Indian Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani)

When people talk about Indian food there are 2 dishes I hear about often, Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Makhani, or Butter Chicken. I have a recipe that I really like for the Chicken Tikka Masala so I thought I would try a Butter Chicken recipe. It turned out delicious! I modified the orignal recipe I found on allrecipes according to the review comments and I doubled the recipe because I wanted leftovers. The recipe below is not doubled.

Butter Chicken
1 Tbsp. Peanut oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
4 Tbsp. Butter
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp . Garlic ginger paste (or substitute with 3 cloves, pressed, and 1/2 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger)
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 bay leaves
1/4 c. Plain yogurt
1 c. Heavy cream
1 c. Tomato purée (or tomato sauce)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1/4 c. Cashews, ground (place in blender and blend into a fine powder)
2-3 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp. Peanut oil
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp. garam masala
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cream and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside. (at this time I used my immersion blender to purée the sauce until smooth. You could also use a blender.) 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce.

Add cashew powder, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened. Garnish with cilantro.

Serve with rice and naan.

Frenchmen Street Red Beans and Rice Soup

If you want something fast and simple, make this! My lovely friend lent me her friends cook book that she wrote. It's all crock pot New Orleans food. This is the only one I've made so far, but we both love it!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. dried red kidney beans
3/4 C of brown rice, uncooked (I only had white rice and used that, it worked just fine!)
1/2 C finely chopped red onion (I just use whatever onion I have, today was yellow.)
2 links andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2" rounds (I found some at Costco that we like)
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 C vegetable broth (I didn't have that, so I just used chicken broth and it worked great as well!)
6-8 C water (I used 7)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Be sure to add enough water to leave 3" of space from the rim of the slow cooker, but no more than 8 cups.
Cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours, until beans and rice are tender.

(This time since it being after Thanksgiving, I'm going to add in some Turkey in the last hour of cooking. Usually you add meats with Jambalaya or Gumbo, but I'm going to try it in here and see how it turns out!)

Simple as that, ENJOY! Original Recipe from In a While, Crocodile New Orleans Slow Cooker Recipes by Patrice Keller Kononchek and Lauren Malone Keller.

Pizza Dough

The best pizza dough recipe, thanks to Amelia Jackson!

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 C water

2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. yeast

4 C unbleached flour

INSTRUCTIONS

Let rise 10 minutes, cut dough in thirds (half if you are doing two cookie sheet sized pizza).

Top with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.

Cook at 450 degrees F on lowest rack for 15 minutes.

Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole

Thanksgiving comes to an end, but the food seems to never end. So here is a recipe for all those yummy leftovers!

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 (12 fluid oz.) can evaporated milk
1 C water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. butter
1 C finely crushed herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix (I had the stove-top dressing left over so I just used all that I had left over)
1 C cooked, diced turkey meat
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 C leftover mashed potatoes

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.

Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in the flour. Slowly stir in evaporated milk and water, then season with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Stir sauce over low heat for 5 minutes.

(If you have leftover stuffing, skip this next step)  In a separate saucepan over low heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Blend in the dry stuffing mix.

Place the turkey in the prepared baking dish. Pour the sauce over turkey, then sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Spread mashed potatoes over cheese. Top mashed potatoes with the stuffing mixture.

Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven.

Enjoy! Thanks to the original recipe where you can find HERE.

Green Bean Casserole

This was the side that Bo's family raved over for Thanksgiving. I doubled this for 6 of us and there was about half an 8x8" dish left over.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 stick butter
1/2 C diced onions
1/2 C sliced fresh mushrooms
2 C sliced green beans (I just had french style cans in my pantry and they worked great!)
3 C chicken broth
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (2.8 oz) can french-fried onion rings
Pinch house seasoning recipe, follows
1 C grated cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased an 8x8" baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the cheddar cheese and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.

HOUSE SEASONING:

1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Enjoy! Thanks to the original recipe that you can find HERE.

Candied Yams

Thanksgiving time! Here is what we used for our candied yams.

INGREDIENTS

5 sweet potatoes
1/4 C butter, cut into pieces
1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/2 C miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS

Bake Sweet Potatoes in oven at 375 degrees F until you can stick a fork in and it's soft. About 1-1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut sweet potatoes in half and scoop out inside into a 9x13" baking dish. Distribute butter pieces evenly over the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Layer with miniature marshmallows.
Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender and marshmallows have melted.

ENJOY! We all loved it. :)

Thanks to the original recipe you can find HERE.

Zucchini Bread

Mom brought me a HUGE zucchini when she came out to visit last and so I of course had to make Zucchini bread. :) This one is amazing!! I shredded the zucchini into 2 C portions and was able to make 8 loaves of bread with the one mom brought.
You won't regret making this.

