Cinnamon Twists

Like I mentioned in my last update, John never requests for me to make anything specific. Since I am really annoying and don't take no for an answer I normally prod him and ask him numerous questions trying to get some input. One question I ask often is "Tell me something your mom used to make that you liked." After asking this question SO MANY TIMES he finally named something: Cinnamon twists. Now, in seventh grade we had to take a cooking class and one of the things we made were cinnamon twists. I wasn't sure if these were the same version as John's moms but I figured they must be similar! I mean cinnamon, sugar, dough... there's only so many options!

I was a little nervous when John peered over my shoulder as I was cooking these and said "Those are NOT how my mom made them!" Well.... low and behold once he tasted them he said they were exactly like his moms! These are so good and they are best served warm, straight from the oven.

Ingredients:
1 roll of refrigerated biscuits (10 count per package)
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
6 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of cinnamon (approximately- add more or less to taste)

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400. Combine the cinnamon and sugar into one bowl, stir until well combined.
2- Lay each biscuit out and slice it in half.
3- Take one piece of dough at a time and roll it between your palms until its about 2 inches long. Then tie the dough into a knot. Dip the knot into the butter, then into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
4- Lay the knot on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
5- Bake for about 8 minutes or until golden.
6- Serve warm

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Whenever I ask John if there is something specific he wants me to make for dinner he says no. In the 3 years we have been living together I think he has requested two or three things total. So you can imagine my shock when he requested broccoli and cheese soup. I have had this Cooking Light recipe bookmarked on my computer for a long time (like over a year long!) but finally had a reason to make it.

This was really very good. It was creamy without being rich, if that makes sense. I used broccoli cuts because it was what I had on hand. After blending the broccoli in the blender though it broke up nicely and didn't seem to matter that I hadn't used florets. Overall I would definitely make this recipe again.

As usual, I halved this recipe. 1/2 made enough for John and I plus some left overs. I served this soup with fresh cornbread... yum!

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)

Directions:
1- Heat the skillet with cooking spray. Add the onion and garlic, saute until tender.
2- Add the broth and broccoli- heat until just boiling. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes.
3- In a separate bowl whisk the flour and milk. Add that into the broth. Cook until the soup thickens. Add the black pepper.
4- Add in the cheese. Stir until smooth. Spoon some of the soup (the recipe calls for 1/3 but I used over 1/2) into the blender and blend until smooth. Then return it the pot.

Chocolate Thumbprints

This recipe comes from a blog called Elizabeth's Edible Experience and has been on my to try list forever. It is originally a Martha Stewart recipe so you know it's good! John has been working such long hours and I have been alone all night EVERY night (pity party for one please!) so I decided to bake something for him to take to work tomorrow. I had all the ingredients for this recipe on hand and figured why not.

Now... As a first grade teacher I am ashamed to admit this... but I didn't read the directions well (::bows head in shame::). If I had I would have realized that the batter only called for 1 stick of butter with the extra 1/2 stick being mixed into the chocolate... however, I did exactly what I tell my students not to do and skimmed the directions and just got to work!! However, even with my mistake, I thought these were EXCELLENT! The extra butter made the cookies even more delicate and delicious. I did catch my mistake early so I added a little extra butter to the chocolate mixture. These came out exactly as I imagined and were great!



Ingredients
Makes 2 dozen

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 1 stick butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in flour, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium high.

Roll dough by teaspoonfuls into balls, and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press thumb into tops of cookies to make indentations. (Elizabeth used a wine cork, I used the outside of a teaspoon measuring spoon)

Return to oven, and bake until light brown on the edges, 7 to 9 minutes more. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Combine chocolate, 4 tablespoons butter, and corn syrup in a small heat-proof bowl.

Set over a pot of simmering water; stir occasionally until melted and smooth.

Allow to cool slightly. When cookies are cool, fill the thumbprints with the chocolate mixture.

Creamy Tomato Chicken Skillet

This recipe popped up in my google reader and I knew immediately that John and I would love it! I made it tonight and I was not disappointed. It was very yummy. I followed Brooke's recipe, using skim milk and the 98% fat free soup to make it lighter. It came out excellent and I highly recommend this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups of pasta
3/4 lbs chicken, cut into pieces
1 can Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup of milk
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Cook the pasta as directed. Heat 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken & cook thoroughly. Reduce heat to medium; stir in soup, tomatoes, milk and seasonings. Stir in cooked pasta. Cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until bubbly & heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat, cover & let stand about 5 minutes.

