Dinner On My Mind

Cauliflower: The ugly less tasty friend of Broccoli... or is it?

2011-05-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

I don't like cauliflower. I don't like it steamed, boiled, roasted, or raw. I've never taken a bite of cauliflower and thought, "WOW". Last week we got the dreaded cauliflower in our bountiful basket (www.bountifulbaskets.org). My first thought was, "Ick, I may have to donate this directly to our compost bin". Then I searched and searched for a recipe that included cauliflower in some small capacity. I found one on www.allrecipes.com, it needed some serious retooling to be tasty, but I managed. We ate it for dinner and it was good, and then I had it the next morning for breakfast, and then I finished it off at lunch. When I was staring at my empty bowl I decided that I really, really liked it. When I first made the dish I wasn't planning on doing a post, so I apologize for the lack of tasty food porn.

Ingredients:
1 C. Uncooked Instant Rice
3-4 C. Chopped Broccoli
3-4 C. Chopped Cauliflower
1/4 C. Butter
1 Chopped Onion
2 C. Sharp Cheddar
1 10.75 oz. Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
Approximately half the soup can filled with milk
1 1/2 C. Crushed Ritz Crackers

Preheat oven to 350. Cook rice per package directions. Set aside.

Heat butter in large pan, saute the onion. Add broccoli, cauliflower and rice to the the sauteed onion, mix well. Let cook until the broccoli and tender crisp. Stir in cheese, soup, and milk, mix well.

Transfer mixture to 9x13 baking dish, top with crackers. Bake for 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Rolls

2011-04-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
4 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup canned sweet potato puree
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons margarine, softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in the water. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add remaining sugar, sweet potato, butter or margarine, salt, and slightly beaten eggs. Stir to mix well. Stir in 3 cups of flour. Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead 2 to 3 minutes, adding just enough of remaining flour to prevent sticking. Place in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let raise about 1 hour or longer.

Punch down, and allow dough to rest for 2 minutes. Divide into 16 to 20 balls, and place on a greased cookie sheet or in a 9x13 inch pan. Allow to rise until doubled.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

2010-04-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

First off, I'm sorry there's no picture to go with this recipe, we ate it too fast ;)

You need:
Reynolds Oven Bags
1 whole chicken
Salt
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
4-6 limes, wedged

Preheat your oven to 350. Remove all the guts from the inside of the chicken. Very carefully separate the skin from the meat. Pour about a tablespoon of salt into your hand and rub the salt into the cavity of the bird. Squeeze lime juice from the lime wedges on to the cilantro and stuff the cilantro under the skin of the chicken. Use the leftover wedges and cilantro to fill the cavity of the bird. Put the bird with any leftover cilantro and limes in the Reynolds oven bag, (psssst, right now there are coupons inside the Reynolds boxes). Bake for about 1/2 hour per pound, check the chicken when there's about half an hour left.

We serve this with spanish rice, black beans, salad and steamed corn tortillas. It is unbelievably easy and so super yummy! Enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Wraps

2010-03-21T17:00:00.001-07:00

The very first time I had these was in a hospital cafeteria. I know for a fact that on Tuesdays they serve this, so I have been trying to keep all my appts on Tuesdays! Hahaha. But seriously. Good.

INGREDIENTS:
Wrap Shells or Tortillas (I like the green ones, super thin)
Caesar salad (I used bag salad and dressing, really complex I know)
Chicken Strips (or grilled but come on, the deli makes it for you)
Cheese!

Pretty complex really. You toss together your salad. I used Ken's litehouse dressing. They make a lite caesar that is delish! Chop up your chicken strips and toss into sald, make sure to stir. Lay out shell. Pour salad and chicken mix onto wrap shell, sprinkle with cheese and wrap it up. I cut mine in half, it's easier to devour that way.....Also, this would be good with bacon too.

St Patty's Oreos

2010-03-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

These are simple and I don't know anyone that doesn't like an oreo, for real!

INGREDIENTS:
Double Stuffed Oreo's (I wanted mint but husband doesn't likey)
White Chocolate melty disks
Milk Chocolate melty disks
Sprinkle of choice
Wax paper or alluminum foil works too

Lay out a long piece of wax paper. In a bowl (cereal) pour out the sprinkles you plan on using and have ready by wax paper near. Take a mug and pour in a handful of melty disks. Put in microwave for 25 seconds, take out and stir. Put back in for another 25 seconds. Take out and stir, just do this until your chocolate is melted, but MAKE SURE YOU DON'T COOK TOO LONG. It was scald the chocolate...boo. When melt take Oreo and dip into the chocolate, I do about half way. Then roll edge into sprinkles. Lay on wax paper to harden and cool. And repeat. Make sure you lick the mugs clean..I did. And enjoy!

Veggie Pizza

2010-03-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

This is really simple and quick.

INGREDIENTS:
Pizza Dough (you can buy them already made at the store, or use pillsbury, or from scratch)
Tomatoes
Whatever veggies you like (the sky is the limit!)
Mozzerella Cheese (don't be shy)
Olive Oil
Garlic salt or powder
Small can of tomatoe sauce

Roll out pizza dough onto a pizza pan and drizzle with olive oil. Cut tomatoes paper thin and layer onto the dough, sprinkle with garlic and add a little tomatoe sauce on top Bake this for about 5 minutes. Pull out and pile on your cheese, then the rest of your ingredients, finish the baking time according to the pizza dough directions. Enjoy.

Mexican Lasagna

2010-03-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

Suuuuuper easy and delightful.

INGREDIENTS:
6 flour tortillas (you may use whole wheat if you want)
1 lb ground hamburger or ground turkey
! packet of knorr or any kind of spanish rice
1 taco seasoning packet
1 can green chillies
1 can black or refried beans
Lots of cheese

Brown meat and then stir in taco packet seasoning according to directions. Add green chillies and black beans. While browning meat you should make your mexican rice. Take a lasagna pan and layer 2 tortillas in the bottom pile on ingredients first meat/bean mixture, then rice, then cheese. 2 more tortillas meat, rice, cheese then pile 2 more tortilla's on top, sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until heated through.

Chicken Pillows

2010-03-12T13:23:00.001-08:00

These are a favorite.

