Mexican Fiesta

Chicken Tacos
K. Blair

4-6 chicken breasts (this recipe makes a ton so if you are serving 8 or more use 6 or more breasts)
chicken stock
onion (cut in big pieces)
2 large jars of salsa

(You can either make in crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours or make on stove cooking the chicken breasts until they are done and simmering after you add the salsa).

Place chicken breasts and onion in crockpot and cover with chicken stock. Let cook about 6 hours or until chicken is done and falls apart. Drain majority of chicken stock and remove onions. Pour salsa over time and shred chicken. Let simmer for about 30 more minutes and enjoy! Very easy and super yummy!

Salsa
K. Blair

1 large can of whole tomatoes
¼ small onion
Handful of fresh cilantro
4-5 slices of jalapenos (I use the kind in a jar)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbs. salt

Place all items in a blender and blend. 15 minute

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
K. Blair

1 can black beans
1 can yellow corn, or yellow and white corn
1 can of rotel
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
about 3 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro
a dash of lime juice (or squeeze one lime)

Open can of black beans, place in strainer and rinse off excess "juice.” Dump in bowl. Open can of corn, place in strainer to drain off excess water, then dump in bowl with beans. Open can of rotel and add to beans and corn. Add onions and cilantro and stir. Add lime juice to your taste.

I bring this to every potluck, and everyone LOVES it. It can be eaten as a "salad" like cole slaw, or
with corn chips. Number of Servings: 15

Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie
K. Blair

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract (I used regular, but read that this was delicious!)
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup honey (I forgot the honey, and it tasted sweet enough.)

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with
cooking spray.

2. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.

3. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

Paula Deen’s Symphony Brownies
K. Blair

1 17.6 ounce package brownie mix (I like Ghiaradelli)
3 6-ounceSymphony bars with almond and toffee bits
any ingredients that go with the brownie mix (water, egg, oil, etc.)

Make brownie mix as directed on box. Line a 9x13 inch cake pan with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil cooking spray. Spoon in half of the brownie batter and smooth with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Place the candy bars side by side on top of the batter. Cover with the remaining batter. Bake according to package directions. Let cool completely, then lift from the pan using the
edges of the foil. This makes it easy to cut the brownies into squares.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
K Blair

1 box yellow cake mix
½ cup oil
¼ cup water
1 egg
1 (12 ounce) package chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients except for chips. After batter is completely mixed, add chocolate chips. Bake in a greased 9x13 inch glass pan for 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees.(I usually have to cook them 26-28 minutes.)

*This is my ‘go-to’ dessert recipe. You just need to keep a yellow cake mix and chocolate chips on hand.

Dinner and Dessert

Chili
K. Crawford

1 small chopped onion
1 lb ground beef
1 regular size can tomato soup
1 can dark red kidney beans with liquid
2 t chili powder
1 T flour

Brown onion and meat. Add soup and beans. Then, mix together the flour and chili powder in the empty soup can. Once mixed, fill can to the top with water. Add to other. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. (Doesn't have to cook this long, but tastes better this way.) Stir occasionally.


Shrimp and Corn Chowder
K. Crawford

3 1/2 c fat free milk
2 10 3/4 cans cream of potato soup
1/4 tsp pepper
A few sprinkles of dill weed
14 oz package frozen, cooked, peeled, deveined, tailless shrimp
Frozen white shoepeg corn
4 oz. Monterey jack cheese (low-fat if possible)

Slowly bring milk, soups, pepper and dill to boil. (Be careful not to let
milk burn on pan bottom.) Add shrimp and reduce heat, stirring. Shrimp
will turn reddish. Add as much corn as you want.Add
cheese, and stir until melted.


Chicken Pot Pie
K. Crawford

3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded with two
forks (I boil it with a bouillon granule)

16 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables (make sure they aren't for
"stew," because this contains okra. Look for ones with corn, lima
beans, and green beans) --or-- substitute veggies you like

2 cans cream of chicken soup (sometimes I get 1 can cream of chicken,
and 1 can cream of chicken with herbs)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 onion, grated

Mix all together and place in casserole dish.

1 cup plain flour

1 cup milk

3/4 cup mayonnaise

Mix together and pour over other (will have a liquid consistency.)
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.


