Macaroni & Cheese

At my house, there is a dispute over which mac o' cheese is the best. Kenz will only eat Kraft brand, and it must be a shape of some sort. Twirly, Spongebob, Scooby Doo, it does not matter, just as long as it is not the regular package. Strange, I know. And Kade will only eat Kraft brand regular noodle. So no matter what I do, one of the kiddos is not going to eat. And this is Mac o' cheese for heaven's sake! Aren't all kids suppose to love it and be happy? Well, I guess my two did not get that memo. So I decided to try and make this recipe and see if that would work. It is from the Pioneer Woman. And it did for a little bit, but they found other reasons to not like what I made for dinner. I personally think that they have made a book of excuses for dinner time. I am hoping that they publish it soon. Then I can afford to make 2-3 different meals for dinner.

This recipe even surprised Jas and myself. He had two large helpings and took some to work for lunch. So I say it was a winner. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

Mac o' Cheese

4 cups dried macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 heaping tsp dry mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 pound cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp season salt

* Cook macaroni until very firm. It should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
* In a small bowl, beat egg.
* In a large pot, melt butter, and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat.
* Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. DON'T LET IT BURN!!
* Pour in milk, add mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes until very thick, and reduce heat to low.
* Take 1/4 cup of sauce and pour our over beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg. Whisk until smooth.
* Pour egg mixture into sauce, and whisk until smooth.
* Add cheese and stir to melt.
* Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt or pepper as needed.
* Do not under salt.
* Pour over cooked macaroni.

You can serve this immediately or pour it into a butter backing dish, top it with extra cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Both ways are really good. I guess it just depends on the mood you are in.

Emily's Famous Chili

Okay, so there is one thing that I can make that just about everyone loves... even my kids. I love this recipe. It has some really great qualities to it. It is really yummy, it is easy, it makes a ton, so you can have some freezer meals. I am a huge advocate of freezer meals. If for any reason I am not home to make dinner, I can feel confident that my family will not go hungry or rush out to the nearest fast food joint. Plus, if I am asked to bring meals in to a friend, I already have some on hand, and even short notice is just fine by me! So give this one a try, I am sure you will love it.

Emily's Famous Chili

6 lrg cans diced (or crushed) tomatoes
3 lrg cans of chili with beans
4 green peppers, diced (yellow and red ones work too)
2 med red onions, diced
5 lbs of hamburger
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
4-5 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ginger (optional - however, it has been proven that ginger eases the stomach which helps your family have a more quietly and less stinky chili dinner, if ya know what I mean)
salt and pepper to taste.

* Mix raw hamburger, green peppers and onions in a LARGE stock pot.
* Simmer until hamburger is cooked thoroughly. Drain fat.
* Mix in the remaining ingredients.
* If using all 4 gallons of chili, simmer until hot. If not, separate into 1 gallon freezer bags, leave some for dinner and let that simmer until hot. If you put the chili in the freezer bags when it is hot, you will have to wait to put it in the freezer.
* Lay freezer bags flat in freezer, and do not stack until they have frozen as they may stick together.

Enjoy!

Canning cheeses

I am back. I have been super busy with work, my CPC exam, and just life in general, (aren't we all?) So here is a quick post about canning. I love to can and have food storage. I love the feeling I get when I see all my hard work on the shelf. So I think I will start some posts about canning. For my first one, I choose something interesting. So here we go!

Here are instructions for canning cheese ... real cheese! Great for pizza and other recipes we can make with our food storage, but really are better with fresh cheese!

Canning Hard cheese (like cheddar and mozzarella - I tried both)
I took shredded cheese and packed it into wide mouth pint jars. (5 lb bag filled 6 pt jars) You can also use cubes of cheese, but the shredded was cheaper when I purchased it at Sam’s club. I put the jars into a pan of water. I bought the water to a boil. The cheese melted and I continued to fill the jars till ¾ inch from the top. I then put on hot new canning jar lids and rings and water bathed them in gentle boiling water for 35 min. I let it set for a week and had to try it. I opened the lid; it came right out onto the plate. It sliced great and tasted great. I can use this to shred onto a homemade pizza. This was easy to do and you don’t need a canner, just a deep enough pan for the water bath.

I have only done this once. I will keep you posted on the progress.

