Angie's in the Kitchen

Cookie Salad

2011-06-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

Last night I thought I had a church function to attend. I was supposed to bring both a salad and the recipe for it. I wanted to bring a strawberry spinach salad, but the store was out of (affordable) spinach. My second choice was cookie salad. (Yum!) I didn't like the fruit that the original recipe called for (Mandarin oranges and pineapple). Not with delicious fudge striped cookies anyway. In typical Angie fashion, I used the original recipe as a guideline and made up my own.

Remember how I said I thought I had a function to go to? Well....turns out I was a week early. Oops. My family ate my salad for dessert instead. Love all around for the cookie salad.

Cookie Salad
1 lg pkg vanilla pudding
2 cups milk
8 oz cool whip
1 apple, cut in chunks
1 banana, sliced
Strawberries, sliced
1 pkg fudge striped cookies

Mix pudding and milk. Let it set in the fridge for 5 minutes. Fold in cool whip. Add fruit. Just before serving crumble cookies and mix those in as well.

Enjoy!

Popcorn and other snacks

2011-05-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

I love popcorn. Especially buttered popcorn. Movie theater buttered. And since that's only just a few teeny tiny calories, I can eat all the time. Right. I wish! Luckily, last year I was introduced to nutritional yeast flakes. What the? No, it's not the yeast you use to make in breads. It's actually a yeast some vegetarians use as a butter/cheese substitute. You can buy at Winco, and I've heard you can get it at Sunflower Market as well. Here's a simple recipe for you:

Oil popcorn popper (like the stove top kind or there are electric ones)
large bowl

3/4 c. popcorn
1/4 c. canola (or EVOO) oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 TBSP nutritional yeast flakes (remember NOT baking yeast)

Pop your corn. Dump into bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt and nutr. yeast flakes. Gently toss. Eat.

I know. Simple. Delicious.

Other healthy snacks I'm enjoying:

Ann's House Soy Energy Blend

Jeff and I found this 2 lb baby at Costco last night for $7.99. Soy nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. We opened it before we left the parking lot and munched it the entire way home. Yum!

And lastly, the ever popular kindergarten snack: Ants on a log. Celery, peanut butter, and raisins. It's a staple snack 'round these parts.

What are you snacking on?

French Bread

2010-05-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Jeff's gone for the week. I have 3 hungry kiddos to kept fed, but 3 kiddos who don't necessarily like what I fix for dinner when dad's around. So, Friday I raided my local Small-Mart (walmart's grocery-only store) and their entire frozen food section. (I very nearly took a picture of my shopping cart for a "what-not-to-eat" post ;) One of the things I grabbed was a bag of meatballs. I figured the kids love them and I could do a number of things with them that I would enjoy and that the kids would still eat. Meatballs were sounding mighty good today and so was some fresh bread. I decied that a spaghetti and meatball dinner would hit the spot. But for it to be a real spaghetti dinner, there must be a green salad with ranch and french bread. I called my mom and found out it is surprisingly easy to make a loaf of french bread. Here's her super easy recipe:

French Bread
1/2 cup warm water

2 T. yeast

2 c. hot water

3 T. sugar

1/3 c. oil

6 c. unsifted flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c. warm water. Combine remaining ingredients (use only 3 c. of flour to start with). Add yeast mixture. Stir with heavy spoon (well-blended). Let dough rest for 10 minutes and then beat down. Repeat this step for a total of 5 times (about 50 minutes). Turn out on to floured surface. Knead just enough to cover dough with flour. Divide into 2 pieces. Roll out 1st section with rolling pin into a rectangle. Start on one side and roll (as you would for cinnamon rolls). Transfer loaf to greased pan, seam side down, and tuck ends under. Repeat with 2nd section of dough. Let raise for 30 minutes. Cut 3 slashes across the top of each loaf (careful to not deflate your dough). Beat 1 egg and brush across the tops for a shiny, crusty top. Bake at 400 degrees on the middle rack for 30 minutes.

This was SUCH an easy recipe. We may be having fresh bread at our home more often now!

Golden Cream Soup

2009-09-21T16:38:00.001-07:00

I just searched my archives to send this recipe to a friend, and realized I've never posted it here! (at least not that I could find) This is my favorites soup-warm, creamy and best of all cheesy. If I have posted this before, sorry.

