Witchy Fingers

This year I decided to make my kids a week worth of spooky dinner as a countdown to Halloween.  One of our spookiest dinners this week was these Witchy Fingers.  I used Tyson Chicken's Anytiser Chicken Fingers, baked them according to package directsions and added slices of tomatoes for fingernails.  However, red or green pepper slices would have also made for some wicked fingernails!  The kids loved them!

Pumpkin Krispie Treats

I get to be in charge of taking treats into Sweetheart's class for Halloween and we saw this cute idea on the Rice Krispies website.  To get the orange color of the pumpkins, we added red and yellow food coloring to the marshmallow and butter when we melted them in the sauce pan.  Z thought that the green leaves made them look like apples too much, so next time I may just go with a green stem and no leaves.  And the Rice Krispies site says you can hide a treasure (mini candybar) in the middle of each pumpkin for an extra surprise.  To see the recipe, you can go HERE.

Jell-O Brains

This year Kraft Foods came out with a Halloween masterpiece, Jell-O Brain Mold... even better, it was free, I just paid the $3 in shipping.  $3 well spent.  This will be a Halloween tradition for years to come.  Just look at the beautiful brain.  Who knew peach Jell-O mixed with evaporated milk would make such a perfect brain color.  If you have a chance you really need to get your hands on one of these babies!

Monster Sneeze Dip with Dipping Bones

Every year my awesome mom sponsors a grandkids Halloween party.  My sisters and I wrack our creative little brains to bring fun snacks and activities to the party.  This was my contribution this year.  This spinach dip also just so happens to be a family favorite!

Monster Sneeze Dip

(Knorr Spinach Dip)

Source: Knorr

Ingredients:

1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, cooked, cooled and squeezed dry 1 container (16 oz.) sour cream 1 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise 1 package Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix 1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and chopped (optional) 3 green onions, chopped (optional)

Directions:Combine all ingredients and chill about 2 hours. Serve with your favorite dippers to your favorite people.

Bone Sticks:
Ingredients
1 tube prepared pizza crust

Directions:
Preheat oven according to package directions.  Cut long thin strips (about 36) and roll into bone shapes.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake according to package directions (though you may want to start watching it a couple of minutes before it it time to take them out, as they are thin and can burn easily), the crunchier the better for dipping!

Happy Halloween!



Cheesy Bacon Chicken

This dinner was both fancy and easy to make.  The bacon and cheese sticks gave it instant kid appeal!

Bacon and Cheesey Chicken

Source: Basic Bites (this website is amazing for basic, practical, family dinners that kids will eat!)

4 slices of bacon
4 cheese sticks
4 chicken breasts
Toothpicks
2 cans cream of chicken
2 cups sour cream (*I personally halved the cream of chicken and sour cream and it was plenty of sauce for the chicken and potatoes)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl combine cream of chick and sour cream. Set aside.
Spray your baking dish with cooking spray.
Wrap a piece of bacon around each cheese stick.
Roll each chicken breast around the bacon and cheese and pin with a tooth pick.
(I like to slightly pound/flatten the chicken breasts to make them roll and stay in place better).
Place the rolled chicken in the baking dish.
Pour previously mixed sauce over the chicken.
Cover and bake for about an hour and a half.

**Mashed potatoes are a great side dish because the extra sauce from the chicken is great on top of the potatoes!

Professional

My dear husband saw an article today about spooky Halloween treats, which caused him to wonder if Nestle Tollhouse ever did anything with my "Dracula's Dentures" after I took second place in the Spooktacular Baking Activity last year.  And look!  They professionally styled and photographed my cookies even adding the sweet touches of a toothbrush and some denture soaking mixture.  We were pretty excited.  My recipe is up on the Nestle site.  If you are interested, you can view it HERE.  They also posted about it on their blogsite HERE.  Pretty cool, huh?

Best Tator Tot Casserole, Ever!

Every kid needs to grow up on a steady diet of Tater-tot casserole, especially kids from Idaho who have to have a side of potatoes with every meal.  And if you are going to go tater-tots, topped with cheddar and bacon is the way to go!

Bacon Cheeseburger Casseroles

From: Kraft Foods Food &Family  magazine Fall 11

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped (I always use less than this)

1/3 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp. yellow mustard

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I use mild.)

