Our Family Project

Last week at our art co-op, the younger group made mini monkey bread for the snack.  Well, they made enough for everyone, so my friend who was teaching didn't want the older the group to make it again.  She wasn't sure what to do, so I said, "Let's have them make dinner!"  Ha ha ha!  I was kind of kidding, but at the same time I was thinking, "It's almost 4 o'clock, and I still have to make dinner.  If they make my family dinner, I won't have to!" So, they made Bubble Up Pizza Casserole (to use the biscuits already bought).  One for my family and one for my friend's family.  After it was all made, we sat back and my friends said, "I love this idea.  We should do it every week; have the older group make a freezer meal for us all to take home." This week, they made lasagna .  I actually had enough ingredients to make two lasagnas (actually, my friend let me have some of her cottage cheese because I was little bit short) ... s...

I've been deliberating for quite some time and finally decided to do it. I've separated all my recipes from our family blog. I want to make it easier for you to find any recipes you're looking for, and also make it easier for me to get everything printed. I'll leave all the recipes on here that have been already been posted here, but I won't be adding any more. I'll only post them on Table Time Tuesday . So, head on over there for all my recipes!

The picture I took of this didn't turn out very well. So, maybe next time I make these I'll update this with a picture. At any rate, these are really yummy ... but seriously full of sugar. The recipe makes several dozen (depending on size), so I would suggest only making these when you will be able to get rid or give away most of them so you don't end up eating them all! What you need: 2 cups light corn syrup 2 cups sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 jar marshmallow creme 2 cups peanut butter 1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips 1 large box cereal (Cheerios, Special K, Kix [my fav], Rice Krispies, etc.) How to do it: Bring sugar, syrup and salt to a rolling boil. Stir for one minutes and remove from heat. Add marshmallow creme, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Add cereal and carefully mix. Shape into cookies or bars. Tip: Be sure to mix it really well and pour it on the cereal while it is still somewhat warm. (I let it cool a little bit and the handle on my wooden spo...

I got this recipe in the mail. Jon raved and raved about the chicken. I just thought, "Thanks, but it was so easy and I didn't do anything special to it at all." It really was better than I anticipated. CHICKEN ALFREDO What you need: 1/4 cup flour 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2 tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. onion, minced 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 1/3 cup grated Parmesan 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper 1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh parsley How to do it: Preheat oven to 375°. Place flour in a shallow dish or pie plate. Sprinkle chicken with salt and coat with flour. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook, turning once, until golden, 2-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet; place in a 9x13 baking dish. Heat remaining oil (1 tsp) in same skillet over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and onion; cook until garlic is fragrant and onion is te...

I love this stuff so much, I've made it three times in the last month! It is that yummy! Jon took some to work and came home requesting I make more for him to take again. So, out of the goodness of my heart (and the prospect of goodness in my mouth) I complied. ECLAIR CAKE What you need: 1 cup water 1/2 cup butter 1 cup flour 4 eggs 1 large pkg. vanilla pudding, instant or cook-n-serve 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 tub whipped topping chocolate syrup How you do it: Bring water and butter to a rolling boil; whisk in flour until it forms a ball. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Beat in eggs one at a time. Press into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Meanwhile prepare pudding as directed on the package. Add cream cheese to pudding and mix well. Pour pudding into cake crust. When pudding is set, top with whipped topping. Drizzle with chocolate syrup before serving. Keep refrigerated. Step-by-Step: Okay, so ...

This week's Table Time Tuesday is a recipe I tried back in July when I got my Kraft Food & Family magazine. I used leftover grilled chicken for my filling. We also put sour cream atop our enchiladas and I really liked it that way. Anyway, here's the recipe: What you need: 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 4 cooked small chicken breasts (about 1 lb.), shredded 1 cup salsa, divided 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, cubed 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 cup shredded cheddar & monterey jack Cheese, divided 8 flour tortillas How you do it: Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat large skillet spayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 min. Add chicken, 1/4 cup of the salsa, cream cheese, cilantro and cumin; mix well. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese; mix well. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down, in ...

Today is Table Time Tuesday! I know, I know, I haven’t posted a new recipe is two weeks. That’s why this post is just called: Pasta! A few years ago, my friend’s husband (who served a mission in Italy) taught me how to make two different pasta sauces. I’ve already shared one (I call it: Chunky Red Pasta Sauce), and now I’ll share the other one (of course with my modifications), plus one of my own creation. This first one is an alfredo sauce (or as my family calls it, “white sauce”). If you like alfredo sauce, this is the sauce for you! Well, that is if you want to gain a few pounds. It is rich, creamy, and THE BEST homemade alfredo sauce I’ve ever had, if I do say so myself. We prefer it over the bottled sauces you can buy in the store. And, when I’m in a time crunch, or I just can’t think of anything to make for dinner, I make this and it’s on the table in at least 20 minutes, sometimes sooner. ALFREDO SAUCE What you need: ¼ cup butter 1 clove garlic, minced or chopped finely ¼ cup fl...

So, on Sunday it was our turn to feed our missionaries. And, for some reason I hate having them come for dinner and not serving them some form of a dessert. The best part about dessert on this particular Sunday was that I had a craving ... and was able to follow through, even if I had to make a substitution. I was craving my grandmother's fudge sauce on ice cream. Occasionally when we'd visit with my grandmother Werner (the " White Grandma ") she would give us ice cream (in some glass dishes that I inherited from her when she moved), then drizzle on her homemade fudge sauce. It seriously is the best fudge sauce, ever! (It even makes great chocolate milk!) GRANDMA’S FUDGE SAUCE What you need: 1 large can evaporated milk 2 cups sugar 3 squares unsweetened chocolate 1 tsp. vanilla How to do it: Bring to boil over medium heat milk, sugar, and chocolate. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring vigorously. Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary type beater for 1 minute. Add a...