Golden Cream Soup

3 c. cubed potatoes
2-3 c. water (don’t boil dry)
½ c. celery slices
½ c. carrot slices
¼ c. chopped onion
1 tsp. Parsley flakes dash of pepper
½ tsp salt
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 ½ c. milk
2 T. flour
½ lb Velveeta cheese

Combine potatoes, water, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, salt and bouillon cube. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, adding water as necessary. Add milk to flour a little at a time to keep from getting lumpy. Add to veggies. Stir until thickens. (Not real thick.) Add cheese. Stir to melt.

It goes really well with this cornbread. Happy Fall!

Desserts wanted!!

2009-05-03T12:42:00.001-07:00

It's fast Sunday. I'm sitting home with a 2-year-old who has a runny nose instead of going to church with the rest of my family. The only thing I can think about is I WANT DESSERT!!! We have no traditional desserts for a Sunday evening or even favorites (unless you count chocolate chip cookies-which is Jeff's fav not mine). So, I'm wondering-does your family have a favorite dessert to make and what is it??? Let me know and I'll quiz my family to see if they have any favorites that I'm unaware of. Oh and I'd love any new dessert recipes you have to share! (Email me or leave a note in the post section.) Thanks!!

"best cooker ever!"

2009-03-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Is what mckay told me I am over lunch today. What did I make him that made me so deserving of this high praise? This simple, easy, kid-friendly lunch:

Tortilla chips
orange slices
chocolate milk

and the 1st place selection??

ham and cheese roll-ups

Here's the recipe:

2 slices of ham
2 slices of cheese

Lay the cheese at the edge of the ham and roll the ham up. Repeat with second piece of ham and cheese. Serves 1.

Seriously. The things impress kids!

Smoothies

2009-03-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

My cousin has started her own cooking blog and shared these favorite smoothie recipes. Trust me. Try these once and you'll never need to pay $5 for a smoothie again! For me, I'm on a constant search for something that sounds appealing for breakfast and these hit the spot. The only thing I do differently is toss in a handful of spinach for some extra vitamins. Sound gross?? It's not. I can't tell it's there and even better when I use mixed berries my kids have no clue they're getting their leafy greens! Gotta love hidden veggies. The basic recipe goes as follows:

2 c. ice
1 1/4 c. guava nectar (available at walmart for about $1.50 and lasts a while)
1/2 c. vanilla or strawberry yogurt
1 packet vanilla flavored carnation instant breakfast
1 banana
1 c. frozen fruit
*1 big handful of spinach

Blend 1st 4 ingredients till smooth. Add banana and spinach and blend. Finally toss in your yummy fruit and blend till smooth once more. (Are my instructions feeling a bit repetitive?) Serves 4.

*If using fruit other than dark berries, be sure to inform your kids that it is "Shrek's Swamp Sludge" or other gross concoction to ensure they drink it. ;)

I've also used Popsicle molds to freeze smoothies for a fast, easy on-the-go breakfast/snack.

For some great combinations visit Kinikini Kuisine.

Valentines Cake

2009-02-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

Technically, it's Lyndsi's birthday cake, but it's definitely Valentine-themed. This was SO easy to do. The cake is just a white Pillsbury cake mix baked in two rounds and then stacked on top of each other. A filling would be great, but I opted for straight cake. I frosted with buttercream frosting tinted light pink. (Wilton has a great, easy recipe.) For the heart, I did a google image search for a heart outline, resized it in Word, and cut it out. Then I layed it on top of the frosted cake and used a toothpick to outline. I tinted what was left of my frosting a darker shade of pink (using the Wilton food colors) and frosted inside the heart.

All the brown piping and lettering is done with chocolate. That's right ladies-CHOCOLATE!! I saw this idea on Martha's website (I think) and had to try it. Just melt your melting chocolate pieces (found at the craft stores), put in a decorator bag and pipe away. It was really easy and actually seemed to work more smoothly than piping icing.

This would be a fun dessert for your loved ones come this Saturday. Enjoy!!

Breakfast Pizza

2009-01-31T08:20:00.000-08:00

In keeping with kid-friendly meals, here's a good breakfast one. First of all, it requires no milk which is important have bled the fridge dry of milk by Saturday. ;) Second of all, you can tailor it to what your family likes. And third, and perhaps most importantly-lots of cheese. All 3 of my kids liked it and the one who was opposed to trying it the most ended up eating the most. Wahoo!

*Breakfast Pizza

Preheat broiler.

