paper towels, flip chicken so that other wing is facing up. Roast 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile toss potatoes, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Remove roasting pan from oven and, with potholder, carefully transfer V-rack with chicken to rimmed baking sheet. Gather up foil by its corners, capturing any fat and juices, and discard. Arrange potatoes, cut side down, in roasting pan. Using wad of paper towels, flip chicken breast side up in V-rack. Place V-rack back in roasting pan and roast chicken until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170 degrees, about 20 minutes.
5. Using wad of paper towels, remove chicken from V-rack and pour juices from cavity into roasting pan with potatoes. Place chicken on angel-food-cake pan insert or empty soda can to rest upright for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toss potatoes in chicken juices, return to oven, and cook until well browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Carve chicken and serve with potatoes.

French Salad Dressing

This salad dressing was very tasty. This recipe came from either Cook's country or Cook's Illustrated.

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated onion
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or more to taste)
Add all ingredients to lidded container and shake vigorously until combined. (Dressing can be refrigerated in airtight container for 1 week.)

French Potato Salad

Saw this on America's Test Kitchen and thought it looked so yummy. It does taste really really good. Plus its very easy to make.

If fresh chervil isn’t available, substitute an additional 1/2 tablespoon of minced parsley and an additional 1/2 teaspoon of tarragon. For best flavor, serve the salad warm, but to make ahead, follow the recipe through step 2, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Before serving, bring the salad to room temperature, then add the shallots and herbs.
INGREDIENTS
2
pounds small red potatoes (about 2-inch diameter), unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2
tablespoons table salt
1
medium clove garlic , peeled and threaded on skewer
1 1/2
tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
2
teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4
cup olive oil
1/2
teaspoon ground black pepper
1
small shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1
tablespoon minced fresh chervil leaves
1
tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1
tablespoon minced fresh chives
1
teaspoon minced fresh tarragon leaves

1. Place potatoes, 6 cups cold tap water, and salt in large saucepan; bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Lower skewered garlic into simmering water and partially blanch, about 45 seconds. Immediately run garlic under cold tap water to stop cooking; remove garlic from skewer and set aside. Continue to simmer potatoes, uncovered, until tender but still firm (thin-bladed paring knife can be slipped into and out of center of potato slice with no resistance), about 5 minutes. Drain potatoes, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Arrange hot potatoes close together in single layer on rimmed baking sheet.
2. Press garlic through garlic press or mince by hand. Whisk garlic, reserved potato cooking water, vinegar, mustard, oil, and pepper in small bowl until combined. Drizzle dressing evenly over warm potatoes; let stand 10 minutes.
3. Toss shallot and herbs in small bowl. Transfer potatoes to large serving bowl; add shallot/herb mixture and mix gently with rubber spatula to combine. Serve immediately.

Applesauce

Wash, peel, and core 13 1/2 lbs of apples. Place apples in a 10-quart pot. Add 1/2 cup water. Stirring occasionally to prevent burning, heat quickly until tender (5 to 20 minutes, depending on maturity and variety). Press through a sieve or food mill, or skip the pressing step if you prefer chunky style sauce. Sauce may be packed without sugar. If desired, add 1/8 cup cugar per quart of sauce. Taste and add more if preferred. Reheat sauce to boiling. Fill jars with sauce leaving 1/2 inch headspace.

Pints processing time in boiling water canner

0-1,000 ft above sea level 15 minutes

1,001- 3,000 ft above 20 minutes

3,001-6,000 ft above 20 minutes

above 6,000 ft 25 minutes

Apple Butter

8 lbs apples

2 cups cider

2 cups vinegar

2 1/4 cups white sugar

2 1/4 cups brown sugar

2 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp ground cloves

Wash, remove stems, quarter, anc core fruit. Cook slowly in the cider and vinegar until soft. Press fruit through a colander, food mill, or strainer. Cook fruit pulp with spices and sugar, stirring frequently. To test for doneness, remove a spoonful and hold it away from steam for 2 minutes. It is done if the butter remains mounded on the spoon. Another way to determine when the butter is cooked adequately is to spoon a small quantity onto a plate. When a rim of liquid does not separate around the edge of the butter, it is ready for canning. Fill hot into sterile half pint or pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Process times

