Oreo Balls

So I made these for my work peeps as a trial run for making them for a church dinner. They turned out amazing and only 4 ingredients. The chocolate drizzle makes them look like a professional made them!

1 package regular Oreo cookies

1 8oz brick of cream cheese, softened

Almond/white bark to coat (around half a package)

1/4 bar of dark bakers chocolate (any good chocolate will work)

Crush the Oreos very small. (I put them in a gallon bag and used a rolling pin to crush them up but a food processor would work great if you have one) Mix in the cream cheese until well blended. Form into balls. Melt the almond bark and roll the Oreo balls in the melted bark. Set on wax paper covered cookie sheet and put in refrigerator to harden, about an hour is plenty of time. Melt chocolate and drizzle over balls. I melted mine in the microwave and put in a ziplock bag and cut the tip of the corner off which worked really well.

SOMETHING DELICIOUSLY DIFFERENT - INDIAN FOOD

These recipes were tucked away in the back of a Taste of Home Food Magazine (February and March 2010, pgs. 81-82). I almost overlooked them, but came across thought they looked interesting when browsing old recipe magazines for inspiration. I was nervous trying them, but they were relatively easy and completely worth the effort. Don’t cheat with regular rice. The minted rice sounds different, but completely makes the meal! This dish goes great with some sliced cucumbers and tomatoes on the side.

MINTED RICE
1 cinnamon stick (3 in.)
2 whole cloves
1/8 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. canola oil
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 cups water
½ cup fresh mint, minced

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the cinnamon, cloves, and cumin seeds in oil until aromatic, about 1-2 minutes. Add rice; cook and stir until lightly browned. Add water and mint. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Once rice is at desired tenderness, fluff with a fork. Discard cinnamon and cloves. Serve with curry recipe below.

GARBANZO CURRY
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cinnamon stick (3 in.)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. curry powder
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ tsp. minced fresh gingerroot
1 can garbanzo beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
1 cup water
1, 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
½ cup minced fresh cilantro

While rice is steaming, sauté onion and cinnamon in oil in a large skillet until onion is tender. Add the curry, garlic, and ginger; cook 1 minute longer. Add the garbanzo beans, water, tomato sauce, lemon juice, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 4-6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Discard cinnamon; stir in cilantro.

THANKSGIVING'S ONLY A MONTH AWAY! ENJOY SOME THANKSGIVING FOOD EARLY

Even though Thanksgiving is nearly still a month out, I decided the cool weather provided the perfect opportunity for some delicious Thanksgiving inspired food! We invited some friends over, and grubbed on turkey, stuffing casserole, homemade macaroni and cheese, green beans, and banana pudding. The banana pudding recipe was posted earlier, but I thought I should share the rest in case you're feeling in a turkey and stuffing mood too! I'm also going to throw in a recipe for baked apples, because they are so yummy to pair with the stuffing and make your house smell amazing to boot! All of this stuff is EASY…it tastes like you slaved all day, but literally takes an hour or less of actual hands-on time for the entire meal below.

CROCKPOT ROASTED TURKEY
1, 3-4 lb. roast (white and dark meat)
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp. dried rosemary
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Pour chicken stock into crockpot. Place turkey roast (skin side up) in the stock. Sprinkle rosemary on top of turkey, and salt and pepper the turkey to your preferences. Cook on low 7-8 hours.

STUFFING CASSEROLE
1 stick butter, melted.
1 pkg. Pepperidge Farm cornbread or herb-seasoned stuffing
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients in a large mixing bowl, until stuffing is completely moist. This can be put into a 9x13 pan, but I prefer a 9x9 to make it extra moist (doesn't even need gravy)! Once ingredients are well-mixed, spoon into 9x9 baking dish or stone. Cook on 350 for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through. This dish is fine to mix up the night before and store in the refrigerator until time to cook.

HOMEMADE MAC-N-CHEESE
1/2 stick of butter, cubed
11 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed (about 1/3 block)
1/2 cup milk (or add milk to desired consistency)
16 oz medium-sized macaroni shells.

Cook macaroni shells as normal, until desired tenderness is reached. Drain macaroni thoroughly. Add butter, cheese, and milk to pan. Pour macaroni shells back in and stir over low heat until all cheese and butter are melted. You may chooise to add more or less milk, depending on the consistency you like for the cheese sauce. Salt and/or pepper to taste, although I like mine just as it is.

