Chicken Fried Steak

This is a really tasty way to cook some cubed steak. Maybe not the healthiest, but very good :) It was also easy, which is great.

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman

4 cube steaks
2/3 cup All-purpose Flour
1/3 cup seasoned poultry breading (In bulk section at WinCo)
1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, Or To Taste
about 1/2 cup Canola Oil (more If Needed)
2 Tablespoons Butter

Directions:

Mix together flour, poultry breading and pepper.

Dredge each piece in flour mixture, pressing to coat with as much flour as possible. Let sit 1/2 hour, then dredge each piece in the flour mixture one more time. (This used up all of my flour mixture)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add butter to pan right before frying.

When butter is melted, fry pieces of steak in butter/oil mixture. Flip when sides are deep golden brown and cook on the other side.

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

YUM.

Mexican Rice

John does not care much for spanish rice, but sometimes I want some with a Mexican dish, this is my favorite recipe for it.
*I used regular rice, I never buy minute rice, so see the original recipe if you're using minute rice.
Recipe from Do You Smell That!!?

2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup salsa

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion & garlic; saute about 5 minutes.

Mix in rice & stir occasionally. Once it begins to brown add broth, water & salsa.

Reduce heat, cover & simmer until the rice is done. Give yourself 20-30 minutes.

This Week's Menu

Monday: Pizza and side salad
Tuesday: Burgers (and caramelized onions)
Wednesday: Teriyaki Burgers w pepperjack cheese
Thursday: Chicken Manicotti (I think I might use Lg. Shells) Side Salad
Friday: DATE NIGHT!!
Saturday: Stromboni Sandwiches
Sunday: Ravioli bake, Side Salad, Crispy garlic bread

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

This would work better for a brunch instead of breakfast, (or a dessert-- it's good). The cook time takes a long time, so not my favorite pick for "breakfast" unless you can wait a long time. Mine turned out a little eggy, but I think I just needed to add a little more bread. I just used a small loaf of maple oatmeal bread (crust removed). So this recipe may still get some editing in the future. Maybe I went too heavy on the syrup, but it didn't make enough so next time I'd add another half batch of syrup.
John's Rating: 8
Recipe from: Taste of Home Magazine, 1996

12 slices of day old bread bread, crust removed. (I used small loaf of maple oatmeal bread)
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup

Syrup:
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 Tbsp. butter

Cut bread into 1 inch cubes. Cut cream cheese into 1 inch cubes.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Place 1/2 of the bread in pan. Cover with cream cheese cubes and sprinkle with blueberries. Top with remaining bread. Mix eggs, milk and maple syrup together (I used my VitaMix). Pour egg mixture over the top and cover with tin foil. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Remove from fridge and set at room temp. for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350. Bake covered for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake an additonal 45 minutes. You want it lightly browned and the middle set.

During the last of the baking, make the syrup: In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add water. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. simmer for 8-10 minutes. Stir in butter until melted. Serve over French Toast.

Pile it High Frosting

This was the perfect frosting for cupcakes that Kyla wanted pink frosting piled high on. It makes A LOT...half this recipe would probably do a single cake just fine.

1 cup butter
1 cup shortening CRISCO
1 lb. powdered sugar (about 8 cups)
2 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbsp milk

Beat butter and shortening together. Sift powdered sugar and slowly add to mixer. Blend until smooth. Add vanilla and enough milk to get the desired consistency you want.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

I have made this syrup before, but not the pancakes. I cut this recipe in half for us....I knew my kids would not like the idea of blueberries.(Picky remember?) They tasted great. A great treat for breakfast!

Recipe from: Taste of Home Magazine, 1996Syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
4 cups blueberries

Pancakes:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

In medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in water. Add blueberries; bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.

For pancakes, combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add wet ingredients. Stir just until combined. Fold in blueberries. Cook on griddle.