4 eggs
1/4 to 1/2 cup cheddar or Monterey jack
1/4 cup diced ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, or other pizza toppings (some chopped tomatoes would've been really good in this.)
1 tbsp butter or margarine

In a medium-size bowl, mix the eggs, cheese, and pizza toppings. Melt the butter in an 8-inch frying pan with a metal handle over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and cook until the bottom is golden, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove and place it under the broiler for about 3 minutes , or until the top has puffed up and lightly browned. Cool slightly and cut into wedges. Makes 1 frittata.

*recipe from family fun's "Disney's family cookbook"

Kid Approved Meals

2009-01-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

I've had a request for kid-friendly meals. Here's McKay's favorite recipe:

Chicken Nuggets (aka Shake 'n Bake)

1 c. bisquick
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic salt (I sometimes sub the powder for salt)
1/4 tsp. celery salt

Preheat electric skillet to about 350. Dump all ingredients in a gallon size ziploc bag and set aside. Cube your favorite (boneless, skinless) chicken pieces. Toss them in the bag and shake to coat. Spray skillet with non-stick spray. Throw the chicken in and cover. Cook for about 7 minutes (or so) and turn over when the pieces start to brown. Cook about 7 minutes more and they should be done. Serve with ranch, bbq sauce or other favorite dipping sauce. They're great on their own, too!

I don't leave these babies unattended. I also go more by how the chicken is looking rather than times. So, just plan on sticking around.

What do you want more of?

2009-01-21T08:20:00.000-08:00

I think people occasionally check this blog. If so, what kinds of recipes are you looking for? What kinds of food are you in the mood for? Leave a note and I'll start looking. Thanks for visiting!

Macaroni salad

2009-01-21T08:15:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from my SIL Lisa's family. They served it at my neice's blessing luncheon this summer and we all LOVED it. I found the recipe she had sent me and decided to make it for a quick, easy dinner. I was going to do some grilled chicken with it but never got that far. We did toast instead. The kids liked it and it was a simple, fast meal or side dish.

MACARONI SALAD
3/4 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup mayo/miracle whip
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup diced ham
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbs chopped dill pickle
2 slices crispy bacon, crumbled
pepper to taste

Cook macaroni. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Mix all ingredients together. Chill and serve.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2009-01-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe at Dinner's Ready, a handy resource for when I don't know what to cook or am looking for something new. I had everything on hand (and it's all pantry/freezer standard supplies) which is shocking-for me anyway. This chicken was not only easy, but DELICIOUS!! 5 out of 5 taste testers approved and most of us were drooling over it. :) It seriously tastes like we ordered out. Next time I'll be more prepared and have some egg rolls and fortune cookies on hand.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2-3 chicken breasts
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. cornstarch
salt and pepper
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. chicken broth
1/3 c. ketchup
1 1/4 TBSP soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Cut chicken into strips (I like mine cubed). Mix cornstarch, flour, salt, and pepper. Shake chicken and coat evenly. Fry in cooking oil over med-high until just starting to brown (don't overcook). Combine remaining ingredients to make a sauce. Pour over chicken, then cover and cook for 45 minutes. Serve over cooked rice.

I happened to have some frozen red and green peppers and a can of pineapple on hand. I threw those in as well before baking so that I would have a one-dish type meal. Kids didn't eat the vegetables, but Jeff and I thought they were great in there.

Black Beans and Pumpkins

2008-10-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from the current issue of Taste of Home and it is good. My kids didn't like it, but then again, they don't like soup/chili/etc. It's a more mild chili, but I'm sure you could spice it up as much as you want.

Black Bean 'n' Pumpkin Chili

METHOD: Slow Cooker

TIME: Prep: 20 min. Cook: 4 hours

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients.
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Grilled Cheese...With a twist

2008-09-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

I don't have a picture of this particular sandwich, but you may find one by searching Paula Dean. I got this recipe watching her show, and it was every bit as delicious as she made it out to be. :)

Grilled Cheese w/ bacon and apples with a roasted onion mayonaise

bacon strips, fried up
thinly sliced granny smith apple (gala works, too)
cheddar cheese slices
some sort of fun bread (french, sourdough, Italian, etc.)
purple onion
mayo

Chop your onion and roasted in a lightly oiled pan for 1/2 hr (350 I think). Fry your bacon and slice your apples. Butter two pieces of bread. Ok. I'll stop here. I think you know how to put a sandwich together. ;) When your onions are done, throw a 1/2 c. mayo in a blender and toss some onions in (to taste). Spread that on both pieces of bread (not the side you buttered) and then add your fixings and grill it like normal. It is a little bit of upscale eating in your every day kitchen. Bon appetit!

