Pumpkin Bread Trifle

I think trifles are so much fun to make and look impressive. This one is easy to make and delicious. Who wouldn't want to dive into these layers of pumpkin, caramel, toffee, and brown-sugar whipped cream goodness...Yum!

Pumpkin Bread Trifle

by Chelsey W.

1 loaf of pumpkin bread (mine had chocolate chips in it)

1 package of toffee bits (found at store by the chocolate chips)

1 jar caramel ice cream topping

1 qt whipping cream

1 1/2 c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Purchase a loaf of pumpkin bread or make your own. Cut loaf into cubes. Whip the whipping cream adding in the brown sugar and vanilla. Create trifle by layering ingredients. Start by placing half of the pumpkin bread cubes in the bottom of the trifle dish. Put the bread and other ingredients around the edge so the layers can be seen through the glass. Drizzle caramel sauce over the pumpkin bread. Next, sprinkle toffee bits over the bread and caramel. Spread a generous layer of the whipped topping over the pumpkin bread. Repeat all of the above for the second layer. Garnish with toffee bits. Refrigerate a few hours before serving.

Banana Bread

Seriously, is there anything better than the smell of banana bread baking? Yum. This is definitely a favorite treat of mine. It's my moms recipe which probably means it came from my grandmother and it is delish, and actually quite easy to make. Whenever I have bananas that are overripe I freeze them and then when I collect enough for a few loaves I make banana bread or frosted banana bars.

Banana Bread

by Chelsey W.

Makes one loaf, recipe can be doubled or tripled for additional loaves:

1 c sugar

1/2 c butter or margarine, softened

3 large, very ripe bananas (mashed)

2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Cream together the sugar and butter. Add the bananas, then eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl stir together the dry ingredients flour, soda, and baking powder. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, don't over mix. Pour batter into a well greased medium sized loaf pan. Leave at least 1/2 inch space at the top. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Check after baking for an hour. Poke a toothpick in the center and it should come out clean if done. Let bread cool for 15 min. before turning it out of the loaf pan.

Pina Colada Salad

This is an easy recipe that tastes delicious. It's great to take to potlucks and people really enjoy it. Since this recipe uses pudding and yogurt as a base you can change the flavors and make different kinds of salads. I've made this pina colada one and I've also made a strawberry version that I'll share sometime.  I made this salad for Easter and added cute pastel bunny marshmallows. I've finally found a recipe that the colored marshmallows taste good in.

Pina Colada Salad
by Chelsey W.

12 oz whipped topping
1 small package coconut cream pudding
3 (6 oz) pina colada yogurts (I use the Yoplait kind)
1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits, drained
3 sliced bananas, add right before serving
miniature marshmallows (colored or white)
toasted coconut (optional)

Mix together the whipped topping, dry pudding powder, and yogurts. Refrigerate, and just before serving add drained pineapple, sliced bananas, desired amount of marshmallows, and toasted coconut.

adapted from RealMomKitchen.com

The Best Soft Sugar Cookies

My favorite cookie is a sugar cookie. However, I'll admit I'm a sugar cookie snob and I turn my nose up to most recipes. I've seen beautifully decorated sugar cookies with royal icing but they taste like cardboard, and isn't the point of a cookie to eat it? I've tasted good sugar cookies that don't keep their shape. If I'm going to do all the work of rolling them out they better keep their shape. I've also had cookies that either the cookie is good or the frosting is but not both. This recipe is Wonderful! It makes a thick, soft, sugar cookie with good flavor and keeps its shape. Paired with my favorite frosting it makes the perfect cookie. Okay, now I do sound like a snob but it really is the best recipe I've ever found and I get tons of requests for it. It's a simple recipe too with no weird requirements. I make these for all the different holidays using cute cookie cutters to match it and they are so much fun to make with the kids. Give this one a try.
*I usually double or triple this recipe and give some away or they freeze well

Soft Sugar Cookies
by Chelsey W.

3c flour
1c sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c butter, margarine, or shortening
2 eggs
1/3 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter into flour mixture until crumbly. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add liquids to flour and stir until moist. Knead in bowl until smooth. If dough is very sticky after kneading add a little more flour but remember the dough will get more flour after being rolled out on flour surface. Roll out the dough on a flour surface with a rolling pin. You may need to sprinkle some flour on the top of the dough and rolling pin so it doesn't stick. Cut out shapes and bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until cookies are very light brown on the edge. These cookies should not get very dark or they are burned. Frost after they have cooled.  Makes around 36 cookies.

Frosting
1 cup butter or margarine (room temperature)
*I use margarine, I prefer the flavor
6 cups powdered sugar (I often use the whole 2lb bag)
milk, as needed about 3-4 Tbsp
1 tsp vanilla
a couple drops Almond Extract *A MUST HAVE*
food coloring
The frosting is made by taste. I never measure any of it. Put two sticks of margarine in a large mixing bowl. On low speed mix with electric beaters margarine slowly adding in about 2 c of powdered sugar. Add a little milk when it gets too thick. Add more powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Almond extract is very strong so just a few drops and taste. Continue to mix in powdered sugar until frosting reaches desired thickness and taste. Add a little food coloring and frost cookies (or cake but will only need half recipe).

