Bread Pudding With A Kiss

by Amy Eason // August 16, 2011 // 1 Comment

Makes: 25 servings

Prep: 20 minutes

Bake: 40 minutes

Cool: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (1 lb.) loaf banana bread (purchased or homemade)

4 egg yolks, beaten

2 c. half-and-half or light cream

1/4 c. sugar

16 milk chocolate or chocolate truffle kisses

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut banana bread into 1-inch cubes; place in an ungreased 2 qt.

square (8x8x2) baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl beat together egg yolks, half-and-half, and sugar. Pour egg mixture evenly

over bread mixture. Press mixture lightly with back of a large spoon.

3. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until puffed and a knife inserted off center comes out

clean (center will appear moist but will set up with standing). Immediately cut into 25

squares (about 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 inch) in pan. Place a chocolate kiss on top of each bread pudding

square. Cool 30 minutes before serving.

Make-Ahead: Prepare recipe through step 2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until puffed and a knife inserted off center comes out clean (center will appear moist but will set up with standing).

Source: Better Homes and Gardens (bhg.com)

Stuffed Shells

by Heather Moss // August 15, 2011 // 2 Comments

When I was getting married I requested everyone bring their favorite recipe to the showers that were given. Some of our favorite recipes are the ones people brought! This is one of those recipes and I love preparing it. I also love it because I can easily double it and freeze some for another meal.

1 box large pasta shells ( preferred pasta if you just want to “layer”-I’ve used penne on many occasions)

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup + 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2-Cook the pasta until tender. Drain.

3-While pasta is cooking brown the hamburger & onions, drain off the grease. Stir in cream cheese and stir to incorporate the cream cheese as it melts (I usually lower the temperature of the eye so that it doesn’t scorch the cream cheese)

4-Once everything is prepared either stuff the shells with a bit of the meat mixture or layer if you are using penne noodles. If layering put the pasta on the bottom and spread the meat mixture on the top.

5-Spread the spaghetti sauce on top of the stuff shells (or the meat mixture if you layered).

6-Sprinkle the cheeses on top. One thing you will find in every recipe I will probably post that has cheese as an ingredient is “I usually add a little more than what the recipe calls for.” I do love cheese.

7-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min or until cheese is melted. I usually cover it loosely with some foil until the cheese melts and then take the foil off the last 5 minutes or so to brown it slightly.

This dish freezes well and is great as a leftover.

**If you freeze this I would recommend taking it out of the freezer to thaw out a bit before popping it in the oven to cut down on the baking time that would be required (especially during the summer time-who wants the oven on any longer than it has to be?).

If you let the dish thaw out a bit then it will probably require around 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees to get thoroughly heated through. I just usually check it around 45 minutes and then kind of take it from there. If you start dipping and it’s not quite hot all the way through in some spots, no biggie, you can just pop it in the microwave to warm it completely.

Cafe Zupas Summer Chicken Salad

by Julie // August 15, 2011 // 2 Comments

On a recent vacation to Utah, we ate at a wonderful restaurant called Cafe Zupas. I had never heard of it before and knew nothing about it, which normally would make me a little wary about trying it. But since I was tired of fast food and this place supposedly had good salads, I was up for an adventure. SO glad we went there. I got the Summer Chicken Salad and it was SO delicious. I actually got the 1/2 portion and it was just the right amount for me, but a full portion makes a hearty meal. (I actually want to start using their site as inspiration for all sorts of lovely salads!) I vowed to find the recipe when I got home, and was lucky enough to stumble onto it at food.com. However, I found that some of the amounts didn’t reflect the proportions I remember from my salad; so I tweaked the amounts a bit. This recipe is for one portion of salad, since their salads are made fresh to order, right in front of you. Tossing the salad before serving ensures that each bite is bathed in tasty dressing. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 ounces mixed salad greens
3 ounce diced cooked chicken breast (I prefer to pull my chicken off the bone into bite-sized pieces)
2 ounces Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries (about 20 cranberries)
10 red grapes
2-4 sliced strawberries
1/2 ounce chopped cashews

1. In a medium-sized bowl toss the mixed greens, chicken, and dressing. Transfer to serving bowl.
2. Top salad with dried cranberries, grapes, and sliced strawberries.
3. Sprinkle chopped cashews on top to finish.

Source: Cafe Zupas by way of food.com

Cafe Zupas Strawberry Vinaigrette

by Julie // August 15, 2011 // No Comments

This dressing is the perfect accompaniment to Cafe Zupas Summer Chicken Salad.

Ingredients:
1 cup red wine vinegar
4 strawberries
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 cup canola oil

1. In blender, combine vinegar, strawberries, salt, and sugar. Blend well.
2. While blender is going, slowly pour in oil.
3. Toss with salad.

