Anna

Oriental Chicken Salad with Crunchy Noodles

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Oriental Chicken Salad with Crunchy Noodles

Ramen!  I don’t think they had this when I was a poor college student, but it sure has become popular over the years.  My first experience with it was in a delicious salad a friend shared at a church dinner.  I was mesmerized and asked for the recipe.  Which I could not find this week, so I googled and found this recipe.  It’s a little different than my friend’s but it’s a variation on the same theme.  I made some changes to this recipe and it proved to be delish!

Oriental Chicken Salad with Crunchy Noodles
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Ingredients
  1. 2-3 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts (I used Thrive chicken)
  2. 1 head of cabbage, shredded or chopped (I opted for Broccoli slaw, 2 12-oz. pkgs.)
  3. 1 bunch green onion, finely chopped (Thrive chopped green onion)
  4. 2 2.5-oz. pkgs. slivered almonds
  5. 3 T. sunflower seeds, shelled of course
  6. 1 can Mandarin oranges, drained well
  7. 2 pkgs. Ramen noodles
  8. 3 T. vegetable oil
Dressing
  1. 3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
  2. 4 1/2 T. seasoned rice vinegar
  3. 4 1/2 T. sugar
  4. 2 t. salt
  5. 1 t. pepper
Instructions
  1. Prepare dressing and set aside.
  2. Smash Ramen noodles, removing seasoning packets (save to flavor something else sometime) and brown over medium heat in 3 T. oil--I used olive oil here because I had used all of my canola oil in the dressing.
  3. Once noodles are slightly browned, add the almonds. Brown until noodles are a dark golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Combine cabbage, green onions, chicken, oranges, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
  5. Add ramen/almond mixture and stir well.
  6. Add dressing and stir to coat.
Notes
  1. Don't overcook the Ramen noodles and almonds, and stir continuously until the are golden. They will continue to cook when you remove them from the heat.
Adapted from Tulip at Food.com
Adapted from Tulip at Food.com
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Fish Tacos with Lime Sauce

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fish tacos with lime sauce

 

Who doesn’t love a good fish taco?  They can be hard to find–can’t stand when they are too fishy.  The tilapia in this recipe is so mild you will swear you are eating chicken.  I kept snatching nuggets and snacking on them while I was frying up the other batches.  A nice healthy alternative to fast food tacos.  Now, authentic Mexican tacos…that’s another thing all together.

Fish Tacos with Lime Sauce
Que rico!
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lb. fresh tilapia fillets
  2. 3 limes (I used Thrive Limeade powder instead--a tsp. or so should be enough.)
  3. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  4. 1 t. chili powder
  5. 2 T. olive oil
  6. 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  7. 1/2 t. salt
  8. 8 6-inch flour tortillas
  9. 1 cup shredded angel hair cabbage (I prefer it thin)
  10. 1/4 cup shredded carrots
  11. 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, thinly sliced
Instructions
  1. Rinse fish and pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
  2. For lime sauce, juice two of the limes into a bowl (cut your 3rd lime into wedges for serving). Stir mayonnaise and chili powder into juice. Transfer 1/3 cup of the sauce to another bowl; toss fish in this. Set remaining sauce aside.
  3. In a medium to large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Combine flour and salt in a shallow dish. Work with about 1/3 of the fish chunks at a time, toss them in the flour and add to hot oil. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until fish flakes easily, turning to brown evenly. Add more oil as needed. Drain fish on paper towels.
  4. Wrap tortillas in paper towels (loved this. worked great!); heat in microwave oven for 30 seconds. Top tortillas with fish, cabbage, carrots and jalapeno. Drizzle with Lime Sauce. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
  1. Add lime juice to mayo gradually and to taste.
  2. Thrive Limeade powder is available seasonally, so may not be listed on my consultant site.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Daughters of Our Eternal Father

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As busy, stressed, stretched–but continually faithful–women, we sometimes wonder if what we are doing is enough and if we are enough.  The Visiting Teaching message for the month of April assures us that we are each “a beloved spirit…daughter of heavenly parents.”  I am glad I get to share this with you today, because in a couple of hours I am going to visit one of the women in my congregation that I have been given stewardship over as a fellow sister in the gospel.

Here is part of the message that particularly inspired me:

“In [the premortal] realm, we learned about our eternal female identity,” said Carole M. Stephens, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency.

“Our mortal journey to earth did not change those truths.”2

“Your Father in Heaven knows your name and knows your circumstance,” said Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “He hears your prayers. He knows your hopes and dreams, including your fears and frustrations.”3

“We each belong to and are needed in the family of God,” said Sister Stephens. “Earthly families all look different. And while we do the best we can to create strong traditional families, membership in the family of God is not contingent upon any kind of status—marital status, parental status, financial status, social status, or even the kind of status we post on social media.”4

Image from LDS.org

Brownie Cookies

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brownie cookies

 

There is this bakery in town that has some of the most delicious goodies out there.  And their sandwiches and salads are pretty darn good, too.  Anyway, one of my favorites things there is their brownie cookie.  Oh my crispy, chewy goodness.  Yes, very good.  I don’t have a recipe to make them at home, but I do have a box of brownie mix–with a brownie cookie recipe right on the box, baby!  Just thought I would try those out and they did not disappoint.  Try some for yourself with your own brownie mix or recipe.  The only difference is to cut down on the oil.  And of course, you don’t bake the cookies as long as the brownies. That would not be a good thing, at all.

