Balsamic Chicken

I have to give credit where credit is due--this is Camey's recipe. I am doing this for dinner tonight!

For the chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and ground pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

For the sauce:
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp butter, softened
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 cup of chicken broth

Set the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 Tbsp of the olive oil. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan, add two chicken breasts. Cook on each side until well-browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Once browned, place chicken breasts into the prepared baking dish. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil into the pan and brown the other two chicken breasts. Remove the pan from the heat and set the chicken breasts in the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

In a small bowl, combine flour and butter. Mix, making a paste. Set aside. In the same pan that the chicken was browned in, add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add minced garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Add balsamic vinegar and bring to a simmer, while scraping the bottom of the pan. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Whisk in butter and flour paste and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve sauce over chicken breasts.

I serve this over rice

Nestle Toll House Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies

 

I LOVE Nestle Toll House cookies! When I make chocolate chip cookies, I only make the 'Original Nestle Toll House' recipe. I think it's the best. Yesterday, I decided to make their chocolate chip oatmeal recipe- They were sooo tasty! 

• 1 3/4 c. flour*
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
• 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 TB milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 c. quick or old fashioned oats
• 2 c. semisweet chocolate chips*
• 1 c. coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, & salt in a small bowl. Beat brown sugar, butter, and granulated sugar in mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs, milk, & vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Mix well. Drop by rounded  TB onto ungreased baking sheet. 

Bake 9-10 mins for chewy cookies and 12-13 for crispy. Cool on baking sheets for 1 min; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

Yields: 48 cookies (4 dozen)

*My variations: I found that this recipe needs more like 2 c. of flour rather than 1 3/4 c. Also, 2 cups of choc. chips is almost too much. Next time, I will put a little bit less. And lastly, I love chewy cookies, and to get them just right in my oven- I cooked them for 8 1/2 mins instead. I guess you'll just have to experiment with your oven to see what time works best!

If you love these, you'll love the original Toll house chocolate chip cookies recipe. To find that recipe, go to verybestbaking.com or click on the Nestle link in the upper right portion of this blog!

eazy Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

2 (16 ounce) can peaches (if your ambitious you will opt to do fresh peaches, I'm not.)

1 yellow cake mix

1 1/2 sticks butter

1-2 tsp cinnamon

sprinkle of brown sugar and nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Pour peaches and juice (drain one can) into 9x13 pan.

3. Pour cake mix over the top. Pat cake mix down until it mixes with the juice.

4. Take butter and use a grater to shave butter evenly over the top. If you want you can just slice it and layer it on the cake. (if you use the grate make sure it is frozen or very firm.)

5. Sprinkle your cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar on top.

6. Put in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until brown.

Serve with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream.

Mexican CAN CAN

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This is similar to just a regular Taco soup recipe...just FASTER. and I love that. 

My grandma put this recipe together. You basically just dump in CAN after CAN. That's it! No adding cooked hamburger, spices, etc.

• 2 cans Mexican Style Tomatoes
• 2 cans of chili
• 1 can of corn (no draining necessary)
• 1 can white beans (no draining necessary)
• 1 can black beans (no draining necessary)

combine all and heat thoroughly. Top with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips.

Homemade Oreos

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This is one of my FAVORITE desserts. ALWAYS a hit!

• 1 Devil's Food Cake mix
• 3/4 c. shortening
• 2 eggs

Mix all together and roll into small balls- (They spread out a lot in the oven).

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 mins (depending on the size of the balls)

Filling:

• 1 8oz. cream cheese
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1 TB Milk  
• optional-add mint extract and green food coloring to make MINT OREOS!

Beat together till smooth. (Also, you can just use store bought cream cheese frosting but it DOESN'T taste as good.)

Frost between 2 cookies to make a sandwich. Serve immediately. Freeze or refrigerate. (They still stay soft in the freezer and taste so good! that is my preferred way to store them.)

White Chili

Ingredients:

3 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 medium onion diced
1 spoonful of mince garlic

2 15.5 oz cans great northern white beans rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
2 (4oz) cans chopped green chilies

Seasonings:

1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper


1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions:

In a Large sauce pan saute chicken, onion, and garlic until chick has a few brown side and no pink. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer about 20 mins uncovered. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cream. Serve immediately.

Again I use rotisserie chicken from Costco or even canned chicken to make this meal that much quicker!!

Chicken tacos

2 large chicken breasts
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 4 oz diced green chiles
1 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds black pepper
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chile powder
Corn tortillas for serving

In a large pot of boiling water, boil chicken breasts until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from water and set aside to cool. Once cooled, shred chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding fat. Set shredded chicken aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil. Once oil runs quickly in the pan, add onion and 1/2 tsp salt. Saute onion until softened and lightly browned. Add shredded chicken, pinto beans, green chiles, 1 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and chile powder. Gently stir to combine, being sure to not smash the beans. Cook until beans are heated through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Serve chicken in tacos shells with tacos toppings. We've also used fresh flour tortillas.

We put shredded lettuce, cheese, salsa, tomatoes ,sour cream on as toppings.

I also had it sit on the stovetop on low heat for about 10 minutes while we were waiting for the husband to get home and put a splash of chicken broth in the bottom so that the chicken would be tender. Yum

Vanilla Cupcakes

I can't remember where I found this recipe but it is a good one.