INGREDIENTS:
Cresent rolls in the can
Canned Chicken
4 OZ of Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons of melted butter
Seasoned breadcrumbs
Cream of chicken soup

Mix cream cheese and chicken together, salt and peper to taste. Roll out each cresent roll flat, place a generous spoonfull onto each roll. Fold all corners in one at at time as if to make a "pillow". Turn over and dip smooth side into melted butter then into bread crumbs. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake according to the directions on the cresent roll package. You can serve with gravy or cream of chicken soup, either way you'll be sure to enjoy.

Summer Salad

2010-02-25T07:23:00.000-08:00

I call this pasta "Summer Salad" after my good friend Summer who introduced me to it. I will never like another pasta salad again!

INGREDIENTS: (None of these are measured...sorry!)
About 3 cups of cooked bowtie noodles
Big handful of baby spinach
1 can drained of olives
Sundried tomatoes (or not, sick!)
4 string cheese's cut into pieces
1/2 Pinenuts
a few drizzles of olive oil
basil flakes
garlic powder
Salt to taste

Cook noodles and drain, but while these are cooking. Cut up string cheese, and throw olives spinach, tomatoes, pine nuts in a big bowl. Drain noodles and let them cool. When cooled mix all together in a bowl and add oil salt and garlic first...taste to your liking, then add a ton of basil flakes. YUMAROONI!

Chicken cor-dawn-blue

2010-02-20T20:23:00.000-08:00

Warning: you may love this, and eat a lot...just sayin

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken breast beaten flat
Deli ham slices
swiss cheese
1/4 cup of melted butter
Corn flakes, smashed but not groud to a powder
Toothpics

Preheat oven to 350. Trim all fat from chicken breast and "tenderise" til fairly thin. Wrap 2 slices of ham and 1 slice of cheese in a chicken breast and toothpic shut. Roll in butter, and quickly roll in corn flakes. Some may not stick as well so I will sprinkle more on top just prior to getting in the oven. We only made 3, so repeat as necessary. Bake for 30 minutes.

Such a salt tastey meal. I served with salad, and milk. Enjoy!

Indian Tacos!

2010-02-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

This is one of my FAVS! Yummy. And it makes excellent leftovers.

INGREDIENTS:
1 can of biscuits
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 can chili
Whatever you like to garnish your tacos...I used:
Salsa, sour cream, avacados, lettuce, and cheese.

Brown hamburger or turkey in a pan at medium high heat, along with the onion. Salt and pepper well. When brown add can of chili and stir well. Set aside on low heat. Roll biscuits flat, as if you were frying scones, and fry in grease (I suck at this, so this is husband's job). After out of grease I set on paper towels so catch excess grease. Now pile accordingly. Biscuit, meat/chili mix, cheese, avacado's, sour cream, and salsa. What do you get? Yum! Enjoy!

Brinner Egg Bake

2010-02-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

This is a tweaked version of a recipe I had tried. Here is how it goes:

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 breakfast sausage (I used hot)
3 gold potatoes (I used the smallest ones) cubed
3 tablespoons of butter or you could use olive oil
2 scallions
1 roma tomatoe
6 eggs
2 "glug glugs" of milk
3 shakes of hot sauce
Handful of Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325. Peel and cube potatoes small. Heat a pan to medium high with butter and fry potatoes til soft, and in a seperate pan brown sausage. When both are finish put in a pan together. Mix together all the rest of the ingredients...all of them. When mixed well pour over sausage and potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes and serve!

I smothered mine in salsa and fat free sour cream. I would either do this in a little lasagna pan or our teflon pan had a metal handle....wouldn't want you to ruin the plastic handles!

Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-10-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 tsp vanilla
1/2 stick butter
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar

Mix vanilla, butter, and cream cheese first, then when well blended add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. That way you won't have a dust storm in your kitchen.
I added food coloring to the frosting, used a sandwich baggie and cut a small hole in the tip, that way you can decor however you like.... the candy corn was my favorite.

Key Lime Cake

2009-10-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
1 yellow cake mix
green food coloring

I baked the cup cakes first, but soon realized I was outta tins....so then I baked a round cake, cut it in half, then placed on top of the other half, to make a half moon shape....then frosting accordingly.
Frosting:
1 cup shortening
milk
powdered sugar
3 lime's juices
grated lime peel

Pumpkin Cookies

2009-10-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

1 C. Unsalted butter
1 C. Sugar
1 C. Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 t. Vanilla Extract
1 C. Pumpkin Puree
1 C. Rolled Oats
1 t. Baking Powder
1 t. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 t. Salt
1 C. Raisins or Chocolate Chips
2 1/2 C. All Purpose Flour

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream together butter, white and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and pumpkin. In a separate bowl mix together oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, raisins and flour. Stir into pumpkin mixture.
This is what your dough should look like

Drop onto greased cookie sheets by heaping tablespoons.
I use a melon baller. It makes all the cookies the same shape and size.

Bake 12-15 minutes, until lightly brown. Cool on racks.
I love the smell of cooling cookies.

Enjoy!

mmmmmmm

Key Lime Pie

2009-10-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

1 9-inch graham cracker crust
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (4 limes)
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
2 cups of cool whip thawed

With a mixer beat together the milk, and lime juice on high, stir in lime peel. Pour into crust. Spread the top with the cool whip. Put in the fridge for 2 hours. ENJOY!

Personally if I were to do this again, which I WILL, it was stinkin good. I would make my own graham cracker crust, and make it extra thick. Double the lime/milk filling and use the same about of whip cream.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps!

2009-10-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

I am a HUGE fan of buffalo chicken, wingless only, I'm not one to eat chicken off the bone. SICK.

INGREDIENTS:

SAUCE
1 8 oz. can of tomatoe sauce
1/2 stick of butter
worcestershire sauce to taste
hot sauce to taste
CHICKEN
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
lemon pepper seasoning (any seasoning works)
2-4 boneless skinless chicken breast

I cut the chicken into bit size pieces trimming all the fat and any other nonsense, drizzle the chicken with olive oil and then smother in the seasoning. Have a pan on medium high heat with a drizzle of oil ready to go. Grill chicken.

Meanwhile place all ingredients for the sauce in a sauce pan on medium heat till the butter is melted. Add the chicken to the sauce.

For the wraps I used a tortilla, spinach, cheddar cheese, and tomatoe. Ranch to dip in if you would like. YUM!

October: National Cookie Month!