Source: Cafe Zupas by way of food.com

It’s Time to Get Fresh!

by Kara Thayn // August 15, 2011 // 6 Comments

As the newest member of the Maven’s let me just begin by saying it is a privilege to be joining such great group of women! What to cook is the age-old dilemma, and it is great to have fresh ideas and unique perspectives each day.

And now, drumroll please………It’s time to get Fresh!

Here’s the assignment: Go to the farmer’s market. Take a good look around. That’s right, it’s locally grown, freshly picked fruits and vegetables! This food has not been in a box for 2 weeks or traveled 2000 miles. Someone may have plucked it from the ground or off a tree as the sun came up this morning.

This is the perfect time to visit the farmer’s market. There are so many delicious things in season right now, and it all tastes amazing!! I personally love supporting local businesses and growers, and if you think you can’t find great deals, you’re mistaken. Who can argue with giant slicing tomatoes for $1 a pound? The farmer’s market can also bring out the inner photographer. Here’s my favorite picture I snapped from the North Carolina State Farmer’s Market in Raleigh:

One fruit that is a true “must” when it comes to buying locally, is peaches. The flavor of freshly picked peaches just can’t be beat! A bowl full of fresh peach slices in a pool of cold milk with a dusting of sugar is my favorite summer midnight snack. Prime picking time for peaches may vary a bit from place to place but right now is the time for people like me in North Carolina. I can’t get enough! What should you do with all the peaches you buy after you go crazy at the farmer’s market? Jam, delicious peach jam. It is super easy, and you don’t even have to bottle it if you don’t have canning supplies.

All you need is:

*a few plastic containers with tightly sealing lids

*peaches peeled and chopped fresh or cooked and mashed

*sugar

*lemon juice (a little squirt so your peaches don’t go brown)

*box of pectin (preferably the no sugar needed type, even if you do add sugar it is deemed to be the easiest to work with. There are also no-cook pectins out there and then you don’t even have to boil anything!)

Follow the directions in your box of pectin for mixing your jam. Fill your containers, and cool if needed. Pop the extra containers in the freezer. Enjoy your fresh jam on toast or pancakes!! Your open container should be good in the fridge for about 3 weeks.

Choices

by Niki Lewis // August 14, 2011 // 4 Comments

In preperation for my primary lesson on how “dressing modestly shows respect for Heavenly Father and myself”, I came across this quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley, “The course of our lives is seldom determined by great, life-altering decisions. Our direction is often set by small, day to day choices that chart the track of which we run. This is the substance of our lives – making choices!”

This quote caused me to pause, and then ponder this idea for the remainder of the week. As a mother, I have given the lecture on choices more than once. Yet, even as an adult the concept of making good choices continues to apply. EVERY choice we make is important! The choice to dress modestly. The choice to not use inappropriate language. The choice to express my love to those that I care about. The choice to spend time pondering a gospel message. The choice to attend my church meetings. The choice to listen to others when they need to be heard. The choice to laugh, and smile. The list goes on. These choices are small, but important. In primary we sing, “There’s a right way to live and be happy, it is choosing the right everyday….Choose the right way, and be happy. I must always choose the right!”

I love Sundays! I feel renewed when I come home from church. I feel that I want to improve and be a better person. So, on this Sunday, I hope that you too will take time to think about the “small, day to day choices” that you are making. Make each choice count! Remember that you want each choice to be a step closer to returning to live with Heavenly Father, and not a step away from him. Choose the right, and be HAPPY!

Cake Mix Cookies

by Kelsey Teague // August 14, 2011 // 4 Comments

Ingredients:

1 pkg. cake mix of your choice* (I like to use Betty Crocker b/c the “pudding in the mix” makes for gooey-ness and I like gooey cookies.)

1/2 C melted margarine or butter (Which is 1 stick–I pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds, wait a bit, then another 30 seconds in a tall-ish glass tumbler so I don’t have to cut the butter to fit a smaller container. And I use salted sweet cream butter.)

2 eggs

1/2 C oats (quick oats are fine)

1 C (or more!!!) chocolate chips*

1/2 C raisins (optional, as always)

Whatever other things you think would be good

Baking spray (I use the one with flour in it)

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. (best to do this first because things come together quickly).

2. Start melting the butter in the microwave and while it’s melting move to step number three.

3. Add all the remaining ingredients together in a large mixing bowl (I use the Sunbeam mixer I got for Christmas one year from my mother-in-law).

