Baked Potato Soup

For those with extra russet potatoes in storage: I tried this recipe from www.verybestbaking.com last night. It was really easy and yummy.

Ingredients:

• 2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes, baked or microwaved
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14.5 fl. oz.) chicken broth
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
  
• Cooked and crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions (optional)

Directions:
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; saute, for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk. Scoop potato pulp from 1 potato (reserve potato skin); mash. Add pulp to broth mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes just to a boil. Dice remaining potato skin and potato(es); add to soup. Heat through. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Top each serving with bacon, cheese and green onions, if desired.

Festive Fudge

I make this every year for Christmas. I love it because it is easy and tastes great. I will generally use milk chocolate chips but any flavor chips are fine. If you would like to do a chocolate peanut butter fudge just replace butter with the peanut butter. Don't add more than 2 T or it will not set properly.

Ingredients:

12 oz chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 T butter
1 T vanilla
1/4 cup nuts any flavor (optional)

Directions:

Place ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Place in microwave for 1 minute on high. Take out and stir. Then if needed place in microwave for 30 seconds. Spread mixture in a greased (I use pam spray) dish and cool. Enjoy.

Halloween Spud Nuts

I had intentions of getting this up sooner but then life threw me a curve ball that turned my world upside down, so I'm just now getting this up. In fact, my mom has these rising on the counter at this very minute!

2 cups warm water (at least half of it being potato water from preparing your mashed potatoes)
2 cups sugar
1 tab yeast
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted shortening
2 beaten eggs
1 cup mashed potatoes
7-9 cups flour

Combine yeast, sugar and water and let sit for about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients to make a soft dough. Let raise until double. Knead down, let raise again. Roll out on floured surface until 3/4 in thick, then cut and set on floured surface for about 1/2 hour. Prepare glaze by mixing 1 pound powdered sugar with hot water in a large bowl to make a thin syrup. Fry in hot oil til golden brown, flip over and fry til the other side is golden brown. Dip spud nuts into glaze right after pulling out of the oil and place on a baking rack or hang on wooden dowel or spoon handle to cool. Enjoy! (Makes about 5 dozen.)

Halloween Treats

If there is any of you out there thinking I don't have a recipe to add or would like to do something fun and different. I would like to request that you put a recipe for your favorite halloween treat to help others think of ideas for any parties that they may be having this month. It can be anything from a special themed dinner to a fun cookie to a gooling treat. Also add any other recipes as well I just thought that this would be fun.

Marinated Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4-1 cup sugar
1/2 T salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 T pepper
2-3 cucumbers sliced
1/2 small onion thinly sliced(optional)

Directions:
Mix first 5 ingredients well. Add remaining ingredients and chill for 2 hours. Makes a great summer salad.

Chicken ala King

Sorry that it has been a while since I have added recipes. I really haven't been so good at cooking lately. But I am hoping that I will be better now since I have new found energy that I didn't have before. I made this yesterday curtesy of cooks.com. It sounded yummy and tasted great as well. My husband and daughter gobbled it up. I also added to it about 1/2 tsp of Cajun Seasoning. I was lucky to find a neighbor who had a jar of pimentos in her pantry. I don't know if that is required but it seems every recipe has it in it with no optional next to it. Has anyone tried it without pimentos and liked it. Please comment and let me know.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. milk
1 can or jar sliced mushrooms
1 sm. jar pimentos
3-4 chicken breast halves, cooked & cubed

Directions:
Melt butter and blend with flour and salt. Add broth and milk. Cook on low, stirring constantly, until thick. Add chicken, mushrooms and pimentos. Heat through. Good served over toast.

David's Favorite Burritos

These are my husbands favorite burritos and they are quick and easy to prepare so we have them a lot.

2 lbs ground beef
1 can refried beans
Pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef and drain off the grease. Mix in the refried beans and the pepper. I usually use about 3 tablespoons of pepper, but you can use more or less according to your personal preference.

