Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

I found this recipe on the crafty blog, Make it and Love it. And I made it and I LOVED it! lol I wish I could eat it everyday! Shaun said it is so good that it competes with Cafe Rio Pork Salad! What!?

Cilantro Lime Slaw
1/2 of a head (about) of red cabbage or 1 pkg coleslaw
1 c. Mayonnaise
1 c. Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. minced Garlic
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper or a dash of your favorite hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Lime Juice
1/2 tsp. Cumin

Chop and combine all but cabbage. Mix desired amount of dressing with slaw mix no more than 30 minutes before serving.

Roasted Sweet Pork mmmmm mmmmMMM good.
6 (approx) pounds Pork butt/shoulder
1 19 oz. can Red Enchilada Sauce
20 oz Dr. Pepper
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 Clove Garlic or 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 c. Brown Sugar
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine all ingredients into your crock pot and cook on low for over night or until meat is tender. (I cooked mine on low for 4 hours and turned it to high for 3 hours)

Place the meat on top of a grilled corn tortilla (or just a plain flour tortilla would be good too) and then the slaw on top of that. Fold in half and take your first mouth-watering bite! Then accept all the compliments on one amazing meal. ;)

Weight Watchers Points:
Slaw= .5 points for 1/18 serving
Pork = 6 points for 1/18 serving
Corn Tortilla = 1 pt for 1 tortilla

I foresee the points for this needing to be recalculated depending on how much pork you use so for future reference, we figured that you can get about 18 servings from this. (servings are small because the tortillas are small, you'll probably want two ...or more!.) For the total recipe, the Slaw is 8.5 points for the Fat-Free Miracle Whip and everything else is free. The Pork is 105 broken down this way: 23 points for 1 lb of pork loin with fat. (We used 3 lbs to get a total of 69.5 points.) 5 points for enchilada sauce, 5 points for Dr. Pepper, 24 points for brown sugar, 1.5 points for the onion, and everything else is free.

Fruit Tart

Ingredients:
1 and 1/3 c flour
2/3 c butter
1/3 c brown sugar
1 package whipped cream cheese
fresh fruit
glaze/honey

Ingredients for glaze (optional):
1 c sugar
3 tbs cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 c orange juice

Use honey instead of glaze or use what ever that really healthy stuff is that Brigitte uses. ;)

Step 1
Cut together flour, brown sugar and butter and press into 12" pie pan. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

Step 2
When crust is cool, spread cream cheese on top and fresh cut up fruit. (I have only tried strawberries but I hear the peach or peach/strawberry is great. You can also sprinkle pecans on top of the fruit too.)

Step 3
Drizzle with Glaze or honey.


*pictures coming soon, of course if I don't eat it too fast...

... well, I did forget to take a picture of the final product before we served it but I went to take a picture of what was left of it and I walked in to find that Shaun was scraping the pie plate! lol

Coriander-Pepper Pork Chops, Plus Pics

What sounds grosser, a pork chop or a pork loin?

Oops, we ate it too fast and forgot a picture of the real meal! but, these fabulous people liked it pretty well. :) That other seat is pulled out for you, Brig and Adam.


Okay, here we go... This is one of my favorite recipes!
Prep Time: 10 minutes then marinate for at least 30 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes or so
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground coriander or 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed.
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 (about 1 and 1/2 pounds total) 3/4-inch-thick boneless pork loin chops

Directions:
Combine soy sauce, pepper, sugar, coriander, and garlic in a large bowl; add pork. Cover; marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (but longer would be better). Drain; discard marinade.

3 ways to cook:
Broil - Place on rack of broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat, turning once, for 9 to 12 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in center. WATCH closely, mine catch on fire a lot when I do it this way.
OR
George Foreman - gotta love that guy.
OR
Bake - on a cookie sheet at like 350 or something until they are not pink inside anymore.

Then open the windows or something because this dinner usually makes my house smell yummy for days.

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

I needed a good easy chocolate pudding recipe, ya know for those rough days! I only could find a good vanilla one that I liked. I also needed one that I didn't need to keep chocolate chips in the house cause we all know that chocolate chips don't last a New York minute in my house. I don't eat raw cocoa powder a lot so I thought that a recipe with that in it alone would be a safe bet! So at last the Recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Place over medium heat, and stir in milk. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and stir in margarine and vanilla. Let cool briefly, and serve warm, or chill in refrigerator until serving.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Noah licked the plate when I made these.