Corn Casserole
K. Crawford

1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can creamed corn
8 oz. sour cream
1 box jiffy cornbread
1 stick butter, melted

Mix all together. Pour into a glass dish. Bake at 350 for one hour.


Chicken Spaghetti
K. Crawford

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
Chicken bouillon cube
1 bell pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 stick margarine
16 oz thin spaghetti or vermicelli
10 oz can Ro-Tel
1 lb velveeta cheese (cut into chunks)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Boil chicken in water with one chicken bouillon cube. Remove chicken
and chop. Set aside. In the meantime, cook pasta in remaining chicken
broth and then drain. Brown bell pepper and onion in margarine. Add
Ro-Tel, Velveeta and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until cheese melts.
Add chicken and cooked pasted and mix. Pour into greased large
casserole dish.

Optional: add chicken broth to keep casserole moist.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly.


Kentucky Derby Pie
K. Crawford

1/2 c flour
1 c sugar
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
3/4 c semisweet chocolate chips

Melt butter in medium glass bowl. Add in other ingredients and stir until smooth. Add chips last. (They may melt a little.) Pour into a frozen pie shell. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.


Easy Skillet Apple Pie
Recipe here
E. York

2 lb Granny Smith apples
2 lb Braeburn apples (I used Gala because it's what I had)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (but next time I may use a little less)
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 (14.1-oz) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 egg white
2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Peel apples, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.

Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over piecrust, and top with remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving.

(Note, I did not do the egg white and sugar. I cheated, took the short cut, and instead sprayed with Pam. Ha! But it turned out fine.)


Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Southern Living
contributed by E. York

CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
APPLE CAKE BATTER:
1 cup finely chopped pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped Gala apples (about 1 1/2 lb.)
PRALINE FROSTING:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Prepare Filling: Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended and smooth. Add egg, flour, and vanilla; beat just until blended.
2. Prepare Batter: Preheat oven to 350º. Bake pecans in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Stir together 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in eggs and next 3 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in apples and pecans.
3. Spoon two-thirds of apple mixture into a greased and floured 14-cup Bundt pan. Spoon Cream Cheese Filling over apple mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around edges of pan. Swirl filling through apple mixture using a paring knife. Spoon remaining apple mixture over Cream Cheese Filling.
4. Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours).
5. Prepare Frosting: Bring 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 3 Tbsp. milk to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Pour immediately over cooled cake.


CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN MUFFINS
E. York

1 2/3 c flour
1 c sugar
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
(Mix all above ingredients together.)

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c canned pumpkin
1 stick butter, melted
(Add above 3 ingredients to dry mix.)

Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Place in greased muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Makes 12-16 regular muffins.


CRANBERRY APPLE CRISP
E. York

3 c unpeeled apples sprinkled with lemon juice, chpd into bite-size pieces
2 c whole raw cranberries
1 c granulated sugar
~Mix above and put in shallow 2 qt casserole dish

1 1/2 c oats
1 1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 c all purpose flour
1/2 c melted butter
1/3 c chpd pecans (optional)
~Mix and spread on top of apple mixture

~Bake uncovered at 300 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.


Black Bottom Cupcakes (from Southern Living)
E. York

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 c sugar, divided
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating well. Add 1/8 tsp salt and egg; beat well. Stir in chocolate morsels; set aside.

3) Combine remaining 1 c sugar, flour, and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine water and remaining 3 ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter evenly into paper-lined muffin pans, filling half-full. Spoon a heaping Tbsp of cream cheese mixture over batter in each muffin cup.

4) Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Makes 16 cupcakes.


CHOCOLATE CHIP BUNDT CAKE
E. York

1 Box yellow cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1/2 C. oil
1.5 C. milk or water
1 pkg. chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients but the chocolate chips with a mixer. Stir the chocolate chips in by hand. Put in greased & floured Bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until done (test for moist crumbs with a toothpick. You don't want to overbake it and dry it out.)~See Rushton's note on her blog about the chocolate chips. I should have done that but was too impatient. Hence, the chocolate chips all sitting at the top of my bundt cake instead of throughout it.

