Pasta in Tomato Cream Sauce

8 oz penne or other tube pasta
1 (14.5) oz can Diced tomatoes (I like petite diced)
1/2 c. fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

I always double this recipe!  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Cook tomatoes over medium-high heat in skillet until thickened, about 5-10 minutes.  Season to taste.  I usually add garlic powder and onion powder for my flavor along with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat; add basil and cream.  Heat through.  DO NOT BOIL.  Toss with pasta and cheese.  Serve immediately.  This can be a side dish or the main meal.  I like to add cooked chicken to make it more substantial and serve with a salad and garlic bread.

Quick and Easy Orange Rolls

I made these Orange Rolls for Christmas morning breakfast. They turned out yummy, but I wouldn't really call them "quick". They still had to rise for about an hour even though I thawed them in the fridge overnight. This would be good for a brunch, but not an early morning breakfast unless you wake up super early. I also didn't use the wild orange essential oil called for in the recipe since I don't have any and it was still really good.

Quick and Easy Orange Rolls

12 frozen Rhodes dinner rolls, thawed

grated rind of one orange

1/2 C sugar

Citrus Glaze:

1 C powdered sugar

1 Tbsp melted butter

2 Tbsp orange juice

Mix together until smooth

Add in 2-3 drops Wild Orange Essential Oil or to desired taste (optional but oh so good!)

Thaw dough in the refrigerator over night or 2-3 hours prior to use. Cover with plastic wrap while thawing.

Grate orange rind and mix with sugar. Roll thawed roll in melted butter and then in sugar and rind mixture.

Place on greased cookie sheet or 9 x 13 pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow rolls to double in size – approximately 1 hour. Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool 5 minutes and frost with citrus glaze while warm.

Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites and it was yummy and I am not even a big fan of rice krispie treats.

Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1 10.5 ounce bag peppermint mini marshmallows*
4 tablespoons real butter, plus extra to butter pan
5-6 cups rice krispie style cereal (I like mine a little more marshmallowy)
3 tablespoons semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
a few drops (about 1/8 teaspoon) peppermint extract
2-3 medium sized candycanes, crushed

*In place of the peppermint marshmallows, use regular marshmallows and add about 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract to melted marshmallow mixture. Or more to taste, I’m guessing on the amount.

Instructions:
Line a 9×13 pan with foil and lightly butter bottom and about 1 inch up sides.

Melt butter in a very large bowl in the microwave. Add marshmallows and stir to coat. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. (You can do that whole process on the stovetop as well.) Add rice krispie cereal and stir to evenly combine. With buttered hands, press mixture into prepared pan.

Place white chocolate chips and 1/4 teaspoon oil in a small bowl. Heat in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Repeat same process with semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips and add a few drops of peppermint extract. Drizzle both chocolates on top of rice krispie treats and sprinkle candy canes on top. Let sit until chocolate is set, place pan in fridge to speed process along. Cut into squares and eat up.

Stuffed Pepper Stoup

The flavor of stuffed peppers -- without the work!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
Salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice (eyeball it)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bay leaf
1 quart chicken stock
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup orzo pasta
12-15 basil leaves, shredded or torn
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to pass at table

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with EVOO. When oil is hot, add beef and season with salt, black pepper and allspice. Brown the meat, about 5 minutes, then add garlic, onions, peppers and bay leaf, and cook 7-8 minutes, until veggies are tender.
Stir in stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
Add pasta and cook to al dente, 7-8 minutes.
Turn off heat and fold in the basil.
Serve in shallow bowls with grated cheese on top.

From the Rachael Ray Show

Sweet Potatoes

I got this recipe from an email list I belong to called "Daily Recipe". I get a recipe in my inbox daily. A lot of times I just delete them, but this one I made tonight and it was yummy. It isn't as sweet as your traditional sweet potato casserole that is made on Thanksgiving. They are twice baked, but instead of putting them back in their skins, I just mixed it all up in a casserole dish because who needs that kind of trouble and no one eats the skin anyway!

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RECIPE: DOUBLE BAKED SWEET POTATOES

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INGREDIENTS:
6 sweet potatoes (medium sized)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub skins with oil
wrap each in aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven
for 1 hour, or until soft when poked in the center.
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, brown sugar,
butter, vanilla, salt and pepper. Slice each baked
potato in half lengthwise and scoop flesh into the
creamy mixture. Caution they will be very hot so this
works best using a clean towel to hold the potato.
Mix well and fold in walnuts. Spoon mixture evenly
back into each potato skin and bake for about 10-15
minutes more at 350 degrees just to heat through.