Foil pack taco chicken

This Kraft recipe is always in the back of my mind when I am trying to come up with something new to make with chicken. For one reason or another I have never gotten around to making it. It is really pretty good. It is a simple recipe, uses very few ingredients, and dirties VERY few dishes! If you are looking for a light and simple chicken meal I would give this a shot!

As always, I halved this recipe. I did use 1/3 cup of salsa in each chicken packet though, which is slightly more then they call for.

Ingredients:

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
4 tsp. taco seasoning mix
1/2 lb. red potatoes, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup sour cream (omitted)

Directions:

HEAT oven to 400°F. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning mix. Place 1/2 cup potatoes on center of each of four large sheets of heavy-duty foil; top with chicken, cheese and salsa.

BRING up foil sides. Double fold top and both ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place in 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165°F). Cool 5 min. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening. Top with sour cream.

Pancakes

I have been neglecting my blog with real meals and I truly apologize! John has been working CRAZY hours and it is going to continue this upcoming week. I don't have a ton of motivation to cook for just myself... but this week I will because really, how many nights can you eat egg noodles??

Today I want to have a very relaxing day of just the two of us hanging out around the house (and possibly unpacking, although I probably shouldn't admit that we still have many unpacked boxes in the basement!) I decided to start off this relaxing day with homemade pancakes. Up until this morning homemade pancakes meant Bisquick. Growing up my father made pancakes using Bisquick EVERY Sunday and I always loved it. I decided to try my hand at making them from scratch and see if they held up to the mix.

After looking through a lot of recipes I went with this recipe from Allrecipes because it looked pretty classic and simple. I halved the recipe since the original yields 8 servings. However, when I halved the recipe it yielded 6 pancakes. I wouldn't consider that 4 servings, but maybe John and I just eat too many pancakes!

Overall, these were REALLY good. I added some cinnamon and vanilla and they were great. I did realize, once again, that I am horrible at flipping pancakes. This is one area I REALLY need to improve- most turned out disfigured. However the taste was awesome- I highly recommend this recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
* I added the following to the batter:
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Chili's salsa

I LOVE Chili's salsa. It is my idea of the perfect salsa. I love the flavor and also how it isn't chunky. I am sure many people love the chunks but not me. When I saw this copy cat recipe for Chili's salsa I was so excited. While I did greatly enjoy the taste of this salsa, I am not sure that it is JUST LIKE the salsa from Chili's. It is very similar though and very flavorful.

I also over blended it and it was a little too thin- so if you decide to make it be careful when processing the ingredients. This recipe yields a lot of salsa so I will be looking for creative uses for salsa for the next few weeks... if you have any ideas, feel free to leave me a comment!

Ingredients
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomatoes and green chilies
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can whole canned tomatoes (plus the juice)
4 teaspoons jalapenos (canned,diced, not pickled)
1/4 cup yellow onion (diced)
1/2-3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin (omitted- several reviews said it was overpowering and I don't love cumin so I omitted it)
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Directions
1- In food processor place jalapenos and onions.
2- Process for just a few seconds.
3- Add both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar, and cumin.
4- Process all ingredients until well blended but do not puree.
5- Place in covered container and chill.
6- A couple of hours of chilling will help blend and enrich the flavor.
7- Serve with your favorite thin corn tortilla chips.

Chocolate Biscotti

After searching for an easy biscotti recipe this recipe was the winner! I love biscotti and wanted to try making it but I also wanted a simple recipe for my first go around. These are very good. They are very hard, which I know is normal for biscotti, so I would suggest serving them along side coffee, milk, etc. Overall they were a lot simpler to make then I expected. They are time consuming but they are definitely not difficult. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
2/3 cup (4 ounces) semisweet or dark chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 ounces) butter
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)
1 teaspoon salt

1 beaten egg white for glaze

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and chocolate together (I put them in a Pyrex measuring cup and microwave them) and set aside.