Pancakes

These pancakes are simply perfect. They are thick, yet fluffy, with good flavor. This recipe is the one my mother used to make us pancakes growing up. It's not a secret recipe, in fact it just comes from moms old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It's a great recipe that is simple to throw together with ingredients that are always in the house.

Pancakes:
1 1/4 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1 c milk
2 Tbsp oil

Sift together the dry ingredients (I just stir them). Add egg, milk, and oil to dry ingredients. Stir until most of the lumps are gone. Bake on a hot griddle. Makes 8 pancakes and can easily be doubled for more.

Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

This is a wonderful breakfast casserole that is full of flavor. I've seen this recipe a couple different places and in a freezer dinner cookbook. I thought that making a double batch and freezing half of it was a great idea. Then you can cut up all the veggies at one time, since that is the most time consuming part. After doing it I would probably wait to put the shredded cheese in the frozen batch after it has thawed so it doesn't clump together. I'll definitely make this recipe often.

Recipe:
8 eggs
4 c hash brown potatoes
12 oz evaporated milk
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 c onion, diced finely
1 1/2 c green pepper, diced (use some red for Christmas)
1 c ham, diced
Mix together the eggs and milk. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together. If freezing put the mixture in a gallon size freezer bag, remove air before sealing, and freeze. Thaw frozen mixture completely before baking. Put in a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean.

Sugar Donut Muffins

Sugar Donut Muffins
by Chelsey W.
3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking power

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Roll muffins in:

2 tbsp butter, melted (brush on top)

1/2 cup sugar with a little cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until light in color. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Pour into egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour in vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract. Divide batter evenly into 10 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. While muffins are baking, melt butter.  Put remaining sugar and some cinnamon into a small bowl. When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in sugar. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 10 muffins.

adapted from BakingBites.com

Potato Cheese Soup

This recipe came from my friend Stephanie who was a college roommate of mine. I've changed it slightly but every time Steph would make it for us we'd all devour it. It is creamy, cheesy, and simply delicious! Definitely one of my favorite soups.

Potato Cheese Soup
by Chelsey W.

8 medium potatoes
4 c chicken broth (enough to boil the potatoes in)
1 c half/half milk (I usually just use the milk in my fridge)
1 1/2 c evaporated milk
3 T butter or margarine
3 T flour
2-3 c sharp cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

Peel and cut potatoes into bite size chunks (Potatoes will cook down slightly). Boil potatoes in the chicken broth in a soup pot until tender but not mushy. Meanwhile in a separate pot heat butter until bubbly and add in flour making a roux. Then stir in the milks. Bring to a slight boil then remove from heat after the flour lumps are gone. Add in shredded cheese and stir until melted. Add salt and pepper to the cheese sauce to taste (don't let cheese sauce boil or it will turn grainy). The amount of cheese is determined by taste. After the cheese sauce is complete add it to the cooked potatoes and broth. Stir soup and serve.

Jello Poke Cake

If you've never made one of these cakes you need to. They are definitely a family favorite and so easy to make. They are moist and not too sweet which often leads to overeating. It is a lot of fun to try different Jello flavors. My favorites are lime green, red raspberry, and lemon. I made one of these cakes festive for the holidays by putting the cake mix in two round cake pans and then making one cake red and the other green. When layered on top of each other with the whipped topping spread around it, it looked like I had slaved in the kitchen all day. Have fun with this one.

Jello Poke Cake
by Chelsey W.

1 white cake mix and ingredients listed on box
1 small (3oz) package of Jello
1 c boiling water
1/2 c cold water
1 small container (8oz) whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make and bake cake according to package directions in a 9x13 pan. Cool cake. Poke cake all over with a large utility fork. Stir Jello and boiling water in a bowl until dissolved. Then stir in cold water. Pour all over cake letting Jello drizzle into the holes. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Frost with whipped topping and enjoy. Store covered in fridge.

Layered Bean Dip

This is always a crowd pleasing appetizer. It's a layered dip that is eaten with tortilla chips. It is made differently from person to person but this is how I like to make it.

Layered Bean Dip
by Chelsey W.

30 oz refried beans
about 2 c guacamole or
3 or 4 avocados mashed with some sour cream
16 oz container sour cream
1 packet taco seasoning
jar of salsa
shredded cheese
sliced olives

I don't have exact measurement for this. Just layer ingredients according to how much you want. In a 9x13 pan layer refried beans on the bottom. Then prepared guacamole, or mash up the avocados with sour cream and layer on the beans. Then mix sour cream with about 3/4 packet of taco seasoning. Layer the sour cream mixture on the guacamole. Then layer the jar of salsa. Sprinkle shredded cheese all over the top and then sliced olives. Keep refrigerated until serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cheese Linguine

My kids love anything that includes pasta and cheese, and we all liked this recipe. I like that it doesn't have a ton of butter in this recipe so it's a little more healthy than the alfredo sauce I love.

