Chicken and Asparagus Skillet

Very healthy!!

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 chicken breast cut into thin slices
  ~ garlic powder
  ~ salt
  ~ pepper
  ~ 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
  ~ 2 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  ~ 1/2 teaspoon corn starch
  ~ 1 bunch asparagus cut into 1.5-2" pieces

Directions:
1.  In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, and corn starch. Marinate the chicken in this for 5-10 minutes.

2.  Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and stir fry the chicken for about 5 minutes. Once the chicken is done, remove it from the pan.

3.  Add the asparagus pieces to the hot pan and stir fry for about 3 minutes, then add the chicken back in the pan and cook for another minute or two.

8.  Serve on top of white rice

Source: Simple Recipes

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

Relatively easy to make and absolutely delicious! Makes me want to add lemon juice to all sugar cookies! They were a huge hit at the Halloween party we went to too!!

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 sticks Fleishmann's unsalted margarine, softened
  ~ 1 cup sugar
  ~ 1 egg
  ~ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  ~ 2 teaspoons lemon zest (can be omitted)
  ~ 1/8 teaspoon salt
  ~ 3 cups flour
  ~ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  ~ red food coloring
  ~ yellow food coloring

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat oven to 375°.

2.  In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter at medium speed until creamy. Add egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt, and beat until well mixed. Add flour and baking soda, and beat until well mixed.

3.  Divide the dough into thirds in three separate bowls.

4.  Leave one bowl white, add food coloring to another to make it orange, and add food coloring to the third to make it yellow. Mix well so the color is distributed evenly.

5.  Line a loaf pan with wax/freezer/parchment paper. Press the white dough into the bottom of the loaf pan. Push down until it is completely flat and covers the whole pan evenly. Repeat with the orange and then yellow dough.

6.  Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours or until firm (overnight is best). I put mine in the freezer for about an hour because I was pressed for time.

7.  Once chilled, lift the dough out of the pan and unwrap it from the wax paper. Place it on a cutting board and using a floured knife, cut into 1/4" thick slices. Cut each slice into triangles to form a candy corn shape.

8.  Place 1" apart on a cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes (my oven which usually cooks in less time took the full 10 minutes for these cookies). Let cool on the sheet for about 4 minutes and then transfer to a baking rack.

Source: Kathie Cooks

Pineapple-Cranberry Pork Chops

I came across this recipe while attempting to use up all of the unused food in my kitchen... two of those things being pork chops and a can of cranberry sauce. Super simple prep, and delicious end result.

Ingredients:
  ~ 4 pork chops
  ~ salt
  ~ pepper
  ~ olive oil
  ~ 10 ounces crushed pineapple, canned
  ~ 1 cup whole cranberry sauce, canned

Directions:
1.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-heat.

2.  Season the pork chops with the salt and pepper, then brown in the skillet. Put the browned pork chops in the bottom of the Crock-Pot.

3.  In a bowl, combine the pineapple and cranberry sauce. Pour over the pork chops.

4.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (5 1/2 hours worked for me) or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Source: Crock-Pot

Cherry Crunch Dessert

I loved the cherry part, but didn't really like the walnuts in the topping. It would have been a lot better without them!

Ingredients:
  ~ 1/2 cup butter
  ~ 1 package yellow cake mix
  ~ 2 cans cherry pie filling
  ~ 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350°.

2.  Cut the butter into the dry cake mix until crumbly.  Put half of this into a separate bowl.

3.  Pat half of the cake mix-butter mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Spread the cherry pie filling over the top.

4.  Squeeze the crumb mixture firmly in your hand, to form pea sized chunks (this didn't work for me, so I just spread it over the top) and sprinkle over the top of the pie filling.

5.  Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve warm.

Source: Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake

Strawberry Lemonade Bars

These were messy to eat, but soooooo good!

Ingredients:
  ~ 1/4 cup sugar
  ~ 1/2 cup butter
  ~ 1 1/2 cups flour
  ~ 1/4 teaspoon salt
  ~ 1 cup lemon juice
  ~ 2-3 teaspoons lemon zest
  ~ 1/2 cup pureed strawberries
  ~ 1 1/4 cups sugar
  ~ 4 eggs
  ~ 1/4 cup flour
  ~ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  ~ 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.

2.  In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until smooth. Gradually beat in flour and salt until crumbly. Pour into pan and press into an even layer. Bake for about 17 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.

3.  While the crust is baking, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, strawberry puree, sugar, and eggs in a food processor. Add in flour, baking powder, and salt, then pulse until smooth.

4.  As soon as the crust comes out of the oven, carefully pour the filling on top of it. Return the pan to the oven and barke for approximately 25 minutes, until the filling is set.

5.  Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and let cool completely before slicing.

Source: K and K Test Kitchen

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

One of the most delicious desserts ever! Took awhile to make because I had to make my own condensed milk, but worth it.

