Cinnamon Poached Pears w/ Carmel Sauce

I LOVE anything that has to do with pears. They are my fruit of choice in almost every scenario, certainly as my go-to for a healthy snack. When I see a recipe that includes a pear, I put it onto my "gotta try that" list. I got the idea for this recipe from the Real Simple magazine. I didn't follow the recipe exactly... so for the original recipe you'll have to go here. I made some of it up, and I didn't make my own caramel (cheating, I know) I could not get it to work. But it was absolutely divine all the same!

{ingredients}
8 firm Anjou, Barlett, or Bosc pears- stems attached (for pretty display)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 two inch piece fresh ginger- peeled and sliced
2 c. sugar
8 c. water
your favorite caramel sauce
2 pints vanilla ice cream
cinnamon to sprinkle for display (optional)

{directions}

1. Peel the pears. Using a melon baller, scoop out the core of each pear, starting from the bottom (leave the stem end intact).
2. In a large pot, combine the cinnamon sticks, ginger, 2 cups of the sugar, and 8 cups water. Add the pears and bring to a boil, stirring gently to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until the pears just begin to soften, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the cooking liquid (the pears will continue to cook as they cool).- {I let it cool for about 20 minutes... they were still warm when I served them, but it made for a delicious contrast to the ice cream we served it with.}
3. Serve the pears with the ice cream, drizzled with the caramel.

**Quick Tip**

these can be made up to 2 days in advance; refrigerate, covered. Bring the pears to room temp before serving.

Carmel Apple Bites

Saw this on Pinterest. It was ridiculously easy and my husband loved it!

Take an apple. (really, any kind that you would like to eat raw...)
Using a melon baller, core the apple, leaving the apple as in-tact as possible, fill hole with Vanilla Bean ice cream & drizzle with Carmel sauce. DE-lish! :)

Halloween 2011

Here's our Halloween dinner this year. Everyone actually ate what we cooked this year.

Maggot Sliders

ground turkey or beef

favorite seasoning (we like montreal steak seasoning)

cooked white rice

small, slider sized buns

Mix the ground beef and seasonings and form into small patties. Roll the edges of the patties in a plate full of rice. Carefully cook so all of the rice doesn't fall off. (Some of it will) Cook to your liking. Serve on buns with ketchup for that bloody look!

Deviled Eyeballs

check out this post

and for dessert . . . .

Worm Covered Rotten Apple Bars

CRUST:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp cinnamon

FILLING:

8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (we used 5 and thought it was plenty)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 TBSP ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg

TOPPING:

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 box (15 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts

Heat oven to 425°F (400°F for dark or nonstick pan).
In large bowl, beat flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. It will be crumbly.
Press mixture in the bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan.

Combine the dry ingredients for the filling in a bowl. Toss the apples with the dry stuff--coat them well. Carefully spread the filling over the crust.
Bake 10 minutes.

While that bakes, in large bowl, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Cut 1 cold unrolled crust lengthwise in half (keep remaining crust refrigerated).
Cut into 1/4-inch slices. Repeat with remaining crust.
Separate pieces, and toss with sugar mixture.
After the 10 minutes, sprinkle cut-up crust mixture evenly over filling.
Bake 18 to 22 minutes more, or until crust is golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Halloween: Deviled eyeballs

This year was the first annual Witch's Tea Party. We had a "best dressed" witch contest and we voted on the best witch's hat. Everyone was also asked to bring a Halloween treat to compete in one of three categories. Cutest, Creepiest, and Tastiest. It was fun to see what everyone brought and they were all tasty. While there are plenty of things that I am going to tweak for next year's event, it was a lot of fun to have a break from busy life to just enjoy some girl time.

My party contribution came as inspiration from a magazine in my mom's pile of Halloween recipe ideas... I just can't remember which one. The recipe was originally for deviled eggs, but I took the idea and ran with it a little. I also found a delicious deviled egg recipe that I thought I'd try... So here it goes. My own little twist...

sorry... not the best of pictures... but the best my camera can do...

