Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup Copycat Recipe

I really wish I had the recipe for Panera's baguette that comes with this..... but for now I'll settle for this copy cat recipe for their Broccoli Cheese Soup.  I am happy with this recipe, and  I think it turns out just like what you get at their restaurant.  (For those who don't have a Panera close by, Panera is in the same restaurant family as Paradise Bakery.  So some of the same salads can be bought at both, and I imagine they have some of the same soups as well. I just wish Panera had the same quality of treats as Paradise..... Paradise's chocolate chip coconut cookies are heavenly as well as many of their other treats.... while most of Panera's treats are dried out and not so good. :( Unfortunately.) But their soups and salads are yummy! And it's probably a good thing that I'm not a fan of their treats! :)  

Copy Cat of Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup (Serves 4)

*Saute 1/2 an onion, chopped in 1 Tbs. butter until onions are translucent.  Set Aside. 

 

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups half and half (or one can evaporated milk)

2 cups water with 2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules (2 cups. chicken broth)

1/2 lb. fresh broccoli, cleaned and trimmed (Or 1 Bag of Green Giant Broccoli with Cheese Sauce)

2 carrots, julienned and then cut into 1" slivers

Dash of nutmeg

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. parsley flakes

 

*Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat and sprinkle in flour.  Have the broth ready to go. Using a wire whisk, stir the butter and flour together and cook for a minute or two.  While continuing to whisk, slowly add in the broth.  Be sure to whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Continue to whisk in the half and half or evaporated milk.   I honestly can't really tell much of a difference using the half and half vs. evaporated milk, so I usually use the fat free evaporated milk.  Turn the heat down and keep barely simmering for about 10-15 minutes.  Then add the carrots and broccoli.  I'm not going to lie here--- lately I've been lazy and I just add 1 package of the Green Giant Broccoli and Cheese Steamers (I microwave it on high for 7 minutes first and cut any large pieces into bite sized bits).  They sell them at Sam's Club so I usually have them on hand instead of fresh broccoli. Cook over low heat about 20 more minutes until the carrots and broccoli are fully cooked.  Add the pepper, parsley, nutmeg and cheese.  Stir until melted and well combined.  Serve hot.  The recipe said that it serves 4, but since my youngest two aren't great soup eaters, it serves our family of 6 perfectly, with no leftovers. 

 

 



 

Be The Good

On September 11, 2001, as I sat watching tv while rocking my baby, I felt a great need to reaffirm that there is good in the world.  It was a way to cope, for lack of a better word. As the news unfolded and through the next weeks while watching people post signs and listening to them ask if anyone had seen their loved ones, my heart broke, knowing that their loved ones were surely gone.  I would look into my 4 month old baby's face and think to myself, "See, there IS good to be found, so much good.  I am holding 'good' in my arms."  I then took great comfort in hearing the stories of how people rallied together- how they streamed in from all over the country and world to help.  I was reassured that there are far more good people in this world than there are bad.

Now as I hear about various horrible things happening in the world around me, most recently the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy, my first reaction is to find any possible good in what happened.  Do not mistake my meaning.  What happened was too heartbreaking to be considered good in any way, shape, or form.  I am talking about what comes after, what helps with healing.  It comes by having faith in mankind restored again and again as we see and hear about those who courageously help, how people can rally and stand up against those who are capable of such terrible things.  Because the reality is that MOST people are good.  And we need to notice the good that is there if we just look.  More than that, we all need to consciously do more to BE the good in this world.  To make an effort to do random acts of kindness, both IN and OUT of our homes.  To be sure we teach our children to also BE the good in the world. 

With all of this on my mind lately, I wanted to create a reminder.  I thought that this sign from Wood Connection would be perfect, only I wanted it to be on the boards I had already cut out, so this is the end result:

 

And, please, along with me, make more of an effort to BE the good in the world.  Together, we can change our world for the better!

 

January Decor

I wanted to make some newer, more modern decorations for my house.  So, I searched through two stores before finding 1/4" MDF (they are found easily at home--- not so easily here) and pulled out my scroll saw that hasn't been used in a very long time.  Within a few hours, I had several (ok, so maybe more than several) fancy boards to use.  Then I needed to come up with what to do with them..... and Pinterest was a big help!  I found the perfect thing for January here.  Their blog even had the printable for it--- which is a good idea because the printable can be swapped out each month so you can reuse the frame.  But, since I had already cut out the MDF, I stuck with my original plan and used their inspiration.....and now have this:

(I just realized that I am missing a comma and the "I" should not be capitalized.  Doh!  I'll have to redo part of it!) 

Pink Pinwheels

I found The Crafty Cupboard on Pinterest, and I enjoy seeing Melanie's quilts and various craft and decor projects.  When I saw her cute pink pinwheel quilt (see it here), I had to make one.  I knew I had lots of pink and green fabrics left over from my daughter's quilt, and my husband had mentioned that a lady at his work was having a girl and he wanted to get a baby gift for her.  It worked out nicely for me!  The blocks were really easy and went pretty quickly... until I decided to change things up by putting them on the diagonal.  Which always makes the edges a little tricky.  I feel like when working on something like this, I frequently end up spending more time trying to think through the process than I would spend actually working on it.  This was definitely one of those times.  Once I figured it out, it went quickly. 

Then I decided to use a piece of minky for the back (because I love the soft backing on baby/lap quilts!), but it just wasn't quite big enough.  So I added a border and for fun, the baby girl's name.  Then I made the mistake of reading up on machine quilting with minky.  Well, maybe it wasn't a mistake, but it did freak me out about machine quilting it when I had only machine quilted one other quilt at that time. It recommended using a bigger pattern, so I tried using a wider version of the free motion stippling.  I like the look of smaller stippling better, though.  Luckily, the only trouble I had was with my machine that was once again breaking the thread every few inches.  Grrrr.  So frustrating.  The thread cartridge is off center somehow, so the whole contraption that holds the needle isn't quite centered, and the needle brushes up against the side of the hole in the bottom metal plate near the bobbin, and the friction cuts the thread. This is what I already paid to have repaired, but it's broken again already.  It is so not worth fixing again at that expense if it isn't going to stay fixed!  Anyway,  after many breaks (time-outs) so I could walk away and not throw the machine across the room, I was finally able to finish it!  Wahoo!  And the minky actually wasn't a problem to work with at all!  Just the stinkin' machine! 

If you have been meaning to try machine quilting, but are nervous, just go for it!  You'll never learn if you don't try!  I hope to get better and better at it with time and experience!  I wish I had just tried earlier, it wasn't anywhere near as scary/hard as I thought it would be. 