INGREDIENTS

3 C all-purpose flour  (I did use half flour half wheat flour for one and it turned out great!)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 C vegetable oil   (Some suggestions said they used 1/2 C veggie oil 1/2 C applesauce, I didn't.)
2 1/4 C white sugar
3 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C grated zucchini
1 C chopped walnuts (I left the nuts out, I hate nuts in things.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Grease and flour two 8x4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40-60 minutes, (mine was almost always 60 mins.) or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

ENJOY!

Thanks to the original recipe you can find HERE.

Sloppy Joes - Kris

I don't have the gumbo soup or whatever my mom uses for her Sloppy Joes, so I always find myself finding new recipes this online. Here is the one we used tonight that we both loved!

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1/4 C brown sugar
2 Tbsp. to 1 Tbsp. steak seasoning blend (such as Montreal seasoning, I only had Chicken Montreal Seasoning and used about 1 1/2 Tbsp.)
1 medium onion, chopped (I used half of a medium one)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped (I just used a few slices of the orange and yellow peppers we have in the freezer)
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 C tomato sauce (My can of tomato sauce had 1 3/4 C servings, so I just did about 1/4 C of ketchup as well)
2 Tbsp. Tomato paste (mine were heaping)
Buns

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice to meat. When meat has browned, add onion, peppers, worcestershire sauce, and vinegar and reduce to medium heat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 5 minutes longer.
Enjoy!

Thanks for the original recipe you can find HERE.

Butterfinger Blondies

I had these Butterfinger blondies at a friend's house. They are amazing! And what a good way to use up some left over Halloween candy. She skipped the frosting. And in all honesty, I thought they were great without and probably will never make the frosting when I make them again. So head on over to Six Sisters Stuff and get the recipe.

Tomato Basil Soup

The  Best. Period.

INGREDIENTS

4 Tomatoes peeled and diced (skins can stay on some)
4 C tomato juice
14 leaves fresh basil
1 C heavy whipping cream
1/3 C butter
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

Put tomatoes and juice in pot on medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Then puree tomato chunks and basil leaves. Return to stock pot on medium heat. Stir in cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat till butter is melted. Do not boil. Serve.

Enjoy! Thanks to mi mamacita for this recipe! :)

Mexican Steak Torta

Bo found this recipe and it is quite delicious! We use the Torta's from Costco, which we both think is what makes this so good!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb sirloin steak
1 Tbsp garlic salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
ground cayenne pepper to taste
4 kaiser rolls, split - (we used the torta's from Costco)
1/4 C mayonnaise
1/2 C refried beans
1 large avocado, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
2 C shredded lettuce
crumbled cotija cheese (We just used cheddar)


DIRECTIONS

1 - Season steak with garlic salt, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook on lightly oiled outdoor grill, or oven/stove combination.

2 - Grill about 5 minutes per side, until medium-rare. Remove from heat to a cutting board and cover with foil.

3 - Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread both halves of each roll with mayo. Brown the rolls, mayo-side down until golden, about 3 minutes. Warm the refried beans in a bowl in the microwave, about 1 minute on high and slice the sirloin steak into thin strips.

4 - Spread a thin layer of beans on the bottom half of each roll, layer with steak, avocado, tomato, and lettuce. Top with cheese, if desired, and close the sandwich with the top of the roll.


Enjoy! Find the original recipe HERE.

Avocado Apple Salad

I threw this together for dinner for us yesterday and thought it was so good I made it for lunch too! I don't eat salads, ever. So for me to rave about this one means it must be pretty dang good!

INGREDIENTS

Romaine lettuce or Spinach
1/2 - 1 Avocado cubed
1 Apple cubed
handful of craisins
Feta Cheese
Balsamic Vinegarette


Portion it as you want. Just thought I'd put up the ingredients. Throw all together and eat. :)
I LOVE IT!
Enjoy!

World's Best Lasagna

I made this one before, but thought it was too salty. So I tweaked it this time and it. is. amazing!!! Bo even said so. :) Instead of 1 Tbsp of salt, I put in 1 tsp. and a pinch. (maybe like 1/4 tsp.) It takes a while... like 3 hours, but I promise you, it's worth it!!

Prep: 30 mins.
Cook: 2 hrs. 30 mins.
Ready In: 3 hrs. 15 mins.
Serving size: a whole 9x13" pan (8??)


