Pork Chop Sauce

I made this sauce up for dinner tonight on our pork chops! I feel like an accomplished cook now :)

(Sorry for the half eaten food! I was starving!)

1/6 c. Honey

1/6 c. Soy sauce

1/4 t. Minced garlic (heaping scoop)

3 second squirt of lime juice

(I eyeballed the lime so this is a guess)

I basted the pork chops as they were cooking on our grill. Baste frequently.

Cook 5-10 minutes on each side.

Let me know if you make this and if you like it! I'm curious to know if it was just Chet and I!

Posted by Chelsea

Chelsea's Corn Salsa

Posted by Chelsea

This corn salsa has been my family's favorite for years! It never gets old.

It's really simple! Just takes time chopping everything up. I like to chop everything really small so with every bite you taste all the flavors!

1 can corn (drained)

1 can black eyed peas (drained) *frozen doesn't work in this recipe, used canned only*

2 chopped tomatoes

1 bunch chopped cilantro (no stems)

1/2 to 1 bunch chopped green onions

1 envelope Good Seasonings Italian Dressing Mix, mix as per directions with vegetable oil, white wine vinegar and water. 

Mix all above ingredients together.

Just before serving add 2 chopped avocados. Mix, serve, and ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Submitted by Chelsea

These cookies are pretty yummy!! It was the first time I had tried this recipe and it was an instant hit with Chet, and myself. Chet said we are no longer allowed to make any other chocolate chip cookie when making cookies! 

The original recipe is by The Gathering of Friends cookbook  |  Volume 4 http://thegatheringoffriends.com/cookbook/volume-four/

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups brown sugar firmly packed

1 1/2 cups butter flavor shortening

4 Tablespoons 1% milk

2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

4 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups Guittard milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine brown sugar and butter flavor shortening in large mixing bowl. Add milk, vanilla, and eggs. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and soda. Mix dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Using a large cookie scoop drop dough on to greased jelly roll pans 4 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes depending on the size of the cookie. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk! 

(These make a lot of cookies! It would be easy to roll the dough in balls like below and freeze them for later use if you don't want loads of cookies around. Instead of greasing the cookie sheet I used parchment paper. It's easy and fast and you usually won't have to wash the cookie sheet after! Win, win!)

Roast Chicken

Submitted by Chelsea

Roasted Chicken (with potatoes and carrots)

I'm FINALLY getting around to post! This recipe has been a favorite of my family for a few years and I just made it for Chet and I last night. The original recipe is from Ina Garten from Barefoot Contessa.  It was my first time so I learned a few things I could have done differently that I'll explain later.  I prepared this the night before in the pan and put it covered in the fridge. I text Chet while I was at work the next day and he just had to put it in the oven. Really easy to prepare and easy to cook!  I didn't have a roasting pan or rack so I bought a pretty good quality one at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I used a 20% off coupon and it came to $12.81!. That's a steal for me considering the other ones were over $50!

You will need:

Roasting pan and rack

1 whole chicken (5-6 lbs roughly)

Kosher salt

Pepper

1 large bunch  FRESH thyme

1 lemon, halved

1 HEAD garlic, cut in half crosswise

1 purple onion

Baby Carrots (Ina doesn't add veggies but I prefer it)

Red potatoes 

Kitchen string (I use kite string- just something that won't start a fire)

Butter or Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Remove chicken giblets, remove excess fat, and skin, clear the inside so you can see an opening at the neck area.  Pat the outside of the chicken dry and place on the rack with it facing up. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Now stuff the chicken with the  thyme, garlic and lemon.  Brush with butter or Olive oil- whichever you prefer. (I used Olive oil to make it a little bit healthier) Tie the legs together tight and make sure nothing is going to fall out of the cavity of the chicken. Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken. Tuck the wings into the sides of the chicken. Slice the onion and place rings on top and to the side of the chicken. Scatter the carrots and potatoes on top of the rack. (My rack had large spaces so majority of my veggies fell to the bottom of the pan- this is ok)  Roast chicken for 1.5 hours or until the juices in the leg and thigh run clear. Enjoy!

*What I wish I would have done differently*

Salt and peppered the inside and outside more. Especially the inside--it won't make it overly salt. I was worried it would but I think it ends of giving it more flavor. I used a white onion cause that's what we had at home- should've used a purple onion. Ina uses a Spanish onion.