Brownie Cookies
Chewy, crispy cookie
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Ingredients
  1. 1 pkg. brownie mix
  2. 2 eggs
  3. 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
  4. 1 T. water
  5. chopped nuts pecans (we always add these to brownies)
Instructions
  1. Make mix according to directions on the box.
  2. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Definitely use this measurement. The first time I made these I used a small cookie scoop and they were too big and ran together.
  3. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-14 minutes, until the edges have crisped. Don't over bake.
  4. Cool on wire rack.
  5. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. Here's a tip! Melt peanut butter in the microwave and drizzle over your cookie. My son-in-law was at the house when I baked this batch, and he requested the peanut butter.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/
brownie cookie with pb

 

More Meaningful Prayer

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meaningful prayer
 
 
I don’t know about you, but I have always struggled with having a daily, meaningful prayer life.  My parents tried to instill regular prayer into our lives as a family, but we were not always as supportive to them and consistent as we could have been.  How do you make time in your life for this vital communication with a loving Heavenly Father?  Please comment and share with us, if you would like to. 

For me, reading over some  highlights from our recent LDS General Conference helped me today as I was trying to figure out a thought to share with you.  This has a lot of truth to it, when you think about how our prayers can be at times, or all of the time.  I am really going to work on this–it’s definitely a crucial building block for increased spirituality in our lives.

 

“We need to pray from our hearts. Polite recitations of past and upcoming activities, punctuated with some requests for blessings, cannot constitute the kind of communing with God that brings enduring power. Are you willing to pray to know how to pray for more power? The Lord will teach you.”

 
 
Image from LDS.org

Country Style Fried Potatoes

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country style fried potatoes

 

I had all intentions of having lovely little baby red potatoes, boiled and buttered, salted and peppered for dinner one night. Those babies sat there on my kitchen counter for a week.  Finally, I just had to peel them (the skins were looking a little rough), cut them up and fry ’em in a pan. Ahhh…..

Country Fried Potatoes
Simple, delish.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/3 cup coconut oil
  2. 1 pkg. of baby red potatoes, peeled and cubed
  3. 2 T. minced onion
  4. 1 tsp. salt
  5. 1/2 tsp. pepper
  6. 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  7. 1/2 tsp. paprika
Instructions
  1. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are golden brown.
  3. Add minced onion. Be sure not to put these in too early because they will burn.
  4. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
  5. Serve hot.
Notes
  1. These potatoes are kind of plain, but the add-ins are endless! Be creative.
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Salsa

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Anna's Salsa.jpg
 

This recipe first posted on July 28, 2011.

Since we are getting ready to launch our new blog, I thought it would be fun to share the very first recipe I ever posted.  Haha.  The photo quality isn’t all that, and I did have a date stamp on the photo.  Didn’t know about PicMonkey back then or I would have cropped that out and done a little more editing!  But still, this is one of my favorite recipes.  Hope you enjoy it again!

 
 
(Sorry about the date stamp! I’m a newbie.)
 

When I left El Paso, TX  9 years ago, one thing I brought back to North Carolina was a good salsa recipe.  I learned how to make it in a Relief Society Homemaking  mini-class (the Relief Society is the women’s auxiliary of our church).  I loved our Hispanic members and learned so much from them, including how to make homemade tortillas.  This recipe started there, but I have tweaked it along the way.

Salsa
Muy picosa!
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Ingredients
  1. 6-8 roma tomatoes
  2. 1-2 fresh jalapenos
  3. 1 clove garlic, minced
  4. Fresh cilantro (I use a handful)
  5. Lime juice, to taste
  6. Salt, to taste
Instructions
  1. Roast the tomatoes and jalapenos in the oven until skins are nice and crispy. I put mine in a toaster oven. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle them.
  2. Peel the tomatoes and "gut" and de-stem the jalapenos. If you leave the seeds in the peppers you will have a spicier salsa--muy picosa!
  3. Place tomatoes and jalapenos in a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients and process to desired consistency. I prefer slightly chunky. You can add water to thin it.
  4. Serve with tortilla chips.
Notes
  1. A few tips--a squeeze or two of lime juice is all you need. Salt to taste, but take into consideration the saltiness of your chips. I buy a dozen or so jalapenos at a time and roast them and then keep them in the freezer so I can have them on hand when I need a salsa fix or when my sister Amy comes to visit.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

 

 Check out this cook cilantro tip!
 

Salud!

