Launi's Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 Cups Butter (softened)
1 1/4 Cups sugar
1 1/4 Cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 3/4 to 4 Cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 package ghiradelli milk choc chips

cream butter, sugar....add eggs and vanilla...add dry ingredients and then chocolate chips at the very end.

Bake at 375* for 8-10min. Don't overbake!

Lorianne's Banana White Chocolate Muffins

Have you met Lorianne? She's the best! And so are these muffins!!!

3/4 c. butter softenend
1 1/2 c. sugar (use brown or white or both)
4 bananas, mashed
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour (Can use wheat or a combo of both)
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk or 1/2 c. milk + 1 tsp. vinegar (I ALWAYS use the homemade method)
White chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Done when a toothpick will come out relatively clean.
Or can make 24-27 muffins baking at 400 for around 12 minutes. Slightly browned around edges.

Sweet Cinnamon Butter

1 cup butter (softened, not melted)
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (chilled)
1 Tbsp light corn syrup (or honey)
1 1/2-2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix all together on hight until light and fluffy.

Bajio Chicken Chile Salad-YUM!

5 chicken breasts (I only used 4 large ones)
1/2 cup salsa
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 cup brown sugar (more to taste)
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
6 oz. Sprite (1/2 can)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.

Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans and any other taco fixings. Serve with Costa Vida Cilantro Ranch.

If you want it spicer rather than sweeter add a hotter salsa and more green chilies.

Costa Vida Cilantro Ranch

1 package of Hidden Valley buttermilk ranch dressing. (Prepare according to directions. I substitute 1 cup milk + 2 tsp. vinegar for 1 cup buttermilk.)
2 tomatillos or 3 Tbsp. salsa verde
1/4 bunch of cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1/8 tsp Tabasco

Peel tomatillos and cut into fourths. Clean and rinse cilantro and remove large stems. Pour prepared ranch dressing in blender. Add cilantro leaves, tomatillos, garlic, lime juice, and tabasco. Blend until cilantro is finely chopped. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until dressing has thickened.

Sour Cream Burritos

3 or 4 chopped green onions
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup cottage cheese
4 oz. can diced green chilies
grated jack and cheddar cheese
flour tortillas

Mix first four ingredients. Fill tortillas. Roll. Cover with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Braided Sandwich

3 1/4 cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 package fast rising yeast
1 cup hot water (125 degrees)
1 Tbsp. margarine

Set aside 1 cup flour. In a large bowl, mix remaining flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Stir in hot water and margarine. Mix in only enough reserved flour to make a soft dough. Knead 4 minutes.

On greased baking sheet, roll dough to 14X10 inches. Spread mayo down center third. Top with meat and cheese. Cut 1 inch wide strips along sides of filling to dough's edge. Braid. Cover dough. Place pan over large shallow pan half filled with boiling water for 15 minutes. Brush with egg white. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

Pizza Dough

5 cups hot water
2 Tbsp. of yeast
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
10-14 cups of flour
2 Tbsp. oil

Place hot water in large bowl. Add oil, salt, sugar and yeast. Set until yeast dissolves. Add flour until right consistency. Let rise.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

1 cup sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken soup
4 cups chopped chicken (cooked)
Mix together. Put in 9X13 pan.

2 boxes of Stove Top.
Make as directed.
Spread on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Avanti Bread

3 cups warm water
3 Tbsp. oil or melted crisco
3 Tbsp. yeast
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
10 cups flour

Mix together water, oil, sugar, and yeast. Add 1/2 the flour and salt mixture. Add the remaining flour a little at a time until dough is a good consistency. Knead for 10 min. Let rise for 45 minutes and punch down. Let rise another 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Divide into 3 loaves and place into well greased pans. Let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Grandma's Banana Bread

2 eggs

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

3 ripe bananas

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups flour

2 Tbsp. sour cream

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Add mashed banans. Add flour, soda, salt. Stir in sour cream and nuts (if desired). Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

Always Ready Bran Muffins

3 cups wheat bran cereal

1 cup boiling water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup margarine

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups white flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 pint buttermilk

Put 1 cup of the bran in a small bowl, and add boiling water. Stir once and let stand to soften. Cream the softened bran, the remaining bran, the eggs (slightly beaten), flour mixture and buttermilk with margarine and sugar. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour into plastic container and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator for a minimum of 12 hours and maximum of 6 weeks. Fill tins 2/3 full. Let the muffins sit to come to room temp. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 min. Makes about 2 dozen.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Crust:

2 2/3 cups pretzel sticks, finely chopped

3 Tbsp. sugar

3/4 cup margarine

Cream sugar and butter together. Add pretzels. Press into a 9X13 dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Middle Layer:

1 9 oz. cool whip

1 cup sugar

1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

Mix together and spread on cooled crust.

Top Layer:

1 6 oz. package strawberry jello

2 cups boiling water

1 pint frozen strawberries, thawed

Dissolve jello in water. Chill until partially set. Add strawberries. Pour on top and chill until firm.

Pistachio Salad

1 large package Jello instant pisatchio pudding

1 can (1 lb. 4 oz.) crushed pineapple and syrup

1-2 cups small marshmallows

9 oz. cool whip

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix pudding and pineapple with a whip or a fork. Mix well. Add marshmallows, nuts, and cool whip. Place in a serving dish and chill.