 Deviled Eyeballs.
{ingredients} I doubled this recipe for the yolk stuffing...

6  eggs

1-2 tsp gel food coloring {the original recipe called for black, which I used for our annual Halloween dinner, but for the Tea Party I used red to create the "eyeball" look.}

4 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp mustard 

¼ cup mashed cocktail shrimp (rinse and drain very well before mashing)

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced fine {I used parsley flakes and they worked fine}

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

Sliced olives for garnish

{directions}

1. place eggs in one layer in a pot and cover with water (barely cover them) add food coloring and bring to a rolling boil. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, take the pot off the heat and set aside (covered) for 15 minutes. {This is how you make the perfect hard boiled eggs.}

2. After 15 minutes use a slotted spoon to fish out each egg (they are still hot) and tap each egg a few times with the handle of a wooden spoon to crack the shell. When all are cracked, place in a bowl and cover with the colored cooking water. Place in the refrigerator and let cool for at least 2 hours. 

3. When you are ready to assemble, peel the eggs carefully and cut in half lengthwise. Pop out the yolks and mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Add the shrimp last and do not mash further. Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture and garnish with a sliced black olive.

Serve chilled or store covered in refrigerator for up to one day before serving. Yum! 

The Unsuspecting Crowd

They say you should never serve something you haven't made before to guests at a party. . . . . After being invited to my nephews wedding (yeah!!) I asked if there was anything I could bring and I was assigned a salad. I chose to bring a pasta salad that I had tried recently at a neighborhood bar-b-que. I then started planning the salads I wanted to "try". I decided that if I had one that I was pretty sure would be eaten, then I could bring others that might actually be a flop ;-)

The nice thing about a Pasta salad is that each recipe is similar and you can exchange ingredients if you want. They all call for some shape of pasta, different add ins, and some kind of dressing. This one calls for Caesar dressing. and pine nuts. I haven't used either of those in a pasta salad before so I wanted to give it a try.

Tri Color Pasta Salad

12 oz. tri colored rotini, cooked and drained

3 roma tomatoes, diced I used grape tomatoes cut in half

1 can black olives, sliced

1/4 c. red onion, finely diced

3/4 c. parmesan cheese

6 fresh basil leaves, julienned

4 T. basil pesto I mixed it in with my dressing the first time I made it--forgot it the second time

2/3 c. creamy caesar dressing

1/2-1 c. pine nuts, toasted

Cook pasta and coat with Caesar dressing while warm. Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the pine nuts) and toss. Top with toasted pine nuts just before serving.

I didn't realize they would be serving fresh fruit or I wouldn't have done this next salad, but I was trying to think of something fun for those that might not be able to eat the pasta salad. This is one that I have wanted to try. Simple, but different. It is kind of like eating a helping of fruit (all grapes) with a yummy fruit dip slathered all over it.

Best Grape Salad

2 lbs. green seedless grapes these were sour so I only used red

2 lbs. red seedless grapes

8 oz. sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Topping ingredients

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

Wash and stem grapes. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla until blended. Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl. For topping: Combine brown sugar, and pecans. Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely. Chill overnight

I wasn't sure about adding the topping, but if you got a bite with the brown sugar and pecans, it was definitely a bonus. I didn't use a cup of each. I just sprinkled some brown sugar on top (about a fourth of a cup) and then sprinkled pecans on top until it looked like enough.

This next recipe I have wanted to make for a long time. I bought the ingredients once before and chickened out. Even though I had tasted it, (just a bite) the list of ingredients do not sound like they would make something you would want to eat. After eating mine, I went back for more and it was gone! Several asked for the recipe! Don't be afraid to try this one. (In fairness, I will tell you that my husband did not like this one at all. He didn't like the flavor of the fritos)

Chili Cheese Frito Salad

3 (14 oz.) cans of corn, drained see note below

1/4 of a red pepper, diced

1/4 of a green pepper, diced

1/4 of a red onion, diced

1 c. grated cheddar cheese

1 1/4 c. mayonnaise

1 (9 1/4 oz.) bag chili cheese fritos

Combine corn, peppers, onion, cheese and mayo in a bowl. Measuring is not really necessary in this recipe. Add each item until it looks like enough. I think I used more corn and peppers, but not as much cheese. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Just before serving, mix in the fritos. (I put my cheese in at this time also) Enjoy and eat it all. This does not make a good leftover because the fritos get soggy.

