No Milk Pancakes

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“Can we have pancakes this morning?” my children asked. “Sure”, I said. Off I went to the kitchen in search of the ingredients. Opened the refrigerator and there was NO MILK! I thought, “How had I missed that? Oh well. I promised to make pancakes,they can drink juice with them.” But, I still didn’t have one of the necessary ingredients to make the pancakes with …MILK! So, I found this recipe online and they were great. No milk required! Yay for me!

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 TBSP. oil or butter or margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
2 TBSP. sugar
2 cups water
2 eggs

Mix wet ingredients together. Mix dry ingredients together in seperate bowl. Combine the two bowls and stir. Get all of the lumps mixed in good. No lumps! Let batter rest for 5 minutes. And cook up some yummy pancakes…to heck with the milk!

 

1785 Inn’s Ten Layer Cookies

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Oh yeah baby! You know that 7 layers are never enough. I dare you to add another layer.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup butter scotch chips
1 cup Heath milk chocolate English toffee baking chips
7 oz. sweetened coconut
2 cups chopped walnuts (I like to use pecans and toast them first)
7 oz. canned Dulce de Leche (find it on the ethnic food aisle)
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan and mix in the crushed graham crackers. Press the mixture into
the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13 pan.

2. Layer on the next 6 ingredients .

3. In a small bowl, mix the Dulce de Leche and condensed milk (warm in the microwave for a
few seconds if necessary to blend and make pourable). Pour mixture evenly over layered
ingredients.

4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan and cut into squares.

Source: Inn Cuisine

Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookies

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My husband and I are head over heals for each other, AND for these cookies!!! Go ahead and jump on the sea salt bandwagon, it’s so worth it! If you are not a fan of the salty/sweet trend, then skip the sea salt and enjoy these cookies the old fashioned way.
Ingredients:

2 1/4 C. cake flour

1 1/2 C. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
20 oz. semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
Sea salt
Directions:
1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a medium sized bowl.
2. Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Drop chocolate chips in and incorporate by hand.
6. Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate 1 hour (dough can be refrigerated up to 48 hours if making ahead of time).
7. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line a natural aluminum baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking mat.
8. Roll cookie dough by hand into golf ball sized pieces, arrange on baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt and bake until golden brown and to desired level of doneness. –10 to 12 min. for soft chewy cookies, 12 to 15 min. for crisp cookies.
9. Cool cookies 10 min. on baking sheet before removing. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Makes approximately 36 cookies.
TIP: If a recipe asks for softened or room temperature butter, you should also have room temperature eggs. To bring your eggs to room temperature, fill a glass with warm water and submerge the eggs for a few minutes.

Cheesy Enchilada Stack

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This recipe was a Pinterest find, don’t you just love Pinterest? It’s totally changed my cooking lately. Anyways – this recipe is amazing. My picky husband as well as my 3 year old son loved this. I’m crazy for it. I hope you enjoy it too!

Cheesy Enchilada Stack

Ingredients
1 lb. Lean ground beef
2 (10 oz) can Red Enchilada Sauce (Our favorite is the Old El Paso brand)
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 (8 oz) bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies

Directions
-Cook the beef in a skillet over MED-HIGH heat until well browned. Drain off fat. Stir 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in the skillet with the beef.
-Spray a baking sheet (I used a pie plate… I was afraid I’d have a big mess on my hands if I used a baking sheet) with non-stick cooking spray.
-Place 1 tortilla onto the baking sheet.  Top with 1/3 of the beef mixture and 1/4 cup cheese.
-Top with 1 tortilla, half the refried beans, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, 1 can drained green chilies, and 1/4 cup cheese.
-Repeat the layers one more time.
-Top with 1 tortilla, remaining beef mixture and 1/4 cup cheese.
-Top with remaining tortilla.
-Cover the stack with aluminum foil.
-Bake at 400 F for 40 minutes or until the filling is hot.
-Uncover the stack and top with remaining enchilada sauce, cheese and green onion.
-Bake 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.
-Serve & Enjoy!!

