Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

You know how you have a standard chocoate chip recipe that you always make... everyone has their own favorite and this one has not been mine. Well as of today (it's only 10:40 and I've already eaten like 12) it may become my new stand-by. I can't stay away from them. I actually got the recipe from my cousin Erin, and unlike most cookie recipes -- I think I'm liking them better the next day than hot out of the oven. You be the judge.

1 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

Mix together. Add:

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

Then mix in:

2 1/2 c. flour (I added almost 1/2 c. additional flour)

1 t baking soda

1 pkg. chocolate instant pudding (I didn't have this so I used sugar free French Vanilla - yum yum!)

12 oz pkg semi-sweet choc chips (I only used half that 'cause I like that kind of ratio)

1 c nuts (optional -- I opted not)

Bake at 350 for 8-10 min.

Robyn's Lemon Pesto Chicken

I decided to try my friend Robyn's recipe with only one variation -- I used angel hair pasta instead of cheese and spinach raviolis -- just because I didn't happen to have them -- it was really good and even BETTER the next day -- so thanks for the inspiration Robyn.

Impossible Pumpkin Pie

I know this is nothing new to a lot of people, but I have discovered it in the past couple of years and love to make it year round since I LOVE a cold pumpkin pie if it's summer OR winter, but making the crust somehow discourages me from making it often #1: because crusts are easy for me to mess up and #2: because it's just more fat.

3/4 c sugar

1/2 c Bisquick baking mix

2 T butter or margarine

1 can evaporated milk

2 eggs

1 can (16 oz) pumpkin

2 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice ( I didn't have this so I used equal portions of cinnamon, cloves and ginger to equal 2 1/2 t.

2 t vanilla

Beat all ingredients until smooth. 1 min in blender or 2 min with beater. (I tried the beater, but it left lumps so I used my hand blender afterwards and all was okay.) Pour into pan (9 or 10"). Bake at 375 for longer than an hour ('til the center is set). Cool and serve.

Sweet Teriyaki Fajitas

I had no dinner plans and needed a quick something to make -- had a leftover grilled chicken breast in the fridge and this is what I came up with -- they were YU-MMY though (if I do say so myself).

1/2 red onion

1/2 green bell pepper

Sautee until onions are starting to carmelize

Throw in:

1 thin-sliced grilled chicken breast

1/4 pkg firm tofu, cubed

2-3 T Kraft toasted sesame seed dressing

2-3 T thick teriyaki glaze (or any teriyaki sauce you have)

Serve on flour tortillas.

This made 4, 8" fajitas.

Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

I am an "Ice Cream Every Night" kind of gal, but I'm also currently a "Trying to Lose Baby Weight" gal ... they don't really mesh well. So I came up with my new favorite treat to satisfy my ice cream cravings. This whole glass of delicious is only 4 POINTS! I'm hooked. 1 container (6 oz.) Yoplait Light Creamy Vanilla yogurt
1/2 c. frozen mixed berries, mostly thawed (or fresh ... the frozens are just easier)
1/3 c. oats & honey granola

Layer half of the yogurt, then berries, then granola; repeat and enjoy!

Chunky Applesauce

I've never really made this -- my sister, Jamie, and my mom were more of the ones who wanted and made it all the time when I was growing up. But, Adrie wanted me to post the instructions -- so, simple as they may be -- here they are:

First you peel and core apples (I used Granny Smith)
Then you chunk them up in large chunks
Microwave for 5 min, smash with potato masher and microwave up to 5 or 6 min more -- until it's the chunk consistency that you want.
Add cinnamon and sugar to taste. (I used less than 1/8 c. sugar for 4 apples and it was plenty sweet)
Serve warm. (I like it cold too.)

Spinach Salad

This a recipe that my neighbor got from Rachel Ray (I don't know if it was on a TV show or the web site) and brought to Bunco. I replaced the candied pecan recipe with one that I found (I think on AllRecipes.com) because Rachel's were too sweet. I still haven't mastered the technique on the pecans; the candy hardens really quickly once you add the pecans, so it's hard to coat them evenly. You'll have to play with it and try to figure it out!

