Coconut Cream Pie

I invented this recipe a couple of years ago and it's now a family favorite. The crust isn't homemade but the filling is. You can make banana cream pie with this recipe as well.

1 baked pie crust (I use Marie Calendars frozen crusts - better than homemade)
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. milk
4 large egg yolks
2 T. butter (no substitutes - don't use margarine)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. coconut flavoring (optional)
1 cup shredded coconut

Bake pie crust according to package directions - set aside to cool. In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk, a little at a time, making sure to dissolve the cornstarch (if you pour it in all at once, you will get big lumps that you won't be able to get out). Stir in the egg yolks. Cook mixture over medium high heat, whisking constantly, until mixture starts to thicken and boil. Once mixture thickens and begins to bubble, boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and immediately pour mixture through a strainer into another bowl. Stir in the butter, flavorings and coconut. Pour into prepared pie crust. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on top. Refrigerate before serving. Can serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

***TIP: For banana cream pie, omit the coconut flavoring and coconut and instead add 1-2 sliced fresh bananas.

Tepee Treats

These were a hit with the kiddies on Thanksgiving. Jay and Lou helped me make them the night before and they only took about 10 minutes.

sugar cones (desired amount)
softened ice cream (favorite flavor)
1-2 squares chocolate almond bark
fall sprinkles
pretzel sticks

Break or cut the top off of each sugar cone (I let my kids bite the tops off since they would be the ones eating them). Chop chocolate almond bark into small pieces and place in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for about 1 minute, then stir until melted. Dip the rim of each sugar cone in the chocolate and then dip in sprinkles. Place on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap. Fill each cone with softened ice cream. Place a dollop of chocolate on the top of the cone and stick 3 pretzel sticks inside (the chocolate will cement them in place once it hardens). Place the tepee's in the freezer until ready to serve.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This casserole is heavenly! You can use fresh sweet potatoes that you boil and mash, or keep it simple by used canned Yams that are ready to go.

3 c. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (or canned yams)
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup milk

Peel, slice and boil sweet potatoes for 20-25 minutes. Mix other ingredients in a bowl. Drain potatoes and mash them up (allow to cool for a few minutes). Mix sweet potatoes in with other ingredients and beat until smooth (it will seem a bit runny, but don't worry). Pour mixture into a 13x9 pan. Sprinkle with the following topping:

Topping:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Smash all of these ingredients with a fork until well blended and crumbly. Sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I love recipes that include the use of canned pumpkin. You know that whatever you are baking will turn out moist and tender.

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
3 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips
1 c. chopped pecans
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin

Beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Mix dry ingredients in with butter mixture, a little at a time, alternating with the canned pumpkin. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9x5 loaf pans. Can sprinkle with additional pecans if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 65 to 70 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pans, then remove to wire rack. Glaze while warm.

Spiced Glaze:

1 c. powered sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 T. milk

Mix ingredients well, then drizzle glaze on top of pumpkin loaves.

Apple Dumplin's

My friend Keri shared this recipe while we were shopping at Sam's Club on Saturday. These are my favorite kind of recipes! We made them on Sunday evening with the Tuckett's and everyone (even the kids) loved them. There wasn't a drop left over.

1 can Grand's biscuits (I used the buttermilk kind)
2-3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cube butter
2 tsp. vanilla
cinnamon
nutmeg
vanilla ice cream

Open the biscuits and cut each biscuit in half. In an 8x8 pan, place eight biscuit halves. Place sliced apples all over the top of each muffin (you can also place some extra sliced apples around on the sides and bottom of pan). Top each muffins with another half.
In a saucepan, melt the sugar, water, butter & vanilla. Bring to a rolling boil, then remove from heat. Pour sauce all over the top of the biscuits and apples. Sprinkle cinnamon & nutmeg all over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. For the first 20 minutes, I covered the pan with aluminum foil, then uncovered the pan for the last 25 minutes to brown the biscuits nicely.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Dad's Goulash

This is a throw together recipe that you can make over the stove top or in a crock pot. My dad use to make this for us growing up.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion (chopped)
salt & pepper
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can corn (don't drain)
5 T. spaghetti seasoning mix
3-4 cups water
2-3 handfuls elbow macaroni
mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef together with chopped onion, season with salt & pepper. Drain. In a crockpot, add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, stewed tomatoes, corn, spaghetti seasoning mix and water. Stir in the ground beef. Simmer on high for 2-3 hours. The last hour, add the macaroni. Watch and stir the mixture. If it is getting too thick, add more water. If it seems thin, cook it a little longer. Before serving, sprinkle mozzarella cheese all over the top. This is even better as leftovers the next day!