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 cups frozen bite-size potato nuggets

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees

2. Brown meat with onions in skillet, drain.  Stir in ketchup and mustard, spoon into 9-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

3. Top with remainng ingredients.

4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until casserole is heated through and potato nuggets are golden brown.

Upside-Down Pizza in a Pan

This picture comes from the Family Fun website.  I usually like to take my own picture so that you can see what it really looks like when someone who isn't a professional chef or a professional photographer cooks a meal, but life lately has been craaaaaazy between shuttling kids to piano, football practice, etc. and having Z come home at all kinds of weird hours with his work schedule... so anyways, we made this, the picture didn't get taken, but what matters is the dinner was delicious and EVERY person in my family loved it and wanted seconds.  Here is the recipe...

Upside-Down Pizza in a Pan

From: Disney's Family Fun

*I halved the recipe and it was enough to feed my family of 6, though there were no leftovers, if that gives you any indication of how much to make.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion (My family isn't huge fans of onions, so we did about half of what this called for)

1 cup chopped mushrooms (Again, no mushroom lovers here, these were left out)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds ground turkey, (We used ground beef and it tasted great)

2 (15-ounce) cans Italian-style tomato sauce (I used a 14 oz. can of pizza sauce, worked great)

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 cup chopped pepperoni

1 teaspoon pepper

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 (13.8-ounce) package prepared pizza dough

Directions:

1.Heat the oven to 400°. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the turkey and continue to cook and stir, breaking the meat into small pieces, until it is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.

2.Stir in the tomato sauce, basil, and pepperoni and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper, then transfer the mixture to a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish.

3.Scatter the cheese on top and layer on the pizza dough. Bake the casserole until the dough is golden, about 20 minutes. To serve, spoon out portions with a large serving utensil.



Bacon, Caesar, and Mozarella Panini's

I have been wanting to try paninis for a very long time... if you know me at all, you will know that this is because I like the sound of the word "Panini".  I saw this fun and easy recipe on Pillsbury and they were so fun ot make and delicious to eat, that I fell in love.  Have to admit though, the kids weren't such big fans... maybe if I threw out the tomatoes?  But it doesn't matter, every now and then moms should get to make something for dinner that they know they will enjoy and not worry about the picky kiddos!

BACON, CEASAR, & MOZZARELLA PANINI

From Pillsbury

INGREDIENTS

1can refrigerated classic pizza crust

4 teaspoons basil pesto (I don't even know what this is?  Needless to say, I sprinkled the sandwhiches with a little basil instead)

1/4 cup Caesar dressing (creamy or vinaigrette style)

8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 slices

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

12 slices cooked bacon

2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices

1/4 cup butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray large cookie sheet with No-Stick Cooking Spray. Unroll pizza crust dough on cookie sheet; press dough into 16x11-inch rectangle, pulling dough gently if necessary. Bake 9 to 16 minutes or until light brown. Cool about 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

2. Cut cooled pizza crust in half lengthwise and crosswise to make 4 rectangles. Remove rectangles from cookie sheet; cut each rectangle in half crosswise for a total of 8 squares.

3. On each of 4 crust slices, spread 1 teaspoon pesto; set aside. On each of remaining 4 slices, spread 1 tablespoon Caesar dressing. Place 2 cheese slices on each crust slice with Caesar dressing. Top cheese with pepper, 3 bacon slices, and 2 tomato slices. Top with remaining crust slices, pesto sides down.

4. Heat 12-inch skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in skillet. Place 2 sandwiches in skillet. Place smaller skillet or saucepan on sandwiches to flatten slightly; keep skillet on sandwiches while cooking. Cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until bread is golden brown and crisp and fillings are heated. Remove from skillet; cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and sandwiches.

Panda Bread

I know my little panda looks a little distorted, but it is hard to make it come out perfectly, and each loaf takes on its own little panda personality. 

I got this recipe from my most favorite cooking website in the world...Gourmet Mom-On-The-Go and you can get the directions there, but I didn't exactly follow her recipe.  The recipe she used called for cocoa and green tea for coloring, and I knew that if I was going to spend the effort to make bread, I better make Z's favorite homemade bread recipe.  I just so happened to have black food gel coloring so that I could get the black parts of my panda, and green food coloring for the green, then just left the dough alone for the white parts.  I had so much fun making this with the kids, we are dreaming up other holiday-themed inspired breads, so look for them in the future!