Warm one tortilla shell on a skillet or griddle. Spread grated cheese on the tortilla like you would if you were going to make a quesadilla. Spoon some of your meat/bean mix on top of the cheese in the middle of the tortilla in a line. Top with sour cream, salsa and any other topping you wish (or omit the toppings). When the tortilla starts to bubble, wrap the edges over your toppings. The tortilla will be hot and crispy.

You can store the unused portion of the meat/bean mix in the refridgerator for about a week. You can also use taco seasoning in place of the pepper, or opt for a soft shell by only warming the tortilla on the skillet instead of letting it crisp up.

Barking Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
6 hot dogs cut in half

Mix the Bisquick, cheese and milk in a medium bowl until a soft dough forms. Place on a surface well dusted with Bisquick and knead about 10 times. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch. Cut into rectangles just big enough to wrap around your hot dog halves. Wrap the biscuit dough around the hot dog and pinch the edges together. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Brush (or rub) with butter while hot.

If you would like to omit the cheese, increase the Bisquick by 1/4 cup.

macaroni and meatballs

I am on a roll...

Meatballs. I am sure you all know how to make them, but I want to post so I can reference later.

1 lb of lean ground beef.
4- 15 oz of tomato sauce
pinch or so of salt and pepper
1 tsp of parsley
2 tbl of Parmesan cheese
1 tsp of garlic

In a mixing bowl, add the ground beef, salt, pepper, parsley, and 1 tbl of Parmesan cheese. Make into small balls, place them in a medium frying pan, good until done, brown..

In a large sauce pan, add the 4 cans of sauce. Add garlic, the rest of the Parmesan Cheese and salt and pepper, bring to a boil. After bring to a boil add the meatballs, at a simmer for about 20 mins.

In medium sauce pan, cook the macaroni according to the directions on the box.

Put on a plate and enjoy...

PASTA E FAGIOLI

I actually have a recipe:

Here is what you need

Olive Oil - to thinly cover bottom of pot
4-5 Cloves of Garlic- Chopped
2- 15oz Cans of Navy Beans-strained
3- Cans of Chicken Broth
1 tbl dried Basil
1 tbl Oregano
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Parmesan cheese
12 oz small pasta (elbow mac)
1- 14 oz canned diced tomatoes- stranied
1- medium sauce pan


Saute garlic until soft. Add Beans, simmer for 3 mins. Add chicken broth, oregano, basil and black pepper. Simmer for 5 mins. Add can of diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add pasta until done.

I do not have a picture but I think it is really good. Eat and enjoy.

Ryan's Fresh Salsa

4 medium tomatoes (for thicker salsa use 6 roma tomatoes)
1/2 small white or yellow onion
1 jalapeno pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 pinch of oregano
salt to taste
splash of lime juice

Fill a medium sauce pan half way with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, place the tomatoes in the water. Boil the tomatoes until the skin just barely begins to crack (about 6 minutes.) Place the onion, garlic, jalapeno,, cilantro, salt, and oregano into a blender or food processor. Place the cooked tomatoes on top and blend until mixed, but not smooth. Taste and salt as needed.
For chunkier salsa, add some extra chopped onion or cilantro after it is blended.
Salsa needs some time to reach it's potential. Place it in a container and place it in the fridge about 1/2 hour before serving. Enjoy with your favorite chips or Mexican Dish.

*A note about mild/medium/hot salsa: If you want a mild salsa, then slice and remove the seeds from the jalapeno. Try not to touch the inside with your hands. A spoon works well. For medium salsa, boil the jalapeno with the tomatoes. This will help leach some of the heat out of the pepper. Add it to the blended ingredients in parts starting with 1/2 until desired heat is reached. All jalapenos are not the same. Sometimes 1/2 will be enough, sometimes not. For hot salsa and the best flavors (according to Ryan Rowan), add 1 to 2 jalapenos. Always remember to remove the stems.

Parma Rosa Crock Pot Chicken

4 chicken breasts
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1pkg parma rosa creamy tomato sauce mix (Knorr)

Put all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook for 7 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Pour over your favorite noodles. Rigatoni works well.

