Honey Butter

I made some of these as Christmas gifts and they were almost too yummy to give away haha! Honey Butter is delicious on warm rolls, scones, cornbread, waffles, toast, ETC.! I got the recipe from this amaze-o website: Our best bites.

Honey Butter

2 sticks butter (slightly softened for 20 min at room temp.)

2/3 cup honey

3/4 c. powdered sugar

1. Just place it all in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer 2-3 minutes on medium high speed.
2. Serve at room temperature
3. (If your butter is too soft you will end up with a gooey mess. So just leave it on the counter for 20 minutes or so before beating it so it's nice and fluffy!)

Restaraunt Style Salsa

This recipe tastes just like the salsa they serve at a lot of Mexican restaraunts, its def yummy!

Salsa (Recipe from: Susan Peterson)

1 can of petite diced tomatoes (I use 28 oz size)

1 jalapeño

8-9 green onions (use the white and green part of the green onion; just not the sprouts)

1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 tsp. garlic salt

2 tsp. lime juice

1. Drain the juice from the can of tomatoes into a blender.
2. Scrape the seeds and pulp out of the jalapeño. (Do not touch eyes or any other sensitive parts of your body after handling the jalapeño it WILL burn!)
3. Add jalapeño to blender with tomato juice. Puree jalapeño and juice until the jalapeño is disintegrated.
4. Chop green onions and cilantro. Add to petite diced tomatoes.
5. Add jalapeño/tomato juice to the petite diced tomatoes.
6. Add garlic salt and lime juice. Mix well.

Oreo Dirt

I used Milano cookies for gravestones and cool whip for ghosts with mini chocolate chips for eyes.

Dirt Recipe From: Mom
3 ½ cups cold milk
2 pkgs. Jell-o chocolate instant pudding
1 tub cool whip, thawed
1 pkg. Oreo cookies, crushed

1. Pour cold milk into large bowl and add pudding mixes
2. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes
3. Stir in 3 cups of the whipped topping and ½ of the cookies.
4. Spoon into 13 x 9 inch baking dish
5. Sprinkle with remaining cookies.
6. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve
*Store in refrigerator

Southwestern Quinoa Chicken Bowl

This is a yummy, easy, healthy, hodge podge mixture of food that is Dee-lish! This was the first time that Garrett ever tried Quinoa and he loved it! It's super good for you too. It is one of the few grains (maybe the only one?) that gives you all the essential amino acids of a protein like meat does! If it was truly "Southwestern" I probably should have thrown some beans in the mix but I don't like beans so sue me haha!

Southwestern Quinoa Chicken Bowl (Recipe from: Elizabeth Weight)

Quinoa (Cooked according to package directions. I cooked mine in chicken broth)

Chicken breasts, chopped (1 breast per person, season with Creole or Cajun seasoning)

Creamy Cilantro Dressing

Optional Mix-ins:

Tomatoes

Corn

Avocados

Beans

1. Cook Quinoa according to package directions but use chicken broth instead of water. (1/2 cup dry quinoa usually serves 2 people when its cooked)
2. Season and chop chicken into bite size pieces. Cook chicken breasts in pan or George Foreman grill.
3. Mix quinoa with desired add-in's and pour some creamy cilantro dressing on top.

Cafe Rio Creamy Cilantro Dressing

So if you have never been to the restaurant Cafe Rio let me tell you that you are missing out BIG TIME. Sorry East Coasters and Ohioans it's only on the West coast right now that I know of. I know a lot of people feel like they have to take sides between Chipotle and Cafe Rio but I love both of them and their menus and flavors are so different I don't think that you can compare them. Here is a recipe for their famous salad dressing. I love to use it on a lot of things like I drizzle some on my tacos, of course you can use it on mexican inspired salads, and pretty much anything that I think it will taste yummy with! It makes a lot so I freeze everything else that won't fit in my salad dressing bottle. I will post more Cafe Rio copycat recipes soon!

This is a tomatillo just in case you didn't know!

Cafe Rio Creamy Cilantro Copycat Recipe

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not buttermilk!)

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tomatillos, remove husk, quartered

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic

juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeño (if you like it really spicy leave the seeds in)

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend it until it is ultra smooth with no chunks. (I probably leave the blender on for at least a minute just so everything is completely pulverized!)

Turkey Burger

One of my fav's because it's a burger but you don't feel guilty after you eat it!

