Pesto and Cherry Tomato Pizza

We have a garden! :) A very small garden. I think I might harvest 7 tomatoes from 3 plants in a styrofoam bin- my husband said it looks "ghetto", and I'm trying to do the math and figure out if that would pay for the soil, not to mention the plants... but hey- I did it. :) (My son made sure the lettuce and chard didn't survive by pulling them out by the roots early on.) However, I am totally amazed with the world of difference in flavor from a fresh tomato- that alone made the experience worth it. I just finished reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and I could really identify with her description of the tomato: "We can’t even wait for the right time to eat tomatoes, but instead consume tasteless ones all winter to satisfy a craving for everything now." I also love the way even just barely touching the vines give my hand the strong tomato smell. Oh- the good earth, even from my little apartment! Here is a yummy recipe for your fresh tomatoes. Pile them on! One of my favorite things on the planet. My mother-in-law appropriately calls them "bites of sunshine." (By the way- this is my favorite pizza dough recipe. I've tried MANY and this is the one I've had the most consistent success with.)

Vary the pizza topping by using cured meats such as salami or pepperoni. Or, substitute other quick-cooking, freshly cut vegetables, like bell peppers or mushrooms.

Pesto and Cherry Tomato Pizza (William-Sanoma)

• 1 Tbs. coarse cornmeal
• 1 yeast dough ball (see related recipe at left), at room temperature
• 1/2 cup pesto
• 1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the yeast dough:

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/4 tsp. (1 packet) instant yeast
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups warm water (110°F)
• 2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for bowl

Make the dough
In a food processor, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt and pulse to blend. Add the warm water and the 2 Tbs. olive oil and pulse until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 to 2 minutes to form a smooth ball. In an oiled large bowl, place the dough, turn to coat it with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk and very spongy, about 1 1/2 hours.

Divide the dough
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, punch down and knead into a smooth cylinder. Divide into 2 equal pieces and knead again to form 2 smooth balls, dusting with flour if needed. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Store 1 ball for future use (see note above).

Shape the dough
Sprinkle the cornmeal evenly over an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Place the dough on the prepared pan. Very firmly press down on the center and, working from the center outward, push and stretch the dough to the edges of the pan to achieve an even thickness. (If the dough is difficult to handle, set it aside, covered, for 10 minutes.) Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for at least 15 minutes.

Assemble and bake the pizza
Place a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 450°F.

Spread the dough evenly with the pesto, leaving a 1/4-inch border uncovered. Arrange the mozzarella and tomatoes evenly over the pesto. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 15 to 18 minutes.

Cut the pizza into serving pieces and serve warm. Makes about 8 pieces.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Small Plates, by Brigit L. Binns (Oxmoor House, 2007).

Simple Fruit Toss

"Ripe strawberries, Ripe..." Who will buy this wonderful morning? (from the musical: Oliver) Wonderful because Doug cut up this fresh fruit for us. Mmmm! A fresh and simple snack.

Simple Fruit Toss (Doug Stew)
grapes
sliced strawberries
sliced peaches
sprinkle with sugar and toss/stir together
Serve cold.
(Any fruit combo will do.)

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

Here's a little bit of heaven in a loaf pan!!! The glaze is literally "the icing on the cake" knocking an already delicious loaf up a notch and out of the park. My friend Erin brought this by and I pretty much thought I had died and gone to cinnamon heaven! SO GOOD!

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread (Taste of Home)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
GLAZE:
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons milk

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda and salt. Combine buttermilk, egg and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and remaining sugar.
Grease the bottom only of a 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Pour half of the batter into pan; sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar. Carefully spread with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar; cut through batter with a knife to swirl.
Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Combine confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency; drizzle over loaf. Yield: 1 loaf.

Applesauce Cake

I put up applesauce last year and after serving some up for breakfast, I had just enough left in the jar that was screaming to be turned into a delicious spice cake, so I caved. :)  I can always count on Betty Crocker for a good recipe; however, I did leave out the raisins and nuts, because… well… sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don’t.  I remember as a kid just begging mom to leave that stuff out.  In my mind, she had just destroyed a perfectly good dessert.  Now-a-days, I’m the one throwing them in… but every once-in-a-while, those childhood taste buds revisit, and I humor them.

Applesauce Cake (Betty Crocker)

Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups applesauce

Into a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add raisins, chopped walnuts, melted butter, and applesauce. Beat until well blended. Pour batter into greased and floured 9-inch square pan or 11 3/4 x 7 1/2 baking pan. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool and spread with cream cheese or butter frosting. If desired, decorate applesauce cake with grated orange peel and walnut halves, or top with cream cheese frosting.
Number of Servings: 20

Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe

First of all… I just have to say THANK YOU to my cute little brother and sis-in-law. They got me one of these for my birthday in the spring… (It just came about a month ago. There were complications with delivery. :)

Jealous? You should be. Aren’t they good to me!!! It has been so fun to experiment with and it’s just so nice to have light is my light-lacking apartment. THANK YOU!!!