This Picture is compliments of Chef Johnson (a.k.a. Emily) They were delicious!

Serves 6

6 green bell peppers
salt to taste
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup water
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
water as needed

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside.

In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, 1/2 cup water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C). Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour over the peppers.

Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Slow cooker Oatmeal

1 cup of oats
3 cups of water (I did 2 because I like mine a little thicker)
1 pinch of salt ( I hate salt so I didn't do this)
1 cup of half and half ( I did Almond milk or You could use soy or even regular milk)
1/4 cup brown sugar to taste ( I used a mixture of agave and stevia which was way yummy)

Just before going to bed, combine the oats and water in slow cooker. Set on low, cover and let it cook over night. In the morning add salt milk and sugar.

I need a breakfast thing that was fast and easy so I tried this and it worked pretty well.

Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake

This recipe is more of a guideline. It is so good though you can't not mess it up (unless you use really funky flavors).
ingredients
2 flavors of half gallon ice cream (or a whole of one you love)
1 package of oreos (use enough to cover the surface of your cake)
1 jar of hot fudge
1 container of cool whip

• butter the cake pan of your choice (I used a spring form pan)


• if you are using DQ ice cream spread it on the bottom of the pan. If using a different kind of ice cream allow it to soften before spreading it ( left my totally frozen ice cream out an hour before I could spread it).


• sprinkle crushed oreos on top of the first layer


• spoon over hot fudge that is a room temperature over the oreos


• set in freezer till completely frozen (about 2 hours)


• Add second layer of ice cream
• then add ice cream frosting which is whip cream mixed with equal parts ice cream (I use vanilla)
• then let freeze over night
• take out about 15- 20 minutes before serving (10 if you live somewhere warm or it's summer)

I have help!

So Sorry it took me a few days. I didn't bring my cake books with me to Cali, but I have some recipes that my teacher had on the internet... I don't have my my buttercream recipe with me, but I found it on the internet, so HERE is the link for that. If you want pure white icing, use all shortening, instead of half butter half shortening. Here are a few more recipes. Good luck and have fun!

Fondant
16 ounces white mini-marshmallows
2 tablespoons water
2 pounds powdered sugar, well sifted
½ cup Crisco shortening

Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler: Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 ½ minutes total. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.

Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY - palms, backs and in between fingers, then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle.
Start kneading like you would bread dough. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant is sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about ½ tablespoon at a time then knead it in). It usually takes about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.


Chocolate Cake
2 ½ cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp soda
2 eggs
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup oil
1 cup sour milk or cream (or buttermilk)
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp vanilla
Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs and milk and beat hard. Sift cocoa, flour, salt and soda. Add to first mixture and beat. Add boiling water and vanilla. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Carrot Cake
3-4 Jars Jr. Baby Carrot Food
1 Cup Oil
4 Eggs
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients together & add to dry ingredient, mixing well.
Bake @ 350 for 35 minutes

For icing:
8oz Cream Cheese
½ Cup Butter or Margarine
1 pound (about 4 cups) sifted Powdered Sugar
1-1 ½ tsp Vanilla
Blend well and frost cake. This icing can be used to pipe a design on the cake but additional powdered sugar will be required.

Birthday help please!!!

My brother Owen and Noah all have birthday coming up and I am making them their own cakes. I would love any recipes or ideas to make them special. Icing or fondant recipes as well as any cake recipes would be perfect!!! Thanks guys

The Challenge

We love to make these! They are California rolls and you can still eat them if you are prego and you live in California so you should have them! This stuff I am sure is available out there. Shopping must be a little more fun out there with all that variety!
Ingredients are:
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup uncooked glutinous white rice (sushi rice)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 pinch salt
4 sheets nori (dry seaweed)
1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin strips
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced
you can serve with imitation crab or mini canned shrimp which is what I like the best


Combine the water and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender and water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside to cool.

Cover a bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap to keep the rice from sticking. Place a sheet of seaweed over the plastic. Use your hands to spread the rice evenly onto the sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch of seaweed empty at the bottom. Arrange strips of cucumber and avocado across the center of the rice. Lift the mat and roll over the vegetables once and press down. Unroll, then roll again towards the exposed end of the seaweed sheet to make a long roll. You may moisten with a little water to help seal. Set aside and continue with remaining nori sheets, rice and fillings.