Cheese Linguine (I doubled this)
by Chelsey W.

1 pkg (7 oz) linguine
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 c milk
3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c shredded parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet over low heat melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil and stir for two minutes until thickened. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine cheeses and lemon juice. Add cheese to sauce and stir until cheese melts. Add drained linguine to cheese sauce and toss to coat. Serve with sprinkled parmesan on top.

adapted from KSL Studio 5

Apple Crisp

I love warm apple crisp with ice cream. Yum! I always cut up fresh apples for the filling. If you cook down the apples on the stove with a little cinnamon and sugar it's good enough to eat on its own. I have to remember to leave enough for the filling. An apple peeler/corer makes this a breeze. Although my four year old insisted on peeling all the apples himself.

Apple Crisp
by Chelsey W.

Apple Filling:
about 6 good sized apples (Granny Smith is best)
cinnamon
sugar

Topping:

2/3 c butter or margarine, room temperature

1 c packed brown sugar

1 c rolled oats

1 c flour

2 tsp cinnamon 

Peel, core, and slice apples. Place in a pot and cook them on medium heat for a few minutes. You want them to still be a little crunchy but the juices to release a little. Stir in cinnamon and sugar to taste. I have some thickening powder that I bought from a kitchen supply store and I add a little in, but its optional. Put filling in a greased 9x13 pan. Stir together the topping until crumbly and sprinkle on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes until topping has browned and apples are bubbling. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Yogurt Berry Salad

This is a quick and easy salad that I throw together really fast when I need to go to a potluck and have little time to prepare something. You just mix the four ingredients together and serve. This easy recipe came from my friend Aubree.

Recipe:
1 large conatiner (32 oz) of strawberry or raspberry yogurt
1 small container (8 oz) whipped topping
1 package of frozen mixed berries
(blend of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries)
miniature marshmallows (around 1/2 a package)

Mix all ingredients together in a large salad bowl and serve soon after. You want the frozen berries to be a little thawed but not completely.

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Brownie Trifle

Just the name of this dessert makes my mouth water. This is a beautiful and delicious dessert I made for my families Christmas dinner. Basically you layer chocolate pudding, brownies, chocolate syrup, a white chocolate peppermint mousse, and top it off with whipping cream. It is delicious!


Triple Chocolate Peppermint Brownie Trifle

chocolate brownies, frosted or not
(I made two boxes of Betty Crockers fudge brownies)
2/3 c chocolate syrup

1 large package of instant chocolate pudding, prepared

white chocolate peppermint mousse, recipe follows

whipped cream or topping for the top layer

(If whipping it use 1 1/2 c heavy cream and 1/4 c powdered sugar)

1/4 c coarsely chopped peppermint candy

White Chocolate Peppermint Mousse:
2 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1/2 c powdered sugar
12 oz white chocolate, finely chopped (I used Guittard white chips)
1/2 c peppermint candies or candy canes, crushed
Make an ice water bath, set aside. Bring 1 cup of cream just to a boil in a small saucepan. Place white chocolate in a blender; with machine running, pour in hot cream in a slow, steady stream, and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl set in ice-water bath. Let cool. Stir occasionally, until thick enough to hold ribbons on surface, about 15 minutes.
Beat remaining 1 ½ cups cream to nearly stiff peaks with powdered sugar. Fold into chocolate mixture, then fold in candies. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thickened and almost firm 4 to 6 hours.

In a trifle bowl layer 1/3 of the mousse, then 1/2 the brownies, 1/2 the chocolate syrup, and 1/2 the pudding. Put ingredients around the outsides edges first so it makes pretty layers. Then repeat: 1/3 mousse, last half of brownies, syrup, and pudding. End with remaining mouse. Refrigerate a few hours before serving. Before serving, layer top with whipped cream and sprinkle the top with some crushed peppermint.

adapted from Kneaders Bakery seen on Good Things Utah

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the best chicken noodle soup ever! Basically because it is made with homemade noodles and store boughten ones just don't compare. Every Halloween my mom made this soup for us. As kids we loved it, not just because the soup is great but because we got to unroll the noodles. The homemade noodles are pretty simple to make, you just make the dough, roll it out flat, then roll it up like a cinnamon roll, slice, and unroll. I have great memories with my mother in the kitchen making this each year. Your kids will love to join in too!

This recipe doesn't have exact amounts. You make it according to how many people you're serving and the size of pot you're using. The best soup is made by using a whole chicken and boiling it and using its broth. That's how mom makes it. However, if you're like me and don't want to pick the meat off the bone then you can use chicken breasts or buy a rotisserie chicken already cooked. It still makes good soup but you do have to add a lot of bouillon to make a good broth.