Second of all… this is a really yummy version of fried rice. A real twist. Shrimp is growing on me. My friend shared a bag with me as they were cleaning out and moving, so it has been fun to experiment. Texture is a big thing for Doug and he wasn’t quite ready for the peanuts and pineapples, and though he knows better then to tell me so , I could tell it wasn’t his favorite. I however, really liked it. So you just never know until you try it out, I guess. :) (I also threw some ham and tomatoes in there.)

Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe (Taste of Home)

• 2 eggs
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups cooked instant brown rice
• 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
• 1/2 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add eggs; cook and stir until set; remove from the skillet and keep warm.
• In the same skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the rice pineapple, shrimp, cashews, peas and green onions; heat through. Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, sesame oil and pepper; stir into rice mixture. Stir in eggs. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/3 cups equals 342 calories, 10 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 128 mg cholesterol, 521 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 16 g protein.

Beef Stroganoff

This is a favorite at our house (particularly with my hubby), so to find a recipe (on the back of a plain yogurt container) that still gives you the rich flavor, but spares you the fat and calories made me a happy cook! Yogurt stands in for the sour cream.
You won’t even miss it.

*Lyd’s Tip: This is a great way to use up left over beef or pork from that Sunday roast or slow cooked shredded meat – I even like to save some of the drippings because it adds so much flavor (there went all the calories I just saved... but it was worth it, right? Don’t worry that it has a different flavor profile. For example, sometimes I use the shredded pork from my South Carolina Pork Sliders, and I use the drippings. It create a whole knew version of flavorful stroganoff that you just couldn’t achieve any other way. :) You can kind of substitute that for the beef stock, too.

Beef Stroganoff (mountainhighyogurt.com)

• 1½ pounds beef tenderloin,
  cut into thin strips (Time to repurpose that roast I was talking about.)
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 3 tablespoons grated onion
• 1½ cups beef stock
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste (How strange is that? I know, and who has 3 tablespoons handy—I hate opening a can for that, but it did give it a cool flavor. Don’t panic if you don’t have it though.)
• ½ teaspoon chopped fresh basil
• ¼ cup sherry (I don’t use alcohol, so this is when I either throw in apple juice or those roast drippings I was talking about in Lyd’s Tips.)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (I don’t always have fresh mushrooms—my daughters would like it if I didn’t have any, but I drain a can and it works pretty well.)
• 1 cup Plain Mountain High Yoghurt
• 2 cups cooked rice or noodles
• I sprinkle with Parmesan.
  

Season beef with salt and pepper to taste, then dust with the flour, tossing until all surfaces are coated.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil, then add beef and onions. Cook until beef is browned but still pink on the inside, about 6 minutes.

Add beef stock, tomato paste, basil, sherry, and mushrooms. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in yoghurt, and serve over rice or noodles.

Makes 6 servings.

Scandinavian Almond Cake

My sweet neighbor, Melissa, brightened my day by sharing this yummy treat with us- it was gone in seconds.  I was excited to find a new home for the almond extract that is collecting dust on my cupboard shelf.  I think this one has a nice balance of sweetness and it was really good with strawberries on top!

Scandinavian Almond Cake (lefsetime.com)

• 1 1/4 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2/3 c milk
• 1 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 stick melted butter

Beat together sugar, egg, extract and milk. Stir in flour and baking powder. Then add butter. Mix well. Spray cake pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle slivered almonds into bottom of pan if desired. Pour into a greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or till edges are golden brown. Cool cake in pan completely before removing. To remove place inverted Almond Cake Plate to top of cake pan and then flip. Dust with confectionary sugar if desired. Due to the ridges in cake pan, slicing is a 'piece of cake'.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

I just counted up over 20 posts that I need to catch up on!  I have gotten so behind!  A new little baby can just throw off all sense of time!  July?  Where… when?  I don’t remember a July this year!!!  ANYWAY, speaking of babies… this was a meal that my sweet friend Rebecca brought me while I was out of commission and we all enjoyed it so much that I had to get the recipe.  Makes a great freezer meal!

Chicken Broccoli Casserole (Rebecca Alldredge)

• 1 pkg frozen broccoli spears                                            
• 4-5 chicken breast cut up          
• 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice                                      
• 2/3 cup Milk
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup                                          
• 1/2 cup Mayo or salad dressing     
• 1/4 tsp curry powder
• 3 cups of Cooked rice (leftover, fresh or instant)

Mix ingredients together, sprinkle with cheese, salt (to taste) and paprika. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with breadsticks or nice green salad. Enjoy!

Tip: you can cook it with the chicken raw or cooked, if chicken is raw cook the full 30 minutes; if not raw then cook til heated through and cheese has melted.

Pasta, Edamame, and Bacon

Took a little break there- we were on the road stranded with car trouble… well not the whole time, of course, but long enough! We actually had a really nice visit with family, just tough to look past a two day ride home where we replaced two tires and a couple hours down the road, our transmission went out. But on a happier note… I made this yummy pasta. :) (Here is a link to the video- you just basically toss soy beans in with cooked pasta and bacon and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top.) By the way- isn’t that cellantani pasta cool? It just looks like a party!