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour**
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

**I don't ever have self-rising flour when I make this recipe. Instead I substitute

1 1/2 cups flour, 2 1/4 tsp baking powder and 3/4 tsp. salt .

Sift together and you are good to go! and obviously still use the additional 1 1/4 cups flour called for.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.

Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla.

With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing

and use this icing recipe--yes! it does make a difference!

1 cup softened butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

In a bowl combine butter, sugar and salt.
Beat till blended.
Add the milk and vanilla and beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

Lazy Granola

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
  
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 7 cups oats ( use old fashioned, NOT quick cooking)

1. Mix brown sugar, oil, and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil.
2. Remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla.
3. Pour over oats in a large bowl. Stir until well coated.
4. Spread oats in a 9×13 pan. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes.
5. Take out and stir.
6. Return pan to oven. Turn oven off.
7. Go to bed. Wake up to a delicious, cinnamon-y scent wafting through your kitchen!

Crepes

2 C flour
6 eggs
2 C milk
3 T sugar
1 t vanilla
1 cube butter melted
Dash salt

Mix all ingredients together. Cook on a hot pan on stove.

yummy Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup Buttermilk

1/2 cup butter

2 TBS corn syrup

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

Bring 1st 5 ingred. to boil

Turn down heat and boil 5 minutes more

until golden brown

Remove from heat & add vanilla

Crab and Shrimp Enchiladas

• 1/4 cup grated onion
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 4oz can crab meat
• 1 4 oz can chopped green chilies
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 ground cumin
• 1 8oz pkg Philadelphia cream cheese, cubed
• 8 flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cup chunky salsa
• 9 0z shredded monterey Jack cheese

***I just use the frozen already cooked shrimp, so skip cooking step, obviously!***
In a large skillet, saute onions in oil until tender.
Add Shrimp, green chilies,chili powder,cumin, salt.
Cook until shrimp turns pink.
Stir in cubes cream cheese until melted.
Turn off pan.
Grease 13 by 9 baking dish
Put 1/3 shrimp mixture down in center of tortilla
Top with some crab, and monterey jack cheese
Roll up and put seam side down.
Top with salsa, sprinkle monterey jack cheese

Healthy Wheat Pancakes and Waffles

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In my family we ate these a lot even for dinner! They're inexpensive and a good way to use your food storage. My brothers had pancake eating contests and I remember when we lived in Ohio the missionaries loved coming over to eat them!

Mix Dry Ingredients First:

1 1/2  cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup of powdered milk

1Tablespoon of Baking powder

To The Dry Mixture Add:

1/4 cup of oil

2 eggs

Now stir with a wire whisk and add water to the right consistency. Mine is usually a little runnier than cake batter. Cook on a skillet or waffle iron. Have fun being creative with your toppings. You can also substitute different types of grains to the recipe or to make them lighter you can use half wheat and half white flour. This recipe feeds 2 to 3 people but you can double, triple, etc. the recipe for more yummy pancakes and waffles!

Pizza Calzones

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So, my first post has to be attributed to one of my new, AMAZING finds! This recipe comes from allrecipes.com, titled, "Real Italian Calzones". We LOVED it! Just FYI- This recipe reflects some changes I made. Oh and just so you know, I'm planning on taking my own pictures, but since I didn't have one of this recipe...I just used some that looked the closest to what I made.


Yield: 4 medium sized Calzones.


1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 TB olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour


To make dough, proof yeast, then add oil & salt. Mix in 1 c. flour till smooth. Gradually add in rest of flour. Knead for 5 mins. Lay dough in bowl containing 1 tsp olive oil, flip dough, cover, & let rise for 40 mins or until almost doubled. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. When dough is ready, punch it down and separate into 4 equal parts. Roll out into thin circles on lightly floured surface. Fill calzone dough with desired filling by using just 1/2 of the circle and folding over. Secure edges by pressing a fork down. 

Like so-

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Then- brush the top LIGHTLY with olive oil or egg white (whichever you prefer), and place on cookie sheet(lightly greased) or cooking stone(my personal preference). Make sure to stick a fork in the top- it tends to help it not explode.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 mins- cookie sheet or 20 mins- cooking stone. serve hot.


Filling- Tyson is obsessed with Hawaiian pizza, so that is what I did for the filling when I made it. I added lots of cheese, pineapple, and ham. I think it's better to have pizza sauce on the side for dipping. I definitely prefer the dipping to a soggy calzone!

Spicy Shrimp and Chicken

Ingredients:

Servings:

6-8

• 2 (8 ounce)boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 20 medium raw shrimp, peeled, tail removed, and cleaned
• 1 cup fresh button mushroom, cleaned and sliced
• 1 cup green onions, sliced
  
• 1 cup sun-dried tomato, sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup romano cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 16 ounces dry penne pasta

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 35 mins

1. Season and grill the chicken breasts until done. Cool and slice into bite sized pieces.
2. Add butter to a large sauté pan on medium heat.
3. Once butter is melted, add the shrimp, sliced chicken, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper.
4. Saute mixture until shrimp and mushrooms are cooked.
5. Add the cream, Romano cheese and cayenne pepper. Let cream reduce by half while stirring frequently.
6. Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente according to package directions; drain excess water.
7. Toss cooked pasta with contents of sauté pan. Serve.

~ If you add precooked shrimp wait to add it when you are tossing the pasta and the sauce.

*********I like using some of the rotisserie chicken at Costco. I’m all about making it quicker.********