Chili

I wanted to make something different for a meal that I was delivering to a family at our church, and Jer had been talking about wanting to make chili again, so I thought I would search out a new recipe.  I always love whatever the Pioneer Woman comes up with, so I thought we would try this one.

Chili

2 LB hamburger
2 cloves garlic - minced
8 oz tomato sauce
2 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 cup masa harina
15 oz kidney beans - drained and rinsed
15 oz pinto beans - drained and rinsed
cheddar cheese
onions - diced
tortilla chips
lime wedges

Brown the hamburger and garlic in a large soup pot, drain the excess fat, and then pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and paprika. Stir together well, cover, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, adding 1/2 cup water at a time as it dries out. After an hour, place the masa harina in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork. Dump the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, and then taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more masa paste and/or water to get the chili to your preferred consistency. Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with shredded Cheddar, onions, tortilla chips, and lime wedges.

Pumpkin Pie

I searched online for pumpkin pie recipes and decided on this one from Paula Deen.  This makes a TON of filling.  Unless you have a really deep pie plate, you will have extra to throw away or you can make two thinner pies.  The first time I made this I made one and threw some away, the second time, I made two pies. 

Pumpkin Pie

8 oz cream cheese - softened
2 cup pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 cup half and half
1/2 stick butter - melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1-2 pie crust
whipped cream

Place pie crust in a 9" pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.  Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolks, half and half, and melted butter.  Pour into pumpkin mixture and beat until combined. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and beat until incorporated.  Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake at 350° for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator, serve with whipped cream.

Banana Split Pie

My gramma always used to make this pie.  It is delicious, but this is the first time that I have made it - the raw eggs always made me hesitate before.  I just made sure to keep it super cold all of the time!

Banana Split Pie

1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 bananas - sliced
1 T lemon juice
1-2 square german sweet chocolate (green foil) - shaved
1/4 cup walnuts - chopped
1 pie crust - baked

Bake single pie crust according to box directions.  Beat butter and powdered sugar together in a bowl. Add one egg at a time, beating for 3 minutes after each addition. Stir in vanilla.  Slice the bananas and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Stir in all but 12 slices. Stir in shaved chocolate and pour into pie shell. Garnish with walnuts and two banana slices per slice of pie. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours. Best if eaten the same day.

Caramel Swirl Brownies

I decided that I wanted to make Caramel Swirl Brownies for a meeting at work.  I looked online for a recipe and didn't find what I wanted.  I wanted to use store bought caramel dip for apples as the swirl, but all I could find were recipes where you take a whole bag of caramels, unwrap them, and cook with evaporated milk. Then I opened the cupboard to grab a box of brownie mix.  No mix.  Did I give up?  No way!  I grabbed a scratch brownie recipe from my cookie brownies.  And eyeballed the caramel dip, then baked for a while, checked, baked some more, checked, and so on :)  I think the bake time is around 40 minutes, but check ahead of time so that you do not burn them.

Caramel Swirl Brownies

2 stick butter - melted
2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6oz caramel dip - or more to taste

Melt butter, stir in sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs, stirring after each addition. Stir in cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Pour into a lightly greased 9x13" baking dish.  With a large spoon, place 5-6 scoops of dip scattered over the dough.  Using the spoon or a spatula, swirl the caramel through the batter.  Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Sugar Toasted Almond Spinach Salad

My sister Lindsey made this for us when we were camping.  Camping.  Yep.  It was delicious - I even tried it and ate my whole serving today!  I have never eaten a salad without gagging before!  Ever!  This is a big step for me.

Sugar Toasted Almond Spinach Salad

1/2 cup almonds
3 T sugar
grilled chicken - sliced
1 LB strawberries - sliced
goat cheese
poppy seed dressing
baby spinach leaves

In a pan over medium high heat, melt sugar with almonds, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until the almonds are coated.  Spread over wax paper to cool.  Assemble your salad to taste!

Sandwich Bread - milk/wheat free

Henry recently passed his baked egg challenge, so we need to get more baked egg into his diet, in the hopes that he will eventually be able to eat scrambled eggs.  I based it off from this recipe.