Baby spinach
Prosciutto*, cooked until crisp and cut into 1" pieces
Craisins
Feta cheese, crumbled
Candied pecans
Honey Dijon salad dressing (I like Newman's Own)

*I can't ever find Prosciutto in the stores, so I get that already-cooked bacon and cut up a few pieces (without heating it up again). I actually like it better than the Prosciutto, anyway.

Candied Pecans
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 c. pecan halves

Have a piece of tin foil ready next to the stove top. Stir salt and sugar together in a small skillet over medium heat until smooth and golden; add pecans and stir to coat. Transfer to foil and cool completely; break apart.

Adrie's Yummy Spinach Salad

This has been my favorite salad ever since I tried this dressing. I've had it before with raspberry vinegarettes and though still good -- it's even BETTER with this dressing. I didn't put amounts for the ingredients, so obviously -- you would only use as much dressing as you need.

Ingredients

Spinach leaves
Bacon crumbles (in a hurry I like to use the REAL bacon bits)
grated mozerella cheese
fresh sliced mushrooms ( I leave these out if I don't have them 'cause it's quite rich anyway)
mandarine oranges

Dressing

1/3 c vinegar
3/4 c oil
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c onion
3/4 t salt
2 T prepared mustard
Blend then add:
3/4 T poppyseeds

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I haven't posted in a long time because I can never, ever remember to take pictures. So I'm just going to post a couple of recipes without pictures because they're really, really good! This one my friend brought over when I had my twins, and I love it so much. There's a lot of similar recipes out there, but this one is really good.

1 small package white corn tortillas (I usually use 20 tortillas)
1 lb. chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
14 oz. salsa
1 c. cheddar, grated
Toppings (see below)

Combine soup, sour cream, and salsa; spread a little on bottom of 9x13 pan and set remainder aside. Cut tortillas into 1" strips; line bottom of pan. Layer with chicken, sauce, and cheese; repeat. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. To serve, top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, etc.

Easy Cheese Fritata

We had this for breakfast on Father's Day with some cinnamon rolls for "dessert" - it was really good and sooo easy! (Whoever came up with that title wasn't lyin'!)

4 eggs
4 egg whites
2 T. water
1/2 c. chopped seeded tomatoes
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1/2 c. cheddar cheese

Beat eggs, egg whites, and water with a whisk until well blended. Stir in tomatoes, mozzarella, bacon, and basil. Pour into greased 9" pie plate and bake at 350* for 25 minutes or until golden; top with cheddar and bake 5 minutes more or until cheese melts.

Bruschetta

I got this from my friend Tiffany; it's a really good, light summer dinner when you don't really feel like cooking or eating something heavy. It's also a great appetizer.

2 tomatoes, diced
2 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt to taste
2 t. Parmesan cheese
1 t. sweet basil
8 slices French bread
8 slices Genoa salami
8 slices mozzarella cheese

Combine tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, Parmesan, and basil; marinate about 30 minutes in refrigerator. Toast bread if desired; top with tomato mixture, salami, and mozzarella. Broil until cheese melts.

Breakfast Pockets

this recipe was something I tasted because my mom made them as a "to-go" breakfast when they traveled to my house one early morning. So they ate them cold but everyone voted they were better when they were fresh out of the oven or reheated. She got the recipe from Emeril who actually made it with pie crust dough -- but i thought my mom's alteration was really good and easier! (not to mention less fattening?)


Breakfast Pockets

1 c minced green onion, sauteed in 1 T oil 'til soft.

add:
1 c diced fresh mushrooms
2 t minced garlic - sautee til golden, about 4 min.

add:
1 t. fresh thyme (or a little less if you use dried)
1 t. seasoning salt

cool and add:
1 c diced, cooked chicken (or ham)
2 c blanched, chopped broccoli
1 1/2 T breadcrumbs
1 beaten egg
salt and pepper

Tube of refrigerater biscuits (or croissants if you want, or pie crush like Emeril) Roll thin and make into turnovers, or place in muffin cups and stuff with filling. You can put a little grated cheese inside or on top if you want and bake for 10 min. at whatever temperature the biscuit package says. Also -- you can choose to brush the turnovers with egg-wash before baking if you want them shinier-golden brown.