INGREDIENTS

1 lb sweet Italian sausage (I just used my Jimmy Deans from Costco I had on hand)
3/4 lb. lean ground beef (I used the whole pound)
1/2 C minced onion (I used red onions, but I usually use yellow)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (I had diced tomatoes at 15 oz each, so I just used two)
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 oz.) cans canned tomato sauce (Again, I had a 15 oz. can and just used the whole thing)
1/2 C water
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp. salt (here is where I used only 1 1/4 tsp. salt, the sausage already brings a lot of salt in)
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I used dried parsley and just did the same amount, didn't even realize it said fresh until now...)
12 lasagna noodles
16 oz. ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese instead, worked great!)
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced (I just used the shredded I had in the freezer and sprinkled as much as I wanted on it)
3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese (I just sprinkled what I wanted again)


DIRECTIONS

1 - In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel, seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 Tbsp. salt (again 1 1/4 tsp. but you be the judge, I figured you can always salt after), pepper and 2 Tbsp parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2 - Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese (cottage cheese) with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 tsp salt.

3 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

4 - To assemble, spread 1 1/2 C meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1 1/2 C meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 C Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure foil doesn't touch the cheese.

5 - Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.


ENJOY!

Thanks to Johnchandler over at AllRecipes.com for the recipe. Find the original recipe HERE.

Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

We went to dinner with an old companion of Bo's and his wife made these amazing enchiladas. I got the recipe from her and made it last night and had friends over. We made the larger serving recipe and it has made 14 enchiladas so far. It probably has about 2-4 left. Fabulous! The Creamy Cilantro Dressing is what makes this meal. I usually hate anything cilantro, but this dressing was so good, I could drink it. ;) ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS

4 Chicken Breasts
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 1/2 C Water
1 envelope Fajita Seasoning
1 Can Black Beans
1 C Corn
1-2 C Cheddar Cheese
8-10 Flour Tortillas

DIRECTIONS

Spray crockpot. Put in chicken breasts. Mix water, oil and fajita mix. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook for 4 hours on high. Take out chicken and shred. Let it simmer back in crockpot for 1 hour.

INGREDIENTS (for larger servings)

6 Chicken Breasts
2 1/4 C Water
1 1/2 Tbsp. Oil
1 1/2 Envelope Seasoning

Creamy Cilantro Dressing
Yields 3-4 Cups

INGREDIENTS

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
1 C Best Foods Mayonnaise (I just used the mayo I had)
1 C Milk
2 Tomatillos (I didn't know what tomatillos were so I did roma tomatoes)
1/2 Bunch Cilantro
1 Clove Garlic
1 Lime, Juiced
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tbsp Sugar

DIRECTIONS

Put it all in the blender and blend it for two minutes.

Put chicken, corn, beans, cheese, and cilantro dressing on tortilla and enjoy!

Thanks to the original Cilantro Dressing recipe that you can find HERE.
The Chicken recipe was from the same lady, I just couldn't find the recipe. I got it from a friend.

Smoked Salmon Spread

Bo smoked some Salmon on Sunday and made a delicious salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, and the smoked salmon. I thought it was delicious with the raspberry vinaigrette dressing as well. He had some extra salmon and so he made this AMAZING spread. We ate it all the first night, made some more the next day for Bo's class party and it was a huge hit. Gone before the birthday girl even got there. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz Cream Cheese
4 - 6 oz Smoked Salmon
1 Shallot (finely diced) - (we used about 2 Tbsp. of finely diced yellow onion)
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley (finely chopped) - (we just did dried parsley)
1/2 tsp Dill Seed
1/2 tsp Garlic (crushed)
1/4 tsp Seasoned Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

- Bring cream cheese to rise to room temperature.
- Mix all ingredients then break up salmon as much as possible and blend with cream cheese mix.
- Refrigerate 2 - 24 hours.
- Serve with crackers. (wheat thins)

Find the original recipe HERE!

Chinese Spring Rolls/Egg Rolls

Several years ago, 5 years to be exact, we had some friends invite us over for dinner. They made egg rolls. They were delicious and really easy to make. They were made with a pound of ground turkey, a bag of coleslaw mix and soy sauce wrapped in egg roll wrappers that can be found in the vegetarian section of the grocery store. We made them on a regular basis.

So when I came across this recipe on how to make Chinese Spring Rolls and they looked like the ones you get in Chinese restaurants, and looked pretty easy to make. I had to give them a try. Her other post for chicken spring rolls gives a much more detailed description on how to make them. I followed the pork recipe, and will be trying the chicken recipe next time. They are WAY better than my old recipe. I only got 20 rolls. But I only used 3/4 pounds of pork and maybe not as much cabbage as I should have, so that could be part of it. They can be eaten as a main course or served as an appetizer.

I found the Spring Roll Shells at Southeast Market, on 422 E. 900 S. (Near Liberty Park,) in Salt Lake City. They have all sorts of Asian items, and for much cheaper than what you can find in the regular grocery store. I bought rice noodles for pad thai for $1.99 and at Fresh Market they were $5.99 for half as many noodles. Their garlic chili paste, Siracha, sesame oil, fish sauce, coconut milk, massaman curry, and much more, are way cheaper too.

Since I had 5 wraps left over I filled them with cream cheese and raspberry jam and fried them up for dessert. They were amazing! The only thing is that the jam is too wet and immediately started leaking through the wrap. So they will have to be fried immediately.