Sandwich Bread - milk/wheat free

1 1/2 cup water - warm
1/4 cup honey
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 cup gf rice flour
1 1/2 cup gf garbanzo bean flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 eggs

In a measuring cup, measure warm water, stir in honey and then add yeast last. Set aside to proof for 10 minutes.  Whisk together flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.  In a large bowl, beat together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and eggs for a few seconds.  Add in yeast mixture and mix until combined.  Add flour mixture and beat until a sticky dough forms.  Grease a 9x5" gluten free loaf pan and pour dough into pan.  Let rise 30 minutes, then bake at 375° for 30-45 minutes.

Doubled Recipe:

3 cup water - warm
1/2 cup honey
5 tsp yeast
3 cup gf rice flour
3 cup gf garbanzo bean flour
3 tsp xanthan gum
8 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
4 eggs

Allergy Free Meatballs

I was making Everyday Meatballs for everyone else, and wanted to make something similar for Henry, so I modified my allergy free meatloaf recipe to with the seasonings from everyday meatballs to get a different taste.

Allergy Free Meatballs

1 LB hamburger
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup oatmeal
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp onion powder
dash red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove - minced

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together with a fork.  Form into 1.5" meatballs and place in a 9x13" baking dish.  Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until done.  Serve with spaghetti sauce.

Cheesy Hamburger Dip

I needed to bring a dish to pass at a campground this weekend, so I decided to make up this dip ahead of time and reheat it to serve with chips for the pot luck.  I haven't made it for a while, but it smelled and tasted as awesome as I remembered.

Cheesy Hamburger Dip

1 LB hamburger
1/2 cup onion - chopped
1 clove garlic - minced
dash garlic salt
1 can tomato soup
1/4 cup ketchup
3/4 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
tortilla chips

Brown hamburger with onion and garlic, add garlic salt and simmer 5 minutes. Add soup, ketchup, oregano, and sugar. Simmer 10 minutes. Add cheeses and cook until bubbly. Place in a mini crockpot to keep hot. Serve with tortilla chips.

Ham

This is something I rarely think to make, but my kids absolutely love ham.  It is super easy and delicious.  It is loosey goosey on the ingredient list - just make how much you want.

Ham

sliced precooked ham
brown sugar
1 can pineapple

Place sliced ham in a baking dish and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Cover with pineapple juice and pieces.  Bake at 350° for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until heated through.

Ham, Cheese, and Potato Bake

This is another new recipe from The Modern Dutch Oven Cookbook.  It was a nice breakfast dish, maybe slightly bland, make sure you add enough salt & pepper.  We served it with tortillas, but it suggested serving it on English muffins in the cookbook, and it is fine just plain too.

Ham, Cheese, and Potato Bake

4 cup hash browns - diced
8 oz ham - diced
1 cup cheddar - shredded
1 bell pepper - diced
1 onion - diced
6 eggs - beaten
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
dash salt & pepper

Combine hash browns, ham, cheese, pepper, and onion in a Dutch oven.  In a medium bowl mix eggs, soup, and milk.  Season with salt & pepper and pour into the Dutch oven.  Cover and bake at 325° for 1.5-2 hours.

Red Sauce Chicken

This was called Aromatic Chicken Pot in the cookbook I got it from, but I am going to call it Red Sauce Chicken because that is a horrible name.  I got the cookbook from the library and I found a lot of recipes in it I want to try - it is called The Modern Dutch Oven Cookbook from Rockridge Press.  It is allergy free for Henry when paired with rice instead of pasta.  I made a few changes to the recipe - reducing the onion and switching to spaghetti sauce from tomato sauce, omitting a few items too.  You can also add diced bell pepper to the sauce.  It tasted great, and I didn't have to listen to the children whine about having to eat chicken - the girls just had pasta with sauce.

Red Sauce Chicken

1 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
1 T onion - diced
3 cloves garlic - minced
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 T red wine vinegar
dash salt & pepper
1 bag chicken breasts

In your dutch oven, mix spaghetti sauce, onion, garlic, oregano, chili powder, vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Trim chicken and add to pot, stirring until the chicken is coated with sauce.  Cover and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours.  Serve over pasta or rice.

Dirt Dessert

I got this recipe from my sister Lindsey at least two years ago, and am finally making it now for the girls' birthdays.  Neither of them particularly likes cake, so I went with something I am sure they will love.

