Saturday, December 31, 2011

Hamburger Noodle Bake

Ingredients:
  • 8 ounces egg noodles
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 16 oz tomato sauce
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp onion salt
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

Brown ground beef in skillet and drain grease. Combine beef, garlic, salt, sugar and tomato sauce and simmer on low for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, blend cream cheese, sour cream, and onion salt. Boil noodles according to package directions, under-cooking by a minute & drain. In a greased 9X13 pan, lawyer noodles, cream cheese mixture, and meat sauce. Repeat. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until heated through.

This dish can be frozen ahead of time.  Follow directions as listed above but DO NOT BAKE. Cover with foil and freeze up to 3 months. To Serve: Thaw. Bake 350 for 40 minutes or until heated through.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Cookies

  

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Glaze (recipe follows)


Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.

FOR GLAZE:
COMBINE
2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Sweet Potato Dumplings

1 pkg. regular crescent rolls
1 pkg. frozen sweet potato patties ( 8 in pkg.)
 
Mix following ingredients together and bring to a boil until slightly thick:
2 c sugar
2 c milk
1 sticks butter or margarine
1 heaping T. cornstarch
1tsp cinnamon and/or nutmeg if desired
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
 
Unroll crescent rolls, separate, and cut each crescent in half. I recommend rolling each crescent to make it larger
 
Cut each sweet potato patty in half
 
Wrap each piece of crescent roll around the potato half making sure to cover as much as you can
 
Place in pan or dish which has been sprayed with non-stick spray
 
Pour thickened mixture over all the rolls
 
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Beets You Can Eat!!

Beets are a powerhouse of nutrition!  But, I never could get past the taste of them until I tried this recipe!  They were actually GOOD!!

Roasted Beet Medley with Balsamic Glaze

5 small beets (red, golden or white)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 T packed brown sugar (I added 2 for good measure)
salt and pepper
2T Fresh herbs (chopped basil, dill, thyme, tarragon or chives)
or 2 tsp dried herbs

Heat oven to 400.  Trim greens and roots from beets, leaving 1 inch of both intact. Wrap tightly in foil and place on baking sheet.
Bake 50-60 minutes or until tender.  Let stand until cool enough to handle.
Bring vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper to a gentle boil in small saucepan.  Simmer 5 minutes. 
Remove beet skins, trim and discard roots.  Cut into thin slices and arrange on platter.  Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with herbs.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Quick & Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love a batch of warm chocolate chip cookies? But making a homemade batch can be time consuming and extensive. Here is a quick and easy recipe for a small batch of cookies that can be made up in just a few minutes.


1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees if making cookie bars – 375 degrees if making cookies.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix the melted butter, sugar, and molasses.
Add the egg and vanilla, mix well.
Add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt, mix well.
Mix in the chocolate chips.

For cookie Bars: Spread in a greased 9×13-inch glass baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

For cookies: Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

White Bean Soup

White Bean Soup with Kale and Sausage


32 oz cooked white beans (navy or cannellini work well)
1 large head kale or mustard greens
1/2 lb Italian sausage (hot or mild), casings removed
1 shallot, finely chopped 1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 T olive oil (or bacon grease, if you have that lying around)
Water or stock

1. In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, brown the sausage in the oil. When the sausage is nearly cooked through, add the celery and shallot, stirring to coat with the oil. Add a pinch of salt and sweat the vegetables until they are crisp-tender.
2. Add beans, kale, and water (if you reserve the cooking liquid from your beans, through that in, too) to cover, about 2 quarts.
3. Simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

From Cottage Industrialist

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Baked Apple Donuts


A change my family is making towards better eating is to use fresh ground wheat.  This is a new experience for us, but there are many recipes out there to help along! Here is one I found from Graham Family Ministries. 

OVEN BAKED APPLE DONUTS


3 cups flour (I use hard white wheat freshly ground)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup olive oil
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups cored and finely diced apples

Topping:
½ cup butter, melted
1 ½ cups sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 12-cup muffin tins   In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine oil, eggs, milk, and apples. Add to flour mixture and mix just until everything is moistened and mixed up.
Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling about 3/4ths full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Topping:
While muffins are baking, prepare topping. Melt butter. Then combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. When muffins are done baking, dip in melted butter, then in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on a serving tray to serve. Yummy!
Yield: 24 muffins



Monday, August 1, 2011

Mini Pecan Pies

These little pies are cute, delicious and full of big flavor!!  They are perfect to snack on or to take to a fellowship.