Pork Spring Rolls

Chicken Spring Rolls

Turkey Spring Rolls

25 Spring/Egg Roll Wrappers, defrosted unopened at room temperature for 45 minutes or in the refrigerator overnight
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup of cool water to seal egg roll
Cooking oil, for frying
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 pound ground turkey
½ head of cabbage (about 11 ounces)
6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
1 cup julienned carrots
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the filling, in a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, cornstarch and turkey. Marinate at least 10 minutes. In the meantime, shred the cabbage and the carrots using your food processor or by hand. Slice the mushrooms into very thin strips (or you could use your food processor and pulse a few times to get a fine dice.
2. Heat a wok or large saute pan over high heat. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the marinated turkey and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes. Turn heat to medium-low, push the meat to one side of the pan. Add the garlic, cabbage, carrots, ginger and the mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the vegetables are softened. Add the rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and black pepper. Continue to stir-fry for another minute. Scoop out the filling to a baking sheet and spread out to cool. Prop up one end of the baking sheet so that it tilts and will allow all the moisture to drain to one end. Let cool for 15 minutes.
3. Discard all of the accumulated juices. Use paper towels to blot the filling to rid of extra oil or juice..
4. Use 2 heaping tablespoon of filling for each egg roll
5. Keep the rolled egg rolls in neat, single layer and covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying. If you want to stack the egg rolls, make sure you have layer of parchment paper in between the layers to prevent sticking. Keep wrappers also covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Refrigerate up to 4 hours until ready to fry or freeze.
6. To fry the egg rolls, fill a wok or pot with 2 inches of high-heat cooking oil. Heat the oil to 350°F or until a cube of bread will fry to golden brown within 10 seconds. Gently slide in or lower the egg rolls, frying 4 to 6 at a time, turning occasionally until golden brown about 1½ minutes. Place on wire rack to drain and cool.
7. NOTE: To fry frozen egg rolls, do not defrost the egg rolls – just add them to the oil frozen, frying 4 to 6 at a time. Add an additional 1½ minutes to the frying time since they are frozen.

 

Berry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

I LOVE Zupas. And that might be an under statement. I almost always order the same thing every time I go; a pesto chicken panini and nuts about berries salad. I thought I would make my own berry salad at home. I combined a few different recipes.

Berry Spinach Salad

Dressing:
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 red onion, quartered
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp dry mustard

Mix together in a blender.
Then, over 30 seconds time, add the following while blending:

3/4 cup salad oil (I used canola oil)
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Toasted Cinnamon Sugar Almonds:
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

In a small skillet, combine almonds and sugar. Cook on medium/low heat and watch closely. Keep stirring as the sugar begins to melt, to keep it from burning. Once the sugar melts and covers the nuts, add the cinnamon and stir to coat. Remove from heat and place in foil to cool.

Salad:
1 bag baby spinach
Strawberries, sliced
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Feta cheese

Layer spinach, berries, and almonds. Top with dressing and feta cheese.
Enjoy!

Six-Layer Chocolate Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Filling and Malted Chocolate Frosting, AKA: Campfire Delight Cake

For my husband's birthday I like to make a cake from scratch and try out a new recipe. My husband LOVES marshmallows, so when I saw this cake I knew I had to make it for him. I was a little skeptical at first when I read the recipe, but I am glad I decided to make it. This is one of the best cakes I have had! I found the recipe on Brown Eyed Baker, which she adapted from Sweetapolita. I made a few minor adjustments since both called for much fancier, high end ingredient than I had. One recipe called for Dutch processed cocoa powder, but after some research I learned that regular cocoa powder was much better since the recipe calls for more baking soda and Dutch processed works better with more baking powder. I used Starbucks coffee since that is what my husband picked up when I sent him out for coffee. I am pretty sure you could use McDonald's coffee and it would be just as good, and much cheaper. Just make sure you use unsalted butter.

Six-Layer Chocolate Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Filling and Malted Chocolate Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cake:
2½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup + 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1½ cups strong black coffee, hot
¾ cup vegetable oil
4½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Toasted Marshmallow Filling:
16 large marshmallows
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (7½-ounce) jar Marshmallow Creme

For the Malted Chocolate Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
¾ cup Ovaltine Classic or Malted Milk mix
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
8 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate chocolate, melted and cooled
½ cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the insides of the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or large mixing bowl if you're using a hand mixer), sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for an additional 20 seconds (the batter will be very thin).

4. Divide the batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool the cakes (in the pans) on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.

5. Make the Toasted Marshmallow Filling: Place the marshmallows on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place on the lowest rack of oven, and broil marshmallows until nice and brown on top, keeping an eye on them the entire time so they don't burn. Remove pan from oven and gently turn the marshmallows over, and broil until the other side is golden brown.