** If you wanted to make this gluten-free, I think it would taste great with Corn Tortillas!

Source: Chef in Training

Creamy Chicken

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My fabulous sister-in-law introduced me to this recipe and I would classify it as a comfort food.

Ingredients:
5 – 6 Frozen Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts (or the equivalent of tenders)
2 (10 oz) cans of Cream of Chicken Soup (or, if you’re like me, make your own here)
1 packet of Italian Dressing Seasoning
1 (8 oz) package of Cream Cheese

1. Place chicken in your crockpot.
2. Dump soup and dressing packet on top. When I make soup base, I mix the Dressing seasoning into the soup and then add it to the crockpot.
3. Cube the cream cheese, and throw it in on top of the chicken.
4. Cook on low, 4 – 6 hours*.

Serve over rice. Brown rice is pictured here, but my kids like white rice.

*I imagine you can cook this in your oven for not as much time. Try thawed chicken at 350 for 45 mins to an hour and let me know how it turns out! 🙂

Source: My Fabuloso Sister-in-Law, Debbi

~Kara

Cream of Chicken Soup

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I don’t know when it happened, but I have become a “Cream of…Soup Snob.” I promise I didn’t mean for it to happen–and truth be told, I’d still use canned if I were in a pinch–but homemade is just SO MUCH BETTER. Plus, it’s fairly quick and it’s easy. What can be bad about that?

This recipe can be used as pretty much any kind of soup base. Use different bouillon for a different flavor.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter
6 Tbsp Flour
2 cups Milk, room temperature
2 tsp Chicken Bouillon (or two cubes)
salt/pepper to taste.

1. Measure milk into a 2 cup measuring cup and sit it on the counter.
2. Over Medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir constantly until a paste forms (aka: roux).
3. Add milk, bouillon, salt, and pepper, and stir until thickened–about 10 minutes.
4. This is now ready to use. Add more ingredients (cheese, potatoes, onions, etc) to make a soup or use as-is in a recipe.

Yeild: equivalent of 2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup

Source: allrecipes.com (Nell Marsh)

~Kara

Sweet and Sour Chicken

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This has been a work in progress recipe. We no longer use a tempura batter on the chicken. My family prefers it without (plus it saves calories and time). This is our current favorite version. You can sneak a few extra veggies (sliced carrots or zucchini) in this and it still tastes delicious!

Ingredients:
2 tsp Olive Oil
12 Chicken tenderloins cut in thirds or 3 chicken breasts cut into 8 pieces each
1 green pepper “chunked”
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup water
1 cup ketchup
1 1/2 – 2 cups sugar
2 cloves fresh garlic or 1 tbsp garlic powder
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks with juice
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp powdered ginger (optional)
1/3 cup cornstarch dissolved in 3/4 cup water
5 cups (or enough for your family) cooked rice – brown or white

1. Slightly warm Olive Oil in large skillet.
2. Place chicken in pan and lightly brown on each side without cooking all the way through.
3. When turning chicken over to brown on the other side add the peppers and onions.
4. Remove from heat before chicken cooks through.
5. In Stockpot or large sauce pan combine water, ketchup, sugar, garlic, pineapple, Soy Sauce, and ginger. Stir until well blended.
6. Cook until mixture starts to boil, add chicken and veggies
7. Bring back to a boil. Stir in cornstarch and water mixture. Mix well to avoid lumps
8. Cook at a low boil for 15-20 minutes. Sauce will be slightly thick and bubbly.
9. Serve over rice

Source: A Jennie original

Pancakes (yummy and easy!)

