Stuffed Green Peppers

This one is for you Breena =). I haven't made these in a while so thank you for the menu suggestion. I am sure there are many variations of stuffed peppers. This is the one my mom has always made and I love it, even my kids eat this one right up! It makes a regular appearance in my menu rotation.

Green peppers are my favorite vegetable so I really love these. This is my mom's recipe and really, any good recipe I have is probably because it came from my talented mom. My kids love the filling but not the pepper, which is just fine with me, I just eat their pepper and less filling. It is very, very easy. I think I threw it together in 15 minutes. These are really good as leftovers also.

Stuffed Peppers

(Printable version here)

4 green peppers
1 lb. hamburger
3/4 cup minute rice, uncooked
1 tsp. salt
1 TBS. worchestershire sauce
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 eggs
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce, divided
1 cup grated cheese
Cut tops off peppers and clean out seeds. Precook in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Mix all ingredients (only one can of tomato sauce) and stuff peppers. Bake at 350 degrees for
35-40 minutes. Put remaining tomato sauce and the cheese on the tops and bake for 5 or 10 more minutes.

I usually cut the pepper in half after baking them for the 35 minutes, then put the tomato sauce and cheese on each half, we eat them in halves anyway, especially the kids.

Mom's Sugar Cookies

There are so many good sugar cookie recipes and I have tried many of them but I always go back to the one my mom has made for as long as I can remember. It is not a soft, fat, chewy cookie but rather one that has the most perfect flavor and it keeps its shape great when baked. I like to bake them until they are golden brown on the bottom. The flavor is even better when browned just a bit. Among many delightful cookie recipes this one stands out as my all time favorite. I don't think I'll ever find a recipe I like more. I will continue to make other recipes as well because Aaron's perfect sugar cookie is one that is soft and chewy.

Mom's Sugar Cookies

(Click here for printable version)

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Combine wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls. Add the dry to the wet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. If you like yours on the softer side, bake them less. Like I said - I like them golden brown on the bottom, the flavor is stronger and better to me.

For the frosting, I just combine a stick of butter, a bag of powdered sugar, milk until desired consistensy and some almond extract. I used to always add vanilla extract until I went to a bakery and had a cookie that had an almond flavor to it. I never used vanilla after that. The almond in the frosting makes it absolutely delightful!

Enjoy!

Creamy Italian Chicken

I am pretty sure that everyone has this recipe, but this is what I made for dinner yesterday and the goal of my blog is to organize my recipes. If you don't have this recipe, happy day because it is SOO good and it is a crock pot meal! Hurry for meals you throw together in the afternoon and by dinner it is done. I have seen several variations of this recipe, this just happens to be the one my mom adapted to and I wouldn't change a thing.

Creamy Italian Chicken

(click here for printable version )

2 TBS Butter

1 onion, diced

3 chicken breasts

1 packet of dry italian dressing mix

8 oz cream cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

Add the butter, onion, chicken and dressing mix to crock pot. Turn crock pot on high for 4-5 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. Mix cream cheese and cream of chicken soup together in in a saucepan over heat until blended and there are no lumps. Add to the chicken. Cook for another hour or so, shred chicken and serve over rice.

My favorite choc chip cookie

I found thie original recipe for these years ago in the Mrs. Fields Cookie book. I changed it over the years to adapt to my taste. These are so delicious that I try to only make them once or twice a year. I just can't stop eating them.


White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate and Pecan Cookie (Printable version here)

1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup butter, soft (be careful not to be too soft)
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 bag white choc. chips
1/2 bag milk choc. chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix the butter and sugars together, add eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and add to wet. Stir in chocolate and nuts. Bake at 300 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Simply Carrot Cake

This is simply delicious! No raisins, no pineapple, just yummy, moist carrot cake. I suggest making this the night before serving, it tastes better the next day. I also like to eat it chilled best.

Carrot Cake

4 eggs

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinammon

3 cups carrots, grated

Frosting

1 stick butter

8 oz cream cheese

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

Beat eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and soda, salt and cinammon. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir in carrots. Pour into greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until done. Let cool before frosting.

For frosting, mix soft butter, softened cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in pecans last. Frost cake when cool. Refrigerate cake.

Chicken Fajitas

These are quite possible the best fajitas we have had. They were total restaurant quality and taste. I will be making these on the outdoor grill this summer many, many times. I think they will be even better charred on the grill. Our house smelled divine the night we cooked these, just like a restaurant.

Chicken Fajitas, Cooks Illustrated (printable version here)

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (2 to 3 limes

6 TBS. vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBS worchestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp brown sugar

1 jalapeno chile, seeds and ribs removed, minced

1 1/2 TBS minced fresh cilantro

salt and pepper

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to 1/2 inch thickness)

1 red onion, peeled adn cut into 1/2 inch quartes (DO NOT SEPARATE RINGS)

1 red bell pepper, quartered, stemmed and seeded

1 green bell pepper, quartered, stemmed, and seeded

8-12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Wisk lime juice, 4 TBS of oil, garlic, worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeno, cilantro, 1 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper together in medium wobl. Reserv 1/4 cup of marinade and set aside. Add 1 more tsp salt to the remaining marinade adn add the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Brush the onion rounds and peppers with remaining 2 TBS oil and season with salt and pepper.