I started a tradition a few years ago: chili for dinner on Halloween night. The first couple of times I did this, I tried two different recipes and we weren’t really keen on either. Then, I had this White Chili at my friend’s house during a card exchange. So, I got the recipe from my friend, Melissa , and the last couple of years this is what we’ve had for our traditional Halloween Chili Dinner. It’s super yummy … you just have to try it. WHITE CHILI What you need: 2 lbs. chicken, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces 1 onion, diced 1 lb. Velveeta, cubed ½ lb. Monterey Jack cheese, cubed 1 can white corn, or 1 cup frozen corn 1-3 cans tomatoes with green chilies, drained really well* 2 cans white beans (great northern) 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 can chicken broth *This is what makes it spicy; the more cans you use, the spicier it will be. How you do it: Combine all ingredients. Let simmer until warmed through. Serve with tortilla chips. Semi-Step by Step: I’ve combined my steps. Th...

(*Side note: I apologize for the time stamp in all of the pictures ... I still haven't figured out how to get that to go away!) I first had this shortly after Jon and I were married and my sister-in-law served it to us. I had no idea how to make it at home until then. My sister-in-law took her chicken breasts to the butcher at the grocery store and had him tenderize the chicken breasts for her. But, we liked it so much, we invested in a meat mallet so we could do it ourselves. (Yes, WE; Jon has made this before.) It's actually a lot of fun to make when I'm stressed out or upset about something! Hee hee. What you need: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4 deli-thin ham slices 4 deli-thin Swiss cheese slices 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1 1/2 cups cornflake crumbs (more or less) toothpicks 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese rice How you do it: Tenderize the chicken breasts. Place one slice ham and one slice Swiss cheese in middle of chicken bre...

Our family went to a friend's soup pot luck on Saturday night. I wasn't in the mood to make any of my regular soup recipes. That's usually how I work ... either I get a recipe suggested from a friend, or I try out a new recipe on a bunch of people (just in case we don't like it so we won't have to keep a ton of leftovers in the fridge that we won't end up eating). Anyway, for some reason I thought it would be interesting to see if I could find a recipe to replicate the Zuppa Toscana soup served at Olive Garden. So, I tried this recipe; and it turned out pretty similar and very yummy. (In fact, one of the guys there asked if I was trying to win a prize [we'd just won "most original chili" at a chili cook-off].) This is definitely worth trying if you like that spicy sausage and potato soup. Zuppa Toscana 1 lb. ground spicy Italian sausage, crumbled 1/2 lb. smoked bacon (6 slices), chopped 1 qt. water 2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth (about 3 2/3 cup...

I feel very blessed to be in a school district that fits snack time into the school schedule. The catch is that we have to send our children with their snacks. I always try to have something salty with protein of some form for Una's snack because that combo seems to help her with her hypoglycemia. I would LOVE to send just plain regular chex mix because of the salty nuts and lack of sugar, but she HATES that stuff. In fact, this is the only snack mix I've been able to make (find) that Una will eat and thoroughly enjoy. And, although it is rather sweet, it's not something she'll get everyday. (Thanks, Jessica, for sharing this with me!) SWEET MINGLE MIX 1 1/2 cups pretzel sticks (broken in half) 2 cups Chex 2 cups Cheerios (not honey-nut) 1 cup peanuts 1 cup M&Ms 10 oz. vanilla candy coating Line driper pan with wax paper. Combine all ingredients, except candy coating in a large bowl. Melt candy coating in microwave. Pour over dry ingredients. Pour mixture into dripp...

This week there are two TTT posts because I skipped out last week. This one is dedicated to a super easy chicken pot pie. Papa LOVES this pot pie for the flavor; I LOVE this pot pie for the simplicity. ZESTY CHICKEN POT PIE 12 oz (1 1/2 [8 oz.] pkgs.) cream cheese, cubed 1/2 cup chicken broth 3 cups choped cooked chicken 2 pkgs. (10 oz.) frozen mixed veggies, thawed* 1 pkg. Italian salad dressing mix 1 refrigerated ready-to-use pie crust** Preheat oven to 425°. Place cream cheese in large saucepan. Add broth; cook on low heat until cream cheese is completely melted, stirring frequently with wire whisk. Stir in chicken, veggies & salad dressing mix. Spoon into 9-inch pie plate. Cover wtih pie crust; seal and flute edges. Cut several slits in crust to allow steam to escape. Place pie plate on baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minuets or until golden brown. Serves: 8 *I use a peas & carrots mixture for the veggies. **The first time I made this, I used two pie crusts, placing one in the pi...

This week I'm posting one of my absolutely favorite dinners. Luckily for me, my sister was here while I made it, so she took pictures for you. (That's why they are so much better than the pictures I take!) She also said that she prefers step-by-step instructional photos, so that's what she took! Originally I got this recipe from the Kraft Food & Family magazine a couple of years ago. Since then, I've altered it to my liking. (Actually, the original is much more health conscience: using things that say "reduced-fat," "light," "fat-free," and "reduced sodium." We're all about getting extra fat in our house [and flavor], so I just steer clear of such statements. But, to each their own; make it the way you want to make it!) So, I'll post the original recipe at the bottom in case you want that. Otherwise, this is the way I make it: Start by heating about 1/3 cup Italian Salad Dressing in a skillet. Use more or less dependi...