Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin (Sandra Lee)

1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup 1 package (10 oz) frozen cauliflower florets, thawed 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend 2 T grated parmesan cheese 2 T Itailian style bread crumbs 1 t extra virgin olive oil 1. Preheat broiler. In a microwave-safe, broiler-safe dish, combine soup, cauliflower, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir in Mexican cheese blend. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 6 minutes. 2. In a small bowl, combine parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and olive oil. Spoon bread crumb mixture over cauliflower mixture. 3. Broil 6 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes until top is golden brown.

Mini Penne with Spicy Chicken Alfredo (Sandra Lee)

8 oz dried mini penne pasta 1 jar Alfredo sauce 1 can Italian diced tomatoes 1 T Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 2 pkgs refrigerated cooked chicken breast strips, or cook and cut your own 1 can (2.25 oz) sliced black olives shredded parmesan cheese 1. Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain well and return to hot pot. Cover and keep warm. 2. Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, combine Alfredo sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes over medium heat. Stir in chicken and olives. Brink to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. 3. Serve over hot cooked pasta and top with parmesan cheese.

Salisbury Steak and Mushroom Gravy (Sandra Lee)

1 lb lean ground beef 1 can cream of mushroom soup, divided 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs 1 lightly beaten egg 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 tsp Montreal steak seasoning, McCormick Grill Mates 1 T canola oil 2 T butter, divided 1 pkg (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms 1 can beef broth 1 packet brown gravy mix Rice 1. In a large bowl combine beef, 1/4 c mushroom soup, bread crumbs, egg, onions and steak seasoning. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or clean hands and shape into four oval patties. 2. Heat oil together with 1 T butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown patties on both sides and transfer to a plate. 3. Add remaining butter; remove pan from heat. Saute mushrooms for 7 to 8 minutes. Add beef broth and whisk in gravy mix until smooth and stir in remaining mushroom soup. 4. Return patties to skillet and spoon gravy over top. Cover pan and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Scalloped Ham and Potatoes (Sandra Lee)

We have ham for Christmas and Easter and I am always looking for things to do with left-over ham. If you don't have leftover ham, you can buy ham already cubed or chopped at the grocery store in the refrigerated section. 1 1/2 lbs frozen shredded potatoes 1/2 lb diced ham 1 c frozen chopped onions 1 8 oz pkg sharp cheddar 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 1 c heavy cream 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese 1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. In a 3 qt casserole dish, layer half of the potatoes, half of the ham, half of the onions, and half of the cheese. Spread 1 can of soup evenly over layers. Repeat layers once more. Top with remaining can of soup. 3. Pour cream over layers, tipping the casserole back and forth to allow it to soak in. Sprinkle with the parm cheese. 4. Bake for 1 hour, uncovered.

Creamy Chicken with Broccoli Shells (Sandra Lee)

I have made these and they are delicious! 1 box (12 oz) dried jumbo pasta shells 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli (I use florets) 2 T water 1 large egg 1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese 1 cup chopped cooked chicken 2 c shredded mozzarella cheese 1 T dried Italian seasnonign 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 jar roasted garlic Alfredo sauce, Classico brand (I just used a regular jar since it's what I had and added some fresh minced garlic) 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook pasta for 12 minutes or just until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside. 3. Place broccoli and the 2 T water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes. (or if you're anti-microwave, which I am not, you can steam it). Drain and transfer to a large bowl. 4. In a small bowl, beat egg with a fork. Stir egg, ricotta, chicken and 1 cup of the cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into broccoli until thoroughly combined. 5. Spoon 1 cup of the pasta sauce into a 13 x 9 baking dish and set aside. Fill the pasta shells with the chicken mixture and arrange in a baking dish. 6. Spoon remaining pasta sauce over the shells. Sprinklw with remaining motz cheese. Cover loosely with foil. 7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more.

Chicken with New Potatoes and Spinach (Sandra Lee)

I am always looking for good dishes with spinach as it a super-food! 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp salt 1 lb small quartered red potatoes 2 bags (6 oz each) fresh baby spinach 1 cup frozen chopped onion 1 can cream of celery soup 1. Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet wtih aluminum foil. Trim fat from chicken and sprinkle with s and p. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Broil 6 in from heat for 10 minutes or until chicken is golden. (This step can be omitted but it produces a better flavored dish). 2. In a slow cooker, arrange potato quarters. Top with spinach and onion. Spoon 1/2 the soup on top of the vegetables. Add chicken and spread remaining soup. 3. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Cooking on high not recommended.