Sparkle Punch Baby Quilt

My first attempt to machine quilt!  I have made several quilts by hand quilting them.  But it takes sooooo long.... and it's not fun to have bleeding, sore fingers from poking them with a needle (which is actually a bit of a necessity in hand quilting, believe it or not--- it's how you know the needle is just barely through the layers of fabric)!  I have heard so many stories about how long it takes to learn to get the machine quilting process right, and I never wanted to experiment on quilt tops after putting all the work into piecing them.  So I frequently made the quilt tops and then stopped right there.  Or I just sewed in straight lines with my machine, pretending that it was a form of machine quilting (it WAS a form of machine quilting, but it didn't qualify in my mind because it wasn't an all-over pattern).  So, I finally took a deep breath and tried it!  I am happy to say that it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be.  Or rather, had my machine been working properly it wouldn't have been bad at all.  But my machine decided to break the thread every few inches which turned out to be a major pain--- but the quilting process wasn't difficult!  I simply need a new machine.  (Yes, I have paid to have it repaired, only to have it revert back to not working again a few weeks later.) I have my eye on one......

My Sparkle Punch Quilt

I first saw a sparkle punch quilt top on pinterest, and when I followed the link through, I was delighted to find instructions on how to make the quilt. It is on Oh, Fransson- here. I had lots of scrap fabrics in a blue/dark blue/yellow/red/orange/green color theme that I liked.  I was very surprised to discover that I actually used very little of my fabric stash to make it!  I really thought it would use more fabric.  It definitely took a bit of time and thread, though!  Every time I sew, my husband comments on the ridiculous amounts of thread that get brushed to the side in a pile until I'm done for the day and can throw them away.  I felt the instructions were great, and I also recommend having the little square ruler to "square" up the blocks before sewing them together.  I almost didn't get one because I thought I could just do it on my rotary mat, but with how many squares there are, it would have taken a lot longer to line up the big ruler before each cut.  The little square quilting rulers are only a few dollars, and are well worth the time saved in such a time-consuming quilt! 

I love how they did the backing on Oh, Fransson, but I was working with small fabric scraps, and my goal is to actually use my fabric stash.... so it just wasn't going to happen.  I also like it when cuddle quilts are made with soft backings such as minky or anti-pill fleece.  So, I used orange fleece and used more scraps to put my cute little nephew's name on it.  Fleece and minky also show the quilting pattern really well......which is nice when it works out, not so nice when there are mistakes (or problematic machines)!  I know the lighting isn't great on this.... but it was COLD outside, and the lighting in this house plain old stinks. 

The sparkle punch quilt is a fun quilt to make, and I know I'll be making another in the future! 

Halloween Decor

So, in usual Alisa style, I am posting a couple of fun Halloween decor items that I found this year.  And I'm posting it after Halloween when it will do you no good, unless you are getting ready for next year!  I'll blame it on Hurricane Sandy because we were out of power.  Never mind that I found these a month or so ago and didn't post about it then.  Oh well.  I hope you think they are as cute as I find them to be!  I'm still having trouble posting pictures on this blog.  I'll post them as soon as I can! In the mean time, you can click through the links to see the original items!  :)  Sorry!

1.  Poppy Seed Projects Beware sign.  So stinkin' cute.  I love the big stripes.  And it's a great price- $15.95!  They will even ship it to you if you live too far away to pick it up.  They are a really friendly and talented company!  You can find it here.

2. Wood Connection's Witch shoes.  "If the shoe fits."  I love the shape of these shoes!  So, so, so cute.  Also pretty inexpensive.  Find it here.

3. House of Smiths along came a spider printable.  I love this.  I was so excited to see that Shelley had so kindly posted it for free on her website!  See it here.

4. The Crafty Cupboard Spells and Potions free printable spooky book covers.  Awesome!  So cute--- Again, I was happy to see Melanie had posted them for free.  Find them on her blog here.

5. Eighteen25--- Halloween Subway Art.  So, so, so cute.  I love that you can just send the picture over to Costco and print it up to frame.  Or just print it on your computer.  So nice of these talented people to let us use their works of art! Get it here.

Happy (Belated) Halloween! 

My 5 Favorite Pioneer Woman Recipes

We all have some favorite recipes that are our GO TO recipes.  The ones that are tried and true, that we like to use over and over again.  These are recipes I found on Pioneer Woman's blog over the last few years that have made my GO TO list.  Try them out---- I truly hope you like them, too.  Just click on the recipe name to be taken to the recipe on her website! 

1. Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes by Pioneer Woman.  Do I really need to say more?  Unless it is that I like this recipe better than the ones at Flemings???  Wow.  That is what I thought when I first had them.  They are rich enough that instead of using individual ramekins, I just make them in my muffin tin, so one recipe makes 12 small-but-still-plenty-since-it's-so-rich individual cakes.  Just be sure to spray the pan rather heavily with Pam.  You want to be able to get the little suckers out!  :)  Also, to further simplify things, I just substitute chocolate chips for the semi sweet baking chocolate since I never have baking chocolate on hand.  2 cups (or one 12 oz. package of semi sweet chocolate chips equals 6 squares of semi sweet baking chocolate....or so the wonderful Internet tells me....and I believe it because this turns out yummy!)  If using a muffin tin, just bake for 8-10 minutes instead of 13-14.  You want to make sure the outside is fully cooked, but the inside isn't yet cooked.  If you cook it too long, you'll have a brownie instead of a lava cake! 

2. Onion Strings also by Pioneer Woman.  I thought of my other favorite go to from Pioneer Woman.  I love onion straws/strings/blossoms....whatever you call it, they are amazing.  Wonderful in salads, green bean casserole, on hamburgers with BBQ sauce, on sandwiches, oh how the list goes on.  When I first tried this recipe, I was doubtful.  I didn't think I could make something that turned out to be even close to what you get in a restaurant. But I was wrong.  These are delightful, crispy, and add just the right touch to turn something ordinary into gourmet.  Amazing.  And, what she says about letting them sit in the buttermilk....she's right.  It's very important.  It changes everything.  The only changes I make to this recipe is to swap out half of the salt for Lawry's seasoned salt.  So, that's about 1/2 Tbs. regular salt with 1/2 Tbs. Lawry's Seasoning Salt.  Because I was taught from a young age to absolutely love Lawry's Seasoning salt.  We go through that stuff like water in a desert. 