Dirt Dessert


2 box chocolate pudding
4 cup milk
8 oz cream cheese – softened
1/2 stick butter – softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub cool whip
1 package oreos - crushed
gummy worms (optional)

Whisk together pudding and milk – let sit 5 minutes.  Beat together cream cheese and butter about 3 minutes until it is fluffy.  Mix in powdered sugar.  Whisk cream cheese mixture into pudding.  Fold in the cool whip.   Layer oreo crumbs and pudding mixture in a pretty glass bowl.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours.  Top with gummy worms.

Breadmaker Gluten Free Bread

Jeremy was advised to go gluten free for a trial period to see if he might have celiac disease.  I have a GF bread recipe for Henry, but since Jer can have egg and milk, I thought I would try something different.  My sister in law Kerri gave me this recipe (along with some ingredients :) and I tried it right away.  I made it the first time as written, and I am really surprised how similar it is to Henry's allergy free bread.  I think that next time I will play around with the rice flour and switch out some for garbanzo bean flour, that made Henry's loaf much less spongy.

Breadmaker Gluten Free Bread

Dry ingredients:
2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2/3 cup powdered milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp egg replacer (Ener-G - optional)
3 T sugar
1 1/2 T yeast

Wet ingredients:
1 2/3 cup lukewarm water
1/2 stick butter - melted
1 tsp vinegar
3 eggs - room temperature

Set out eggs so that they can get to room temperature.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.  Stir the wet into the dry, then put into the bread maker and use the 3-4 hour standard loaf setting.

Brown Bread Variation: use brown rice flour for half or all of the rice flour.
Buttermilk Variation: use buttermilk powder instead of powdered milk, omit the vinegar.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Henry begs me almost every day to make him some banana bread.  The problem is that he doesn't like banana bread.  He just thinks that he does.  Any time I make it he takes one bite and says he likes it, but doesn't eat any more of the loaf.  I thought that adding peanut butter to the Banana Bites recipe and forming it into a loaf might be a winning combination (and it is) but he still doesn't like it.  That doesn't mean he won't ask me again tomorrow. :)  If I made this again, I would do it in the bite form, the bread was not as fun to eat.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

2 bananas
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup oat flour (process oats until they are the consistency of flour)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mash bananas with a fork.  Add oatmeal, oat flour, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and peanut butter and stir until dough forms.  Pour batter into a lightly greased loaf pan and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.  Alternately, you could scoop out cookie bites and bake for 12 minutes.

Everyday Meatballs

I asked my sister Lindsey for more Dutch oven recipe suggestions.  She sent me an email with a few, and this was one she sent me from Smitten Kitchen.  There was a link to her Perfect Garlic Bread to pair with it for a meatball sandwich.  It was awesome.  The sauce needed some work, so I changed it.  I got the idea for a jar of spaghetti sauce from the Pioneer Woman, so if it is good enough for her, it is good enough for me.  The first time I made it I wished that I had more sauce (and more flavor).

Everyday Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 LB hamburger
2/3 cup homemade italian breadcrumbs (recipe below)
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
2 T Parmesan Romano cheese
1 tsp salt
dash red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 eggs
1 garlic clove - minced

Sauce:
2 T olive oil
1 garlic clove - minced
dash red pepper flakes
28 oz crushed tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 jar spaghetti sauce

In a large bowl, use a fork to mix meat, crumbs, milk, parsley, cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder, eggs, and garlic in a large bowl.  Form into 1.5-2" meatballs and arrange on a plate.  Place in fridge for 30 minutes to let them set.  In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and pepper flakes and let sizzle until garlic is golden, 30-60 seconds.  Add remaining sauce ingredients and let mixture simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Turn heat to lowest setting and add meatballs to sauce one by one, then cover with the lid.  Do not stir for at least 20 minutes or the meatballs will fall apart.  Cook meatballs for at least 25 minutes or until done.

Homemade Italian Breadcrumbs (Alton Brown)

4 slices Italian bread
1 T Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt

Use stale bread or dry out by baking at 300° for 10 minutes and tear into 1" pieces.  Place bread, italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt in a food processor in batches and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Spread the crumbs evenly on 2 half sheet pans and bake at 300° for 5 minutes or until the crumbs just begin to brown and are crisp. Cool the crumbs on the pans for 15 minutes.  Makes about 3 cups.