Turkey Burgers (Recipe from: Elizabeth Weight)

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 cup mango salsa (I think I actually used peach/pineapple this time because I couldn't find mango)

3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (the dry kind you shake on pasta)

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 egg

2 tsp. cajun seasoning

Frank's red hot sauce, dash (optional)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. lime juice

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Pitas or Sandwich thins

Optional Toppings:

Baby spinach

Carrots, grated

Onions, sliced and sautéed in butter

Tomatoes, sliced or chopped

Avocados, sliced or mashed

Mustard

Spicy Mayo (Mayo mixed with hot sauce and lime juice)

1. Combine turkey, salsa, egg, bread crumbs, cilantro, lime juice, salt, garlic powder and Cajun seasoning in a bowl. Mix well
2. Form turkey into patties.
3. Then, prepare desired toppings. Grate carrots, chop tomatoes an avocados. Slice onions and saute them in some butter until golden brown.
4. Cook patties over medium heat until cooked through.
5. Assemble burgers with desired toppings on sandwich thin or in a pita.

Banana Bread

This bread is so moist it literally melts in your mouth, I love it!

This batch made 7 mini loaves

Banana Bread

Dry Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1. Combine dry ingredients and set Aside.
2. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients.

Wet Ingredients:

3 eggs

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

4 large bananas, mashed

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Add dry and wet ingredients. Mix well.
2. Spray loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray
3. Fill pans about 3/4 way full.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

*Results are best if made in mini loaf pans. I used the aluminum ones that you can buy from the grocery store.

*Yields about 6-7 small loaves.

Honeymoon Steak

My re-creation of the best steak of my life for our anniversary. I had to try and recreate it because I couldn't imagine never having it ever again unless I go to Aruba (which I plan to). It actually turned out pretty dang good. However I would say this recipe is not for inexperienced cooks.

Garrett and I on our honeymoon at Madam Jeanette's literally the best food I have ever had in my life. I should call this steak better than you know what steak ;-)

"Rock N' Roller" Steak

NY Strip steak

Salt & Pepper

Onion Rings

4 strips bacon, cooked than crumbled (use in sauce)

Sauce Béarnaise (Recipe below)

1. Season steak with salt and pepper.
2. Cook in either leftover bacon grease or some butter.
3. Cook until desired doneness.
4. Serve with onion rings and Béarnaise sauce on top.

Sauce Béarnaise

2 shallots, finely chopped

1/2 cup white cooking wine

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

Salt & freshly ground pepper

4 large egg yolks

2 T. water

2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces

Bacon crumbles

4 green onions, chopped

1. Combine shallots, white wine, vinegar, and 2 pinches of pepper in a small pot over medium heat and reduce to about 2 T. liquid (this part is kind of tricky because of the shallots you have to make sure that you have 2 T. liquid excluding the shallots). Set aside to cool.
2. In another saucepan, beat egg yolks with 2 T. water over low heat until they become thick and foamy, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add butter about a T. at a time, whisking until the mixture thickens and increases in volume.
4. Add the cooled shallot mixture, green onions, and bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour over steak and onion rings on top of steak.

Fruit Soup

Fruit Soup over vanilla bean ice cream

Fruit Soup (Recipe from: Susan Peterson)

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

3 T. minute tapioca

6 oz. frozen OJ

2 1/2 cups water

2 bananas, sliced

2 oranges, sectioned and cut into smaller chunks

1 cup strawberries, sliced

2 peaches, cut into chunks

2 kiwis, cut into chunks

Blueberries

Raspberries

Optional: Serve with ice cream

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients and bring to a full boil.
2. Cook until tapioca turns clear.
3. Stir in frozen orange juice and water.
4. Stir for 3 minutes so tapioca doesn't clump together.
5. Add in fruit and stir.

Keep refrigerated.

This makes a lot!

Fresh Peach Pie

This is BY FAR one of my favorite pies. I love that it uses fresh peaches and the combination of orange and lemon flavors with the peaches is delightful.

Fresh Peach Pie (Recipe from: Aunt Joanie)

Yield: 1 pie

⅔ cup boiling water

½ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

3 T. Cold water

1/8 tsp. salt

1 oz. of orange jello mix

1 T. plus 1 tsp. lemon juice

Fresh Peaches

Golden Oreo Pie Crust (recipe below)

Whip Cream

1. Prepare pie crust and chill in fridge. 
2. Peel and slice peaches
3. Start boiling the ⅔ cup of water in a small sauce pan. 
4. Combine sugar, cornstarch, 3 T. cold water, and salt. 
5. Make into a paste and add to 2/3 cup boiling water.
6. Whisk continuously while it cooks. 
7. Boil until it starts to thicken.
8. Add orange jello powder.
9. Cook one minute longer.
10. Remove from heat & add lemon juice
11. Chill thoroughly.
12. Add diced peaches making sure the sauce overs all of the peaches.
13. Pour into pie shells.
14. Cover with whip cream.