Peanut Butter Frosting

This is a great frosting on Chocolate cake it is your choice though if you want it chunky or creamy. But like the cream cheese frosting you will have to add more powdered sugar to decorate with it. I am personally a big fan of light and creamy frosting that isn't just sugar. It allows the other flavors to come out more.

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powered sugar.

Directions:

Cream peanut butter and butter together. Add sugar and mix well.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Not really for decorating but I have used it for a base and added another 2-3 cups to make it a better decorating option. Great on any cake.

1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add Vanilla. Then whip sugar in.

I also make a Chocolate version of this that tastes like fudge.

Melt 1 12 ounce package milk chocolate chips and add into butter and cream cheese mixture. Once completely mixed add vanilla and 3 cups powdered sugar.

Also a raspberry version that is to die for and taste great on a chocolate cake.

After mixing all frosting ingredients together add 1 cup raspberries and mix well. Not for decorating with.

Low Carb Crockpot Poached Salmon

Sorry that there is no picture but this was very yummy and we liked it.



1 1/4 lb salmon fillet
1 tsp chopped chives
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs lemon juice


Lay salmon in crockpot. Sprinkle chives, celery and bay leaf beside salmon. Stir remaining ingredients together in bowl. Pour over salmon. Cover and cook on Low for 3-4 hours or on High for 2 hours. Cook until salmon flakes with fork. Discard bay leaf.

I love it

Hi,

This is Maggie, I promise I will post some recipes soon. I am trying some new things, that I can freeze, I will let you know how it goes.

Caesar Salad

I thought that I would add this so I can always find it. My Husband said that he was worried about not liking it but then had seconds. He sometimes tries to spare my feelings but he will never take seconds if he doesn't like it.

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped Romaine Lettuce
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1-2 cups croutons
Caesar Dressing enough to coat (recipe below)

Directions:
Dump ingredients into bowl and toss.

Caesar Dressing recipe found on http://www.cooks.com/

CAESAR SALAD DRESSING

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp of milk or half and half
Mix all ingredients together and shake or whisk until well blended.
Submitted by: Shannon

Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwich

I made these tonight and they were soooooooo yummy. I made them with a side of Caesar Salad. With the Monsoonal Temps and the Humidity I wanted to make something that wouldn't have the oven on for longer than 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

Loaf of White or Wheat Bread

1 Package of Chopped Ham Lunch meat

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

thinly sliced onions

Bacon bits (this was totally for my Husband who loves bacon anything)

Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb

Romaine Lettuce

Spinach

Mayonnaise

Directions:

Lay as many slices of bread on a cookie sheet as can fit or you want to make. Place 1-2 slices of ham (I only did 1 slice) on each slice of bread. Layer cheese on top of ham. Then sprinkle seasoning and bacon bits on top of cheese. Place onions on top to your desired amount. I did one thin slice each. Then put under broiler for 5 minutes. While cooking spread mayonnaise on slices of bread to equal sandwiches in oven. Remove from oven and put lettuce and spinach on top. Then top with mayonnaise spread bread. Enjoy!

Almond, Bacon, Green Beans

1 bag birdseye green beans
1 T. oil
1/4 c. almonds
1/4 c. bacon pieces

The bacon pieces can be done 1 of two ways, the easiest is to buy hormel or oscar mayer bacon pieces or you can make your own, it doesn't matter.

Saute almonds in oil until they are all lightly brown (this smells heavenly). Add the Bacon pieces and green beans and toss. Steam on a lower heat until the green beans are done to your idea of green bean doneness.

Easy Chicken Alfredo

Before I start, you are all going to say "bottled alfredo sauce" ooo yuck, but trust me. I made this for my family and it is one of the few things my kids agree on. I also made it for the Teacher's for teacher appreciation week, and they loved it. So here goes.

2 lbs chicken breast
1 jar Good Value Alfredo Sauce
1/2 to 1 c. water
3 T. bacon pieces (i prefer hormel or oscar mayer)
1/4 c. parmesan cheese (preferrably the nice shredded stuff)
1 T. garlic
2 t. basil
1 lb. linguine, spaghetti or fettucine noodles cooked

Cube and cook chicken breast, add the bacon, parmesan cheese, garlic and basil. Then add the Alfredo Sauce and water. Bring to boil. Serve over noodles.