OLD TIMEY GREEN BEANS
2 cans whole green beans, drained
5 pieces bacon, chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Sugar, to taste

In an iron skill (or any skillet if you don’t have an iron one), brown bacon. Drain off approximately ½ grease after bacon has cooked. Pour in green beans, and cook over medium heat until some beans begin falling apart. Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste (this will require you actually tasting them as you cook to make sure you have the right amounts).

EASY BAKED APPLES
5 gala apples, cored and sliced into wedges (leave skin on)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ stick butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 or 2.5 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Place apples in dish, and cover with sugar and cinnamon. Cut butter over top of mixture. Cook 1 ½ - 2 hours at 350 degrees. Baked apples may also be cooked in a crock pot on low for 8 hours or on high for 2 ½ hours. Either way, your house will smell amazing!

"Ladle in Red" Chili

Chill is in the air, so it's time for some chili around the Peake household! This is my favorite chili recipe, which I found in Taste of Home magazine (Feb. & March 2009). Not only does this chili taste amazing, but it's low fat too. I was really distressed yesterday because some of the recipes I frequently use for fall/winter were hidden away in one of our unpacked boxes. After about a half our of internet searching (waste of time) and another half hour of searching through boxes (worth it), I finally came across it. I thought I would share it since I felt it was worth spending an hour searching for it. Note: I've made a few slight modifications, for example, using 1 lb. of ground beef instead of 1.5 lbs and using chili beans in hot sauce instead of beans in tomato sauce (which I couldn't find).

"The Ladle in Red" Chili

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 c. each diced celery, diced green pepper, and diced red onions.
1.5 tbsp. chili powder
1.5 tsp each, ground cumin and dried oregano
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups tomato sauce
1.25 cups beef broth
1 tbsp. hickory-flavored bbq sauce
1 can (16 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans in sauce
3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. liquid honey

Cook beef and garlic in a pot over medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink. Stir in celery, green pepper, and red onion. Cook and stir for 3 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften a bit.

Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and black pepper. Cook for 1 more minute. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, celery leaves, and bbq sauce. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans and simmer, covered for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, lime juice, and honey. Serve hot.

This chili is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day, so if you want to make it the night before a busy week, it will still taste delicious! I recommend putting in a skillet of sweet cornbread and enjoy!

Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I made this soup for the first time last night, and Hondo, Lacey, and LB really liked it.

6 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 cup fat-free milk
3 large potatoes
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 T. chopped onion
4 T. shredded fat-free cheese
4 T. fat-free sour cream
2 T. real bacon bits
1 ½ t. garlic powder
1 ½ t. onion powder
1 t. minced garlic
½ t. salt
¼ t. black pepper

Pierce potatoes with a fork in multiple places, and then place them on a paper towel or microwave-safe plate. Microwave for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Once cool enough to handle (I put them in the freezer for a little while), remove and discard the skin by either peeling it off or cutting potatoes open and scooping out the insides. Mash the potato pulp with a fork and set aside.

Bring a large pot sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, until onion has softened. Add broth and milk. Slowly add the flour, continuously stirring until it has completely dissolved

Add mashed potatoes and stir until fully blended. Add all other ingredients. Mix well, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Makes 10 servings.

Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake

I don't know if this is popular in Dentin, Whitney, but I'm posting it for you anyways.

Cake ingredients:
2 sticks butter
¼ cup cocoa
1 cup water
½ cup buttermilk
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
2 eggs
1 ½ cups peanut butter

Frosting ingredients:
1 stick butter
½ cup cocoa
6 T. buttermilk
1 box powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine the butter, cocoa, water, and buttermilk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium/low heat. Pour it over the dry ingredients and mix well. Add beaten eggs to the mix quickly. Bake in a cookie sheet with sides at 350 degrees for 13 minutes.

Let cake cool for about 5 minutes and then spread the 1 ½ cups of peanut butter over the cake. Let peanut butter cool completely then make the frosting. Combine the butter, cocoa, and buttermilk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then add the sugar and vanilla and pour over the peanut butter with a spatula.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

This is a somewhat guilt-free dessert that is simple to make.