Southwest Hot Chip Dip

Haven't tried this one either but it looks like it would be a good appetizer. 1 lb ground beef, browned and drained 2 15 oz cans refried beans 2 10 oz cans Rotel 1 pkg taco seasoning (I make my own). 1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed Tortilla Chips 1. Combine ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. 2. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. 3. Add cheese. Stir occasionally until cheese is melted. 4. Eat with chips!

Mexican Hot Chocolate

I'm baaaaaacccccccck. Actually, I'm trying to get rid of some of my cookbooks where I only like one or two recipes to decrease poundage when we move and the amount of stuff we have in general. My mild tendency to hoard (and especially hoard cookbooks) isn't conducive to a career where we move every two years with a weight limit. So, I'm adding some recipes out of some of my lesser-used cookbooks so I can donate the cookbooks. I still should probably print out all my recipes on the computer or the web for one day when the entire Internet crashes. But for now, I feel they will be safe here. I actually haven't tried this one, but want it to get in here anyway. Mexican Hot Chocolate (Sandra Lee) 6 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk 4 tsp cinnamon 1 T vanilla 1 tsp nutmeg 2 (12 oz) bags dark chocolate chocolate chips Whip topping 1. In a 4 qt slow cooker, stir together milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg. Add chocolate chips. 2. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hrs stirring every 15 to 20 minutes.

Chicken Fajitas

I made chicken fajitas last night for supper because I needed a meal I could serve Elyse's favorite food of beans and rice and have it not be weird. David has been working like a madman the last few weeks since he went back after his Christmas vacation. So even though her birthday was on the 10th, we didn't celebrate as a family until last night. I like to make my own taco and fajita seasoning - way less sodium, no msg, and much better flavor. This recipe was awesomely fantastic. Try it. You'll like it. I promise.

1 teaspoon pure chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
8 flour tortillas, warmed in the microwave
Shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa and sour cream, for serving

1.In a resealable plastic bag, combine the chili powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2.Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
3.Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large bowl and serve with the warmed tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream and lime wedges.

This was off the Food and Wine website via Google. :)

No pictures because my camera battery is dead and I can't find my charger. Story of my life. I'm thinking it's a really great excuse to get that Cannon T3i I've been eyeing....we'll have to see how good our tax return is to us! I'm tired of taking pictures with my phone though!

Peanut Butter Fingers

I love this dessert. It's like a homemade peanut butter cup, but it has to be better for you because it has oatmeal in it. Right? My college friend Laura's mom, Dawn, who is akin to Donna Reed, made these the first time I had them when I visiting her while we were in Washington DC last April during David's JAG school trip. She made them to take to a church activity, or I could have probably eaten the entire pan by myself. Peanut butter and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations. This is a great recipe to take to a potluck or to make for a crowd.

Peanut Butter Fingers (Dawn Eves and Laura Bailey)

1/2 c butter
2/3 c peanut butter, creamy or chunky
2/3 c brown sugar
2/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 c oatmeal
2 c flour

Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars together. Add both eggs and mix. Then add vanilla, soda and salt. Stir in oatmeal and flour. Press this into a greased jelly roll pan and cook on 350 for 10-15 minutes dpending on how soft you want the cookie. When cooked, let cool completely. Frost with a layer of creamy peanut butter and then a layer of chocolate frosting. You can use a homemade recipe for the frosting, or use one can of chocolate frosting that is premade. Slice into bars and EAT!

Perfect Pot Roast, thanks to the Pioneer Woman.

My new next door neighbor is really great. Our kids love to play, and I marvel at how much alike we are. Both of our husbands are JAGs, both of our first cars we bought for ourselves are VW Jettas that both of our husbands now drive to and from work. We both love Americana themed things, and we even have the same picture hung in the same place in our separate homes. We have the same interests, and I see that we do many, many things the same way. One thing we share is a love for cooking and baking. She has turned me on to a cooking blog called The Pioneer Woman.

Apparently, I am the last person on earth that has a love for cooking and baking that had not heard of her blog until recently. I mean, this lady is amazing. Her husband runs a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma. She helps on the ranch, homeschools four kids, makes all kinds of delicious food, takes pictures of the process, blogs about it, as well as blogging about several other things besides cooking, writes cookbooks, has blog readers out to the ranch to cook with her....I mean, how do women do this? It doesn't seem like there is anything neglected in her life, except for maybe sleep. She didn't mean to become rich or famous, but is now both, at least in the cooking blog community. How come stuff like that doesn't happen to me???