Spaghetti Pie

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spaghetti pie 2

 

You get home from work at 5:15 pm.  Guests are coming for dinner at 6:00 and you are trying yet another new recipe, hoping it’s a hit and your guests will come back.  Score!  Back in the 80’s my good friend Jill used to make spaghetti pie and I used to have the recipe.  Well, do you think I could find it these many years later?  Google is my best friend and this entry isn’t exactly like Jill’s, but it is a yummy second.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day, by the way, and notice the green lettuce in the salad.  There you go.

 

Spaghetti Pie
Quick, cheesy and easy.
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Ingredients
  1. 6 oz. spaghetti, cooked (I used thin)
  2. 2 T. olive oil
  3. 2 eggs, well-beaten
  4. 3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
  5. 1 c. whole milk Ricotta cheese (yes you can use skim, but why?)
  6. 1 c. pasta sauce
  7. 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Drain spaghetti well, then put in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil. Stir in eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
  2. Pour mixture into greased 10-inch pie plate; form into a "crust" by pushing spaghetti up the sides of the plate and forming an indentation in the center.
  3. Spoon Ricotta cheese over the crust. Top with pasta sauce. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 25 minutes.
  4. Top with Mozzarella and remaining Parmesan and bake another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Cool 10 minutes before cutting.
Notes
  1. You can also add veggies to this dish. I used shredded zucchini that I sauteed with a little onion and put it on top of the Ricotta cheese layer. Spinach would also be good.
Adapted from Sargento Recipes
Adapted from Sargento Recipes
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Yummy Healthy Spinach Salad

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??????????????

 

This recipe was shared on Facebook with no title, so I gave it one.  Oh goodness.  Here is a quote from the original post: “This SPINACH-based salad will boost the thyroid gland’s output of metabolism-reviving hormones!” 
I also added grilled chicken to this.  Makes a great main dish salad that way.
 
Source:  Tammy Elmore, Facebook, 1/5/16.
 
Yummy Healthy Spinach Salad
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For the salad
  1. 5 oz. fresh spinach (half a 10-oz. bag)
  2. 3/4 cup chopped celery
  3. 3/4 cup dried cranberries
  4. 1 15-oz. can mandarin oranges (or fresh Cuties/Halos, or 1 cup pomegranate seeds. I used the mandarins.)
  5. 1 large Granny Smith apple, cut in bite-size pieces
  6. 1 t. lemon juice
  7. 1/3 cup pecans–I toasted mine in butter and a little sea salt
  8. Optional: Feta cheese & orecchiette pasta (did you know that means little ears?)
For the dressing
  1. 4 T. olive oil or vegetable oil
  2. 2 T. apple cider vinegar
  3. 2 T. white wine vinegar
  4. 2-4 t. white sugar (or honey or Stevia to taste)–I used 3 t. sugar
  5. 1/8 t. each of paprika, onion powder
  6. 1 T. poppy seeds
Instructions
  1. Just throw it all together and enjoy!
Notes
  1. I made the dressing separately, so that I could adjust the amount I poured on the salad, if needed.I also added grilled chicken to this. Makes a great main dish salad that way.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/
 
This entry was posted in Salads and tagged .

Fried Corn Cakes

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I made these corny, crispy critters to go with some Sausage Okra Gumbo--a perfect pairing with the snow and brisk temperatures provided to us by Winter Storm Jonas.  I am sure you experienced some of the same weather if you are on the East Coast.  So, next time you are snowed in, hunker down with some of these and a nice hot stew or soup.  Or not.  They are good all by themselves.
 

Ingredients:

1 cup fine cornmeal
1 cup water
oil for frying–I used coconut oil
salt to taste
Add-ins (use your imagination) : chopped bacon,  minced onion, chopped green chilies, shredded cheese, etc.

1.  Add water to cornmeal and whatever you decide to throw in there, and stir to combine. You don’t even need to add anything.  These are yummy on their own.

2.  Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet to medium-high.

3. Drop corn mixture by tablespoonfuls into hot oil.  Fry until golden brown and flip to brown other side.

4.  Remove from skillet and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.  Lightly salt each side.  You can also add the salt to the mixture before frying, if desired.

These will be crispy on the outer edge and chewy in the middle.  What?!
   

Fried Corn Cakes
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup fine cornmeal
  2. 1 cup water
  3. oil for frying–I used coconut oil
  4. salt to taste
  5. Add-ins (use your imagination) : chopped bacon, minced onion, chopped green chilies, shredded cheese, etc.
Instructions
  1. 1. Add water to cornmeal and whatever you decide to throw in there, and stir to combine. You don’t even need to add anything. These are yummy on their own.
  2. 2. Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet to medium-high.
  3. 3. Drop corn mixture by tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Fry until golden brown and flip to brown other side.
  4. 4. Remove from skillet and place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Lightly salt each side. You can also add the salt to the mixture before frying, if desired.
Notes
  1. These will be crispy on the outer edge and chewy in the middle. What?!
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/