French Breakfast Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted

These remind me of Snickerdoodles, but muffins! :) I found this recipe in an old church ladies cookbook but I didn't like the recipe so I changed it a bit.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Stir together egg, milk and 1/3 cup melted butter. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until just moistened (batter may be lumpy). Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon When muffins are finished baking, dip tops of muffins in the melted butter, and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm.

Yields 12 muffins

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Muffins

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Okay I am into muffins right now. These were good because they weren't too sweet even though they had chocolate chips in them! This recipe is from Jen Brockway from an old ward I used to be in.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups or use paper liners.
Beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Beat in egg, cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into cream cheese mixture until flour is moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups filling them 3/4 full.
Bake in preheated oven until tops are golden, about 20 minutes.

Speedy Chicken Stir-Fry

8 oz. angel hair pasta (capellini), uncooked
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2/3 cup Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. each: ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper
1/2 cup whole Dry Roasted Peanuts

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time.
Then spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 to 8 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 1 min., stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon evenly into 4 serving bowls; sprinkle with the peanuts.

Artichoke Panzanella Salad

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• 6 cups day old Italian bread, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 3/4 cup sliced red onion
• 10 basil leaves, shredded
• 1/2 cup pitted and halved green olives
• 1 can of Artichoke Hearts, Drained
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size pieces
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In a large bowl, toss bread with 1/3 cup olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Lay bread on a baking sheet, and toast in the preheated oven until golden, about 5 to 10 minutes; allow to cool slightly.
3. While the bread is in the oven, whisk together 1/4 cup of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Gently toss together the bread, tomatoes, onion, basil, olives, artichokes, and mozzarella cheese. Toss with the vinaigrette and let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

Oven Baked BBQ Ribs

2 cups sliced onions
2 cups ketchup
2 cups water
4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
4 teaspoons dry mustard
4 pounds pork spareribs

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, combine onions, ketchup, water, salt, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and mustard. Split ribs down the center between the bones.
Heat a large lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat. Add ribs and sear until browned. This may have to be done in several batches.
Place ribs in a single layer in two baking pan or casserole dish. Pour half of the sauce over the ribs, reserve remainder.
Bake ribs in preheated oven for 3 hours. Turn and baste meat every twenty minutes with remaining sauce, using all sauce by two hours. Continue turning and basting ribs using sauce in the pan during the last hour of baking.

Spinach Orzo Salad

• I was playing with the settings on may camera...sorry about this photo.
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• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 
  

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta, cook for 5 minutes, or until al dente. Drain.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the lamb and garlic in the skillet. Season lamb with coriander, salt, and pepper. Cook until evenly browned. Remove from heat, and drain.
3. In a large bowl, mix the spinach, tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, mint, parsley, green onions, and remaining olive oil. Toss with the orzo, lamb, and feta cheese to serve.

Greek Lemon Roasted Chicken

Simple. Don't be afraid to cook a whole chicken, its easy and soooooooo good!

1 whole roasting chicken (3-1/2 lb.) usually $4 or $5

1 lemon, washed, halved

3/4 cup Kraft Greek Vinaigrette Dressing

3 Garlic cloves

Heat oven to 350°F. Put chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish.

Cut and squeeze juice from lemon into small bowl; place squeezed halves in chicken cavity. Mix dressing with juice; and minced garlic drizzle over chicken. Bake 1-1/2 hours or until chicken is done (165°F), basting occasionally with pan juices.

Serve with Cous Cous and Salad!

Made enough dinner for my family of 5, plus leftovers for my hunny's lunch for the next day. 

Total Cost : $11 for 6 people.

Pork Chop Stuffing Bake

1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Pork

6 boneless pork chops

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

HEAT oven to 350°F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.
MEANWHILE, heat large ovenproof nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chops; cook 4 min. on each side or until browned on both sides. Mix soup, onions and thyme; spoon over chops. Top with prepared stuffing; sprinkle with cheese.
BAKE 20 to 30 min. or until chops are cooked through (160°F).

Italian Sausage Soup

1 pound Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.

Recipe from Rachel S. pic from TLB :)

Overnight Caramel French Toast

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
2 Tb white corn syrup
3 large apples, peeled, seeded, and sliced (red)
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 loaf of French bread, sliced thick
(you definitely won't need all of it)
cinnamon

Slice bread and let it sit out while preparing, so it gets "stale." To make the caramel, melt butter in saucepan and then add brown sugar and corn syrup. Heat for 5 minutes, allowing it to boil. Remove from heat and pour into a 9x13 glass pan. Place apples over the caramel in the pan. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, milk and vanilla. Dip the bread into the mixture, coating liberally. Place bread over apples in the pan (you won't need all the bread, just enough to fill the pan). Sprinkle very generously with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate overnight so that all the flavors can penetrate. In the morning, heat the oven to 350°, and cook for 45 minutes. Serve with Whipped Cream.

A good Apple Crisp

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• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 2 quarts peeled, cored and sliced apples

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture until crumbly.
3. Take half of the mixture and pat it into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Cover crumb mixture with apple slices, then sprinkle apple slices with remaining crumb mixture.
5. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender.