Taco Soup

This is a meal that is easy to make and very quick. I love to make this especially during the winter but will make it all year long. Plus the chips and cheese make a instant kid favorite. The best part is that it can be made all in the same pot or started early and made in the crock pot. You will have to cook the meat though before adding it to the pot if you use the crock pot. Then cook on high for 6-8 hours on low for 8-10 hours. Some people will substitute the canned diced tomatoes with only tomato sauce or will use tomato juice. Also this Freezes great and makes a ton.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground hamburger
1 small onion diced
2Tbs minced garlic
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans black beans
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can corn (optional)
2 packets taco seasoning
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
2 bags Frito's or tortilla chips
shredded lettuce(optional)

Directions:
In a large pot brown hamburger on stove. Add half onion to hamburger, cook until onion is clear. Next add canned beans and tomatoes(corn if you like). Add taco seasoning. Allow to cook for at least 1/2 hour on medium high. Then add the other half onion and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. When ready to serve top with sour cream, cheese, and chips. Enjoy!

BBQ Pork Ribs

Desired number of pork spare rib racks
2 1/2 to 3 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce per rack

I don't think there is such a thing as too much sauce. Last time I made these I had about 3 cups [I didn't measure] per rack, didn't grill, and had about 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of the Tupperware when the ribs were gone.

Prepare aluminum foil by folding two pieces together to make one larger piece and place on a baking sheet. Place one rack of ribs on the foil, pour sauce over ribs. Repeat with remaining racks. (I would do no more than 3 racks per group, depending on how much you want to make and how big your foil is.) If you are only doing one rack, you can cut it in half and stack the pieces on top of each other. Bring edges of foil up over ribs and secure. You want to prevent your sauce from escaping. You can always double foil too.

Bake at 300 degrees for 4 - 5 hours. (Usually I end up cooking for 4 1/2 hours.) If you prefer to have a little crunchy layer on your ribs, you can throw on the BBQ grill for about 5 - 10 minutes. If you do this, baste the ribs in the sauce to help keep them moist. These are fall off the bone, melt in your mouth delicious out of the oven. I also don't see why you couldn't throw these in the crock pot if you preferred. Especially if you were only going to do one rack at a time. Just cut them to fit.

If you are really ambitious, you can make your own BBQ sauce, but I just used the Famous Dave's sauce I got at Sam's Club where I also got the ribs and my husband couldn't stop telling me how good they were. We cooked one rack and I put the others into freezer bags with the sauce and stuck them in the freezer for another day when I want gourmet taste with mac-n-cheese effort.

Crockpot Enchiladas

I found this on the Yummy Food 4 All recipe Blog, posted by Nora's World. It was very tasty and we tried it in the Crock Pot. But instead of the 5-7 hours on low we did 3 hours on high while we were at church. It was perfect. Since we get out of church at 5 pm we were able to come home and eat right away. The other nice thing is with the crock pot Liners that we have it is very little clean up as well. Oh and we didn't have chili powder and cumin so we substituted those ingredients with 2 tsp of Taco Seasoning and we didn't add the salt and pepper either. Oh and we didn't have diced tomatoes with green chilies but we did have a can of green chilies and a can of diced tomatoes and so we used that instead. It was very yummy. Definitely something worth trying if you are looking for an easy crock pot meal. Below is the directions that I copy and pasted from Yummy food 4 All blog. She has a picture there. So if you would like to see how this looks click on the link below to get to this recipe.
http://yummyfood4all.blogspot.com/2008/05/crockpot-enchiladas-although-i-have.html

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar and jack)
flour tortillas

Directions:
In a skillet, cook beef and onion until beef is browned and onion is tender; drain. Add the next eight ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Now there is some debate as to assembly...

There is the slow cooker way:
In a 5-qt. slow cooker, layer about 3/4 cup beef mixture, one tortilla and about 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until heated through.

