Thursday, July 1, 2010

Chicken Mushrooms

See full size image

I was recently at a picnic and was introduced to chicken mushrooms. I am sure this is not the technical name for them but they seriously taste just like chicken! The person that brought the mushrooms picked them from the woods, battered them and fried them in a pan, they tasted just like friend chicken! He gave us some raw mushrooms to bring home and we had them in pasta tonight in place of the chicken! They are awesome!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Pepperoni rolls

Recipe for awesome pepperoni rolls
Bag of frozen rolls
pepperoni
mozzarella cheese sliced
egg whites
oregano
basil
garlic powder

Thaw the rolls until they are soft enough to smush flat
DO NOT LET THEM RISE
stuff them with 3-4 slices of pepperoni and one slice of mozzarella
fold them over and put the seem side down
I put corn meal under them so they dont stick
brush the top with egg whites and sprinkle with the spices
NOW LET THEM RISE
I put mine in the oven on the lowest setting with a pan of hot water underneath them
once they rise a little
take them out of the oven, change the setting to 350
slice the tops of the rolls, i put 2 slash marks
put them in the 350 oven for about 17 minutes

they are AWESOME!!!!!!!!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Peanut butter smore bars

I just posted the recipe for peanut butter smore bars, they are sooooo good. We just made them tonight, they are super easy. I only had the pan I cooked them in and one small bowl that were dirty from this recipe! The kids love them and I am not complaining either!
Peanut Butter S'more Bars Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
  • 3-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 2 teaspoons shortening
  • 1-1/2 cups milk chocolate M&M's

Directions

  • Let dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. Cut into 24 slices; arrange side by side in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Pat together to close gaps.
  • Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned and edges are firm. Sprinkle with marshmallows; bake 2-3 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffy.
  • In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Sprinkle M&M's over marshmallow layer; drizzle with melted chocolate. Chill until set before cutting. Yield: 2 dozen

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Pizza dough

1 packet of yeast
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
2 1/2 cups of flour (I use king arthur bread flour)
1 cup of beer

I use my bread maker to make the dough but you can do it without one. Layer the ingredients
beer
butter
sugar
salt
flour
yeast
* the key is to make sure the yeast does not contact the wet ingredients !!!
in the bread maker it takes an hour and a half, by hand you will have to let the dough rise and then knead it and then let it rise again!
it makes 2 thin 14 inch pizza's!

Monday, May 31, 2010

Awesome Zucchini Pie

Crescent Zucchini Pie Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 4 cups sliced zucchini
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 6 tablespoons butter, cubed
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

  • Separate crescent dough into eight triangles and place in a greased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate with points toward the center. Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of plate to form a crust; seal seams. Spread with mustard.
  • In a large skillet, saute zucchini and onion in butter until tender. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheeses, seasonings and zucchini mixture. Pour into crust.
  • Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cover edges loosely with a foil if crust browns too quickly. Yield: 6 servings

This recipe is awesome. Not only does it make your entire house smell amazing it tastes so good! We have had it several times and I made it again today!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Spaghetti, nothing fancy tonight

Tonight we are having spaghetti with Ragu sauce and frozen meatballs from Sam's Club! Maybe a glass of wine to wash it down. I am too tired to deal with crazy recipes!

Monday, May 24, 2010

sour cream chicken

This was a pretty tasty chicken recipe, I used chicken breast tenderloins not the fryer chicken and there were no complaints! The chicken was not dry and it was really good! We had it with some Lipton pasta side and steamed cauliflower!

Dinner tonight at our house

Tonight we are having sour cream chicken. I have never had it before so we will give it a shot tonight and I will let you know how it turns out! I love sour cream and I love chicken so how bad could it be????

Sour Cream Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons minced chives
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons celery salt
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1-1/4 cups seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 broiler/fryer chicken (2 to 3 pounds), cut up and skin removed
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-fat butter, melted

Directions

  • In a shallow bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Coat chicken with sour cream mixture, then coat with bread crumbs.
  • Arrange chicken on a rack in a foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Drizzle with butter; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until juices run clear. Yield: 4 servings.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Chicken Pesto Pasta

I know it seems odd but trust me the bread crumbs in this recipe are essential! Be careful with the red pepper flakes a little goes a long way!


you will need:


1 box of farfalle pasta you can use whatever pasta you like this is what I use
1 lb of chicken breast - i like the tenderloin chicken breasts

either one jar of pesto or you can make your own with basil, olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts - you need about a cup

cheddar cheese shredded
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
about 2 cups of frozen corn

about a tbs of red pepper flakes ( more if u like it spicy)


Directions:


Cook the pasta as directed. I like to grill the chicken or you can cook it in a pan. Cook the corn as directed on the pakage. Now the easy part - mix it all together is a large pot (I suggest adding the breadcrumbs before the cheese) - I use the one I cook the pasta in! if it seems dry add either more pesto or a little mayo!
it makes a lot of pasta so you will have left overs


I know the amounts are not all exact - I make this all the time and quit measuring the amounts, the cheese is the one thing you can use your best judgement on! I would start with about a 1/2 cup and go from there! I hope you enjoy it, this is one of my favorites!

Lasagna Rolls

Lasagna Roll-Ups Recipe

This is one of my all time favorite recipes. I love lasagna but it is a pain in the arse to make! This is the simplest dinner and it tastes just like lasagna! Well maybe a little different but it is a good quick replacement! We are having it for dinner tonight! We are also having garlic bread and a salad with lettuce from our garden! I hope you guys enjoy this one!


LASAGNA ROLLS!


Ingredients

  • 10 uncooked lasagna noodles (cook extra in case on rips)
  • 1 package (19-1/2 ounces) Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed (I buy the sweet italian turkey sausage links)
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce, divided ( I use plain old Ragu traditional)
  • 1-3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I use a 2 cup bag, you can never have too much cheese)

  • 1. Cook the pasta according to the directions
  • 2. while cooking the noodles, brown the turkey sausage until no longer pink
  • 3. add the cream cheese and 1/3 cup of spaghetti sauce to the turkey sausage
  • 4. drain the noodles (it helps to dry them off at this point in time)
  • 5. spread about 1/4 cup of the meat sauce on the noodle and sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese (I just cover the noodle with a light coat of cheese
  • 6. NOW THE TRICKY PART- roll the noodle up, your hands will get messy but trust me it is worth it!
  • 7. put the rolls seam side down in a baking dish
  • 8. cover them with the rest of the sauce and a light coating of cheese
  • 9. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes COVERED then UNCOVER and bake for additional 10 minutes until it is bubbly!

My garden


This is my garden and my planter box full of herbs! I am trying to use the things we are growing in the food we are eating! Fletcher wont leave my strawberries alone and he has his own blue berry bush this year! My lettuce is growing like crazy!
My herb garden, James built the planter box from an old front porch that someone carelessly threw into the creek near our house! I love it, it is one of my favorites things!
This is my red leaf lettuce, I am also growing green leaf lettuce, butter crunch lettuce, and arugula lettuce.
This is my first tomato of the season it is a yellow grape tomato. We are also growing red grape tomatoes, husky cherry tomatoes, big boy tomatoes, and one the kids picked out that we are calling Mr Stripey!

I have been growing a garden for the last two summers. I love to be able to cook with things we actually grow! Here are some photos of this summers garden!

Here we go!

I am always cooking something interesting and new for dinner. I am really busy most of the time and between work, chasing kids, and everything else I really like to have a good dinner. Everyone is always asking for my recipes and instead of trying to send them to everyone I have decided to post them on my new blog! I hope everyone enjoys it and that your dinners are tasty! YUM!