3. Restaurant Style Salsa by Pioneer Woman.  I love chips and salsa.  My family loves chips and salsa.  And we all love this recipe.  Long, boring story to follow:

For years and years we faithfully planted tomatoes, hoping to can some really delicious salsa that my family would get to enjoy all year long.  Then life happened as it always does, and for various reasons, it didn't get done.  Again and again.  One year the tomatoes had this weird sugar? crystallization that made it feel like you were chewing glass until the crystals dissolved.  I still get that weird, yucky, grossed out shudder thinking of it.  It was like, well, chewing shards of glass.  Horrible.  Shudder.  The next year I didn't stir the salsa enough so the bottom burned and all umpteen (actually more upwards of 30) quarts and pints had a gross BBQ salsa taste to it.  AKA Burned salsa taste.  I should have just called it roasted salsa and pretended it was on purpose.  I dumped them all out, after processing them.  Bah!  I wouldn't have processed them if I had known just how gross they were!  Another year I prepped all the tomatoes, put them in the fridge to cook the next day, and forgot about them until they went bad.  Another year I tried two different official recipes that were tested as safe to home can.... you know that most frequently used salsa recipes don't pass the proper acidity ratio for safe canning, don't you?  I learned this in my classes at BYU to become a Home Ec. teacher.  Which basically resulted in me being completely freaked out about home canning.  That was not the point of this class, but there you have it.  If you are curious about your recipe, you can call the USU home economists, give them your recipe, and they will evaluate the acidity of it and call you back to let you know if it's safe.  Cool, huh?  But then you'll feel bad/guilty when you can it anyway, because most likely it won't be considered safe.  So maybe you don't want to call them.  Just like my microbiology class made me freak out about washing romaine lettuce in a salt water bath to get the tiny microscopic buggies off.....but, I digress (as usual).  Both of the official recipes used a ton of vinegar or lemon juice or citric acid to make it be the proper acidity.  Let's just say that if it's a safe recipe to can for salsa, it's going to be disgustingly vinegary.  Almost like Tabasco without-the-heat vinegary.  Yuck.  Those batches were thrown out, too.  But at least I learned from my past mistake and tasted them before processing them.  You see a pattern here, year after year.  Please tell me I am not the only one who does this!  Finally, my husband told me that we were NOT going to plant tomatoes (not more than one plant) anymore unless we really did can some.  So I promised him that that year was the year.  And it was.....because he canned it (I did help a little).  Pitiful, I know.  In the 18 years of our marriage, I have canned tomatoes several times, but salsa only (successfully) in 2009.  It was the great salsa year of 2009, and I bet you didn't even know it!  We took pictures to commemorate it.  And we haven't planted tomatoes for salsa since. 

I think I lost the desire to can salsa because I found this recipe (in Jan. 2010) that we all really like. It uses already canned tomatoes, and you don't have to cook it, so there's no risk of a burned taste.  No house smelling like salsa for days (another plus in my book).  And only a few minutes of preparation.  This recipe is a good match for me!  Some days I think that maybe next year I'll can salsa again. I don't like feeling like there is something out there that I have failed at again and again and haven't figured out how to conquer it.  (Crocheting is one of those things.  Grrr.  I am too uptight and only succeed in making knots.  Getting back to subject again....)  But the thing is.... I actually like this (PW's) recipe better than my favorite homemade salsa recipe.  So,  I'm sticking with this for now.  Maybe I should try making salsa verde instead.  Just don't tell Matt.  He wouldn't be able to stop laughing!  Or crying.  No, it would be laughing.  Definitely laughing. 

4. Beef With Snow Peas by Pioneer Woman.  Just looking at her picture makes me salivate.  Seeing the delicious brown sauce.... yummy!  The two keys to this recipe that come to my mind are: 1. You do want to use low sodium soy sauce.  The first time I made it, I used regular and it was SALTY!  Still yummy, but too salty.  The other key is that when she says to just let it sit there until it's good and cooked on one side, she means it!  Imagine that!  I always thought that stir-fry meant you had to constantly stir it!  After trying out her recipe and following her instruction on letting it sit, I discovered that letting it sit makes it get that really dark caramelized color that adds so much flavor.  Absolutely wonderful!  It changed the way I stir fry now, with a lot less stirring.  Which is really nice because I can work on the rest of dinner instead of being stuck stirring at the stove! 

5. Oven Roasted Asparagus by Pioneer Woman.  I actually haven't made her recipe...because my friend Michelle taught me  how to make oven roasted asparagus.  And I use Pam instead of drizzling Olive Oil... and of course, Lawry's Seasoned Salt instead of regular salt.... but when I saw that PW had this recipe on hers, I thought I would include it because I love oven roasted asparagus, and this way I don't have to show you how to make it, PW does!  Yay!  It is wonderful how baking it is able to bring about the right texture.... crisp, but tender.  Yummy.  It was a toss up between posting this and PW's Knock you Naked Brownies.  Which I also already had the recipe for- I've had that recipe for 20 years.....only they were just called boring 'ole Caramel Brownies.  I think I like the Knock you Naked title better.  Although since my friend, Kodi, gave me her recipe for homemade caramel, I am spoiled and can't use the square caramels in recipes anymore.  So, the asparagus won!  :) 

What are your favorite recipes from the Pioneer Woman???  It is always delightful to get to laugh at her sense of humor while finding and making good recipes! 

Savory Rolls

     Have you had Great Harvest's Savory Bread?  It is a loaf of bread they make on Thursdays, and it is filled with artichoke hearts, Parmesan, tomato, and basil flavor.  I first tried it several years ago after stopping in Great Harvest with my kids for some whole wheat bread and their wonderful sample slice.  There was quite a line, and when I asked why, somebody commented, "Well, it's Thursday-  Savory Bread Day," as if it was something I should know about since clearly everyone else knew about it!  It is popular enough that the store frequently runs out of the loaves by the end of the day. 
    Ever since then, I have thought that surely there is a recipe out there for it.  When I couldn't find one, or one that came even close, I thought that maybe, just maybe I could copy it.  Then I would chicken out and decide that it would be too hard to copy.  I don't know quite what possessed me yesterday, but I decided that I was going to make savory rolls.  And if they didn't turn out, NBD (no big deal).  So I did.  Now, please keep in mind that it has probably been about 2 or so years since I have had the bread, so it may not taste just like it, but the recipe actually turned out a whole lot closer to the real thing (as it is in my memory) than I ever thought it would!  Especially for a first try! So, this is my own copycat recipe for Great Harvest's Savory Bread. 

Savory Rolls

1 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. active dry yeast
1 cup very warm (but not too hot) water

Gently stir together (just until the yeast is wet) in a bowl that is big enough to allow for the yeast to foam.  Let sit for about 10 minutes, until the yeast proofs (foams).  I let it go for too long in this picture!


Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, add: 
4 Tbs. butter, cut into cubes
4 Tbs. olive oil 
1 cup of milk
2 tsp. salt (can get away with just 1 tsp.)
1/2 cup sugar
one 6 oz. can of tomato paste. 