Nora's World in-laws way:
On a microwave safe plate, layer 3/4 C beef mixture, one tortilla and 1/2 C cheese. Repeat layers. Heat in the microwave for about 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Cut into wedges and serve.

Nora's World preferred method:
Layer ingredients in a round casserole dish (beef, tortilla, cheese, repeat). bake in a 350 degree oven 20 minutes or until heated through.

Nora's world found this at Sam's Club "I got a case (8 cans) of diced tomatoes with green chilies for $2. Nice."

The Sweetest and Simplest Peanut Butter Cookies Ever!

1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg

Mix, roll in hand, fork and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 mins. Bakes 1 dozen.

Chicken Salad

I made this for dinner tonight using Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs because I was out of Chicken Breasts and you can get a big bag at Costco that helps to stretch the budget in between shopping trips. But in all fairness I would prefer white meat to dark meat. Personal preference on mayo always goes to Best foods/Hellmans Real Mayonnaise. I hope that you enjoy.

Ingredients:
3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
water
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup diced celery (optional)
1/4-1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups sliced grapes
1/4 cup Mayonnaise

Directions:
In a pot cover chicken breasts with water. Boil Chicken until it can be easily separated with a fork. When chicken is finished remove from water and shred. I will use the food processor for this. My suggestion is to only pulse for 1/2 a minute. Any longer and it will break the chicken up too much and will make it grainy tasting. After shredding the chicken set it in the fridge to cool. When you are ready to mix ingredients together remove chicken from fridge and add carrots, onions, grapes, celery and mayonnaise into a mixing bowl with chicken. Mix and Serve.

Serving Suggestions:
croissants, rolls, pita bread, crackers, or on a bed of lettuce.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I actually made this recipe with Reese's pieces candy instead of the chocolate chips. They were way yummy. Plus my husband prefers them with Reese's Pieces since he is a Reese's fan. Remember to not cook longer than 10 minutes or they will be overcooked. Also make sure to leave them on the cookie sheet for 7 minutes or they will be undercooked. They taste great with different candies.


Ingredients:
3/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup melted butter
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 package chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix sugars, butter, and egg in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in Chocolate chips. Drop dough by spoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. No more than 10 minutes. Cookies will look soft. Leave on cookie sheet for 7 minutes.

Tres Leches Cake (Three Milk Cake)

courtesy of Kari Celaya and Sandra Martinez

1 yellow cake mix - prepare and bake as usual

1 can of each: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and coconut milk.

When cake is done, with a fork, poke holes throughout the cake. Mix all the can of milks together and pour over cake….and refrigerate.

Orzo Salad

courtesy of Foodnetwork.com
Giada De Laurentiis

4 cups Chicken Broth
1 1/2 cup Orzo
1 (15 OZ) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
about 3/4 cup red wine vinaigrette, recipe follows
salt and pepper

Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.

Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if desired.

Basic Italian Bread

From: Misty Lindsey


Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

2 cups water, lukewarm 1 3/4 ounces cake yeast (1/3 cup) {I used 1 1/2 Tab regular dry active yeast}5 3/4 cups bread flour {I only used 4 1/2 cups}1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon salt 1 egg white, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Place the water and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. Using a dough hook attachment, add the flour and sugar to the water and mix on low speed until a dough starts to form. Drizzle the oil and salt into the dough and beat on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place for 11/2 hours or until doubled in size. Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll. The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and rounded (not pointed) ends.
Preheat the oven lined with a pizza stone to 425 degrees F. Alternately, an inverted baking sheet may be used in place of a pizza stone.