2009-10-02T18:42:00.001-07:00

Did you know that October is National Cookie Month? You do now! I'm not usually a big baker, but I think this month is going to be a bit of an inspiration. I'm not going to do any of the tried and true recipes like chocolate chip, sugar, or peanut butter. We've all been there done that. Lets try something new! I've got a few I'm going to try, look for them soon!

Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

2009-10-02T18:36:00.001-07:00

3 lg. very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
2 eggs
1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 C. - 2 C. Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine bananas and nuts; set aside. Cream eggs, butter and sugar, add to the banana mix. Add flour and baking soda to egg mix, blending well. Your dough may be a lighter color than mine, I used 2C. white flour and 1C. whole wheat flour.

Drop onto greased cookie sheet. I use a mellon baller, it makes the cookies all the same size so that they bake nice and even. Place the chocolate chips on top of the cookies. By putting them on top instead of inside the dough, they look prettier, (Suzi mentioned that in her chocolate chip recipe further down the page) and you have control over how much chocolate there is per cookie. Bake for 10-13 minutes until done at 350 degrees.

Cool on wire racks and enjoy!

Like The Recipes?

2009-09-29T09:22:00.001-07:00

Used a recipe? Loved it? Hated it? Changed it? Let us know! Share your kitchen experiance! Leave a comment! Thanks for stopping by!

Black Beans and Rice

2009-09-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

1T. Olive Oil
3/4 C. Chopped Onion
1/2 C. Chopped Green Bell Pepper
1 C. Diced Tomatoes (I prefer fresh, if you must do canned get the fire roasted)
15 oz. can Black Beans, drained, save the juice
1/2 t. Thyme
1 t. Garlic Salt
3 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 t. Tabasco
2 C. Cooked Rice

In large skillet heat oil and cook onion and bell pepper until tender. Stir in tomatoes, beans (reserve the juice), thyme and garlic salt; cook for 3 minutes. Add vinegar, tabasco, and reserved bean juice; continue to cook for 5 minutes. Mix in the rice and serve immediately.

Guilt Free Mac and Cheese

2009-09-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

Have you looked the the nutritional label on the Kraft Mac and Cheese box? It makes me embarrassed to say that I love Mac and Cheese. I could eat it 5 days a week and be happy. My body on the other hand would be significantly less happy. Weighing in at 410 Calories, and 561mg of Sodium it's not the healthiest choice.

I got this recipe from a recipe exchange.

Baked Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
(I don't always bake it)

12oz. Uncooked pasta (elbow, all the way!)
10 oz. Frozen broccoli thawed, or fresh chopped (I like fresh)
1/4 C. Bread crumbs (only if you're baking it)
2 1/2 C. Skim Milk
1/3 C. Flour (if you use whole wheat, use less)
1/2 C. Diced onion
1 C. Low fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese (Tillamook makes the best)
1 t. Dijon mustard
2 T. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 t. Salt (I use less, sssh don't tell my hubby)

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 2 qt baking dish with Pam.

Cook pasta per package directions, add the broccoli about 2-3 minutes before pasta is done.

While the pasta cooks, whisk together milk and flour over medium heat. Add the onion and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce the heat to a low simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Whisk in cheddar, dijon, parmesan, and salt.

Pour over cooked pasta and broccoli. Toss to mix and coat.

Put in baking dish, sprinkle top with crumbs and bake until bubbly at edges about 20-25 min.

**This has been my experience, baking dries it out. If you prefer your mac and cheese more dry, bake it. If you like it more creamy, don't bake, plus you save a few calories by not adding the bread crumbs!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-09-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

There is nothing I bake more often, then a plain chocolate chip cookie. Here is Nestle Tollhouse's recipe, but slightly altered.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 cup of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups (12 oz package) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. First mix together flour (sift it first) baking soda and salt in a seperate bowl. Mix sugar, butter and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Slowly mix in flour "mixture". Add chocolate chips last, but make sure to set aside a handful. I use a cookie scoop to drop onto a cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes.

Should look like this when first dropped onto sheet.
Take the handful of chocolate chips and place a few randomly on each cookie.

That way they look better.

Cake Mix Cookies

2009-09-19T08:33:00.001-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs
1/4 cup butter
12 oz package of chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1 chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup water

Mix together, drop onto a cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Sweet Potatoe Pancakes

2009-09-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

The original recipe for this was from Jessica Seinfeld's cook book called Deceptively Delicious. I have altered it slightly. Here it is.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup pancake mix (I used Bisquick, Krusteez whole wheat would be better)
1 Cup milk
1/2 Cup sweet potato puree
Handful or 2 of chocolate chips
Dash of cinnamon
Non-stick spray

Her whole cook book is about adding vegetable puree's to her food, a lot of the time I don't want to buy that produce, cook it, and dirty up my kitchen. I just used baby food. Sweet potato baby food. It cost me 69 cents, and there was NO mess.

Also, I personally haven't been using maple syrup, only because I don't like soggy pancakes. Instead I used butter and powdered sugar, still sweet and not soggy.

ENJOY!

Donuts! Hmmmm....

2009-09-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 egg beaten
1 quart oil for frying

PREP:

Heat oil in deep fryer to 375 degrees F. Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk and egg. With floured hands, lightly knead the smooth dough. Turn onto area prepared with flour. Pat dough into 1/4 inch thickness. Dip either doughnut cutter or two biscuit cutters in flour (I used a sugar cookie cutter and a bottle cap :)) Use to cut out doughnuts. Carefully drop doughnuts into hot oil, only a few at a time. Fry, turning once, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Place onto a plate covered with paper towel.

TOPPINGS:
Cinnamon and sugar
Powdered Sugar
Glaze

GLAZE:
Butter
vanilla
milk
powdered sugar

ENJOY!

Purse Cake

2009-09-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THERESA!
This was her friggin sweet cake. The directions are at this link.

Instead of using vanilla frosting I used cream cheese, and did more of a pink/red color. Also I used milk duds instead of whoppers and chocolate chips instead of m&m's.

Honestly if I had to re do it, I would just lay the cake on it's back, because IT WILL tip over, seriously. Frustrating. But it turned out super cute.

Spinach Artichoke Dip!