Chicken Noodle Soup
by Chelsey W.

chicken breasts or whole chicken
chicken broth
chicken bouillon (I like the granules best)
celery
carrots
onion
noodles (use recipe below)
If you are buying noodles then buy "Country Pasta" it's the only alternative I'd use

Put chicken breasts in the bottom of the a pot and boil with enough water to cover chicken breasts. Fully cook chicken and then remove from water. Cut chicken into bite size chunks, cover, and set aside. Peel and slice carrots, onion, and celery. Make the noodles and leave them on the counter to dry. Add chicken broth to the water used to boil the chicken. Then add more water to fill your pot. Remember to leave enough room for the veggies, chicken, and noodles. I use a big stock pot. Add carrots, onions, and celery to the broth and boil until slightly tender. During this time flavor your broth with plenty of chicken bouillon. I used an entire jar of the granules for my large stock pot. Good soup has lots of flavor. Add a little pepper. When veggies are slightly tender and the broth is tasty then add noodles and chicken. If the noodles have not dried for very long then add the separately to the pot so they don't stick together. When the noodles are cooked Enjoy!

Noodles: (double this if using a large stock pot)
6 eggs
3 c flour
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp oil
Mix until stiff. Roll dough out on a floured surface with a rolling pin (like sugar cookies). Dough should be thin. Then roll it up like a cinnamon roll. You will probably need to sprinkle some extra flour on it so it doesn't stick. Slice the noodles about 1/2 inch. Then let the kids unroll them keeping them separated on the counter. Let them dry on the counter or if you don't then add them separately to the soup so they don't stick together.

Martha's Devils Food Cupcakes with Sour Cream Frosting

For my moms birthday I decided to make cupcakes instead of a cake and put them in my cupcake tower. I had recently bought Martha Stewart's Cupcake book and decided I'd give it a try. I chose to make the devils food cupcakes with the sour cream frosting because they looked so good and who can pass up chocolate? They were more work to make since they were made from scratch and had more steps than a typical cake recipe but it was worth it because they were yummy! The cake was moist with a perfect texture and the frosting was unique and not as rich as it looks. The frosting has sour cream and cream cheese in it and I thought I had to give this a try. The end result was a smooth creamy frosting that complimented the cake without overpowering it. Thanks for the recipe Martha.

Recipe:
Devils Food Cupcakes
3/4 c cocoa powder
3/4 c hot water
3 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp coarse salt
1 1/2 c unsalted butter
2 1/4 c sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c sour cream, room temperature


1. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, soda, baking powder, and salt. 
2. Melt butter with sugar in saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat and stir into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on low speed beat until mixture has cooled, 4 to 5 min. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture and beat until combined. Add flour mixture in two batches alternating with sour cream and beating until combined.
3. Fill paper lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 min or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Rotate tins half way through. Let cool completely before frosting. Use frosting provided below, or your favorite chocolate frosting recipe.


Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
1 lb (4 c) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 c cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature
18 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted & cooled
1 1/2 c sour cream
(I used semi-sweet Bakers chocolate and only 10 oz of it and just used a little more cocoa and it turned out good and wasn't too dark)


Sift together powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt. With an electric mixer on med-high speed beat cream cheese and butter until pale and fluffy. On low speed add sugar mixture and mix until fully combined. Mix in melted and cooled chocolate and then sour cream. Beat until smooth. Use immediately or frosting can be stored in fridge for five days or frozen a month. Before using bring to room temp. and beat until smooth.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

I made some chicken enchiladas that are tasty and easy to make. I'll admit I'm a little weird when it comes to enchiladas because I don't really like tortillas covered in sauce because I think they get soggy. So I like to fry the tortillas in a little oil for a second on each side so they stay a little more crunchy. I guess it's similar to a chimichanga. These taste a lot better than they look in the picture. In fact the chicken filling is so good made with cream cheese that I could eat it all by itself. You can choose whatever type of enchilada sauce you like to put on the top. I like a mild red sauce but you can use green, medium, or hot depending on what you like.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas
by Chelsey W.


4 large chicken breasts
6-8 oz cream cheese
4 oz can green chilies (optional)
10 flour tortillas
2 c shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
1 19oz can or 2 10oz cans enchilada sauce


Fully cook chicken breasts and cut up into bite size pieces. Season with salt, pepper, and a little onion powder. Over low heat stir in about 6 oz of cream cheese with the chicken then taste. You can add all 8 oz if you want. After the cream cheese has melted and coated chicken stir in green chilies (optional).  Fry tortillas in a little oil for just a few seconds on each side if you want crispy enchiladas. In a 9x13 pan pour about 5 oz of enchilada sauce in the bottom. Then spoon chicken filling in the center of the tortillas and sprinkle cheese over the filling. Then fold them closed placing around ten in the pan. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on the top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until sauce bubbles and cheese has melted. Serve with sour cream, lettuce, or other favorite toppings.

Bajio Chicken {Crockpot}

I found this recipe and was excited because I wanted a good chicken recipe like this one to use in chicken salads, burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. Sweet pork salads are really popular and found at many restaurants. I actually don't care for the sweet pork and usually choose the chicken instead. This is a copycat recipe from the restaurant Bajio made by Your Homebased Mom. I don't think Bajio's chicken is sweet like this is but it's good and is super easy to make. You can then use the chicken for whatever you want. I made some tacos and they were yummy! I've adapted this a little to how I like it. You can add more brown sugar if you want it sweeter or more salsa and green chilies if you want it spicier. This makes a lot of tacos, around ten for us.