Place the dough on a baker's peel heavily dusted with semolina flour, or cornmeal, or alternately on an inverted baking sheet. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a damp towel, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Brush the dough with the egg white and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, score 3 (1/4-inch deep) slashes across the top of the dough at a 45 degree angle.
Spray the dough generously with water from a water bottle and place in the oven on the baking stone. Immediately close the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and spray the dough again with the water bottle. Close the oven door and bake for an additional 3 minutes before spraying the dough for a third time (the spraying of the dough will ensure a crisp golden brown crust). Bake the dough for 45 minutes, or until a hollow thud is heard when the bread is whacked with the bowl of a wooden spoon. Allow the bread to cool slightly before serving.
{I only heated my oven to 400 degrees and baked for 35 minutes after spraying with water and it still turned out very brown and perfectly baked.}

Bread or Dinner Rolls

From: Misty Lindsey

2 cup warm water
approx 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbls yeast

Allow to bloom for about 5 minutes

1 tsp. salt
1 cube melted butter (or 1/3 cup olive oil)
about 4 1/2 cup flour (start with less because you can add more if needed)

Let knead in an electric mixer until you have a soft, smooth dough. A little sticky is preferred, but not too sticky. Let set for about 10 minutes then form into loaves or rolls. Bake at 350-375 for 25-30 minutes. Time will need to be adjusted for the oven and the shape of the dough. This recipe also makes a good pizza crust.

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie

From: Misty Lindsey

1 cup shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco)
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

Cream these really well. I let my mixer beat them on med-high for probably close to 10 minutes. You want it to get really light in color and fluffy.

2 eggs
1/2 Tbls water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal (optional)
Chocolate chips to taste and nuts if desired

Bake at 375 for about 12 minutes. Don't let them get brown. Allow to cool on the sheet. you can also freeze the dough balls to bake later.

Strawberry Limeade

I made this with our Sunday Dinner it was very yummy. I had Strawberries and Limeade and thought that it would taste great together. I also thought but didn't do that it would have been yummy with crushed or shaved ice added kind of like the drink at Sonic.

Ingredients:
1 frozen limeade concentrate
2 quarts water
2 cups strawberries
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:
Mix Limeade with water. Put Strawberries and sugar in blender or food processor and puree for 10 seconds. Add Strawberry mixture to Limeade. Chill and Serve.

Hawaiian Chicken

I was looking for an easy recipe to make in a Crock pot today since we get out of church at 5 pm. Preparing anything when we get home has us eating really late. This recipe is courtesy of Nora's world on Yummy Food 4 All Blog. I also halved the recipe since there is only 2 adults and a baby in our home. I hope that you enjoy, it was very yummy.

6 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 16 oz cans pineapple slices, drained
2 15 oz cans mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 C cornstarch
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C lemon juice
1 t salt
1 t ginger
1/2 t ground red pepper

Put the chicken in the crock pot. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours. Serve over rice. To freeze, put chicken in a Ziploc, mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Serves 8-10.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is a favorite side salad among my family members.

Ingredients:
bag of spinach
1 pint sliced strawberries
1 cup chopped pecans (you can use walnuts if you don't have pecans)
2 Tbs maple syrup
small red onion sliced (optional)

Directions:
Put Spinach and Sliced Strawberries in a mixing bowl. Caramelize Pecans in a skillet with
Maple syrup(I have also at times just bought caramelized pecans in the store). When Pecan's are done add them to the mixing bowl. At this point if you like you can add the Red Onion. Next make Poppy Seed Dressing. Add Dressing just before serving to prevent spinach from wilting.

Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 c mayo
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp lime juice or vinegar

Directions:
In Blender mix ingredients for Dressing together.

Italian chicken pasta salad

I made this for dinner last night. It was perfect for a hot summer day. Light and easy.

Ingredients:

8 ounces small shell pasta
2-3 chicken breasts
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb garlic
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 cup fresh/frozen vegetables of choice(I used a frozen medley from Costco, with squash, carrots, broccoli and Cauliflower).
1 cup sliced olives
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup mayo (optional)
salt and peeper to taste (optional)
Parsley for garnish

Directions:

Cook pasta over stove top according to directions on package. In a skillet cook chicken with olive oil, garlic, and soy sauce. When chicken is cooked add vegetables on top of chicken while burner is on med/low to steam. When everything is done remove pasta from stove top and drain. Cool pasta in strainer while removing vegetables and chicken from pan. Cut vegetables and chicken to desired sizes. Then add pasta and remaining ingredients to a bowl and serve. Serves 6