2. Beat the eggs and sugar until lightened.

3. Add vanilla and chocolate mixture.

4. Mix in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt just until combined. You should have a soft, but not sticky, dough. Add the extra 1/4 cup of flour if dough is too sticky.

5. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, form each half into a log that is 3-1/2 inches by 9 inches. Place logs on a large baking sheet and brush with egg white if desired. Bake for 25 minutes or until tops are set.

6. Remove the cookies from the oven. While the biscotti are cooling, reduce the oven to 275 degrees. Let logs cool as long as you can (the cooler they are, the easier to cut), and then slice into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the slices on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, carefully turn slices over, and bake for another 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container or freeze.

Pineapple Banana Muffins

I made these muffins as a thank you for one of my coworkers. Last week I ripped my winter coat trying to take the garbage out (don't ask... I can make a mess doing the simplest tasks) and my coworker kindly fixed it for free. I wanted to make her something to say thank you. I had 2 VERY ripe bananas and some pineapple that were at the point where either you cook with them or toss them... so I looked high and low for a recipe using both. This recipe from Taste of Home looked perfect! They were really good. They reminded me of our honeymoon in St. Lucia where pineapple and bananas were everywhere you looked. They smelled very tropical and fruity and taste equally delicious.


The following recipe yields 6 muffins. I doubled it to make 12.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons beaten egg
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 medium)
1/3 cup unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg, oil, milk and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and pineapple.

Coat muffin cups with cooking spray or use paper liners; fill three-fourths full with batter. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 6 muffins.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I am in love with this soup. This morning when I checked my google reader I saw this recipe for a version of chicken pot pie that is very popular in central PA. It is more like a soup and less like the flaky pastry pie we are used to around here. I knew I wanted to try it and couldn't wait...so I made it tonight!

I am so proud of myself and this recipe because I had to make homemade noodles. Normally this would send me running and I would never attempt the recipe. However I did and it was awesome. By far my favorite soup recipe that I have ever made. I suggest trying it. And if you too are frightened by the homemade noodles- don't be! It really was so easy!

I halved the recipe and it worked perfectly. The following is the original recipe, but half of this recipe yielded enough for the two of us and left overs!

Pot Pie Squares (The Noodles)

3 cups flour
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (like Crisco) (I used butter)
1/2 to 3/4 cup water

Directions
- Mix the flour, egg, and shortening together
- Knead the dough mixture, while alternately adding small amounts of water until the dough holds together well
- Divide the dough into two or three pieces
- Roll each piece out to about 1/8" thick on a floured surface
- Cut the rolled out dough into squares - about 2" to 2 1/2" wide
- Allow the freshly made pot pie noodles to dry for about 30 minutes or more before cooking (I let mine stand for over an hour)

The Soup
*3-4 cups of shredded chicken, turkey, beef, or even ham leftovers can be used instead of a whole stewing chicken for this. When using leftovers, use broth instead of the 2 quarts of water. With leftover chicken or turkey, use 4 cans of chicken broth.

1-3 lb stewing chicken (I used one LARGE chicken breast, boiled and shredded)
2 quarts water (I used 1 can of Roasted Garlic chicken broth and one can of vegetable and herb chicken broth)
5 medium potatoes - peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
2 cups chopped celery
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup finely diced carrots
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions
- Cook the chicken in water until tender
- Remove the chicken from the broth and separate the meat from the bones and skin
- Cut or shred the cooked chicken into bite size pieces
- Meanwhile, add the vegetables and seasonings to the simmering broth
- Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, then add the pot pie squares to the broth mixture, a few at a time, stirring frequently so they don't stick together
- After all have been added, cook gently for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the noodles are tender
- Add the cut up chicken and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes longer
- Cover, and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Penne a la Betsy

This delicious dinner has been on my to-make list forever. Tonight I had my parents and sister over for dinner before my sister goes back to college. I decided this was the perfect opportunity to make this meal. It was EXCELLENT. I followed the recipe pretty closely and we all loved it. The sauce is wonderful and everyone truly enjoyed this dinner.

P.S.- If your wondering why this is called Penne a la Betsy click back on the original recipe and you can read the whole back story!