My neighbor, Amanda, has The Pioneer Woman's cookbook, and she let me borrow it last week. I sat down, read it like a novel, then went straight to Amazon to order my own copy. I mean, this lady knows what's-what when it comes to cooking. I love that her recipes are real, and that she uses real, everyday, not-hard-to-find ingredients. It's hearty, wholesome food (she does feed cowboys, after all, and they ain't gonna eat no junk!). And she uses real butter and lots of it. You get automatic bonus points with me if you use real butter. And lots of it.

One thing I have always struggled with in my world of cooking is pot roast. I love a good pot roast. It is the ultimate comfort food, and I love to serve it on Sundays. Makes the whole house smell good and the oven or crockpot does all the hard work, which is nice on Sundays when we're supposed to be enjoying a day of rest anyway.

My mom makes a fabulous pot roast. She uses this dutch oven thing that has be at least fifty years old. I never remember having a pot roast she made that didn't come out of that pot. This past summer at Lamberts Cafe when we were at the beach in Alabama, I had some pot roast that was not better, but as good as my mom's. But after many, many attempts, I have never been able to make what I feel is a really good pot roast. Edible and fill your belly, sure. But nothing great.

Until last Friday. I decided I wanted comfort food on a Friday. I had a pot roast in the refrigerator and while reading the Pioneer Woman's cookbook, I found a recipe that looked divine. I have always cooked pot roasts in my crockpot. And I just could never get it right. They were always edible, but I could never get one where I pushed back from the table and went, "That was just an awesome pot roast!" Until last Friday night, that is.

I give all the credit to the Pioneer Woman and her recipe, and none to myself. My only regreat with this recipe is that I didn't buy a bigger roast. Lesson learned. If we would have had leftovers, they would have been great on sandwiches the next day. So I will send you here to her recipe, and give credit where it is due. Thank you, Pioneer Woman, for teaching me how to make a good pot roast. I promise I will never do a pot roast in my crockpot ever again!

Click here for The Pioneer Woman's Pot Roast Recipe

I also made her mashed potato recipe out of her cookbook. I used red-skinned potatoes instead of russets and left the skin on because we like extra fiber like that. And just for kicks, I sprinkled some cheese over the top. Holy schmoly. Just typing this and uploading these pictures makes me want to run right to my kitchen and cook another meal like this one.

Click here for the Pioneer Woman's mashed potato recipe.

I get way more excited about food than anyone probably should. I know this.

Hard Rock Cafe Potato Soup

Soooo...I sort of took the summer off from sharing recipes. This has been pointed out to me by various people...I had no idea anyone at all read this blog, but now that I know I have an audience, I will have to do better! My initial goal was to post a recipe a week. Maybe that is a little unrealistic for my life, but I'm thinking maybe once every other week would be doable. But, I have a little catching up to do now, so you're going to get a two-fer tonight!

This is hands down my most favorite potato soup recipe, ever. My mom dug it up years ago off of one of those copy cat recipe websites. She would make it with bacon cheese bread and bring it to me and my roommates at college. Heaven. It's definitely worth sharing, and I know you will like it if you try it!

Hard Rock Cafe Potato Soup

8 slices bacon, fried crisp
1 c diced yellow onion
2/3 c flour
6 c chicken broth
4 c diced peeled baked potato (HUGE TIME SAVING TIP..I used three cans of diced great value brand potatoes. So much faster than baking, peeling, and dicing potatoes, and you can't tell a difference in taste at all.)
2 c heavy cream (you can use half and half to lighten it up a bit)
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley (I use about 1 T of dried parsley)
1 1/2 T garlic powder
1 1/2 T dried basil
1 1/2 T tabasco
1 1/2 T pepper (If you put the full amount of pepper and tabasco, it will be very spicy. Adjust amounts of pepper and tabasco if you are not a spicy fan or are cooking for kids who aren't spicy fans.)
1 c grated cheddar cheese
1/4 c diced green onion

Cook and chop bacon. Set aside. Cook onion in drippings over medium high heat until transparent. Add flour, stirring to prevent lumps. Cook for 3-5 minutes until mixture just begins to turn golden. Add broth gradually, stirring constantly with whisk until thickened. Reduce heat to simmer and add potatoes, cream, bacon, parsley, garlic, basil, tabasco, and black pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. DO NOT BOIL. Add cheese and green onions. Stir until cheese melts. YUMMY!