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My oldest daughter is a fantastic cook. This is her recipe and I had so much fun making these with our grandson over Christmas that I had to post it. I have added a lower fat option with the original recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar or honey equivalent
1/2 tsp salt
4tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter (substitute the oil with 1/2 cup applesauce and 2 tsp Olive Oil or use only the applesauce)
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups milk

1. Mix all ingredients until blended
2. Using 1/4 cup batter per pancake (can use more for larger pancakes) pour onto hot griddle or frying pan
3. Turn over when golden brown. Brown on other side and remove to platter.
4. Top with butter, syrup, jam, powdered sugar, applesauce etc.

Enjoy

Source: My daughter

 

Creamy Ham and Cheese Pasta

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WARNING:  This delicious high-carb, high-fat pasta dish will probably go straight to your hind end.  But your taste buds will thank you.  =)

Ingredients:
2T Butter
1 C diced ham
1 C heavy cream
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp or more garlic herb seasoning
milk for thinning, if necessary
3 C Cooked Penne Rigate’

First of all: let me introduce you to my new best friend:  

McCormick Perfect Pinch Garlic and Herb Seasoning.  It’s salt free, calorie free, and MSG free.  I’ve added this to just about everything lately…mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, scrambled eggs…the list goes on…and includes this tasty dish:

  1. Melt butter in a sauce pan and saute’ diced ham until lightly browned.  (You can skip this step if you’re using leftover ham that has already been baked) 
  2. Add cream.  Bring to a boil, remove from heat.
  3. Add egg yolks, stir until well blended. 
  4. Add mozzarella and parmesan, stir until completely melted and creamy.  
  5. Sprinkle the garlic herb seasoning freely, to taste, of course.  Incorporate well.  
  6. If you find your sauce too thick, return to low/med heat and add some milk, a little at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.  
  7. Serve over pasta or stir in pasta until sauce is evenly distributed. 
So you may see in the introduction photo that I served this with broccoli.  Well…that’s how it started.  THEN…I kind of did this number while I was eating:  (Mmmmmm)
And THIS is what I did with the left-overs:  (Yummmm)
So…Moral of the story is:  If you like broccoli, chop it up and add it in at the beginning with the ham. =)
Enjoy! 

Mud Balls

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Of all holiday treats, Mud Balls are hands down my favorite.  Ever since I was a kid, I just can’t resist them.  So I don’t make them very often, but I just have to have them at Christmas.  And this past Christmas was no exception.

I mean, how can you resist such yumminess?
My chocolate dipping tools:  two inexpensive forks with the middle tines bent backwards with pliers.  

I use both forks for dipping but I had to hold the camera with one hand!  I use both forks to roll the ball around gently in the chocolate to cover it completely, then I use the fork in my dominant hand to cradle the ball while gently tapping the bottom of the ball on the other fork.



The final product displayed on plastic Target dishware made into a tiered server using Lucite candlesticks and glass/bead glue.

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, melted 
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1 pound powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/4 bar household wax*
8-10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1.  In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the wax and chocolate.  Shape into balls.  (I use a small cookie scoop for this to portion the balls, then I roll them in my hands to make them smooth).
2.  In a double boiler, melt the wax and chocolate chips completely.  Keep on very low or remove from heat altogether (but keep the double boiler sitting over the hot water).
3.  Dip balls one at a time, allowing excess chocolate to drop off before setting each ball on waxed paper to set.
Makes about 60. 
Source:  my Mom
Notes:
  • Please use butter.  Please, please, please!
  • The original recipe calls for 12 ounces of chocolate but that always leaves a LOT leftover.
  • *Don’t freak out about eating wax.  I have checked on this and it’s fine.  It’s completely edible.  I promise.  Plus the amount per ball is so tiny.  It will make the Mud Balls shiny and smooth and they will dry better with it than without.  (I use GULF brand…it comes in a small box and has 4 rectangular bricks in it…you can find it in the canning aisle usually.)
  • If you want the taste of Mud Balls without the work, make Mud Bars.  Instead of making the “dough” into balls, press the mixture into a 9×13-inch pan.  Then melt the chocolate chips (without the wax) and pour over the top, spreading evenly.  Allow to set before cutting into bars.

Enjoy!
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