***We like to eat this with saltine crackers or bread sticks.

Pumpkin Muffins w/Cinnamon Topping

These muffins are dense, moist and full of fall flavor. I love the healthy addition of applesauce and grated apple.

2 1/2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 c. egg substitute (or 3 large eggs)
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and grated

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, soda, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg) in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, pumpkin, oil and grated apple. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Spoon into paper-lined muffin cups until 2/3 full. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes about 2 dozen.

Topping:

1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 t. cinnamon

Mix with fork or pastry blender until a crumbly mixture is formed. Sprinkle on top of muffins before baking.

7-Layer Green Salad

I was assigned to bring a green salad to our fall enrichment dinner last night. I found this recipe in a church cookbook and altered it a bit. It looked so pretty in the glass bowl and I was surprisingly pleased with the dressing on top.

Layer:

Chopped lettuce (romaine and/or iceberg)
Shredded carrots
Frozen peas (thawed)
Chopped green onion
Chopped or sliced tomatoes
Dressing (see recipe below)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Bacon

Refrigerate overnight or for several hours before serving.

DRESSING RECIPE:

2 cups Mayonnaise (I like Best Foods or Hellman's)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1-2 Tbsp. dry ranch dressing mix

***TIP: You can omit or add any of your favorite veggies for this recipe (cucumbers, celery, mushrooms, etc.) It would be good with Feta or Bleu Cheese also.

Taco Soup

Made this on Halloween night. I love this recipe because it takes 5 minutes to throw together, can simmer on low all day and it feeds a big crowd. I got this recipe when I worked at the Family Tree Restaurant as a teenager.

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
5 cans of your favorite beans (kidney, chili, white, garbanzo, pinto)
1 can stewed or diced tomatoes
1 can whole kernel corn
1 small can diced green chili's
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (mild or spicy)
1 cup water
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
Fritos or tortilla chips

Brown ground beef with the onion. In crock pot, place the meat mixture, beans, tomatoes, corn, green chilis, taco seasoning and water. Simmer all day in crockpot. Serve with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a handful of Fritos on top.

Sunday Roast

We went to a Young Women's dinner this week with our girls and they served the most tender, divine roast beef and gravy I've EVER tasted. I begged for the recipe, then went straight to Albertson's where all their roasts are buy one get one free this week (through Nov. 4th). The roast is simmering in my Crock Pot as-we-speak (errr...blog). You should smell my house. YUM!

1 large beef roast (I use boneless rump roast)
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 pkg. Lipton Onion Soup Mix
(Optional: 1 TBS. Montreal Steak Seasoning)

Place roast in crock pot (no need to brown it). Pour soup over the top. Sprinkle dry soup mix over the top. Add additional seasonings if desired. Cook on low for about 10 hours.

*** TIP*** I put my roast on around midnight on Saturday night and cooked it through the night. The next morning around 10 a.m. I turned it to warm so it will be ready to eat as soon as we get home from church.

Oreo Cheeseball

We made this on Halloween night when the whole family came over to hang out. It is more of a dessert than an appetizer. Tastes just like an oreo cheesecake.

1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup powdered sugar
6-8 Oreos crushed up
Chocolate Chips

Mix the cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and crushed oreos until well mixed. Form into a ball. Roll in chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least a couple of hours.

Serve with: Graham Cracker Sticks, Teddy Grahams, Grandmas Sugar Cookies or Nilla Wafers

Caramel French Toast

This recipe is the BEST because it can be made the night before. The French Toast slices get crispy on top, then when you remove them from the pan, the bottom is covered with a delicious caramel sauce.

French Toast
Sliced loaf of Hearty French Bread (I like the Sam's Club French Bread)
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Caramel Syrup
1 cube butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. corn syrup

Over stove top, melt caramel ingredients to a soft boil. Pour in bottom of a 13x9 pan. Place sliced bread over the sauce, filling the whole pan. Beat eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour over bread and cover. Chill in fridge overnight. The next morning, bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. When serving, flip slice over so melted caramel tops each slice of french toast.

Easy Oven Omlet

We made this egg casserole last year on Christmas morning, but my kids loved it so much, we now make it often. The recipe was given to me by my good friend Kami.

Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Place 1/4 c. butter in a 13x9 pan and place in preheated oven just until butter melts and coats bottom of pan.

Mix together the following ingredients and pour into the hot pan:

18 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. salt

Stir in any of the following ingredients that your family likes:
chopped ham
crumbled bacon
crumbled sausage
cheese
chopped mushrooms
chopped onion
chopped green pepper

Bake until set, but not dry (approximately 45 minutes).

