Paula Deen’s Peach Cobbler

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Okay, have you ever noticed that Paula Deen’s recipes almost all start out with “1 stick of butter”? Gotta love. And I love this recipe.

Paula Deen’s Peach Cobbler
4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
8 Tbs. butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 1/2 cup milk
ground cinnamon, optional

1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2-Combine peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan. Mix well.
3-Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes
4-Remove from heat.
5-Put butter in a 3 quart baking dish.
6-Put baking dish in oven to melt butter.
7-Mix 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Mix until just combined.
8-Pour over melted butter. DO NOT STIR.
9-Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup.
10-Sprinkle to with cinnamon (if desired).
11-Bake for 30-45 minutes.

Source: Food Network search “Paula Deen Peach Cobbler”

EASY Alfredo Sauce

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My husband loves Chicken Alfredo. I rarely make it due to it’s richness and HIGH calorie/fat content. I came across this recipe earlier this week and new I had to give it a shot.

Creamy Garlic Alfredo Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into 6 pieces (see note above)
1 cup milk (see note above)
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste, if needed

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to let the garlic burn.
Add the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will look curdled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it should come together to form a smooth, creamy paste.
Add the milk gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated fully into the sauce.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency.
Cook for 2-3 minutes for a thicker sauce or remove right after the cheese is melted for a thinner sauce.
Serve immediately over hot, cooked noodles.

Comments: I opted to use skim milk and low fat cream cheese. There was a very slight grittiness to the sauce, but it was worth it to me to not have the extra calories and fat. While the sauce was cooking I had noodles boiling, chicken baking in the oven, and some broccoli steaming. Throw it all together…. and you have one yummy meal!

Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Cooking Pasta

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I was hanging out at my good friend Susan’s house and we were, of  course, in the kitchen.  I was looking through a pasta cookbook that she has and found these instructions for cooking pasta.  This is the only way I will cook pasta now!  So easy and you don’t have to throw those noodles up against the wall to see if they will stick–who still does that?  Come on, ‘fess up!
Photo by Suat Eman/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1.  Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil.
2.  Add desired amount of salt and pasta (you could put a little olive oil in if you are worried that it will stick).
3.  Stir pasta, constantly, for 2 minutes.
4.  Put lid on pot and remove from heat. 
5.  Set your timer for 10 minutes and go work on the rest of your meal.
6. After 10 minutes, drain your pasta and it is ready to rock and roll!
Here’s another tip:  get a pasta pot with the removable strainer.  It is well worth it and can be used for other things like boiling potatoes, corn, just about anything that you would need to drain water off of.  Seriously…I love mine.

Chicken Cordon Bleu – Super Easy

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We love the flavor of Chicken Cordon Bleu, however, it can be time consuming. This recipe combines the yummy flavors of the dish. Omits the gravy making it less work and calories!

Ingredients:
12 boneless skinless chicken tenders
Lemon Pepper
Dried chopped onions
12 slices of deli style ham – I use honey ham
6 slices Swiss Cheese
1 1/2 cups Corn Flake Crumbs (crushed Corn Flakes)

1. Spray a 13 x 9 inch pan with non-stick spray
2. Arrange chicken pieces in pan and sprinkle lightly with Lemon Pepper and Dried Onions
3. Place ham slices on top of each other and cut in half – place two half pieces on each chicken tender
4. Cut cheese slices in half to make 12 pieces – place one piece on each chicken tender
5. Sprinkle corn flake crumbs on top. Cover with aluminum foil
6. Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 min. Removing foil the last 10 minutes.

This can be frozen for up to 2 months. Freeze before baking.


Source: A Jennie Original

Sausage Balls

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I hope that no one is insulted by a simple sausage ball recipe, but I have given this out several times over the years. It’s not the ingredients that are so important, but the preparation and cooking time make all the difference!

Ingredients:
3 cups baking mix (I use Jiffy because it’s less expensive, but Bisquick works just as well)
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 lb. sausage (I choose Bass Farms, hot)

1. Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl. You may want to allow the sausage to sit on the counter for about an hour before mixing. If find that if it is right out of the fridge, it’s too cold and my hands cramp up.
2. Shape into balls. Like my meatballs, I make these fairly large. I use atleast 2 tablespoons of the mixed ingredients to make one sausage ball.
3. Place sausage balls on a cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

*Keep an eye on them as they cook. They are done when starting to brown on top and the grease is bubbling at the edges. If overcooked, you lose a lot of the flavor.

**It doesn’t matter the brand of sausage you use, just look for one with a higher fat content. If you are looking for a lower-fat version, you’ve come to the wrong place. It’s an insult to sausage balls everywhere!

Sausage and Rice Skillet

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Inspired by one of my mother-in-law’s recipes with Sausage and Minnesota grown wild rice…I came up with this little ditty that took me a total of 30 minutes to put together.  We like these throw-it-all-in-the-skillet deals.  Makes clean-up a cinch!  

Ingredients:
1 lb regular ground sausage (I used Jimmy Dean…it is the best)
1/4 c chopped onion or 1T dried onion (I’m a HUGE fan of dried onion)
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 package of Birds Eye Steamfresh Brown and Wild rice with Broccoli and Carrots, prepared
8oz can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped (added for a little optional crunch)
1/2 c beef broth
pepper to taste

  1. Brown the sausage with onion, add soup, steamed rice and water chestnuts.  
  2. Add beef broth a little at a time for a creamier consistency.  
  3. Add pepper to taste
  4. Heat through and serve!  