Recipe:
3 large chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
3/ 4 c salsa
1 T cumin
1/2 c brown sugar (more if you want it sweeter)
4 oz can of green chilies
6 oz (1/2 can) Sprite

Put all the ingredients in a crock pot and cook for about 5 hrs until chicken is done. Remove the chicken and shred it, then return it to the crock pot for another hour. I tasted the sauce and decided to add more sprite and salsa. You can add more brown sugar too, just make it to your taste. After the final hour you can leave it juicy or thicken the juice a little by mixing together some cornstarch and water in a bowl and then pouring a little in. Serve as a burrito, salad, taco, or quesadilla. It goes great with rice and beans or whatever other Mexican food toppings you enjoy.

Homemade Freezer Jam

Every year I make homemade freezer jam for my family. Since I have two little boys we go through PB&J sandwiches like crazy. So I usually make a few batches of strawberry and raspberry. This year I tried peach since I had a bushel of fresh peaches but you have to add lemon juice to it and I didn't care for how the lemon juice changed the fresh peach flavor. This isn't a recipe because basically all you do is buy boxes of fruit pectin at the grocery store and follow the directions on the box. Typically all you need is fruit, sugar, jars, and pectin. It is so easy to make and sooo much better than the boughten stuff. I won't even eat store boughten jams anymore. You can be creative with your fruit flavors and even do combinations of fruits that go well together. Give homemade jam a try. You'll be surprised how easy it is and you'll love the flavor. It's nice to make low sugar versions too.

French Toast

This is an easy french toast recipe that I got from my sister-in-law Kelli. I know you don't really need a recipe for french toast but I like this one because of all the spices in it. You can use the thick texas toast if you'd like but I always just use whatever bread I have around that needs to be used up.

Recipe:
4 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
8 slices of bread

Beat the eggs and milk with a fork. I like to use a pie plate. Then add vanilla and spices. Dip both sides of the bread in the egg mixture and allow excess to drip off. Put bread on a heated griddle buttered or sprayed with nonstick spray. After one side browns flip it over to the other side. Serve with butter, syrup, or powdered sugar.

Sesame Street Cupcakes

For my sons 1st birthday party I decided to use Sesame Street as the theme. I saw Lyndsey from Kitchen doughdough on a morning talkshow called Good Things Utah and she showed some Sesame Street cupcakes that she made. I thought they were adorable and I had to make them. So I looked around the internet and found another great blog called Lovely Sprinkles and her cupcakes were just what I was looking for, absolutely darling. So I took ideas from both places and made up my own and I thought they turned out pretty cute. I was impressed with myself since this it the first time I have ever decorated a cake/cupcakes. It was fun and really wasn't hard. Then I went to a Zurcher's a party supply store and they had baby Sesame Street plates, napkins, and decor that said "1" on them. So it all worked out perfectly! Happy 1st Birthday to my baby Garrett! I love you!!!

To make these simply bake some cupcakes, I doubled the recipe and used my white cream cake recipe that I've listed below because the top has a nice firm surface for decorating or you can use a cake mix but you'll want to freeze the cupcakes before decorating so that the top doesn't peel off and get crumbs in your frosting when you decorate them. I made my own frosting because it's good and you can make it a firmer consistency for decorating. For the fur on all my characters I used a grass/hair decorating tip. Elmo had red frosting for the fur, an orange peanut butter M&M for the nose, white candy melts for the eyes, a black tube of frosting with a small round decorating tip was used to make all the eyeballs, I carefully sawed back and forth on an Oreo cookie half with a serrated knife to make all the mouths. Cookie monster has blue frosting for fur and a Chips Ahoy cookie was cut in half to make his mouth. I then made his eyes offset to look googly. *Just a note: I learned that you have to add the eyes, nose, and mouths quickly after making the fur because the frosting dries and hardens a little and then the mouths and eyes fall off. I had to use the black frosting like glue to put them back on because I frosted all the cupcakes with fur first and then added on the faces, and the frosting had set up a little too much by then. Oscar has green frosting for fur and his mouth is an upside down Oreo half to look like a frown. I forgot to color some frosting brown so I just used the black frosting for his eyebrows. For liners I just used ones that matched their color of fur. One blog used foil liners for Oscar so that it looked like his trash can and I thought that was a good idea.

Frosting:

Use four sticks of margarine 2 cups (or butter), and whip it with a lot of powdered sugar (like two bags). Add in about 2 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tsp almond extract (don't forget it). Then add a little milk so you don't burn out your mixer (4-8Tbsp). If your going to use liquid food coloring it takes a ton and will water down your frosting so make the frosting pretty stiff. I recommend using the food coloring paste then you don't have to worry about that. When your frosting tastes good (add more powdered sugar if it is too soft or tastes like butter) split it into three different bowls and add different food colorings. You can reserve a little to color brown to make Oscars eyebrows if you want. This made enough frosting for about 30 cupcakes.