Macaroni and Cheese

Sorry about the picture; I didn't know if this was going to turn out so I didn't take a picture before it was served. I kind of created this recipe based on a couple of different ones: one recipe that I found on AllRecipes.com and one that I found on MarthaStewart.com (although I don't know if it's THE Martha Stewart recipe). This is pretty tasty!

4 T. butter, divided
3 slices white bread, torn into 1/4" pieces
2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 c. diced onion
2 T. flour
2 c. milk
1 t. salt
1/8 t. coarsely ground pepper
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
2 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan

Melt 2 T. butter; toss with torn bread and set aside. Boil macaroni according to package directions, minus about 2 minutes. Drain and pour into a coated 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish; set aside.

Melt remaining 2 T. butter in a medium saucepan; add onions and saute until soft and translucent. Add the flour and stir to coat onions. Add the milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Stirring constantly, simmer until milk thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add cheddar, stirring until cheese melts.

Pour cheese mixture over macaroni and stir to combine. Sprinkle with Parmesan and top with torn bread. Bake at 350* until bread is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Happy Mother's Day!

So this really doesn't have a recipe -- it's just strawberries dipped in chocolate and, well, "arranged". It was fun to do but a tad bit tedious. Let's just say -- I wouldn't do it for just anyone -- only those I love very much. :) Thanks Moms -- for all you do.

Beef Noodle Bowl

This recipe was recommended to me by Kallie.
Very tasty and easy.
It has become a favorite at our house.

Garlic Lime Chicken

I love the flavor of this -- though it took me a few times to get the amount of spice just right. I usually mix all the proportions of spices together and then just sprinkle my own desired amount and save the rest until next time. This works well, especially since most of the time I'm just cooking for two. This is the first time I've tried it sandwich-style -- it was way yummy -- but I usually just serve it with garlic mashed potatoes and a veggie.

1 t. salt

3/4 t. pepper

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/4 t. paprika

1 t garlic powder

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t thyme

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 T butter

2 T olive oil

4 T lime juice

1/2 c chicken broth

Mix spices together and sprinkle mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.

In a skillet, heat butter and oil together over medium-high heat. Saute chicken until golden brown - about 5 min on each side. Remove chicken and add lime juice and chicken broth to pan, whisking up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Keep cooking until sauce has reduced slightly. Add chicken back to pan, to coat and serve. Serves 6.

Tortellini Soup

This is a new recipe I got from my mom. I made it last night and had a large amount so I took half to my friend that is preggo and doesn't cook much because of morning sickness. My husband said "why haven't you made this before?" It was very flavorful and yummy especially with the blizzard outside.

Surprise Sugar Stars

I can't claim these -- my friend Julie made them just before we left BG and they were the best thing I'd ever had. I know Christmas (cookie) season is all over and everyone's into their healthy new year's eating but I still had to post them -- maybe they would be a pretty Valentine's treat -- YUM YUM! (I didn't have a star cookie-cutter on hand so mine aren't as pretty as Julie's were...)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour (I made the first batch with 4 cups and the dough was too sticky to roll out with a rolling pin. Second batch I used about 4 1/2 cups and the dough was much easier to work with. I didn't notice a difference in quality at all.)
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup buttermilk

ICING:
2 c. confectioner's sugar
2-3 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. almond extract

DIRECTIONS:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until easy to handle. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 2-in. star cookie cutter. Place half the stars on ungreased cookie sheets (I used parchment paper). Spoon 1 tsp. cherry pie filling into center of stars. Top with another star. Pinch edges to seal; cut a small slit in top of each cookie.Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

For icing, combine confectioner's sugar, milk, and extract. Whisk until smooth and spread over cookies.

Yield--4 dozen.