Easy Mexican Salsa Rice

Ingredients:

2 c. instant brown rice
2 c. water
1 envelope enchilada sauce mix (or you could use taco seasoning)
1 c. salsa
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilis

Directions:

Combine all ingredients together in a microwaveable bowl.  Microwave on high for 8-9 minutes, or until rice is tender.  Let sit for 3-5 minutes and it will soak up most of the liquid in the bowl.  Fluff with a fork and serve.

Source:  www.sixsistersstuff.com

Summertime Peach Ice Cream

Our Father’s Day tradition is homemade ice cream and homemade cookies.  Only this year my daughter, Madi, decided to make golf course cupcakes.  Peach is Dad’s favorite so we aim to please.  Nothing beats homemade peach ice cream for a real summertime treat!

Ingredients:

4 c. peeled, diced fresh peaches (about 8 small ripe peaches)
1 c. sugar
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (3.75 oz) pkg vanilla instant pudding mix
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
4 c. half-and-half

Directions:

  1. Combine peaches and sugar, and let stand 1 hour.
  2. Process peach mixture in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
  3. Stir together evaporated milk and  pudding mix in a large bowl; stir in peach puree, condensed milk, and half-and-half.
  4. Pour mixture into freezer container of a 4 qt. hand-turned or electric freezer; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Spoon into an airtight container, and freeze until firm.
Source:  Southern Living July 2002

Heavenly Hash Donut Blondies

You know I just had to try this recipe from the name alone!  You are going to think the ingredients are insane…….and they are.  Just be forewarned that they are super sweet.  I used dark fudge for the frosting but I would recommend using a milder milk chocolate.  Enjoy this food adventure!

Ingredients:

  • 2 regular size packages of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
  • 2 jumbo Hershey cookies and cream chocolate candy bars
  • 1 7 oz. jar marshmallow fluff
  • about 20 donut holes, halved
  • about 1/2 cup chocolate icing (canned works)
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line and 8×8 pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan.  Mist the foil with cooking spray.
  2. Gently press one package of the cookie dough evenly onto the bottom of the pan.  Top with the chocolate bars, breaking the pieces to fit as evenly as you can to cover the surface of the cookie dough.  Top with an even layer of the marshmallow fluff.   
  3. Top the marshmallow fluff with the halved donut holes, covering the surface evenly.  Lastly, break apart and spread the remaining package of cookie dough to cover the tops of the donut layer.  If the donuts peek through, that’s okay.
  4. Bake for approx. 25-28 minutes or until the top is golden brown and mostly set.  Allow to cool completely at room temperature before putting in the fridge to set, about 2 hours. They really DO need to set in order to come together, or else they’ll be a gooey mess (not as good as it sounds).
  5. After it’s cooled,  drizzle on some melted chocolate icing for extra garnish.
  6. Cut into bars and serve.  Store covered, airtight, in the fridge.
Source:  thedomesticrebel.com

Meatball Bubble Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) can Pillsbury Grands Jr. Golden Layers refrigerated buttermilk or flaky biscuits
10 frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs (about 5 oz.), thawed, each cut in half
2 sticks (1 oz. each) string cheese, each cut into 10 pieces
1 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 c. marinara sauce, heated

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Separate dough into 10 biscuits.  Separate each biscuit into 2 layers.  Press each biscuit layer into 3 inch round.

2.  Place 1 meatball half, cut side up, and 1 string cheese piece in center of each dough round.  Wrap dough around meatball and cheese, pressing edges to seal.  In ungreased 8 or 9 inch round cake pan, place seam side down in single layer.

3.  Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

4.  Bake 20 -25 minutes or until golden brown and biscuits are no longer doughy in center.  Serve warm biscuits with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Source:  pillsbury.com

Three Cheese Chicken Alfredo Bake

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) box Penne pasta noodles
2 (10 oz) containers Alfredo sauce
1 c. sour cream
1 (15 oz.) container Ricotta cheese
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 c. cooked, diced chicken
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 t. dried parsley
1 t. Italian seasoning
2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1.  Boil Penne pasta in a large pot of water, according to package directions.  Drain water and then return pasta to pot.

2.  Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the mozzarella cheese.  Stir together to combine and then pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

3.  Sprinkle the top evenly with the mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Enjoy!

Source:  life-in-the-lofthouse.com

DIY Dishwasher Tablets

Ingredients:

1 c. Borax
1 c. Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 c. Epsom salt
3/4 c. lemon juice

Directions:

1.  Mix dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.  Add the lemon juice and mix completely.  You want the mixture to be wet enough to mold without falling apart.  Add additional lemon juice if needed.