Cream Cake Recipe

2 c flour

1 c sugar

1 c cream

1/4 c milk

3 eggs

pinch of salt

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

Mix together cream and sugar and add in flour then other ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick come out clear when center of cake is poked. It stays a light color.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I love the sweet and sour sauce from a local Chinese restaurant in my area called ABC Mandarin and have been in search for a copycat recipe. I've made several different sweet and sour sauces now and haven't quite found it, but this one was really good. I found this recipe on Blog Chef and made a few slight changes. I like using brown sugar in sweet and sour sauce and this one called for white sugar. I made the sauce as directed but felt it was a little more sour than sweet so I added about 1/4 c brown sugar and I thought it was better. Next time I'll try using just brown sugar and none of the white. Then I changed the preparation process a little. I wanted the flavor from the onion and green pepper to get in the sauce so I let it simmer together. The end result was delicious. I also used a tip from Real Mom Kitchen and made it with popcorn chicken which made this a simple meal to prepare. If you want to bread and fry your chicken I 'm sure it would be even better.

Recipe:

cooked rice

chicken (use deep fried recipe or popcorn chicken)

2 onions cut into 1" chunks

1 green pepper cut into 1" chunks

1 can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)

sweet and sour sauce

1/2 c vinegar

1/3 c sugar (original recipe)

(I added 1/4 brown sugar and will only use brown sugar in future)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c orange juice

1/4 c pineapple juice

1/4 c ketchup

2 Tbsp cornstarch with 1/8 c pineapple juice (thickener)

I added some red food coloring

Deep fried chicken breasts

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" cubes

(you can use less chicken if you buy huge chicken breasts like I do)

flour

4 egg yolks

2 Tbsp soy sauce

oil

Mix egg yolk and soy sauce with a little water. Roll chicken in flour, egg, and then flour again. Deep fry in oil 2-3 min., drain on paper towels.

This is how I made it. First start cooking your rice. I then fried my popcorn chicken in a little oil and drained the excess when it was done. Meanwhile, I mixed together all sauce ingredients in a sauce pan and brought it to a boil. I let it simmer 5-10 minutes while I cut up vegetables and fried the chicken. Mix together the cornstarch and juice and then thicken the sweet and sour sauce with it. I added a little red food coloring to make it look better. In a very large frying pan or wok stir fry the vegetables with a little oil for a couple minutes. You want the vegetables to be crisp. Add the pineapple chunks. Add in the sauce and let it simmer with the vegetables for around 15 min. for good flavor. Serve rice, with the chicken on top, and then the sauce with veggies over it all.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

This is my favorite casserole. It's so good I could eat it every week and not get sick of it. I always requested this for my birthday dinner growing up. I know there are a lot of versions of this casserole out there but this one is the best. The sauce has great flavor. The curry powder really compliments the broccoli and cheese. The toast on top gives it some crunch. If you like chicken, broccoli, and cheese you'll love this too!

Recipe:

3 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) around 1 1/2 - 2 lbs

2 pkgs (around 13 oz each) frozen broccoli florets

or about 5 c fresh broccoli florets

2 slices of bread

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c mayonnaise

1/2 c chicken stock or I often substitute milk with a little chicken bouillon in it

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp curry powder

1 1/4 c grated cheddar cheese, divided

Fully cook chicken, season, and cut into bite size pieces. Boil broccoli until tender but don't overcook you don't want it mushy, drain. Make sauce in a sauce pan or microwavable bowl. Sauce includes: cream of chicken soup, mayo, chicken stock, lemon juice, curry powder, and 3/4 c cheese. Mix and cook on stove top or in the microwave until cheese melts. In a casserole dish layer broccoli then chicken, then sauce. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c cheese on the top. Lightly toast bread then butter it and tare it into pieces the size of croutons and sprinkle the bread on the top of the cheese. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Peanut Butter Brownie Sundae

One of my favorite treats is warm brownies with ice cream. MMM! I recently saw a post on Real Mom Kitchen where she added miniature Reeses peanut butter cups to a Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix. I took her idea and added vanilla ice cream to the top of the warm brownies and I was in heaven. If you like chocolate, peanut butter, and ice cream you will love this!

Recipe:

Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix

ingredients listed on box

bag of miniature Reeses peanut butter cups

vanilla ice cream

Make the brownie mix according to package directions. Slice peanut butter cups into fourths and mix half of them in brownie batter. Then sprinkle other half on the top of brownies once they are in the pan. Bake according to package directions. Add scoops of ice cream to the top of warm brownies and enjoy.

Yogurt Berry Pie

This pie makes a cool, refreshing treat for the summertime. It is also quick and simple to make. I got the recipe from my friend Katie. It was served at her bridal shower and everyone loved it. If you want to make one really quick just use a boughten graham cracker crust or I have included a recipe for making a homemade one. I like to freeze the pie and serve it after it thaws a few minutes, then it's like a frozen yogurt treat. You can mix and match different flavors, you just use the same flavor of Jello and yogurt. I made mine strawberry. FYI: I made the filling and used it for a fruit dip too and it was great.