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 package yellow cake mix
  ~ 1/2 cup butter, melted
  ~ 1 cup creamy peanut butter

  ~ 2 eggs
  ~ 1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips 
  ~ 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (I used this recipe)

  ~ 2 tablespoons butter
  ~ 2 teaspoons vanilla


  ~ 1 cup coconut (I didn't add this, but I'll definitely give it a shot next time)

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat the oven to 325°.

2.  In a mixer bowl, combine cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter, and eggs. Press into a 9x13 baking pan, reserving 1 1/2 cup of mixture in a separate bowl.

3.  In a saucepan, melt chocolate chips, milk, and butter. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and coconut.

4.  Spread chocolate mixture over peanut butter mixture in pan. Crumble the remaining 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter mixture over the top.

5.  Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.


Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

(Garlic) Brown Sugar Chicken

This recipe is really called Easy Garlic Chicken Recipe. But I'm not a huge fan of chunks of garlic in my food, so I made some changes.

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins
  ~ 2 garlic cloves, minced (or a sprinkling of garlic powder, in my case)
  ~ 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  ~ 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil (I added a little more.. it was too dry)

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat the oven to 500°.

2.  In a frying pan, saute garlic with the oil until tender. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. ((I simply mixed the garlic powder, brown sugar, and olive oil together in a bowl).

3.  Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased casserole dish. Rub garlic and brown sugar mixture on all sides of the chicken until it is completely coated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Bake for 15-30 minutes, uncovered. ((Start checking the oven at 15 minutes... because the oven temperature is up so high I had the brown sugar and garlic mixture burning all over the bottom of the pan))

Source: www.food.com

Dairy-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk

A pain to make, but worth it to finally have a somewhat version of condensed milk without any dairy.


Makes about 1 cup (according to the recipe.. mine didn't condense very much and I ended up with about 6 cups!)

Ingredients:
  ~ 3 cups soy or rice milk
  ~ 1/2 cup sugar
  ~ vanilla extract
  ~ salt

Directions:
1.  Add the milk and sugar to a large saucepan.

2.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.

3.  When the volume is reduced to 1 cup (this never happened to me... not sure how long it is suppose to take, but mine overflowed the saucepan so I gave up), add a few drops of vanilla and salt to taste.

4.  Cool before using.




Source: Go Dairy Free

Hawaiian Rice Casserole

This is a perfect dinner for nights when you are very rushed and tired. Prep takes about 30 seconds and you only dirty one pan.

Ingredients:
  ~ 3 ham steaks, sliced into small squares (about 1/2"x1/2")
  ~ 2 cups of uncooked rice, cooked
  ~ 1 can of crushed pineapple
  ~ 1 cup coconut
  ~ frozen broccoli

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat the oven to 375°.

2.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into a large baking pan (I use Corningware).

3.  Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the top is slightly brown.

Italian Hash Brown Dinner

These potatoes are always on sale at our grocery store. I love to make scrambled eggs with them, but I had some extra left over in the fridge and you need to use them within 3 days. So... this recipe was on the back of the bag.

Ingredients:
  ~ 1/4 lb ground beef
  ~ 1/4 package Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns
  ~ 1/4 cup chopped onion (I omitted)
  ~ 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (I omitted)
  ~ 1 can diced tomatoes (un-drained)
  ~ 1/4 teaspoon salt (I used Sicilian salt)
  ~ Italian-style frozen green beans (my own addition)

Directions:
1.  In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and onion. Once cooked, add the potatoes and mushrooms. Stir in, then flatten in an even layer, covering the whole skillet. Cook for 6-7 minutes, until slightly brown on the bottom.

2.  Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon olive oil on top, then flip the potato/beef mixture. Cook for another 6-7 minutes.

3.  Stir in tomatoes, green beans and salt. Cook until the beans are fully cooked. You may also top with 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese.


Source: Simply Potatoes

Strawberry Angel Dessert

Perfect for cookouts! And when you randomly have 4 pounds of strawberries in your refrigerator...

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 angel food cake (about 10 oz) (I only used about half of the cake)
  ~ 1 box strawberry Jello (6 oz)
  ~ 2 cups boiling water
  ~ 1 lb frozen sliced strawberries **
  ~ 1 cup cold water
  ~ Cool Whip (optional)

Directions:
1.  Cut up angel food cake into small pieces. Spread over the bottom of a 13x9 pan.

2.  In a separate bowl, prepare the jello according to the package (mix 2 cups boiling water with jello until dissolved. Then add cold water). Add the strawberries to the bowl and mix well.

3.  Pour the strawberry mixture over the top of the angel food cake. Use a spoon to push down some of the pieces of angel food cake, so that they absorb the jello.

4.  Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator until the jello sets (I made this in the morning for an evening cookout and left it in there for about 7 or 8 hours).

5.  Cut into squares and serve with whipped cream (or not :)).



Source: monstermama-monstermama.blogspot.com

** I used fresh strawberries, sliced in a bowl with sugar. I lost count how many strawberries I used, but the amount doesn't really matter. Use as many as you'd like!