Perfect Garlic Bread

This recipe was linked on Smitten Kitchen from the Everyday Meatballs, and I had to try them together.  Yum.

Perfect Garlic Bread

12 oz baguette
1 stick butter
4 cloves garlic - minced
dash red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Heat your oven’s broiler. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Cut baguette lengthwise and arrange pieces cut side up in pan. Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute.  Remove from heat and stir in oregano. Spoon evenly over bread. Sprinkle with parmesan and broil for 2-3 minutes.  Watch it closely so it does not burn.

Black Beans

Jer had mentioned that he wanted to have black beans the next time we had tacos.  He took all of the kids with him on a car ride to nana's while I made dinner, so I decided to do more than just heat up a can.  I looked online for a recipe, and settled on this one from Allrecipes.com.  I am not a huge onion fan, so I reduced the amount of onion and I made a couple of other changes.  It was so good!  Jer said that they tasted like Mexican restaurant black beans.

Black Beans

1 can black beans
1 T onion - diced
1 garlic clove - minced
dash salt
dash red pepper flakes

Drain the liquid from the top of the can and pour the rest along with the beans into a saucepan.  Add onion, garlic, and season with salt and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Beef Stew

I needed an excuse to use my Dutch oven again.  I emailed my sister for recipes but before she got back to me I searched for a recipe and bought the ingredients I needed.  Her stew recipe looked good too, but I didn't have everything I needed, so I went with this one from Taste of Home.  It was good, but I think we will leave the peas out next time.  I also used oat flour instead of regular flour so that it was ok for Henry too.  It paired well with Honey Beer Bread.  Start this recipe about 2.5 hours before you want to have it ready.

Beef Stew

4 T flour (oat flour (recipe below) - wheat free)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 T vegetable oil
1 1/2 LB beef stew meat - cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion - diced
3 garlic cloves - minced
2 T flour (oat flour - wheat free)
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 tsp dried thyme

3 cup beef broth
14.5 oz stewed tomatoes - diced
3-4 potatoes - peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 bag baby carrots - cut into thirds
1/2 cup peas (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

In a 1 gallon ziplock bag, mix 4 T flour, salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper, add the meat and toss to coat.  Heat vegetable oil in Dutch oven on medium high heat and brown meat in batches.  The meat does not need to be cooked through, just browned on the outside.  Set meat aside and add in onion to the pot.  Cook until tender, then add garlic and cook 1 more minute.  Stir in 2 T flour, 1/4 tsp pepper, and thyme.  Add beef broth, tomatoes, and meat.  Cover and bake at 350 for 1 1/4 hours.  Add potatoes and carrots and bake for 1 hour.  Stir in peas and test seasonings, add salt & pepper to taste.  Let sit for a few minutes to heat up the peas, then serve.


Oat Flour

Place oatmeal in a food processor and process until it is the consistency of flour.  Measure equivalent cup for cup with regular flour.

Corn Muffins

I was bringing a meal to a family from our church who just had a baby and I wanted to make some muffins from scratch.  I didn't have any bran flakes in the house so I hunted up a new recipe online.  They turned out great!  I even followed the link on Smitten Kitchen and made the Browned Honey Butter to go with them.

Corn Muffins

1 1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup milk - the thicker the better
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 stick butter
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cup cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a large bowl whisk together milk and 1/2 cup cornmeal.  Microwave milk mixture for 1 1/2 minutes, then whisk.  Microwave at 30 second intervals, whisking in between until the mixture is thickened (about 2 more minutes).  Cut the butter into the milk mixture and whisk until it is fully melted and smooth.  Whisk in sour cream, sugar, and eggs.  Fold in flour mixture and stir until just combined, lumps are ok.  Spoon into 12 muffin cups and bake at 425° for 15-17 minutes.  Place on rack to cool and store in airtight container.

Browned Honey Butter

When I made the corn muffins, I followed the link from Smitten Kitchen to this butter.  It is SO good!  I love honey and mixing it with butter is just a marvelous idea.

Browned Honey Butter

1 stick butter
2 T honey

Cut the stick of butter in half.  Place 4 T in a sauce pan and melt over medium heat.  Cook and stir until it is clear, then foamy, then brown bits start to form.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.  Let the other 4 T soften and then whisk it until smooth.  Whisk in honey, then cooled browned butter.  Spoon into a container.