0-1,000 ft above sea level 5 minutes

1,001-6,000 above 10 minutes

above 6,000 15 minutes

Apple Pie Filling

For 7 quarts:

Blanched, sliced fresh apple slices 6 quarts

granulated sugar 5 1/2 cups

clear jel 1 1/2 cups

cinnamon 1 tbsp

cold water 2 1/2 cups

apple juice 5 cups

bottled lemon juice 3/4 cup

nutmeg 1 tsp

Combine sugar, clear jel, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large kettle with water and apple juice. Stir and cook on medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil one minute, stirring constantly. Fold in apple slices immediately and fill jars with mixture without delay, leaving one inch headspace. Adjust lids and process immediately.

Process time in boiling water canner:

0-1000 ft above sea level 25 minutes

1,001-3,000 ft above 30 minutes

3,001-6,000 ft above 35 minutes

abvoe 6,000 ft 40 minutes

Pumpkin Pie not from a can

Having received two pie pumpkins from both the local csa and the local food co-op I decided to make pumpkin pie from actual pumpkins and not from a can. It was easier than I thought and I honestly think I won't go back to canned pumpkin again. Again the picture is blurry and I'm sorry. I think something is wrong with my camera.

I cut 2 small pumpkins in half and remove the seeds and stringy parts. Then I baked them cut side down on a baking sheet at 350 degrees until tender. I cooled the pumpkin and than removed the skin. I used the blender to puree the pumpkin.

I then added one 12 ounce can of evaporated milk, 2/3 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs and one egg yolk to the pureed pumpkin. I also added 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon all spice, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Place the pumpkin mixture in a pie shell, I used a recipe I found on allrecipes.com and can post it if your interested. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes and than turned the heat to 350 and cooked at that for about 60 minutes (it took a little longer) and the center came out clean when tested with a toothpick. Cooled for 2 hours and than served the pie with homemade whipped cream.

Buttermilk biscuits

I took this recipe from epicurious.com and was the first time I tried this recipe. I have to say it will probably be my new recipe for biscuits as these biscuits were quite tasty and so much better than the frozen or canned biscuits you can buy.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1 tablespoon milk or cream for brushing biscuits

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda onto a sheet of wax paper, then sift again into a bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir with a fork until a dough just forms (dough will be moist).

I rolled them out to about 3/4 of an inch thickness than used a glass to cut my biscuits.

Bake until pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature.

Guacamole

I've been making my gucamole like this for a couple of years now. I'm sure I had a recipe for this guacamole but I don't remember where I found it plus I've added and subracted items from it over the years. You can make it as spicy or as mild as you'd like. Again I didn't get a very good picture but will try again the next time I make it.

2 avocados

1/2 onion finely chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped and seeds removed

2 tablespoons cilantro

2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced

1 jalapeno (optional), chopped

juice of two limes

kosher salt

pepper

Chopped avocados with two knives. Add all the other ingredients. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Chill for one hour to blend flavors before serving.

Haitian Rice and beans

From this months Cooking Light magazine. I was looking for something easy and nonmeat that I had all the ingredients for, I didn't have shallots so I used onion and I didn't have a green bell pepper but I used a yellow one. This was actually quite tasty and will probably join in the rotation of bean and rice dishes in our household.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped shallots (about 9 large)

1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup vegetable broth

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

3 cups water

1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots, bell pepper, oregano, and garlic to pan; cook 12 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in broth, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and set aside.
Bring three cups water and chile to boil in medium saucepan; add rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with fork. Stir in remaining salt and beans. Spoon one cup of rice mixture onto plate and top with about 1/2 cup of shallot mixture.

Apple Pie

1 quart of homemade apple pie filling (I'll post the recipe later)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cup ice water

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl; cut in 6 tablespoons butter and vegetable shortening with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add lemon juice. Sprinkle surface with ice water, one tablespoon at a time, and toss with a fork until moist and crumbly. Shape dough into ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill one hour.

Divide dough into two balls. Roll one dough portion into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a 9 inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, allow the dough to extend over the edge.

Roll the remaining dough portion into a 10 inch circle. Spoon pie filling into prepared pie plate. Top with the 10 inch dough circle. Press edges of dough together. Fold egdes under and flute. Bursh surface of dough with milk. Cut 3 slits in the top of dough. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until apples are tender.