Did you think I was gone, or simply have already given up on this blog, and put it up on a shelf, like so many of my other various projects. NOPE! I am just revamping (Ha! used a "vamp" word. Trying to use one everyday until Twilight comes out on DVD on Saturday.) my way of posting. Yep, pictures! So now, when I cook, the camera will be ready! I hope the pictures will be good enough. So do not give up on me, I will be posting soon, and maybe not as often, but it will be good!

And I loved doing the giveaway so much, I am so doing more, so check back for those too!

GIVEAWAY!!!

I am doing a giveaway on my personal blog. It is private, but if you need or want and invite, give me your email address and I will send you one. Good luck to all and hurry to leave your comment!

Peach Crisp

After a long and stressful week.... Wait! it's only Thursday! This calls for a good dessert. And this one is my all time favorite! Something about putting some vanilla ice cream on top and letting it melt and ooze over the warm peaches, just makes me happy. I do think I will go and make some right now!

Peach (or apple) Crisp

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening, melted

* Add egg to dry ingredients.
* Stir in shortening with a fork.
* Sprinkle a little cinnamon into the mixture.
* Mixture will be crumby
* Line a 9x13 baking dish with thinly sliced apples or peaches. (fresh is best, but I often use canned peaches)
* Sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon on top of peaches.
* Dot with tabs of butter.
* Crumble the crisp mixture over the top of the fruit, making sure it covers the entire pan of fruit.
* Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
* Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
* Serve with vanilla ice cream (warm) or whipped cream (cool)

Alfredo Sauce

Last night as Jason and I made waffles for dinner, we were discussing how good Olive Garden Alfredo sauce is. Then we went on to realize that dinner at Olive Garden would have tasted much better than our waffles. We could not complain since the kids both ate a lot of the dinner and that just makes us happy. So anyway, I thought that I would post the recipe for Olive Garden's Alfredo sauce. Now, we have tried to make this before. I say tried because it was good, but it was not quite the same as going to Olive Garden. Of course nothing is the quite the same as going out, right? So try it for yourselves, and let me know what you think!

Alfredo Sauce (Olive Garden)

1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup imported Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup imported Romano cheese, grated
6 egg yolks from fresh jumbo eggs
Salt and black pepper to taste

* Heat milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins to simmer.
* Turn off heat. Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat.
* Place egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture.
* Slowly add egg yolk mixture back into remaining cream mixture.
* Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering.
* Take sauce off heat so it thickens. (This will increase temperature of egg yolks, known as tempering).
* Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Now, If you do not want to buy or have the Romano cheese, or if you want a much simpler recipe, here is another that is a favorite at our house and always turns out great.

Mom's Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup butter
1/2 pint cream
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
pinch of salt

* Melt butter and cream together in sauce pan
* Add the cheese and salt.
* Mix well over medium heat.

New York Cheesecake

Last night we had our monthly FHE with Jason's family. It is a great excuse to get together and to celebrate the birthdays for the month. We have a lesson that the kids "try" to hold still for. And soon after the lesson and the birthdays does it become loud with kids playing and the adults chatting. Yeah, you can say it is chaotic, but hey, it is family! We then have a dessert, usually picked out by the whose birthday it is. Last night's choice was cheesecake. One of our favorites in this house. Usually we will go and pick out the Jello no bake cheesecake and let that be good; but every once in a while will we spoil ourselves and make a New York Cheesecake. This recipe is really not that hard and tastes, oh so good. It is a rich and thick cheesecake that is sure to fill any craving for cheesecake. Did you know that a traditional New York Cheesecake is know for being a thick and very rich cheesecake that is always topped with cherries? See the fun things you learn each day!

New York Cheesecake

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp butter, melted
5 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream

* Mix crumbs, 3 Tbsp sugar and butter.
* Press onto bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
* Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
* Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
* Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on slow speed after each addition, just until blended.
* Blend in sour cream.
* Pour over crust.
* Bake for 1 hour and 5-10 minutes or until the center is almost set.
* Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake.
* Cool before removing rim of pan. (I wait until I am about to serve it)
* Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
* Top with cherry pie filling (or anything else you like on cheese cake)

If you do not have a springform pan, just come borrow mine, it may cost you a slice of your cheesecake though!