Apple Barbecue Pork Roast

I wanted to make a pork roast and I had been making them with my beef roast recipe, but then it uses beef broth and it just doesn't taste quite right.  I wanted something with an apple flavor, but didn't find anything allergy free when I searched online, so I made this up instead.  It was really good!  The sauce was really thin, so you could omit the apple cider for a thicker sauce.

Apple Barbecue Pork Roast

1 can apple pie filling
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup apple cider
1 pork roast

Add pie filling, barbecue sauce, and apple cider to a crockpot and mix into a sauce.  Add pork roast and cook on low for 8 hours.  Remove fat and place on serving dish.  Great on its own or on sandwiches!

Chicken & Dumplings

 My beautiful new dutch oven!

I might not have tried this recipe if my sister Lindsey hadn't made it for me first.  It was so homey, warm, and delicious!!  She got the recipe from the Pioneer Woman, and I bought a dutch oven just so that I could make it again - that tells you how good it is!

So my first time making it, it took me way longer than her suggested 45 minutes.  I used a whole chicken, but didn't realize she had gotten one precut.  So I had to butcher my bird and decide which pieces to use and what to just dump.  I think I will just use a bag of breasts next time.  I also thought that the spices were a bit strong, so I reduced them for the future.  And there will be a future.  In spite of it taking me forever to make it, it was worth it!

Chicken & Dumplings

2 T butter
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1 whole chicken - cut into pieces
salt & pepper
1/2 cup carrots - finely diced
1/2 cup celery - finely diced
1 onion - finely diced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp turmeric
6 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup heavy cream

Dumplings:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 T baking powder (heaping)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup half-and-half

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in flour. Melt butter with olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. In two batches, brown chicken on both sides and remove to a clean plate. In the same pot, add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in chicken broth and apple cider. Stir to combine, then add browned chicken. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes. While chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings: sift together all dry ingredients, then add half-and-half, stirring gently to combine. Set aside. Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate. Use two forks to remove chicken from the bone. Shred, then add chicken to the pot. Pour heavy cream into the pot and stir to combine. Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Cover pot halfway and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Deviled Eggs

This is my parents' recipe for deviled eggs that I am bringing to Easter lunch tomorrow.

Deviled Eggs

8 eggs
2 T mayo
2 tsp vinegar
1/4 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp onion salt
dash pepper
1-2 T sugar
dash paprika

Place the eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add cold water to cover by about 1". Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat as fast as possible. Then remove from heat. Let the eggs stand in the pan, still covered, for 15 minutes for large eggs, 18 minutes for jumbo, and 12 minutes for medium. Drain the eggs and run cold water over them until completely cooled. To peel eggs, rub on the counter to crack shell, peel under cold water starting from the large end.  Cut each egg in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and mash with a fork. Add mayo, vinegar, mustard, onion salt, pepper, and sugar.  Mix together until smooth. Refill eggs whites with yolk mixture and sprinkle with paprika.

Strawberry Pie

I forgot to take a picture of the pie before we devoured it.  It is so delicious!!  I had to make it again so that I could take a picture.  It was just as good as the first time.

Strawberry Pie

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/4 cup strawberry jello (1/2 small package)
1 quart strawberries - sliced
1 pie crust

Bake pie crust at 425° for 12-14 minutes.  Dissolve cornstarch in water, stir in sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir until it looks clear.  Stir in strawberry jello.  Place pie filling in fridge to thicken.  Stir in strawberries and refrigerate until mostly thickened.  Pour into pie crust and refrigerate to set.  Top with cool whip or whipped cream and serve.

Whipped Cream

1 pint whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Freeze a metal bowl for 1 hour, then pour cold whipping cream into it.  Beat and mix in vanilla and powdered sugar (or more to taste).  Beat until stiff peaks form.

Challah

Every time I look at this all I can think is "Hollah!!"  Anyway, our church was doing communion with challah bread during Lent this year and asked people to bake it, so I volunteered.  The recipe is from Smitten Kitchen and was given to me as a modified version from church.  I went with the round shape and I think they turned out great!