Recipe:

1 8 oz container of Cool Whip, thawed

2 6 oz containers of yogurt (same flavor as Jello)

4 Tbsp Jello

Mix together and pour into a graham cracker pie crust. Put in the fridge at least a few hours before serving or freeze.

Graham cracker pie crust:

16 graham crackers, crushed finely

(you'll need 1 1/2 c of crumbs per 9" pie crust)

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 c sugar

Put the graham crackers in a sealed plastic bag. Then crush them finely with a rolling pin. Add melted butter and sugar, mix together. Press into a pie plate and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 min.

"Kicked Up" Taco Salad

This taco salad has great flavor and is fun to make because it's a little different from traditional taco salads. You use Doritos for the chips and add pineapple to the top. Yes, pineapple makes this salad excellent! The sweetness of it tastes great with the spicy taco meat. Give it a try you'll be hooked for life. I first had a taco salad like this at the home of one of my college roomates Luisa, when she invited us to dinner. We loved it and since then I've made it a lot this way. It is a very simple supper and great for parties and get-togethers because guests can customize their salads or even bring one item for it. Below is a list of the ingredients I use in my salads but you can use what you like. There are no measurements because you make it according to how many people your feeding. I like to make my own ranch dressing out of the Hidden Valley Ranch packets. That ranch is much better than the bottled kind.

Recipe:

ground beef

taco seasoning packet (I use Schilling)

Cool Ranch Doritos

lettuce

cheese, shredded

salsa

ranch dressing

pineapple

other ideas:

beans

chili

olives

tomatoes

onions

peppers

sour cream

Brown the ground beef and add taco seasoning packet. On a plate layer Doritos, taco meat, cheese, lettuce, salsa, ranch, and pineapple. Eat! You can add other items of your choice.

Miner Marinade

This marinade is awesome! I got this recipe from Real Mom Kitchen who got it from On My Menu. I've been looking for a great steak marinade and have tried several but none of them were this great. I love the flavor of it and how tender and juicy it makes the steak. It's supposed to be good on chicken too. I'll definitely try that in the future. This marinade works great on less expensive cuts of meat. I bought petite sirloin steaks for $1.99 per lb and you would never know it wasn't expensive steak.

Recipe:

3/4 c oil

1/2 c soy sauce

2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 c vinegar

1 tsp parsley flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together. Let meat marinade in the fridge for at least a couple hours. Grill.

Roasted Potatoes

These roasted potatoes make a delicious side dish for any meat. I made this recipe my own by taking a recipe I had and changing it quite a bit. The original recipe lacked flavor and I'm big on seasoning. I like using red potatoes since the skins are thin. This was really quick to make and we scarfed them all up.

Recipe:

4 medium potatoes

6 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp Rotisserie chicken seasoning

salt

pepper

Lawry's seasoning salt

1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray shallow baking dish with non-stick spray. Potatoes need enough room to cook in a single layer. Wash potatoes and dice into 1 inch pieces. Place them in a large ziploc bag then add oil and toss until potatoes are evenly coated. Add 1 tsp of rotisserie seasoning and 1/4 c cheese to bag and toss coating potatoes again. Spread them out on the baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and generously with seasoning salt. Stir a little and then sprinkle the rest of the rotisserie seasoning and cheese on the top. Bake for 45 minutes stirring occasionally until the center of potatoes are soft.

Patriotic Cupcakes

I saw these fun red, white, and blue layered cupcakes somewhere a while back and thought they were cute and wanted to make them sometime. Then recently on Real Mom Kitchen she made some and so I decided to give it a try and celebrate July with them. I made them with a cake mix to make it quick and just separated the batter into thirds and dyed it with food coloring. When you fill your cupcake liners be careful not to fill them more than 3/4ths the way. I had a problem with that. I made homemade frosting because I don't like the store bought frosting and I've explained how I make mine below but sorry there's no measurements this time. I never measure when I make it. I'll post my measurements for frosting in the future because it's good stuff. People always ask me how I make it and not to make all you butter lovers cringe but I think margarine gives frosting better flavor so that's what I use. A little almond extract also makes great frosting. So have some fun with these cupcakes, your guests will be impressed.

Recipe:

1 white cake mix & ingredients on box

red food coloring

blue food coloring

cupcake liners

frosting

sprinkles

Make the cake batter according to box directions. Put about 1 1/3 c batter in separate bowl and dye it red. Take another 1 1/3 c cake batter and dye it blue in a separate bowl. Leave the remaining batter white. Fill cupcake liners 3/4ths the way full layering red, white, and blue batter about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of each color. Bake according to cupcake directions on box. Cool and then frost with blue or white frosting. Put red, white, and blue sprinkles on the top.