Fireworks Pancakes

 I know that I am totally a month late in posting this little gem, but the summers get a little hectic around here, so at least you can use this for next year if you like it!

We love pancakes at our house, and we love food coloring at our house, so this one was a no brainer...

 First, you make the pancake batter as you normally would do, and pour it onto the hot griddle.  IMMEDIATELY, use various colors of food coloring to add dots of color all over your pancake.

Next take a toothpick and drag it through the colors until you have made your fireworks to your liking!

When they were finished cooking, I gave the kids some colored sugars to add some razzle dazzle to their fireworks display.  These were a huge hit!  Fun to make and fun to eat!

Malibu Chicken with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

This is a very quick, easy, and inexpensive dinner, not to mention it tastes so good, so an all around winner.  The inspiration from this beauty came from dining at Sizzler and ordering this entree then thinking to myself, that would be so easy to make at home, so here you go...

Malibu Chicken

Source: Me!

1-2 frozen chicken patties per person

2 slizes swiss cheese per person

1 slice of deli ham per person

Cook the frozen chicken patties according to package directions.  Pull out of the oven and top with one slice of deli ham, and 2 slices of swiss cheese.  Place under the broiler in your oven and broil on high for 1-2 minutes until cheese starts bubbling.  Remove from oven and serve with honey mustard dipping sauce.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Source: Again, me.

Okay, so I never measure out the portions so that I know how to give you the exact amounts on this, but it is something to this effect...

1/2 cup mayonaise or Miracle Whip (I always prefer the tangy zip of Miracle Whip myself)

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp. dijon mustard (or if you don't like fancy mustard regular mustard will do)

Mix all together well, and remember this is just a guess of how much of each, so if it tastes off, add a little more of each ingredient until it tastes right.

Pickled Asparagus

When I was a child, we visited my grandma often.  She was an avid canner and her specialty was pickles!  And not just your regular run of the mill pickles (though she did those too and they were awesome), but she also pickled beans, a delicacy that you just can't buy in a store.  Years later, my sister Lyndsay took that one step further and pickled asparagus.  Since asparagus is so abundant where we live, it was an instant hit.  Recently, I was given a huge bucketful of asparagus from my amazing sister-in-law and so I decided to try my luck at canning and here is what turned out!

Pickled Asparagus

Source: Lyndsay

4 lbs. green or yellow beans (or asparagus)

8 cloves garlic (or more if you really like pickled garlic)

4 C. white vinegar

1 tsp. red hot pepper flakes

8-16 heads fresh dill

1/2 C. pickling or canning salt

4 C. water

Wash & snap beans (or asparagus).  In each jar, place 1-2 dill heads and 1 clove of garlic.  Place whole beans (or asparagus) upright in jars leaving 1/2" headspace.  Combine salt, vinegar, water, and pepper flakes - bring to a boil.  Add hot solution to beans leaving 1/2" headspace.  Adjust lids & process 25 minutes in a boiling water canner.

*So just a few explanations on her directions, mostly to myself, as I felt like Amelia Bedelia through the whole canning process.  First off, did you know that a clove of garlic is just one piece off the head of garlic?  After all this time, and I have claimed to love cooking so much, I am just now figuring this out.  So, I happened to buy 8 HEADS of garlic rather than just the 1-2 cloves I would have needed.  Needless to say, I am becoming acquainted with fresh garlic in my cooking and it is terrific!  Second of all, I searched the whole grocery store before the produce guy told me that they don't sell fresh dill and he had to go in the back and get me some dried dill that he says "everyone" knows you use in canning.  And third of all, I had to double the recipe for the brine to make enough to use the whole batch of asparagus.  And finally, fourth of all, you have to wait a couple of weeks to let these pickle before you eat them.  Not a happy thought when you spent all day and want to sample the fruit of your labors.  But the good news is that they keep for years and get better over time... so enjoy!



