Artichoke Dip

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup mayo
1- 8 oz. cream cheese
1-4 oz. can green chilies
1 small can artichoke hearts, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar
1/4 cup green onions

Mix all ingredients together, adding artichokes last. Bake in small baking dish or double recipe for a 9X13 pan.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

The 25 Most Common Cooking Mistakes

The 25 Most Common Cooking Mistakes
Very interesting article! I have done MANY of these!!! Poor frosting that had to live on the cupcakes Shauna and I entered into our version of cupcake wars. I will never over soften the butter again!

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread
■3 cans Buttermilk Biscuits (the Non-flaky Ones)
■1 cup Sugar
■2 teaspoons (to 3 Teaspoons) Cinnamon
■2 sticks Butter
■½ cups Brown Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Open up all three cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters.

Next, combine the white sugar with 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon. (3 teaspoons of cinnamon gives it a fairly strong cinnamon flavor. If you’re not so hot on cinnamon, cut it back to 2 teaspoons.) Dump these into a 1 gallon zip bag and shake to mix evenly.

Drop all of the biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix. Once all the biscuit quarters are in the bag seal it and give it a vigorous shake. This will get all those pieces unstuck from one another and nicely coated with cinnamon-sugar. Spread these nuggets out evenly in the bundt pan.

At this point, you’re going to want to melt the two sticks of butter together with ½ cup of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. This can be light or dark brown sugar. Cook butter/sugar mixture, stirring for a few minutes until the two become one. Once the brown sugar butter has become one color, you can pour it over the biscuits.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. When its finished cooking, remove it from the oven. If you have the willpower, allow it to cook for about 15-30 minutes before turning it over onto a plate.

Potato Cheese Soup

1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
4 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups water
1 can of corn
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese

Cook bacon; drain off grease except for 2 tablespoons, Saute onion. Add potatoes, water, and seasoning. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes (or a bit longer). Gradually add a small amount of milk to flour, stirring until smooth. Add flour mixture to hot vegetables. Add remaining milk. Heat. Add cheese; stir until melted. Serves 6 to 8.

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

1 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup seedless jam

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 tsp almond extract
1 tsp milk

*Preheat 350
*Cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 tsp almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole and fill it with preserves (I used strawberry freezer jam).
*Bake for 14-18 min. Let cool 1 min.
*In bowl, mix together powdered sugar, 3/4 tsp almond extract and milk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cookies.

Fire Roasted Artichokes

Mom,
Can Dad make these for me?

Fire Roasted Artichokes
1. Remove stem- just snip the stem so it's about an inch long

2. Trim the bracts- Take a pair of kitchen shears (or a clean pair of scissors) and snip the tips all the way around. You can take a sharp knife and just cut off the very top.

3. Steam- Bring to boil a couple inches of water in a pot with a steamer insert (a mesh strainer will work if you're in a pinch), place artichokes in stem side up and cover pot with a lid. If you are going to eat your artichokes just steamed then they'll need to stay in there for anywhere from 30-60 minutes depending on the size. For these Fire Roasted Artichokes, just steam for 20 minutes and then remove and let cool until cool enough to handle.

4. Slice artichoke in half

5. Remove the choke- remove purple flesh and use a spoon to scoop at choke. Slicing with a knife will make choke removal easier.

6. Oil and Season- Brush both sides of artichoke with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper

7. Grill- place artichoke on a preheated grill (medium heat) center side up. Grill with lid closed for about 10 minutes and then flip. Continue grilling for another 5-10 minutes until you have nice grill marks and the flesh appears soft.

8. Serve and eat! Place on a serving dish with your desired dipping condiments.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

My Picky Interpretation
3 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup green enchilada sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup cheese
Tortillas
Cooking Spray
Salt

Recipe by OurBestBites.com
1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese
about 16 small corn or flour tortillas (we liked flour better)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

The corn tortillas are harder to roll without cracking. For the corn tortillas: work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Makes around 16 taquitos.

Dip in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or Tomatillo Dressing. They would be great with black beans and this Cilantro Lime Rice.

Simple Sesame Noodles
These are my favorite! The sauce kinda tastes like chinese chicken salad. Yum! Pioneer woman puts green onions on hers. I put chicken, edamame, and sesame seeds! Next time I think I will toast some sliced almonds, too!

Ingredients
■12 ounces, fluid Thin Noodles, Cooked And Drained
■¼ cups Soy Sauce
■2 Tablespoons Sugar
■4 cloves Garlic, Minced
■2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
■3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
■½ teaspoons Hot Chili Oil
■4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
■2 Tablespoons Hot Water
■4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

Preparation Instructions
Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with green onions and toss.
Serve in a bowl with chopsticks. Yummy!