Calzones

I love Italian food. I love pizza, I love lasanga. Calzones are the most magical combination of the two. And the way I do them, they are so super easy. I have to share.

Some months back, a friend of mine shared a tip that she would buy pizza dough by the case from the snack bar counter at Sams Club. You get a box with several frozen, individually wrapped dough balls for cheap. I am forever converted to ready-made dough. While there are a lot of things I feel good and confident about in the kitchen, breadmaking is not one of them. And there is so much good frozen dough out there now, it actually tastes better than my version of homemade bread. And it's cheap, so why torture myself? If you like to make bread, I'm sure you have a favorite recipe you use, so go with that one. If you don't want to invest in an entire case or frozen dough balls from Sams or don't have the freezer space, but you're not a breadmaker, the 50 cent package of dough mix from WalMart that you mix with water isn't a bad substitute. But for this recipe, I am using the Sam's dough balls.

You can do all sorts of fun things with this dough: breadsticks, cinnamon rolls (post on those to follow!), pizza, calzones, rolls, etc. For a quick Saturday night supper, I did calzones. The base of the filling is always the same, but you can let your little imagination run wild with what to fill them with. Anything that can go on a pizza can go in a calzone. Here is the recipe:

Calzones

Dough:

Frozen dough balls, frozen bread loaves, thawed, or your favorite recipe, or 2 packets of dough mix

Filling:

1 1/2 cups Ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 t salt
1/2 lb motzerella, cut into cubes


I cut the two dough balls in halves, and it ended up making four huge calzones, which was great because all I had to do for lunch after church today was heat up the leftovers.

After cutting the dough balls into halves, I rolled each one out and placed two rolled out halves on two different stoneware cookie sheets. I spooned equal portions of the ricotta filling onto the dough, then loaded it down with ham or pepperoni. You could also add green peppers, olives, sausage, mushrooms, spinach and chicken...the possiblities are endless! But I had pepperoni and ham in the fridge, so that is what we had. I also added a few shakes of Italian seasoning as well.

Then you pull one side over making a half-moon shape and pinch it shut. I used scissors to cut some slits into the top of mine and brushed some olive oil over the top.

Then bake at 450 for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping. A different spin on pizza night!

Cafe Rio Salad

There are some days people vividly remember in their lives. My mom says she remembers where she was and what she was doing the day JFK was shot. I remember watching the Challenger disaster in Kindergarten as a 5 year old. September 11, 2001 is burned to everyone's memory I would imagine, and my wedding day and the births of my three children are stand-out days as well.

There's a large part of my memory that holds food memories as well. I know. I have problems. I'm sure there is therapy available for it somewhere, but not here in Clovis, New Mexico. I have vivid memories of my fondue experience in Switzerland, my nutella crepes in Paris, my gelatto in Italy. But the first, and sadly the only time, I had a Cafe Rio Salad is a day not to be forgotten. I have Scott and Alicia Buchanan to thank for introducing me to the deliciousness that is Cafe Rio while I was visiting Utah. It was fantastic, fresh Mexican. And those who know me well, know I could eat my weight in Mexican food. And that, my friends, is a lot of Mexican. I think Cafe Rio would have to take the cake, so to speak, in fast-food Mexican. How I wish there were a franchise closer to here.

A few weeks ago, some friends at church did a Cafe Rio style dinner for a church activity. I was fortunate to partake of some leftovers, and I have been dreaming about Cafe Rio ever since. Last night I had our missionaries from church over to eat dinner, both of whom happen to be from Utah, so I thought it was the perfect time to whip up some Cafe Rio.

In a word, it was AWESOME (and easy!). I feel like I can't hold back with these recipes. I have to share them so you can experience Cafe Rio as well. Everyone should at least once in their life! Bon Appetite!

Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken

5lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed and cut into pieces
8oz zesty italian salad dressing (the cheap Great Value brand works great)
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
3 cloves garlic, pressed

In a crockpot, combine chicken, salad dressing, spices and garlic. Stir well to combine. Set crockpot on high and let cook for four hours. Shred chicken. (I use my Pampered Chef salad choppers to quickly and easily shred the chicken right in the crockpot. I also use my Food Chopper to shred chicken, but this is kind of soupy, so I opted for the salad choppers and it worked great!)

Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups white rice, not instant
4 cups chicken broth
2 T lime juice
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 14 oz can salsa verde
1 c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
pinch of salt

Prepare rice according to package directions, except use chicken broth instead of water. After rice is cooked, stir in remaining ingredients. Keep warm.

Cafe Rio Tomatillo Dressing
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c mayonnaise
2-4 tomatillos, depending on size (smaller ones use four, if larger, use two)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
1-2 cloves garlic
1 T lime juice
1 Hidden Valley Ranch packet

Throw everything in a blender and blend until smooth. I used my new Ninja blender, which I looooovvvee.

And this how you build your Cafe Rio Salad:

1. First, put a flour tortilla down on a plate. A big plate. My friend Laura introduced me to homemade flour toritillas. It is amazing how much better they taste than store-bought tortillas. At Wal-Mart of all places, I discovered the next best thing. These are in the refrigerated section near the cream cheese.
It's an extra step to brown them on a griddle or in a skillet, but WORTH THE EXTRA STEP.

2. After the tortilla, top with some shredded cheese. Cheddar, Mexican blend, monterrey jack, whatever you like.

3. Then, scoop some of the shredded chicken over the cheese. Don't drain the marinade off the chicken. You'll want a little of that saucy goodness.

4. Top with a generous scoop of the cilantro lime rice (and for the record, I am not a big cilantro fan, but it just works in these recipes).

5. Then top with beans of some kind, pinto or black. I used black beans. And it's better if they're warmed in my opinion.

6. On top of the beans go lettuce. And load it down with lettuce.

7. Then top with the tomatillo dressing, crushed corn chips, and I like to add a little salsa as well.

Delish. Such a fun dinner for a crowd or when entertaining. Now I'm off to eat leftovers!

Holy Cow! Cookies

Okay, they're not really called Holy Cow cookies. But after eating the first one (actually after eating my *first* spoonful of batter), those were the first words that came to mind. The official name of the cookies is "Deluxe Triple Chocolate Cookies" and they came out of the Pillsbury 2011 Annual Recipe Cookbook and they were a Pillsbury Bake Off Contestant winner, so I knew they had to be good before I even made them. I mean, they have Nutella AND peanut butter in them. Probably two of my most favorite foods, in one cookie. I couldn't get to my kitchen aid fast enough after reading the recipe.

I ended up sending almost all of them to work with David. This house simply isn't big enough for me and those cookies. They passed the co-worker test and the kid test, and most importantly of all, MY test. Put this one in your cookie-keeper file. You'll come back to this one again.

1 c butter, softened
3/4 c packed brown sugar
3/4 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/2 c Nutella
1/2 c peanut butter, creamy
1 box (5oz) instant hot cocoa mix, chocolate
2 c all-purpose flour
1 c oats, any kind
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 bag (12 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. On low speed, beat in hazelnut spread, peanut butter, and dry cocoa mix until well blended. Stir in flour, oats, salt and baking soda until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons (or using your medium Pampered Chef scoop like I did) 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Oh, and what do you do with the spoon you used to dip the Nutella out? That is entirely up to you, but I'll give you one guess as to what I did with the remnants on this spoon...

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

One of the easiest, best biscuit recipes! You will not be able to eat just one!

2 c bisquick or baking mix
1/2 c cold water
3/4 c grated cheddar cheese

1/4 c butter, melted
1 t parsley flakes (I usually leave these out)
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t Italian seasoning

Mix first three ingredients and form into dough balls. Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes. While baking, melt the butter, then mix in the spices. Brush on hot biscuits with a pastry brush. Mmmmm, mmmmm!

A Southern Living Christmas

I took nearly every recipe for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner out of these two Southern Living cookbooks this year. I tried some new things, and was happy with the way everything turned out.

For Christmas Eve Dinner this year, we decided not to do kabobs and fondue like we did last year, mainly because I threw out our crappy fondue pots and intended to buy elecric ones, and totally forgot that I didn't until it was too late. I hope to get back to that tradition again next year. I really like doing that, and face it, fondue is just too much trouble unless it's for a special occasion. Instead, I decided to do White Christmas Chicken Chili, Red Onion Salad, and homemade wheat bread. The Red Onion Salad was a recipe I got from a friend when we lived in Collierville after eating it at her house. The homemade dressing is what makes it. Even if you're not a red onion fan, I promise you will love this dressing. So, thanks, Shauna for sharing the recipe!