Easy Cheesy Peasy Shepherd's Pie

 Have I ever mentioned my love for the Kraft Food and Family Magazine?  If you haven't you should totally check it out.  They have ideas for the simplest and most delicious meals and can keep coming up with new ideas month after month!  This one came from the Fall Food And Family Magazine and is a great comfort meal, so why am I posting it in the Summer?  It could have to do with the month of June that we had where it rained litterally every day and we rushed home from Tee-Ball games and grabbed ourselves some hot chocolate.  We were in need of some comfort and this Shepherd's Pie hit the spot!

Shepherd's Pie

Source: Kraft

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups  hot mashed potatoes

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed

1 cup  KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups  frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 cup beef gravy

 

Directions:

1. Brown, meat in large skillet; drain.

2. Mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup cheddar and garlic until well blended.

3. Combine meat, vegetables and gravy; spoon into 9-inch square baking dish.
4. Cover with potato mixture and remaining Cheddar. Bake 20 min. or until heated through.
 



Mmmmm... hearty meaty goodness!  Guess who ate the most... the 1 year old!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

To me, homemade chicken nuggets are SO much better than the processed ones!  These were so delicious and easy and every one of my kids ate them!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Source: All Recipes.com

Ingredients:

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2-inch sized pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, thyme and basil. Mix well. Put melted butter in a bowl or dish for dipping.

3.  Dip chicken pieces into the melted butter first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the well-coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.



Chicken Chimichangas

 I have been using this recipe for years.  It is seriously one of my favorite things to do to a tortilla.

Chicken Chimichangas

2 cups prepared shredded chicken (there are tons of ways to season and shred chicken, my favorite is probably to let it sit in the crock pot all day with some onion, water to cover, and taco seasoning mix)

1 can refried beans

2 cups chredded cheddar cheese

8-10 flour tortillas

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1.  Prepare and shred chicken.

2.  Heat refried beans.

 3.  Lay out tortillas, spread with warm refried beans, top with 1/4 cup shredded chicken and 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

4.  Fold ends of tortillas in and wrap tightly.

5.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare pan... okay this is the best part, so pay attention.  Cover a cookie sheet with foil, then spread a little less than 1/4 cup of cooking oil all over the pan.  Place the folded tortillas on the pan and bake for 8 minutes, then flip over and bake for another 8 minutes.  The oil makes the tortillas toasty and so good while the cheese gets ooey goey on the inside.  When you are done baking, you can just toss the foil and the pan stayed clean!  You can also make these chimichangas with just beans and cheese or with beef, or pork.

Creamy Ranch Chicken

Creamy Ranch Chicken
From: Delicious Recipes
6 slices bacon, cooked
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 T. flour
2 T. dry ranch salad dressing milk
1 1/4 C. milk
3 C. medium egg noodles
1 T. shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook chicken in a small amount of butter in a large skillet until no longer pink, turning to brown evenly. Sprinkle flour and salad dressing mix over the chicken; stir well. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add more milk if too thick. Stir in crumbled bacon.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Serve the chicken mixture with the noodles and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.

This recipe was seriously so delicious and easy to make, it is a definate do again!

Mormon Green Jello Salad

My mom made this salad ever since I could remember, and I'm pretty sure that this was passed to her by her mom.  I love it because it is so easy to make and always a crowd pleaser.

Green Jell-O Salad

Source: I think that the joke is, whenever green Jell-O is involved, it comes from the Mormons!

Ingredients:

1 can crushed pineapple

1 tub whipped cream (such as cool whip, the big tub)

1 lg. package small curd cottage cheese

1 (6 oz) pkg. Lime green Jell-O

Directions:

1.  Sprinkle Jell-O over thawed whipped cream and stir until Jell-O color is a consistent green, add crushed pineapple with juice, stir in cottage cheese.  Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

2.  Chill for several hours.  Stir before serving.

Jelly Belly $10,000 Cupcake Challenge

I just entered the Jelly Belly $10,000 cupcake challenge, and you should too!  The rules are that you have to use Jelly Belly flavored jelly beans to create and decorate a cupcake, then submit a picture and type up the directions for how you created the cupcake.  You can see my entry here:  A Fish Eat Fish World.

Or you can enter the contest for yourself here: Jelly Belly Cupcake Challenge.

Good Luck!

