Quick Dill Refrigerator Pickles

This comes from Rachael Ray and is SO good to use up those fresh cucumbers that my neighbor brings me from her garden!

Quick Pickles
1/2 cup white vinegar, eyeball it
2 rounded teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove cracked garlic
1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves, chopped or snipped
1 bay leaf
4 kirby cucumbers, cut into 1-inch slices on an angle

Directions
Heat small saucepan over medium high heat. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, salt, and garlic to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss the dill, bay leaf, and sliced cucumbers together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the cucumbers and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving.

My Friend's Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Polleen's Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 eggs
1 cube butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar (1/2 c. light brown 1/2 c. dark brown)
2/3 cup shortening
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla (1 tsp. pure vanilla/ 1 tsp. vanilla extract)
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups flour
1 pkg. semi sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter eggs and sugar.  Add vanilla.  Add sifted dry ingredients.  Blend in chocolate chips
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 miutes.

HAM AND CHEESE SLIDERS

These are pretty much my favorite.
From:  http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/04/ham-and-cheese-sliders.html

HAM AND CHEESE SLIDERS

• 24 white dinner rolls
• 24 pieces honey ham
• 24 small slices Swiss cheese
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup miracle whip

Poppy seed sauce:

• 1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
• 1½ Tablespoons yellow mustard
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon minced onion
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm. Note: Sandwiches can be assembled ahead of time. I don't like to do it more than a day ahead because they can get soggy from the mayo mixture.

Master Freezer Jam Formula

I feel like a moron.  Every time I make freezer jam I screw it up somehow.  You look at the recipe and think, "Anyone could make this!" and then I screw it up!

I like to think it's not entirely my fault.  According THIS ARTICLE that I found online, Sure Jell is up in the night with their freezer jam recipe.  I used the master freezer jam recipe included in the aforementioned article and FINALLY my jam set.  I want to put these instructions in a place I will find them again.  Here.

Master Freezer Jam Formula (Same for any fruit)

4 cups fruit

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cups sugar

1/3 cup pectin (the amount contained in one box of Sure Jell).

Bring the fruit to a boil with the lemon juice, then add the sugar and return to a boil, then finally, add the pectin and boil the mixture hard for 1 minute.

That's 1 minute, not five, not even 1½. In this case, more is not better.

If you overboil it, you boil the 'set' right out of it,

The lemon juice acts as a catalyst to help the pectin do its job. The 2 tablespoons in the master formula is calibrated to bottled lemon juice, which has a consistent level of acidity; for that reason, it is advised against using fresh lemon juice.

And THIS is a nice little website explaining how to measure strawberries, which I always have to reference when making freezer jam.

1 quart of berries = 1 1/2 pounds of berries = 4 cups of berries

1 pint of berries = 3/4 pounds of berries = 2 cups of berries

Most recipes call for 1 quart of strawberries.

NO-FAIL Freezer Jam- Seriously even Strawberry Jam Sets
2 Cups Fruit
1 1/2- 2 Cups Sugar
1 small (3 oz. pkg) Jell-O

Wash and prepare fruit blending to the desired consistency.  Bring Fruit and sugar to a boil, add Jell-O and boil for 1 more minute.  Put in freezer safe containers and allow to cool for up to 24 hours to set.  Put in the freezer for up to one year.

*Note to self, when making jam, do it one batch at a time, not all at once, or you will burn the jam.  Jam fail #22

Best Cornbread Recipe Ever

I have been searching my whole life for a cornbread recipe that wasn't so crumbly and dry that it was impossible to spread butter on without it just coming apart in my hands, but also used ingredients that I had on hand and didn't require a special trip to the store.

This. Is. It.

Moist Cornbread Recipe:

§  1 c. cornmeal

§  3 c. all-purpose flour

§  1⅓ c. sugar – I used 1 cup

§  2 Tablespoons baking powder

§  1 teaspoon salt

§  ⅔ cup vegetable oil

§  ⅓ cup. melted butter

§  2 Tablespoons. honey

§  4 eggs, beaten – I used 3

§  2½ cups whole milk – I used 2 cups 2% and 1/2 cup whole

Instructions

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

2.      In a large mixing bowl, stir the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

3.      Pour in the vegetable oil, melted butter, honey, beaten eggs, and milk, and stir just until moistened.

4.      Pour the batter into the greased baking dish and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. (I had to bake for 50 mins) Watch the cornbread towards the end, you want it to be turning golden and starting to show some cracks.