Note: I couldn't bear to use canned corn because I like the frozen sweet corn you can get at Costco or Sams (it tastes so fresh), so that is what I used. I cooked it in the microwave until it was warm so I could drain any moisture off of it. I then put it in the fridge and mixed in the other ingredients after it was cold again.

Sunday... The Time of the Best Meals

In my house Sundays are always the days that we prepare the most complete and delicious meals. We always have our meats, grains, veggies, we can't forget... Jello, and Desert! I live throught the rest of the week just for sunday meals. :)
This weeks meal was... Crockpot Beef Au Jus! I just love Crockpot cooking! It is so easy and always tastes amazing!
Cockpot Beef Au Jus:


3 lb. eye or rump roast
1 pkg. dry au jus gravy mix
1 t. garlic powder(or salt)
1 t. onion powder(or chopped onions or onion flakes sprinkled on top)
1/2 t. salt
1/4-1/2 t. pepper
some sort of roll/bread that is buttered and toasted
Place roast in crockpot. Prepare gravy according to package and pour over roast. Sprinkle the rest of ingredients on roast and cover. Cook on low for six hours. Now what me and my family do is after the 6 hours we trim the fat and then cut the roast into thin slices and put them on our rolls. Then we mix up another Au jus package and dip our sandwiches in it. I like it this way the best but the recipe I had, had a different way of doing things. It told us to trim the fat, shred the meat, and return to pot cooking until desired tenderness. Add more water if roast isn't covered when returned. Then you just scoop the mixture onto your roll and dig in! I like it our way but you may like it the other way so don't be afraid to try it. Serve with veggies and rice! or mashed potatoes. Pretty much whatever you have! :)

And desert.... Grandma's Cookies!
These are like applesauce cookies but so much better!!
2c. sugar
1c. shortening
2 eggs
2 t. baking soda
2 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1-2 t. cloves (optional)
3 1/2 c. flour
2 c. applesauce (about 1 can)
2 c. oats
Chocolate chips
Cream sugar and shortening. Add egg and then add the spices. Mix in the flour and then add the applesauce. Add oats and then mix in the chocolate chips. Scoop onto greased cookie sheet and Bake at 375 for 10min. Good for several days afterward. I love these cookies because they are moist and tasty and not too tough to make. They really satisfy a sugar craving in my opinion. Plus there is a lot of batter and they last quite awhile cause they are so moist! A good Sunday snack if you ask me! :)

Friday Night Deliciousness

Next up is, my very favorite, Homemade Pizza!! (YUM!! :)
I got this recipe from one of my young women leaders and I am in love with it! It is so good and pretty simple too. :)
Pizza Crust:
2 c. warm water *
4 c. flour(or until desired stickyness)
2 T. Evoo (oil works just fine)
2 T. Yeast*
2 T. sugar*
1 tsp salt
Put *'s together and let rise until yeast bubbles. Then add flour and salt. Knead in Evoo(now with this I'm never quite sure when to add it or how much... but i usually put about a tablespoon in and knead the dough til it pretty much mixes in. I never add the full 2 T. but it turns out really good anyway.) Let rise until doubled or more. About 45min to an hour. Bake at 400 for 10 min(till edges are golden) Then add your toppings and bake till done. Can put cornmeal on pans to prevent sticking but I just use pam and it works great.
Toppings:
Sauce: Can make your own but I use a whole bottle of the store bought. Less stress(:
Cheese (mozzarella is best)
Pepperoni, Canadian bacon w/ olives, pizza supreme toppings, etc.