Beautiful Brown Rolls

2008-09-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

Like most of you, I love some good homemade rolls. My favorite hands down are my late Grandma Marchant's Parker House rolls. I have tried and tried to recreate them, but have never managed it. So, when I got the craving for homemade rolls and the itch to bake simultaneously, I had Jeff search some cookbooks for a new roll recipe.

Beautiful Brown Rolls:

2 c. boiling water
1 c. quick cooking oats
2 pkg (1/4 oz each) active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. molasses
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
5-3/4 to 6-1/4 c. flour
melted butter or margarine

In a large mixing bowl, combine boiling water and oats; cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, dissolve yeast in warm water; stir into oat mixture. Add the eggs, molasses, oil, sugar, and salt. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface ; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Divide into 36 pieces and shape into rolls. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Brush with butter. Cool on wire racks. Yields: 3 dozen.

This recipe comes from "The Best of Country Cooking 2000" which is a Taste of Home cookbook.

Peach Pie

2008-09-08T07:55:00.001-07:00

I was dying for some fresh peach pie last week, but not having any fresh peaches, I had to improvise. Fortunately, improvising is my specialty. :) What I did have were some jars of bottled peaches that needed to be used. (I know-big improvise) I pulled out some of my most trust-worthy cookbooks and found this in the ever-handy Betty Crocker cookbook:

Fresh Peach Pie (with canned peach variation)

9 in - 2 crust pie

2 cans (1 lb 13 oz) sliced peaches, drained

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

2 TBSP butter or margarine

Heat oven to 425. Prepare pastry. Mix peaches and lemon juice. Stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon; mix with peaches. Turn into pastry-lined pan; dot with butter. Cover with top crust which has slits cut in it; seal and flute. Cover edge with 2-3 in strip of aluminum foil to prevent excess browning; remove foil last 15 minutes of baking. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.

I sprinkled the crust with cinnamon and sugar on the top for a little extra sparkle. Not one piece of this pie was wasted.

A New Look

2008-07-10T13:28:00.001-07:00

I loved the clean, boring look I used to have, but when I saw this template, I couldn't help myself. (Doesn't that lime look perfect with it??) There is one tiny problem. All the font colors remained the same-black. Black on black doesn't work when you're trying to read. :) As a solution, I've edited all of this pages post (and all future ones) in white. If you happen to scan the back pages and are interested in a post, leave a comment on the newest one and I'll go change it to white as well. Otherwise, it'll be like reading invisible ink..He he he.

A Twist on Lime

2008-06-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

I had this absolutely refreshing drink for the first time about 4 years ago. I don't remember who made it first (probably one of the super cute girls in my old FHE group), but I loooove it. Very easy and with a surprise ingredient-cucumbers-it turns into a perfect summer picnic beverage.

Ingredients
2 small cans or 1 large can frozen limeade concentrate
Cucumbers, peeled and sliced thinly
2 liters lemon-lime soda (or ginger ale)

Directions
Thaw limeade. Marinate cucumbers in limeade for a few hours. Add to the punch bowl with the soda. Add ice to chill.

What to do with Leftover Spaghetti

2008-06-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

That was my quandary the other night. It's not like I had just one portion left, I had a whole meals worth of noodles. So, like any other good dilemma, I posted the question of what to do with the stuff on a forum. After 2 pages of responses, I picked a recipe to try. (Shocking that people would have idea. My idea was to just throw it away and count my losses.) We ended up trying a variation of chicken spaghetti. 2 out of 3 kids loved it and Jeff was blown away by its deliciousness. I was pleasantly surprised. Warning-the color is not aesthetically pleasing while making the sauce-don't let it fool you about it's taste.

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
4 Large chicken breasts or one full chicken
16 ounces of spaghetti1 stick butter
1 medium onion
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 (16 ounce) can stewed tomatoes OR Rotel tomatoes
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
Velveeta cheese

To make:
1. Boil chicken breasts or chicken. Save the broth. Cool and cut chicken into bite size pieces.
2. Boil spaghetti in the chicken broth.
3. Spray 9x13 pan with no-stick cooking spray. Pour spaghetti and chicken into pan.
4. Sauté the chopped onion in butter. Add cream of mushroom soup, stewed tomatoes, garlic salt, and chili powder. Pour over spaghetti and chicken.
5. Top with Velveeta cheese and melt in oven.