Challah

Time: about 1 hour, plus 2 1/2 hours rising
Yield: 4 loaves

3 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 T sugar
1 3/4 cup water - lukewarm
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
5 eggs
1 T salt
4 cup bread flour
4 cup flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 T sugar in water, set aside for 5 minutes until a bit foamy.  Add remaining sugar and whisk to combine.  Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs one at a time.  Whisk in salt.  Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time, alternating bread flour and regular flour.  Use the whisk to incorporate the first 3 cups, then switch to a wooden spoon.  When it holds together, turn it out onto a floured surface to knead it.  Clean the bowl, then coat with a little bit of olive oil.  Return dough to bowl and roll in oil to coat.  Preheat oven for 1 minute, then turn off.  Place covered dough in the oven to rise for 1 hour.  Punch down dough, preheat oven for 1 minute again and turn off.  Return dough to oven to rise for 30 more minutes.  Divide into 4 equal parts, these are the 4 loaves.  Take the first ball of dough and divide into 4 again.  Take each quarter and mold it into a long rope.  Weave the ropes like a basket - lay 2 ropes up and down and 2 ropes side to side, each rope should be over 1 rope and under 1 rope.  Then move every strand that is under over the rope to the right, then do it again to the left, then the right, until you run out of rope.  Then tuck the ends under.  See her illustrations if this is confusing.  Place each woven loaf on a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper making sure to leave at least 2" in between loaves.  Preheat oven for 1 minute and turn off.  Beat final egg and use a pastry brush to brush over the loaves.  Place in oven to rise for 1 hour.  Optional: beat another egg and coat the loaves a second time with egg wash.  Bake at 325° for 30-40 minutes until golden.  Cool loaves on a wire rack.

Note: Any of the three risings can be done in the fridge for a few hours, for more deeply-developed flavor. When you’re ready to work with it again, bring it back to room temperature before moving onto the next step.

Chicken Rice Soup

Jeremy's mom made this soup and I had to have the recipe.  It is great when you are feeling sick or need something warm!  I decided to make it today because dad is sick.  I didn't have the celery in the house or bouillon granules (they contain wheat, so I have switched to stocking chicken broth).  So today I just omitted the celery and added the end of the box of chicken broth.  It was pretty thick, but I kind of like it that way.  I also cooked a bag of chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken because I decided around noon that I wanted to make it for supper.

Chicken Rice Soup

1 chicken - cooked & cubed
1 T onion - chopped
2 carrots - chopped
1 cup celery - chopped
5 oz mrs. grass noodle soup mix
1 1/2 T chicken bouillon granules
1 cup rice - uncooked
dash salt & pepper

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Add water to desired consistency. Simmer for 1 hour.

Allergy Free Banana Oatmeal Cookie Bites

I have been meaning to make these for Henry for a while now.  I have found and lost the recipe many times.  Today when I looked I didn't find the one I thought I wanted, but it is close enough :)  I altered it quite a bit, but I will still link to it!  Yum, I just paused typing to go try one, and they turned out great!!  I was not going for these to make something super healthy, rather to make something yummy for my son who can't have most cookie ingredients (butter, egg, flour).  I did not flatten them on the cookie sheet and they ended up as balls, so we will call them cookie bites.  The next day they are no longer very crisp on the outside, so they are more like banana bread bites, but still delicious.

Banana Oatmeal Cookie Bites

2 bananas
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup oat flour (process oats until they are the consistency of flour)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mash bananas with a fork.  Add oatmeal, oat flour, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla and stir until dough forms.  Lightly grease cookie sheet (since there is no fat in the cookie to keep it from sticking) and scoop dough onto sheet.  Bake at 350° for 12 minutes and place on a rack to cool.  Store in an airtight container.  Mine made 21 bites.

Ramen Noodle Salad

I got this recipe from my sister Lindsey.  I will have to trust everyone else that it is good - I just can't eat it - I never learned how to like a salad.  I made it the other day without the almonds and green onions and no one complained, but maybe they were being nice!  I didn't get a picture though, so it must have been ok.

Ramen Noodle Salad

1 package ramen (chicken flavor)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
14 oz bag coleslaw mix
5 oz slivered almonds - toasted
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
4 green onions - chopped


Crush ramen noodles inside the package, then open and remove seasoning packet.  In a small bowl, whisk together seasoning packet, vegetable oil, cider vinegar, and sugar.  Just before serving, mix together coleslaw mix, almonds, sunflower seeds, and onions.  Toss with dressing and serve.