Weekly Menu planner

Monday: Pasta
Tuesday: Chicken or Turkey
Wednesday: Beef or Pork
Thursday: Soup
Friday: Pizza and a movie night*Delivery or make your own, and rent a video
Saturday: Sub sandwiches for Lunch
"Family Favorite" for Dinner
Sunday: Crock-pot, or one dish skillet supper
Note: Family Favorites are things like hamburgers and fries, tacos, steak and cheese subs, more "casual style" food.

Frugal Weekly menu

Sunday-

Breakfast:

french toast made from homemade bread

juice

fruit (whatever is cheapest when I shopped)

Lunch:

leftovers from the night before's dinner

water/milk

veggie (2 kinds, whatever veggies are on sale)

fruit (1 again whatever is cheapest)

Dinner:

Beef or pork roast or a roasted chicken (whatever I have on hand that I bought cheap, I'm not buying organic beef or pork but if we have chicken it is)

salad

dinner rolls made at home

veggie (2 kinds)

water/milk

Desseret:

some sort of baked good that we make, like cake or muffins

Monday

Breakfast:

one egg

juice

toast from homemade bread

fresh fruit

Lunch:

soup made from leftover meat from last nights dinner

dinner roll

veggie

fruit

water/milk

Dinner:

beans and rice- there are so many different ways I make these I can usually go 3 months without making the same thing twice

2 veggies

water/milk

Desseret:fresh fruit

Tuesday-

Breakfast:

oatmeal

bacon

juice

fresh fruit

Lunch:

peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or lunchmeat sandwiches

salad or 2 veggies

fresh fruit

water/milk

Dinner:pork chops or chicken

2 veggies or one and a salad

dinner roll

fruit

water/milk

Wednesday-

Breakfast:

pancakes

eggs

juice

fruit

Lunch:

salad made with last nights leftover meat or tuna salad

veggie

fruit

water/milk

dinner roll or bread

Dinner:a dish made with lenitls instead of meat, could be tacos or sloppy joes or something like that

2 veggies

fruit

water/milk

Thursday-

Breakfast:

waffles

sausage

fruit juice

Lunch:

bean and cheese burritos

guacamole and chips

veggie

fruit

water/milk

Dinner:

meatless pasta dish

salad

bread

fruit

water/milk

Friday-

Breakfast:

yogurt and granola

fruit juice

Lunch:

leftover pasta from last night

bread

salad or soup

veggie (if soup)

fruit

water/milk

Dinner:

homemade pizza

salad

cheese straws

fruit

water/milk

Saturday-

Breakfast:

leftover breakfast items from the week, or 9 grain cereal

juice

fruit

Lunch:

sometimes we go out for lunch on this day or we have leftover pizza from the night before

salad or soup

fruit

water/milk

Dinner:

something grilled, maybe veggie/chicken/beef kabobs

rolls

salad

fruit

water/milk

Homemade Pizza

I've been searching for the perfect pizza dough and sauce recipe for years now. While I still haven't found the perfect combo for me yet this one is close. I think I'll be playing around with this pizza sauce recipe some to make it perfect for me. I thought this recipe was slightly too sweet (so maybe use less honey) and need some extra spices. The dough was almost perfect but cooking it at 425 degrees didn't produce the dough I wanted so I'll play with it a few more times and see if I can't perfect the dough to our tastes. I did add some herbs to the pizza dough to give it some flavor but I think it would have been fine without the added herbs. I found the recipes on allrecipes.com. My pepperoni I place in the microwave for about 40 seconds (on a paper towel) for two reasons, one to get rid of some of the oil and the second to crisp the pepperoni so it tastes like the crispy pepperoni from a pizza place.

Exquisite Pizza Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, water, Parmesan cheese, garlic, honey, anchovy paste, onion powder, oregano, marjoram, basil, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt; mix together, breaking up any clumps of cheese.
Sauce should sit for 30 minutes to blend flavors; spread over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired.

Jay's Signature Pizza Crust

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.
Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.
Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Spaghetti Sauce

I've been making my own sauce for several years now. I prefer the taste of homemade to the junk in the jars. Dh refuses to eat sauce from a jar nowdays. I just free form the recipe each time I make it and cater it to what I'm using it for or what I have on hand.