4. Finish melting the butter and add it to the cake mix mixture.

5. Mix it all together until you can’t see any more cake mix (my spatula helps me with this).

6. To form the cake mix into balls (because I don’t have a cookie scooper anymore), I like to spray the cookie sheet(s) with the baking spray, spray my hands with it, then use an ice cream scoop to get the dough out (for some portion control) and roll it with my hands. This makes about 17 “good-sized” (medium-large) cookies. {What?! No, I didn’t eat 2 whole cookies worth of dough… 😉 }

7. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, or longer depending on your oven.**

Source: Julie the Coolie gave it to my mom, who gave it to me, who gave it to you, who gave it to your hairdresser’s best friend’s dog-groomer…

*As this is a versatile recipe, many combinations can take place. I like to use yellow cake mix and white chocolate chips; the batch you see in the pictures includes both white chocolate and mini milk chocolate chips. It’s up to you! Yay for cooking things yourself and putting whatever you want in it!

**The cookies may seem too gooey at first. Keep in mind that you can leave them in the oven longer but not too long because they will also set up more once they are out of the oven, especially if you leave them on the baking sheet. Also remember that if you don’t want the bottoms to brown, it may be best to put the cookies on a cooling rack or something of the sort–you can always pop them back in if they’re not done the way you like.

Coconut Cake

by Mica Martin // August 13, 2011 // 5 Comments

This recipe comes from Matt’s grandma, Martha, and is his dad’s favorite cake. During our move to NH, we stopped in PA to have lunch with the G-parents (as Matt likes to call them) and Grandma Martha served this for dessert! It’s light, super moist and oh, so yummy. I asked Martha if the recipe was something passed down in the family. She told me she actually got it from a magazine! Originally, the recipe was more detailed (i.e. called for fresh coconut, a cake from scratch, etc…), but over the (many) years has been simplified to this.

1 box moist yellow cake mix
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped coconut (I used the sweetened)
1/4 cup white sugar
fat free dream whip (I used a whole 12oz tub of cool whip)
chopped coconut

1. Prepare cake mix as called for on the box in a 9×13 pan. After the cake is done, remove from oven and pierce all over with a fork.

2. When the cake has a few minutes left to bake, prepare topping. Mix coconut milk, measured chopped coconut and white sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Immediately spread (slowly) over the cake.

3. Allow cake to cool completely.

6. Frost cake with dream whip and sprinkle (generously) with enough chopped coconut to cover.

7. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat.

*When finished, the cake is ready to eat! However, Matt and I prefer the texture of the cake after it has chilled in the fridge for a bit. Either way, it’s all good!

Source: Grandma Martha

Copy Cat Cheddar Bay Biscuits

by Emily Sandridge // August 12, 2011 // No Comments

I love Red Lobster. I know it’s a chain, but still – I love eating there. One of my favorite reasons to go there is to get their amazing Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Thanks to the wonderful internet – I found a fabulous copy cat recipe a few years ago. These are made all the time in my house. They are so quick and easy to make. I promise they’ll become a go-to biscuit recipe in your house.

Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Biscuits:

2 1/2 cups Bisquick

4 Tbsp cold butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Butter Glaze:

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease or line one cookie sheet with parchment; set aside.

2. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter (I just used 2 forks). Don’t worry about mixing too thoroughly; there will be small chunks of butter in the mix about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and garlic powder. Mix by hand until combined, but don’t over mix.

3. Drop 1/4 cup portions of the dough onto the lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn very light brown.

4. While the biscuits are baking, melt butter is a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in garlic powder and dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread the garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Pop them back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes. Makes one dozen.

Seriously – these take about 20 minutes from start to finish. Better go ahead and make a double batch – you know you’ll want seconds…

Source: www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/03/cheddar-bay-biscuits.html

Chicken Divan

by Aubrey Wilford // August 12, 2011 // No Comments

When I was young, one of my best friends was the 6th child in a family of 12 kids. I thought their house was joy personified. The best part was that sometimes I would spend the night and at breakfast, one [or both] of her parents would be like, “Oh, Aubrey, I didn’t know you were here.”

At the time I never thought much of it, but now as a mom myself, I am stumped at how my friend’s mom managed to feed all those people (plus the extras that were always hanging around). It’s a mystery I still don’t have an answer for, but I do know she had some yummy recipes. This was one of my favorites, so she passed it on to my mom who passed it down to me.

2, 14 oz. packages frozen broccoli florets

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

2 cans cream of chicken soup, 98% fat-free

1 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 tsp curry powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Hot, cooked rice

1. Cover the bottom of a 9×13 casserole pan with the broccoli florets.

[If the florets are clumped together, I rinse them in a colander to separate them. The original recipe called for cooked broccoli spears, but I’ve found that the broccoli was too mushy for my tastes then. If you find that it’s too firm without pre-cooking, feel free to heat the broccoli before layering it.]

2. Top broccoli with the cooked chicken.

3. Mix together the soup, mayo, curry, salt and pepper; then layer on top of the chicken.

4. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

5. Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes.

6. Serve over hot, cooked rice.

[Due to my hubby being very particular about his rice, we gave him a Zojirushi rice cooker for Father’s Day a few years ago. It turns out perfectly ‘sticky’ rice every time. I love it!]