Crock Pot Dinners

Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili
(from Southern Living) E. York

1 to 1 1/4 lb lean ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (1.25-oz) envelope chili seasoning mix
1 (12 oz) can beer (I used Bud Lite. It's what we had on hand)
1 1/2 c frozen corn kernels (I used fresh corn cut from the cob that I had frozen at the end of summer...very tasty...I now dislike canned corn)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
Toppings: shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, whatever you like

1) Cook first 4 ingredients in a large skillet over med-hi heat, stirring often, 8 minutes or until turkey crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in beer, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2) Spoon mixture into a 5 1/2 qt slow cooker; stir in corn and next 6 ingredients until well blended. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours. Serve with desired toppings.


CROCK POT CHICKEN (can anyone think of a better name?)
E. York

Ingredients:
6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter
1 envelope (0.7-ounce) Italian salad dressing mix
1 can (10 3/4-ounce size) condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup dry white wine or sherry
1 tub (8-ounce size) cream cheese with chives and onion (or plain cream cheese)
hot cooked angel-hair pasta
snipped fresh chives, optional

Directions:

Place chicken in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart crockpot.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the dry Italian salad dressing mix. Stir in mushroom soup, white wine, and cream cheese until combined.

Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

Serve chicken and sauce over hot cooked pasta. Sprinkle with chives, if desired.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 198 Calories; 9g Fat (42.9% calories from fat); 27g Protein; trace Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 89mg Cholesterol; 155mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat.
serves 6


CROCK POT BBQ
E. York

2 onions
1 (4-5 lb) boneless Boston butt
6 cloves
1/2 c water
2 bottles of your favorite BBQ sauce

Slice 2 onions. Salt and pepper Boston butt, top with sliced onions. Push 6 cloves into top of butt. Pour 1/2 c water into pot. Cook for about 8 hours on low or until pork is tender and falling apart. When done, take pork out of fat and remove all fat. Clean pot of all juices. Put pork back into pot. Pour BBQ sauce over pork and stir. Spoon onto hamburger buns.


BBQ BEEF
E. York

Place a rump roast in the crock pot with a can of French onion soup and add water to cover. Cook all day. Drain liquid, shred, add seasonings (salt, pepper, etc) to taste. Add BBQ sauce and serve on hamburger buns.

Breakfast and Brunch

Pioneer Woman's Monkey Bread

Recipe: Pastor Ryan’s Monkey Bread

Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 40 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8
Print Recipe 3"x5" Cards 4"x6" Cards Full Page
Ingredients

3 cans Buttermilk Biscuits (the Non-flaky Ones)
1 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons (to 3 Teaspoons) Cinnamon
2 sticks Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Open up all three cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters.

Next, combine the white sugar with 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon. (3 teaspoons of cinnamon gives it a fairly strong cinnamon flavor. If you’re not so hot on cinnamon, cut it back to 2 teaspoons.) Dump these into a 1 gallon zip bag and shake to mix evenly.

Drop all of the biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix. Once all the biscuit quarters are in the bag seal it and give it a vigorous shake. This will get all those pieces unstuck from one another and nicely coated with cinnamon-sugar. Spread these nuggets out evenly in the bundt pan.

At this point, you’re going to want to melt the two sticks of butter together with ½ cup of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. This can be light or dark brown sugar. Cook butter/sugar mixture, stirring for a few minutes until the two become one. Once the brown sugar butter has become one color, you can pour it over the biscuits.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. When its finished cooking, remove it from the oven. If you have the willpower, allow it to cook for about 15-30 minutes before turning it over onto a plate.


Crustless Cheese and Spinach Quiche
E. York

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup pesto
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Press the excess moisture from the spinach. Combine the spinach, 1 1/2 cups cheese, cream, pesto, and eggs in a bowl and mix well. Pour the spinach mixture into a 9-inch pie plate sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and bake for 2-3 minutes longer or until the cheese sets.

*Really easy, good, and a great way to eat your veggies for breakfast!
From Birmingham Junior League's "Table of Contents"


Tomato Breakfast Strata
E. York

1 cup milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (12 oz) loaf French bread, sliced
2 cups flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
3 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream

Mix the milk and wine in a shallow dish; the mixture will have the consistency of buttermilk. Dip the bread slices in the milk mixture until coated and arrange in a single layer in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the parsley and drizzle with the olive oil. Layer the cheese, tomatoes, and pesto one at a time over the bread slices.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl until blended and stir in the salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the prepared layers and then carefully pour the cream over the top. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, for 8-10 hours. Remove the strata from the fridge and let stand, covered, for 1 hour or until room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 45-50 minutes or until puffy and brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

From Bham JL's "Table of Contents"


Holiday French Toast
E. York

Serves 6-8

1 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 c dried cranberries
1 (8 oz) loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch slices
1 1/2 c milk
6 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon


Combine the brown sugar, butter and 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Add the apples and cranberries and toss to coat. Spread the apple mixture over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish sprayed w/nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the bread slices cut side down over the prepared layer. Whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla, and 2 http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giftsp cinnamon in a bowl until blended. Pour the milk mixture over the prepared layers and chill, covered with foil, for 4 to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake, covered, for 40-45 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve with warm syrup.