Yesterday I used the following:

1 onion chopped finely

1 green pepper chopped

2 swirls in the pot of evvo

I cooked the onion and peppers for about 3 minutes. Then added

5 cloves of garlic crushed and minced

Cook another minute or so

added

2 29 oz can of tomato sauce

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatos (should have used more since I used so much tomato sauce)

about 3 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar

about 1/4 cup sugar (don't add all at once, taste test through out the cooking)

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 teaspoons pepper

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 bay leaves

simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or longer. I let yesterdays simmer for 5 hours.

Refried Beans

Recipe #1
Crockpot refried Beans (from someone on Pinchingyourpennies)
Soak your dried pinto beans in your crockpot in the fridge overnight. (Fill it half full with beans and cover to top with water. For a yummy variation add 2 handfulls of black beans.) Drain water and rinse beans. Put back in crockpot and fill to top with water. Cook on high for 8 hours--make sure it never runs out of water. Drain some of the excess liquid, but keep liquid in a separate container. Add 1-2 tsp. salt and 1-3 TBS butter and about 1 cup mild salsa. Blend with hand mixer until mostly smooth. Add additional reserved liquid if it is not desired consistency. Serve with tacos, burritos, eggs or any other dishes you eat beans with. Delicious and so very, very cheap. You will never buy refried beans again!

Recipe #2
I found this on allrecipes and we really love this recipe.

1 onion, peeled and halved
3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
9 cups water
DIRECTIONS
Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.
Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

Recipe #3
I just throw this together and have no clue if I got the recipe from anywhere.
2 cups of cooked pinto beans or 2 cans of rinsed pinto beans
enough water to make the beans the thickness I want
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Mash the beans with a potato masher. I don't mash completely just until I get the consistency I'm looking for that day. Add water until I have the beans the consistency I want. Season.

Beef Taco Bake

I know this isn't the best picture but I forgot to take a picture before I served the food. Next time I'll remember to get a picture right from the oven.

I used the last of my packaged taco shells which makes me happy because I'm going to make my own taco shells from here on out. This recipe also called for canned refried beans but I made my own. Also I used my own taco seasoning mix since we are trying to avoid msg and almost all packaged taco seasoning has msg. This recipe took me about 35 minutes from start to finish.

Here's the recipe, which I took from Cook's Country October/November 2007 issue:

2 (10 ounce) cans of Ro-tel tomatoes (or you can use one 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes and one 4 ounce can chopped green chiles), drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved

1 (16 ounce) can of refried beans

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 1/2 pounds 90 percent lean ground beef

1 package low sodium taco seasoning mix

12 taco shells

3 scallions, sliced thin

1. Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Combine half of tomatoes, beans, hot sauce, and cilantro in bowl. Spread evenly in 13X9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with one cup cheese.

2. Cook beef in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Pour off fat, then stir in taco seasoning, remaining tomatoes, and reserved tomato juice. Simmer over medium low heat until thickened and nearly dry, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Spoon 1 tablespoon cheese into each taco shell and top with beef mixture. Arrange tacos upright in bean mixture, cover with foil, and bake until bubbling, about 10 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining cheese, and bake until cheese is melted, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.

Baguettes

I found this recipe on the back of a bag of King Arthur Flour. I really like the way my food tastes with the King Arthur flour.

Starter

1/2 cup water

1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or European-Style Artisan Bread Flour

1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

Dough

All of the starter

3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or European-Style Artisan Bread Flour

1 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

The Starter:

Mix the starter ingredients together till smooth, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.

Preparing the Dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them together -- by hand, mixer or bread machine -- till you've made a soft, somewhat smooth dough; it should be cohesive, but the surface should still be a bit rough.

Allow the dough to rise, covered with lightly greased plastic wrap, for 3 hours, gently deflating it and turning it over after 1 hour, and then again after 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased or floured work surface. Divide the dough into two pieces (if you're using our Steam Baking Master, or three pieces, for longer, thinner baguettes. Shape each piece into a rough, slightly flattened oval, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let them rest for 15 minutes.