Mom's Red Onion Salad (Shauna Cameron)
2 bags pre-washed baby spinach
2 heads romaine lettuce
1 pound finely grated swiss cheese
1 pound bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1 container sliced fresh mushrooms
1 red onion, cut in half (1/2 sliced thinly for salad, other half for dressing)

Dressing
1/2 red onion
1 1/2 T poppy seeds
3/4 c white vinegar
1 1/2 c oil (I used canola)
3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 t salt
3/4 t dry mustard

Combine all dressing ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. You can marinate some of the mushrooms in the dressing if desired. Pour over the tossed salad just before serving.

White Christmas Chicken Chili (Southern Living Christmas Cookbook)(This is not my picture...mine don't ever look this good)

Ingredients
4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves
5 cups water
1 large onion, chopped and divided
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 celery ribs, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
3 (16-ounce) cans great Northern beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
3 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Toppings: tortilla chips, shredded Colby-Jack cheese, salsa, sour cream
Preparation
Place chicken, 5 cups water, and half of onion in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and cook 15 to 18 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken, reserving broth in Dutch oven. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces; set aside.

Melt butter in a skillet; add celery and remaining onion, and sauté until tender.

Stir chicken, celery mixture, 2 cans beans, and next 6 ingredients into broth in Dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 1 hour, stirring frequently, until thickened.

Process remaining 1 can beans in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Stir bean pureé into chili.

Remove and discard bay leaf; stir in cilantro just before serving with desired toppings.

For Christmas day, we did our traditional spiral ham (for me) and lamb (for David).
Then we ate:

Bacon-Pecan Brussels Sprouts (Southern Living Christmas Cookbook)

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
5 slices bacon
1/4 c chopped pecans
2 green onions, sliced
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper

Wash Brussels sprouts thoroughy; remove discolored leaves. Cut off stem ends; cut Brussels sprouts vertically into thin shreds. Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon and set aside. Add pecans to drippings; cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until golden. Add Brussels sprouts, green onions, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 18 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are tender; stirring often. Spoon into a serving dish; sprinkle with bacon. Yield: 4 servings.

Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette (Southern Living Ultimate Christmas Cookbook)

Ingredients
4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4
1 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
4 thick-cut bacon slices
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1/2 cup golden raisins (I omitted these)
Preparation
Combine sweet potato, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; toss to coat. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on 2 lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake at 450° for 35 minutes or until browned, removing onion after 25 minutes, and stirring sweet potato.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 12 minutes or until crisp. Drain bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in pan.

Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, vinegar, mustard, and pepper to drippings in skillet. Stir well. Transfer vinaigrette to a large bowl. Add roasted sweet potato, onion, pecans, and raisins, tossing gently to coat. Cool.

Note: If you have only one oven, place 1 baking sheet on the lower oven rack and 1 on the upper rack; switch positions after 25 minutes. Bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until potatoes are browned.

Oven Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans, and Onions (Southern Living Christmas Cookbook)
1/4 c oil
1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
3 medium onions, quartered
2 pounds small red potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, untrimmed

Stir together first four ingredients; set aside 1 T of oil mixture. Place onion wedges and potato slices in a greased roasting pan, and drizzle with remaining oil mixture. Stir gently.

Roast at 450 degrees on top rack of oven 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasiionally.

Add green beans to pan; drizzle reserved 1 T of oil mixture over beans, stirring gently. Roast 15 to 20 minutes more or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Strawberry Congealed Salad (Cooks.com) 3/4 c. butter, melted
3 tbsp. brown sugar
2 1/2 c. crushed pretzels
1 c. sugar
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 (9 oz.) carton Cool Whip
1 lg. pkg. strawberry Jello
1 pkg. frozen strawberries, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine crushed pretzels, brown sugar, and melted butter. Spread in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake 10 minutes. Remove and let cool thoroughly. Cream together sugar and cream cheese. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over cooled crust. Mix Jello (using about 1 cup less water than called for on box), add strawberries, and chill until thickened. Spread over cream cheese mixture and chill several hours or overnight before serving. Serves 12 to 15.

And for dessert, David requested Pecan Pie (Southern Living Christmas Cookbook)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup light or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (9-inch) deep-dish frozen unbaked pie shell
Preparation
1. Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.

2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.