Squirrel it Away

When I lived in Utah, our Relief Society started a program called, "Squirrel it Away".  Our awesome relief society president even rented a squirrel costume and came and spoke to us about food storage.  It was hilarious.  Since I am such a spaz at knowing what to store and how to store it, I have found comfort in following this program, so I thought I would share it here for any other food storage spaz's to use!

This is a suggested schedule for accumulating basic food storage.  Purchase the items listed per member of your family.  Example 3 cans of corn x 4 family members = 12 cans of corn.  If your family does not eat a certain product, substitute for something similar that you like to eat.

January:
Week 1: 1 box instant mashed potatoes, 1 cake mix w/ frosting
Week 2: 1 box oatmeal, 1 jar mustard
Week 3: 1 bottle honey, 1 bottle syrup
Week 4: 4 cans tuna fish, or chicken, 1 jar miracle whip or mayonnaise

February:
Week 1: 1 jar favorite jam and 1 brownie mix
Week 2: 2 cans favorite canned meat, 1 bottle ketchup
Week 3: 1 large can chicken in broth, 2 cans pork and beans
Week 4: 2 cans beef stew or chili, 2 cans kidney beans

March:
Week 1: 3 jars applesauce, 3 cans peaches
Week 2: 1 bottle vegetable oil, 1 can shortening
Week 3: 3 cans favorite fruit

April:
Week 1: 1 large package of favorite drink mix
Week 2: 1 large box instant milk
Week 3: 1 large box Tang or orange drink mix
Week 4: 1 bottle of vitamins

May:
Week 1: 1 bottle peroxide, 1 bottle isopropyl alcohol
Week 2: tube of first aid cream, bag of cotton balls
Week 3: roll of first aid tape, rolled ace bandage
Week 4: dish soap

June:
Week 1: laundry soap
Week 2: 2 bars bath soap
Week 3: bleach & stain remover
Week 4: tube of toothpaste, mouthwash

July:
Week 1: shampoo, conditioner, other hair products
Week 2: feminine hygiene items, diapers
Week 3: napkins, paper cups, plastic utensils
Week 4: paper plates, trash bags

August:
Week 1: toothbrush, band-aids
Week 2: toilet paper, baby wipes
Week 3: batteries, flashlights
Week 4: waterproof matches, candles

September:
Week 1: 5 lbs sugar and 1 box powdered sugar
Week 2: 5 lbs flour and 1 jar yeast
Week 3: 2 lbs brown sugar and 2 lbs salt
Week 4: baking powder, baking soda, and 1 box foil

October:
Week 1: 3 cans of corn, 3 boxes of jello
Week 2: 3 cans peas, 3 boxes of pudding
Week 3: 3 cans string beans, jar of pickles
Week 4: 3 cans tomatoes, 3 spaghetti seasoning packets

November:
Week 1: 4 cans cream of chicken soup, 1 jar salad dressing
Week 2: 4 cans chicken noodle soup, 1 jar chicken stock
Week 3: 4 cans cream of mushroom soup, 4 cans of refried beans

December:
Week 1: 3 cans of favorite soup, 1 box saran wrap
Week 2: 2 lbs macaroni, 2 lbs spaghetti
Week 3: 2 lbs rice, 2 cans of yam or pumpkin
Week 4: 1 jar peanut butter, 1 box Ziplock bags

Other items you may need:
medications
journal
first aid manual
cleaning supplies
light bulbs
disposable razors

Chicken and Mushrooms with Gravy

This is seriously one of my favorite things to do to a chicken.  I love the combination of the pancake mix coating and the sweetness of the apple juice in the gravy.  Just the smell of it cooking makes me salivate!

Chicken and Mushrooms with Gravy
Source: Rigby 8th Ward HFPE Meeting
4-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Can Mushrooms, or 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Cup Apple Juice
1/2 Cup Water
1 Cube Butter
Dry Pancake Mix (1/2 cup-1 cup)

1.  Coat chicken with pancake mix and brown in a frying pan with butter.
2.  Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish when browned.  Use remaining butter to saute mushrooms.  Addd in soups, apple juice, and water.  Heat untill well blended.  Pour over chicken.  Cover with foil
3.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until tender.
4.  Serve extra gravy with mashed potatoes.