2009-09-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

1 package frozen or fresh spinach

1 - 15 oz can quartered artichoke hearts drained and chopped

1 - 3 oz can mild green chilies

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup mayo

3-4 chopped green onions

I – 8 oz package softened cream cheese

Motz cheese

Preheat oven to 350

Combine artichokes, chilies parmesan cheese, mayo and green onions.

Stir in cream cheese and mix well

Add hot sauce

Spoon into 9” baking dish

Bake 45 minutes

Going Out Tonight?

2009-09-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

Are you going out but don't want a heavy greasy meal? I found this super site. You enter your zipcode and then it gives you healthy restaurant food options in your area! I love it! It tells your the restaurant, menu item, and the calories, fat and carbs for that item! Brillant!

Visit: www.goodfoodnearyou.com

My Perfect Sandwich

2009-09-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

I love sandwiches. In every shape size and form. Something about that perfect combo of carbs, protein and veggies makes me happy. My perfect sandwich is always more veggies then meat and very light on the condiments. I start with whole wheat bread, yellow mustard on both slices, 1 slice of turkey (sometimes no turkey), romaine, tomato, and onion. I usually always have all those ingredients in my fridge. Sometimes I will have left over veggies like mushrooms, sprouts, and bell peppers that I get to add. I love the crunch of all the fresh veggies with the light yumminess of the bread. So yummy. What's on your perfect sandwich?

Beer Can Chicken

2009-08-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

This was really good. It was real hot out when I did this so, I used my smoker as a BBQ. I didn't think that the chicken would fit in the Gas Grill.

Here's what ya do. grab a chicken (remove all the stuff from the inside, I sometimes for get that part.) take an can (beer, soda, whatever) and cut the top off with a can opener. fill it about halfway with beer ( really I think you can use just about anything, beer, soda, wine, etc.).

Insert the can (opened end first) into the bottom of the chicken. (might want to test fit first if its a smaller chicken)

Grab the chicken and can and place on the grill ( you can do this in the oven also, I just can't rember the temp and time, maybe Bill can post that part.) Use the chicken legs as tripods so the the chicken is standing straight up.

Cover, and cook.

Here is the top view. I threw in some corn for about 20 min at the end. (I love corn cooked on the grill).

Here you can see the Can in the bottom of the chicken. My BBQ isn't completely flat, so I also had to lean the chickens up against each other to help keep them upright. (my first attempt, they landed in the dirt. Dad, does that bring back any memories from Buzzards?)

They tasted really good. My only mistake was that I let them cook to long. I think the next time it really cools off (Fall sometime) I'm gonna try this in the oven.

Also with my next one will be to play with either a marinade or spice rub.

Natural Medicine Talk

2009-07-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that I have been working very hard at losing a lot of weight! Over the years I’ve packed on about 50-55 extra pounds. I would love to attribute that all to my two pregnancies, but I know I can’t. My poor attention to my health is more of a cause than my two adorable children.

I’ve made every effort to pay attention to my activity level. I am also looking very closely at what I’m ingesting! Not only am I paying attention to the foods I eat but also to the medication I put into my body! I’ve posted several recipes here. I’ve never mentioned everything else.

I found a really great health forum site called Natural Medicine Talk. http://www.natmedtalk.com/ There are 12 different discussion forums on a wide variety of topics from alternative therapies to vision. It’s very user friendly. There is just so much information about natural medicine and therapies on far reaching topics. I enjoy the off topic forums as well. I can discuss non medical related topics with like minded individuals! So check it out, you will find something worth reading and talking about.

Cornbeef & Cabbage

2009-07-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Cabbage and potatoes have been added at this point.

I used regular potatoes instead of the red potatoes this time.

This is a family recipe from my mom Midge. As a child I remember having this for dinner and then sneeking into the kitchen after dinner to munch a few more pieces of meat before my mom would put the leftovers away. LOL!

You will need the following:

1 2-2 1/2 lbs Cornedbeef Brisket

2-4 Pepper corns (whole)

2 Bay leaves

Basil

Red Potatoes (but you can use other potatoes)

1 small cabbage, cut into fours

Place beef into a large pot, fat side up with the juices from the package. Add spice packet contents and other spices from above. Add enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a rolling simmer, cover and leave for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

During the last 30-45 minutes, add potatoes and cabbage. Bring to a boil, then reduce and cover for remaining time (30-45 min).

Remove from pot, let stand for about 5 minutes. Thinly slice meat across the grain.

Serve with horseradish and/or mustard.

Leftover meat can be used for great sandwiches.

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does. Can't wait until I can do this again.

Sweet Site

2009-06-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

I found this site by accident. There are some really great recipes that are lighter on calories and fat! http://www.hungry-girl.com Check it out. I think I'm going to try the taquitos!

Grilled Bananas

2009-06-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

I have not tried this yet. It sounded so yummy I had to post it just so I didn't loose the recipe before I got a chance to try it.

Ingredients:
Bananas
Brown Sugar
Lemon Juice
Cinnamon
Butter

For each, cut a banana crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide slices and place the slices in the center of an 18-inch-long piece of aluminum foil.

Sprinkle the banana with 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, and a dash of cinnamon. Dot the banana with 1/2 tablespoon butter cut into pieces.

Bring the long edges of the foil together and fold them together. Crimp the short ends together above the packet to form a handle; make sure all seams are closed tightly. Use a long stick to place the packet on a warm grill or the coals of a campfire. Let it cook for 15 to 30 minutes.

Remove the packet from the heat, place it on a plate, and carefully open the foil. Let it cool. Top the banana with vanilla ice cream, if you like.

Tell me how yummy does that sound? I can't wait to try it. It almost makes me want to go camping, but lets not get out of control.

New Authors!!

2009-06-22T10:51:00.001-07:00

I've invited my Mom, Sis, and SIL to be authors on this blog. Hopefully they accept and you will get recipes and food ideas from more than just me!

Super Easy Tomato Sauce

2009-06-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

This tomato sauce is so easy and quick, but it tastes like it would difficult and time consuming. You will impress just about anyone with this super fast and fresh sauce. Not to mention, everyone knows I'm working really hard to lose weight. Part of that is making better food choices. This is about 40 calories for a 1/2 C. serving. No joke. Compare that to Prego at about 100, or Ragu at about 80 calories!! Then you also get to brag about making the sauce!