14 low fat graham cracker sheets broken in half (need 27 squares)
4 oz. box fat free, sugar free instant vanilla pudding
1.5 cups milk
1 tub fat free cool whip thawed
1 tub whipped chocolate frosting (lowest fat and calorie you can find -- this will last you awhile)

Break the 14 graham cracker sheets in half to make 27 squares, and set aside. Pour milk into a large bowl and add the pudding package. Whisk for approximately 2 minutes until ready and then set aside for a few minutes. Line the bottom of an 8x8 dish with 9 of the graham cracker squares. Then add thawed cool whip to pudding mixture and mix thoroughly. Place half of the pudding/cool whip mixture over the graham crackers. Then layer with 9 more of the graham cracker squares, followed by the remainder of the pudding/cool whip mixture. Top with remaining graham crackers. Cover the dish, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, cover with the chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Passion Bowl

Whitney's mom, Kim, gave me this recipe. I made it for a work potluck a couple years ago, and now everyone requests I make it again everytime we have a potluck.

3 cups cold milk
2 pkg (4 oz. serving each) Jell-o chocolate flavor instant pudding & pie filling
1 tub(8oz.) cool whip french vanilla whipped topping, thawed & divided
1 baked 9 inch square brownie layer, cooled, cut into 1inch cubes (about 5-1/2 cups)
1 pt (2 cups) raspberries

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping.

Place half of the brownie cubes in 2 qt. serving bowl; top with half of the pudding mixture, half of the raspberries and half of the remaining whipped topping. Repeat all layers.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

Chili Rellenos Bake

I can't help but post another Mexican food recipe. Even though I make this for dinner, it would be great for breakfast, too.

1 26-oz. can roasted and peeled green chilis (or use about 24 roasted and peeled green chilis)
4 cups grated cheese
1/2 cup very thinly sliced green onions
5 eggs
1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Put green chilis in a colander placed in the sink and let drain for about 15 minutes. While chilis drain, preheat oven to 375F. Spray glass or crockery casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil. (I used a 9x13 dish, but anything close to that size will work.) Use your thumb to split open each chili, scrape out any lingering seeds, and make a flat layer of chilis covering the bottom of the dish. (I alternated every other chili facing the opposite way because they are slightly v-shaped.) Top chilis with half the grated cheese, then sprinkle on green onions. Make another layer of flattened chilis, followed by the rest of the cheese. Put eggs into a bowl and beat well, then add milk, ground cumin, and chili powder, and stir until well combined. Pour egg-milk mixture over chilis and cheese, taking care to get it evenly distributed. (The egg-milk mixture will not completely cover the casserole.) Cover dish with foil for the first 15 minutes of baking time, then remove foil and bake until mixture is bubbling and cheese on top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes total baking time. (You can cook it without the foil, but watch it carefully or the top will get too brown. Cooking time without foil will be slightly less.) Serve hot and with sour cream and salsa if desired.

Boneless Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip

Just in time for football season.........

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or 1 already cooked rotisserie chicken)
1 medium bottle of ranch dressing
1 medium bottle of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (Buffalo flavored)
2 blocks of cream cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bag of tortilla chips, pita bread, or crackers

Boil the chicken breasts until they are fully cooked. Shred the chicken into small pieces. Microwave the cream cheese so it’s mixable. Mix the chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and hot sauce in a bowl. Spread the ingredients in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, pita bread, or crackers.

Tortilla Roll-Ups & Salsa

Like I previously said....as AZ natives, we make lots of Mexican food. This tortilla roll-ups recipes is a great appetizer that goes very fast. My mom's homemade salsa recipe goes very well with them, and it tastes very fresh and is so easy to make.

Tortilla Roll-Ups

8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. shredded cheese
1 4 oz. can diced green chiles, drained
1 4 oz. can diced black olives, drained
Garlic powder to taste
5-10” flour tortillas

Combine sour cream and cream cheese together well. Stir in cheese, green chiles, olives, and seasoning. Spread over tortilla. Roll tortilla. Wrap tightly with plastic warp, twisting ends. Refrigerate several hours. Cut in ½” slices.


Salsa

1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can petite-diced tomatoes
2 cans chopped green
1 can El Pato hot sauce (the yellow can)
1 purple onion
1 bunch green onions
Cilantro to taste (about ¼ of the bunch)

Put the crushed tomatoes, onion (cut into about 8 pieces first), green onions (chop by hand first), and cilantro into the blender and blend. In a separate bowl, mix the diced tomatoes, green chiles, and El Pato. Add the blender mixture into what’s in the bowl.

Bean Soup and Other Bean Recipe

These are 2 bean recipes you can make in the crock-pot. Not only are they easy, but they will feed a lot of people and are great for a potluck.