My family has all different tastes so i made each corner of my pan be something different. I made cheese pizza, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, Canadian bacon w/ olives, and pizza supreme(pepperoni, Canadian bacon, olives, tomatoes, & green peppers...... yummmm!)
Enjoy!!
(it may not look so good but I assure you it is amazing)

And For Desert.... Snickerdoodles!!


Now I'm pretty sure you all have a recipe for this but I wanted to post it anyway! :)
1 c. butter, room temperature
1 1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 c. flour
1 1/2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
pinch of salt
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:: 2 T. sugar and 1 1/2 t. cinnamon
Prepare coating ; set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter sugar and eggs till fluffy. Add flour, tartar, soda and salt; beat till blended. Shape into balls and roll in coating, completely cover. Place on ungreased cookie sheet (cause of the butter in them). Bake at 375 for 10min or until golden. Cool on racks.
It's another simple one but these are one of my favorite cookies so I hope you enjoy! :)

Salad Burgers

I'm back!! Here to post some amazing things me and my mom made... well maybe not so amazing but still fun!
First we have Salad Burgers!
Again a pretty simple recipe but great to come home to after you have been at a hard soccer game!
1/4 lb. grated cheese (as much as you feel like)
3 chopped hard boiled eggs
i can tuna fish
1/2 cup salad dressing (or the mayo and mustard mix that you put in tuna fish sandwiches)
2 T. chopped green pepper
2 T. chopped onion
2 T. chopped pickle
2 T. olives
Hamburger Buns
Mix together and spread on hamburger buns; wrap in tin foil. Bake at 350 for 15 min (until cheese melts)
(This is what the filling should more or less look like. My mom doesn't like olives so she didn't put them in)
Anyway it tasted sooo good! serve with fresh chopped fruit and chips or fries! :)

Stove Top Chicken Bake

Hey Ya'll!! This is number 6 from the nelsonnine if you count down starting with my dad. I have taken over my mother's blog!! MWHAHAHA!! Just kidding :) But I have decided to post a couple things in this awesome cooking blog. I have read many of the recipes posted here and am really excited to try some!! I have actually been cooking a lot! Over the summer when I didn't have so many things going on i pretty much cooked dinner every night! I love to cook so much so this is the perfect blog for me! :) well here goes my first recipe!
Now this may seem quite simple and a little too easy but I assure you it tastes amazing! I really like the simple recipes so I hope you all don't mind that mine aren't very fancy! :)

Stove Top Chicken Bake (Yummmmm....)
Now I am a huge fan of stuffing, so this recipe satisfied all my stuffing needs. But if your not a fan of stove top stuffing you may not like it as much but I assure you it is amazing!
You will need:

1 pkg Stove Top stuffing (doesn't matter which kind. I used the chicken kind)
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken (cream of mushroom can be substituted but cream of chicken is best)
1/3 cup sour cream
That's IT!(:

Mix stuffing with 1 2/3 cup water; set aside. Place chicken in 9x13 pan.(you don't really have to grease it) Mix cream of chicken and sour cream together; pour over chicken. Spoon stuffing evenly over top. Bake at 375 for 35min.
Very very simple but oh so delicious! I just love the smell of it! but then again I am a little strange. :) Thanks Guys!! Oh and ps i didn't take a picture of it so i got this off the internet and the lady had potatoes with her's which was probably pretty good.

New Recipes

I made one of those New-Year-Resolutions in January to try at least 3 new recipes every month. I have found some great ones in the Cooking Light and the Real Simple magazines. Some have been good, some not so great... for me... but I have found there can be a lot of interesting ingredients (I have shared my favorites here with you all).

Thanks to my new favorite site (*cough,cough* Pinterest) I have discovered a new site with hundreds of recipes found around the blog-o-sphere. foodgawker.com is my new recipe hot spot for inspiration and ideas. I just thought I'd share with you.  Delicious recipes to come!