Chicken and Pasta with Creamy Pesto Sauce

Pesto:
2 cups fresh basil
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 medium ripe tomato, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil

Marinade:
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks

1 (16 ounce) package dried penne pasta
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 (8 ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
salt to taste

Place basil, garlic, Parmesan, pine nuts, and tomato in a food processor. Gradually add olive oil, while pulsing, until mixture is smooth and creamy.
In a bowl, stir together chicken broth, 1 cup white wine, dried basil, oregano, and minced garlic. Stir in chicken pieces.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until just al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and sprinkle with sugar. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts, and cook about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken and marinade. Stir in 1/2 cup white wine. Simmer chicken pieces, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Add pasta and pesto to the skillet. Stir in cream, and cook until the sauce is thickened. Adjust salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

I took pictures of it 2 different times. We like it best with Penne.

Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, diced
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Grease 12-18 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. Combine 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons flour over blueberries, and set aside. (This simple trick will keep you from having "purple" batter)(I also like to use frozen)

In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, and stir in vanilla and lemon zest. Fold in dry ingredients alternately with milk. Fold in blueberries. Remember, fold gently, don't stir. Spoon batter into prepared cups.

Combine 2 tablespoons flour, 5 tablespoons sugar ,and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in muffin cups.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack. These muffins freeze really well, and re-heat in the microwave successfully. Hope you enjoy!!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Baking Cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
11.5-oz. pkg Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks

PREHEAT oven to 350º F.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chunks. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set but still soft. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Mexican Pizza

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• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
• 8 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
• 2 green onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 1 tablespoon black olives, sliced

1. Heat the refried beans.
2. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Stir in the seasoning packet.
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. Place a small amount of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Let the oil heat, then place one corn tortilla in the skillet. After 15 seconds, flip the tortilla over and let it fry another 15 seconds. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas, letting them drain on paper towels once they have been heated. When the tortillas have drained, arrange them on a cookie sheet.
5. Spread a thin layer of beans on the tortillas, followed by a layer of beef, and cheese.
6. Bake the tortillas in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Slice the tortillas into wedges and arrange them on plates or a serving platter and garnish them with the sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, chiles, avocado, and olives.

Creamy Orzo with Turkey

adapted from Mels Kitchen

1 tablespoon olive oil
Leftover Turkey about a 1 and 1/2 cup cut up
2 red bell peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces
8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound orzo pasta
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until tender. When the orzo is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water (ladling it into a small bowl is my method) and then drain the orzo and set aside.

While the orzo cooks, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Add the turkey to the hot oil and brown on all sides. When nicely browned (but not all the way cooked through), add the peppers, mushrooms and thyme. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the turkey is incorporated into the mixture and the mushrooms and peppers have softened and browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

In the skillet over medium heat, add the softened cream cheese (if you forgot to let the cream cheese soften at room temperature, no worries! Pop it in the microwave for one minute on 40% power) in bite sized chunks and stir so that the cream cheese melts and coats the chicken and vegetables. Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir. Add the orzo, Parmesan, lemon juice and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and heat through.  Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.

Chocolate Macaroon Torte

1 18oz roll of chocolate chip cookie dough
1 8oz  package of cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of hot chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package of mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup of chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350

Break up the dogh on the bottom of the pan to make a crust.

Beat cream cheese with egg and coconut and 1/4 cup of sugar, hot chocolate and vanilla. blend well, mix in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips.

Pour batter over uncooked cookie crust, and top with remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, pecans and remainng 2/3 cup of chocolate chips.

Bake for 45 minutes, and pop out of spring form pan.  Cool and then place in the refrigerator for 2 hours!

Sweet Niblets

This is my own recipe, I am proud to say...it was FAN-freaking-TASTIC!

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter melted
salt and pepper to taste

Put the Sweet Potatoes in a bowl, with the butter. Mix together.
Place in a glass pan and roast for 20 minutes at 425 until they start smelling good!
Pull out of oven and season with salt and pepper toss again in that pan.
Then sprinkle the brown sugar over the potatoes and broil for 5 minutes.

Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake

1-1/2 cups crushed Vanilla Wafers (about 50)

3/4 cup Chopped Pecans, divided

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

32 Caramels

3 Tbsp. milk

4 pkg. (8 oz each) Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup Sour Cream

4 eggs

1 pkg. (8 squares) Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Mix wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup nuts and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM (50%) 4 to 5 min. or until caramels are melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 2 min. Pour over crust; spread to within 1 inch of edge. Cool.

Beat Cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Melt 7 chocolate squares. Stir into cream cheese batter; pour over caramel layer.
Bake 45 to 50 min. or until center is almost set. Refrigerate 4 hours. Sprinkle with remaining nuts just before serving. Melt remaining chocolate square; drizzle over cheesecake.

Reuben Sandwiches

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• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 slices rye bread
• 8 slices deli sliced corned beef
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 cup sauerkraut, drained
• 1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing

1. Preheat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat.
2. Lightly butter one side of bread slices. Spread non-buttered sides with Thousand Island dressing. On 4 bread slices, layer 1 slice Swiss cheese, 2 slices corned beef, 1/4 cup sauerkraut and second slice of Swiss cheese. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered sides out.
3. Grill sandwiches until both sides are golden brown, about 15 minutes per side. Serve hot.