Working with one piece of dough at a time, fold the dough in half lengthwise, and seal the edges with the heel of your hand. Flatten it slightly, and fold and seal again. With the seam-side down, cup your fingers and gently roll the dough into a log that would fit whatever pan or baking stone you'll be using to bake in. Place the logs in the folds of a floured couche, which you've set onto a sheet pan or pans, or directly onto the pan (lightly greased or parchment-lined).

Cover them with a proof cover or lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaves to rise till they have just about doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Note: For the best, most crispy-crackly crust, cover the shaped baguettes in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let them rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, covered, while you preheat your oven.

Preheat your oven to 425°F; if you're using a baking stone, place it on the lowest shelf. Roll the risen baguettes from the couche onto the lightly greased or parchment-lined pan of your choice -- or onto a peel, if you're baking directly on the stone. (If you're using the Steam Baking Master, follow the manufacturer's baking directions.)

Place the baguettes in the oven.

Bake the baguettes for 25 to 30 minutes, until they're a deep, golden brown. Turn off the oven, crack it open about 2 inches, and allow the baguettes to cool in the oven.

Yield: 2 shorter, fatter baguettes or 3 longer, skinnier baguettes.

Cornbread Salad

Okay this doesn't sound all that yummy but I can tell you it was quite tasty. I used a cornbread that I made myself instead of using the boxed kind but I'm posting the recipe just as the source posted. I found this recipe in the October Family Circle magazine. I used this as a main dish and it was quite filling.

Ingredients
Dressing:
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salad:
1 package (8.5 oz.) corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
2 ears corn, shucked
4 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
4 ounces fresh yellow wax beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small sweet red pepepr, cut into 1-inch strips
3 scallions, including green tops, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions
1. Dressing: Whisk vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl; slowly whisk in oil. Let stand.
2.Salad: Prepare corn muffin mix in 8-inch square baking dish according to package directions. Cool completely, then cut into 1-inch cubes (5 cups). Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place cornbread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake, stirring once, 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add corn and cook 5 minutes. Add beans andcook 3 minutes longer or until beans are crisp-tender. Using tongs, remove the corn and rinse under cold running water. Drain beans and rinse under cold running water. Cut corn off cob (1-1/2 cups kernels).
4. In serving bowl combine beans, corn, cheese, tomato, pepper, scallions, basil and dressing; toss to combine. Add cornbread and toss gently. Serve immediately.

Cuban Black Beans

A recipe that I sort of made up. I know somewhere I've read some recipes for Cuban black beans.
2 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced

1 package of salt pork (but honestly you could have skipped this), cut into small pieces and trimmed of some of the fat
juice of 2 limes
rice

Cook black beans with soup mix, onions, salt pork, and garlic until tender, 2-3 hours. You will have to add water but watch because you don't want it to be soupy when they are done cooking.
When tender add the juice of one lime and serve over rice with lime wedges.

Slow-cooker BBQ shredded beef

1
5-pound boneless beef chuck-eye roast , trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
4
slices bacon , chopped fine
1
onion , chopped fine
2
tablespoons chili powder
1
tablespoon paprika
1 1/2
cups brewed coffee
1 1/2
cups ketchup
1/4
cup packed dark brown sugar
2
tablespoons brown mustard
1
tablespoon hot sauce
1
tablespoon cider vinegar
1
teaspoon liquid smoke
Salt and pepper
10
sandwich rolls, split
1. Place beef in slow-cooker insert. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to slow-cooker insert. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan and cook onion in remaining bacon fat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in coffee, ketchup, sugar, and 1 tablespoon mustard and simmer until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Add half of sauce to slow-cooker insert and refrigerate remaining half. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 9 to 10 hours (or cook on high for 5 to 6 hours).
2. Using slotted spoon, transfer meat to large bowl and cover with foil. Transfer cooking liquid to large skillet, skim fat, and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in reserved sauce, remaining mustard, hot sauce, vinegar, and liquid smoke.
3. Pull meat into large chunks, discarding any excess fat or gristle. Toss meat with 11/2 cups sauce and let sit, covered, until meat has absorbed most of sauce, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on rolls, passing remaining sauce at table.

Skillet Peach cobbler

I made this yesterday for Labor day. It was quite tasty.