Lyd’s Tip: This is one of Sandra Lee’s Round Two Recipes, but if you didn’t make the first round, it worked well to crisp up the bacon (cut into thin pieces) and then saute the onions and edamame in the bacon fat. It gives it a good flavor and skips a couple steps.

Round 2 Recipe: Edamame (Soy Bean) with Pasta (R2R from Sandra Lee)

• 1/2 pound bow tie pasta
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 cup leftover Sauteed Edamame
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, optional

Click here to see how she does it.

Cook pasta according to box instructions.

While pasta is cooking saute bacon in a medium skillet over medium-low heat until bacon is brown and crispy. Pour off half the excess bacon fat from the pan. Add the leftover soybeans and saute for 2 minutes. Add cooked pasta, season with salt and pepper and stir so that the pasta is thoroughly coated with the bacon fat. Transfer to serving bowl and top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Sauteed Edamame:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, to taste and saute for 2 minutes. Add edamame and saute for 4 minutes until edamame are heated through and onions are tender. (Reserve leftover Sauteed Edamame for online Round 2 Recipe "Bowtie Pasta with Edamame.)

Use the leftovers from this recipe to make Edamame with Pasta.

Pork Nachos

I love slow cooked pork.  It just make the whole house smell so yummy… like I have a plan for dinner.  (Here are links to my favorites: Café Rio Pulled Pork and South Carolina BBQ Pork Sliders.)  But sometimes, I pull them out, and have no idea what else to do with all that pulled pork.  I stumbled across this video clip in my hunt, and I liked it, because it was something totally different.  It tasted great too.  You can follow the link for the salsa recipe, but I just mixed my own.

Pork Nachos (Sandra Lee’s Round 2 Recipes)

• 2 cups baked corn chips
• 1 cup leftover slow-cooked orange pulled pork
• 1 cup leftover corn and black bean salsa
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar
• 1/2 cup sour cream, optional

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

In an oven-proof baking dish add half of the corn chips in a single layer. Cover with half the pork, half the salsa, and then half the cheese. Continue layering with remaining ingredients ending with the cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted, bubbling and lightly browned. Top with sour cream, if desired, and serve hot.

Click here to see how it's done.

Butterscotch Chip Bars

This is such a fast and easy dessert- great one to make when you are in a hurry. And who, I would like to know, doesn’t love butterscotch chips. They never last long at my house, which is the only reason I wouldn’t make these. :)
Butterscotch Chip Bars (From 101 Things To Do With A Cake Mix)

• 1 yellow cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil. Stir in butterscotch chips until stiff. Press dough into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Bake 13-16 minutes at 350 degrees.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

Blueberries and sour cream were just meant to be best friends, I’ve decided. They just go so well together! I made some Sour Cream-Blueberry Bread a while back, and I thought it was such a happy mixture… and here they are again, like old friends, only much easier to make in a quick pancake. Blueberry pancakes are my favorite and my best! Hope you ENJOY! (P.S. I didn’t make the sauce for this one- I usually make a yummy sauce, but as you can see, I literally couldn’t wait to tare into this bad boys, and they stood on their own two feet without the sauce.)

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes (Taste of Home)

For the Sauce:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water
• 4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

PANCAKES:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Add blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.
• For pancakes, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the eggs, milk, sour cream and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.
• Pour batter by 1/4 cupful onto a greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with blueberry topping. Yield: about 20 pancakes (3-1/2 cups topping).

Editor's Note: If using frozen blueberries, use without thawing to avoid discoloring the batter.

Nutrition Facts: 2 pancakes with 1/3 cup topping equals 332 calories, 13 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 79 mg cholesterol, 387 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.

Vanilla Pound Cake

This seems like such an incredibly appropriate post for today. My girls watched a “Strawberry Shortcake” episode earlier, and the theme song has been in my head every since, “…That girls so sweet, just like her name…” After watching it with them, (Yes… I watched it with them, thanks to my nursing child, I’m a bit hard up for quality entertainment around here. :) I came to the conclusion that she is a little TOO sweet- unrealistically so. You like a good, positive main character, but she was over-the-top unrealistic optimistic. I guess it is at least wholesome, right? They could be watching worse things, surely. Anyway, regardless of the cheesy cartoon, this is one SWEET dessert. Hard to beat an easy-to-make pound cake topped with yummy strawberry sauce!

Vanilla Pound Cake (marthastewart.com)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup (8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch) loaf pan; set aside.

2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined (do not overmix).

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and turn upright to cool completely.