6. Beat the butter and powdered sugar on low speed until blended together, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and increase the speed to medium-high; beat for 3 minutes. Stop the mixer, add the Marshmallow Creme and toasted marshmallows, and mix on the lowest speed for about 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

7. Make the Malted Chocolate Frosting: Beat the butter and powdered sugar on low speed until blended together, about 1 minute. Add the Ovaltine, vanilla and salt, and continue to beat on low until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for another minute.

8. Assemble the Cake: Slice each cake layer in half horizontally so you have six cake layers. Place your first layer face-up on a cake plate and cover with one-third of the Toasted Marshmallow Frosting. Place another cake layer face-up and cover with about ¾ to 1 cup of Malted Chocolate Frosting. Repeat, alternating marshmallow and chocolate filling layers, until you come to your cake final layer, which you will place face-down. Frost the entire outside of cake with the remaining Malted Chocolate Frosting.

Amish White Bread

For Young Women's we decided to make the Sacrament Bread. I grew up with homemade bread, but unfortunately don't have a bread maker. So I went on my search for a new recipe and Bo says, "Grandma Sycamore ain't got nothin' on your bread." I think he was just being nice, but I am not gonna lie, I'm very happy with my find! The two loaves we made tonight were gone with people going back for seconds. (We made two more for the Sacrament)
I used my Kitchenaid for all the mixing and kneading.
Anyways, hope you like it!

Makes: 2 9x5" loaves

INGREDIENTS:

2 C warm water (110°F)
2/3 C white sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 C vegetable oil
6 C bread flour

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. 

Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5" loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough is risen 1" above pans.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Thanks to AllRecipes.com for the recipe. Click HERE for the original. 

Angel Fruit Salad

I went to a baby shower for my friend in LaPlace, LA this past weekend and a lady brought this fruit salad. It was a huge hit! Just try it for yourself, you'll see.

INGREDIENTS:

1 8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. cool whip
Strawberries, cut up
crushed pineapple, drained
mandarin oranges, drained
peach slices, drained

INSTRUCTIONS:

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Stir in strawberries and cool whip, mix well. Fold in pineapple, oranges, and peaches.

Enjoy!  Thanks to Anne Brooks for the amazing recipe! :)

Spaghetti Squash - Substitute for Spaghetti

I substituted Spaghetti Squash for my regular Spaghetti noodles last night, and was quite surprised. I couldn't taste a difference (maybe it's cuz I made the amazing sauce below) but it was crunchy. I dunno if you could boil it after to get rid of the crunchiness? Maybe I'll try that next time. Bo didn't like it cuz of this reason, but if I can still enjoy my pasta dishes with less calories and have a vegetable, count me in! :)

INGREDIENTS:

Spaghetti Squash

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.
Scoop out the seeds.
Bake on a cookie sheet with flesh side down for 30 mins.
Make Sauce while this is baking.
When done, scoop out the flesh with a fork (it should be stringy like spaghetti).

Enjoy!

Find the original recipe HERE.

Spaghetti Meat Sauce

I made this and poured it on the Spaghetti Squash that I substituted for pasta. We loved this pasta sauce! I usually do Prego, so this was a nice change!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I just had 1 lb)
2 Tblsp Olive Oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. dried basil (I had fresh and used that and it worked great!)
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
ground pepper
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 (16 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in butter (optional) (I did without this cuz I didn't have mushrooms on hand)
parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Brown the ground beef, onion and garlic in olive oil with bay leaves, oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
2. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
3. Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
4. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. (I'm impatient and think I only did 45 mins. for this, turned out great still!)
5. Use sauce to top your cooked spaghetti. (spaghetti squash)
6. Top with sautéed mushrooms and parmesan.

Thanks to Bev for the recipe! Original recipe HERE.

Apple Romaine Salad

My sister in law, Allison, made this salad for Easter dinner last night. It is so delicious! I usually am not the biggest fan of salad and eat it occasionally. This salad is so good I went back for seconds and am making it for dinner again tonight. And the best part, it is ridiculously easy, fast and oh so fresh. It is the perfect combination of sweet, salty and tangy.

Apple Romaine Salad

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped or torn into bite size pieces
1-2 red apples, chopped (gala or pink lady are both really good)
Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced with a grater

Dressing

1-2 lemons
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Toss lettuce, apples and Parmesan together. Squeeze lemons over salad and drizzle with Olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.

Enjoy!

Pork Chops with stuffing

This is a recipe I grew up eating. My husband always asks for this recipe when I tell him we will be having pork chops for dinner.

Pork Chops with stuffing

4 pork chops
3 c. Bread, broken into crumbs
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 Tbsp. Onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 c. Water

Brown pork chops in frying pan, all sides. Put pork in a casserole dish. Break bread on top of the pork chops. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over top of pork and bread. Mix a little, so the bread crumbs are moist. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. (If using thin cut pork chops, reduce cooking time.)