***TIP***
When I make this for my family, I cut the recipe in half and cook it in an 8x8 pan instead. Our favorite is a simple bacon and cheese version.

Soft Sugar Cookies

I've tried about a hundred and one recipes and this one is the best! The cookies come out puffy and soft and stay that way for 2-3 days. I also love that you don't have to refrigerate the dough for hours. Just mix, roll out and start cutting shapes. Perfect for impatient kids like mine.

2 squares margarine (softened)
1 cup (8 oz.) vanilla yogurt
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. sugar
6 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine the margarine, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and sugar. Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then add to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Gather dough and divide into two balls. Roll out, cut into shapes and bake @ 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

***TIPS***

Thickness:
When rolling out the dough, don't roll it too thin or the cookies will turn out crunchy and hard. I would say that it should be about as thick as a book of checks (that's the best comparison I can think of). Opt on the side of thickness rather than thinness :0)

Cooking Time:
Check on the cookies often and take them out as soon as they look puffy, loose their shine and get just a tiny, tiny, bit browned. If you let them get too brown, they will be crunchy. If the middle of each cookie looks shiny when you take them out, they will be too doughy.

Rolling Out:
I roll out my dough on a piece of plastic wrap and then just sprinkle a little bit of flour on top to keep my rolling pin from sticking. When you cut the cookies, they come right off the plastic wrap. Plus, it keeps your counter from getting messy and your cookies stay tender because they don't get too much flour rolled in.

Halloween Owls

The kids and I made these Hallowen Owls on Monday night. Start with your favorite carmel popcorn recipe (our favorite can be found in the candy section of this blog). Add lifesaver & gumdrop eyes, candy corn beak, fruit roll-up wings and chocolate licorice eyebrows and horns. Very cute and yummy too.

BBQ Chicken

I found this great new Crock Pot Recipe for BBQ Chicken. We had BBQ Chicken breasts with baked potatoes on Sunday, then on Monday night, I shredded the leftovers, added more BBQ sauce, bought some rolls from Shirley's Bakery and made sandwiches. Two meals in one.

Recipe:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 (8 oz.) bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (I use K.C.Masterpiece Original)

3/4 cup coca cola

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker; cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Dr. Egan's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. oatmeal
2 1/4 c. flour
2-3 cups chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Add all dry ingredients except oatmeal. Blend in oatmeal. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly golden brown.

Gourmet Caramel Apples

My mom's apple trees are packed right now and I have been so excited to try a new caramel recipe I found. These are divine! If you have never made caramel before, DON'T be afraid, but DO go buy yourself a candy thermometer. You need one for this recipe.

2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup corn syrup (I use Karo)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large measuring cup, mix the cream and milk. Pour 1/3 of it into a large pan and add salt, sugar and corn syrup. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes until the mixture turns a pale beige. Turn up the heat and had 1/2 of the remaining milk/cream mixture. Boil for about 15 minutes more. Then add (a little at a time) the rest of the milk mixture (keep it boiling if you can) and insert the candy thermometer. Continue boiling and stirring until the mixture reaches about 230 degrees (firm ball stage). Flavor with vanilla and stir well.

For basic caramels:
Pour mixture into a greased pan and allow to cool and harden. I usually line my pan with waxed paper and spray it well with Pam beforehand. After it has set, you can turn out the square of caramel, peel off the waxed paper and then cut it in squares. It's fast and easy to wrap the caramels using small squares of waxed paper. You can also buy caramel wrappers at candy supply stores, but they are expensive.

For caramel apples:
Keep the caramel mixture in the pan and immediately begin dipping your apples (the caramel will cool and get thicker and thicker as you go). My secret for keeping it from running off the apple is that after dipping it, I hold it for a few minutes before setting it down. I continue turning it upside down and then right-side up as I see the caramel sliding up and down. Once it begins to set, you can place it on greased waxed paper.

For Over the Top caramel apples:
Dip in chocolate (white or milk), roll in nuts, sprinkles, mini-m&m's, etc. Our favorite is to dip in melted white chocolate and then roll in cinnamon/sugar.

Quick Praline Muffins

I found this great Gooseberry Patch cookbook at Cracker Barrel (40% off right now) and I'm LOVING the recipes! Here is an easy muffin recipe that Taylor and I whipped up last night for Kaycie and her friends to munch on while they watched movies.