Golden Oreo Pie Crust

25 Golden Oreos

5 T. butter, melted

1. Finely crush oreos using a food processor.
2. Melt butter and add to crushed oreos.
3. Press butter/oreo mixture into pie pan.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve for at least 30 minutes.

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Twice Baked Baby Reds

Twice Baked Red Potatoes

8 Red Potatoes

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sour cream

2-4 T. milk

6 slices bacon, cooked then crumbled

6 green onions, chopped

1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper

1. Bake red potatoes at 350 for about an hour or until you can easily pierce through the skin with a fork.
2. Cook bacon, blot with paper towels and then mince.
3. Cut potatoes in half.
4. Then, using a spoon scrape out the flesh leaving some on the sides to keep the shell stable.
5. Mash potato flesh with butter, sour cream, and add 2-4 T. milk or until creamy. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add in half of the green onions, cheese and bacon. Mix.
7. Spoon potato mixture back into the shells and place in rectangular baking dish.
8. Top with remaining cheese, bacon and green onions.
9. Place potatoes back in the oven for 15 minutes.

Serve warm and gooey!

Fruit Trifle

Sorry this is the best picture we got of it. We gobbled it up too fast :-)

Fruit Trifle (Recipe from: Susan Peterson)

1 Angel food cake, I make one from a mix

1 box Jello instant vanilla pudding, prepared

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

Fruit:

Raspberries

Strawberries

Kiwis

Bananas

Peaches

Blueberries

1. Cook angel food cake according to package directions
2. Make vanilla pudding according to package directions.
3. Cut fruit into small chunks.
4. Make whipping cream by blending whipping cream, vanilla and sugar until thick.
5. Add half of the whip cream to the pudding and mix well.
6. Layer trifle starting with cake, whip cream/pudding mixture and then fruit.
7. Top trifle off with remaining whip cream.

Oreo Pudding Cookie

Oreo Pudding Cookies (Recipe from: The girl who ate everything)

1 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (4.2 ounce) package instant Oreo Pudding mix
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Hershey's Cookies N Cream Candy Bars broken into small pieces (I used (2) 2.6 ounce King Sized bars)
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in pudding mix until blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix to combine. Stir in cookies n' cream pieces and chocolate chips. Batter will be thick.
3. Using a cookie dough scooper, place golf ball sized dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. You do not want to overbake these! Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving to a cooking rack. Store in air-tight container.

Black Gold

Looky what I acquired (apple for size comparison)! I was just so excited about this I had to share! No new recipe today but here is a link to one I used this black gold in right here!

Sausage Biscuits & Gravy

Soooo good and soooo bad for you! It's kinda hard to explain how to make a gravy from scratch so I will just share the link to where I got the recipe from which has great step by step pictures. Here it is!

Oriental Chicken Salad

One of my best friends Mom made this for one of my bridal showers and ever since I have not been able to get enough of it. It is even better as leftovers when its cold!

Oriental Chicken Salad (Recipe from: Rochelle Reichert)

1 bag coleslaw mix

4 oz. slivered almonds

4 tsp. toasted sesame seeds (I use the black ones)

1 pkg oriental ramen noodles, crumbled

1 T. butter

3 Breaded Chicken Breasts, chopped (I use the Tyson ones)

4 green onions, chopped

Dressing:

2 flavor packets of Oriental Ramen

6 T. sugar

6 T. rice vinegar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1. Mix together dressing ingredients and refrigerate.
2. Cook chicken according to package directions.
3. Chop green onions.
4. Saute crushed ramen noodles in 1 T. butter until lightly browned
5. Chop cooked chicken into bite size pieces.
6. Mix together coleslaw mix, almonds, sesame seeds, ramen noodles, chicken and green onions.
7. Pour dressing on top of salad. (You do not have to use all of the dressing; I usually don't)
8. Mix and serve

Pasta Rosa

This is one of my favs! It's inspired from a dish from Carrabba's. It has a yummy creamy tomato sauce and fresh vegetables mixed in. In the recipe I say just "eyeball" it for the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper because I make my own seasoning mix of that combo so I don't measure it out I just sprinkle some on, sorry I can't be more specific!