Four pounds of frozen sliced peaches can be substituted for fresh; there is no need to defrost them. Start step 2 when the peaches are almost done.
Filling
4
tablespoons unsalted butter
5
pounds peaches , peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
6
tablespoons sugar
1/8
teaspoon salt
1
tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2
teaspoons cornstarch
Topping
1 1/2
cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for work surface
6
tablespoons sugar
1 1/2
teaspoons baking powder
1/4
teaspoon baking soda
1/4
teaspoons salt
3/4
cup buttermilk
4
tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled
1
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1. For the filling: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in large oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add two-thirds of peaches, sugar, and salt and cook, covered, until peaches release their juices, about 5 minutes. Remove lid and simmer until all liquid has evaporated and peaches begin to caramelize, 15 to 20 minutes. Add remaining peaches and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Whisk lemon juice and cornstarch in small bowl, then stir into peach mixture. Cover skillet and set aside off heat.
2. For the topping: Meanwhile, whisk flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Stir in buttermilk and butter until dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds.
3. Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Break dough into rough 1-inch pieces and space them about 1/2 inch apart on top of hot peach mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake until topping is golden brown and filling is thickened, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve. (Although best eaten the day it is made to maintain the texture of the cobbles, leftovers may be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Individual portions may be removed from skillet and reheated in microwave.)

Glazed Pork Chops

Cook's Illustrated 2006
Glaze:
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar or cider vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
pinch cayenne
Chops:
4 boneless center-cut or loin pork chops 5 to 7 ounces, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
table salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Combine all glaze ingredients in a medium bowl, mix throughly and set aside. Trim chops and slash through fat and silver skin with sharp knife,making 2 cuts about 2 inches apart in each chop. Pat chops dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add pork to skillet and cook until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn chops and cook 1 minute longer; transfer chops to plate and pour off any oil in skillet. Return chops to skillet, browned side up and add glaze mixture; cook until center of chops reach 140 degrees, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, transfer chops to clean platter, tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes.

When chops have rested, add any accumulated juice to skillet and set over meidum heat. Simmer, whisking constantly, until glaze is thick and color of dark caramel, 2 to 6 minutes. Return chops to skillet, turn to coat both sides with glaze. Serve browned side up and spread remaining glaze over chops.

Herbed Pita

Cooking Light April 2007

Cut 2 (6 inch) pitas into 8 wedges. Lightly coat pita wedges with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon dried coriander, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme. Place pita wedges on a baking sheet; bake at 425 degrees for 8 minutes or until toasted.

Cheddar Grits

Cooking Light April 2007

Bring 2 cups fat-free milk and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Slowly add 3/4 cup quick-cooking grits, stirring well with a whisk. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper, stirring until the cheese melts.

Barbecue Rubbed Pork Chops

Cooking Light April 2007

1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground allapice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 (6 ounce) bone in center cut loin pork chops, trimmed (about 1/2 inch thick)
cooking spray

Combine first nine ingredients; rub over both sides of pork. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook for two minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 8 minutes or until done, turning occasionally. Remove from pan; let stand 5 minutes.

Basic Japanese White Rice

Cooking Light April 2007

1 1/2 cups uncooked short-grain rice (sushi rice)
1 3/4 cups water

Place rice in a fine mesh strainer. Rinse under cold running water, gently stirring rice until water runs clear (about one minute).

Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan; let stand for one hour. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes.

Walnut-Green Bean Salad

Cooking Light April 2007

Add chicken to make this an entree.

2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup uncooked bulgur
1 cup boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound diagonally cut green beans (about 4 cups)
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion

Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until blended.

Combine bulgur and 1 cup boiling water in a large a bowl. Cover and let stand 30 minutes; drain. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Steam green beans, covered, 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and plunge beans into ice water; drain. Place beans in a large bowl. Add bulgur, tomatoes, parsely, onion, and oil mixture; toss gently to combine. Serve at room temperature, or cover and chill.

Hearty Lentil Soup

3 cups water
3 cups vegetable broth
3 medium carrots,sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup uncooked brown rice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas

In a large saucepan, combine the first 11 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until lentils and rice are tender.