Vitamins and Supplements

2008-05-22T10:37:00.001-07:00

Gee...It's been awhile, huh? Sorry about that!

I was looking through an article my friend sent me about what to do when you start feeling the blues and/or overwhelmed. One of the suggestions the article made as to the cause was a deficiency in either magnesium or B vitamins. That got me excited. Someone was telling me exactly what the mineral or vitamin was for! So, then I wondered if I would need to go to a health food store for that or if I could pick it up at Wal-Mart. I went to Nature Made's website (only vitamin brand I could think of). To my happy surprise, they have a fabulous website. You can search by supplement or by what you're trying to treat or need (energy, memory, health, etc.). Thought I'd pass a good thing on. www.naturemade.com

Quiche

2008-03-27T13:54:00.001-07:00

In honor of spring, I'm posting a recipe for quiche (or as my kids call it "egg pie"). Serve with some fresh rolls (from the bakery or your freezer is perfect) and a yummy Spinach Strawberry salad (posted 7-18-07) and you'll have a yummy spring meal. By the way, it uses milk instead of cream.

Quiche
1 Pie crust

1/2 c. (or to taste) onion, chopped
1/2 c. butter
3 garlic cloves
1/2 green pepper, chopped

Saute veggies together (5-7 minutes)

1 tomato, chopped
handful shredded cheese
chopped ham (optional)
salt and pepper

Mix in with sauteed veggies and spoon into crust.

Mix 4 eggs
1 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste

Spoon egg mixture over veggie mix. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with another handful of cheese on top. bake for another 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!

Lucious Loaves

2008-03-06T14:12:00.000-08:00

The other day my friend and I were chatting while waiting for our kindergartners to get out of school and she mentioned that she had some banana bread in the oven at home. Mmm....That sounded so good. As luck would have it, I happened to have 3 beautifully black bananas just begging to be made into bread. Yesterday I was still digging out of my organizing project, but today (in a freshly organized and clean kitchen I might add) I found I had plenty of time to make it. While it was baking, I picked up Twilight (again), but the heavenly aromas coming from my oven were somewhat distracting. Neither Lyndsi or I can wait till those beautiful loaves cool so we can try it!

Banana Bread

1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
3 mashed bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 c. flour
1/2 c. nuts (optional)

Mix shortening and sugar together. Add bananas and eggs and mix. Add remaining ingredients. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes. Makes 2-3 loaves.

Menu for Sat. Feb 23-Mar. 3

2008-02-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

I love having a menu plan for my meals. It takes the thinking out of dinner, and let's face it, who really can think of a good meal on an empty stomach? Unfortunately, this weeks meal is not packed with nutrition-at least in the main courses. We will be minus one at the table due to crazy work schedules, so I'm catering to the kids for a few days. Here's our meal plan for what it's worth. (By the way-feel free to share what you're having for dinner!)

Sat.-Grilled pork, veggie, and potatoes
Sun.-Hot dogs and chips
Mon.-Pizza (most likely little Caesars) and salad
Tuesday-Chicken nuggets, veggie sticks w/ ranch, and probably some fruit
Wednesday-Mac 'n cheese and ????
Thursday- Chicken salad, rolls, strawberry spinach salad, maybe some extra veggies
Friday- Salmon and ??? (any good recipes out there?)
Saturday-Tacos
Sunday-Quiche and salad

There you have it!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

2008-02-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

I've discovered that I love taking pictures of my food to go along with the recipes, but this one was sooo good I couldn't get a picture before it was gone. Jeff and I ate almost the whole thing in one night which by the way is a bad idea unless you have a big bottle of tums around! Jeff especially loves fresh salsa and has been trying to find a really good recipe for a long time. This is probably the best I've had.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

3 c. chopped, ripe tomatoes 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 green onions with tops, sliced 1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. green bell pepper, chopped 1 tsp red wine vinegar (we used apple cider v.)
1/2 c. purple onion, chopped 1/2 tsp salt
2 T. lime juice 1/4 tsp cumin
2 T. fresh cilantro
1 T. jalapeno, chopped (I think I'd only add this if I wanted it really spicy)

Mix all ingredients. If time permits, refrigerate salsa for two or three hours before serving so individual ingredient flavors will blend. Serve it with any tortilla dishes, grilled chicken or hamburgers, or tortilla chips.