Yield: 12 Servings

I also only put walnuts on half the casserole sprinkled on top, because their are a lot of haters. I ate the side with walnuts and it was yummy. :o)

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Cream:
1/2 cup soft margarine
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cup sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sour milk (to sour milk, you add 1 tsp of white vinegar to every 8 ounces)

Add dry ingredients:
2 1/2 cup flour
4 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Add:
2 cups grated zucchini

Bake in 9x12 greased and floured pan at 325 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. Frost or sprinkle (unbaked) with 1/2 cup chocolate chips and nuts if desired.

Cabbage Salad

This recipe is always a big hit when I make it! I like to make it for potlucks or when there is company because the leftovers can get a little soggy and aren't as good.

Cabbage Salad
1 head cabbage (or buy bag of shredded cabbage)
2 to 3 green onions
3 to 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up
3 to 4 pkg Top Ramen noodles (chicken flavor)
1/2 cup almonds
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 cup oil
3 packets chicken flavoring (from Top Ramen)
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp vinegar

Shred cabbage; put in large bowl and add green onions and chicken. Toast crushed Ramen noodles, almonds and sesame seeds on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Watch very closely; can burn very easily. Add to cabbage mixture. Mix oil, flavor packets, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. Pour over salad just before serving. Toss and serve.

People are always asking for this recipe when I make it. I'm telling you, it is delicious! You can use it as a side dish, but I have been known to eat it as my main meal as well.

Yummy Chicken Salad

I got this recipe from a girl in my ward and have made it a couple times and it is always a hit.

Chicken Salad

2 cans boneless white chicken (break up the chicken with your fingers or fork)
1 cup chopped celery ( I use a food chopper so it is nice and chopped....;)
1 cup red seedless grapes (I cut them into halves)
I cup chopped cashews (again, I use a food chopper)
2 cups of mayo
salt and pepper and onion salt to taste

Mix all the above ingredients together in a large bowl and enjoy on bread or croissants.

Last time I made it I grated a carrot into it and it turned out great! I know what you are thinking....canned chicken doesn't sound that great, but it really is good, I promise!

Roasted Butternut Squash Bacon Pasta

I had three butternut squashed that needed used and didn't really know what to do with them. So I turned to google and this is what I found....Roasted Butternut Squash Bacon Pasta. It turned out really yummy and I made it twice because I only used one squash per time.

Hearty Bacon Potato Chowder

I have always thought potato soup was just okay, I would eat it, but it wasn't that exciting. I found this recipe a few years ago in a Church cookbook and it is my favorite potato soup recipe so far. It is thicker than soup, chowder, but so good and usually a big hit when I make it.

Hearty Bacon Potato Chowder
8 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
6 medium cubed 1/2 inch new red potatoes (I have actually never used this kind of potato, but would probably be good, I usually just peel regular russett potatoes)
2 medium chopped onions
8 oz ctn sour cream
1 1/4 c milk
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (8 oz) can corn, drained
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme leaves

In 3 quart saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes, add potatoes and onions. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender (15 to 20 minutes). Add remaining ingredients. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until heated through (10 to 12 minutes).

We had the missionaries over for dinner a week or so ago and it was uncharacteristically freezing here so I took advantage of the cold to make this. I doubled the recipe, and good thing too, there was hardly any leftovers. I served it with cornbread muffins.

Chicken Enchiladas Blancas

I thought these enchilidas were Soooooo yummy. They are my favorite enchilada recipe that I have tried so far! I did forget to add the beans, though. I was bummed, but Stephen was happy because he doesn't like beans! Weirdo! I am pretty sure I used more cheese than it called for too, but I didn't measure.

Chicken Enchiladas Blancas
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C sour cream
1/2 C green salsa
1 onion, diced (or 1/2 of one, grated)
1 T. butter
1 can diced green chilies
2 C shredded monterey-jack cheese
1 can white pinto beans, rinsed and drained
10 flour torillas

Saute onion in butter til clear, add garlic and chilies and saute for 2 minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients, except for tortillas and reserving 1 cup of cheese. Place about 1/3 cup filling in each tortilla and roll up. Place in sprayed 9 by 13 pan. Use any remaining sauce to top enchiladas. Top with cheese and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes til hot and bubbly. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and guacamole.