Bean Soup

Brown 1-2 lbs. ground beef (or turkey). Mix in a crock-pot with the following ingredients:

One can each-
Pinto beans
Great northern beans
Kidney beans
Hominy
Stewed tomatoes
Corn, drained
Chopped green chiles
El Pato hot sauce (yellow can)
One packet dry ranch dressing mix

Serve with Fritos and grated cheese.


Beans

Soak 1 pound of pinto beans in water overnight. The next morning, discard the water and cover beans with new water. Add 1 cup barbeque sauce, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 yellow onion, and pork. (I used a $5 pork roast from Wal-Mart that I cut up into small chunks while still raw.) Then cook all day in the crock pot on high.

Chicken Enchiladas

Growing up in AZ, my mom cooked a lot of mexican food, of which this is my favorite recipe. Not only is it very good, but it's really easy, too.


Chicken Enchiladas

3 T. butter or margarine
2-3 c. cooked, diced chicken or turkey (I use canned chicken, but you can use leftover turkey from the holidays.)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
1 can green chiles
12 corn tortillas

Slightly fry each tortilla in a pan with oil so tortillas are moist and not brittle/dry.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in chicken or turkey, soup, and sour cream. Blend well.

For each enchilada, place about 1/3 c. chicken mixture in center of each tortilla and roll. Arrange in an ungreased 13”x9” baking dish. Spoon remaining chicken mixture over enchiladas. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Grape Salad

When my sister-in-law Meg first came to Christmas with Dan, she brought along a delicious grape salad. This has become my go-to side dish for picnics and get-togethers. There are rarely leftovers and when there is that one bowl left, everyone would like to take it home.

Meg's Grape Salad
4-5 pounds red or black seedless grapes
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (do not use low fat, it will clump)
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup sugar

Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped

Mix cream cheese, sour cream and sugar with mixer on medium speed until well-blended. Toss in grapes. Place grapes coated in mixture in large bowl.

Combine brown sugar and chopped pecans and sprinkle over grape mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Typically, I don't measure the brown sugar or pecans. I simply go by sight to make sure there is a nice, thick topping (i.e., I probably use more than the recipe calls for). This dish is also wonderful if it has time to "sit." I often make it the night before an event.

A Soup for Fall!

Today was the first day we've had that felt like fall here in Denton, so I did what I always do when fall rolls around. I opened the windows and made soup, but today I gave up the old standby of vegetable beef soup. I tried out a new recipe I'd come across for a Roasted Corn and Crab Soup. The name doesn't really give justice to the delicious flavor that comes through in this soup. It is one of my new favorites, and will become a new standby on cool fall days (and the rest of the year)!

Roasted Corn and Crab Soup
14 oz. bag of steam-in-the-bag frozen whole kernel corn
2 large red onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
64 oz. (2 boxes) reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup half-and-half
4 ounces cooked crabmeat in bite-sized pieces (we bought pre-packaged, refrigerated crabmeat)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place corn in the microwave and cook on high for 2 minutes to thaw. Pour out onto paper towels, and dry corn thoroughly. Spray stone bar pan or tinfoil lined metal cookie sheet with cooking spray. Spread corn evenly onto the stone. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then stir. Bake approximately 10 minutes more until golden brown, stirring once or twice (it took mine about 8 additional minutes). Remove from oven and set aside.

In a stock pot, cook onions and peppers in oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until almost tender. Add roasted corn, 1 1/2 boxes broth, thyme, and red pepper. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In an old spaghetti or mason jar, combine remaining broth and the flour. Shake together well. Stir mixture into the soup. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes more. Stir in half-and-half, and heat until warmed through.

Ladle into soup bowls and divide crab meat among bowls.

If you plan to make this ahead, simply make as above without adding crabmeat. Refrigerate the soup, and reheat when ready to eat. After reheated, add crabmeat.

Banana Pudding with Meringue

I clearly love dessert. This is no secret given the number of dessert-oriented recipes I post. Banana pudding with meringue, warm from the oven, is hard to beat. I took this to a picnic last night, and even though my bananas were too ripe (making it a little overly sweet) only one scoop was left. This recipe is easy and delicious, but tastes rich enough that people think it's really difficult! I would just recommend ensuring your bananas still have a little bite to them.

I put this into a 9x13 pan last night, and that made for pretty thin servings. If placing the dessert in a 9x13 dish, I would recommend doubling the recipe, so the meringue is nice and thick!