Pasta Rosa (Recipe from: Elizabeth Weight)

1 box bowtie pasta

1 jar pasta sauce (your favorite; I like Prego Roasted Garlic & Herb)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp. salt

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets

1 T. olive oil

1/2 bag frozen peas

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. After the pasta is done cooking (because I use the same pot). Drain the pasta in a colander then heat the tomato sauce over low heat with 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1/2 tsp. salt in the pot. Make sure to mix it.
2. Meanwhile, chop broccoli and chicken into bite size pieces.
3. Season chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper (just eyeball it).
4. Either saute or "George Foreman" your chicken to cook it.
5. Pour 1 T. olive oil into large frying pan.
6. Saute broccoli over medium heat until it starts to brown a little bit.
7. Then, add about 1 cup water (or enough to just cover the bottom of the pan). Season broccoli with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper (just eyeball it). Then sprinkle 1 tsp. dried basil and 1 tsp. oregano. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Stir occasionally.
8. Cook broccoli for 5 minutes then add peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes, covered. Stir occasionally. When done, drain remaining water.
9. In the same bowl, combine the cooked pasta, chicken chunks, vegetables and creamy tomato sauce and mix it all together.

"Magic" Bars

This recipe is Garrett's FAVORITE dessert. His mom makes them all the time and everyone gobbles them all up! Usually we just "eyeball" the coconut, chocolate chips, and marshmallows but I listed the actual amounts below.

"Magic" Bars (Recipe from: Susan Peterson)

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 cups graham cracker, crumbs

2 cups coconut, shredded sweetened

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 cups marshmallows

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Melt butter and mix with crushed graham crackers.
3. Pat graham cracker into cookie sheet.
4. Sprinkle coconut, chocolate chips, nuts (optional), marshmallows in that order.
5. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Nice & Saucy.

And if you are feeling real naughty ... (See post below for onion ring recipe)

You can either mix the pulled pork with the sauce before you put it on your bun or you can just pour sauce on like I did in the pictures.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Recipe from: Robin Falke)

Pork roast (I like the ones from Costco)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

BBQ Sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's)

1. Place pork roast in crock pot. Add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to crock pot. Season roast with salt and pepper. Cook on low until it shreds easily (usually around 6 hours but it depends just make sure the roast is cooked all the way)
2. Take roast out of the crock pot. Do not dump the juice!
3. Shred pork with two forks.
4. Place pulled pork back into crock pot with the juices.
5. Serve with BBQ sauce on hamburger buns.

Onion Rings

Yaaa mmmm I like me some deep fried greasy food!

Onion Rings

Onion (Yellow or Sweet), sliced thin

3/4 cup flour

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 T. cooking oil

Lawry's seasoned salt (I usually just shake a bunch in there)

1. Mix flour, milk, egg, oil and seasoned salt together until it becomes a batter.
2. Dip sliced onion rings in batter than fry them in a deep fryer.

*I like to use shortening in my deep fryer because it doesn't smell as bad and it re-solidifies once it cools so its not as messy.

Baked Breaded Chicken

Baked Breaded Chicken  (Recipe from: BYU cooking lab)

2 chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 cup plain bread crumbs

1/4 cup dry grated Parmesan cheese

2 T. dry parsley

1 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Combine dry ingredients in a shallow bowl or flat dish.
3. Remove excess fat from chicken and cut into strips.
4. Dip chicken pieces in melted butter. Let excess drip off.
5. Dredge chicken pieces in crumb mixture. Let excess fall off.
6. Place chicken pieces on greased baking dish. (I use a glass baking dish with foil)
7. Bake 20 minutes or until thickest part of chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Hamburger Roll

When Garrett's mom came to visit she made us a bunch of these hamburger rolls and froze them for us to make later on. They may sound interesting but trust me they are dang good. It's kind of like a modified version of a beef roast. I know its kinda weird to pair beef with chicken flavored stuffing and cream of chicken soup but for some reason it turns out super yummy!

Hamburger Roll (Recipe from: Susan Peterson)

1 lb. hamburger

1 box stuffing mix, prepared (I usually use Chicken flavor)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

Salt

Pepper

Carrots

Potatoes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Pat hamburger out into a rectangle to about 1/2" thickness.
3. Spread prepared stuffing evenly on top and roll the hamburger up. If you wanted to freeze them you would do so at this point, just roll it up with saran wrap and foil. Completely thaw in refrigerator before cooking,
4. Place in 8 x 8 baking dish with chopped carrots and potatoes.
5. Mix cream of chicken soup with milk.
6. Pour over meat and vegetables.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste on top.
8. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 3 hours.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone has their favorite chocolate chip recipe and here is mine!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Recipe from: Momma W8)

1/3 cup butter (not margarine!)