Ingredients:
1 pound of shrimp
1 box of penne
butter
olive oil
1 small onion (I used onion powder)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of white wine
1 cup of tomato sauce
1 cup of heavy cream (I used light cream)
Parsley
Basil
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Cook the penne according to directions.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of garlic. Add the shrimp, cook until cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Add onion and garlic and heat over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons more of butter and olive oil. (I only added one more tablespoon of each). After the onion and garlic have cooked a bit add the white wine and allow the wine to cook off.

Add the sauce, stir to combine well. Add the cream. Allow to simmer. Add fresh herbs. Add the shrimp and pasta back into the skillet, stir to combine.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Let me tell you... these look and smell amazing. Since I am sending them to work with John for his work meeting I didn't want to eat one of the 12 muffins so I didn't try them! I am anxiously awaiting reviews tomorrow but I can tell you based on sight/scent these are a winner. I got this recipe from Cathy, who ironically posts on the same cooking forum as I do AND works with John! What a small world. She told me these were a hit with her team and I decided to give them a shot. It will be a miracle if John makes it to work with 12 muffins tomorrow instead of 11... I think one of these bad boys is calling my name!

Ingredients:
For the muffins:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bananas, mashed
4 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the crumb topping:
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
3. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. In another bowl, beat together bananas, applesauce, sugar, egg and melted butter.
5. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Using and ice cream scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin cups and fill 3/4 full.
6. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle heaping teaspoonfuls of the topping over muffins.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Fruit Dip

So it's my turn to make breakfast for my husbands meeting tomorrow. I decided to go with fresh fruit with a fruit dip and banana crumb muffins. This recipe is very simple. My mother-in-law made a fruit dip on Thanksgiving using cream cheese and Cool Whip that was so good so I decided to try my hand at this using a few simple ingredients. It came out delicious.

Ingredients:
4 ounces of cream cheese
1 tub of Cool Whip
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of powdered sugar

Directions:

Cream the cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Pour in the powdered sugar, beat until combined. Add vanilla, stir again.
Add in the Cool Whip, beat until well combined. (This took about 5 minutes on high in my KitchenAid mixer. It was really hard to get rid of the clumps but it eventually happened!

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

This recipe is from Kraft and has been bookmarked on my computer for months. I finally put in on the menu this week and was pleased with it. If you are looking for something simple and easy but tasty and not high in calories or fat, this is a good choice.

I halved this recipe and it was perfect for the two of us:

Ingredients:
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
HEAT oven to 400°F. Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened.

LAYER chicken, basil, cheese and stuffing in 3-qt. or 13x9-inch baking dish.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Enjoy now or cover and refrigerate. To reheat, microwave each serving on HIGH 2 to 3 min.

Mascarpone Macaroni and Cheese

Last week I made a recipe for baked tortellini that called for mascarpone cheese. I had never had/cooked with mascarpone before but I loved the tortellini. However, I am now left with about 2 cups of this cheese that needs to be used asap! I looked up recipes that use mascarpone and discovered this recipe for macaroni and cheese. I did make many changes to this recipe, I will note them below. I used what I had on hand to make this which resulted in changing the quantities/types of cheese. I should also say I used more macaroni and less milk/cheese and it was still SO cheesy and creamy! This was amazing and will be my go-to recipe for macaroni and cheese when entertaining. It is VERY high in fat so I wouldn't make it routinely but it was definitely a winner in our house.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni(I used 3/4 of a box of Gemelli)
7 ½ Tbs Butter, divided (I used 4 tablespoons total)
¼ Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Flour
3 Cups milk (I used 2 1/4 of 2%)
2 ¼ Cups gruyere, shredded (I used 1 cup of sharp cheddar and 3/4 of a cup of parmesan)
½ Cup mascarpone cheese
¾ Cup bread crumbs (I used panko)
¼ Cup Parmesan Reggiano, grated
salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil and add the elbow macaroni. Cook until it’s al dente.

While the macaroni is boiling, slowly melt the butter over medium high heat in a medium sauce pan.

Add the flour, stirring, cook together for a minute or so. Do not brown the mixture; you want a blonde roux. Add the milk, whisking to avoid lumps. Bring mixture to a boil and continue whisking. Lower heat and simmer for about five minutes until it thickens.