Baked Parmesan Tilapia

{We recently inherited some cheeses from my mother's latest Costco trip. We used some in our Baked Ziti Recipe (soon to come) and made it for a few of our neighbors who were in need of a frozen dinner option. But we still have a few... pounds of Parmesan and Mozzarella left. So I'm currently in the market for a few recipes to try that use said cheeses. I stumbled across this little beauty via Pinterest and Bryce has told me that it can go into the "Family Favorite Recipes" list. It was really good and very fast and easy. 

Easy Baked Parmesan Tilapia

makes 4 tilapia fillets

{ingredients}

4 tilapia fillets {we found a box of 26 frozen fillets at WalMart for a pretty good price so we just use frozen.}

3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup grated/shredded parmesan cheese

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper to taste

lemon slices for serving

{directions}

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pat tilapia dry (if frozen, it should be thawed first) with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Lay on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and bake for 10-12 minutes. While fish is baking, mix butter with garlic, thyme and parmesan cheese.

Remove fish from oven and gently flip. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon 1 Tablespoon of butter mixture on the fish {and I added a little extra cheese because I didn't feel like it covered the fish very well... and I had a little extra...}, and heat the broiler in your oven. Set fish under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, or until cheese gets golden and bubbly.

Serve with lemon.

P.S. I'm still looking for some good recipes with Parmesan cheese... so if you have any suggestions, please... do tell! 

Frrrozen Hot Chocolate

My Brother-in-law and his wife recently went on a trip to the east coast where they went to the famous Serendipity to experience their signature Frozen Hot Chocolate. They brought the recipe home with them and made it for us while we were up in Park City. We recently made it ourselves. It is relatively simple and oh so soothing and refreshing. :) So here it is! Sorry for no picture as of yet...

And I am adding my own commentary to the process...
{ingredients}
6 pieces (1/2-ounce) chocolate , a variety of your favorites {or half a bag of chocolate chips}
2 teaspoons store-bought hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk -divided
3 cups ice {pre-crushed}
Whipped cream {Technically optional... we didn't have any and didn't feel we needed it...}
Chocolate shavings {also optional}

{directions}
1.Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place it in the top of a double boiler {or a metal bowl that fits your pan} over simmering water {careful to not let the water touch the bowl or the chocolate}. Stir occasionally until melted. Add the hot chocolate mix and sugar. Stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and slowly add ½ cup of milk until smooth. Cool to room temperature {the milk pretty much does that automatically...}.

2. In a blender, place the remaining cup of milk and ice. Pulse until the ice is broken into smaller chunks for a smooth finish, then add the room-temperature chocolate mixture. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. {or into some mugs and sip away your troubles... :) }

Shrimp with Cauliflower Puree

This one also came out of a Cooking Light magazine. It looked so good I had to try it... again, I've adapted it to my taste and my budget so the end product came out nothing like the original recipe... I'll say that it "inspired" me to creating this recipe... :) Its light, colorful, and wonderful.

Seared Scallops Shrimp with Cauliflower Puree

{ingredients}
2 c. chopped cauliflower florets
1 c. cubed, peeled Yukon gold potato {I didn't have Yukon, we went with Russet... worked fine.}
1 c. water
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 T. canola oil
1 1/2 lbs sea scallops shrimp
3/4 tsp. salt- divided
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 T unsalted butter
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

{directions}
1. Bring cauliflower, potato, water, and chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until potato is tender. Remove from heat. Let stand, uncovered 10 minutes
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Pat scallops dry with paper towels; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt and black pepper. Add scallops to pan. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove scallops from pan. {scallops are pricey and as of right now our budget will only allow for them extremely discounted. one day I will try this recipe with scallops... but for now, shrimp works marvelously...}
3. Pour cauliflower mixture in a blender. Add 1/2 tsp. salt, butter and red pepper. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Serve puree with scallops.