Roasted Tomato Sauce
3 pounds roma tomatoes, quarter lengthwise
1 large sweet onion, halved then sliced
1 T. balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Arrange the racks so that they are evenly spaced inside the oven. Spray 2 nonstick baking pans with nonstick spray.

Mix the vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl or dish.

Arrange tomatoes and onions on a single layer on the pans. Spread vinegar mix across the tomatoes. I used a basting brush. Then give a quick spray of the nonstick spray across the tomatoes and onion.

Roast for about 50-55 minutes, switching the pans halfway through roasting time. You know it's done when the onions are brown and it smells too good to be true.

Put the tomatoes and onion in a food processor, (I used a bullet blender) or blender and pulse until the mixture is your desired consistency. I like it chunky for pasta, and smooth for pizza or dipping.

BTW... Two days after I made this sauce I couldn't quit thinking about how good the vinegar and garlic smelled. So I tripled everything in the vinegar mixture, except the salt and pepper and used it as sauce for chicken on the bbq. It was so yummy. I paired it with mashed sweet potatoes and steamed asparagus.

Creamy TexMex Bean Salad

2009-06-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry no picture. I made this salad in a green bowl and it looked really weird in the bowl, then before I could get a picture of it on a plate or in a different bowl we ate it all! I guess that's a testament to how super yummy this salad is.

Creamy TexMex Bean Salad
1/3 C. Salsa, I prefer the fresh salsas in the refrigerated section at the market
3 T. Reduced Fat Sour Cream
1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 C. Grape Tomatoes, halved
3/4 C. Canned Yellow Corn, or fresh cooked yellow corn kernels
1 Whole Avocado, diced
1/2 C. Sliced Scallions
1/2 C. Fresh Cilantro, chopped

In a small bowl mix together the salsa, sour cream, and vinegar. Refrigerate. In a large bowl mix together all the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate. Just before serving pour the salsa mixture over the bean mixture and toss to coat.

Black and White Salad

2009-06-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

First I want to apologize that there is no picture of the salad. I made it in a green bowl and it looked weird in the green bowl and then we ate it all. Sorry.

Black and White Bean Salad
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large tomato, diced
1 large onion, diced (I like a sweet onion)
1 celery stalk, diced
1 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. fresh parsley, minced
1/8 t. salt (or to taste)
1/8 t. pepper (or to taste)

Mix together the beans, tomato, onion and celery. In separate bowl mix vinegar, parsley, salt and pepper. Slowly add the vinegar mix to the bean mixture. Toss until well combined, chill in the fridge about 30 minutes before serving.

Hollandaise, a little lighter!

2009-05-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

Light Hollandaise Sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 C. fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. unsalted butter, (I used salted butter and omitted the salt in the recipe)
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper

In a small saucepan combine egg, broth, and cornstarch. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly (VERY IMPORTANT!!) until thickened and just barely boiling, boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients. Stir until well combined.

1/4 C. Serving = 43 Calories, 4g Fat, 34mg cholesterol, 175mg sodium, 1g Carbohydrates, 0g Fiber, 2g Protein, 7mg Calcium

I swapped the traditional ham for tomato slices, and served with a side of steamed asparagus. I also used whole wheat, high fiber english muffins.

Barley Vegetable Soup

2009-04-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

I found this soup recipe at http://www.seeveggiesdifferently.com/ I printed it up and I've been staring at it for about a week. I finally just went and bought the dang barley and bouillon and made the soup. It is sooooo yummy!

Barley Vegetable Soup

Ingredients
1 package Morningstar Farms® Grillers Prime® Veggie Burgers
1 package (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 extra large vegetarian vegetable bouillon cubes
5 cups hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions
Cube MORNINGSTAR FARMS GRILLERS PRIME Veggie Burgers and place in crock-pot. Add mixed vegetables, celery, onions, tomatoes and barley.2. Dissolve bouillon cubes, salt and pepper in water. Pour over vegetables and stir to combine.3. Cook on low about 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Serve hot

serving size 1 1/2 C.
Calories 190
total fat 5g
protein 12g

Baked Cod w/Orange Caper Sauce

2009-03-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

This was dinner tonight. I made this with Ling Cod, you can use any firm white fish. I also did not use any salt and pepper, in my opinion it wasn't needed. I didn't have orange juice on hand so I used Simply Orange w/Mango juice.

Ingredients:
1 Orange
1/2 C. finely chopped seeded plum tomato
1/4 C. fresh orange juice
3 T. minced red onion
1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
4 t. olive oil
1 T. minced pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
1 T. chopped drained capers
1 t. chopped fresh rosemary
4 6oz Cod fillets

Preheat oven to 500°F. Using vegetable peeler, remove peel and white pith from orange. Cut twenty 2-inch-long, 1/8-inch-wide strips from orange peel and reserve. Chop orange; place in small bowl. Add remaining ingredients (except fish) to chopped orange; stir to blend. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Spray 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Arrange cod in prepared dish. Sprinkle orange strips evenly over fish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until fish is opaque in center, about 10 minutes. Spoon sauce over fish.

I served the fish with steamed zucchini and couscous. The entire family loved this sauce. The couscous was a big hit with the kids too!

Thymely Marinated Lingcod

2009-03-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

Dinner tonight was fresh lingcod right out of the frigid waters of the Pacific. Caught by my sweet hubby! Cooked by yours truly! Ok, a little dramatic I know; but we are a family that really appreciates fish, almost of any kind (Kyle doesn't like Eel). I served the cod with Kashi Original 7 Whole Grain Pilaf and home canned pears. Yummy! Yummy!

The Ingredients:
1/2 C. Onion, Chopped
1 t. Oil
1/2 t. Dried Thyme
1/2 t. Dried Oregano
1/2 t. Dried Rosemary
1/2 t. Pepper
1/4 t. Salt, Optional
1/2 C. Lemon Juice
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 lb Ling Cod Fillets, (actually you could use any firm white fish)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and marinate ling cod for 30 minutes. Broil or barbecue until fish flakes when tested with a fork. Makes 8 servings.

Recipe by: Seafood: A Collection of Heart-Healthy Recipes From: Reggie Dwork

I actually didn't use any oil, I think the fish is oily enough. Next time I make this I think I'm going to boil the marinade after I take the fish out and use it as a sauce to mix with rice or steamed veggies.