From "Tables of Content" Birmingham Junior League

Scones
E. York

Read this first, as it's a great tutorial for how to make great scones.

Then try these:

Pumpkin Scones

Copycat recipe of Starbucks' Pumpkin Scones
It has been a while ago when I first gotten this recipe, so I can't recall its origin.

2 cups all purpose flour
7 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tbsp half and half
1 large egg
6 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes

Plain glaze:
1 cup + 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp whole milk

Spiced Icing:
1 cup + 3 tbsps cofectioners'sugar
2 tbsp whole milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger
pinch of ground clove

Preheat the oven to 425F, and combine all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder salt, nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger together in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half and egg.

Cut butter into the dry ingredients, using a pastry cutter, until it resemble coarse meal. Fold in wet ingredients in the medium bowl and form dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle that is about 9-inches x 3 inches. Cut into 6 triangle slices of dough. (Freeze dough for 30 minutes or upto 1 month if it's too soft and hard to handle at this point)

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until scones turn light brown.

While scones cool, mix ingredients for plain glaze, using mixer on medium speed, until the mixture becomes smooth. Brush glaze over scones, when they are cool.

As the white glaze firms up, prepare spiced icing, with mixer on medium speed, mix until well combined. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scones and allow the icing to dry before serving.( at least 1 hour)A squirt bottle works great for this, or drizzle with a whisk.

Note: I find the scones having enough sweetness from the white glaze, without the spiced icing. Hence this step is omitted.

Make 6 large scones.
(Taste like the Starbucks scones, but even better)


STRAWBERRY BREAD
E. York

2 cups fresh strawberries, chpd
3 1/8 c all purpose flour
2 c white sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 c vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c chpd pecans

Preheat oven to 350 and butter 2 bread loaf pans.

Slice strawberries, and place in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing bread mixture.

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl: mix well. Blend oil and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans. Divide batter into pans.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaves out, and cool completely.


BRAN FLAX MUFFINS
(but I really think they need a better name for this, as this name sounds very unappetizing)-E. York

1 1/2 c white flour
3/4 c flaxseed meal
3/4 c oat bran (I used uncooked whole grain oats)
1 c brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c carrots, shredded
2 apples, peeled and shredded
1/2 c raisins (optional)
1 c nuts, chpd
3/4 c milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together flour, flaxseed meal (which I bought at Whole Foods; this recipe is from the bag of Uncle Bob's Organic Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal), oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Stir in carrots, apples, raisins, and nuts.
Combine milk, beaten eggs, and vanilla.
Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are moistened, but do not overstir. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full (I greased my muffin cups first). Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Yields 15-20 muffins.

These muffins are delicious, healthy, and packed with Omega-3's!

My Mom's Banana Bread
This is a classic hit, but the trick is to stir everything by hand (no mixers involved)-E. York

2 1/4 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c oil
1 t vanilla
1/4 c sour milk (you can put cream of tartar in the 1/4 c milk)
1 1/3 tsp soda
4 ripe bananas, sliced
1 c chpd nuts (optional)
3 eggs, beaten

Stir ingredients together. Pour into 2 greased/floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour, then sprinkle cinnamon on top when they come out of the oven. Freezes well.
*Note, if your bananas are starting to go bad, put them in the freezer to save for this recipe. The peels will turn black, and they won't be the firmest to work with when you're making this, but trust me, it turns out great, and it's a good way to not waste your bananas.


Pumpkin Bread
E. York

3 1/3 c sifted flour
2 tsp soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
2 c sugar
4 eggs
2/3 c water
2 c canned pumpkin
1 c vegetable oil

Combine dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and beat well. Pour into 2-3 greased/floured loaf pans and bake at 350 for 1 hour. If pyrex is used, decrease heat to 325.