*This is the part where I differed, you are supposed to cook them over coals which I am certain would make these even more fabulous.*

Instead, I heated my indoor grill and cooked chicken until well browned. Cook peppers and onions until spottily charred and crisp-tender, turning once or twice. When chicken and veggies are done, transfer to a large plate and tent with tin foil to keep warm.

Heat tortillas 20 seconds or so until lightly browned. Separate onions into rings and slice peppers into strips. Toss veggies with 2 TBS of remaining marinade. Slice chicken and toss tiwh other 2 TBS marinade.

Serve with cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream.

Parmasean Roasted Asparagus

This is an Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) Recipe

2 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus (about 30 large)
2 Tbsp. olive oil1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay asparagus in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minuites, until tender. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven for another minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Potato Skins

I made these as one of our Super Bowl Sunday appetizers, they were perfectly delicious and I weill definately remember these next time an occasion calls for appetizers.

Potato Skins

8- 10 small baking potatoes, baked
3 TBS. oil
2 TBS. fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
grated cheese
sliced green onions
bacon
sour cream


Cut baked potatoes in half and scoop out the middle then cut them in half again so each potato will make four skins. In a bow, mix oil, cheese and seasonings. Brush the skins with the oil mixture on both sides. Bake in a 475 degree oven for 7 minutes, remove from oven, turn over the potatoes and bake for 7 more minutes. Take out of oven and top with cheese and bacon, bake for another minute or two. Remove from oven and top with onions and sour cream.

This is one of my top five main dishes. My mom always made this for our

family and it was a big hit every time she served it. We buy the sun dried tomatoes from Costco in a 2 pound jar, they are in olive oil and last quite a while in the fridge.

Pasta Passion

(printable version)

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup extra virgin ol

ive oil

3/4 pound chicken breasts, boned, skinned and cubed

2 cups broccoli florets

3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

1 tsp. dried basil

pinch red pepper flakes

1/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 pound bow tie pasta,

cooked

2 Tbs. butter

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

In skillet or saucepan, sute garlic in oil until golden. Add chicken and saute until

cooked. Push chicken to one side of the pan and add broccoli florets. Saute until crisply tender. Add sun-dried tomatoes, seasonings, white wine and chicken broth. To complete sauce, add butter, cover and remove from heat. Add pasta and toss.

(I omitted the butter and used a full cup of chicken broth since I had no white

wine)

Hamburger Pie

This is the easiest recipe and it is good! My kids eat it right up. My mom made this often at our house growing up. I love it because it is all ingredients we have on hand, it can be thrown together in 30 minutes or so, it makes enough for my famiy to eat it two nights in a row, the recipe is easy to memorize AND it is cheap!

1 lb hamburger

1 can condensed tomato soup

1 medium onion

1 or 2 cans cut green beans

mashed potatoes

cheese

Brown hamburger with onion. Drain fat. Add tomato soup. Pour in a casserole dish. Top with green beans then mashed potatoes then cheese. Put in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Sour Cream Banana Muffins

These are by far my favorite banana bread recipe. This one comes from my mom who is absolutely fabulous in the kitchen! I don't know where she got it from but I do know that I love her that much more for passing it onto me. I have to make a plan ahead of time to give them away or I will surely eat every last one. Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cube of butter
2 eggs
4 Tbs. sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mashed bananas

Mix the above together and add:
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Pour into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

When they come out of the oven mix 1

cup powdered sugar with 2 Tbs. milk

With a pastry brush cover the tops in the glaze

printable version

Kicked up Grilled Cheese

I don't know if this really qualifies as a recipe but I think this is the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. Some people think I am crazy, mustard? pickles? Nasty! But once they try it, SOLD! You just melt the butter on the pan, sprinkle some parmesan cheese over it and sprinkle a little garlic powder over that. Put your bread on top and repeat when you flip it. Add a little mustard and some pickles with the melted cheese. Mmmmmmmm.

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

There are a few recipes that I only allow myself to make one time every year or two, they are that good. And bad. Oh so bad. This is one of them. I absolutely love it and hate it at the same time. I have lost a few pounds the past few weeks and without a doubt put every last one back on this morning while eating this. This came from a cookbook given to me when we were first married that was written by our Stake Relief Society Presidency. With out further adieu, I present:

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

3/4 c. sugar

1 stick butter

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

2 cups frozen/fresh blueberries

Mix all ingredients (I mix dry then add to wet) and put in a 9X9X2 pan.

Prepare crumb topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, cut in

Mix until crumbly and sprinkle over cake before baking. Bate at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

I have made these into muffins in the past with great results too, just watch the baking time.

Glaze:

(as if a cake and crumb topping isn't enough, lets add a glaze)

1/2 cup powder sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp - 2 tsp hot water

Mix all ingredienst and drizzle over cake while hot.

Enjoy!