Bonus recipe:
{this came with it and it adds so much to this dish, I wouldn't make this dish without this part... and I've made it twice)

Tarragon, Carrots, and Peas:
Place 1 cup sugar snap peas and 1/3 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup matchstick-cut carrot and 1 1/2 tsp. butter; cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp chopped tarragon, 1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar, and 1/8 tsp salt.

*disclaimer... I didn't have tarragon... and didn't use vinegar... but it added crunch and flavor to the dinner above.

Olive Garden Salad knock-off

I have stumbled upon this recipe through my various searches through the blog-o-sphere... and don't quite remember where its from... But it is delicious. I feel like all you can eat salad and bread sticks should be just around the corner. I've adapted it just a bit but left it mostly alone.

Every year my in-laws get together in Park City for a week. The parents have decided to separate the meals out among the children for experience and cost. This year we had the task of feeding the family (of 12) on Sunday after spending the day on Temple Square. A challenge to say the least, but with enough planning and preparing (ahead of time) it all worked out with plenty to spare. We served Curried Chicken (Hawaiian Haystack style), and Olive Garden Salad.

Salad Dressing:
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 T. corn syrup
2 T. Parmesan cheese
2 T. Romano cheese
1/4 tsp garlic salt (or one clove garlic-minced)
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
1 T. lemon juice
about 1/2 T. sugar (optional)

{directions}
Place all ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little too tart for your own personal taste, add a little extra sugar. It can be stored in an airtight container for 10 in the refrigerator.

Salad:
1 bunch Green leaf lettuce
4-5 slices red onion
4-6 black olives {I added more because I love olives}
2-4 pepperoncini (or banana pepper if you like sweeter peppers)
1/2 c. crutons
1 small tomato- quartered
freshly grated Romano cheese (Parmesan works well too.)

chill one salad bowl in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Place lettuce in bowl, add other ingredients. Toss with some dressing and enjoy!

Creamy Shrimp and Rice

If you haven't  tried the new Philadelphia Cooking Creme, you should. Its pretty awesome! I got this recipe from the ideas on the package... And it is delish.

{ingredients}
2 tsp. Olive Oil
1/2 c. red peppers- chopped
1/2 c. onions- chopped
1 pkg. (6 oz.) sugar snap peas- halved
1 lb. frozen, cooked, cleaned, medium shrimp- thawed and drained {and you'll want to pat them dry with a paper towel)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. milk
1 tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Savory Garlic Cooking Creme
2 c. hot cooked rice

{directions}
1. Heat oil in large skillet on med-high heat. Add peppers and onions; cook and stir 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in peas, cook 3-4 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently.
2. Add shrimp, black pepper, and milk; cook and stir 3 minutes or until heated through. Add cooking creme; cook and stir 2 minutes.
3. Serve over rice.

**Here's a card for you!

Peach Porkchops

My Brother-in-law and his wife gave me a year subscription to Cooking Light magazine for Christmas. I have been enjoying the ideas and recipes I find in each issue and have used some of them as my new recipes toward my goal of trying at least 3 new recipes a month. This one was kinda made up... but it turned out rather well. My hubby even said it could go into the family recipes list... :)

This isn't couscous... its little pasta...

Skillet Pork Chop Saute with Peaches
from Cooking Light; adapted by Jessica :)


{ingredients}
2 tsp Olive Oil
4 boneless pork loin chops- trimmed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 T. thinly sliced shallots
2 tsp. thyme
2 peaches- each cut into 8 wedges
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. butter

{directions}
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.
2. Sprinkle chops evenly with salt and pepper.
3. Add chops to pan; cook for 3 minutes on each side or until done. {I learned, it really is only 3 minutes, even if they're still a little pink. if they aren't pink, they're too done. Who Knew?!)
4. Remove chops from pan and keep warm.
5. Add shallots, thyme, and peaches to pan; cook for 2 minutes.
6. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 2 minutes). 
7. Stir in broth and honey; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in butter. Spoon sauce over chops.