Double Decker Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
E. York
*makes 48 muffins

For pumpkin batter:
1 regular size can of pure pumpkin
1 box spice cake mix
4 eggs
1/4 c water
1/2 c canola oil
2/3 c sugar OR small box jello pumpkin pudding mix

For dark chocolate batter:
1 box dark chocolate or devil's food cake mix
all of the ingredients on the box to make the cake (oil, water, eggs)
1 c chocolate chips

- Preheat oven to 350.
- Prepare 48 muffin cups with liners or Pam with flour.
- Mix all pumpkin batter ingredients together in a large bowl. Beat on low 1 min and on medium 2 min.
- Mix all dark chocolate batter ingredients from box directions together in another large bowl. Beat on low 1 min and on medium 2 min. Add chocolate chips right at the end to the chocolate batter.
- Fill muffin cups 1/3 with pumpkin batter then top with another 1/3 of the dark chocolate batter.
- Bake around 20 minutes until you can touch them and they spring back.
- Cool 5-10 min in the pans.
- Remove from pans and cool completely.
* These will not freeze -- chocolate chips will get hard!
*I usually make these into mini-loaves or in 2 to 3 regular loaf pans


Blueberry Bread
E. York

3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 c sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
1 1/4 c vegetable oil
2 pints blueberries (frozen ones work great, just don't defrost them. Place directly in the batter)
1 1/4 c chpd pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, and sugar. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Add eggs and oil, stir only until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in blueberries and pecans. Spoon batter into 2 greased/floured loaf pans and bake one hour. Let stand overnight before slicing (yeah right, this never happens in my household.)

Best Breakfast and Brunch Bites

Frittata
A. Matteo

4 whole eggs
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes or 1/2 cup well drained can of seasoned diced tomatoes
1cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Vegetables (I use fresh spinach and fresh or canned mushrooms, but you can use whatever you want).
1/2 cup chopped ham
salt and pepper to taste
Italian seasonings

Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs and water. Cook vegetables in skillet for just 2-3 minutes to get them tender (I usually cook them in a little balsamic vinegar). Stir in tomatoes, vegetables, 1/2 cup cheese and eggs and pour into a greased 9" pie plate. Bake for 25-30 min and then sprinkle with rest of cheese.

Pasta Picks

Chicken Piccata
A. Matteo

2 Chicken breasts butterflied to make them thin
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 pkg of noodles (i use angel hair)optional- fresh parsley

Cook pasta. Make sure chicken breasts are flattened to 1/4inch thickness. Beat egg together with 1 Tbsp water. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in egg and then dredge in breadcrumbs. Cook chicken in olive oil for 2-3 minutes on each side (more if it is thicker). When done cooking put foil over chicken to keep warm. Add broth, lemon juice to skillet to loosen the particles from chicken. Then add butter and parsley. Put chicken on top of noodles and pour sauce over both. Variation: Instead of the lemon butter sauce mentioned above, you can heat up a can of well-drained Italian-flavored diced tomatoes. Pour it over the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.

Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Shells
K. Alexander

olive oil
chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
ground turkey
frozen package of chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
8oz cream cheese
8oz mozz. cheese
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
pasta shells
tomato sauce

Cook onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add turkey, and stir in spinach, cream cheese, mozzarella, 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture in shells Pour half sauce into bottom of pan; put single layer of shells and top with rest of sauce Bake 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and bake 15 minutes. (This will make two small pans. Freezes well.)

Sausage, Tomato, and Spinach Pasta
A. Matteo

2 cups pasta uncooked (i use bowties)
1/2 lb Italian or kielbasa sausage (i use healthy choice turkey kielbasa)
1 pkg fresh spinach leaves
1 can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic (undrained)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
optional 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta and drain. While pasta is cooking, brown sausage and drain any excess fat. Add spinach, dressing and tomatoes to sausage just until spinach starts to wilt (2 min). Pour meat mixture over pasta and top with cheese.

Pork Dishes

Crock Pot Pork Chops-EASY
S. Picardy

4 Pork Chops with bone (Center cut)
1 onion sliced in rings
1 bottle of Italian dressing

Place onions on the bottom of the crock pot. Add pork chops, then pour entire bottle of dressing on top. Cook for 3-4 hours on high. They tend to be over done by 4 hour, if you are using high I would say 3 hours.