Kitchen Tools Tuesday

I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite kitchen tools on Tuesdays for a while....just for fun...and if my kitchen ever burned down I'll have a great list for my insurance so I can quickly get back to cooking :)So my favorite is my Kitchen Aid. My mom had one, my grandma had one...I had to have one, so my third year in college I went out and bought one. I stored it in my room so my roommates couldn't use it (my roommates destroyed a lot of my kitchen stuff...so I was not willing to share). Suddenly, I was baking and cooking more and 2 years later when I married my awesome husband, it finally earned a permanent spot in the kitchen on the counter for everyday use. And it has had LOTS of use!!

I bought the Heavy Duty, 5 quart, 325 watt Model K5SSWH. It came with the wire whip, dough hook, and flat beater. I also bought the Pouring Shield. I love having that on when my kids are helping me cook!

I used some wedding gift money to buy the shredder attachment. I have used it a Ton! It has been a great investment as well.

I wish I had used some to buy the pasta roller, too...but someday I hope to have one. (Hint, Hint John :) )

Brownie Dipped Oreos

I couldn't resist making these...esp. since I had all of the ingredients lurking in my pantry. They were really good, easy to make and my family LOVED them. I may convince myself that this picture does not do them justice and have to make them again soon :)
John's Rating: 9Recipe from: Do You Smell That!!? via Picky Palate

1 box of brownie mix (the one that makes a 9x13 pan)
ingredients to make brownies
24 Oreo Cookies, double stuff (or your choice, mint would be good)

Heat your oven to 350. Prepare brownie batter according to the package instructions. Leave it in the bowl.Spray muffin pan generously with cooking spray. Dip Oreos in brownie batter (generously) then place in the cups of the prepared muffin pan. Divide up remaining brownie batter in the cups. (The cups will look about 1/2 full). Bake about 10 minutes, until brownies are cooked through (be careful not to over-bake!) Remove from oven & immediately run a butter knife around the edges of the brownies. Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes.

Your brownies will fill the tins when cooked:

Makes 24.

This Week's Menu

Monday: Steak and Baked Potato
Tuesday: Beef Chimis and Mexican Rice and fixings
Wednesday: Leftover Chimis and fixings
Thursday: Chicken Manicotti (I think I might use Lg. Shells) Side Salad
Friday: Burgers (and caramelized onions)
Saturday: Stromboni Sandwiches
Sunday: Ravioli bake, Side Salad, Crispy garlic bread

Healthier Alfredo Sauce

This recipe caught my eye because it had cauliflower hidden in it. It turned out great!! I liked that it is lower fat than most alfredo sauces I've done. Recipe from: In the Kitchen the Costco Way, recipe developed by Jessica Seinfeld.

12 oz pkg pasta-I used bow ties
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. wheat flour
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
1 cup mozzarella cheese or sharp white cheddar*
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese*
1/2 cup cauliflower puree (I used a quarter head of cauliflower)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

*I used 1 1/4 cup of Italian blend cheese for the cheese this time.
Cook cauliflower until tender. Drain and put in VitaMix. Start cooking pasta. Melt butter and saute garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add cooked garlic to the VitaMix and remaining ingredients. Turn on the highest speed and bring to a boil. Let run a little longer. Then serve over pasta.

Stove Top Easy Turkey Bake

You gotta love a quick fix for dinner...that's what this is. I was able to quickly put it together and pop it in the oven...then it didn't need anything on the side.

Recipe from: Erika's Sweet Tooth

1 2/3 c. hot water
1 pkg. (6 oz) (Turkey) Stove Top Stuffing (I used savory herb instead)
4 c. chopped cooked turkey
1 pkg. (14 oz.) frozen broccoli
florets, thawed, drained
1 can ( 10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 c. milk
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

*Heat oven to 350 degrees.
*Add hot water to stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.
*Combine turkey and broccoli in 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Mix soup, milk and cheese; pour over turkey mixture. Top with stuffing.
*Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Maple Oatmeal Bread

This bread had a mild maple flavor, I really liked the oatmeal flavor. I usually make my own bread and so I like to have a variety...this one has a nice flavor, but the loaves were on the smaller side. We turned one loaf into sandwiches and 2 days later I turned the other loaf into Overnight Blueberry French Toast (recipe to come).
1 1/4 cup milk
4 Tbsp. butter
1 cup quick oats
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups flour
(this recipe also called for 1/2 cup raisins-optional-I did not use)

Combine milk and butter; heat to boiling; pour over oats. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water; stir in 1 tsp. maple syrup. Let stand until bubbly and double in volume.