5.      Remove from oven, serve warm with butter or honey or simply plain. It’s amazing!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole 

1 lb. Pasta (I used penne-you could use any fun shaped pasta)
1 cup Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup Ham, cooked and cubed
1 1/2 cups Milk
8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
2 Tbsp. Dried Minced Onion
2 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper(optional-add to cheese mixture)
1 cup Panko Crumbs
1/2 cup Butter, melted

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over med-high heat. Salt it and add the pasta; cook until al dente (about 11 minutes-I used whole wheat pasta which takes a bit longer than regular pasta). Drain and return to the pot. Add in the chicken and ham and toss to combine.

Preheat the broiler. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream cheese and minced onion over low-medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes a smooth texture (about 5 minutes). Stir into the pasta mixture. Stir in the Swiss cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer pasta to a baking dish and top with Panko crumbs. Pour melted butter over crumbs and broil until browned (I gave it 4 minutes).

Pizza Hash Casserole

Pizza Hash Casserole

Ingredients:

Rotini pasta
Spaghetti sauce, 
Cooked and seasoned ground beef
Pepperoni, 
Olives, 
Mozzarella cheese 

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 until warmed through and cheese melted and bubbly.

Easy Outback Potato Soup

Easy Outback Potato Soup
Ingredients:
1 30 oz. Bag of Frozen Hashbrowns
5 cups Chicken Broth
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
1 8oz. Brick of Cream Cheese

Put first 5 ingredients in crock pot and stir.  Cook on low for 5-7 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.  Add softened cream cheese cut into chunks in the last 30 minutes.

Garnish with grated cheese, bacon bits, green onions, and sour cream.

Basic Crepes

CREPES:

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup water
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Cheese Potato and Smoked Sausage Casserole

CHEESE POTATO AND SMOKED SAUSAGE CASSEROLE
From: http://www.food.com/recipe/joleans-cheese-potato-smoked-sausage-casserole-126623

3 cups idaho potatoes, peeled, boiled and cut into cubes when cool, approx. 1 lb
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, diced
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb skinless smoked sausage ( Eckrich is my favorite brand)
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Cut skinless smoked sausage in half, lengthwise, and then chop into 1/2 inch "half moon" cuts. Cook in a frying pan for about 15 minutes, turning frequently to SLIGHTLY brown.

Meanwhile, put cooked & diced potatoes in 2 quart casserole. Add cooked meat and give it a gentle toss.

Mix all remaining ingredients (except for shredded cheddar cheese & the paprika) in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, melted and smooth. (Use a whisk and stir constantly.).

Pour white/cheese sauce over potatoes and meat. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top, and then sprinkle paprika evenly over the top.

Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 35-45 minutes (watch, until golden brown on top).

NOTE: You can substitute: 1/2 lb. hot dogs, sliced into 1/2-inch slices OR 1/2 lb. ham diced into 1/2-inch dices OR 12 oz. can of Spam diced into 1/2-inch dices, instead of the smoked sausage

Creamy Ham and Macaroni

This Recipe is a keeper and I am sick of having to search for it online, so I am posting it here.  It comes from: http://www.parents.com/blogs/thrifty-frugal-mom/2013/05/21/recipes/tasty-tuesday-creamy-ham-n-macaroni-2/

Creamy Ham N Macaroni
2 c. uncooked macaroni (or other pasta)
3 tbsp. butter
¼ c. flour
2 c. milk
4 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
¼ tsp. pepper
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 ½ c. cubed fully cooked ham
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in the milk, bouillon and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese, ham, Parmesan cheese and macaroni. Transfer to a greased 2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
* If you don’t care for ham, try it without- maybe just up the macaroni by 1/4 cup.  I think it would still be really good!
Yield: 6 servings

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.