While the milk is simmering, combine 2 Tbs butter and the bread crumbs, and melt together in a separate pan. Add the Parmesan cheese. This adds another layer of flavor so it’s not one-dimensional. Just cook until the butter is melted. ( I didn't do this- I just sprinkled the panko on top in an effort to use less butter)

Remove from heat.

When the milk is ready, add the mascarpone cheese. Then add the remaining cheese and whisk it in, and as soon as until it’s melted, remove from the heat. This will happen quickly because the other cheese should be grated.

Season with salt and black pepper and whisk to combine. Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce, mix it well, and when it’s nicely incorporated, spoon it out into a cooking dish.

Sprinkle the bread crumbs on the top, using your hands to pat it down to make sure it’s nice and evenly dispersed all over the surface. The topping becomes very crunchy when it bakes. Cook for about 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree oven until golden brown and bubbly.

Chicken and Potato Bake

I found this recipe on Kraft's website and have been meaning to make it for awhile now. When I am looking for an easy recipe with common ingredients Kraft is always a sure bet. This recipe was pretty tasty. I did have some problems with cook time since I used chicken breasts instead of pieces. After about 20 minutes the chicken was cooked and the potatoes were still hard as a rock. To solve this problem I took the chicken out of the dish and threw the dish in the microwave for 4 minutes, added the chicken back on top and set it under the broiler to brown it. Worked wonderfully!

Ingredients:
4 bone-in chicken pieces (1-1/2 lb.) (I used two chicken breasts cut into small pieces)
1-1/2 lb. potatoes (about 3 med. potatoes), cut into thin wedges (I used red potatoes and sliced them into 1/4 inch round coins.)
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing (I used Good Seasons light Italian... any Italian dressing would work)
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Microwave the potatoes whole for 2-3 minutes prior to slicing since potatoes take a long time in the oven. Then slice and add to dish. Top with chicken.

TOP with dressing; sprinkle with cheese and Italian seasoning. Cover with foil.

BAKE 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through (180ºF), removing foil after 30 min. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. (For me the chicken took about 20 minutes. The potatoes needed additional cooking time so I microwaved them for 4 minutes and then returned them to the oven. )

The Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

**Before I get to the recipe, don't mind my PURPLE counter tops. The woman we bought this house from had a love affair with purple and every surface in this house was purple. These will soon be replaced by something far more neutral! **

This recipe is extremely popular on the cooking board I frequent. I may have actually been the LAST person to try and make them! After making these I realized that these are some BIG cookies. I followed peoples advice and did make each cookie a full 1/4 cup of batter because supposedly they lose some of their appeal when made smaller.

Overall I thought these were very good. I was not as enthralled by them as everyone else and have enjoyed other chocolate chip cookie recipes more, but these are definitely very good. They were perfectly crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. I think these would be great for entertaining because they are impressive looking due to their size and are also generally extremely popular.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. I baked 3 per tray and it worked out perfectly.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

For me, this yielded 12 very large cookies.

Giada's Cheesy Baked Tortellini

I love stuffed pastas... tortellini, ravioli, stuffed shells... you get the point. I have been eyeing up Giada's recipe for baked tortellini for a long time now. I finally made it tonight. It was EXCELLENT. I have mentioned before that I try not to repeat recipes too often but this one merits repeating.

Ingredients
Olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (I used 1 tablespoon of dried)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (omitted)
1 pound purchased cheese tortellini
2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella (I used regular)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.

Combine the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl.

Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain.

Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.

Crescent Chicken Pockets

Tonight's dinner was excellent!! I had some rotisserie chicken and cheddar cheese to use up so I decided to make a sandwich of sorts. It was like a lean pocket only WAY better. John and I both loved it so I would highly recommend it.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of shredded chicken
1/2 cup of 2% cheddar cheese
4 slices of cooked, chopped, center cut bacon (Center cut bacon is less fat then regular and tastes better- can't beat it!)
1 can of reduced fat crescent rolls
2-3 tablespoons of Spicy Ranch salad dressing (I used Hidden Valley)


Directions:
1-Preheat the oven to 375.
2- Open the crescent rolls and divide into two equal pieces (4 triangles in each piece).
3- Press the seals of the rolls together to make two flat rectangles. Place one rectangle down on a greased cookie sheet.
4- In a separate bowl combine the chicken, cheese, chopped bacon, and spicy ranch. Stir to combine.
5- Evenly spread the chicken mixture over the crescents.
6- Place the second rectangle of crescent rolls over the chicken mixture.
7- Pinch edges together, rolling them up to ensure the filling stays inside.
8- Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
9- Allow to stand 5 minutes before serving.