Pizza Pasta Bake

Pizza Penne Bake

(from www.onedishdinners.com)

Ingredients

1 lb. pasta noodles, such as penne, ziti, mostachioli or other “medium” shaped noodle
3/4 cup pizza sauce
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
About 30 pepperonis, cut in half
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
About 1 cup pizza blend shredded cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cook the pasta as directed on the package in an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven.  Save 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and then drain.
• To the same saucepan or Dutch oven, add the reserved cooking liquid and the pizza sauce and whisk together.  Then stir in the chopped peppers and halved pepperonis.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the drained pasta noodles.  Toss together.
• Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the pasta and then sprinkle the pizza blend shredded cheese over top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until cheese begins to melt.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve Pizza Penne Bake and kill that pizza craving!

My Favorite Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Source: (My good friend PPS)

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup sugar mixed with 1 Tbsp cornstarch

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup chicken stock or water

1 tsp garlic salt

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp soy sauce

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1.  Thaw chicken and dip in flour.  Brown in oil. 

2.  Mix remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl and pour over browned chicken in frying pan.  Heat through for about 5 minutes until mixture is thick and bubbly.

3.  Serve with rice and mixed vegetables.

Kielbasa Wraps

 Sometimes, I get really sick of chicken and ground beef dinners.  It seems like they are the only two meat products that can be used in dinner preparation and there are only so many different things you can do to a chicken!  Every now and then we like to mix it up, espeicially when the name of the meal sounds cool, as in "Kielbasa Wraps", come on, I know you want to say it out loud, try it it' fun!

That said, it is also a cheap and tasty meal.

Kielbasa Wraps

(Kielbasa is the big sausage looking thingy that you get from the meat section, Hillshire Farms makes some good ones.)

1 pkg. Kielbasa (any flavor)

1 cup ketchup

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Tortillas

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

White Rice prepared (enough for 4 servings)

Directions: 

1.  Cut the kielbasa into bite size pieces and brown in a frying pan.
2.  While the kielbasa is browning mix ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and pepper flakes in a mixing bowl.  Add to the frying pan with the kielbasa and heat until thick and bubbling.
3.  Prepare rice according to package directions and mix with kielbasa sauce mixture.
4.  Heat tortillas for 20 seconds in the microwave, fill with kielbasa mixture, and top with cheese.

Bet You Wish You Had One of These...

Okay, so I know it's totally dirty, but that just shows you that it is well used.  Every morning when I cook my breakfast, I sigh and hug my toaster, I just love it.  This was a Christmas present from my dear husband two years ago.  Not only is it a toaster, but it also cooks an egg and a piece of ham (or bacon, or any meat product) while simultaneously toasting bread.  So in under five minutes you have all the makings for a ham, egg, and cheese sandwhich (or mcmuffin if you use english muffins)!  It has provided countless filling and low carb breakfasts (thank you bran bread) that taste delicious.

I know, this is kind of a weird post, but I couldn't help but profess my toaster love.

(in case you are interested, we got it at Shopko)

Resurrection Rolls

This was an amazing recipe given to me by my mother-in-law.  As we made them, we were able to talk about the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in a simple way that the children could participate and understand.  We will definately be making this a tradition.

Resurrection Rolls

Ingredients:

1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough 

8 large marshmallows 

Melted butter 

Cinnamon 

Sugar

Directions:

1. Give each child one triangle shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the cloth that was wrapped around Christ's body. 

2. Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ. (Explain how the marshmallow is pure and white, just as Christ was pure and perfect.) 

3. Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and spices the body was anointed with upon burial. 

4. Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow.  Make sure all seams are pinched together well. (Otherwise the marshmallow will "ooze" out of the seams) 

5.  Have the children place the rolls in the oven (tomb) and seal the tomb (shut the oven door).  Explain how Christ was in the tomb for 3 days.  Bake according to package directions. 

6.  Cool.  Open the tomb and break open the rolls, the body of Christ is no longer there!!



Seasoned Potato Skin Wedges

 These are seriously so yummy and so easy!

Seasoned Potato Skin Wedges

From: Family Fun

Family Fun had these in their Halloween edition several years back, but they were way too good to eat just at Halloween time!

Ingredients:

Washed, unpeeled potatoes

Olive oil
Seasoned salt
Onion powder
Garlic Salt
Sour Cream
Scallions (opt.) *I sprinkled mine with chives instead.*

Directions:
1.  Cut each potato lengthwise into 1/4-1/2" slabs.  (If you want to make a ghost shape, you can cut one end of each slab.)