Banana Pudding

Pudding

4 TBSP. melted butter (1/2 stick)
3 eggs, separated (reserve egg whites for meringue)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 heaping TBSP. flour
2 cups milk
1/2 box vanilla wafers
3 big bananas thinly sliced

Mix butter, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and flour. Whisk and stir, then slowly add milk while whisking. Microwave 5 minutes on high, stir thoroughly, the microwave an additional 3 - 4 minutes. Fold in bananas, and layer mixture into a 2 quart, oven-safe bowl or dish with 1/2 box vanilla wafers.

Meringue:
3 Egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup sugar

Beat egg whites on highest speed until stiff. Add tsp. vanilla. Then add 1/4 cup sugar slowly while gently beating. It will take several minutes to whip egg whites until ready to spread.

Spread meringue on pudding and bake approximately 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until meringue peaks are golden brown.

FINALLY - A Blueberry Muffin Recipe Worth Sharing

As Jeff can attest, I have a pretty serious love affair with blueberry muffins. Although they have been a staple in our house the past several years, I am not particularly a huge fan of the packaged blueberry muffin mixes. Since we moved to TX, I have been searching for a good "from scratch" blueberry muffin recipe. Trust me, there are lots of not-so-delicious recipes floating around online, but I will have to say I think I found my new go-to recipe this morning.

Yummy Grande Blueberry Muffins
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup) at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed, rinsed, and patted dry

This recipe will yield 12 huge blueberry muffins. If you're used to filling muffing cups 2/3's full, then you could likely maintain that tradition and get 15 muffins out of the batch.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 12 muffin cups. I use a Pampered Chef baking stone to skip out on paper cups. The stone does a nice job of keeping the muffins light and fluffy, but allows the top to crisp a bit. If you're using a muffin tin, I would recommend lining it with paper baking cups.

Cream butter and sugar together until well mixed and light. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate small amounts of the flour mixture and milk while gently beating mixture until well combined. Be careful not to get overzealous with the mixing.

Just as a note, I used my stand mixer and it worked great in getting everything mixed well without overdoing it.

Using a spatula, gently incorporate blueberries into the mixture. Spoon mixture into greased/lined muffin cups. Sprinkle a small amount of sugar on top of each muffin. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until muffins are golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Just as an aside, I didn't really "time" the muffins too carefully. I like to go on sight, and using the toothpick check.

These are definitely worth the investment of time! They were so delicious, I plan to make them for Christmas Eve breakfast this year.

New Lasagna Recipe (From Scratch)

Tonight I gave a homemade lasagna recipe a try. The only thing I didn't make were the noodles, since they take so much special equipment. It was really fresh and full of flavor, so I would vote that it was completely worth the effort...it's only time consuming, not labor intensive. I even had a little sauce leftover, which I plan to freeze for a tortellini night later. The sauce was so tasty, I will be making it for spaghetti nights too! To round out the meal, I made caprese salad and garlic toast. It made for a really nice meal with plenty of leftovers for a busy week.

The recipe calls for sweet Italian sausage. I gave it a try, but will probably try spicy next time to give it an extra kick. The recipe also called for an additional 3/4 pound ground beef in the sauce to accompany the Italian sausage, but I opted to leave that out and add in some extra mozzarella to the final product.

Sauce
1 package sweet Italian turkey sausages, casings removed
1/2 cup onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
2 cans tomato paste (6 oz each)
2 cans tomato sauce (6.5 oz. each)
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. sugar
1.5 tsp. dried basil
0.5 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

In a large pot, cook sausage, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Add sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley. Simmer on low, covered, for about 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Lasagna
Meat Sauce
9 lasagna noodles
16 oz. Ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.

While noodles are boiling, mix ricotta cheese with the egg 2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

To assemble, spread 1.5 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with one third of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1.5 cups meat sauce over mozzarella and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and baked uncovered an additional 25 minutes.

Note: To keep foil from sticking, spray it with cooking spray before covering dish.