Homemade Granola Bars

So in keeping with the kid friendly cooking theme from yesterday, I thought I would add homemade granola bars. I find that sometimes kids will eat stuff, if they are the ones to make it. As strange as it sounds, my kids are picky when it comes to eating just about anything. One day they will eat nothing but 1 thing. The next day, they hate it. What is a mother to do? Have them help you cook and just maybe they will eat what they are cooking. It is worth a try, right? Plus you can sneak in some talk about fractions and counting, and any other teaching moments you can think of!

Now, these granola bars are very yummy and very easy to make. I know that granola bars are not that expensive, and very handy to have on hand. But sometimes, it is just fun to make your own. See what different variations you can make.

Homemade Granola Bars

1/2 c butter or margarine
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c honey
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 c rice crispies cereal
2 c quick oats
1 c dried fruit
1/2 c slivered almonds

* Heat oven to 350 degrees
* Coat 9x13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
* Melt butter in a large pot on low heat.
* Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar, honey, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon
* Add remaining ingredients and mix well
* Transfer to baking sheet using waxed paper and the palms of your hands.
* Press granola firmly into pan
* Pack it evenly and flat.
* Bake for 20 minutes.
* Allow to cool for 1 hour in the pan then cool completely on wire racks before cutting into bars.
* Makes 24 bars.

Homemade Tootsie Rolls

Growing up, I remember my mom doing some pretty fun things with food. One of my favorites was homemade Tootsie Rolls. They always tasted so much better than the store bought ones and were a family favorite to make. I think it was mostly because you had to play with it to make it! Now what kid does not like that?

Homemade Tootsie Rolls

2 pkg liquid chocolate (3 Tbsp cocoa + 1 Tbsp melted margarine = 1 pkg. chocolate)
1/2 c light Karo syrup
3/4 c powdered milk
3 c powdered sugar
2 Tbsp margarine
1 tsp vanilla

* Butter hands
* Roll out and work like clay until well mixed
* Wrap in waxed paper and store in refrigerator

Masterpiece Sandwiches

With the cold weather still hanging around, it is tough to find new fun things for the kiddos to do. So try this quick and easy trick to make lunch a little more fun.

Masterpiece Sandwiches

Paper cups each filled with a few Tbsp of milk
Food coloring
New paint brushes
White Bread

* Add a few drops of food coloring to each cup of milk. (Use this as a great teaching experience with colors.)
* Using the colored milk and NEW paint brushes, paint pictures and designs on the bread.
* Toast lightly and use the slices to make your favorite sandwiches.

If you do not want to get out the paint brushes and are looking for another easy and quick way to put some fun into lunch, grab your cookie cutters and make your sandwiches into different shapes. I do not know what it is, but a star PB&J will go so much faster at this house than just a regular one!

Have fun!

Black Forest Upside-Down Cake

This is a fun recipe to try since you make a cake from your crock pot. Yeah, you read that right, your crock pot! It is a great way to have your chocolate fix with out having to turn on your oven. This is especially great in the summer when your house is just too hot! This recipe is also not that bad. It has 4 grams of fat and 213 calories per serving. Which, when compared to those really yummy Warm Delights from Betty Crocker (10 grams and 360 calories per serving), it really is a better choice. I think I can justify that every now and then!

Black Forest Upside-Down Cake

6 egg whites
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup water
1 (18.25 ounce) Chocolate cake mix, dry (Betty Crocker Super Moist Butter recipe is a good one, but any will do)
1 (20 Ounce) can light cherry pie filling
Fat free whipped topping (optional)

* Preheat your crock pot on high
* Spray crock pot with cooking spray (Baker's Joy!)
* In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites, applesauce, and water with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.
* Gently fold the cake mix into the peaks.
* Pour pie filling into the bottom of the crock pot
* Pour batter over the filling. Do not stir!
* Place a paper towel on top the crock pot and place the lid over the towel to cover. Cook on high for 2 hours or until a knife inserted in the middle comes our clean.
* Turn off the crock pot, and if possible take the crock out.
* Remove the paper towel and lid. Let sit for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edges to loosen the cake.
* Place a large serving plate with an edge upside down on top the the crock, and holding the crock and the plate firmly together, flip the cake upside-down. It will be hot and steamy, so be careful!
* Serve with fat free whipped topping or ice cream.
* Good served hot, cold or at room temperature.

Sweet and sour chicken

Many of you know how I love to make my own Chinese food. Chinese is something that many people are scared to even try. And I do not blame them with many very good take out restaurants in town. Making Chinese food is no different than any other recipe. It also makes for a great change to the same old routine.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1 boneless skinless chicken breast half per person (cut into pieces and cooked thoroughly)

1 box of TEMPURA mix

water

veggie oil

* Mix water and 1/2 box of Tempura mix until it makes a batter about the consistency of pancake mix.