Cupcakes and more Cupcakes!

I have been going nuts with the cupcakes lately. I am determined to perfect the art of the cupcake. I have never been a big fan of box cake mixes so I have been trying to find different recipes that taste better than your average cupcake. I made these Candy Corn Cupcakes from Our Best Bites for Halloween.


I thought they tasted okay. Stephen and Kensley really liked them and I thought they turned out pretty cute. These Paula Deen Red Velvet cupcakes I made last week tasted way better. I substituted the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil for a stick of softened butter. The recipe also calls for one teaspoon of cocoa powder and that didn't seem quite sufficient so I added 3 heaping teaspoons of cocoa. They turned out amazing! Oh, I also cut the cream cheese frosting recipe in half after reading all the comments that it made way too much frosting and they were right. Half was plenty!

Colorburst Cupcakes!

I got this cupcake recipe from Our Best Bites. They were very time consuming but the end product was so fun.




I used this frosting recipe . It just occurred to me that I made the cupcakes backwards. I didn't even notice until just now! They would have been much cuter with the red on top, but oh well. They were still fun :o)

Tater-topped Casserole

I got this recipe out of a Kraft foods magazine. It isn't really anything special, but I like it because everyone in the family will eat it.

tater-topped casserole
6 servings

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb (1/2 of 32-oz pkg) frozen bite-size seasoned potato nuggets

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Brown meat with onions in skillet, stirring occasionally, drain. Spoon into 8-inch square baking dish.
Mix soup and milk; pour over meat mixture. Top with layers of mixed vegetables, cheese and potatoes.
Bake 45 min. or until potatoes are golden brown and caserole is heated through.


This picture was taken before baking while potatoes are still frozen. I forgot to take a picture after baking and before eating. :o)

Pizza Muffins

Yet another yummy recipe from my "Fabulous Freezer Meals" book. The freezer is slowly starting to fill up. :o)

Pizza Muffins
Yield: 20 muffins

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup diced pepperoni (I found a bag of Pepperoni Minis and didn't have to chop them)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
4 green onions, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper muffin liners. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, bakind soda, salt, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and sugar. Mix in green onions, pepperoni and 1 cup cheese.

In a smaller bowl beat the egg, then whisk in buttermilk. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin cups until half full. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese on top of muffins.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the muffin comes out clean.

To make jumbo pizza muffins, use a jumbo muffin tin (sprayed with cooking spray) and increase the cooking time by a few minutes. Watch closely to make sure muffins don't overcook and dry out. Insert a toothpick to check doneness.

Cool muffins, individually wrap in plastic, and freeze in a large zip-top bag. Place one or two muffins in a lunchbox and they will defrost and be ready to eat by lunch time.

Wholesome Oat Muffins

This recipe comes from the South Beach Diet Cookbook. I bought the cookbook years ago and this is the only recipe that I still make. I find the muffins delicious and especially good with a smoothie on the side. :o) I made a batch of them today and froze them for later use.

Wholesome Oat Muffins
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour or whole grain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup brown sugar substitute (I am not into substitutes and use regular brown sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.
In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the oats and the buttermilk. Let soak for 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and walnuts.
In a large bowl, stir together the oil, egg, brown sugar substitute, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the oat mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full (I don't use muffin cups, just put them directly in the pan). Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons oats over the muffins. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove to the rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins at 180 calories each!

Butternut Squash Mac-n-Cheese

We recently joined a Dinner Co-op with 3 other families from Church. Basically, I make all of them dinner on Wednesday and bring it to their home for them. Three other nights of the week I am getting dinner brought to my house from the other families. This is my first week and it is so fun having dinner just show up at the doorstep! For my first meal I made this mac-n-cheese along with a green salad and snickers salad. I got this recipe from a Rachael Ray cookbook and I love it because it adds a little umph to the meal that your kids don't see coming.

Boo's Butternut Squash Mac-n-Cheese

Coarse Salt
1 pound macaroni with ridges, such as tubettini or mini penne rigate
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, plus a few sprigs for garnish
1/2 medium onion
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 10-ounce box frozen cooked butternut squash, defrosted
1 cup cream or half-and-half
2 cups (8 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water, then add the pasta and cook al dente, or with a bite to it.