Pasta Fra Diavolo

I discovered this recipe in my Weight Watchers Cookbook several years ago.  We always make this in place of spaghetti.

Pasta Fra Diavolo

2 tsp. Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
3 Tbsp. Tomato paste
2 Tbsp. Dry red wine (or sherry)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 c. Fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 oz linguine

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until golden, about 8 min. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, sugar, salt and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 mins. Stir in parsley. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package direction. Drain and serve with sauce.

Spicy Pepper Penne

I got this recipe from my friend, Kadee. It is ridiculous easy to make and the best part, it is all done in one pan!

Spicy Penne Pasta

1 lb hot Italian sausage
16 oz penne or tube pasta
1/8 tsp. Rosemary
1/2 c peperoncini
1jar (7 oz.) roaster red peppers, drained and chopped (or you can use fresh peppers)
3 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. Heavy cream
1/2 c. Parmesan

In a large skillet, cook sausage. Drain. Layer pasta, rosemary and red peppers on top of  sausage. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Add cream and Parmesan, toss to coat.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

This recipe is a staple in our home.  It is quick and easy to make too.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

8 oz. linguine

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning

2 Tbsp. Butter

1 green pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced

4 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

3 green onions, chopped

1 Tbsp. Flour

1 1/2 c. Heavy cream

1/4 tsp. basil

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. lemon pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Parmesan cheese (topping)

Cube chicken and place in a ziplock bag with Cajun seasoning. Toss to coat.

Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a LARGE skillet, over med-high heat, sauté chicken in butter until no longer pink. Add peppers, mushrooms and green onions. Cook 2-3 mins. Sprinkle flour over chicken and veggies and cook for another min. Reduce hear to med-low and stir in cream. Season with spices. Heat until simmering and sauce begins to thicken. Toss linguine with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Strawberry Crisp

Bo, X, and I went to Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival here in Louisiana this weekend and bought a flat of Strawberries. After arriving home, we realized how much that is (this happens every time...) and so Bo started searching for recipes with strawberries on an app on his phone called All the Cooks and came across this one. Let's just say, it was AMAZING! If you have any berries you are looking to get rid of, this is the recipe to use! It will definitely cancel out all the nutritional value the berries provide, but it's totally worth it.  :)
Hope y'all enjoy it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 C Brown Sugar
1 C All purpose Flour
1 C Uncooked Oats
1/4 C Chopped Walnuts (we did without these and it was still great)
1/2 C Butter
1/2 C Sugar
3 C Sliced Fresh/Frozen Strawberries


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Mix together oatmeal, flour and brown sugar.
3. Add nuts. (Optional)
4. Cut in butter or margarine until crumbly.
5. In another bowl, mix together strawberries and white sugar.
6. Grease an 8 inch square pan.
7. Spread half the crumb mixture on bottom.
8. Cover with strawberries.
9. Spread remaining crumb mixture over top.
10. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.
11. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream, ice cream, or great just by itself.

We also doubled the recipe and cooked it all in a 9x13" pan. It was fabulous. Everyone loved this!

Enjoy! Thanks to clabbergirl on All the Cooks app. :)

Tres Leches Cake

Jen emailed me this recipe this morning. One day she'll get down how to use the blog. ;) She made them for a shower and everyone was asking for the recipe, so she thought she would share! Bo will be so happy, since the last one I made was no bueno.

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE:

6 large eggs, separated
2 C granulated sugar
2 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 C whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

CREAM TOPPING:

1 14-ounce can evaporated milk
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 C heavy cream

HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM:

2 C heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tsp. confectioners' sugar

INSTRUCTIONS for Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a 9x13 baking dish and set aside. (I used a smaller rectangle pan and a muffin tin, b/c I wanted individual cakes for presentation)

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg whites on low speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually with the mixer running and peak to stiff peaks. Add the eggs yolks 1 at a time, beating well after the addition of each.

Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. (Do this quickly so the batter does not lost volume.)  Add the vanilla. Bake until golden, 25 minutes.

INSTRUCTIONS for Cream Topping:

In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream and blend on high speed.

Remove the cake from the oven and while still warm, pour the cream mixture over it. Let sit and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

INSTRUCTIONS for Homemade Whipped Cream:

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks. Add the vanilla extract and confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks.

Enjoy!!


Thanks to Julie for the recipe. You can find the original recipe HERE.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sweet Rolls

This is our new LDS General Conference tradition, thanks to Bo.