2. Grease a baking sheet and lay the potato slabs on it (pieces with skin go skin side down).  Brush the top of each slab with olive oil and season with seasoned salt, onion powder, and garlic salt.  (suggestion: combine 1 tsp of each spice in a bowl, then sprinkle about 1/8 tsp of the mixture over each slab.)

3.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

4.  Remove the potatoes from the oven and cool for 10 minutes, then "frost" them with sour cream and sprinkle with chives.  (For ghost potatoes, arrange the scallions...or olives, or chives, or whatever you choose to make a spooky ghost face.)

Here is my very sad attempt to make my potato look ghosty with chives.  It would be way more awesome with olives or scallions!

Country Fried Pork Chops

Country Fried Pork Chops
Recipe Courtesy of: Allrecipes.com
2 eggs
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 pkg. saltine crackers crushed
3 tbsp vegetable oil

6 thin cut pork chops

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Whisk eggs with garlic powder and onion powder.

3.  Crush saltine crackers in a ziplock bag.

4.  Dredge pork chops in egg and seasoning mix, then shake with saltines.

5.  Heat oil in a skillet on medium high heat.  Fry pork chops for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Put pork chops in a lightly greased baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Johnny Carino's Bow Tie Festival

 Or you can call them butterflies in creamy sauce, that seemed to get the kids excited to eat!

 This made a HUGE batch in my crock pot, which is great because it will keep the hubby in left-overs for lunch for the next week!

Why use boring pasta when you can get colorful bow-tie pasta!

Johnny Carion's Bow Tie Festival

Source: An LDS church HPFE meeting that I attended

Combine the following in a slow cooker:

4-6 boneless chicken breasts

1 jar alfredo sauce

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can chicken broth

1 pkg. Real Bacon Pieces

3/4 pkg. of dry Italkian Dressing Mix

1 cup swiss cheese, cubed

1/4 stick of butter, melted

Salt and peper to taste

Cook on low 6-7 hours, shredding chicken about 1 hour before finished.  Serve over cooked bow tie pasta.

BBQ Beef Empanadas

 For the life of me, I can't figure out why Blogger chooses to rotate my pictures for me, and then I can't figure out how to turn them around?  Anyone is welcome to help me out here!

Super Easy, Fast, and Kid Friendly!

BBQ BEEF EMPANADAS

Recipe Found at: Pillsbury (Don't forget to submit an entry to win the Million Dollar prize in the Pillsbury Bake Off, due April 18th!)

INGREDIENTS

3/4 lb. lean ground beef

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/3 cup purchased Buffalo wing sauce

1 (16.3-oz.) can Pillsbury® Grands!® Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup purchased ranch salad dressing, if desired

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Brown ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Add onions and buffalo wing sauce; mix well. Remove skillet from heat.

2. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Press or roll each to form 6-inch round. Spoon beef mixture evenly onto half of each biscuit round. Top each with 2 tablespoons cheese. Fold dough over filling; press edges to seal. Place on ungreased large cookie sheet.

3. Bake at 375°F. for 12 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with ranch salad dressing for dipping.



Slop

We love spaghetti at our house, but with four kids under the age of seven, you can imagine how messy it can be trying to teach them to twirl their pasta.  This is something my mom made growing up and we lovingly referred to it as "Slop".  It is the same recipe as you would use for spaghetti, just substituting some fun shaped pasta for spaghetti strands.  Buddy told me it was the "best dinner" I have ever made ad he scarffed it, which is so rare for Buddy!

Slop

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

salt and pepper to taste

1 pkg. McCormic Spaghetti Seasoning

3 cans tomato sauce

1 1/2 can water (using the same can from one of the tomato sauces)

1/2-3/4 pkg. shaped pasta (pick something exciting!)

Directions:

1.  Brown beef in a skillet over medim high heat, adding salt and pepper to taste.  Drain grease.

2.  Add tomato sauce, water, and spaghetti seasoning mix and stir until thick and bubbling.

3.  Cook pasta according to package directions.

4.  Drain pasta and rinse.  Toss in a large pan with pasta sauce.

5.  Garnish with parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic salt, etc.