Cookies & Cream Popcorn

I wanted to make some type of popcorn treat, and scoured pinterest for the most interesting looking one.  I love oreos, so I had to try this one from Chef in Training.  It is a nice salty & sweet snack.  I added a little bit more popcorn to it so that it made more and also so that there wasn't quite so much white chocolate per bite.  Jer wasn't a huge fan, so we brought it to work to finish it off.

Cookies & Cream Popcorn

24 oz white almond bark
20 oreos - crushed
1 bag popcorn - I used boom chicka pop prepopped corn, and actually used a bit more from a partial bag

Melt almond bark in the microwave on 40% power, stirring frequently.  Stir in oreo crumbs.  Using a very large bowl, mix in the popcorn and chocolate mixture until well coated.  Place in airtight container to set.  Break into bite sized pieces when the chocolate has hardened.

Pizza Rice

I got this recipe from the Holland Christian cookbook.  I modified it to have more rice, otherwise I felt that there was too much sauce.

Pizza Rice

2 package rice-a-roni - beef
1 LB hamburger
1 jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz cheddar cheese - shredded
8 oz mozzarella cheese - shredded

Make rice according to directions, place in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Brown hamburger, mix in sauce, layer over rice. Top with cheeses and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until cheese melts.

Chicken Corn Chowder

I got this recipe from my sister Lindsey.  It is so good!  It is a wonderful soup to eat on a wintry day like today.

Chicken Corn Chowder

2 can creamed corn
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream of potato soup
1 1/4 cup milk
2 cup chicken - cooked & cubed
dash salt & pepper
dash onion flakes

Mix together all ingredients in a pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Cheesy Crouton Chicken

My mom has made this many times, so I looked for her recipe but I didn't have everything on hand, so I improvised.  It tasted great.

Cheesy Crouton Chicken

1 bag frozen chicken breasts - thawed and trimmed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
6 slice provolone cheese
1/2 bag croutons - crushed

Place chicken in a 9x13" baking dish.  Mix soup and milk and pour over chicken.  Top breasts with cheese slices, cover with foil, and bake at 325° for 45 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with crouton crumbs, and bake for 15 more minutes.

Creme Brulee Cheesecake

I got this cheesecake recipe from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook a long time ago and it is always delicious.  We recently went to Disney World and at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant I had cheesecake for dessert that had a creme brulee top on it, and I have wanted more ever since.  So I combined the recipe I have loved with the idea of the creme brulee topping!

Creme Brulee Cheesecake

1 package graham crackers - crushed (1 sleeve)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter - melted
3 package cream cheese - softened
1 cup sugar
2 T flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup milk
vanilla sugar for topping

For crust, combine graham crackers, cinnamon, and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan and about 2" up the sides. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla. Add eggs and yolk, then milk. Beat until creamy. Pour filling into pan.  Put a pan with edges under the springform pan - the butter leaks out and you will have to clean your oven like me if you skip this step.  Bake at 375° for 30-45 minutes, when center is nearly set when shaken. Cool for 15 minutes, then loosen crust from pan with a butter knife. Let cool 30 more minutes, then remove from springform pan. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving.  Right before serving, sprinkle with vanilla sugar and use kitchen torch to melt the sugar.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

I have had this a few times over the years, most recently a coworker of mine made it so I got Brenda's recipe. It is SO good!

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

2 sm box vanilla instant pudding
3 cup milk
1 tub cool whip
1 box graham crackers

1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together pudding mixes and milk, fold in cool whip.  Place a layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. Spread half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Repeat with another layer of graham crackers and pudding mixture, then top with a final layer of graham crackers.  Bring cocoa, milk, and sugar to a full rolling boil, boil about 1 minute, stirring very frequently. Remove from heat and cool for 3 minutes.  Stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted.  Pour chocolate topping over the top layer of graham crackers and refrigerate overnight.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Alternative

While I waited for Brenda to email me the recipe, I looked online at all of the different variations.  This is one that I found and have made it both ways - both are wonderful!

1/2 stick butter - melted
2 T milk
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat together butter, milk, cocoa, and powdered sugar.  Stir in vanilla and spread over graham cracker layer.