Popcorn Popping

2008-02-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

Popcorn is like the year-round snack. You eat it while playing games, watching movies, eating at Wingers (sorry-had to throw that in), watching fire works, and just hanging with friends and family. My cousin gave me this recipe for flavored popcorn that is yummy. I made some today for Valentine treats, but am thinking by just changing the flavor of Jell-O, you can make them for any holiday/season. How fun!

Candied Popcorn

INGREDIENTS12 cups popped popcorn1 cup light corn syrup1/2 cup sugar1 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Brand Gelatin, any flavor1 1/2 cups PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONSPlace popcorn in large bowl.Mix syrup and sugar in saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add gelatin; stir until dissolved. Add peanuts.Pour over popcorn; mix well. Cool about 5 minutes. Shape into 18 balls, each about 3 inches in diameter.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-01-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

I love to bake, but I do not make a good chocolate chip cookie (I know. How very sad.), that is, until last Sunday. (They didn't look so blue, though...) It's amazing what happens when you turn back to something that has worked in the past! I got this recipe from a friend in high school and it has not failed me yet. Jeff thinks they are a little "cakey" and we both think they could use some vanilla (I would do a tsp). However, 4 dozen cookies were gone in less then 3 days and we only shared 6 with neighbors. Here's the recipe:

2 sticks butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups of flour (you will need to add more, but this is a good starting point)

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

chocolate chips

Mix together. Drop on cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Peaches and Cream

2008-01-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

If you've read my blog, you know I am trying to eat and be healthier this year. For one of my snacks, I am supposed to do 1 milk and 1 fruit. I came up with this little goodie that actually tasted like ice cream.

1 serving of fruit (I used canned peaches)
1 serving of milk
handful of ice

Blend it all up until smooth and enjoy!

Simple and yummy and no sugar needed!

Meatless Meals

2007-12-04T16:38:00.001-08:00

No, we're not going vegetarian, but I would like to start trying some new meatless recipes considering how expensive meat is. I found this site http://www.vibrantlife.org/vl/rcategories.html that has vegetarian ideas that look yummy. Some are a little too much for me. (Still not willing to try tofu for one.) If you have any yummy meatless or mostly meatless meal ideas, email them to me and I'll post them. I'll post what I find as well.

Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

2007-12-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

These are the perfect cookies to leave for Santa or anyone else for that matter. (I even burned a batch and they still tasted good!) Enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
From the kitchen of: Angie Maynes

1 c. butter, softened 4 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar 1 tsp. Salt
1 c. confectioner’s sugar 1 tsp. Baking soda
1 c. vegetable oil 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
2 eggs 1 tsp. Cream of tartar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract Colored sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars and oil. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and cream of tartar; gradually add to creamed mixture. Shape into 1-inch balls.

Place on greased baking sheets; flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired. Bake at 375˚ for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yields: about 8 dozen.

Fabulous Fall Foods

2007-10-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

Fall is the reason I love the kitchen. Every year about September I start into a baking frenzy. This year has been no exception. I've done 2 pumpkin pies, an apple pie, and rolls from scratch to name just a few things. I like the smell, the warmth, and the comfort of baking. Jeff thinks I've gone a little nutty. Every Sunday he sees me satisfying my itch to bake and welcome the crispness of fall into our home. This Conference weekend was no exception. Saturday found my family and I (including my parents) bottling apples from my uncle's tree. (They turned out beautiful.) We also did a few jars of apple pie filling, too. Sunday I decided a nice Sunday dinner of roast, mashed potatoes, veggies, and Jell-O wasn't enough. It need some fresh homemade rolls to go along with it, and we had them. (Thank you Grandma, for always making fresh rolls at Thanksgiving! Now they are a must in my house.) Long story short, fall is my favorite time to bake. I think tonight we'll have chili with some homemade cornbread. If you haven't tried this recipe, it is a must-have for a good pot of chili or any other soup!

CORNBREAD:

4c. Bisquick
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. cornmeal
4 eggs beaten
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. melted butter

Mix ingredients together. Bake at 350 in a lightly greased 9 X 13 pan for 35-40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve with butter and honey!

More Compassionate Service

2007-09-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

Aunt Robyn sent this idea for a compassionate service meal:

The thing I like to take for compassionate service dinners if the family has small children is tin-foil dinners cooked in the oven If you put them in a paper bag with newspaper all around them they keep warm a long time. It¢s great for kids who don¢t like their food mixed up together.

Thanks Robyn!!

Swedish meatballs

2007-08-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

I halfed the meatball recipe and made the sauce as is.