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

Chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Cream together butter, shortening, white and brown sugar
3. Mix in egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda
4. Mix in flour
5. Mix in chocolate chips
6. Bake for 9 minutes

Lemon Tea Cake

I finally have updated my cooking blog since Tommy boy! To be honest I haven't cooked much since I had him, babies need a lot of attention :-) Enjoy!

Lemon Tea Cake (Recipe from: Susan Peterson)
5-6 Lemons (for juice & zest)

1/2 lb. butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

5 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup lemon zest

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

Craisins, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease (I use shortening) and flour 2 loaf pans, set aside.
2. Combine butter and sugar in mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time and lemon zest.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.
5. Combine buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla.
6. Add flour and buttermilk mixture, alternating into mixing bowl starting and ending with the flour. Add chopped craisins if desired and mix.
7. Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
8. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Poke holes in cake with a tooth pick. Drizzle both loaves with half of the sugar syrup (recipe follows). Then invert loaf pans onto a cooling rack over wax paper. Poke holes on the bottom of the loaves and drizzle the remaining half of the sugar syrup.

Sugar Syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1. Combine sugar and lemon juice in pan over low heat until sugar is compeletey dissolved.
2. Poke holes in cakes with a toothpick on both sides.
3. Slowly pour over both sides of the hot cakes.

Lemon Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

3 1/2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice

*I added some of my remaining lemon zest about 1-2 T.

1. Whisk together sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Pour over cooled cakes.

Pot stickers & Dipping Sauce

These are the best pot stickers ever ... for real. I kinda make up different ways to fold and wrap the meat in the wonton skin as I go, it kinda makes it fun. They have a lot of prep though so if you don't want to bother with the pot stickers you should at least make the sauce sometime and eat it with frozen pot stickers because it is amazing!! This makes LOTS of pot stickers I usually use a whole package of wonton skins for this recipe.

Pot Stickers (Recipe from Aunt Alissa)
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground pork
2-3 green onion, chopped
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. rice vinegar
½ tsp. chili oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 carrot, finely grated
1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
1 cup Nappa Cabbage, chopped
Won ton wrappers
2 T. vegetable oil, for frying.

1. Chop green onion and nappa cabbage. Then, mince your garlic and grate your carrots. Peel and finely grate your ginger.
2. In a medium bowl, combine ground pork, green onion, egg yolk, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili oil, soy sauce, carrots, ginger, garlic, and cabbage.
3. Drop small spoonful amounts onto your wonton wrappers.
4. Then, wet the edges of your wonton wrappers with water. Make sure you press out all of the air and fold them shut into desired shape to seal them.
5. Place pot stickers in a frying pan with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and 2 T. vegetable oil. Turn stove to medium heat. Let the water start to simmer then cover your pan.
6. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until water starts to evaporate and the wonton skins looks translucent.
7. Then, take off the lid and allow the water to completely evaporate. Let the pot stickers cook over medium heat until the bottoms are golden brown, and then lift them up off of the pan with a spatula. Serve with pot sticker dipping sauce.

Pot sticker Dipping Sauce (Recipe from: Aunt Alissa)
Ingredients:
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tsp. sugar
1-2 green onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
¼ tsp. sesame oil
¼ tsp. chili oil
Dash of garlic powder
Small handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1. Finely chop your green onion and cilantro. Then, peel your ginger and finely grate it. In a small bowl combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, green onion, ginger, sesame oil, chili oil, garlic powder and add cilantro just before serving. It tastes better the longer it sits

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

This is a good ol' traditional casserole dish. Nothing fancy but really yummy. It warms my belly and makes my heart happy.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole (Recipe from: Sherrel Geilmann)

2-3 Cooked chicken breasts, shredded

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup cooked rice (I usually cook 1/2 cup uncooked rice and it comes out to be about 1 cup)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Topping:

1 pkg. uncooked Stovetop Stuffing

2 T. melted butter

1/2 cup chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook chicken breasts in simmering water over medium- medium high heat until cooked through then shred. I use two forks to shred the chicken.
3. Combine chicken, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, sour cream and rice. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spread chicken mixture into an 8 x 8 baking dish.
5. Combine stuffing, melted butter and chicken broth.
6. Spread on top of chicken mixture.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until stuffing is lightly golden brown.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