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever, Hands-Down

Leatta shared this chocolate chip cookie recipe with me a couple of years ago, and after tasting these cookies, I started making them on a regular basis. This is the cookie recipe that led to the passage of the "no break-n-bake cookies at our house" rule (Jeff has even learned to make these cookies). With the addition of a Kitchen Aid Mixer (use the paddle attachment) to our kitchen a couple of years ago, this recipe is now almost as easy as making break-n-bake cookies. I can also say that these cookies have passed multi-state taste testings, and are just as popular in my new office as they were in my old one.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups all purpose flour
1.5 cups milk chocolate chips (I usually just go by sight here and I use milk chocolate because Jeff likes them best and it's something a little different)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Melt butter, and cream with sugars. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix until well-blended. Add baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just blended. Mix in flour one cup at a time until cookie dough is of a consistency to roll into balls (sometimes this takes adding a little flour if you didn't get exactly 3 cups in). Add chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and bake 1 dozen at a time. Bake for 4 minutes, and then rotate pan in oven (this allows the cookies to bake evenly). Depending on your oven, you will need to bake 3 and a half minutes to 4 minutes more after rotating the pan.

Pour a big glass of milk and enjoy them warm right out of the oven!

This is a dough that can be made ahead and placed in the refrigerator for a few days. I haven't tried freezing it yet, but if you do, please let me know how it goes!

Citrus Glazed Salmon - Something delicious since it's been awhile!

I pulled this recipe out again this week for a treat. The original inspiration came from Alton Brown, but he likes to get too complex for me with a huge salmon fillet. I've simplified it, but there is absolutely no taste sacrificed in this delicious dish! If I were having a dinner party, and the people liked fish, I would have to seriously consider serving this dish.

Citrus Glazed Salmon
1 package frozen wild or farm-raised salmon (I typically pick up 14 oz. - 1 lb for the two of us...skin on or off, it doesn't matter)

1/3 cups brown sugar

Zest from 2 lemons

1.5 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Take the salmon out of its package (if it has skin on it, place the skin side away from you) and place it onto a cutting board. Mix together remaining ingredients in a small bowl, and distribute it evenly on top of the salmon. This will require you to get your hands dirty, to make sure the brown sugar mixture is evenly spread over the salmon.

Let the salmon sit with the mixture on top for 45 minutes at room temperature. I usually make some oven baked Lipton soup mix potatoes while I'm letting the fish marinate in the glaze.

After the salmon has marinated at room temperature and the glaze has become a thick liquid on top of the salmon (it should look kind of like a thinner bbq sauce), turn your broiler on high and move the top rack in your oven to 3 inches from the broiler. Transfer your fish to a foil-lined (cooking spray required) cookie sheet. If you have a Pampered Chef baking stone, this might be a good time to use it, since the sugar will burn under the broiler (it burns less on a stone). This will cause a small amount of smoke as some of the sugar drips down onto the sheet and burns, but don't be alarmed...just turn on the exhaust fan and it will pull it right out. You should broil the fish on high, depending on thickness, 6 - 8 minutes. Pull the fish out of the oven when done and let it sit for 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

In the meantime, I put some broccoli in the microwave to steam and use the juice of the lemons, some butter, and salt to give it some kick when it comes out.

The next day, this recipe is still amazing as leftovers! Shred the salmon and mix it a spinach salad with some craisins and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. You will be just as happy with the leftovers as you were with the original dish!

One Bowl Brownies Courtesy of Bethann Oswald

Jeff and I are fortunate enough to have made a friend already here in Texas! This week Bethann, our new landlord, brought us some delicious brownies when she came in for lunch and a visit! As soon as I tasted them, I knew they didn't come from a box. Unlike box brownies, these were a perfect consistency - delicious, moist and chewy but firm enough to withstand cutting into servings.

The only problem I have with them is that it's really hard to stop at one! She generously shared the recipe with me, and has given me permission to share it here too. Thanks, Bethann!

1 c. oil
8 t. cocoa
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
2 T. Karo syrup
2 t. vanilla

Mix above ingredients in bowl.

Sift and add:

1 ½ c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. pecans or walnuts (optional)

Bake at 350 for 30 min. in 9" x 13” pan.

Spaghetti with a Kick

Tonight I made a yummy, lower fat, meat-based spaghetti sauce. Instead of 1 pound of hamburger meat, I bought spicy Italian turkey sausage. If you like a kick, use the spicy kind, but mild Italian turkey sausage can also be used. I just bought the turkey sausage in the casing, and removed the casings before browning the meat. Then I added it to my favorite bottled sauce (Newman's Own Sockarooni) and cooked the spaghetti as usual. If you try this, my guess is you'll be like us and never go back to regular old hamburger meat again! You get a lower fat spaghetti sauce with more flavor (and turkey is comparable in price to leaner ground beef)!