Coconut Cookies

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Here is a cookie recipe that I baked up this week, for a care package I sent home to my Dad for his birthday! He loves coconut pie, and so do I. These cookies taste just like a coconut pie!! They are super easy to make and delicous! Enjoy!

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg
and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut.
Drop by heaping teaspoon fulls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 3″ apart.
Bake for about 9 minutes and check them. They need to be lightly toasted. I cooked my batch of cookies for about 13 minutes. Take them out of the oven and let them set up on the baking sheet/stone for about 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and cool.

Roasted Tomato Soup With Grilled Cheese Croutons

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I can’t wait to have a garden next year and plant heirloom tomatoes and then make this yummy soup! It goes great with grilled cheese croutons. I like to use pumpernickel bread for an autumn time treat.

Ingredients:

6 cups (3 pints) cherry tomatoes
3 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 T. butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped onion
1 28 oz. can diced (or crushed) tomatoes
4 c. chicken broth
1/2 t. thyme
1 c. whipping cream

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400. On a baking sheet, combine the cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Toss the ingredients to coat evenly and spread them in a single layer. Roast the tomatoes until they are shriveled with brown spots, about 35 to 45 minutes.

2. In a large pot, heat the butter and the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the broth, the thyme and the roasted tomatoes, including any liquid on the baking sheet. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.

3. Using a food processor, blender or immersion blender, puree the soup until it’s smooth. Return it to the pot and stir in the cream. Without letting the soup boil, warm it over medium heat, stirring often, until steaming. Add salt and pepper, if necessary.

4. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with grilled cheese croutons.

Grilled Cheese Croutons

Ingredients:

1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 t. thyme
6 slices of bread
3 oz. cheddar, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. In a small bowl, combine the butter and thyme. Spread one side of each bread slice with the butter mixture. Place 3 slices in the pan, buttered side down. Top with the cheese, then with the remaining 3 bread slices, buttered side up. Cook, turning once, until toasted on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

2. Remove the sandwiches from the pan. Let them cool slightly, then cut them into 1 inch squares.

Source: Family Fun Magazine

Harry Potter Butterbeer

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I found a recipe on Pinterest for Harry Potter Butterbeer and was so excited to try it.  I made it, but was disappointed with the flavor of the actual drink (the topping was pretty good).  But I decided it was worth trying to salvage so I tried again.  The original recipe calls for butter flavoring and rum extract in the cream soda, but I found that this made the soda taste diet-y and weird so I just used plain cream soda.  Hence, there is no “butter” in this “beer”.  But I ran this by a ten-year-old expert who has been to the Harry Potter theme park and tasted “real” Butterbeer….he liked it.  So I guess I’m good to go.

 
Ingredients:
2-liter bottle of cream soda*
1 cup whipping cream
7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
1 tsp. rum extract
 
1.  Chill the soda completely before “assembling”.
2.  In a mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, marshmallow creme, and rum extract until smooth and combined.
3.  Pour cream soda into cups, allowing head room.  Drop the topping by spoonfuls into soda.  It will float and fizz.  Serve!

Source:  adapted from Design Dazzle Blog

 
*The first time we tried this we bought A&W Cream Soda, but didn’t realize until after we drank it that it has caffeine.  I was able to find a no-caffeine cream soda at Lowe’s Foods….Polar brand soda.
 

Refiner’s Fire

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My life, like everyone’s, has been full of ups and downs.

And every time I thought, “This is it. This is the one from which I’ll never recover.“

Amazingly, I was wrong. Every time. I not only recover but I come out stronger. Every time.

Most recently I was diagnosed with breast cancer. At age 31. With two young children. And that nagging “I’ll-never-recover” thought took on a whole new meaning.

Throughout the first week of my diagnosis the phrase ‘refiner’s fire’ kept popping into my mind, so I took a moment to look into it and found references throughout the Old Testament, 3rd Nephi, and the Doctrine and Covenants.

The phrase refers to how a refiner of metal uses fire to not only rid the metal of impurities but also to make it more flexible so it can be molded or re-shaped.

Symbolically it is referring to the Savior as the refiner and the cleansing of the earth in preparation for the Second Coming. And I know that it applies to us individually as well. That the trials we go through in this life are a refining fire and how, if we let Him, the Savior can rid us of impurities and mold us into His image.

In a 2006 General Conference message, President James E. Faust states, “In the pain, the agony, and the heroic endeavors of life, we pass through a refiner’s fire, and the insignificant and unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright, intact, and strong. In this way the divine image can be mirrored from the soul.”

The good news is that, once again, I have recovered – emotionally, spiritually and even physically. And I have learned so much through this adversity that I never would have otherwise.

In 2nd Nephi, Chapter 2 we learn that there must be opposition in all things because without it we could not discern the bitter from the sweet. My life has proven repeatedly that the blessings and tender mercies of the Lord far outweigh any trials I may face.

I am a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father who has even more in store for me.

[If they were yours, you’d want to show them off too.]
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