While the pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the EVOO and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and grate the onion directly into the pot with a hand-held grater or Microplane. Cook the grated onion for a minute or 2, then add the flour and cook together for a minute or 2 more. Whisk in the stock, then add the butternut squash and cook until warmed through and smooth. Stir in the cream and bring the sauce to a bubble. Stir in the cheeses in a figure-eight motion and season the completed sauce with salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Drain the cooked pasta well and combine with the sauce. Serve alongside chicken sammies or all on its own with a green salad. Garnish with thyme leaves.

5 Servings

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

Another fun recipe from my "Fabulous Freezer Meals" book:

Chocolate Caramel Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen cookies

1 devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
24 Rolos candies, unwrapped

Thoroughly combine ingredients with a wooden spoon. Then place 2 tablespoons cookie dough in your hand and flatten it. Place a Rolo in the center and wrap the cookie dough around it to form a ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar and serve warm.

To Freeze
Place cookie-dough balls (with Rolo wrapped inside) on a cookie sheet for 1 hour. Then put frozen dough balls in a large zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Serve
Remove frozen cookie-dough balls from freezer and place on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Then bake at 350 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes and serve. Baked cookies may be frozen for up to 3 months.

Snickers Salad

Yes, you read that right! SNICKERS SALAD! Fabulous stuff. I bought a book on how to make some freezer meals to stock my newly acquired deep freeze (I have wanted one for years for this purpose!) Here is the recipe:

Snickers Salad
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

4 Snickers candy bars (2.07 ounces each), cut into 1/2-inch chunks (I cut them up into small pieces so more Snickers in each bite)
5 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped
1 small container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 drops foold coloring, your choice (I skipped this step as it seemed unnecessary)

Unwrap and slice Snickers candy bars into 1/2-inch chunks. Peel and chop the apples. Mix together candy bars and apple chunks in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together food coloring and whipped topping. Add to apples and candy bar chunks and stir until all pieces are completely covered with whipped topping. Pour into a large zip-top bag, label, and freeze until ready to serve.

To Serve
Remove the salad from the freezer 1 to 2 hours before you are ready to serve it. Set it in a large bowl and let it defrost on the counter. Serve the salad cold as a side dish.

That is the recipe straight from the book, but here is what I did differently. I didn't follow the measurements exactly, mainly because I wanted it to make more. I bought a six-pack of Snickers bars and chopped them all up into small pieces and then chopped and peeled 4 green apples. I had 5 apples, but it seemed to be a lot of apples so I am guessing mine were large apples and not the medium sized the recipe calls for. Then I added the whip cream and it didn't seem enough so I ended up using an entire 16 ounce carton of whipped cream instead of the 8 ounces. I didn't use the food coloring at all. Then I got two quart-sized freezer bags and filled them to what I thought would be enough for my small family for one meal each and then served what was left-over for dinner tonight. Before eating it, I added a sliced banana, I didn't put bananas in the freezer bags. So there you have it, dessert and fruit salad in one scrumptious side dish! I googled the recipe and found several variations and one calls for marshmallow cream! I might try that next time.

**Update** While this salad is delicious, it wasn't any good after thawing it as a freezer meal. The whip cream got all weird and only Stephen would eat it.

Homemade Bread and Jam

I made some strawberry freezer jam since strawberries are so cheap right now and it turned out really yummy. I decided I needed some yummy homemade white bread to fully enjoy the experience and I got this recipe thanks to my sister-in-law, Robin. It comes from a Barefoot Contessa cookbook that she has. It turned out really yummy and I had bread and jam for days!

Honey White Bread

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
2 packages dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm whole milk (110 degrees) (I didn't have whole milk and used 2%)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
2 extra-large egg yolks (I didn't have extra-large eggs so I used 3 large egg yolks)
5-6 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Place warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add yeast and sugar; stir and allow them to dissolve for 5 minutes.

Add the milk, butter, and honey. Mix on medium speed until blended. Add the egg yolks, 3 cups of flour and the salt. Mix on low speed for about 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low speed, add 2 more cups of flour. Raise the speed to medium and slowly add just enough of the remaining flour so the dough doesn’t stick to the bowl. Knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary.

Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a minute, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl with butter, put the dough in the bowl, then turn it over so the top is lightly buttered. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow to rise for 1 hour, until doubled in volume.

Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans with butter. Divide the dough in half, roll each half into a loaf shape and place each in a prepared pan. Cover again with the damp towel and allow to rise again for an hour, until doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. When the dough is ready, brush the tops with egg white and bake for 40-45 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped. Turn them out of the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.