Combine yeast mixture; remaining ingredients and make into a dough (adding more flour if needed-I did) Let rise one hour. Punch down, divide in 2 and roll into loaves. Place in pans and let rise another hour.

Bake 350 for 35 minutes.

Hello...

So I'm visiting with one of my friends this morning, and she tells me that she saw my blog featured on Ucreate Foods....and I'm like "what???" So I come home take a look and sure enough...I'm on there and didn't even know. Then I'm more surprised to find a comment from someone finding my blog through Ucreate Foods and 6 followers!

So if you're visiting my site...you should know that started this blog for selfish reasons. It created a place to keep all of my recipes in one place with the easy option of copy and paste and now a great search tool from google. Plus, I no longer needed to print my recipes and try to remember where I put them or how to file them....because my huge binder of collected recipes took a drop to the floor one day and I just didn't want to spend time reorganizing them...so I started typing them up as well.

I LOVE to cook, but it's satifying to have my family love it, so I put my hubby's ratings so I can remember how much he likes different things or when I see a new recipe to try, I can see how it compares to other things he likes before making it.

I have SUPER picky kids....with changing likes and dislikes, so I don't let them rate every recipe. But they know what a blog is and why I take pictures of food and my 3 year old has told me he want to "eat blog". So I'm not sure if he quite understands it all yet.

My recipes will get edited. As I learn better ways to cook and retry some recipes, I will edit how we like it better....so expect changes sometimes. I always try to give credit where credit is due, but I do alter recipes to my style of cooking and my families likes, so feel free to check out the original source of the recipe.

Enjoy....I sure enjoy other food blogs and have learned a ton from all the awesome directions and pictures!!

I found myself featured:
and at:

This Week's Menu

Monday: crock pot teriyaki chicken
Tuesday: Alfredo Pasta with Grilled Sausages from Costco
Wednesday: Stove Top Easy Turkey Bake
Wednesday: Steak (with buffalo wild wing sauce) and Baked Potato
Thursday: Nacho Chicken
Friday:hmmm...any suggestions?
Saturday:hmmm...any suggestions?
Sunday: Grilled chicken

Scalloped Potatoes

I really like scalloped potatoes. This is my favorite recipe for them. They should have a better picture...
Recipe from: food.com

4 cups thinly sliced potatoes
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top

In a small sauce pan, melt butter and blend in flour. Let sit for a minute. Add all of cold milk, stirring with a whisk. Season with salt. Cook sauce on low until smooth and boiling, stirring occasionally with a whisk. Reduce heat and stir in cheese.

Place a half of the sliced potatoes in a lightly greased one quart casserole dish. Pour half of cheese sauce over potatoes. Repeat with second layer of potatoes and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake uncovered for about 1 hour at 350F.

Baklava

This is something that John requested. I didn't even know what it was, but thanks to the internet you can pretty much have any question answered and find a recipe for most things, too...so I gave it a try. It's not my favorite thing...I think I would be okay with never eating it again actually, but just in case John wants it again I'll keep the recipe :)

Recipe from: allrecipes.com

1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped nuts
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

My favorite Holiday Drink

I'm a little slow at posting this, but this was something we always had during the holidays and I LOVE it. It's simple to make...

Add 2 liters of 7 up or sprite (I use diet) to half a bottle of pina colada. Stir and enjoy. Serve cold.

Peanut Butter Popcorn

I've had visions of Peanut Butter popcorn lately, but didn't have a good recipe. Finally I went searching and finally combined all of those ideas to make my own recipe. I decided chocolate drizzled on top would be great, but it isn't needed. My 2 year old was gobbling it up before I could get it in the oven...it was good, but messy.
3/4 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda

Pop popcorn, shake out the small kernels using a grid cooling rack...set aside.

In small pan mix together corn syrup and sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Then quickly add the peanut butter and stir until smooth.

Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Pour popcorn onto foil. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

If desired: Melt dark chocolate and drizzle over popcorn mixture. When chocolate is set and popcorn is cool, break into chunks. Enjoy!