Prep: 1 1/2 hours  (It took me all morning... but so worth it!)
Cook Time: 20 mins
Servings: 24

INGREDIENTS
Rolls:

• 2 C Whole Milk (I used 1% and it turned out great)
• 1/2 C Sugar
• 1/2 C Canola Oil
• 4 1/2 C All-purpose Flour, divided
• 1 Package (2 1/4 teaspoon) Active Dry Yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp (heaping) Salt
• 1/2 tsp. (scant) Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. (heaping) Baking Powder

Filling:

• 1 Stick Butter
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 C Brown Sugar
• 1/2 C Sugar
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1-1/2 C Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Chunks
• 1 C Chopped Pecans (optional, we went without these)

Icing:

• 1 Package 8 oz. Cream Cheese
• 3 C Powdered Sugar
• 1 Stick Butter, Softened
• 1 C Whole Milk
• 2-1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 tsp. Salt

If you're like me and don't have cream cheese on hand, you can use this RECIPE for the icing:

• 3 C Powdered Sugar
• 6 Tbsp. Butter, softened
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 6-8 Tbsp. Milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix milk, 1/2 C Sugar, and canola oil in a pot. Heat until very warm, not boiling. Allow to cool until slightly warmer than lukewarm.

Sprinkle yeast over the surface of the liquid, then add in 4 cups flour. Stir gently until totally combined. Mixture will be very wet and sticky. Cover with a tea towel, keep in a draft-free place, and allow to sit for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, add in additional 1/2 C of flour, as well as the salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix until combined. Refrigerate dough, covered, until you need it. (Refrigerating the dough helps make it easier to handle.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread melted butter in the bottom of pie pans or 9x13" baking dish.

Turn dough onto a floured surface. Roll into a large rectangle, about 24 inches wide by 10 to 12 inches deep. Add vanilla to melted butter, then drizzle mixture all over the surface of the dough. Use fingers to spread evenly. Mix sugar and salt and sprinkle it evenly over the butter. Follow with the brown sugar, chocolate chips, and copped nuts.

Beginning at the side furthest from you, roll dough toward you until it's in the shape of a tight log. Pinch the edges to seal. Slice into 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick rolls and lay, cut side down, in buttered baking dishes. Allow to rise for 20 minutes, then place in over and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until deep golden brown on top.

Icing Instructions:

Mix 1 stick butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt in an electric mixer or until smooth and pourable.

Remove rolls from oven and allow to sit five minutes before drizzling icing all over the rolls. Be sure to get the icing all around the edges and covering the surface so they'll be nice and moist!

Sprinkle with extra chopped nuts if desired.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy! :)

Thanks to the Pioneer Woman for the recipe! To find the original recipe click HERE.

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Adapted from Lemon Yogurt Cupcakes in 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson
Makes 12 cupcakes



Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used vanilla flavored)
2 tsp grated lemon zest
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon oil or lemon extract1/4 cup raspberry puree

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, and egg until smooth. Add yogurt, lemon zest and juice, and lemon extract, beating until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating just until smooth.

4. Scoop 1 tablespoon or so of batter into each prepared cupcake liner. Drop about a teaspoon of raspberry puree onto batter in each liner. Add another tablespoon or so of batter on top of raspberry puree, filling cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Top with additional teaspoon of raspberry puree, and swirl batter with a toothpick to make a decorative pattern in batter. Bake in preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

Raspberry Lemonade Buttercream
Makes about 2 cups (16-20 cupcakes)

2 cups confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp raspberry puree
1 tbsp lemonade concentrate, thawed
½ tsp raspberry extract
Pinch of salt

1. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together confectioners’ sugar, butter, raspberry puree, lemonade concentrate, raspberry extract, and salt until smooth.

2. Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes and set aside at room temperature until ready to serve or for up to 8 hours.

Thanks to the Busty Baker for the recipe! Find the original recipe from her, HERE!

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup Copycat

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Serves: 6

Fluffy clouds of potato gnocchi, tender bites of chicken and fresh spinach swimming in a sea of thick, rich broth.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup carrots, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

coarse salt and fresh black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 + 1/2 cups half & half

2 cups cooked white meat chicken, shredded or cut into small bites

1 pound potato gnocchi

3 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

fresh grated Parmesan and/or Romano, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven heat the butter and oil together over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until tender over medium-low heat about 10 minutes, stirring often.

2. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir into the vegetables, cook 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the chicken broth 1 cup at a time, followed by the half & half.

3. Add the cooked chicken. Bring up to a simmer and maintain for 20 minutes stirring often. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cook the gnocchi separately according to package directions. Add them to the soup along with the spinach. Simmer until spinach is wilted. Stir in basil. Serve with grated cheese.

Thanks to Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice for the RECIPE!