* Dip chicken pieces in batter.

* Place battered chicken in hot oil. (I use a deep fat fryer for this, but you can do it in a deep sauce pan on the stove.)

* Cook until battered chicken is light brown. Remove and place on plate with paper towels on it to soak up excess grease.

* If needed, mix more batter to cover chicken.

Sauce:

1/2 c ketchup

3/4 c sugar

2 c pineapple juice

1 tsp salt

4 Tbsp cornstarch

3/4 c water

Pineapple chunks (optional)

* Heat on stove top until thick.

* Serve over rice.

NOTE: The Tempura mix can be found in most grocery stores. Walmart has been known to be less than reliable in carrying this product. So I would check places like Albertsons, Smiths, and any Associated Food Stores. Many of your Oriental Markets will carry this as well, however you will not get the same brand as in the picture. Here is what it looks like:

It is also very good for making your own chicken nuggets. My kids will eat these kind of chicken nuggets over any other. Even my little vegetarian. Go figure.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Sick, sick, sick, sick, sick! So I got in line {again} to get the cold of the month. Yay me! I would love to make some really good chicken noodle soup, as we all know that chicken noodle soup is the best thing for a cold. But I leave that to my dear sister-in-law, Jamie. Let's hope she will share her fabulous recipe for that with us! {hint, hint}. Anywho, if I can't get Jamie's chicken noodle soup, I go to the next best thing, and it is not canned soup. Nope, it is my favorite soup ever. Broccoli Cheese Soup! Check below for recipes and tips to make your own bread bowls at home! Here is to hoping we all get better soon!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

6 c potatoes, cubed
2 c carrots, cut
2 c celery, chopped
1 c onion, chopped
2 1/2 c water
2 10 oz packages chopped broccoli
1/2 c butter
1/4 -1/3 c flour
2 c milk
1 Tbsp dry mustard
6 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb package Velveeta

* Steam veggies in water for about 20 minutes
* Add broccoli and cook until tender.
* Melt butter with flour (enough to make light to medium white sauce)
* Stir in milk, bouillon cubes, and seasonings.
* As sauce thickens, add cheese until it melts.
* Add veggies and any remaining water from steaming.

* This recipe will freeze well!

Holy Cats, that is 2 recipes that has broccoli as a main ingredient. Who woulda thought?

Bread Bowls

Nothing goes better with some hot soup than a yummy bread bowl! I love them, and hate running to the store every time I get a craving for soup and bread bowls, so here is what I do. I will give you two options to make them from home.

The first one is a great recipe from scratch!

Bread Bowls

2T yeast
1 C warm water
1T sugar

* Mix together set aside

6 C flour
1 C boiling water
1T shortening
1 egg white
2 tsp salt

* Mix everything but flour.
* Then add flour mix and add yeast mixture
* Knead, divide into baseball size balls
* Put on greased pan
* Spray rolls and cover.
* Let rise 1/2 hr or till double in size
* Bake 450° 30 minutes turn to 350° cook for 20 more minutes

The second one is a cheater's method, still great!

* Buy a package of frozen bread loaves in the freezer section at the store. (I buy the sourdough, if I can find them!)
* Defrost and cut into halves or thirds depending on the size bowl you want.
* Allow to rise like it says on the bag.
* Cook for 25 min like it says on bag.

Now go and enjoy some yummy soup in your homemade bowls!

Broccoli Salad

I am in a salad kind of mood. And that got me thinking. You know when you get asked to bring a salad to a family or friend get together, and all you can think of is "do I bring a green salad, maybe topped with tomatoes and a few other veggies, finished off with a new bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch, or do I start cooking the pasta and go buy the Italian dressing now?" Yep, that is what comes to my mind, either a green salad, or a pasta salad. Both are good in their own rights, but I like to get out of the "same old" salad mode. So today I will post 2 of my favorite salads. I have a lot of favorites, but today I chose these two.

The first one is what made Jason start to eat broccoli after a life long feud with the vegetable. I took this to a party at his house when we were dating before his mission. And to this day, he loves the stuff. It has become a regular at family parties. It is super easy to make, and makes quite a lot. I am sure it will become a family favorite of yours as well.