Spicy Butterscotch Pudding

I’m just a puddin’ kind of gal. I dare say it is one of my absolute favorite desserts- I love soft mushy puddingy custardy things… I think it stems back to my childhood days when I would steal my little sisters banana strawberry baby food (which I still think is divine, and which I now steal from my own kiddos… but I assure you that that wasn’t my only reason for having another one. :) AND might I add that this is my new favorite pudding. Heavenly! I’m not big on “spicy” but just that slight hint of cayenne is kind of fun… but you can always leave it out, too. Just SOOO good and really easy to make! This one beats that box mix any day!

Spicy Butterscotch Pudding (Melissa d’Arabian from Foodnetwork.com)

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 dash cayenne pepper

Whisk together the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a saucepan until smooth. Add the milk and half-and-half and stir to combine. Bring the ingredients to a simmer over medium heat whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the vanilla, butter cinnamon and cayenne. Pour the pudding into 4 small serving bowls and chill for 1 hour before serving.

A Prize Winning Recipe...

Here is a little something I've been cooking up for the last nine months. He was slightly over-done (arriving a week late) but his deliciously kissable pink cheeks and all that rich dark hair have convinced me that this one is a winner for sure! :) Definitely "Lyd's Favorite"!

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Here is a fun way to switch up a typical sandwich.  I like Ellie’s recipes, because they are pretty fresh and easy, and they seem to be just a bit healthier than usual.  This didn’t pack of ton of flavor- I had to add a bit of salt, but it was still pretty good.

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches (Ellie Kriegor from Foodnetwork.com)

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 5 tablespoons molasses
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded into thin strips (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups)
• 6 whole-wheat hamburger rolls
• 6 large green lettuce leaves

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, vinegar, molasses, pepper and liquid smoke and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped chicken, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Split rolls. Place a leaf of lettuce on each roll, then pile on 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture onto the roll.

Per Serving:

Calories 440; Total Fat 12 g; (Sat Fat 2.5 g, Mono Fat 5 g, Poly Fat 3.5 g) ; Protein 36 g; Carb 47 g; Fiber 5 g; Cholesterol 95 mg; Sodium 400 mg

Easy Traditional Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

We had a really fun Relief Society activity where my friend Michelle, a native of the Caribbean, shared a few recipes with us. She adds her own twist of spices to this dish, but this is the basic recipe she used. We also had some delicious “rice and peas” on the side. It was all so yummy! I can’t handle too much heat, but she made a mild version, and it was perfect. Just a mouth-watering mixture of flavor! So fun to add some culture to the mix! Thanks for sharing Michelle!

Homemade Jamaican Jerk Chicken (Suite101.com)

• 1 whole chicken, sectioned and with each piece containing a few ½ inch deep slashes
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 seeded and finely chopped habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper for a very hot flavor or a jalapeno pepper for a milder spice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Cooking Directions for Jerk Chicken

1. Combine all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a food processor and blend into a smooth puree to form the jerk marinade.
2. Place the sectioned chicken in a large bowl and cover each piece completely with the marinade.
3. Cover the chicken and marinate for at least six hours. Leave overnight for best results.
4. When the chicken is fully marinated, remove it and grill it over a hot grill until the chicken is fully cooked.

If one does not have a grill, the chicken can also be baked in a 425° oven until it is fully cooked. (Michelle bakes hers in the oven in a casserole dish.)

For the perfect meal, pair this jerk chicken with a cold, crunchy coleslaw or salad and Jamaican rice. Make sure to have plenty of cold drinks on hand as this recipe is spicy. For a less spicy version, leave the hot pepper out all together. This marinade can also be used with pork if desired.

$250 Cookie

I know what you are thinking… “Seriously, another chocolate chip cookie recipe?” Can you ever have to many, really? They just all turn out so different and so good! :) I feel like Debra’s got cookies down! (Remember those Double-Chocolate Chip Cookies?) Well, this one is worth at least $250! :) Thanks for sharing Debra… especially in the middle of a move… bonus points for you!

$250 Cookie

• 2 cups butter
  4 cups flour
  1 tsp. salt
  2 tsp. soda
  1-8 o.z. Hershey Bar (grated)
  2 cups sugar
  3 cups chopped nuts (your choice/optional)
• 4 eggs
• 5 cups blended oatmeal **
  2 tsp. Baking powder
  24 oz. chocolate chips
  2 tsp. vanilla
  2 cups brown sugar

**Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies. (Recipe may be halved)
Note: May bake in a convection oven for 11 minutes at 350 degrees. Also if you take your butter and eggs out a few hours before you plan to make the cookies and allow them to warm to room temperature, your cookie will turn out better! I don’t use nuts. These cookies freeze really well, and defrost within a couple of hours. Freezing them is a way to keep them fresh and enjoy them longer!!

Muffins that Taste Like Donuts

Muffins or Donuts for breakfast? Hmmm… why not indulge in both fairly unhealthy competitors? (I’m sure you would have the full support of your local law enforcement. :) I came across this recipe on goodlifeeat.com and seeing as how I am a pretty big muffin fan, this one was just screaming at me to give it a try. We are not going for healthy here… just absolutely delicious! :) I loved the dense consistency and the cinnamon and sugar coating. It really did remind me of an old fashioned donut or a yummy coffee cake. This made a very tasty addition to the muffin collection! A must try!