Swedish meatballs

Meatballs:
3 lb. ground beef
2 sm. cans evaporated milk (5 oz each)
2 c. oats
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 eggs
1 c. finely chopped onion
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt

Sauce:
2 c. ketchup
2 sm cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
3 tsp. liquid smoke (I did it without this and they were still good)

Combine all ingredients and form into balls. Place in baking dish and cover with sauce. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Remove foil for last 5 minutes of baking.

Fun Appetizers

2007-08-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun appetizer ideas for your end-of-summer parties:

Apple Berry Salsa w/ Cinnamon Chips

Chips:
4 (7-in) flour tortillas
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Salsa:
2 med. Granny Smith appples
1 c. strawberries, sliced
1 kiwi, peeled and chopped
1 small orange
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. Apple jerky (not sure what it is, but will find out)

Makes 16 servings (3 c. salsa and 32 chips)

Compassionate Service

2007-08-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm curious to know what others make when they are given a compassionate service assignment to take a meal in to a family. Please post or email me some ideas of what you've taken before and I'll post them here along with my own ideas.

Crock Pot Chicken

2007-07-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

This is my all-time favorite chicken and rice recipe. It's moist. It's loaded with flavor. Best of all, it has the added appeal of a fix-it and forget-it meal! Now, one thing about my cooking, if I don't have something on hand I try to substitute with something I do have, thus saving me time, energy and sanity of last minute trips to the store. This recipe is a classic example of me changing the recipe (I know you are laughing to yourself, Jeff). It calls for cream cheese but I sometimes substitute sour cream. I also sometimes substitute the Italian dressing powder for ranch, and cream of mushroom for cream of chicken. Anyway you do this dish, it turns out delicious. Add some fresh, hot rolls and a side of steamed veggies with a little butter and fresh lemon squeezed on top and you have a meal fit for a king!

CROCK POT CHICKEN

2 T. margarine
6 chicken breasts
1/2 c. water
1 pkg. Italian dressing (powder)
1 can cream of mushroom
8 oz cream cheese

Melt butter. Add chicken and pour water on top. Cook 6 hours. Take chicken out. Place in soup, dressing mix, and cream cheese.* Mix until melted. Cut up chicken and add back into pot. Heat 30 minutes and serve over rice.

*It is important that you wait until the last 30 minutes to add the cream cheese (or sour cream if you opt for that). If you try and cook it all together, it will start to curdle and have a funny consistency.

Soft Sugar Cookies

2007-07-26T15:18:00.001-07:00

Sugar cookies are so much work, but they are a must-have with kids. It's something fun to do with them and seems to hold their attention. Even my 3 year old did better than I thought he would. Here's my recipe (I usually half it and it makes plenty for my family.)

SOFT SUGAR COOKIES

1 c. shortening
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
3 T. vanilla
1/2 c. milk
1 T. soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp baking powder
7 c. flour

Cream together shortening, sugar, and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and add 1 cup at a time to sugar mixture. Add milk as needed. Roll out on floured surface. Cut out with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until light and fluffy. Cool, frost and decorate.

Summer Foods

2007-07-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

Summer is about half way over and there are still lots of BBQs and picnics and potlucks. This is one of favorite salads of all time. It's so simple. I make it year round, especially in the late winter when I'm longing for warmer temps. (I sometimes substitute the lemon juice for lime and the add a little cilantro. It makes a great dressing for taco salads!)

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1-10 oz. pkg fresh spinach
2 c. sliced strawberries (fresh, but frozen works too if you sweeten it)

3 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar
6 T. vegetable oil

Place lemon juice and sugar in a blender. With blender running, add oil in a slow, steady stream; process until slightly thickened. Just before serving, combine spinach and strawberries in a large salad bowl and drizzle with dressing. Serves 6-8

Breakfast

2007-07-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

Try the recipe below and I'd love to know what you and yours think of it.

Also, we will be starting to have "family breakfast" now that Lyndsi is starting school. Does anyone have some simple recipes or ideas for breakfast food? (Believe it or not, they don't really eat cold cereal, even the sugary kind!)