Broccoli Salad

5 cups fresh broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces.
1 cup red grapes
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup baco bits, (or cooked diced bacon if you are that ambitious)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 c red onion chopped (optional)

* Toss everything in a large bowl.

Dressing

1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
6 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

* Mix well and pour over salad

See, I told you it was easy!

Cuki Salad (Cucumber Salad)

This one, my good friend Natalie introduced me to. It is Cucumber Salad (lovingly nicknamed "Cuki Salad"). It is a refreshing, light, not your momma's pot luck, type of salad. Give it a try, I am sure you will not regret it. And to be honest, I was super surprised when my kids downed half of the salad. Yeah, it is kid friendly! It is awesome if you use your own home grown cucumbers too. (Start thinking about your garden! hint hint!)


Cucumber Salad

4 medium cucumbers, peeled and diced, or sliced super thin
1 (8 ounce) container vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 (8 ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste


* Drain cucumbers for a few minutes on paper towels.

* In a serving dish, stir together the yogurt, sour cream, onion, garlic, and dill.

* Add cucumbers, and gently mix to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

* Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving for best flavor

No Bakes

Why? Well I just made some and they are a quick and easy chocolate fix that does fill you up, so you can only eat a few. Or if you are Jason, you eat a lot and end up being sick! Either way, you still get chocolate, and most everything is from my food storage, so yea food storage!

No Bakes

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup dk baking cocoa
1/2 cup milk (I use fresh, but you can use canned as well)
1/4 lb butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal

* Mix sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a saucepan.
* Melt over high heat and bring to a boil.
* Hard boil (or a rolling boil) for 1 minute (this is VERY important, only let it boil for 1 minute. If you let it boil longer, the cookies will not turn out!)
* Take saucepan off heat and stir in peanut butter.
* Add vanilla and oatmeal last.
* Let sit for about 5-10 minutes in sauce pan.
* On a cookie sheet lined with tin foil or parchment paper, separate into cookies. (I use my ice cream scoop. It is a great cookie maker)
* Put in fridge for about an hour or so. Over night is best.

Hawaiian Skewers

With all the snow and cold we have been having, I often reflect on the wonderful trip to Hawaii! I love that place. It was so nice to lay on the beach, hear the ocean lap the shore line and just soak in the sun. Yeah, I really miss it. Amazing enough too, Ms. Kenzi asks when we can go back almost on a weekly basis. For heaven's sakes, she was only 3 when we went, how can she remember it so well? I guess Hawaii has just that great of an impact on you. So onto the recipe. Here is a great dinner that you can enjoy now and make you think of warmer weather!

Hawaiian Skewers

Marinade:

6 Tbsp soy sauce
6 Tbsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp pineapple juice
2 T sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder

* Combine all ingredients in a shallow dish.

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast per person (up to 4. Any more and you will need to double your marinade)
Pineapple
Mushrooms
Green Peppers
Anything else you would like on the skewer

* Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes and place in marinade. Cover and place in fridge for at least 4 hours.
* Cut remaining ingredients into bite sized pieces just before you plan to grill.
* Assemble skewers anyway you like.
* Place on grill and sprinkle a little bit of granulated sugar on skewers.
* Grill until chicken is completely cooked.

*** Excellent with rice of any kind ***

Random Quick Tips of the Day

Just some random tips that I have picked up along the way...

If your recipe calls for eggs and shortening, crack eggs into the measuring cup you plan to use for the shortening first. The residue left by the eggs will allow the shortening to slip out of the measuring cup very easily.

Buttermilk can be made at home!

(1 cup milk to 2 tsp lemon juice)

Baker's Joy is a great tool for flowering a pan for a cake or brownies. I never use anything else.

NEVER EVER wash your aluminum pots, pans, and cookie sheets in the dishwasher. They will lose their shine and will turn dull. Trust me, I know it sucks to wash by hand, but I still have cookie sheets that look brand new and they are 9 years old.

When making sugar cookies, use powdered sugar instead of flour on your counter to roll out your dough. It will make the cookies taste sweeter and work just as well as flour.

Do not add vanilla to anything you are currently cooking. The heat will make it cook right off and it will do no good. Wait until the mixture you need it in has cooled past boiling.

An ice cream scoop is a great way to separate your cookie dough into equal sized cookies.

Check back for more quick tips and recipes!