2.  These dry very quickly so working quickly and one at a time, portion out a tablet around 2 tablespoons.  I used a small cookie scoop.  With wet hands, form the tablet into whatever shape needed to fit the soap dispenser in your dishwasher. Place on a sheet of wax paper and let dry for a few hours before putting in a storage container.  If a tablet happens not to fit into the dispenser, just toss it in the bottom of your dishwasher.

Source:  mykitchenescapades.com

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

I just have to say that this is a moist, delicious slice of old fashioned goodness.  I used the entire recipe of the drizzle sauce because I need a high ratio of icing to cake but you can just drizzle it and save the extra to serve over ice cream, etc..

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 1/2 c. butter, softened
2 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 c. granulated sugar
5 eggs
3 c. all purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. whole milk (I used 1%  because that’s what I keep in my fridge)
1 8 oz. bag of toffee bits
1 c. pecans, chopped
1 recipe caramel drizzle

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 12 cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour.  Set aside.

2.  Beat the butter until creamy.  Add sugars, beating until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat until just combined.  Stir in toffee bits and pecans.

3.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake until a wood pick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean, 75-85 minutes.  Let cake cool in pan for 30 minutes.

4.  Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.  NOTE:  Don’t freak out if some of the cake sticks.  GOOD NEWS!!  You get to cover all the imperfections with yummy caramel!

5.  Spoon caramel drizzle over cooled cake.

CARAMEL DRIZZLE:

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla

Directions:

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine condensed milk and brown sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly.

2.  Reduce heat, and SIMMER for 5 minutes, whisking constantly.

3.  Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla.

NOTE:  Make sure you drizzle the caramel while it’s still HOT.  When cooled the caramel does somewhat harden.

Source:  The Taste of the South’s Southern Cakes Magazine

Sausage, Peppers, and Bean Stew



As a side note, I used cranberry beans that needed to be rotated through my food storage.  They added a pretty color and sweetness.  I also added cubed potatoes because they go so well with sausage.

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 T olive oil, plus more for browning sausage if needed
5 links hot Italian sausage
2 (15.5 oz.) cans Cannellini beans, rinsed in cold water until no more foam appears
2(14.5) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried Greek Oregano
1 tsp. ground fennel
ground pepper to taste
2-3 bay leaves
4 cups homemade chicken stock (or use 2 cans chicken broth and add a little water to make 4 cups)
freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

1.  Chop onions, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper into pieces about 1/2 inch square. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, then saute onions and peppers until they begin to soften, then add to slow cooker.

2.  Squeeze Italian sausage out of casings and add to frying pan, adding a bit more olive oil if needed. Brown sausage well, breaking apart with turner as it cooks, then add to slow cooker.

3.  Pour beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears, then add to slow cooker. Add tomatoes with juice, dried basil, dried oregano, ground fennel, black pepper and bay leaves to slow cooker. Pour chicken stock over other ingredients and stir to combine.

4.  Cook on high about 4 hours or on low for all day. Serve hot, with freshly grated parmesan cheese for sprinkling on the stew.

Source:  KalynsKitchen.com.

“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”

Bread

Why is this phrase included in the pattern for prayer that the Lord gives us?  Could it be that He wants us to walk with Him daily and to have faith and trust in Him?  If we seek our daily bread from Him, He will never be too far from our minds and hearts.

Consider this statement from Elder D. Todd Christofferson (speaking of a challenge he faced):  “Though I suffered then, I am grateful now that there was not a quick solution to my problem.  The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years taught me how to truly pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a practical way to have faith in God.  I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise or that might have taken me much longer.  I learned that daily bread is a precious commodity.  I learned that manna today could be as real as the physical manna of biblical history.  I learned to trust in the Lord with all my heart.  I learned to walk with Him day by day.”
“Above all, remember that we have Him of whom manna was a type and symbol, the Redeemer.  ‘I am that bread of life.  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven:  if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world’ (John 6:48-51).
Ultimately, it is the Savior’s Atonement and grace that is our daily bread”.

Abs Diet Trail Mix

This recipe comes from my favorite healthy diet called “The Abs Diet”.  It’s all about using power foods that give your body excellent fuel for healthy living.  I am not a trail mix snob.  I enjoy all kinds of trail mixes.  Of course, my favorite ones include some dark chocolate.  Give this one a try and Happy “Trails” To You!

Ingredients:

1 c. whole almonds
1 c. pecan halves
1/3 c. plain oats
 cooking spray
2 T. honey
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 c. orange-flavored dried cranberries (craisins)
1 large packet dried apricots, roughly chopped

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Place nuts and oats in a bowl and spray evenly with cooking spray (about 3 shots).  Drizzle with 1 T. honey and add cinnamon, stirring to coat.

2.  Spread nuts evenly on a pan and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  Once they’ve cooled, stir in the second T. honey and mix in the dried fruit.

Source:  The Abs Diet

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