3. Stir together eggs and next 5 ingredients; stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie shell.

4. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until set, shielding pie with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Serve warm or cold. My mom made homemade whipped cream to go with it

And I made an Italian Cream Cake (Southern Living Christmas Cookbook)

It was labor intensive, but oh, so worth it.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flaked coconut
Nutty Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)
Garnishes: toasted pecan halves, chopped pecans
Preparation
Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, beating until blended.

Combine flour and soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in coconut.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, and fold into batter. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Nutty Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.

Nutty Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
1 cup chopped pecans
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or i margarine, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
Preparation
Bake chopped pecans in a shallow baking pan at 350°, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes or until toasted. Cool.

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat frosting at high speed until smooth; stir in pecans.

We also had Rhodes Texas rolls. Tasted like homemade. Good enough for me!

Also, for Christmas morning breakfast, I made a breakfast casserole. I've used several recipes in the past, but this was by far my favorite. Then I made super easy mini cinnamon rolls.

Breakfast Casserole (www.momswhothink.com)

Ingredients:

7 eggs
1 cup milk
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6-8 slices bacon - chopped
8 frozen hash browns (patties)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard


Directions:

1. Place hash browns in a single layer in a greased 9X13 baking dish. Cook bacon and slice.

2. Sprinkle with cheese and bacon.

3. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and mustard. Pour over bacon.

4. Cover and bake at 350'F for 1 hour.

5. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until edges are golden brown and knife inserted near the center comes out clean.


Tiny Cinnamon Rolls (Southern Living Christmas Cookbook)

1 8 oz can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 T sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
2/3 c sifted powder sugar
2 t milk
2 drops of vanilla

Unroll crescent roll dough, and separate into four rectangles; pinch perforations within rectangles to seal. Stir together granulated sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle mixture evenly over rectangles. Roll up, jellyroll fashion, starting with a long side; pinch edges to seal. Gently cut each log into five slices, and place, cut sides down, in a lightly greased 8 or 9 inch round cake pan.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, stirring until smooth; drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls. Yield: 20 rolls

Christmas goodies!

Here are the recipes from some of the cookies from my cookie swap the other night, as well as one of my new favorite goodies to make and hand out..homeade moose munch! Thanks to my friend Amy for firstly giving it to me and secondly, for sharing her recipe!

Homemade Moose Munch

2 boxes Toffee Crunch 'n' Munch
1.5 c. mini marshmallows (you can't tell in this picture, but I used snowman shaped marshmallows
2 c. pretzels (I used holiday shaped pretzels, but if you don't have those, use mini twists)
1 c. peanuts
1 c. holiday-colored M&M's
3 squares Almond Bark white melt
2 squares Almond Bark chocolate melt


Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt white squares in microwave. Mix in with dry ingredients. Spread on a cookie sheet. Melt chocolate squares and drizzle over top. Let chocolate harden (15-20 mins). Enjoy!


Maraschino-Cherry Cookies1 1/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 tsp. almond
3/4 c. maraschino cherries, chopped (1 jar, 10 oz.)
2 c. granola (without raisins)

Mix and cook at 375 for 8-10 minutes.
Watch carefully - do not let them brown too much - will finish baking on cooling rack - you want them to be soft. (These were SO YUM! And I don't even like maraschino cherries!)

Cranberry-Orange Cookies
Ingredients
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until well blended. Mix in 2 teaspoons orange zest and 2 tablespoons orange juice. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the orange mixture. Mix in cranberries and if using, cashews, until evenly distributed. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cookies should be spaced at least 2 inches apart.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Flourless Peanut Butter Granola Balls

1/3 c honey
1/4 natural peanut butter
2 T unsalted butter
1 c rice crispies
1 c old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking oats)
1/3 c dried craisins, cherries, or raisins (there were craisins in this and they were sooo good!)

1. Heat honey, peanut butter, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until warmed through and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cereal, oats, and dried fruit.
2. Drop mixture by the tablespoon into mini paper cupcake or candy liners. Placce on a rimmed baking sheet and chill until set, about 15 minutes. Balls can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Ingredients
48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar (I used colored sugar, red and green)

Directions

1 Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
2 Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3 Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t salt
4 ripe bananas
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 c mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and bananas. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients and add to first bowl. Grease pans well and fill 2/3 pull. Bkae for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Makes two loaves.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I bake literally dozens of these during the fall season. (These are pre-oven, but they look pretty much the same when they come out!) My last double batch went to teachers, the ladies I visit teach, David, the kids and me! I've had a couple requests for the recipe, so figured I'd post it here since it needed to wind up here anyway. My sister-in-law loves them, and I have promised her a batch at Thanksgiving!