Grilled Teriyaki Flank Steak

Grilled Teriyaki Flank Steak
2 lbs flank steak
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup soy sauce
2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs vinegar
1 Tbs fresh grated ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1 green onion, finely chopped

1. Combine flank steak with all other ingredients in a large freezer ziploc baggie. Marinate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

2. Heat grill and barbecue steak until desired doneness.

3. Cut steak against the grain in long strips.

Servings: 6

Nutritional Information
Per Serving
Calories 84.6
Calories from Fat 48.8
Total Fat 5.48g
Saturated Fat .39g
Cholesterol 0g
Sodium 709.26g
Potassium 63.37mg
Carbohydrates 8.58g
Dietary Fiber .32g
Sugar 6.30g
Net Carbs 8.26g
Protein 1.26g

WW POINTS: 2

Asian BBQ Chicken

Asian BBQ Chicken

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp curry powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
Eight 6-ounce chicken thighs, skinned
lime wedges
green onion tops

1. Combine first 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a large ziploc bag; add chicken. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 hours, turning occasionally.

2. Pre- heat grill.

3. Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade. Place marinade in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute.

4. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 20 minutes or until done, turning and basting frequently with the marinade. Garnish with lime wedges and green onion tops, if desired.

Servings: 4
Yield: 2 thighs per serving

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 297
Calories From Fat (22%) 51.13
Total Fat 7.7g
Saturated Fat 1.39g
Cholesterol 161mg
Sodium 706mg
Potassium 410.49mg
Carbohydrates 16.1g
Dietary Fiber 0.4g
Sugar 13.59g
Net Carbohydrates 15.65g
Protein 28.12g

WW Points 5

Cooking Tips
*It’s ok to substitute chicken breasts for the chicken thighs.
**For a great meal, serve with roasted sesame asparagus and a sesame-noodle salad.

BBQ Chicken Pita Pizzas

BBQ Chicken Pita Pizzas

1 pkg whole wheat pita bread
2 whole chicken breasts boiled, then shredded
2 tbs olive oil (I only used 1)
cilantro, finely chopped (Only a few tbs)
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
reduced fat shredded mozerella cheese
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil and saute cilantro over medium-high heat. Stir in shredded chicken. Toss chicken until it starts to brown just slightly (I like it slightly crispy). Turn down heat and stir in BBQ sauce (as much or as little as you'd like). Remove from heat and set aside.
Spread BBQ sauce evenly on your pitas, and cover with mozerella cheese. Cover with shredded chicken, and sprinkle diced tomoatoes and avocado over the top. Bake for 10 minutes at 350. For a crispier pita, bake directly on the oven rack.

Speedy Chicken Stirfry

(Sorry about the crappy cell phone picture, it looked better in person, I promise..)

1/2 lb. angel hair pasta (capellini), uncooked
2 cups small broccoli florets (or we like to use snow/snap peas)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. each: ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper
1/3 cup chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts (optional) (Or Water Chestnuts)

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min.
MEANWHILE, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 to 8 min. or until done, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and pepper; cook 1 min., stirring occasionally.
DRAIN pasta mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon evenly into 4 serving bowls; sprinkle with peanuts.

I don't remember who suggested it-The Green Smoothie

Green Smoothie

1-2 large handfuls of spinach
1 apple, sliced
1 banana sliced
1/2 lemon, seeds removed (you can throw the whole thing in, or just squeeze some of the juice. I don't mind the rind)
1/4 c. water
ice (I just add it until I get the desired "smothie" consistency I like, usually just one handful.)

Place everything in a powerful blender or Vitamix. Blend and enjoy! This easily serves 2-3 people.

I have yet to experiment adding other fruits, but I think strawberries or raspberries could be a good addition! You could aslo sweeten it up with some splenda or other low-cal sweetener.

Sweet and Spicy Lettuce Wraps

http://www.recipegirl.com/

3 Tbsp. unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. fresh minced ginger
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 cup canned, sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup finely diced cooked chicken breast
12 Bibb lettuce leaves

1. Place peanuts in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan frequently. Remove pan from heat; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, oil, pepper and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

3. In a medium bowl, mix 2 Tbsp. peanuts, slaw, water chestnuts, and chicken; add sauce and toss well.

4. Spoon about 1/3 cup of chicken salad in the center of each lettuce leaf; Sprinkle each lettuce wrap with remaining 1 Tbsp. peanuts. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (3 lettuce wraps per person)

Nutritional Information: calories 197, fat 7.4g, cholesterol 37mg, carbohydrate 18.2g, sodium 825mg, protein 16.5g, fiber 3.4g

WW POINTS: 4

Read more: http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/06/03/sweet-spicy-chicken-lettuce-wraps/#ixzz0ssudU6dt

Cream Cheese Spaghetti

Ingredients

* 1 8oz package cream cheese
* 1 stick butter
* 3/4 c parmesan cheese
* 1/2 c milk
* 10oz cooked spaghetti noodles

Melt butter, cream cheese and milk all together. Stir in parmesan cheese, and toss with noodles. (Works best to stir constantly on a med/low heat setting so the cheese and butter don't separate as much). Optional: top with crumbled bacon. :)

Cinnabon Rolls

The Girl Who Ate Everything's Cinnabon Rolls
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted ( use butter )
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1 pkg yeast (1/4 ounce)

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

Icing:
1/4 cup cream cheese (2 oz), softened
8 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Knead dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Put in a bowl and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls (or more smaller rolls). Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread 1/2 the frosting on hot rolls then the rest after they have cooled down some.