*These are great served with couscous.*

So, a little disclaimer... I am a novice cook and wine is a little tricky for me. The first time I made these I tried to substitute a tiny bit of water... they were ok, but a little... watery. The second time I tried them (yes I've made them twice now) I just omitted the whole step. They were better but there wasn't much sauce. If anyone has any tips for a good substitute for wine that doesn't require... alcohol... that would be great!

Chicken Cashew lettuce wraps

It has recently been brought to my attention that it has been a while since I have posted any recipes... or anything for that matter... I have been cooking... just busy enough to keep from posting. prepare yourself for a BUNCH of recipes. I am still going strong on my resolution to try 3 new recipes each month. So I've been having fun. Here goes!!!

These are possibly my new favorite recipe. They are soooo good! :) I came across this recipe through GTU. They had a link that took me to tastykitchen.com... but somehow its closed to the public now... anyway I couldn't find it again. So here it is. :) P.S. Sorry no picture yet... I forgot to take one. Guess I'll have to make them again...


{ingredients}
1 Tbs Rice Vinegar
1 Tbs Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp ground Red Pepper
1/4 tsp ground Ginger
1 tsp Sesame Oil
2- 1/3 Tbs Soy Sauce (divided)
3 Tbs Canola Oil (or oil of choice)
2 pieces of Chicken Breast- diced
1 c. diced Onion
2 cloves Garlic-minced
1/4 c. Cashews- chopped
8 leaves of Green-leaf or Iceberg Lettuce- washed and dried

{directions}
For stir fry sauce: Mix together rice vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper, ginger, sesame oil, and 2 T. of sou sauce, making sure to dissolve the brown sugar. Set aside.

Heat canola oil in pan over medium heat to med-high heat. Add chicken and brown (about 4-5 min). Remove chicken from oil. Add onions and garlic to pan and remaining soy sauce (1 tsp) to pan; brown. When onions and garlic are brown and tender, add stir fry sauce, browned chicken, and cashews. Saute mixture for a few minutes and remove from heat.

Spoon chicken mixture into individual lettuce leaves. Add your favorite hot sauce, more cashews or basil. Enjoy!

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Fresh Asparagus Soup

I keep thinking we should take this blog off the internet since we are so unfaithful in posting recipes, but then I get a GREAT new recipe from a friend or a class I've gone to, and I'm sure everyone needs it. The problem is that I usually make it and forget to take a picture before we eat it. Then I think I will post it next time I make it. . .

I have not made this recipe yet, but decided it would be a great St. Patrick's Day dinner. I am posting it now in case you want to use it. It is green -- nothing scary -- just a pretty light green. I also need you to understand that I am not a fan of asparagus, but can't wait to make this. When we got to taste this soup at the class I was at, everyone loved it. After class, I noticed many of the attendees were in the produce section looking for asparagus. I like this soup because I don't have to eat chunks of veggies, it is pureed.

Option: Make the same soup except use broccoli instead of asparagus.

Fresh Asparagus Soup

1 pound fresh asparagus, tough ends discarded, and cut into 1" segments

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 Tablespoon butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/2 cup plain yogurt do not get vanilla yogurt. The teacher used sour cream because she didn't have the yogurt. She prefers the yogurt though.

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place asparagus and onion in a saucepan with 1/2 cup broth. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the vegetables are tender. Place remaining vegetable mixture in an electric blender and puree until smooth. (You could use an immersion blender in place of this step) Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let the heat escape. Place a paper towel over the hole to avoid splatters.

Melt butter in the pan that was used for simmering the asparagus and onions. Stir while sprinkling flour, salt, and pepper into the butter. Do not let the flour brown. Allow the mixture to cook only 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups broth and increase the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir the vegetable puree and milk into the saucepan.