Cook on high in microwave for 2-3 minutes, until scalding hot, but not boiling.  Stir together to dissolve sugar and place in bowl of mixer (such as Kitchenaid).  Add:
3 cups of flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbs. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano

Mix with dough hook until combined.  Then, while continuing to mix, add 2 eggs, one at a time, until mixed in.  Check to make sure your dough isn't too hot, then add your proofed yeast/water mixture from the bowl.  Continue to mix until all is incorporated.  Slowly add 3-4 (usually closer to 3) cups of  flour, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl but is still soft.  At that point, continue to knead in mixer for 5 minutes.  Spray a large bowl with baking spray (Pam), and then place dough in the bowl.  Spray plastic wrap with the cooking spray and cover the bowl.  Allow to rise until the dough has doubled in size. 

Chop up a (1/2 to one full) package (I prefer the 3 oz. ones that come in a plastic package that are dry) of sun dried tomatoes or one jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil.  If you use the kind packed in oil, pat the tomatoes dry with a paper towel.  You can add the chopped tomatoes while the mixer is kneading, or sprinkle them on top after you have rolled out the dough.  I would add about twice the sun dried tomatoes that you see in this picture if you are sprinkling them. 

After the dough has risen, divide in half and dust the counter with flour.  Roll the half into a large circle.  Sprinkle with sun dried tomatoes (if you didn't add them while kneading) and 1/2- 1 cup of Parmesan cheese.  I recommend the shaved Parmesan, but if you don't have that, then the freshly grated will work.  If you don't have the freshly grated, then the green-can powdered kind will work, too (as a last option that I had to resort to when I ran out of the fresh stuff).  Use a pizza roller to gently cut into 16 slices.  Cut circle in fourths, then each pie shaped fourth in half, then each eighth in half again. 

Drain 8 oz marinated artichoke hearts (already cut into fourths).  Pat dry with paper towel.  Pull each heart apart into two pieces, and place one piece on wide end of each pie shaped dough segment (as you can see above).  Roll up, starting at the wide end with the artichoke heart, being careful to not lose the toppings as you roll.  Continue for the rest of the 16 rolls.  Place on one parchment lined cookie sheet, and cover with plastic wrap sprayed with Pam.  Repeat for the other half of the dough- roll out into circle, sprinkle toppings, cut into 16 segments, roll, and place on covered baking sheet. 

Let rise until doubled in size.  Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Remove from oven and cookie sheet, cooling on a cooling rack.  To store, when completely cool, place in plastic bag and seal closure. Store in refrigerator.  They will be best if eaten in the first 2-3 days.  Makes 32 good-sized rolls.

I hope you like them as much as I do!

Kodi's Rolo Cookies

I love caramel.  I am a caramel girl.  My two favorite caramel recipes came from my good friend, Kodi.  They are Kodi's Caramels and Kodi's Rolo Cookies.  Both bits of heaven.  Both first tried as gifts from her.  Yummy!  The rolo cookies end up being moist and chewy, with a caramel center.  If caramel isn't your thing, but you like peanut butter, then mini Reese's peanut butter cups also work with this recipe!

Kodi's Rolo Cookies

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3/4 bag of Rolos, unwrapped

Mix together the cake mix, eggs, and oil.  Roll into little balls, using about 1 Tbs. of dough.  Very slightly press on the rolo between your fingers just barely enough to crack the outer chocolate coating.  Then press into dough ball, forming the dough around the rolo.  Place on cookie sheet.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on rack.  When cool, sprinkle powdered sugar through a sifter (or fine mesh colander) over the cookies.  Just remember to not breathe in just before taking a bite of the cookie!  [You don't want to inhale the powdered sugar and end up coughing instead of taking a bite! :) ]

***Have you noticed that the cake mixes have all been downsized?  So frustrating.   This recipe was intended with an 18.25 oz. mix, not the 15 or 16 oz. mix.  But they've somehow changed the mix, too.  Now all the cake mix recipes turn out a little wonky.  Not to mention that the homemade oreos turn out tall, fat, and dry instead of moist and flat with the new mix.  Weird.  I really wish they hadn't messed with the cake mix! 

Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Click here to get the recipe

 

A few months ago, I stumbled across this recipe for Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies from Yammie's Noshery.  They were heavenly!  :)  I made big cookies (using about 3 Tbs. of dough), but then cooked them for the minimum amount of time, so they were cooked, but still didn't quite look cooked in the middle (the middles should still look shiny).  I did that so they would remain soft.  I found that when I cooked them until they were done, they dried out and didn't taste as much like a brownie.  When cooking large cookies for a short amount of time, you will need to let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before you can remove them to a cooling rack. 

I forgot to take a picture, so darn it, I'll just have to make them again and remember to take a picture!

 A few quirks to this recipe---

***The dough will be hot when you are trying to add your chocolate chips.  If you just add them right after mixing it up, then the chips will melt and you won't have any chocolate "chips" in your cookie.  So, let the dough cool for a little while before adding *frozen* chocolate chips.  I usually keep my chocolate chips in the freezer anyway, because that seems to help the kids not eat them all before I can make cookies!  When I was making this recipe, having the chips be frozen really helped them to not melt! 
***Also, you'll want to finish making the cookies after the couple hours chilling in the fridge.  This dough goes rock hard in the fridge if you wait a whole lot longer.  If you run out of time and have to put the dough back in the fridge, you can pull them out later to make, but #1 you'll have to let them "warm" up a little before being able to hack into the dough and #2 the dough seems to dry out a little, too, so you might want to add a little (not very much at all) water to not have them crumbling all over the place.  Or possibly even try to warm up the dough a little in the microwave.   

I hope you like them as much as we did!

Creative Kids' Food- Snake Hoagie/ French Bread recipe

The kids liked making this.  We made home made French bread (this one was a double recipe), shaping the long loaf into a wavy line.  We used scissors to make cuts into the top for scales.  After baking, cut the loaf in half (a little tricky) and use to make a big hoagie.  Cut into slices to serve. 

French Bread (one small loaf)

1 1/4 Cup very warm water (not hot)
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. yeast
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups Bread flour or all purpose flour

Glaze:  2 Tbs. water + 1/2 tsp. salt- mix until salt dissolves

*The dough can be made in a bread maker, using the dough program.  If you do that, run the first 5 ingredients on the dough program.  When done, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.  Then follow same instructions after the first rise below.

Place warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl until the yeast bubbles and begins to rise- about 10 minutes.  Once it is ready, place into a mixer bowl and add salt and 3 cups of flour.  Using a dough hook, mix until all ingredients are incorporated.  Add flour until it is the right bread dough consistency, usually 1/2 cup.  Knead with the dough hook for 5 minutes.  When done, place in a greased bowl (spray with Pam) and turn over.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled. 

Punch dough down.  Roll into a rectangle with a rolling pin.  Starting with the longest side, roll up tightly, pressing the end seam to seal, tapering at both ends.  Place the loaf on a greased sheet (in a wavy line if making a snake).  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled again, about 40 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  With a sharp knife, cut shallow slashes on the top, on the diagonal (cut into scales with sharp scissors if making a snake) and gently brush the top with the salt water glaze.  Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes, until a deep golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting. 