This is a recipe from Pioneer Woman that I love! She calls it Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich (her husband) but is basically a good ol' steak sandwich. Her original recipe with lots of pictures is HERE. I changed a couple of things when I made it like adding peppers and cheese but its basically the same recipe. We made some fresh cut fries with our deep fryer (I'm slightly ashamed to admit I own one, but I do not regret it!) to eat with our sandwiches.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches: (Adapted recipe from Pioneer Woman)

Yield: EASILY feeds 2 adults

1 lb. Cube steak (Round steak that's been extra tenderized; It almost looks like ground beef in the package but its steak)

Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1 Onion, thinly sliced

1 Green pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup or 4 T.)

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

French/Deli rolls

Provolone Cheese

1. Turn oven to broil.
2. Slice onions and peppers and cook in 2 T. butter over medium-medium high heat until onions are soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.
3. Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s.
4. Heat 1 T. butter over medium high heat (in same skillet) until melted. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.
5. Add 1/4 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce and 1 T. butter. Add cooked onions and peppers. Stir to combine.
6. Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet.
7. To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on baking pan. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with provolone cheese and broil in the oven until melted. Then eat it all gone-y!

Cranberry Hooty-whaty?

Over Christmas break my friend Stacie (who is a Kindergarten teacher) got one of those fancy cookie in a jar gifts from one of her students. So she decided to share them with us when we were visiting with them and I couldn't believe how yummy they were! I think that it might have been the first time that I have actually eaten cookies from a jar but I was impressed. I decided I wanted to make some but the recipe online is for how to make the jar version. So, HERE is the recipe if you want to make them into cookie in a jar gifts. Or if you want to make them "fat girl" style like me here is what I did:

Cranberry Hootycreeks

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup plus 2 T. flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I did 1/4 cup white chocolate and 1/4 cup semisweet because I'm not a huge fan of white chocolate which the recipe calls for but they taste pretty good in this recipe; I also think it would be yummy to use those swirly white/semi sweet chocolate chips)

1. Soften butter to room temperature
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
3. Cream together butter, egg and vanilla until fluffy.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well blended.
5. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges start to brown.
7. Cool on baking sheets or wire racks.

Cranberry Orange Rolls

These are the yummiest rolls ever. My sister in law Elizabeth makes them each Christmas and they make my mouth water just thinking about them. You can make them cinnamon roll style or crescent style.

*Give yourself about 2.5 hours from start to finish*

Cranberry-Orange Rolls (Recipe from Elizabeth Weight)

Rolls
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup warm water
1 1/3 cup scalded milk
1/3-1/2 cup shortening
2 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
4-6 cups unsifted bread flour (I usually use about 5)

Filling
¼ cup softened butter
½ cup sugar
Juice of one orange
Zest of one orange
1/3 cup fresh cranberries

Icing2 cups powdered sugar
Juice of one orange
Zest of one orange
Dash of salt

1. To make rolls, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in ½ cup warm water.
2. Scald milk and add shortening to it while hot, then cool the mixture. Once the mixture has cooled, add it and add the remaining ingredients to the yeast mixture.
3.  Mix well until dough develops a slight sheen (dough should be pliable and fairly soft). The dough should form a ball so if you need to add more flour do so in small increments. I use a kitchenaid mixer on speed 4 and knead (using the kneading attachment) the ingredients for about 2 minutes. The dough ball should not be too sticky and should have a slight sheen to it. The dough will still stick to the bottom of the bowl and if you poke it with your finger it will pull apart from the dough but wont totally stick to your finger.  You may have some dough residue on your finger though.  Cover and let dough rise until it doubles.
4. While dough is rising, prepare the filling. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the cranberries are chopped but not pureed.
5. Divide dough in half. Take one half and roll the dough out on a floured surface into a circle and coat the surface with the cranberry filling. Then cut dough into 16 equal sections, like a pie. Roll up each triangular section, starting at the wide ends to make crescents.
6. Place rolls on two generously greased cookie sheets, and cover. Allow to rise until dough looks puffy and light (about 30 min).
7. Bake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. While they are baking, prepare the icing.
8. Mix together powdered sugar, juice, zest, and a dash of salt. Generously drizzle icing over rolls as soon as they are removed from the oven or just before serving.