Cream Corn

2 (20 oz.) bags frozen corn

16 oz. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. salt

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. melted butter

2 Tbsp. flour

Combine all ingredients except for butter and flour. Simmer 5 minutes. Blend butter and flour, add to corn to thicken mixture. Mix well and remove from heat.

Pizza Rolls

Mix dough.

While it raises...
cook hamburger and italian sausage
Ragu garden style
cheese

Roll out dough to about 6 inch circle. Spoon sauce, cheese, and meat into center.
Close up dough and set on seam. Raise 20 or 30 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees about 20 min.

Tomato Soup Chicken

1 can Campbell's Onion soup

1 can tomato soup

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup vinegar

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce

Combine in a bowl. Stir until blended well.

Remove skin from chicken pieces. Pour sauce over meat.

Cover and bake 1 1/2 hours at 325 degrees.

Slush Punch

1 pkg. knox gelatin
2 1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1 cup sugar

Pour gelatin into 1/4 cup cold water. Let stand for a few minutes. Pour in boiling water, and stir well. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well to dissolve sugar.
Freeze-Makes 1/2 gallon.
To serve, remove from freezer at least 1 hour before, break up and add even amount of Sprite. Makes 20-6 oz. servings.

Fruit Dip

1 8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 jar marshmallow cream
Blend together at room temperature. Serve with fresh fruit.

Bacon Bisquits

1 can flaky bisquits

2 Tbsp. real bacon bits (we make our own with the precooked bacon)

1 medium tomato, chopped fine
3 Tbsp. mayo
2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

Separate each biscuit into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in muffin tins. Mix together the rest of the ingredients, and spread on top crusts. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 min.

Grilled Chicken Pasta in a Tomato Cream Sauce

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Montreal Steak seasoning
1/2 pound penne pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 to 1 tsp salt & pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded*

Rinse chicken breasts in cold water. Layer between sheets of wax paper and pound to even thickness. Season both sides with Montreal Steak seasoning. Preheat grill for medium high heat, lightly oil grate, and grill chicken breasts on medium high heat for 6-8 mins each side.

OR heat 2 tbsp butter & 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter and olive oil is nice and hot, add chicken breasts and cook 5 mins each side.

Set chicken aside to cool.

In a large pot, boil water with 1 tbsp salt. Add 1/2 lb penne pasta noodles and boil according to package directions.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender, but do not let the garlic turn brown (about 3-5 mins).

Add the chicken broth to the pan and allow to reduce by half. Meanwhile, slice chicken.

Once the broth has reduced, stir in tomato sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low.

Chop the parsley and basil, add to sauce and mix well. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir well to coat. Serve pasta on plates, top with sliced chicken.

*If you're wondering what chiffonaded means, it means to stack the basil leaves on top of one another, roll them up (like you're a kid making a telescope out of paper) and thinly slice the leaves.


A.K.A. My new favorite meal! We love Erin Watson! Check out her blog @ http://www.theuntalentedchef.blospot.com/. She is so not untalented!

Crockpot Italian Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 packet dry Zesty Italian dressing
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1-2 cans cream of chicken soup (depending how cream cheesy you want it)

Place the chicken in a crockpot and sprinkle Italian dressing over it. Combine cream cheese and cream of chicken soup in a small pot over low heat and pour over chicken. Cook on low for at least 4 hours. You can leave it in there all day. If you feel the sauce is too thick you can thin it to your preferred consistency with a little milk. Serve over pasta or rice.

from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Poppy Seed Chicken

5 cups chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup sour cream
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 1/2 rolls of crackers)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 T poppy seeds

Additional Ingredients to make it fancy:
1 tsp Worchestire sauce
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp minced garlic
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil raw chicken breasts with salt and pepper until done. I like to boil it with half an onion cut into large chunks to give it more flavor. Let chicken cool slightly and cut into one inch cubes. Place cubed chicken in a 9X13 casserole dish.

Stir together the condensed soup and sour cream. If you wish to add the additional flavorings stir in the worchestire, celery salt, garlic, lemon juice, and pepper to the soup and sour cream mixture. Pour over the chicken.

In a separate bowl, stir together the crushed crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter. Sprinkle over the chicken and sauce.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the casserole is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve plain or over rice. We like to eat it with steamed broccoli and we mix it all together.

from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Upgraded Braided Sandwiches-Taco Style

Taco Braid Filling

4 oz of Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Salsa (I used 1/2 cup Macayo's Green Enchilada Sauce)
1/2 lb ground turkey, beef or chicken seasoned and cooked with a Taco seasoning mix (I used 1 lb of ground turkey)
1 can (15oz) of black beans (drained)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
olive oil
garlic salt

1. Spray counter and hands with cooking spray and knead for a few seconds to form smooth ball.
2. Roll dough into a 15-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Place on a greased cookie sheet. It's very important to place the dough on the cookie sheet before you fill it because once you fill it, it will be too heavy to move onto the cookie sheet. Spread cream cheese lengthwise down center third of rectangle, salsa, then seasoned meat and black beans. Sprinkle with cheese.
3. On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips about 2-1/2-inches into center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling.
4. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt.
5. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack or cutting board with 2 spatulas.

from The Girl Who Ate Everything's Blog