Creative kids' food- Cheeseburger

One day when we were have bacon cheeseburgers for dinner, we had the kids make monster faces. You do what you have to do to get them to eat sometimes! This was Ryan's monster. I like the bacon eyebrows. Cute. They all ate, and had fun making the monsters first!

Spicy Honey Chicken Salad

It is no secret that I love Our Best Bites' recipes.  Almost a year ago, I tried their Spicy Honey Chicken Salad with mango and avocado.  Delicious!  We have had it many times since. 

You can get the recipe from Our Best Bites by clicking this link.  

Over time, I have added a few more ingredients--- and I use a different dressing.  The recipe with my changes is:

Chicken- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (only because it's what I always have on hand)
Rub: 2 tsp. garlic powder
         2 tsp. chili powder
         1/2 tsp. onion powder
         1/2 tsp. coriander
         1 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt
         1/2 tsp. cumin
         1/4- 1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder (depending on your taste and how hot the powder is)

Mix all the rub together in a large ziploc bag.  Shake with the chicken until it is evenly coated.  Grill the chicken until done, or pan fry (using 1-2 tsp. canola oil) until done. 

Stir together 1/2 Cup honey and 1 Tbs. cider vinegar.  You may need to heat the honey in the microwave to be able to stir it together.  Once mixed, divide in half.  A couple of minutes before the chicken is done, brush one half of the honey mixture over the chicken, on both sides.  Once done, cut into strips and drizzle with the rest of the honey. 

For the salad, you'll need:  (divided evenly into 4-6 portions)

Spicy Honey Chicken
Lettuce
2 mangoes, diced
2 avocados, diced
1/2 cup crispy rice noodles (not chow mein noodles)
1/2 cup almonds, glazed
several thin slices of a red onion
can of mandarin oranges, drained

Dressing:

1 mango, diced and pureed in blender

3/4 cup mayo (probably could use plain greek yogurt- I'll have to try it sometime)

1/3 cup sugar (can use honey)

3 Tbs. vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

***I have two different brands of chipotle chili powder.  One is much spicier than the other, even though there isn't a specified difference on the labels.  You won't really know how spicy you like the chicken until you make it- and then you can adjust the amount of chipotle pepper the next time.  The first couple of times I made it, I used a powder that wasn't very spicy, so following the recipe was fine.  I wondered why they called it spicy honey chicken.   Then I made it with a different brand (not knowing that it was more spicy) and I may have spilled a little (very little) extra in, but I didn't worry about it because I knew that it wasn't very spicy in the first place!  As I served it to my friends, I told them not to worry, that it wasn't very spicy.  Only to have them just about choke with the first bite and grabbing for glasses of milk/water because it was so hot.  I was very surprised, tried it and had the same reaction.  While it is still good, if it is too spicy, it overwhelms the flavor of the mango and avocado.  It is good to find a balance where it is still spicy, but your taste buds aren't burning so you can't taste anything else! 

Missing Training Table- Chicken Fiesta Sandwich

Ah....Training Table.  One of Utah's best burger restaurants.  You can get a great burger (or sandwich) and also die a heavenly death eating cheese fries with their special hickory fry sauce.  We also like Smashburger.  But back to Training Table.  We have tried making their Chicken Fiesta sandwich at home many times.  It just hasn't tasted quite right without their hickory sauce.  So, we would usually go to the restaurant (to eat) and then buy a quart- it freezes (in family serving sizes) well. 

Right now, that isn't an option, and I don't think they'd ship.  Or, rather, it wouldn't be worth the refrigerated shipping fees if they did ship.  After doing a little research online, I found something that said that Cattlemen's barbecue sauce is a close match to their hickory sauce. After trying to locate some, I found that I would have to drive about an hour to buy it, so I settled for buying several different varieties at the store and trying them out. Of the ones that I bought, I found one that isn't like Training Table's sauce, but its taste complements the pineapple and chicken, so it still works well. Good enough for someone in Training Table withdrawal, anyway. The winner:

It was quite good, although still a second to Training Table's.  The nicest part of the Chicken Fiesta?  It's super easy.  Just grill up a boneless, skinless, trimmed chicken breast (or enough for your family).  We tried using various spices on the chicken- but found we liked it better with just Lawry's seasoning salt and pepper.  I do think that teriyaki chicken would be good on it, too.  When the chicken is done, grill two pineapple rings per sandwich.  Layer them on hamburger buns with lots of barbecue sauce (and mayo if you want to be more like TT- but I prefer to not water down the flavor of the bbq sauce), and enjoy while pretending you are in a cheerful restaurant listening to the phones for ordering buzzing all over the place.  You'll be out of luck making cheese fries that are anywhere near as good, but at least the sandwich will be close!

***I have since found Cattlemen's at Sam's Club and I immediately bought it.  After I got home, I realized that I still have several open jars of various brands of bbq sauce from trying to figure out which one's closest.  So I haven't opened the gallon sized container of Cattlemen's to see if that's even better.  When I open it, I'll come back and let you know.  In the meantime, does anyone have any great recipes using lots of barbecue sauce???   :) 

***If you live in Utah and are lucky enough to be able to go to Training Table....go!  For me!  And then go to Wingers.....the closest one here is in Tennessee (not close at all).....then go splash around in the fountains at Gateway....and then go to Iggy's--- another Utah original,  for their bread dipped in sweet and spicy chile water.....then go into the mountains for a picnic.....and to the Mandarin for almond chicken and mongolian beef.....and then to Great Harvest for a thick slice of wheat bread......then go to one of the amazing, large, and FULL libraries where you can get any book you want....and then to Smashburger for a spicy chicken sandwich..... and then to Gardner Village, just to wander around with the kids.....and then to Rumbi for a VooDoo Salad,  and then to Megaplex where you can use your refillable mug for only a buck AND have reserved seats.... then go swimming at one of the amazing, clean (and cheap) family rec centers....then to Kneaders for their Chicken a la Mondo Salad or Turkey bacon avocado sandwich.....and then to St. George to MARV'S--- the absolute BEST Burger ever (and I usually don't like burgers, even though you'd never know it from this post).....and to Pizza Factory for a bread stick twist....then back to Salt Lake to Material Girls and Thimbles and Threads, two of the cutest quilt shops around with incredibly nice, friendly owners.....and then top it all off with Sweet Tooth Fairy's Pina Colada cupcakes, only available in July (they won't ship cupcakes- super lame!)if you've missed the July availability- get a vanilla one-- and I usually don't like vanilla, but this one's yummy.....OR an Iceberg/ Arctic Circle shake.....all while enjoying that the summer evenings cool off and become quite pleasant.....and that there is little to no humidity and very few bugs!  It may take you a month or two (or more), but you can do it! For me!  :) 

Standard Tattered Blanket with rounded edges

This is just a standard tattered blanket with applique and rounded edges.  It does have binding around the edges--- I like that better than tattered edges. 