Muffins that Taste Like Donuts
from lemanda on Tasty Kitchen

for the muffins:

1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/3 cup Oil
3/4 cup White Sugar
1 whole Egg
3/4 cup Milk

for the topping:

1/4 cup Butter
1/3 cup White Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Grease one standard size muffin pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk. Add dry ingredients and stir only to combine. Fill standard sized muffin tin with the batter, using a scant 1/4 cup per muffin (I like to use my Pampered Chef Large Cookie Scoop – perfect size & easy!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a bowl. Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl. Shake muffins out while still hot. Dip muffins in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mix. Let cool.

Makes 1 dozen. You might want to double the recipe. (I think I filled my muffin tins really full, because I was short 4 muffins from a two dozen after doubling the recipe… and I felt pretty ripped off. :)

Tangy Almond Garlic String Beans

It’s always good to have a winning side dish… it just seems like I neglect that part of the meal, but I find it’s really worth it when I take the time. It makes me so impressed with my Grandparents generation—they always seemed to have an impressive “proper” spread complete with several side dishes, fruit, and followed up with dessert. I just feel lucky most days to throw together a casserole or something of that nature, and if it has some sort of veggie in it, I feel like “I’ve arrived.” :) Way to go Grandma! These string beans were really god- I love almonds in them! I’ve made a similar recipe before, but I really liked the addition of ginger- added a whole new dimension.

Tangy Almond Garlic String Beans (foodnetwork.com)

• Salt
• 1 pound string beans, trimmed
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1-inch piece ginger, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (I'm a wimp and didn't include this.)
  
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for just 1 to 2 minutes, until the beans turn bright green. Strain them and run under cold water to stop them from cooking.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast them until golden brown, about 4 minutes, shaking the pan often to avoid burning the almonds. Remove the toasted almonds from the pan.

Return the skillet to the burner and increase the heat to medium-high. Heat the olive oil in the pan and add a few pinches of salt, the garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Cook just until the garlic starts to brown. Add the vinegar and let cook down for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and toss in the beans to coat them thoroughly and evenly with the dressing.

Serve on a platter and scatter the top with the toasted almonds.

Scones

Scones, Fried Dough, Indian Bread, Whale’s Tails, Tiger Ear’s, Pizza Frita, Frying Saucers, Elephant Ears… I’ve even heard them call “Nessy’s Ears” at our local Renaissance Festival. (Which, consequently, got me pining for these greasy, yet delicious morsels.) Growing up, I used to help out in our ward food booth to earn money for the scouting program. I have memories of stretching many a dough ball to make many a scone. We had the best honey butter to go with it. (Talk about asking for a heart attack. :) At least you would die happy, right?) Doug made some this time, and it was pretty good. At the festival, they had theirs dipped in cinnamon and sugar, and they looked so good.

This isn’t even like a real recipe- I guess I just wanted to get the idea out there. I didn’t even make my own rolls! I was lazy and bought a package of Rhodes rolls… but they work great. Let them thaw and slowly stretch them out, then I just deep fried them in some canola oil. I couldn’t get them to stretch really well- I can usually get them really thin and make huge ones, thanks to all my former “practice”, but I think I’ve lost my touch. :) Still a fun “once in a while” treat. The kids loved it!

Mexican Wedding Cookies

I’m just a bit behind on my “Cinco de Mayo” post. I am certainly not of “Mexican” origin, but growing up, we used to beg my mom to make us these cookies, so you could just about consider me a "danged native". They are one of my favorites. They are kind of a shortbread cookie… with lots of butter as you can probably see… chalk it up as another reason I'm quite partial. :) My husband said he was surprised at how good they were, because he was just expecting little “dough balls”. My daughter did the powdered sugar dipping, so they weren’t “perfect” but I thought they tasted great, and I was happy to find a quick recipe that worked well and brought back lots of happy memories!

Mexican Wedding Cookies (kraftrecipes.com)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Pecans

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Beat butter, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and pecans, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended.

SHAPE dough into 1-inch balls. Place, 1-1/2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE 14 to 15 min. or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Cool 5 min. on baking sheets. Roll warm cookies in remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar until evenly coated; place on wire racks. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

Make it Easy: Use a blender or food processor to finely chop the pecans. Just be careful not to overprocess them or you'll end up with nut butter!

MaryJane’s Farm

My daughter’s class recently went on a field trip to MaryJane’s Farm. She is kind of a “local celebrity” and it was fun to see her lovely farm and where all the “magic” happens for her magazines. It was fun to meet her. She is like a lovely, down-to-earth, country version of Martha Stewart. She even came out with her pet chicken named Ginger. (The kids were thrilled! :) One of the reasons I wanted to post this, was because she has a pretty cool line of MaryJane organic foods. I’m not totally immersed in the whole “organic” thing, but I think there is some neat stuff in there and a few fun recipes you might want to check out. It was a neat trip for me. I’m enjoying some of her magazines- she has a really fun old fashioned, Country Girl style that is refreshing after so much of the trendy, new-age stuff that gets thrown at us.