Edamame

2009-03-25T19:45:00.001-07:00

When Kyle and I go out for sushi we like to have some edamame (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edamame) on occasion. I found some frozen at Costco today. They came in a six pound bag and inside the bag they were portioned out to 12 little bags. They are already precooked, I just had to reheat them. I was a little hesitant, because what if "just reheating" didn't taste as good as at the restaurant, but they were only $6.50, so I gambled. I brought them home, steamed one bag, threw a little kosher salt over the top, and.... YUMMY!!! So good. In one bag is about 20% of my daily protein and just over 100 calories. How sweet is that? I can't wait for Kyle to try them.

Food Obsession

2009-03-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

My newest food obsession is steam corn tortillas. I can't take credit for this. Kyle and I were talking about taco tortilla preferences, of course he's flour, I'm corn. Kyle said he's biggest problem with the corn is that we fry them. Travis piped in and suggested we try steaming them like the taco truck does. I said to myself, duh! So last Friday I made tacos (Midge Meat with ground turkey) and I steamed the corn tortillas. I'm never going back to fried corn tortillas again! I taste more of the corn flavor when they are steamed. I L-O-V-E loooooove them.

Health(y) Nuggets

2009-03-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

I made something similar to this from a recipe in Deceptively Delicious (http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/). I used a broccoli puree, it was good, but my kids were quick to point out chicken nuggets aren't green inside. The DD recipe also has you fry the chicken. So this afternoon I had a craving for nuggets and wanted a healthier version. I knew the DD recipe was out. So I just tweaked it, the biggest differences are that I used a white vegetable to match the chicken and baked instead of fried.

1 pound of Skinless Chicken (tenders, thighs, breasts)

1/2C. - 1 C. Milk

1/2 C. Panko

1/2 C. Milled Flax Seed

3/4 of a head of Cauliflower

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Paprika

Cut up and steam the cauliflower until done. While the cauliflower steams cut the chicken into bite size pieces. I used tenders because they were on sale. I cut each tender into quarters. I put the chicken in a bowl with just enough milk to soak in. Put chicken into the fridge.

Puree the cauliflower. It's super easy, don't let this part of the recipe deter you. Just drop the cauliflower into a food processor and go till it's nice and smooth, if you need to, add just a tiny bit of water about 1/2 t. at a time. If you don't have a food processor and Bullet Blender, (http://www.buythebullet.com/) or something similar works just fine. Put the cauliflower into a bowl.

In a separate bowl mix the panko, flax seed, and all the spices to taste. Take your chicken out of the fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat the chicken in the cauliflower, then coat with the panko/flax seed mix. Place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes, turn over the chicken and bake another 8-10 minutes. Baking time changes based on the thickness of the chicken pieces.

I served my nuggets with a healthified BBQ sauce. Start with a puree of any green vegetable puree (broccoli, peas, beans) and add BBQ sauce a little at a time until the vegetable taste is masked. I used peas.

With a side of home canned pears and milk to drink we had a fabulous dinner!

Blueberry Orange Bread w/ Vanilla Glaze

2009-03-12T09:59:00.001-07:00

First off, I don't have any pictures. Sorry. I didn't take any of me making the bread. Then when mine was cooling my darling son came and ate the top off the bread!

This is so super easy and yummy to make. Just find a blueberry muffin mix you like, or if you have a scratch recipe you like, just add about 2 teaspoons of orange zest to the batter. Instead of pouring into muffin pan, pour into a loaf pan. Bake until brown on top and toothpick comes out clean. It usually takes about 40-45 minutes. Let the loaf cool on a wire rack.

After the loaf is cool. Mix together 3/4 C. powdered sugar, 1 T. water and 1 t. vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over the bread.

Almond Butter Cookies

2009-03-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Almond Butter Cookies:
6 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup Almond butter
1/3 cup White sugar
1/2 cup Brown sugar, packed
3/4 tsp. Baking soda
1 Egg
1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 cups Flour
Hershey Kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and almond butter until creamy. Add sugars and baking soda. Add egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour until a soft dough is formed.

the above picture is without flour, the picture below is what you dough will look like with flour.

Form dough into 1 inch balls. I like to use a melon baller. The melon baller makes the cookies all the same shape and size. Mine is from Pampered Chef, I really like it, just remember to give it a shot of Pam before you begin.

Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until just firm. Remove cookie sheets from oven and immediately place one Hershey kiss in the center of each cookie.

One Chicken, 3 Dinners!

2009-01-07T18:08:00.000-08:00

On Monday I roasted a chicken. I bought a 7# whole chicken, seasoned it with whatever seasonings sounded good, put it in an oven bag popped it in at 350 for about 3 1/2 hours and it was fall apart yummy. My SIL and her hubby came over for dinner, we had stove top and brown sugar carrots with the chicken.

On Tuesday I shredded the leftovers and made BBQ sandwiches. I took the L.O. chicken slathered it in BBQ sauce baked it at 350 for 20 minutes, put it over hogie rolls added a little mozzarella cheese on top, had baked lays, cottage cheese and baby carrots with the sandwiches.

Tonight we had BBQ chicken pizza. I bought a pre-made crust, added a very thin layer of BBQ sauce, cheese, L.O. BBQ chicken, onion, green bell pepper, and a tiny bit more cheese, baked at 400 until the cheese was melted on top. I am full. Not to mention thrilled that I took 1 chicken and made it last until mid week. Whenever I can make any one item stretch to make several meals I feel like I make my Mom very proud.

Mom, even though you think I learned very little from you in the kitchen (I was busy nipping "taste tests") I did learn the important things.

"Momma can take a Thanksgiving turkey and make it last until Easter!"

Thanks Mom for all the awesome examples of how to make yummy, thrifty, healthy meals for my family.

Final Thanksgiving Menu

2008-11-22T11:04:00.001-08:00

Turkey
Smoked Salmon
Smoked Bratwurst
Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Rolls
Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Fruit Salad
Light and Zesty Coleslaw
DRINK: Apple Peach Sunrise
DESSERT: Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2008-11-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

Topping:
4 T. Butter
2/3 C. Brown Sugar
16 oz. Can Sliced Pineapples
Maraschino Cherries
2 T. Pineapple Syrup from canned pineapple
Melt butter in 9x13 baking dish, add brown sugar, and syrup. Arrange pineapple rings and cherries. Set aside while you make the batter.