I removed the majority of fat off of the chicken prior to cooking to make it healthier but I wish I would've left more to give the carrots and potatoes more fat/moisture to cook in. A lot of the veggies were dried out because the juices couldn't cover the pan because there was so little. The veggies directly under the chicken were really yummy! :)

My mom usually takes the skin off when she cooks hers and I did this time too but next time I'm going to  leave it on to see if that'll give it more flavor by trapping it in. The chicken was  REALLY juicy, I wish I would've roasted it a little bit longer to dry it out a little bit.

Okay! There's my first recipe post! I don't have an after picture but I'll post one of my chicken all ready to cook. Enjoy! 

Here's the book the original recipe came from: 

Chicken Spinach Gnocchi Soup

This cooler weather really has me craving soup. But I seem to always make the same ones over and over. I wanted to try a new one and this one definitely didn't disappoint! I've never used gnocchi so I was a little worried to try this, but I'm so glad I did! If I were to make this again I would double the recipe. There was definitely enough for Jorden, Krew, and myself, but I always like leftovers, and there were none tonight. But it was after church on fast Sunday! I loved that this recipe called for lighter ingredients (like the half-and-half) But believe me, it wasn't light on flavor!

Submitted by: Jessica

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 a cup)
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups fat free half-and-half
• 1 cup low fat milk
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 16 ounce package gnocchi
• 2 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken 
• 1 1/2 cups spinach, coarsely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste. 

Directions:

1. In a 4 or 5 quart pot (bigger if you're doubling it), heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add the chopped onion, carrots and thyme. Cook until the onions are translucent and the carrots are slightly tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stirring often.
2. Add the garlic. Stir constantly
3. Whisk in the flour and continuously stir until flour is lightly golden. About 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Stir while bringing the mixture to a boil over medium to medium-high heat.
4. Allow to cook, stirring often until the mixture is slightly thickened. About 5-7 minutes. Stir in the uncooked gnocchi and simmer over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
5. The soup will thicken up while the gnocchi is cooking. Stir in the cooked chicken and spinach and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

We served ours with ciabatta bread.

Pizza Muffins

We love pizza and here is a different form...Pizza Muffins!

You will need:
1 tube of Pillsbury biscuits(I have also used Rhodes rolls dough and it was so good too)
Pizza sauce(any brand you like)
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
And any pizza toppings you like

First, grease your muffin tin. Use your hands to roll out the biscuits. (Usually a tube of biscuits has 8 and your muffin tin has 12 spots, so I just divided the biscuits in half for a couple of them, or you could just use 2 tubes of biscuits instead.)
Place the rolled out biscuit in tin and put one spoonful of pizza sauce then your cheese and toppings.
And its as easy as that!
Follow your cooking instructions on the biscuit container. Mine took about 11 minutes!  Really quick and easy oh and GOOD!
Submitted by Lacie

Chocolate marshmallow cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup baking cocoa

1 cup milk

Marshmallows

Frosting:

31/2  c. Powder sugar

1/4 c. Baking cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

6 Tbsp milk

2 Tbsp butter melted

Instructions:

Oven 350

Beat shortening , sugar, vanilla, and eggs.

In seperate bowl, mix dry ingredients. (Flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa. Mix together well and add to the wet mixture. 

Slowly add milk.

Roll into balls by flouring hands and then rolling about 1 tsp of dough into a ball. 

Place on a sprayed cookie sheet

Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place marshmallow on top each cookie. Return to oven for one minute.

For frosting combine all ingredients and beat til smooth and creamy. Spoon over warm cookie. 

Also the frosting we make for the Texas sheet cake would be good on these.

These were my favorite cookies that my mom made for me when I was little.

Posted by suanne

Marinade for Fourth of July salmon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. distiller white vinegar

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 tsp lime zest

1 1/2 tsp honey

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp seafood seasoning such as old bay

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

Salmon

Whisk all together and pour on salmon and marinate for 6 hours.

Dressing

1 8oz light sour cream

1/2 cup adobe sauce.. Chipotle

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tsp lime zest

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp seafood seasoning such as old bay

Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings

Tortillas

Tomatoes

Cilantro chopped

Coleslaw

Lime wedges

Steak salad

Ingredients

Beef sirloin steak

1/3 c. Olive oil

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Romaine lettuce

Tomatoes

Avocado

Green olives

Sliced almonds

Any topping u like

Cook steaks. We grilled them. Lightly oil pan or grill. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and let cool enough to handle. Slice steak. Right before serving we put the sliced meat in pan and grilled it up more. 

In bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce. Mix in the cheese. Cover and refrigerate dressing. Posted by suanne

Marinade for salmon

1/3 cup apple juice

1/3 cup maple syrup

3 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

2 tsp minced garlic

4 salmon fillets

Whisk first five ingredients together until blended. In a large Baggie add fillets and pour marinade on them. Seal bag and refrigerate for one to three hours.

Drain salmon and then put olive oil on pan . Cook salmon for 10 to 20 min. Or until fish flakes easily with fork. You could also cook on grill. 

Posted by suanne. Recipe from taste of home

Marinade for chicken

3 cups orange soda

1/3 c. Soy sauce

1 T. Montreal steak seasoning

1 T. Minced garlic

1/3 c. Canola oil

1 tsp. sugar

6 chicken breasts

Sweet baby rays BBQ sauce.

Place chicken in the marinade . Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours. 

I always put my chicken in plastic bag and then I pound it with a tenderizer mallet. This really makes it tender and is worth the hassle. I then grill it in pan half way then put in dish in oven to cook til done. 300 degrees. The slower u cook chicken the more tender it is.  Add BBQ sauce when done.

Posted by suanne. Recipe is from Jamie cooks it up

Better than CPK Alfredo!

So we named this "Better than CPK Alfredo" at our house! The other night we went out to eat at CPK and I got a salad and Eric tried the pasta. People don't go to CPK for pasta! It has great pizza, but the pasta was just a watered down pasta! We decided to make something better! We had a good laugh because usually when you go out to dinner you have something that is so good that there is no way you could create something better at home...well we did, but it wasn't hard! This is so easy to make.
Ingredients:
Pasta, any kind you want
Alfredo, any kind you want. I think ours was Bertonollies that come in a glass bottle.
Chicken if you would like. We used 2 large chicken breasts.
Grated mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese if you would like.
 First cook your pasta in a pot, then get your chicken going. We decided to grill the chicken on the BBQ  but you could do it any way you want. Then cut the chicken in strips.
Once all that is done pour pasta in a baking dish then pour Alfredo sauce all over the pasta, then add as much mozzarella as you want and Parmesan cheese. and then your chicken. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Super easy! Add a salad with it or bread sticks or both!

Chocolate Pudding Pops

This is just a fun summer treat that is easy enough for kids to help with!

Submitted by: Jessica

Ingredients:

• 1-3.9 oz package instant chocolate pudding
• 1 1/2 cup milk (2% or higher is the best)
• 2 cups cool whip

Directions:

1. Dissolve pudding in milk
2. Whip in the cool whip
3. Spoon into dixie cups (I used 5 oz cups but 3 oz would be fine too).
4. insert popsicle stick
5. Freeze. Be sure it is completely frozen or it won't hold it's shape when you take it out of the cup.

This is what it looks like 2 hours later, right out of the freezer.

 Slide the cup off. Some of them you'll just have to rip off.

Enjoy!

Creamy Tuscan Pasta Sauce

This recipe didn't call for chicken but we are trying to have protein at every meal, so I added it to the sauce and it was delicious. You can leave out the chicken or add it or any other meat if you'd like!

Submitted by: Jessica

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 8 ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, drained and chopped
• 2 cups milk
• 6 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt, more to taste if needed
• diced fresh tomatoes and fresh basil for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Stir in the dried basil. Add the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will look curdled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it will come together to form a smooth, creamy paste. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.
2. Over medium heat, add the milk gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated fulling into the sauce. Stir in Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency, 5-10 minutes. Serve over hot, cooked noodles.

This picture doesn't look very appetizing. I think it's because I used wheat noodles and the colors kind of blend. They recommend bow-tie pasta with this dish.

White Chicken Enchiladas

I know Lacie just barely posted an enchiladas recipe. But seriously can you have enough enchilada recipes?! This one also seemed quite a bit different so I don't think you'd be feeling like you had the same meal twice! Just know that the sauce made for this does not freeze well. If you want to make it as a freezer meal, make the enchilada part (stuff the tortillas) and make the sauce the day of.

Submitted by: Jessica

Ingredients:

• 10 soft taco shells (I used 8 burrito size)
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken. I've also used a rotisserie chicken
• 3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a 8x11 pan (or a 9x13 if you are making 10)
2. Mix chicken and 1 1/2 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in sour cream and chillies. Do not bring to a boil. You don't want curdled sour cream.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 22 minutes and then under high broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese. The broiling part is important, so the tortillas aren't soggy!