Banana-Berry Brownie Pizza

I brought the dessert to “The Easter Feast”, and this is what I decided to make. My mother-in-law knows how much I love cooking, and for my birthday, she gave me this AWESOME Taste of Home Most Requested Recipes cookbook that I have just LOVE! It has so many practical, but absolutely mouth-watering recipes in there that I can’t wait to try. This was one that I found, and it ended up being a big hit! They had it in a pizza pan, but I decided to do it in a 9x13 casserole dish. Anyway- this is a yummy one. Bananas and strawberries are just a good match, but then you throw chocolate in there and life is beautiful!

Banana-Berry Brownie Pizza (Taste of Home)

• 1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch size)
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 
  TOPPING:
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 to 2 medium firm bananas, sliced
• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted (I'm a slacker, and I just drizzled chocolate syrup over the top.)
  

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the brownie mix, water, oil and egg until well blended. Spread into a greased and floured 12-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Spread over brownie crust. Bake 15 minutes longer or until topping is set. Cool on a wire rack.
• Just before serving, arrange strawberries and bananas over topping; drizzle with chocolate. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Dairy-Free Chip Cookies and The Beginning of a New Adventure…

Dairy Free? Can in really be done? I mean… can it REALLY be done with someone like me? A month or two ago, I would have told you ABSOLUTELY NOT, but I have found a few gems a long the way that have really helped out. Rice Milk is one of them!

Alternative milks I like (in this order):

• Flax Milk is my favorite, but it is newer and hard to find. It tastes really good- vanilla flavored… Mmmmm! And it has that Omega 3 that is really good for you. They enrich these milks, so they have just as much calcium as a glass of cow’s milk- which I think is pretty cool.
• I also really like Rice Milk- the flavor isn’t too strong, but it does taste like rice. My husband didn’t like any of them until he tasted this, but he love rice, so there you have it.
• I also like Coconut Milk- it was so good in cereal!

However, I’m not as big a fan of Almond or Soy Milk- which are much easier to find. I just didn’t care for the flavor as much, but that is just my two bits on the subject. Why Dairy Free?, you may be asking. My husband and daughter have had a couple health issues, and we’ve found out they might have a food allergy/irritation to dairy, so I’ve just been trying to cook most of our meals without. I have been surprised at the difference- we have all felt better. My husbands stomach pains have decreased and my daughters issues are almost gone! It is hard, I still haven’t completely gotten rid of the cheese and yogurt- those have been the hardest, but we’ve found that the low fat kinds seem to cause the worst reactions.

ANYWAY- enough about all that- I did try out these cookies I found on the side of the Rice Dream carton. They were pretty good. I like the maple syrup flavor in them—although I don’t know how “healthy” that was with all the high fructose corn syrup… oh well, I guess you win some and you loose some. :) It reminds me a little bit of the guy I saw using one of those aluminum water containers to “help the environment” and I watched him open a plastic water bottle, pour it in, and toss it…Hmmmm…I guess you just do the best you can and just hope to yourself you are making a difference. Maybe you just feel a little less guilty anyway. :)

Huey's Chip Cookies (Rice Dream)

Makes 12 large cookies or 3 dozen small cookies

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup carob or chocolate chips (I used mini dark chocolate chips.)
• 1/2 cup Rice Dream Classic Original or Vanilla
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Drop by scoop or spoon onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake 10 - 20 minutes (depending on size) until edges begin to brown.

Blueberry Muffins with Crumble Topping

Yes… you are absolutely right, I will admit that I make a lot of muffins. I can’t help it. I just REALLY like muffins. They always sound good and almost always taste good… especially blueberry muffins… ESPECIALLY THESE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS! Mmmmm. So good. I promise! I have made so many different recipes for blueberry muffins—Emily’s To Die for Blueberry Muffins (from whence came the crumble topping for these, and which I embarrassingly posted twice, I just found out), The Best Blueberry Muffins I Ever Made, Sour Cream Blueberry Bread, Bacon Blueberry Scones, and Good Morning Blueberry Bran Muffins. Can you tell I really like blueberries—and really super-duper like blueberry muffins? :) The first two recipes are my favorites, but I think this one takes the cake…or the muffin in this case, or at least ties with the other two, especially with the addition of crumble topping. A wondrous way to start the day!

Blueberry Muffins (Susanna Tee, 1 Mix, 100 Muffins)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I did half wheat, half white- seems to be a good balance, a little more substance, but not too heavy.)
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• scant 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 6 T oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• zest of 1 lemon (I cannot emphasize enough what a difference this little secret weapon makes! Totally transforms a typical blueberry muffin- don’t leave it out, and if you don’t have lemon, use orange, maybe even lime… it just needs that citrus kick.)

Preheat oven to 400 and grease or line 12 muffin cups. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and blueberries.