Yummy! So glad for fall and the food that comes with it!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, from Everyday Food Magazine

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t salt
1/2 c (1 stick)butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin puree
1 cup (or more if you're me) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice, and salt; set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar until light and flufy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alterately add flour m ixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips. (The mini chocolate chips are good too!)

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

**I can rarely find pumpkin pie spice, so I make my own. For 1 teaspoon, you mix 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t ginger, 1/8 t allspice, 1/8 t nutmeg. If you're just making 1 batch of these cookies, you would need to half these measurements since the above makes 1 t of pumpkin pie spice and the recipe calls for 1/2 t, but I always double this recipe, so I use the amounts as written for 1 t of pumpkin pie spice.

A twist on Chicken Salad

I have been absent from my cooking blog lately. Almost immediately following my last post, Ethan started kindergarten, then my sweet granny passed away. I spent a week in Alabama for that. Then Sara Katherine started preschool. Then I have to dial 911 on my wife-beating next door neighbor (and consequently, have to be a witness for the prosection in his preliminary hearing tomorrow). Then we spend two days dealing with the Ethan-rock-up-his-nose fiasco. Ethan starting kindergarten has absolutely rocked my world. For some silly reason, I thought I'd have more time once kids were in school. Wrong. I haven't quite gotten my groove down yet, but I feel like I'm close. Ethan is in Tae Kwan Do, Sara Katherine is in ballet, and in a matter of weeks, I feel like I'm living a whole new life. Needless to say, this hasn't given way to many opportunities for experimenting or baking. I have done enough to feed my family, but little that is blog-worthy. I did make some yummy bruschetta using tomatoes from our garden, but failed to take a picture, and a food blog is no fun without pictures. If someone is just dying to have that recipe, then just leave me a comment. Anyhow, with fall coming, the cooking blog will be nicely resurrected. Now until December is my favorite time of year for just about everything; baking and cooking included. I already have a list of things I want to make and blog about. And now that my synthroid has kicked in, I actually have a lot of energy again. So I'm excited.

Anyway, back to the point. I'm fortunate to have some really fun friends here in Clovis. On Tuesday, the (very brave) bishop's wife opened the doors to her home for a drop-in crafting day. Everyone could bring their current crafting projects (mine included hairbows and a do-it-yourself Scentsy warmer) and bring a treat to share and craft and visit and eat. It was seriously so much fun. All the kids who weren't in school played with each other and relatively stayed out of the way of the glue guns. Debbie set up big tables all over the kitchen and living room and covered them with protective vinyl covering, and we ate and crafted to our hearts content. Some people didn't even come with crafting projects, but just to visit and eat.

And boy, did we eat.

Debbie made this to-die-for chicken salad. I am a big chicken salad fan anyway, so I was thrilled to get a different way to prepare it and eat it. It was so good that I made it tonight for my family. If you love chicken salad, get ready. You're going to want to eat this all.day.long. Yum!

Debbie's Chicken Salad

(As a warning, this is one of the "approximated" recipes)

For the salad:

Torn romaine lettuce (I actually had a coupon for a free big bag of lettuce, so I used the larger size bagged romaine. Otherwise, I would have chopped my own because I think it tastes better and it's cheaper, and I would probably use an entire head of romaine).
Shredded swiss cheese, about one cup
Chopped Tomatoes (I used three)
Chopped Red Onion (I used 1/2)
Chopped Pecans (I used about 1 cup, measured before they were chopped)
Chopped cooked chicken (I used about 3 cups)

For the dressing:

1 cup mayo
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Fresh cracked black pepper to your taste
about 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, added 1 T at a time until you get the consistency and tang you like.

Toss salad ingredients in the dressing until fully coated. This is one of those salads where you really do need to toss the whole thing. It won't be as good if you just pour the dressing on top.

We ate this on crossaints (but you could also use pitas or tortillas) and even my children gobbled it up. A perfect paper plate kind of meal. Dang. Just typing this post makes me want to go eat some, now, at 11pm.

Also, Debbie gave me a good tip. She said if you happen to have leftovers for this, the lettuce will get a little wilty-like from being coated in the dressing. She said before you eat it the next day, just toss it again with some fresh romaine, and you won't even be able to taste the wilty stuff. Awesome. We had just enough left for David and me to have lunch tomorrow. I.can't.wait.