Great served with rice and beans. We also topped ours with sour cream and salsa.

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

This was wonderful!

submitted by: Jessica

Ingredients:

• 16 Jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese plus 1/4 cup for topping
• 3 tablespoons prepared pesto
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients (except shells) and stuff into the cooked jumbo shells.
2. Sprinkle with the 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
3. Bake at 350* uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

We served our with a side salad and breadsticks!

Banana chip muffins

These are so easy to make and so good! I got the recipe from taste of home.

Posted by Suanne

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1tsp. Baking soda

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas

(About 3 medium)

1/3 cup butter , melted

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven 375.  In a large bowl , whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk egg, bananas, melted butter, and vanilla until blended. Add to the flour mixture, stir just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.

2. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full. 

Bake 17 to 20 minutes. Or until tooth pick comes out clean.

These do not require a electric mixer. Just stir by hand. Very quick to make!

Pineapple Glaze Chicken

Submitted by Lacie

This was a recipe I found on another blog, but I left out a few things, and changed a few things they said to do. This is a really easy recipe because it is all done in the crock pot! 

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (they can be frozen)

1 (20oz.) can pineapple slices

2/3 cup of brown sugar

1/4 cup of lemon juice

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1/2 cup of cornstarch (could add less, if you want sauce thinner)

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken breasts inside slow cooker and add pineapple rings on top of the chicken. In a separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 5-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Serve over rice. ENJOY!!!

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Submitted by Lacie
Sometimes I can't come up with quick and EASY dinner ideas when I am really needing to, so I thought I would share this pizza idea! We love pizza at our house and eat it a lot, probably too much.  Chicken Alfredo Pizza is just a little different than your average pepperoni and cheese. For this pizza you will need:
Mozzarella cheese, and I also added grated Parmesan that I had, you do not need to do that though, I just had some left over!
Alfredo sauce, mine was not homemade, I just bought a jar of it, any kind will work.
Pizza crust, mine was not homemade either, I used the crusts that come in a package of 2, you could use any sort of dough though, I just took the easiest route.
2 large chicken breasts, cook them and then cut in the size you would like.
Olive oil.
First spread the olive oil on the uncooked crust, then add the Alfredo sauce, chicken, and cheese. I also added a little bit of the sauce on top in different spots.
And cook for the time your crust calls for! And add a salad with it, and your done! Super easy and pretty dang good! Enjoy!!!

Coconut cream poke cake

1 (16 oz) box white cake mix

3 (3.4 oz) boxes instant coconut cream pudding

1/3 cup flour

11/2 cup water

1tsp. Coconut extract

4 eggs

1/3 c. Oil

1/3 c. Sour cream

4 cups milk

2cups sweetened flaked coconut

1 (8 oz) container cool whip

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Grab a white cake mix and dump contents into your stand mixer.

3. Add 1 box instant pudding, and 1/3 c. Flour. Toss it around to combine.

4.  Add 1 1/2 cups water, 1 tsp. coconut extract, 4 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, and 1/3 cup sour cream. Blend the ingredients together on low speed, scrape the bottom of the bowl and beat for two min. Or until the batter is glossy. 

5. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. And pour batter in. Pop it into the oven and let the old girl bake for 35-40 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.

6. Remove the pan from oven and let it cool. 

7. Spread 2 cups coconut out on large cookie sheet. Pop it into the oven and let the coconut get all toasted and wonderful. Should take about ten min. And you will want to stir it a couple of times while it toasts. Be careful when you open the oven. Coconut lets off a really potent fume that can burn your eyes. It's best to open the oven cautiously without looking directly into oven. Let the fumes escape from oven for few seconds then u will be fine.

8. When your cake has cooled for about ten min. Poke a bunch of holes in it with the end of a wooden spoon.

9. Into your stand mixer pour 4 cups milk and 2 boxes instant pudding, with the whisk attachment whip the pudding until thickens. 

10. Pour the pudding over cake. It's ok if the cake is still a little bit warm.

11. Spread it all over cake.

12. Grab some cool whip and carefully scoop it onto pudding. Spread out evenly. If you put your cake in fridge and get it nice and cold then the cool whip spreads nicer and won't get mixed in the pudding. 

13. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the top. Pop the pan in fridge and let it set and chill for at least an hour.

This cake is so good! It's light and fluffy and easy to make. 

Here are some pictures of mine! 

Posted by suanne!