Batter:
2 2/3 C. Flour
1 1/2 C. Sugar
4 t. Baking Powder
1 1/3 C. Milk
1/2 C. Butter
2 Eggs
2 t. Vanilla
Combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Add milk, butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat on low until blended. Beat on medium 1 minute. Spoon over topping mixture in pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Light and Zesty Coleslaw

2008-11-22T10:52:00.000-08:00

16 oz. Pkg. Coleslaw Blend
2 C. Fresh Broccoli, chopped
1/4 C. Green Onions, sliced
3/4 C. Italian Dressing
1/4 C. Orange Marmalade
1/4 t. Celery Seed
11 oz. Can Mandarin Oranges, drained

In large bowl, combine coleslaw blend, broccoli and onions; stir gently to mix.

In small bowl, combine dressing, marmalade and celery seed; blend well. Pour over coleslaw mixture; toss to coat. Add mandarin oranges; toss gently. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Thanks Kaylynn

2008-11-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

Kaylynn is bringing sodas, rolls, and sweet potatoes!! I am especially excited about the sweet potatoes! I didn't plan on making these because I didn't think anyone else really wanted them until Kaylynn suggested them! Yay!

Cherry Glazed Turkey

2008-11-16T14:35:00.000-08:00

Cherry Glazed Turkey
2 T. Sage
1 t. Salt
1/2 t. Pepper
1 Whole Turkey (12#)
1/2 C. Cherry Jam
1/4 C. Ruby Port

Heat oven to 325. Mix sage, salt and pepper; rub into turkey skin. Rub salt on the
inside cavity of the bird. Fasten neck skin of turkey with skewer.
Tuck legs under band of skin at tail or tie together with heavy string.

Place turkey on rack in shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Cover turkey loosely with
foil; roast 3 hours. Meanwhile, mix preserves and port, set aside.

Uncover turkey. Roast 45 minutes to an hour and half more, brushing turkey with glaze
frequently, until thermometer reads 180 and legs move easily with lifted or twisted.
Remove stuffing from oven after 40-50 minutes of baking time.
Place turkey on warm platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Let stand 15-20 minutes
for easiest carving.

For a larger turkey:
15-22 pounds 3 1/2 - 4 hours
22-24 pounds 4 - 4 1/2 hours
24-29 pounds 4 1/2 - 5 hours

These times are for UNSTUFFED birds, and are just guidelines, not strict times, you need to cook your bird until the thermometer reads 180 degrees. DO NOT UNDER COOK YOUR BIRD!

Thank You Suzi

2008-11-16T10:48:00.001-08:00

Suzi has offered to bring pumpkin cheesecake for thanksgiving. That will give some choices for dessert. Thank You

Thanksgiving Menu- First Edition ;0)

2008-11-09T14:26:00.000-08:00

OK. Here's the first edition to the Thanksgiving Menu, the month is still early, I'm sure it will change. I will start posting recipes for these items shortly.

Cherry Glazed Turkey
Smoked Salmon
Smoked Brauts
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Rolls
Stuffing- My SIL is making this, her recipe sounds yummy, I'll ask for permission to post.
Cranberry Sauce
Fruit Salad
Light and Zesty Coleslaw
DRINK- Apple Peach Sunrise
DESSERT- Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Vanilla Ice cream.

Chocolate and Peanutbutter Chip Banana Muffins

2008-11-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

I didn't get any pictures of these super yummy muffins because we ate them up so diggidy dang fast!!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Banana Muffins:
2 1/2 C. Flour
1 t. Baking soda
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 C. Chocolate Chips
1/2 C. Peanut Butter Chips
1/2 C. Margarine
1 C. Sugar
2 Eggs
3 Bananas, smashed
1 t. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and chips, set aside.

Mix together margarine and sugar until fluffy, beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in
bananas and vanilla.

Slowly mix in powdered ingredients, mix until well blended.
Bake 415-20 minutes.

mmmmmmmmm Oh So Yummy

White Chili

2008-10-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

Thank You Jan for putting this idea in my cute little head. I googled and found this recipe at www.cdkitchen.com it is one of my favorite recipe web sites. I'm going to try making this chili on Sunday. Sunday I also have to make pretzels, dog biscuits, rice krispy treats for CJ's bake sale. So check back Sunday night or Monday morning for all new recipes. In the mean time here's the White Chili recipe:
Serves 8
Ingredients:
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cans (15-ounce size) great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 onions, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Mix the broth, chicken, beans, zucchini, onions, cumin, garlic, and chili powder in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on High until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 1/2 hours. Stir in the corn and sour cream; cook until heated through, about 5 minutes longer. Season with the salt and pepper and serve.

Per serving: 193 Cal, 3 g Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 34 mg Chol, 264 mg Sod, 19 g Carb, 6 g Fib, 21 g Prot, 64 mg Calc.
This recipe from CDKitchen for Chicken White Chili serves/makes 8

Turkey Chili with Black Beans

2008-09-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 pounds Ground Turkey
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Onions, chopped
2 Bell Peppers, any color, chopped
1 pound can Kidney Beans
2 15oz. cans Black Beans
2 1 pound cans Crushed Tomatoes
6 1/2 oz. can of Mushrooms
1/2 C. Chili Powder
2 T. Vinegar
1/2 t. Allspice
1/2 t. Coriander
2 t. Cumin
1 t. Salt

Brown the turkey, onion, and bell pepper, and then drain the fat.

In a LARGE pot mix all the ingredients, bring to a boil and then simmer for a minimum of 3 hours.

I like to add different flavors of peppers depending on my mood. I look for whatever looks extra yummy at the farmers market or the grocery store. When adding the extra peppers, do not brown them with the turkey, just chop them up and add them to the chili before you boil.

This makes a lot of chili, be prepared to freeze leftovers.

KFC Recipe Out Of The Vault!