Add the tomato paste, corn, and peas; stir until blended. Cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until corn and peas are tender. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Black bean cakes

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, divided
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chunky salsa
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

In a large bowl, mash beans with a fork. Stir in the egg white, onions, 1/4 cup cilantro, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Shape into eight 2 1/2 inch patties.

In a small nonstick skillet, coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook patties in batches of oil for 2-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

In a small bowl, combine the corn, salsa and remaining cilantro, spoon over cakes. Garnish with sour cream.

Asian Chicken-Orzo Salad

Paula Deen

1 (9-ounce) package frozen sugar snap peas
1 (16-ounce) package orzo, cooked and drained
1 cup water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 cups diced cooked chicken
3 green onions, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 (2-ounce) package slivered almonds, toasted (1/2 cup)
Cook sugar snap peas according to package directions; drain well.
In a large bowl, combine sugar snap peas, orzo, water chestnuts, chicken, green onion, and red bell pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce. Pour over orzo mixture, tossing gently to coat. Stir in toasted almonds. Cover and chill until ready to serve

Smoked Gouda and Caramelized Onion Quesadillas

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
smoked Gouda cheese, sliced thin
green apple, sliced thin
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, brown sugar and vinegar; sauté until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
Heat a heavy skillet and put in a bit of butter or spray a tortilla with Pam. Layer cheese, onions and apple slices and top with another tortilla. Brush top tortilla with melted butter or spray with Pam.
Cook quesadillas just until brown spots appear, flip and cook until golden. Cut into wedges and serve

Crunchy Pea Salad

10 oz fresh or frozen peas
1/4 cup crisp bacon (crumbled)
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup diced green onion
1 cup cashews
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 cup prepared ranch dressing
Rinse peas in hot water (or steam if fresh); drain. Combine vegetables, nuts, and bacon with sour cream. Mix dressing, mustard and garlic together; pour over salad mixture. Toss gently. Chill for a couple hours.

Grilled Potato and Onion Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon

1 pound sliced meaty bacon
3 red onions, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 pounds small new potatoes (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter), scrubbed 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 pound blue cheese, such as Gorgonzola, Roquefort or Maytag Blue, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the bacon slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until they are brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Transfer the bacon slices to paper towel lined plates to drain. Crumble into 1/2-inch pieces. Light a grill. In a large bowl, toss the red onion slices with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the onions over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and tender, about 5 minutes. Cut the grilled onions into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large pot of salted cold water, bring the potatoes to a boil. Simmer until they are beginning to get tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and cut them in half. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the potatoes over moderately high heat, turning once, until they are tender and browned, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the blue cheese. Add the bacon, onions and potatoes and toss to coat. Transfer the salad to a clean bowl and serve.

Strawberries and Cream Muffins

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cup strawberries
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in large bowl. Add egg, cream, and butter, stirring only enough to dampen flour. Reserve 1/4 cup flour, toss in with berries. Fold in to batter last. Bake 20-25 minutes. *Jessica's notes: Since the recipe wasn't specific: 1. I found that by filling each cup 3/4 or slightly less I was able to get 18 cupcake sized muffins. 2. I roughly chopped the strawberries in 1/2 bite-sized chunks 3. I sprinkled just a small bit of granulated sugar on top of each muffin before baking. 4. Since my oven (gas oven) is touchy with muffins in the tins I have, I reduced the heat to 350º

Baked Spaghetti

Paula Deen's cookbook
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
½ cup diced onions
½ cup diced green peppers
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
1 ½ tsp. Garlic,
Pepper,
Salt
1 ½ tsp. Seasoned Salt
1 ½ tsp. sugar
½ lbs. ground beef
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
To make the sauce, in a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef in a saucepan. Cook until no pink remains, then drain off the fat. Add the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for another 20 minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to package directions. Cover the bottom of a 13 X 9 X 2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta, then half of the cheese; repeat layers, ending with the sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with remaining cheese, return to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into squares before serving. Serves 10.