1 3 oz cream cheese
3/4 stick butter
1/4 stick butter
3/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup pecans

Mix cream cheese with 3/4 stick butter and flour.  Spoon in greased mini muffin tins and shape into crust.  

Mix 1/4 cup butter with brown sugar, egg and nuts.  Fill muffin cups 1/2 to 3/4 way full. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until browned.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Crunchy Fruit Cobbler

I like a cobbler with a crunchy top! Most basic cobbler recipes just don't give the crunch texture that I love. A friend passed this one along to me and I have made it twice now, once with fresh pears and once with a can of peaches. Both turned out fantastic!




4 c fruit
1 cup sugar
1 cup self rising flour
1 egg
3T sugar
3T water

Pour fruit in 9 inch pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup sugar. Beat egg. Mix sugar and flour together. Place in bowl with egg. Mix using fork or pastry cutter until coarse in texture. Sprinkle on top of fruit. Then sprinkle 3 tablespoons of sugar and 3 tablespoons of water over top and dot with butter. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Easy Pineapple Coconut Cake

Easy Pineapple/Coconut Cake


1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (2 layer) yellow cake mix
1pkg. (4 servings) lemon instant pudding
2 cups whipped topping
1/2 cup flake coconut, toasted
1/2 cup chopped pecans or nuts

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Mix cake batter according to package directions, but substitute 1 cup pineapple juice for 1 cup of water called for in the cake batter. Pour into a 15x10x1 inch greased baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.
Mix milk and pudding, beating 2 minutes with a wire whisk. Stir in pineapple. Spread over cake, cover with whipped topping and sprinkle with coconut and nuts. Store in refrigerator.

Angel Food Delight

Angel Food Delight


1 angel food cake, cubed
1 can pie filling (cherry, peach or blueberry)
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
Whipped topping

Place half of the angel food cake cubes into a pan or dish. Top with pie filling. Place remaining angel food cake on top. In a separate bowl, combine pudding, milk and sour cream, beating well. Pour over cake. Chill for 5 hours or more and served topped with whipped topping.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Black Bean Soup

Spent some more time over at Comfy In the Kitchen and found this recipe for Black Bean Soup.  Sounds easy and delicious!
Best Ever Black Bean Soup


2 cans of seasoned black beans (drained, not rinsed)
1 can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
White Rice (I used minute rice, follow instructions on box for 4 people)
In a large pot saute onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add chili powder and cumin and stir. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for 15 mins. Take an immersion blender right into the pot so that some beans are blended and some remain in tact. Place a cup of rice in a bowl and pour in soup, garnish with fresh cilantro!

Crockpot Sausage Hoagies

This recipe was shared by Janelle from Comfy In the Kitchen and instead of taking the time to write it down, I'm sharing it here!  This sounds delicious and like a perfect Sunday after church supper or casual supper. 

Crockpot Italian Sausage Hoagies


(makes 12- you may halve)
Italian sausage (12)
3 cups beef broth
water to cover
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 onion (peppers if desired)
cooking spray
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
Place Italian sausage, beef broth, and water in a crockpot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours. You may place onions/peppers in the crockpot all together, or you can saute them separately. Combine dijon and mayo in a small bowl. Place Italian sausage on hoagie bun top with cheese and onions/peppers and dijon mayo.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Apricot Glazed Turkey Breast

By mid May - I was ready for some baked turkey!!  This recipe was perfect for a Sunday lunch.

1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash salt
1 bone in turkey breast (5 lbs)

Combine preserves, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Place turkey breast on a rack in a large shallow roasting pan.  Bake uncovered at 325 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until meal thermometer reads 170, basting every 30 minutes with apricot mixture.  (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly).  Cover and stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Ham and Cheese Ziti



Ham and Cheese Ziti
A crowd pleaser and versatile recipe you can change by using vegetables or cheeses of your choice!

Ingredients

1 package (16 ounces) ziti
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Directions
Prepare ziti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in the cheeses, garlic powder and pepper; cook and stir until cheese is melted.

Drain ziti; add to sauce mixture. Stir in ham and spinach. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

Found at Taste of Home.

Spiced Pear Upside Down Cake


Spiced Pear Upside Down Cake

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large pears peeled and sliced
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup warm water

Pour melted butter into a 9 inch square baking pan.  Sprinkle with nuts and brown sugar.  Arrange pears over nuts.  In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and molasses.  Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition.

Spread batter over pears. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.  Serve warm with ice cream if desired.

Found at Taste of Home.