3 T. brown sugar, packed
1 T. butter, softened
1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)
3 ripe bananas
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups pancake mix

Stir the brown sugar, butter and nuts together in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas and set aside. Stir in egg, sugar and oil until well blended. Add pancake mix and stir until just moistened (don't over-stir). Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle 1 tsp. pecan mixture on top of each muffin. Bake at 35o degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden. Makes 1 dozen.

Lemon Pound Cake

One of my favorite magazines is Everyday Food. Whenever I go to the mailbox and see it there my heart does a little flutter. It's tiny and well organized and is FULL of excellent recipes. I keep a pack of mini sticky notes by my side as I read it and I tab the recipes that I want to try. This lemon pound cake came from the May 2007 issue.

2 sticks butter, softened (no substitutes)
3 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 T. finely grated lemon zest
2 2/12 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream

Grease and flour 2 medium sized loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and lemon zest. In another bowl, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. With mixer on low beginning adding the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream. Mix in 1/3 of the flour, then half of the sour cream, then another 1/3 of the flour, then the rest of the sour cream, then the rest of the flour (whew). Pour the batter equally between the two prepared pans. Bake for about 55-65 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check it after about 40 minutes and if it is browning too quickly, tent it with tinfoil. Cool and remove from pans.

Glaze: Mix 2 cups powdered sugar with 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice. Drizzle over the top of the cakes.

Jaymon's Cinni Minis

Jaymon and I made these mini cinnamon rolls on Saturday morning (Jaymon did most of the work). He was so excited to share his culinary masterpiece that he woke everyone up to come and eat.

1 tube crescent rolls

3-4 T. butter, melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-2 capfuls of milk

Open crescent rolls, but don't separate them. Flour your work surface and lay out the rolls in one big rectangle, pinching the seams to seal. Roll dough with a rolling pin until smooth. Brush with butter. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread all over the top. Roll up and cut into small rolls. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 5-8 mnutes or until lightly golden brown. Mix powdered sugar and milk and stir until glaze is formed. Start with 1 capful of milk, then add another if glaze is too thick. Drizzle glaze on rolls.

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is our staple CCC recipe. The vanilla pudding in the batter makes them soft and chewy on the inside and crispy on edges. Perfect!

1 1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 small pkg. vanilla instant pudding
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (optional) OR 1 1/2 cups mini or regular sized M&M's

Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs, mix well. Add dry pudding and mix well. Add dry ingredients and beat until combined (batter will be stiff). Stir in chocolate and nuts. Scoop onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes (cook them less if you like them super soft and longer if you like them a little crispier on the outside).

Half White/Half Wheat Bread - Anita's Recipe

I made 50% wheat bread tonight for the first time. Anita, the librarian from Park School gave me the recipe. It was surprisingly easy and I'm hoping delicious.

Mix 1/2 cup honey and 5 cups hot water in a bowl. Stir until honey dissolves
Add 2 T. active dry yeast and let stand for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix:
7 cups white flour
5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 T. salt

To the yeast mixture, add 2 beaten eggs and 1/2 c. canola oil. Begin adding the dry ingredients and mix in mixer (btw...you need a large mixer for this recipe). Knead until dough forms a ball and isn't sticky. If dough is sticky, add a little more flour (about 1/4 of a cup at a time).
Cover bowl and let rise 45 minutes.
Knead down the dough for about 10 minutes. Shape into 4 equal loaves. Place in greased bread pans. Cover and let rise 20 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then lower to 325 and bake 20 minutes more or until golden brown.

Sunday Rolls

Pour hot milk over the sugar, yeast and shortening.
After you mix in the eggs and flour, it will start to form a ball and won't stick to the sides of the bowl. If it is still sticky add more flour (1/4 cup at a time).
After the dough has been well kneaded, put it in a greased bowl. It won't be sticky.
After the first rise, punch down the dough, form into balls and let rise again.

I am often asked how I make my Sunday Rolls, so here goes. I've tried to take some pictures and explain as I go. I am a baker at heart and make Sunday rolls almost every week.

In a stand mixer or Bosch, place the following ingredients:

2 T. active dry yeast
1/2 c. sugar
6 T. shortening
2 tsp. salt

In a small saucepan, heat:

2 cups milk (remove from heat just before it begins to boil - when it is hot and steamy)

Pour milk over the yeast mixture, add:

2 eggs, beaten (mix well)

Gradually add in:

6 1/2 - 7 cups flour

Beat until the dough forms a ball that centers on the dough hook and doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-6 minutes longer. Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise for 1 hour.
Roll dough into small golf-ball sized balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise about 1 - 1 1/2 hours more. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Makes one large cookie sheet full of rolls.

Spiced Cake Doughnuts

I made these for family night the other night and they were a HIT! I think I am going to make them again on Halloween night. Perfect for fall...they melt in your mouth!