Swig sugar cookies

If you don't know what Swig is, don't worry. I had never heard of Swig until just recently. I had my first encounter with Swig while we were in St. George with Elliott's family in September. Swig is a small little drink shack that started in St. George. They apparently created the 'Dirty Dr. Pepper' and 'Dirty Diet Coke.' From what I gather, dirty means they add coconut flavored syrup to the drink. I had a Dirty Dr. Pepper. It was actually pretty good. Elliott always adds random flavored syrups to Dr. Pepper, but I have never had one that tastes really good. Coconut actually tastes good. Who knew?

Along with their drinks they have these delicious soft sugar cookies. Those are definitely something to talk about. I could have eaten 10 of them. A few weeks ago we had a Relief Society activity where we were supposed to bring our favorite cookie or treat to share. I found this recipe for the Swig sugar cookie and thought I would try it out. I was kind of disappointed with my first batch that came out of the oven. They were nothing like the swig cookies. They were hard and crispy. My second batch I took out a little early and they were perfect! So the key to these cookies is to under bake them. That is what makes them soft on the inside and kind of crispy on the edges. So make sure you watch these cookies and take them out right as the middle looks like they are just barely set and the edges are lightly cooked. Let them sit on the pan for just a few minutes to cool and then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Swig Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter (at room temperature)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons water
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 cups flour

Cream together butter, vegetable oil, sugars, water and eggs. Combine the dry ingredients and slowly add to the butter mixture. Mix until everything is combined. Your dough should be a little crumbly and not sticky at all.

Roll into golf ball sized balls of dough and place on a cookie sheet. Put 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt in a dish (this is in addition to the sugar and salt listed above.) Stick the bottom of a glass in the sugar and press lightly into the center of the dough ball.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Watch the cookies. They should be just barely brown on the bottom and the middle barely set. Move cookies to a cooling rack. Once they are cool, put them in the fridge.

Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 2 pound package of powdered sugar (you wont use the whole thing, but just make sure you have enough)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
food coloring (optional)

Cream together butter, sour cream and salt. Slowly add powdered sugar. When it gets so thick that it is not frosting like add a splash of milk. Alternate this process until your frosting is the desired consistency. Add 1 drop of food coloring and whip on high for 1 minute.

Keep cookies in a sealed container until they are ready to serve. Frost right before serving.

A Swig cookie, the cookie is cold and the frosting is room temperature. I stored my frosting in the fridge and the cookies on the counter and I thought they tasted great that way too.

Enjoy!

Slow cooker cream cheese chicken chili

I had this brilliant idea to make a new soup or chile every week during the fall and winter. So far, I haven't been doing so well. But I have tried a few new recipes lately. One was a chili that was so ridiculously easy and really good!

If found this recipe at Plain Chicken. I made it as it. But next time I will cut back on the chicken. I felt like it had a ton of chicken compared to the rest of the ingredients. I give you the original recipe and you can adjust it if you want.

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

2 chicken breasts (I put mine in frozen solid, straight from the freezer)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder (I used onion salt bec I don't have onion powder for some reason)
1 8 oz package cream cheese

Place chicken on bottom of crock pot. Pour the whole can of corn (undrained), Rotel, and black beans in. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Cut cream cheese into large cubes and place on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Stir in cream cheese. Use 2 forks to shred chicken and stir together. Serve with tortilla chips or bread.

Enjoy!

Hawaiian Haystacks

I don't know about you, but I had Hawaiian Haystacks growing up. I think it might be a Utah Mormon thing. Because I encountered several people while in St. Louis who had never heard of such a thing. They are missing out. I found a recipe for the chicken sauce recipe that I think is really good. I will be using it from now on rather than my simple chicken gravy sauce.

Hawaiian Haystacks

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
Cooked rice
Topping choices: sliced olives, tomatoes, shredded cheese, pineapple chunks, green onions, mandarin oranges and chow mein noodles. Or anything else your little heart desires.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion and raw chicken. Saute the onion and chicken until the onions are soft and translucent and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute, stirring, until fragrant.

Sprinkle the flour over the onions and chicken and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for one minute-this helps get rid of the starchy, flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Add the salt and pepper. Continue simmering, stirring the sauce frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 5-8 minutes.

Serve the chicken sauce over rice with your choice of toppings.

Enjoy!

Smothered Sweet Pork Burritos

This recipe is amazing! I have tried several Cafe Rio sweet pork recipes and they are all overly sweet and taste mostly like coke and brown sugar to me. This recipe is the closest recipe I have found to the true Cafe Rio pork. I ate a ton of pork before it even made it to the burritos. The burritos are just as delicious.

The recipe can be found at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Chipotle chicken and corn chowder

I pinned this recipe a while ago and one of my friends commented on it about how it is really good and a "go to" dish in their house. I figured in would give it a try. And she was right, it is really good. And it has become one of our favorite soups in our house. It is really simple to make. The only change I made was I do not add the tortilla chips to the soup, but rather serve the soup with chips on the side. I am not a fan if soggy chips.

The recipe can be found on Brown Eyed Baker's website.