Whisk yogurt into the mixture, followed by lemon juice. Stir until heated through, then ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese

Cranberry Granola

4 1/2 c. rolled oats
2 c. wheat flakes
2 1/2 c. coconut
1 1/2 c. cranberries
1 1/4 c. slivered almonds
1 1/4 c. pecans
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. flax seeds
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. honey
2 Tb. molasses
1/2-1 tsp. vanilla

Combine flakes, nuts, seeds, salt and cinnamon. Mix oil, honey, molasses and vanilla. Distribute evenly throughout dry ingredients. Spread on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees stirring mixture every few minutes. Watch carefully! Granola turns from golden to burned very quickly! Cool and keep 1-2 weeks.


I've always loved granola . . . especially homemade! Marian found this great recipe although I added a couple of ingredients. It really tastes great!

NOTE: It is difficult to keep from burning the granola. My first batch ended up in the trash but I was a lot more careful with the second batch! Next time I think I'll try lowering the heat and cooking longer.

Waffle party!

My daughter and son-in-law had not had a successful waffle experience with their waffle maker so we decided to have a waffle party and use a new recipe I had tried. This waffle recipe is great. It does have to sit for 30 min. before you cook it, so plan for that. The original recipe does not feed very many. I had to triple it for 5 of us. (I was feeding very hungry people though.)

Waffles of Insane Greatness

3/4 c. all purpose flour

1/4 c. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 c. whole milk (we used 1 % because that is what we had!)

1/2 c. buttermilk

1/3 c. oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 tsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Whisk together to blend.

In another mixing bowl, beat together the milk, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and a few lumps remain. Set aside to rest for 30 min.

Preheat waffle iron. Cook until crisp and golden.

Yield: depends on size/shape of your waffle iron.

(We used a Belgian waffle maker and needed to triple the recipe for 5 people. I didn't keep track of how many it made but we did have one whole waffle left over.)


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Raspberry Syrup

2 c. frozen raspberries, thawed

1/2 c. hot water

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1 T. lemon juice

Blend raspberries and hot water in blender or food processor. Strain into medium saucepan. Discard seeds. Add sugar and corn syrup to raspberry juice. Stir to combine well. Add lemon juice. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 min. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Yields 2-3 cups.

We weren't able to strain all of the seeds, but because they were blended in my food processor, they didn't seem to bother anyone when they ate they syrup. This was easy to make and very tasty. We have always liked fruit syrups in our house.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This recipe is so easy and very good. I have tried several recipes for enchilada soup and this is the one I like. Last night it received several thumbs up.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 can ranch style beans

1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cans water

1 can diced green chilies

1 lb. cooked chicken, cubed (grilled, boiled, canned, or a rotisserie chicken)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. corn (canned or frozen) rinsed, drained

Toppings:

fresh cilantro, lime, tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream, avocado

Open beans, tomatoes, chilies, and corn and put in a pot. Whisk the cream of chicken soup and cans of water in a bowl. Add to the pot with the rest of the ingredients.

Cook until boiling. Add the chicken near the end (this keeps it from getting tough)

Serve with any or all of the toppings listed.

Talk of the Town Chicken Salad

The first time I tasted this salad was at a relief society luncheon. I remember being surprised with the sweet taste. It was different from any other pasta salad I had eaten before. When our ward put together a cookbook a few years ago, 4 different recipes were submitted for this salad (or variations of it). For curiosity sake, I checked the ward cookbook I just bought from my friend. There were 3 versions of this salad in there. Most of the ingredients are the same with only a few variations. (One called for water chestnuts and one had chopped apples in it)

Interest in this salad was expressed at the last family get together, so I thought I would post the recipe, but alas there is no picture.

12 oz. spiral pasta

12 oz. bow tie pasta

20 oz. pineapple tidbits, drained

2 c. chopped celery

4 green onions, sliced

1 pkg. Craisins

1 c. red grapes, cut in half

1 c. cashews (add right before serving)

4 whole chicken breasts, cooked and diced

Dressing:

1 c. mayo

16 oz. bottle Kraft coleslaw dressing

Cook the pastas, drain and cool. Add the rest of the ingredients (saving the cashews until right before serving). Stir in the dressing.