Lightly beat the eggs in separate bowl, then beat in the milk, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined- do not over mix.

Spoon the batter into muffin cups. (Sprinkle on your crumble topping now before baking, if you are adding that.) Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Crumble Topping: (Pretty easy to mix together, and worth the extra 5 minutes!)

Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Lion House Porcupine Meatballs

I just haven’t had quite the same motivation in the kitchen with this baby taking away some of my appetite and desire to cook (not to mention the heartburn :), so it is a good thing I have sweet friends with good recipes! I mentioned my dilemma to my friend Jackie, and she e-mailed me this yummy recipe. She was saying she likes this one because after you prepare, you just let it simmer for an hour and you don’t have to worry about it so much. I tired it out and really liked it. I have to admit I was nervous that it might just taste like tomato soup, but was surprised at the yummy unique flavor. My husband did the stirring because I had to leave for a bit, and not that I’m complaining, but they didn’t quite look as much like meatballs afterwards :) but they still tasted great and they weren’t burned, so thanks hubby. And thanks Jackie for motivating me to get dinner on the table. :) Keep ‘em comin’ friends!

Lion House Porcupine Meatballs
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/3 c uncooked rice
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c water
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 can tomato soup (condensed)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 c water

*Combing beef, rice, onion, 1/4 cup water, salt, and pepper. Shape into one inch balls. Set aside. Blend soup and chili powder. Stir in 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add meatballs. Cover and simmer gently for one hour. Stir occasionally. Makes about 6 servings.

Quick and Easy Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting PLUS a Self-Rising Flour Recipe

I’m coming out of “birthday central” at our house. We have three right in a row (soon to be almost four, because I’m due with another little one in a month), and my daughter was the only one who actually ended up with a “cake”. I made little girly cupcakes for her party. She requested “Pink Lola Frosting” (Charlie and Lola is one of our all-time favorites, so here is a link to a cute Charlie and Lola birthday episode that I highly recommend watching—I dare say I enjoy them just as much, if not more then my kiddos… just a little confession. :) I got this great Mom and Me Cookbook a while back for kids. It is so cute and simple and kids have fun helping because it is so visual. I had to have something to put that “Pink Frosting” on, and this ended up being just as “Quick and Easy” as it boasts to be. :) Better than a cake mix and dare I say, just about as easy. I added just a bit of lemon juice to have it go with the Lemon Frosting I made. Ended up being a tasty little Spring-Time Birthday Cupcake! Wish you could have made it to the party. :)

Lyd’s Tip: It’s easy to make something look fancier with a slice of fruit. Just kind of dresses things up and makes it look special. I would recommend waiting until you are ready to serve though if you are doing a wet fruit like a strawberry- it got a little soggy and wet on the frosting. I also thought the sprinkles would be fun, but by the time I served them, they had bled onto the strawberry and it didn’t look quite so “pretty” but the kids didn’t seem to mind. :)

Quick and Easy Cupcakes (Annabel Karmel, Mom and Me Cookbook)

• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1 cup self-rising flour (Don’t panic- it’s ok if you don’t have it, just scroll down and I’ve included an easy recipe for self-rising flour.)

Preheat oven to 350. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat together until the mixture is smooth and slightly lighter in color.

Line a muffin pan with muffin papers and half-fill each paper with the cupcake batter.

Bake the cakes. You can tell they are done when they have risen up, are golden in color, and spring back into shape when pressed.

Lemon Frosting

(I came across this recipe last summer when I made Lime cupcakes for my sister’s birthday and it is totally my favorite frosting recipe! (As you can see, I subbed Lime for Lemon this time.) It is the first time you actually REALLY want to eat the frosting right off the top- so yummy. Be warned though, it makes a huge batch- I made 24 cupcakes, and I still had almost half a bag left… which isn’t really a problem. :) I made a very creative, yummy fruit dip with it by adding a bit of cream cheese and yogurt, but I think it is best in frosting form.)

• 3/4 - cup Butter, softened
• 6 - cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 - teaspoon salt
• 1 - Tablespoon half and half or milk
• 1 - teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lime peel (I zested 2 times) (I used Lemon zest.)
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice (the juice of 2 limes) (I used Lemon juice.)
• 2 - Tablespoons light corn syrup

In a large bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter at medium speed until creamy.

Gradually add powdered sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt alternately with half & half and 1 teaspoon vanilla, lime peel and juice, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

Stir in corn syrup.

Frost cupcakes. (I scooped all my frosting into a zip-lock bag, got air out and sealed tightly. Then I cut about 1/4 inch off the end and piped icing out in a circle starting on the outside of the cupcake and moving into the center. I garnished with a strawberry slice.

Self Rising Flour (about.com)

For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Mix to combine.

Healthy Oat & Prune Muffins

Hey- it’s Muffin Monday… or wait, Saturday. :) You won’t feel one bit of guilt eating these healthy muffins. They were surprisingly tasty too! The prunes are actually pretty good in them- they add some moisture. They mix up fast too, which is always nice. A healthy breakfast or snack!