2008-09-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

from www.msnbc.msn.com :

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Pssst. The secret’s out at KFC. Well, sort of.
Colonel Harland Sanders’ handwritten recipe of 11 herbs and spices was removed Tuesday from safekeeping at KFC’s corporate offices for the first time in decades. The temporary relocation is allowing KFC to revamp security around a yellowing sheet of paper that contains one of the country’s most famous corporate secrets.
The brand’s top executive admitted his nerves were aflutter despite the tight security he lined up for the operation.
“I don’t want to be the president who loses the recipe,” KFC President Roger Eaton said. “Imagine how terrifying that would be.”
The recipe that launched the chicken chain was placed in a lock box that was handcuffed to security expert Bo Dietl, who climbed aboard an armored car that whisked away with an escort from off-duty police officers.
Eaton’s parting words to Dietl, “Keep it safe.”
So important is the 68-year-old concoction that coats the chain’s Original Recipe chicken that only two company executives at any time have access to it. The company refuses to release their names or titles, and it uses multiple suppliers who produce and blend the ingredients but know only a part of the entire contents.
Dietl, a former New York City police detective, assured Eaton that the iconic recipe would be safe.
“There’s no way, shape or form ... that anybody is going to get their hands on this recipe,” he said. “And if they get their hands on this recipe, they have to take me with them.”
His security firm is also handling the security improvements for the recipe at headquarters, but he wouldn’t say what changes they’re making.
KFC executives said they decided to upgrade security after retrieving the recipe amid preparations to add a new line of Original Recipe chicken strips.
The recipe has been stashed at the company headquarters for decades, and for more than 20 years has been tucked away in a filing cabinet equipped with two combination locks. To reach the cabinet, the keepers of the recipe would first open up a vault and unlock three locks on a door that stood in front of the cabinet.
Vials of the herbs and spices are also stored in the secret filing cabinet.
“The smell is overwhelming when you open it,” said one of two keepers of the recipe in an interview at company headquarters.
The biggest prize, though, is a single sheet of notebook paper, yellowed by age, that lays out the entire formula — including exact amounts for each ingredient — written in pencil and signed by Sanders.
Others have tried to replicate the recipe, and occasionally someone claims to have found a copy of Sanders’ creation. The executive said none have come close, adding the actual recipe would include some surprises.
Sanders developed the formula in 1940 at his tiny restaurant in southeastern Kentucky and used it to launch the KFC chain in the early 1950s.
Sanders died in 1980, but his likeness is still central to KFC’s marketing.
“The recipe to him, in later years, was everything he stood for,” said Shirley Topmiller, his personal secretary for about 12 years.
Larry Miller, a restaurant analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said the recipe’s value is “almost an immeasurable thing. It’s part of that important brand image that helps differentiate the KFC product.”
KFC had a total of 14,892 locations worldwide at the end of 2007. The chain has had strong sales overseas, especially in its fast-growing China market, but has struggled in the U.S. amid a more health-conscious public. KFC posted U.S. sales of $5.3 billion at company-owned and franchised stores in 2007.

Sorry...

2008-08-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted any yummies. Kyle and I have both been sick. It's hard to tell if something that I made is any good when you can't taste any thing. I'm starting to feel better, so stay tuned!

Bread, without the fancy kitchen appliances

2008-08-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make bread this week. I put it off because I thought, I don't have a bread machine and I don't have one of those giant stand mixers. It's going to be too much trouble. Well I googled around and found out that I was WRONG! Here is what I found. This recipe makes the yummiest yummiest bread, and it is so super easy.

2 Loaves of Bread

1/2 C. Milk
3 T. Sugar
2 t. Salt
3 T. Butter, just barely melted, not boiling hot
2 packets or 4 1/2 t. Active Dry Yeast
2 C. Warm Water
5-7 C. Flour, the amount of flour you use depends on what sort of flour you have

First heat the bowl by filling it with hot water and then dumping it out. Mix the warm water and yeast until there is an even consistency. It should look like this...

Now add the butter, milk, sugar, and salt. Mix until well blended. It should look like this...

Then add 4 C. of flour to begin, then slowly add flour 1/4 C. at a time until the dough no longer has the consistency of glue and is more dough like. A little stickiness is ok, but it shouldn't be capable of being a glue alternative. It should look a little like this...

Next you will kneed the dough for 10 minutes. I have limited kitchen space so I just kneed right in the bowl. It's easier and less messy that way. You could clear a work space and dust it with flour and kneed your bread there. After you are done kneading place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Your dough should look a little like this...

I use this time to clean up my mess so that I have a work space for the next step.

After the dough has risen for an hour it should be roughly double the original size. Take it out of the bowl, divide it in half, give it a few punches to deflate it back down to sized. 1 loaf at a time shape the dough into a rectangular size with one side being roughly the length of the bread pan and the other side being about a bread pan and a half long.

Now you just roll it up just like a giant cigar. Tuck the ends underneath with the seam. Place it in your bread pan (spray pan with a non stick spray first), cover and let rise for another hour. I start my oven to preheat to 400 towards the end of this hour.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Immediately remove from the pans and allow the bread to cool before slicing. TaDa! You have a bread that is tasty and you can easily spell all the ingredients! I don't know how to spell or pronounce half of the ingredients on the store bought bread label.

Chicken Ramen Salad

2008-08-20T16:36:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if that is what this is really called, but it's something that my MIL (mother-in-law) makes every so often. I have been craving it for a couple weeks now. I finally called her and asked how to make it. Well, actually first I called my SIL (sister-in-law) and she just told me to google it, I found a ton of recipes, none that seemed just right. So here it is:

Chicken Ramen Salad
Rotisserie Deli Chicken, pulled to pieces
1 Head of Cabbage, shredded or finely chopped
1 Medium Onion or a few Green Onions, chopped
Sesame Seeds to taste
1/2 C. Slivered Almonds
2 packages Top Ramen Chicken Flavored Noodles, raw and crushed

2/3 C. Vinegar
2/3 C. Sugar
2/3 C. Oil
Seasoning packets from the Top Ramen

Mix together the chicken, cabbage, onion, sesame seeds, almonds, and noodles.

Blend vinegar, sugar, oil and seasoning packets.

Pour vinegar mixture over salad.

Refrigerate. Eat. Yum.

**For a healthier version try using baked chicken instead of the deli chicken.**

So now you and I don't have to google the recipe anymore! Yay!

Welcome

2008-08-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

So I realized how many of my blog posts have a food theme. So I thought I would make another blog devoted to something that I've learned that I really love. I love to cook. That doesn't mean I want to spend all my time in the kitchen preparing complicated meals, get real. I am always with 2 kiddos at my feet. I need food that is tasty and good for us. So here's my attempt. We will see how it works. We will also see if I can get my kiddos in the kitchen and helpful. Wish me luck!