Pan-Fried Pork Chops

We love pork chops. But every single time I make them, I make them the same way. Breaded and baked in the oven. I wanted something different and quick, and found this recipe.
Ingredients:
  ~ 1/4 cup flour
  ~ 2 pork chops
  ~ 1/4 teaspoon salt
  ~ 1/4 teaspoon pepper **Instead of salt and pepper I used a pepper steak spice blend we had. I definitely recommend experimenting with spice collections like this. It came out amazing!**
  ~ 2 tablespoons canola oil

Directions:
1.  Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil.

2.  Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper (or other spice combination). Dredge pork in the flour.

3.  Once the pan is hot, add the pork. Cook on one side for approximately 5 minutes. Flip, and cook for another 5 minutes or until done. Serve with homemade applesauce. 



Source: myrecipes.com

Quick Homemade Applesauce

My mom usually makes a batch of homemade applesauce every fall. It takes almost all day to cook, but was always so worth it. Today I had some pork chops I needed to use, but I hate to have pork chops without applesauce. And I had no car for the day. And only an hour until dinner. I found this recipe online and thought it was a pretty good quick substitute for my mom's recipe!

Ingredients:
  ~ 5 peeled, cored, and quartered apples (The website said to use good cooking apples... I just used what I happened to have in my fridge.. 2 Golden Delicious and 3 Gala) *If possible, use different varieties of apples. My mom swears that it makes it taste better than when it is made with only one type of apple*
  ~ 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
  ~ sprinkling of cinnamon (depending on how much you like. I like a lot)
  ~ 1/4 cup brown sugar
  ~ up to 1/4 cup white sugar (I used a full 1/4 cup. This depends on how sweet you like your applesauce)
  ~ 3/4 cup water
  ~ 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1.  Put all ingredients in a large sauce pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes (I used a full cup of water and it was too much. After 20-30 minutes my apples were still hard. I then turned it back up to boiling for another 10 minutes or so).

2.  Remove from heat. Mash with a potato masher (if you like chunky applesauce. For smoother applesauce, try putting in a food processor).

3.  Serve either hot or refrigerated (I've eaten it both ways.. warm for dinner, cold for breakfast). According to the original recipe, it also freezes well, for up to a year~





Source: simplyrecipes.com

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

I made this the week after Easter, to use up the rest of the leftover ham. The dairy version apparently tasted amazing. The dairy free version was ok. Edible but nothing over the top.
Ingredients:
  ~ 3 tablespoons Fleishmann's unsalted margarine
  ~ 2 tablespoons flour
  ~ 1 1/2 cups almond or soy milk
  ~ salt and pepper
  ~ 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
  ~ 12  ounces 1/4 inch sliced baked ham
  ~ 1 cup thawed frozen broccoli (I put it in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds to thaw it)
  ~ 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat oven to 350°. 

2.  Butter a baking dish. In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted margarine over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for approximately 1 minute.

3.  Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in milk. Return the pan to heat and bring to a simmer while still constantly stirring.

4. When the sauce has thickened, remove from heat and add salt and pepper. Set aside.

5. Spread 1/3 of the sauce over the bottom of the baking pan (I split mine in half, between two pans). Top with half of the potatoes. On top of the potatoes, add the ham, broccoli, and cheese. Add another 1/3 of the sauce and repeat until you run out of sauce, potatoes, ham and broccoli.

6. Top off with cheese, if desired, and bake for approximately 45 minutes.




Source: www.foodnetwork.com

Barbecue Meatballs

A good dinner on a night when you realize you have hardly any food in your kitchen! I served on top of white rice and French cut green beans.

Ingredients:
  ~ 1/2 lb ground beef
  ~ 1 egg 
  ~ 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  ~ 1/4 cup ketchup
  ~ 1/4 cup brown sugar
  ~ 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  ~ sprinkle of garlic powder
  ~ sprinkle of onion powder

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat oven to 350°. 

2.  Mix first 3 ingredients in a bowl and form into 1 inch balls.

3.  Place meat balls in a 8x8 baking pan.

4. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over meatballs.

5. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Serve on top of rice.



Source: Sarah Elizabeth

Chocolate Chip Easter Baskets

The easiest yummy Easter treats I've ever made!

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (or dry mix)
  ~ 1 cup white frosting
  ~ 1/4 cup flaked coconut
  ~ jellybeans
  ~ Twizzlers pull and peel
  ~ green food coloring

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and flour a 24 mini-muffin pan. Prepare dry cookie mix (if necessary).

2. Place one square of cookie dough into each cup. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

3. Place pan on a wire rack to cool. Using a toothpick, make two small holes on the top of each cookie, wide enough to fit a piece of Twizzler. Cool cookies completely.

4. Add green food coloring to the frosting. Using a small knife, add a small amount of frosting to the top of each cookie.

5. Add coconut and a couple drops of food coloring in a plastic bag. Shake the bag to color the coconut. Dip each cookie in the coconut. Add a couple jellybeans to each cookie. Stick the Twizzler handle on (this didn't work for me so I just used some extra frosting to hold it in place).



Source: meals.com