The Best Zucchini Bread, Ever!

When I was 12, a lady in our neighborhood showed a bunch of us girls how to make zucchini bread.  It was one of my first experiences with cooking/baking, and I loved it!  Especially when the result was so yummy.  I don't know if it's the sentimental memories or if it really is the best zucchini bread ever- but I haven't found a recipe that I like better.  That super nice woman has since passed away from cancer- and having her recipe means all the more to me now. 

Karen Gailey's Zucchini Bread

3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups grated zucchini (I use the large hole- side of the grater)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 cup walnuts, optional

Combine eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla.  Mix in the grated zucchini. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices (if you happen to add a little more cinnamon, it will be just fine- in fact, lovely).  Blend well.  Stir in chopped nuts, optional. 

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.  Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.  Start checking at 45 minutes to see if it's done- dip a toothpick into the middle of a loaf and if it comes out clean, it's done.  If not- and the center is still jiggly, then cook for another 3-5 minutes and check again.  At home,  it was always done at 45 minutes.  Here--- it took 55 minutes.  I have no idea why.  Altitude?  Because I wanted it to be done?   As you can see, it didn't stop me from sampling it--- before I could even get in a picture! 

Once done, allow to cool for a few minutes in the loaf pan.  Run a table knife along the side edges, loosening the bread from the pan.  Turn upside down onto cooling rack, then flip loaf back to cool right side up.  It is easier to cut when cool, but still cuts just fine while warm! 

Wrap in plastic wrap to store.  Wrap again in tin foil if you want to freeze it.  If you have lots of zucchini during the summer, you can shred and freeze the zucchini in two cup increments, to use in this recipe.  Just thaw and add in as you would normally (drain any excess liquid from freezing).

Rosemary Bread with Dipping Oil

I got the recipe for Rosemary Bread from Our Best Bites.  Have you checked out their website?  Seriously- they have great recipes--- of all the ones that I have tried, I have liked all but one.  The one was not bad, just so-so.  ALL THE REST....FANTASTIC!  Now that is pretty amazing in my book!

I don't know about you, but I am a little finicky with rosemary.  Some times I love the rosemary taste, sometimes I don't.  It can taste a little ..... flowery... for lack of a better word.  So I was worried about if I would like this or not, but I decided to give it a try.  I did really like it.....but I don't know if it was the bread fresh out of the oven, or the dipping sauce that we dipped it in!  The combination together was definitely good.  And the kids have even been snacking on the leftovers of the bread--- which is always a good sign! (completely unexpected- I didn't think they'd like anything so....herb-y...now there's a technical word)

You can find their recipe HERE.  While you're there, you might want to check out their other recipes!

I have had a few people say that they didn't want to have to go to another site to get the recipe--- here it is (with my slight modifications)

Rosemary Bread 

1 C. very warm (but not hot) water

1 Tbs. yeast

2 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. Kosher salt

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. dried rosemary, crushed/chopped as much as you can

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

2 1/2 Cups flour

In a small bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar.  Set aside until really foamy- about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, rosemary, oregano, and garlic powder.  Add the yeast mixture to this along with 1 Tbs. olive oil and knead until mixed well (5 minutes in a stand mixer). 

Grease a bowl and place dough in.  Let rise until doubled.  Then knead gently for a minute and shape into a round loaf.  Place on a cookie sheet and let rise until doubled again.  Brush gently with remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with additional Kosher salt.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until top is lightly golden brown.  Serve immediately with garlic dip (below)

Garlic Oil and Vinegar Dip

Pour olive oil onto a small plate (2-3 Tbs.)

crush one clove of garlic into the oil

add 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (can omit)

Stir together, cover, and let sit for a couple of hours.  When ready to serve, pour balsamic vinegar on top (according to your preference.  We love balsamic vinegar, so we added 3-4 Tbs. balsamic vinegar).  You might want to start with 2-3 Tbs. 

Copy of Olive Garden's Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo

One of Matt's favorite dishes at the Olive Garden is the Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo.  I have to confess it is really quite wonderful (I have them leave out the gorgonzola- so mine's just Steak Alfredo), quite calorie laden, but wonderful.  The marinated steak with the yummy balsamic glaze that ends up getting mixed in with the alfredo--- with the sweet little sun dried tomatoes on top....tastes like a little bit of heaven.  I always have to ask them to bring me the sun dried tomatoes- because for whatever odd reason, if you ask to get it without the gorgonzola, they leave out the sun dried tomatoes, too.  But they add a lot to the overall flavor, so it's totally worth asking for them! 

So, for Father's Day, when Matt asked for hamburgers, knowing that Matt would have to cook his own dinner because I can never cook his meat the way he wants it on a grill (since I'm a "well done, no pink" girl, and he's a "medium rare" bloody plate (ok, juice) guy, he would have to cook it.  So I changed out the dinner menu on him knowing that he loves this meal.  The homemade version is just about as good as the restaurants--- which is always a plus.  It is definitely one that you can't enjoy very often, but when you do....it is really good.  We had it with rosemary bread and olive oil/balsamic dipping sauce, and an olive garden (copy) salad, of course!  Sam's Club started selling Olive Garden's Italian dressing, and since then we have been enjoying a lot of Olive Garden-ish salads!  The irony here is that Matt still had to cook the meat despite my intentions that he not cook his own meal!  I guess in my mind it was different because I had to do a lot, too.   AND IT WAS STEAK!   :) 

Marinated Steak with Balsamic Glaze

(Ihis is also great alone- without the alfredo- as the meat in a meal!  So good!)

Top Sirloin Steak, cut into 2" pieces (1-2 pounds)

1 1/2 cups Italian Dressing (I used the Good Season's dry packet made into dressing- the whole thing)

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. dried Rosemary, crumbled as much as you can

Mix the dressing, lemon juice, and rosemary together into a gallon sized ziploc bag.  Add the meat and toss.  Let marinate for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.  When almost ready to eat, grill as you prefer. 

Balsamic Glaze:  In a small saucepan, stir together 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 2 Tbs. brown sugar and 1 Tbs. honey.  Simmer until the water has cooked off and it is a little thicker.  Be careful to not burn it or let it cook too long.  Let cool.  When serving the steak, drizzle the balsamic over it. 