Creamsicle Cookies

The Girl Who Ate Everything's Creamsicle Cookies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest (for me that was the zest of 2 oranges)
2 cups Guitard Choc-Au-Lait Vanilla Chips (I used Ghirardelli white chips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and chips.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Yum! We made these for a party a few weeks ago and they were a HUGE HIT!

Chicken Carbonara

1 package (7 ounces) spaghetti
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups cut-up cooked chicken
2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cup whipping (heavy) cream

1. Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.

2. While spaghetti is cooking, cook bacon in 3-quart saucepan over low heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove bacon from saucepan with slotted spoon; drain. Drain fat from saucepan, reserving 1 tablespoon in saucepan.

3. Cook onion and garlic in bacon fat over medium heat about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Stir in spaghetti, chicken, cheese and whipping cream. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Toss with bacon.

Hot Fudge

1/2 cup butter
12 oz. evaporated milk
2 cups sugar
4 Tbs. cocoa
2 Tbs. flour
Pinch of salt

Heat butter and milk together until it butter melts. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and add slowly to prevent lumps. Heat until mixture bubbles. Stir constantly to prevent burning.

Pork Chops

Pioneer Woman's Pork Chops
7 pieces Or 8 Pieces Breakfast Chops (very Thin Bone-in Pork Chops) 1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
½ cups Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
Extra Salt And Pepper, To Taste

Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops.
Combine all dry ingredients. Dredge each side of the pork chops in the flour mixture, then set aside on a plate.
Heat canola oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add butter. When butter is melted and butter/oil mixture is hot, cook 3 pork chops at a time, 2 to 3 minutes on the first side; 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. (Make sure no pink juices remain.) Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining porch chops.
Delicious and simple! Serve with smashed new potatoes.

Yum! These are delicious! I know that not many people in our family love pork chops. But, maybe we can convert a few with these. Mine don't look nearly as pretty as the Pioneer Woman's. Especially since I used my cell phone camera.

Beck liked the meat which he called 'chickens' and loved the 'noodle fingers'!

O'Henry Bars

1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 oz. butterscotch chips
6 oz. chocolate chips
1 cup white karo syrup
1 cup chopped blanched peanuts
3 cups rice krispies

Bring sugar and syrup to a boil. Stir in peanut butter, peanuts, and rice krispies. Press into a buttered 9X13 pan. Melt chips and spread on peanut mixture. Let chocolate set and cut into squares.

Crockpot Enchiladas

1 fryer, cooked and boned (Or 4 or 5 chicken boneless breasts)
6-8 tortillas, torn into pieces
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can diced green chilies
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup sour cream
2 cups grated cheese

Cook and cut chicken into bite size pieces. Mix with soup, chilies, tomatoes, and sour cream. Place a layer of tortillas in crockpot. Add layer of chicken mixture sprinkle with cheese and onions. Repeat layers. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Chicken Roll Ups

2 cans crescent rolls (16)
6 Tbs. butter

Filling-
6 oz. of cream cheese (optional: substitute reduced fat)
4 Tbs. butter
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/3 cup mushrooms (optional)

Coating-
2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
½ cup walnuts or pecans crushed finely (optional)

Gravy-
½ cup milk
1 can cream of chicken soup (optional: substitute reduced fat)

Fill each roll with ¼ cup of filling. Fold and pinch ends closed. Dip in butter and then coating. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Heat gravy and pour over roll ups when done.

Breakfast Casserole

32 oz. frozen shredded hash browns
3/4 cups melted butter
Pinch of salt
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups jack cheese
3 cups meat (breakfast sausage, bacon or ham)
1 cup evaporated milk
6 eggs
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

Grease 9X13 pan. Pour hash browns in pan. Pour melted butter and a little bit of salt over hash browns. Mix. Press in hash browns to form crust. Bake at 425 for 25 min. Fill with layers of cheese and meat. Beat eggs, milk and seasoned salt together well. Pour over potatoes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Family Food Blog

Yay for our family recipe book! It is one of our most prized possesions. This is a new way for us to record our tried and true family recipes and try some new ones, too.