Frosting:

1/2 c margarine, softened

powdered sugar

around 1 tsp vanilla

a couple drops of almond extract

food coloring

milk

If you're piping on the frosting you will want to double the recipe using 1c margarine since it takes more. With a mixer cream together the margarine with powdered sugar. Add a little milk and mix until it's the consistency you like. Add in the extracts and food coloring. It usually takes around 4-5 cups powdered sugar per 1/2c margarine. Just play with it adding more or less until it is the right texture. If your piping your frosting you want it to be stiffer so don't add much milk.

Chinese Chicken Salad

This is one of my very most favorite salads ever! The looks of it don't do it justice, but the flavor and dressing is delicious and this recipe is requested often. I got this recipe from my Aunt Mindy who makes it for all my families bridal/baby showers. I make it a lot for potlucks and there's never leftovers.

Recipe:

1 Large head or 2 normal heads of cabbage

or 2 pkgs of coleslaw

3 chicken breasts

2 pkgs chicken flavor ramen noodles

1 c slivered almonds

green onions chopped finely (optional)

1/2 c sesame seeds (optional)

dressing (recipe below)

Cut up cabbage, shredded like coleslaw. Boil chicken until fully cooked then cool in fridge until ready to shred. Toast almonds, ramen, and sesame seeds until golden brown. Watch them closely in the oven because they will burn quickly. (I broil them on a cookie sheet with the door slightly opened) set aside. Chop green onions and combine them with cabbage and shredded chicken in a large salad bowl. Make the dressing and keep it and salad in fridge until ready to serve. Just before serving combine the salad with the toasted items and stir dressing because it separates then pour it over the top, stir to coat everything. Don't wait to long before eating this salad because it will go soggy and the noodles eventually go soft and you want it to be crunchy.

I listed the green onions and sesame seeds as optional because I often leave them out and it tastes fine.

Dressing:

7 Tbsp sugar

1 c oil

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

8 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

2 tsp Accent (found by other seasonings at store)

2 packets from chicken flavor ramen noodles

Mix together, refrigerate and pour over salad right before serving. It will separate so just stir it again.

Hamburger Stroganoff

I remember eating this often growing up. Probably because it's simple to make and as kids we loved anything with noodles and hamburger in it. It's definitely comfort food. I bet your family will like it too.

Hamburger Stroganoff
by Chelsey W.

1 lb ground beef

garlic, minced

onion, chopped finely

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup

pasta or rice

Cook the ground beef in a large pan with some chopped onion and minced garlic (I often just use garlic powder). Season with salt and pepper. Cook pasta or rice according to package directions. When hamburger is fully cooked add soups and sour cream. Stir and simmer for 10-15 min. Serve the sauce over rice or pasta.

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Bake

When I'm making a grocery list I often ask my husband, "what would you like for a dinner?" He always replies the same, "chicken and rice," which is this Campbells soup recipe. It's fine with me because I love it too and it is probably one of the simplest dinners to prepare out there. You don't have to precook the chicken or rice, you just throw it in a casserole dish and bake it. It has great flavor and we eat it regularly.

The recipe came off of the cream of chicken Campbells soup label a few years back. Now the soup label has this same recipe on it with a different name because they added veggies to it. We are bad and don't care for the veggies in it but you can add one cup of frozen vegetables in it if you'd like.

This recipe only serves enough for 3 or 4 servings. Between my husband and I and our two little boys it's gone. So I've tried doubling it for more people and for some reason it did not work out. The rice was hard and it was all watery and weird even with extra cooking time. I think it has something to do with needing to be in a shallow baking dish. So now if I want more I make it in two separate shallow baking dishes and bake it together and that seems to work fine. So I thought I'd give a heads up to anyone with a large family. Doubling it might work if your baking dish is very large and shallow.

Recipe:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/3 c water

3/4 c uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp pepper

2 large chicken breasts, halved

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Mix soup, water, rice, onion powder, and pepper in a 2 qt shallow baking dish. Top with chicken. Cover. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 min. or until chicken is no longer pink and rice is done. Uncover. Stir rice and sprinkle the top with cheese. Cover again and then serve once the cheese melts.

Quick Brownies

These are the brownies that I made often as a teen because they are an easy no fail recipe. They are thick and I like the texture of them. The frosting in the picture is a recipe I decided to try off of the back of the Hershey's cocoa container. It was basically the same recipe that I usually use for chocolate frosting but it had double the amount of cocoa in them than what I usually use. I didn't like the frosting it was way to rich and I couldn't taste the brownie. So below I'm posting my regular recipe for chocolate frosting that I like better.

Recipe:

4 eggs

2 c sugar

2 tsp vanilla * Use Mexican vanilla if you can, it is great in these

1 c margarine

6 Tbsp cocoa

1 3/4 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

Combine first five ingredients with a mixer and then add last two. Mix until smooth and then bake in a greased 9x13 cake pan for 25-30 min. @350 degrees. Cool then frost with chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

Recipe:

1/2 c margarine or butter, softened

1/3 c cocoa

3 c powdered sugar

1/4 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whip until creamy.