Chicken Rolls with Cheese and Bacon

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 string cheese
4 T cream cheese
4 slices bacon
seasoning salt
4 dabs of butter
1 oz shredded cheddar cheese
First you need to pound our your chicken so you can roll it..
Cut your string cheeses into halves... cook your bacon the way you like it.
Lay out your chicken, put string cheese, cream cheese and a slice of bacon in the center... next fold the ends together and stick with a toothpick to hold...place in a dish with a lid and sprinkle with seasoning, dab with butter and put lid on.
Bake @ 375 for 45 minutes (max) ... take out and sprinkle with cheddar cheese and put back in for 5 minutes to melt

Parmesean Rice

2/3 cup long grain rice
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 2/3 cup chicken broth (or 1 2/3 cup water with chicken boullion)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Parsley
Brown rice with butter or margarine in a skillet. Stir in chicken broth and parmesan cheese. Add some fresh parsley (and some Savory or Basil for additional flavor).
Put in quart casserole with lid. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350, stirring after 30 minutes.
Then I usually have a green vegetable such as steamed broccoli or green beans with it.

Macaroni and Cheese w/Onions & Bacon

(from Williams Sonoma New American Cooking)
4 thick slices bacon
3 Tablespoons butter
1 small sweet onion
1-½ cups fresh bread crumbs
1-½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
¾ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoons pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-fat or skim milk
4 cups shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1-½ quart baking dish with butter.
In a frying pan over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely. Discard all but 1 Tablespoon of drippings from the pan.
Return pan to medium-high heat, add 1 Tablespoon butter. When it melts stir in the onion and cook stirring often, until golden, 3-4 minutes. Stir in bread crumbs, bacon, thyme, and ¼ teaspoon each salt & pepper. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan ¾ full of water to a boil. Add salt to taste and the macaroni. Stir well and cook 8-10 minutes. Drain well & pour into baking dish.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 Tablespoon butter. When it melts, whisk in the flour and continue to whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until lightly thicken, 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the cheese until melted and smooth. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon each of salt & pepper. Pour over macaroni. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.
Bake 35-40 minutes until brown and bubbling.

Garlic Parmesan Orzo

1 cup uncooked orzo
1/4 cup butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Cook orzo as directed on package. While orzo is cooking, melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until just yellow. Drain cooked orzo; stir in butter mixture, milk, salt, pepper, cheese and parsley. Heat through. Yield: 4 servings

Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

2 cups cooked corn
1 avocado, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pint halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp lime zest
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Place corn in a large bowl. Add avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, and red onion. In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir the vinaigrette into the salad and serve. Serves 4 to 6.

Hungarian Goulash

2 pounds round steak -- cut 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup onion -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes
1 cup sour cream
Directions:Put steak cubes, onion, garlic in cooker.Stir in flour and mix to coat steak. Add allremaining ingredients except sour cream.Stir well and cover and cook on low for8-10 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Addsour cream 30 minutes before servingand stir thoroughly. Serve over hotbuttered noodles.

Spanish Chicken

3 lb chicken breasts
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
6 oz tomato paste
1 c water
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can black olives, drained
cooked rice
Combine paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle on chicken pieces. Place chicken in crock pot. Mix tomato sauce and water and pour over chicken. Add Ro-tel tomatoes, mushrooms and olives to crockpot. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours. Serve over cooked rice.

Sour Cream Pork Chops

4 Pork chops (3/4" thick)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup water Pepper -- to taste
Salt -- to taste
Salt and pepper the pork chops on both sides and fry in butter until brown. Mix together vinegar, sugar, water and pour the mixture over the chops. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer gently about 1 1/4 hours or until chops are tender. Add sour cream and heat to just under boil.

Honey Cornbread

1 c. flour
1 c. yellow cornmeal
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. honey
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In small bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk, oil and honey; beat well. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour into a 9 in. square pan. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Sinful Chicken Enchiladas

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small chopped onion
2 gloves minced garlic
1 16-ounce tomato sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
3 cups heavy cream
5 chicken bouillon cubes
12 corn tortillas1
½ cups grated Monterey jack cheese
Preheat oven to 350º. Sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add tomato sauce, salt, sugar and chicken. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Heat cream in separate pan and dissolve bouillon cubes. Set aside. Dip tortilla in the cream and let it soften a little. Place on a flat surface, spoon in chicken mixture and roll up. Place in a baking dish seam side down. Repeat for all tortillas. Pour remaining cream mix on enchiladas. Top with cheese. Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes.

SPICY GARLIC LIME CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons lime juice
DIRECTIONS:In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and parsley. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons garlic powder and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.