Lighter Taco Bake

There is a recipe that is highly circulating the cooking board I frequent and has been cycling for quite some time now. It is a recipe called taco bake and involves pasta- so you know it's right up my alley! I have made this before but decided to lighten it up a bit because I remember it being VERY creamy last time (and I'm not big on overly creamy things). Even after my changes it was still nice and creamy so I don't think I would use that much cream cheese again. It was pretty tasty.

I'm going to post the original recipe with my changes in bold. I halved the recipe so if you want to use my version but make the full amounts, just double it.

Ingredients

* 1 lb ground beef (I used shredded chicken breasts since we don't eat ground meat)
* 1 packet taco seasoning (I used half since I halved the recipe)
* 15 oz. tomato sauce
* 8 oz. seashell pasta (again, half)
* 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened in microwave (I used 2.5 ounces)
* 1/2 cup sour cream (I usually a little under 1/4 cup of reduced fat)
* 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used about 1/2 cup of 2%)

Directions

1. Brown ground beef, drain. (In my version I cooked and shredded the chicken). Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
3. Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in separate bowl.
4. Spray bottom of pan. Put pasta in bottom of pan.
5. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta.
6. Spoon ground meat mixture over this.
7. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
8. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon French Toast

I decided to make breakfast for dinner tonight. Sometimes I just need something different and french toast was the perfect meal to make tonight. I usually don't like french toast for one simple reason: EGGS! I hate when there is a layer of scrambled eggs caked on to my bread. When I make it I dip the bread in the batter and then scrape off the excess before cooking it- this helps to prevent this problem. Also, for the bread I used Pepperidge Farms Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl bread and that helped make this extra delicious. You could easily use plain bread, but I think thick bread is best. Also with the Pepperidge Farm bread there is already a layer of delicious cinnamon baked in. Can't beat that!

Ingredients:
1 loaf of Pepperidge Farm Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl bread (or any thick bread)
3 eggs, well whisked
1/4 cup of light cream
3 tablespoons of milk
1 tablespoon of cinnamon, or to taste
2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:
1- Heat a skillet with the butter to grease the pan. Also preheat the oven to warm, or the lowest heat.
2- In a shallow dish combine the eggs, cream, milk, and cinnamon.
3- Dip one piece of bread into the mixture, coat on both sides. Scrape off excess egg.
4- Cook on the skillet until done and slightly firm on the outside, about 3-4 minutes per side.
5- As each slice is done place it on a cookie sheet in the warm oven until all pieces are done.

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

These biscuits were seriously unreal. It you have ever been to Red Lobster these are a copy-cat recipe for the biscuits they serve there. I halved the recipe and it made 4 big biscuits. John and I both agreed that these were amazing and I will be making these again soon.



Ingredients:
2 cups of buttermilk biscuit mix (like Bisquick or Jiffy mix)
1/2 a teaspoon of garlic powder
1 to 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.
2/3 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of butter
2 teaspoons of oregano
1 teaspoon of garlic salt

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400.
2- Combine the biscuit mix, cheese, and garlic powder. Stir well.
3- Add the milk and stir. The mix should be thick, not sticky. You may need to use your hands to get the ingredients well combined.
4- Bake for 10 minutes of until lightly golden.
5- While baking, melt the butter in a small bowl and add the oregano and garlic salt.
6- Using a pastry brush, brush on the butter.
7- Return to the oven for about 5 minutes.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

**This is the least photogenic food I have ever cooked. It does taste better then it looks, I promise!

Tonight I decided to follow this recipe for beef stroganoff. I am trying to use my crock pot more as well as cook with beef more often. It is hard because I don't really love beef but since John does I try to make it now and then. The meat was very tender and fell apart at the touch of a fork. John thought it was really good and I liked the sauce it made. I did half the amount of sour cream in order to account for personal tastes, but I am sure the original amount would be best for most people. Overall, pretty good!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound beef stew meat
1/4 cup chopped onion (I used onion powder)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of golden mushroom soup
1 jar (2 1/2 ounces) Green Giant® sliced mushrooms, drained (omitted)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sour cream (I used 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups hot cooked noodles or rice

Directions:
1. In 2 1/2- to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker, mix beef, onion, soup, mushrooms and pepper.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until beef is very tender.
3. Stir sour cream into beef mixture. Serve over noodles or rice.