Healthy Oat & Prune Muffins (Susanna Tee, 1 Mix, 100 Muffins)

• 1 cup of all purpose flour (I went ahead and did whole wheat, why not if we’re thinking healthy?)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• scant 2 cups rolled oats
• heaping 3/4 cup pitted prunes chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C.

2. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with cases.

3. Sift together the flour and the baking powder and then stir in the sugar, oats and prunes.

4. Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and then add the milk, oil, vanilla extract.

5. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

6. Stir gently until just combined, do not over mix.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until well risen, golden brown and firm to the touch.

8. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Homemade Tartar Sauce

My hubby took me out for fish and chips on my birthday. It was so good! I was inspired by the yummy tartar sauce- that is most definitely an acquired taste for me. When I was little, I was not interested at all, but now I could just spoon it out and eat it alone. :) Anyway- we recently had some crab cakes, and I felt like they needed that yummy tartar sauce, so I did some hunting and found a pretty good recipe. I love small raw onions- also probably an acquired taste (I feel a little like a rough pirate-like character embracing such a strong, rugged veggie). I just love the crunch, and when they are finely chopped, I don’t think they are too strong or overpowering… and least, I like to think that, but my onion breath might suggest otherwise. :)

Lyd’s Tip: I must say that “1 quart of mayo” is a lot. You’ll probably want to cut this one down. (What a great area to sub some plain yogurt- cheaper and better for you- I wouldn’t swap it straight across though.) I made a smaller batch, and I still had a lot left over. I was wondering what to do with it, but then I started thinking about how it might work well for tuna fish sandwiches. It was been awesome! A great flavor and you just add the tuna and a little bit of this sauce and you are good to go. These extra few ingredient kick it up a notch, and the kids really liked it.

Tartar Sauce (allrecipes.com)

• 1 quart mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup finely chopped dill pickle

In a stainless steel or glass mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, and dill pickle. Mix thoroughly. Transfer to a glass or plastic container with a tight lid and refrigerate.

Asian Marinated Steak

I wanted to make a nice Asian meal for Doug a while back… ok Valentine’s Day, I think it was—I know, I’m a little behind on some of my posts. :) Anyway, I ended up cooking up these yummy steaks- this recipe was for flank steaks, and I can’t remember what cut this was, but it wasn’t that. They still tasted good and I used my “George Forman” to grill them up. They had a yummy flavor, and I mixed up some yummy Asian veggies to go on the side- I used broccoli, zucchini, peppers, carrots, and onions, and I flavored it with teriyaki sauce and thickened it with a bit of cornstarch—nothing too fancy, but it made a great side dish with the steaks.

Asian Marinated Steak (grouprecipes.com)

Ingredients

---

• 1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp liquid honey
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 minced cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp red-wine vinegar
• pinch crushed chili flakes
• 1 lb beef flank steak

How to make it

---

• Mix all ingredients in a Ziploc baggie.
• Add steak and turn to coat.
• Refrigerate 24 hours.
• Bring out meat from fridge, let stand 30 minutes.
• Pat steak dry, place under broiler or on hot grill 4 minutes a side.
• Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Cheesy Beef and Pasta Skillet

This is a nice quick one for a busy night—it seems like I can never get enough of those… even for the nights that I’m not that busy. :) I love that on the Kraft site, I can just plug in a couple ingredients I might have and they can generate a recipe for me. I didn’t have VELVEETA cheese, so I just ended up leaving that out and sprinkling grated cheese on at the end. It was pretty tasty.

Cheesy Beef and Pasta Skillet (kraftfoods.com)

• 1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup penne pasta, uncooked
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped (I used red bell peppers, because that is what I had on hand.)
• 2 oz. VELVEETA 2% Milk Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Make It

COOK meat with onions, cumin and chili powder in large skillet on medium-high heat 5 min. or until meat is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

ADD tomatoes, water, pasta and peppers; stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 18 to 20 min. or until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.

STIR in VELVEETA; cook 2 min. or until melted, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Add 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper along with the onions, cumin and chili powder.

Substitute a green bell pepper for the yellow pepper.

Strawberry Mango Lime Syrup

I’m just coming out of three birthday’s in a row, so I’ve got some catching up to do!

Is Strawberry-Mango combination truly such a novelty? (I search and could not find!) What a pair they make! I basically had to make this syrup recipe up. It was delicious! Now you can thank me tomorrow morning for this priceless little invention as you are spooning it over your warm pancakes. :)

Strawberry Mango Lime Syrup (By Lyd)

• 4 cups chopped ripe mango, from 2 (1-pound) mangoes
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
• pinch of cinnamon

In a small pot, stir cool water and cornstarch together until well mixed. Turn on heat to medium. Add sugar, lime and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add fruit. Don’t over cook the fruit—unless you like it that way- I just like mine a little fresher.

Lyd’s Confession:

I have never properly cut up a mango before, so I turned to good old YouTube for a tutorial… thought I would share in case you are in the same boat. :)