1/4 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
(Blend together) Add:
3 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla

In a separate bowl, combine these dry ingredients:
5 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg

Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture and alternately add:
1/2 c. buttermilk

When all is well mixed, stir in:
1 c. apple, peeled, cored and grated

Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness and cut with doughnut cutter. Fry doughnuts and doughnut holes in hot oil until golden brown on both sides. Frost with caramel frosting (recipe below):

CARAMEL GLAZE:
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
3 T. butter
1/4 c. whipping cream
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar

In saucepan, bring brown sugar and butter to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes. Stir in whipping cream until well mixed. Whisk in powdered sugar a little at a time. Dip warm doughnuts in glaze. Can add sprinkles if desired.

Kelly's Zucchini Casserole

Kelly B. gave me this recipe. It is creamy and crunchy and the perfect way to use up all of those zucchini's from your garden.

6 cups zucchini, peeled and chopped into chunks
1-2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
16 oz. container sour cream
2 cubes butter
1 pkg. Stove Top Stuffing (chicken flavor)

Melt butter in saucepan. Pour in dry stuffing mix and saute for a few minutes until slightly browned and crispy. Set aside. Fill another saucepan with hot water and bring to a boil. Add zucchini, carrots and onion. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain veggies. Stir in the soup and sour cream. In a 13x9 pan, pour half of the stuffing mixture, top with veggie mixture and then sprinkle rest of the stuffing mixture on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*To make this a little less fattening, I have used only one cube of butter for browning the stuffing and have used low fat sour cream. It still tastes great. Low fat cream of chicken soup could also be used, but doesn't taste quite as good.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Fresh garden tomatoes make this soup extra delicious and healthy. When I want it more hearty, I add mini pasta. This recipe mimics one of my favorite soups served at Zuppa's, a local organic soup and salad restaurant.

3 T. olive oil

1/4 cup butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

12-15 fresh tomatoes, peeled an chopped

3-4 cups chicken broth

1/2 c. fresh basil leaves

3/4 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

1/2 c. whipping cream

Saute onion in buter and olive oil. Cook for 7-8 minutes until tender. Add garlic, tomatoes, chicken broth, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and puree mixture in a blender or food processor. Return to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir in whipping cream. If desired, add any type of small pasta (precooked).

*To peel tomatoes, dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Skin should easily peel off.

Susan's Seasoned Chicken

This chicken melts in your mouth and is so easy to prepare. Serve on a bed of rice or with mashed potatoes. The recipe was shared with me by my good friend Susan, an old Park School friend.

6-8 chicken breasts

1/3 c. + 2 T. butter

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 c. whipping cream (plain)

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

Melt butter. Add seasonings to butter. Roll chicken breasts in flour, then in seasoned butter mixture (save leftover butter!). Place in a greased pan. Pour whipping cream over chicken, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Mix breadcrumbs with the leftover seasoned butter. Remove chicken from oven, sprinkle breadcrumb mixture all over the top. Can also sprinkle slivered, toasted almonds on top as well. Return to oven and cook 10 minutes longer until breadcrumbs brown a bit.

Homemade Eclairs

I have been making cream puffs since I was a teenager. It's really fun and easy. You can fill them with pudding for a great eclair, but you can also fill them with chicken salad.

Cream Puffs:

In a small saucepan, bring to a boil:

1 cube butter

1 cup water

1/8 tsp. salt

Once boiling, add: 1 cup flour

Stir until the mixture forms a big smooth ball. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.

One at a time, whip in 4 eggs until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Place by teaspoonful onto a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until well browned. Cool.

Filling:

1 small package vanilla or chocolate pudding

2 cups cool whip or real whipping cream (whipped and sweetened)

Make pudding according to package directions. Fold in cool whip. Fill cream puffs

Chocolate Fudge Topping:

1/4 c. butter

3-4 T. milk

2-3 T. cocoa powder

2 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter, milk and cocoa powder in saucepan. When it begins to boil, remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar with a whisk. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar, too thick, add more milk. Drizzle over cream puffs.

Frito Fiesta Salad

My friend Melissa's mom, Marilyn, shared this recipe with me. She made it for a faculty potluck when I worked at Park View.

Brown:
1 lb. hamburger
1 small onion, chopped

Add:
1 pkg. taco seasoning (and cook according to package directions)

Add:
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
1 ( 15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

Simmer for 1/2 hour.

Assemble like a Taco Salad using Frito's corn chips, meat sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, olives, avocados
Top with ranch dressing, sour cream, salsa