My Spinach Alfredo Sauce

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 stick butter

3-4 Tbs. cream cheese

1 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup asiago cheese (opt.)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or one clove of garlic, minced)

a sprinkle of Lawry's seasoning salt

several grinds of pepper

1 cup of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry or 2 cups of fresh spinach, chopped

(for Gorgonzola sauce, add 3 Tbs. gorgonzola)

Simmer (on medium low) the whipping cream, butter, cream cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper together.  Use a wire whisk to incorporate the butter.  Add the cheeses.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add a little milk if it is thicker than you want.  Add the spinach (and gorgonzola if you are making that kind of sauce), stir until it is mixed in.  Serve it with fettuccine noodles, cooked according to the package directions. 

Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo

To assemble the meal, place the fettuccine on the bottom, with the alfredo/gorgonzola sauce on top.  Place the steak pieces on top and drizzle those with the balsamic glaze.  Then sprinkle with chopped sun dried tomatoes (I recommend the kind that are in a plastic bag rather than stored in oil) and 1 Tbs. gorgonzola cheese (if you like the blue veined stuff).   If you are a mixed family (blue cheese lovers and haters) then serve it with the regular alfredo, and have the blue cheese lover put lots of gorgonzola on top of theirs!  :)  When storing leftovers in the fridge, store the alfredo sauce separately from the noodles or the noodles will absorb all of the sauce and when you reheat it, all the oils will separate out.  For best results with reheating, gently reheat separately and then put them together. 

 

Dad's Rotini Pasta Salad

The picture doesn't do this salad justice.  It actually looks a little gross in this picture.  But it isn't! 

While growing up, my Dad made this pasta salad.  It always tasted so good to us.  The nice thing about it is that it can be flexible- it can use a bunch of vegetables from your garden, and it is a cold salad, perfect for those hot summer days. You can easily add what you have and omit what you don't.   My Dad says that the keys to this salad are:  1.Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing- other brands just don't taste the same.  2.Salad Supreme, and lots of it!

Rotini Pasta Salad

16 oz. pkg. of Rotini, cooked 

1 bottle of Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing

1 bottle of Salad Supreme

1 can olives, drained and sliced in half

8 oz. cheese (almost any kind), cubed

1-2 tomatoes, diced

1 can corn, drained (or fresh corn, sliced off the cob and barely cooked and chilled)

1 bunch broccoli, cooked until tender-crisp and chilled

3 carrots, sliced and cooked until tender-crisp and chilled

1 zucchini, minced

Pepperoni (as much or little as desired, diced)

Any other vegetable you can think of that you would like to try in this salad

Cook the Rotini according to the package directions.  When it's done, I will usually rinse it under cold water to stop it from cooking further and to help it not stick together.  I know, the horror.  I've been told it's a big no-no.  But since this recipe isn't about to be featured and judged on a cooking show, I think it will be ok.  Put the Rotini in a big bowl. 

Cook the broccoli, corn (if not canned), and carrots until just fork-tender.  You still want them to have a little crunch- you don't want those veggies mushy.  Slice up the rest of the ingredients and stir it all together.  Stir in the bottle of Wishbone.  When adding the Salad Supreme, I will give it a heavy sprinkle over the top, stir it in, then repeat until it looks right.  My Dad uses the whole dang bottle.  I use about 1/2-3/4 of the bottle.  I keep stirring it in until I can see a few specks of the seasoning on the top of all of the pasta after I have evenly stirred it in.  When I can stir it and not uncover a big spot without seasoning, then I stop- again, I use about one half to three quarters of the bottle of Salad Supreme.  Refrigerate for a few hours, at least, to help the flavors meld together. 

 

Faux Cathedral Window

Flannel baby blanket and burp cloth

        My babies always loved to be wrapped up tight to sleep.  Once they got to be a couple of months old, I had a hard time wrapping them up in the small receiving blankets you can buy in stores.  It felt like I was trying to wrap a present without a large enough piece of wrapping paper.  No matter how much I tried to creatively wrap, I just needed a larger blanket.  Luckily, making them isn't hard and then I was able to have blankets that were large enough to easily wrap a baby in.  We called the babies wrapped up "our little burritos". 
     Over the years, I have come to love making baby blankets.  They are small and easy to make.  There isn't a lot of bulk that you have to shift around while trying to sew.  The blankets can be quickly made- some in as short as a couple of hours including cutting time.  Other baby blankets can take a couple of days. 
   This is a faux cathedral window pattern made into a 2 layer flannel receiving blanket.  It's one that takes a couple of days and lots and lots of pins.  And when I'm done, I look like I've been holed up in a tiny closet with an angry cat because of all of the scratches from pins that cover my arms.  Sound like fun?  I know you're dying to make it now!  :) 
    With a small baby flannel blanket, it actually isn't too bad.  I had far more scratches on my arms after making a faux cathedral blanket in denim with batting, especially since that one is bigger and heavier.  I thought it would make a nice outdoor picnic blanket.  And it does....if you don't mind hauling a 50 pound blanket to the picnic site.  No, it isn't quite THAT heavy, but it feels like it after carrying it around!  It makes a nice 4th of July Fireworks quilt.  Which is pretty much the only time it gets used due to its weight.  But hey, the nice thing is that the wind doesn't blow it around!  It stays put unlike other blankets!  This blanket is a "joke" in our family.  I used denim jeans that I had saved for over a decade (that my husband asked me to throw away many, many times).  Then the blanket took me about two years to finish.  It was very heavy and bulky and awkward to sew.  Not to mention that the scratches on my arms needed time to heal in between sessions working on it!  But it is done.  In comparison, the flannel baby blanket is a breeze.

This blanket is sewn by cutting out circles.  Lots and lots of circles.  I used a large lid and traced the circles onto the fabric and then I hand cut them out.  After that, you have to trace the largest square that will fit inside the circle onto the fabric, in each circle.  The easiest way to find the largest square is to fold each circle in half and mark both half points at the crease edges.  Then fold it in half the other way, matching the marks together and mark the opposite ends of each crease.  Connect the markings and you have the square.  Measure the square and create a template.  Then trace it onto each circle.  Those are going to be your sewing lines, and the shape/size to cut your inside window fabric. 

     Another fun thing about the faux cathedral is that you can choose to have scalloped or straight edges.  If you want straight, just keep folding the outer edges in and stitch them down as you do the rest of the quilt.  If you want scalloped edges, you'll need to cut out extra elongated football shapes to lay on top of the bottom fabric- then sew as usual.  This isn't meant to be a tutorial- just helpful little tidbits of information/pictures in case anyone else wants to attempt one using the tutorials out there on the web.  I used one for the denim quilt, but I couldn't find it again. This was before Pinterest...  If you have questions, you could always message me or leave a comment, and I will try to help you. 

This is how it would have looked with a straight edge.  I prefer the scalloped edge.   

 This is one row of circles sewn together- it is sewn along parallel lines from the squares.