Amazing

2007-07-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

The sound of bacon sizzling in the frying pan, the waffle iron spilling over with steam as it cooks, eggs and hash browns slowly cooking on the stove top...It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I love this kind of full breakfast, but have never been real big on having waffles or worse, pancakes. I am not a big fan of store bought syrup. A friend made me some maple syrup from scratch and it was so yummy. Fast forward a few years later, and I am helping put a ward cookbook together. A friend of ours in that particular ward submitted a recipe for "Amazing Pancake Syrup." You know how there are some people you would try any recipe they handed you because they always make great food? He is definitely one of those people! We made his syrup Saturday morning and were all in heaven. It's rich and buttery and soooooo good! (Just a note--be sure to use a BIG pot. I used the biggest one I have for soups and it foamed at least two-thirds or more to the top of the pan.)

JayDee Hendricks' "Amazing Pancake Syrup"

Start with a large heavy pot because this recipe foams as it cooks.
1 cup buttermilk-that's right! Buttermilk. Just do it. It will be alright.
1 cube butter or margarine
2 T. light Karo syrup
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 7 minutes. It may require stirring to keep from foaming out of pan. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla. This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of syrup. This recipe does not double well. Any leftovers should be refrigerated and used within a week or two.

Menu Planning

2007-07-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

Menu planning is hard work for me, and I don't get much help from my family. (I guess we could make a rotation of hot dogs, ramen, and peanut butter sandwiches...) I was reading through my email one day and came across a forward my mom had sent me from kraftfood.com. It was a whole weeks worth of dinners planned complete with a shopping list and a list of what you should have on hand. I was in heaven!! I get the Kraft Food magazine, but I must have just glanced over that part of it. It has 4 good homemade meals (Mon.-Thurs.) and one convenience meal like a frozen pizza(Friday). I have loved it.

Dinner Idea

2007-07-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

I love it when I have dinner completely planned out beforehand, so I thought I'd share a favorite meal.

BBQ chicken-your choice of marinade/sauce
Citrus Rice
Steamed veggies (I do broccoli and carrots-for extra flavor I butter them and then squeeze a fresh lemon over the top.)

Citrus Rice
(www.kraftfoods.com)

1 1/2 c. minute rice (white)
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. orange juice
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 c. sliced green onions
3 T. sliced almonds

Combine rice, broth, orange juice, and soy sauce in microwaveable bowl; cover. Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice and sprinkle with onions and almonds. (I do it on the stove and it works just as well.)

The Crock Pot

2007-07-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

The crockpot is a wonderful kitchen tool. You throw stuff in it in the morning when you're feeling ambitious and leave it alone until dinner time. Perfect for the busy mom, and let's face it, we are all busy. Here is my favorite slow-cooker recipe. This is from one of my ward cookbooks. It is not only my favorite crockpot recipe but also my favorite lasagna recipe.

Crock Pot Lasagna
(received from Kim Fakahua)

1 lb ground beef
1-16 oz Alfredo sauce
1-26 or 28 oz jar pasta sauce
3 c. shredded mozzarella
1-8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 pkg. no-boil lasagna noodles

Brown ground beef and drain. Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup pasta sauce in bottom. Stir remaining pasta sauce and tomato sauce into ground beef. Layer 3 lasagna noodles over sauce, breaking noodles as necessary. Top with 1/3 of Alfredo sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with 1/3 of the ground beef mixture, spreading evenly. Repeat layering twice, using 2 lasagna noodles in last layer. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

Broccoli Soup

2007-07-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. It's summer and a million degrees outside. Who in there right mind is thinking of making soup for dinner? Trust me. This is refreshing and very springy/summery. Add a turkey or ham sandwich and a lemonade and you're set! (I found this one a few years ago at allrecipes.com.)

Broccoli Soup

1 T. olive oil 1 potato peeled and chopped
1 lg. onion, chopped 4 c. chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 (10 oz) pkg. frozen, chopped broccoli salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and saute onion and garlic until tender. Mix in broccoli, potato, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes until veggies are tender. With a hand mixer or in a blender, puree the mixture until smooth. Return to the saucepan and reheat. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. (I like to garnish with some shredded cheese) Serves 8.

Cooking

2007-07-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

I don't really LOVE cooking. I dislike doing dishes (although not as much as I used to). I really don't like getting my freshly cleaned kitchen dirty-though with three little ones running in and out, it can't be helped. What I do love is looking through recipe books. I could do that for hours on end, especially if there are photographs. And, I do love to eat good food! To keep me motivated and my family fed, I frequently try new recipes. Lucky for me, I've found some really good ones. I know a lot of us struggle in meal planning, what to take to a potluck, or just want something new to try. That's what I'm here for. I'll be posting new recipes at least weekly to help you out, and I'd love to see the recipes that you love. Enjoy!