Cheesy garlic bread

I had a huge loaf of Italian bread to use up so I decided to make some cheesy garlic bread. I think it came out really good, but honestly it's garlic bread- it can't be bad. This recipe was the amounts I used for 1/3 of the loaf. If you are making a whole loaf just adjust the measurements! My dad and John really enjoyed this and I too was pleased.

Ingredients:
1/3 loaf of Italian bread, sliced into 2 long pieces
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 teaspoon of parsley
1 clove of crushed garlic
A pinch of basil
A pinch of garlic powder
Mozzarella cheese (use the amount you want... I used about 1/2 cup)

Directions:
Melt butter and mix in the spices.
Using a basting brush, brush spiced butter over each piece of bread.
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Spinach and 3 Cheese Stuffed Shells

Tonight I made stuffed shells using 3 cheeses and chopped spinach. It came out wonderfully and I would highly recommend it. I didn't follow a recipe, instead just used what I had in the house. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 box of jumbo shells
1 10 oz package of chopped spinach (I used about 3/4 of it but if you like a lot of spinach- use it all!)
1 15oz container of part skim ricotta cheese
1 cup of part skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
sauce
1 egg

Directions:
1- Cook shells according to package, drain and set aside.
2- Preheat the oven to 350.
3- In a mixing bowl combine the 3 cheeses and egg. Mix until well combined.
4- Squeeze the spinach until all moisture is removed. Add to the cheese and mix well.
5- Cover the bottom of an oven safe dish with sauce.
6- Spoon one spoonful of cheese mixture into each shell, set in the sauce in the pan, seam side up.
7- Pour some sauce over the top, sprinkle with additional mozzarella (optional).
8- Bake for 30 minutes uncovered.

Basic Tomato Sauce

I found this recipe years ago and it has been my go-to recipe for homemade sauce. It is simple and results in a fresh, delicious sauce. I like to add red pepper flakes to make it spicy, but if you don't enjoy spicy foods just omit them.

Also, I tend to double the recipe and freeze it in freezer bags for future uses. Works great!



Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon of onion powder (or 1 small sweet onion, chopped)
6 cloves garlic, crushed (I use my microplane)
2 28-oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

2.5 teaspoons dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried basil


2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons sugar
Red pepper flakes (if you want it hot)

Directions:
1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat until onion is tender.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt, and sugar.
3. Stir and lower heat to a slow simmer.
4. Allow to simmer for 2-3 hours at a minimum. About 1 hour before done simmering add the red pepper flakes.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Before I post the recipe I want to share a cooking tip with you. I got a 6.5 quart crock pot for my bridal shower and love it. However since I need to cook much smaller quantities then 6.5 quarts everything either burns or cooks in one-two hours, completely defeating the point of a crock pot! I turned to the ladies on the cooking board I frequent and sure enough they helped solve my problem! It was suggested that I insert a 1.5-2 quart oven safe covered dish inside the crock pot. It worked perfectly. Here is a picture of the dish I used (that thing on top is a silicone lid, it serves as a trivet or lid. It forms an air tight seal when the contents inside heat up so it works perfectly!):



YUM! I found this recipe awhile back and have meant to make it so many times. Tonight I finally made it and I wish I had made it sooner. I used the chicken to make tacos and it was so flavorful and delicious. John loved it and felt it was the best thing I made recently (which isn't shocking since it was the easiest thing I have made in weeks...go figure! hehe). It can be served over rice, used in tacos, or really even over egg noodles.



Ingredients:
4 FROZEN boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning (I couldn't find reduced sodium so I used regular)
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed) or cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Directions:
Add chicken to slow cooker.
Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken.
Mix salsa and soup; pour over chicken.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
At this point after the chicken was cooked, I shredded it with two fork.
Stir in sour cream until heated.