 Sewing line

Two rows sewn together- along opposite parallel lines.  You sometimes have to sew off the marked line- it is important to make sure you are sewing along the end of the perpendicular seam lines, kind of connecting them.  You don't want the first seam to end and then have a space before the seam along the adjacent edge. 

All of the back is sewn together.  Now I am placing the middle square of fabric in the center of each circle and pinning the circle's flapping edges down onto that middle square fabric. If you want to use batting, you place it behind this square of fabric.   

Boy's Tattered Blanket in a staggered brick pattern

Shoot.  Nothing like looking at a picture of a finished blanket only to notice that when sewing, I messed up the order/pattern of it all.  Super lame.  Oh well.  I obviously didn't notice it at first- so hopefully the person getting the blanket won't notice it, either!  :( 

So the title of this should probably be "Boy's Tattered Blanket in an attempted staggered brick pattern" since I didn't quite achieve the pattern!  :)  Oh well..... such is life. 

Teriyaki Chicken

When I need teriyaki chicken for a recipe, or when my family is going to have teriyaki chicken for dinner, this is my go-to recipe.  It is my favorite one to use.  It's not a picky recipe- and it's forgiving.  Nice and easy.  This is one that you don't need to stress over exact measurements.  At least I don't.  Half the time I don't even look at the recipe (hence the addition of the optional items-- because I forgot they WEREN'T part of the recipe) When it's all stirred together, just smell it.  If it smells good, it should be fine.  If it smells like it needs something....then add it in!  :)

Teriyaki Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (bleh!  You must trim them of all fat and/or gross stuff!)
1/2 cup soy sauce (feel free to eyeball it)
1/4 cup water (or pineapple juice) (water is fine)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (or turn the bottle upside down and shake it until you have 2 tsp. or 2 Tbs. or whatever you feel like.  I don't think there's a risk of getting too much Worcestershire sauce in there- no need to dirty a measuring spoon)
1/4 C. brown sugar (just open the bag and sprinkle it in until it looks like 1/4 cup.  If it's a little more, it won't hurt it!)
1/2 tsp ground ginger (just shake it in)  OR several grates, about 1 tsp, of ginger root (preferred)
dash of garlic powder OR 1 clove garlic, minced (preferred)
OPTIONAL:  about 1-2 Tbs. vinegar
                       1/4 tsp. black pepper or crushed red pepper

Now, to cook it, you can stir together the sauce (until the sugar has dissolved) and:

To BAKE:  mix the teriyaki sauce in an 8X8 pan, place the (thawed) chicken in.  Cover with tin foil or a lid and bake at 375 until chicken is done.  Usually 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts)  If you are in a hurry, you can cut up the chicken to help it cook quicker.  If the chicken is frozen, it will take longer to bake. 

To GRILL:  Mix the teriyaki sauce in a gallon sized bag or large bowl.  Let the chicken marinate in it for a few hours in the fridge, turning occasionally.  Grill until chicken is done.

CROCK POT:  Mix the teriyaki sauce in the crock pot.  Place the chicken in.  If the chicken is frozen, you'll need to add on more time- an hour or two.  For (thawed) chicken, it takes about 2 hours on high. 

IF USING CHICKEN IN A RECIPE,  I let it cool until I can handle it without burning my fingers.  Then I either chop it up into cubes or I pull it into pieces with my hands (you don't want the fine shredding that comes from using forks).  Then I put that into a bowl, covering it with the teriyaki sauce it was cooked in (just until the chicken is covered), and put it in the fridge until I am ready for it in the recipe (usually salad). 

Oriental Chicken Salad

First of all, I am well aware that this picture is not a good one, and it's all blurry too.  It's the only picture I have of the salad though, and I figure something is better than nothing!  :) 

This is one of my kids' favorite meals.  They all love Oriental Chicken Salad.  You know, the kind with crunchy Ramen noodles (uncooked, broken up straight out of the lovely 20 cent plastic package.  What can I say?  We like the finer things in life!)  I think it might just have something to do with the fact that we love the flavor of red wine vinegar.  We might even just splash a little extra on the top for a little more zing.  Sometimes.  When we want to take a walk on the wild side of  dinner.  I got this recipe from Jennifer Larsen (a lady in my neighborhood growing up) about 25 years ago- and to this day I have not found a better recipe for this kind of salad.  I hope you like it, too!

Oriental Chicken Salad

1 head of cabbage, chopped
2 pkg. Ramen noodles, broken into bite sized pieces (chicken flavor, reserve one seasoning packet)
1 can water chestnuts, diced
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (I rarely remember to toast them)
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 C. celery, diced
4 teriyaki chicken breasts, cooked, cooled, and chopped (find recipe here. )

Toss all of the ingredients together.  Mix in salad dressing about a half hour before serving.  Don't mix it in before that or it will all get soggy.

Dressing:

4 Tbs. sugar
6 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 pkg. chicken seasoning from Ramen
1 C. canola oil (I usually only use 1/2 cup)

Mix the sugar, vinegar, pepper and chicken seasoning in a blender.  While continuing to blend, slowly pour in the oil. 

Traditional Tattered Blanket with Appliques

This is just a traditional tattered blanket with appliqued flowers.  On this particular one, I used heat and bond lite to apply the applique and a zig zag stitch to finish it. 

Knorr Spinach Dip

Just the thought of this dip makes my mouth water.  The recipe is from the back of a Vegetable Soup Mix packet- but sometimes they change their recipes, so I have kept my favorite version.  It is so good, I haven't seen the need for any modifications!  Yay! 

Let's just pretend that I normally put the dip in a crystal bowl instead of serving it right out of the Tupperware container I mixed it in.  Let's also pretend that we usually eat it with healthy vegetables instead of Wavy Lays potato chips.  Let's pretend. 

Knorr Spinach Dip

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

16 oz. sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 pkg. Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix

1 can water chestnuts, drained and diced

3 green onions, sliced

Mix all of the above in a bowl and refrigerate for a couple of hours so the flavors can blend and the veggies from the soup mix can soften.  If you can't wait to taste it, the dip is still good with the veggies all crunchy in dehydrated goodness!  Before serving, stir again to mix the flavors.  A few tips on this recipe:

 *Make sure you buy the regular Vegetable soup/recipe mix, NOT the SPRING Vegetable Mix.  I did this once.  It is NOT the same! 

*If you want to make it with a LITTLE tiny bit less fat, I usually use Naturally Yours Fat Free Sour Cream.  I actually use this in ALL of my recipes.  It has good flavor and texture, and cooks up in recipes just like the regular full fat version.  Unfortunately, where we live right now I can't find this in stores.  The Daisy brand works well, too. 

*Also, to drain the spinach after it has thawed, I spoon the spinach into a paper towel or clean dish cloth.  Then I twist the bundle to squeeze out all of the extra water.  You don't want the excess liquid to water down the dip!  :)