Use a sharp wet knife to slice the rolls into 5 or 6 slices. Serve cut side up with your favorite sushi condiments.

HELP!

Hey guys, so I have a question...we are in a hotel for the summer and we have a stove top, with only a medium pot and a medium pan, and NO OVEN! I don't know what to do for my poor family. Any good recipes that don't involve a lot of counter space or an oven? I bought microwave dinners for the first time in my life, and they are yucky!!
I love you gals!

I would like to say hello

I would like to say hello to my buddies riley and shaun

Ha ha. This reminded me of you guys. Sorry I have been so horrible at keeping in touch and posting recipes...it's finals time and moving time, so when things settle down I will be better at emailing, I PROMISE! I miss you both! Love ya!
TEAM EDWARD FOREVER!!!

Make your Own Cleaning supplies!

So I was thinking that for earth day that I would post green cleaning supply stuff! I hope that everyone is doing well!

SUPPLIES Baking sodaWashing sodaWhite distilled vinegarA good liquid soap or detergentTea tree oil6 clean spray bottles2 glass jars
Read more about these 5 basic cleaning ingredients, and a vinegar update.
CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBERSimply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit.
Note: Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.
WINDOW CLEANER1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent3 tablespoons vinegar2 cups waterSpray bottle
Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.
OVEN CLEANER1 cup or more baking sodaWaterA squirt or two of liquid detergent
Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top. Let the mixture set overnight. You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. If this recipe doesn’t work for you it is probably because you didn’t use enough baking soda and/or water.
ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER1/2 teaspoon washing sodaA dab of liquid soap2 cups hot tap water
Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.
FURNITURE POLISH 1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juiceMix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.
VINEGAR DEODORIZERKeep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board and in your bathroom and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting board before going to bed at night, and don’t even rinse but let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.
MOLD KILLERS
Tea Tree TreasureNothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. I’ve used it successfully on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof, on a musty bureau, a musty rug, and a moldy shower curtain. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.
2 teaspoons tea tree oil2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes two cups.
Vinegar SprayStraight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours.

Make ahead White Puree #4

Makes about 2 cups of puree. Double recipe if you want to store even more, which can be done in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags or the small plastic containers.
2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets -
2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and rough chopped -
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice -
1-2 tablespoons water, if necessary
> Steam cauliflower in a vegetable steamer over 2 inches of water, using a tightly-covered pot, for about 10 to 12 minutes until very tender. Alternatively, place cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl , cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until very tender

> While waiting for the cauliflower to finish steaming, start to pulse the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice only (no water at this point). Drain the cooked cauliflower. Working in batches if necessary, add it to the pulsed zucchini in the bowl of the food processor with one tablespoon of water. Puree on high until smooth. Stop occasionally and push contents from the top to the bottom. If necessary, use the second tablespoon of water to make a smooth (but not wet) puree.

Make Ahead Recipe #3 Green Puree

This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store another 2 cups. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1/4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.
- 2 cups raw baby spinach leaves*
- 2 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup sweet green peas, frozen
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if the package says "prewashed." > To prepare on the stovetop, pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegetable steamer basket into the pot, add the spinach and broccoli, and steam for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the frozen peas to the basket for the last 2 minutes of steaming. Drain.> To prepare in the microwave, place the broccoli and spinach in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes, until very tender. Add peas for last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain.> Place the vegetables in the bowl of your food processor along with 2 tablespoons of water. Puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree

Sneaky Chef chili (this is what I am making for dinner tonight:)

1. 
   
   - One tablespoon extra virgin olive oil


2. 
   
   1 large onion, minced


3. 
   
   1 pound lean ground beef or turkey (or a combination)


4. 
   
   1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced


5. 
   
   2 tablespoons chili powder


6. 
   
   1 teaspoon ground cumin


7. 
   
   One-quarter teaspoon cayenne


8. 
   
   One-half cup to 1 cup White Puree


9. 
   
   One-half cup Green Puree


10. 
    
    1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste


11. 
    
    1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes


12. 
    
    1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained*


13. 
    
    1 to 2 cups vegetable broth


14. 
    
    Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium heat in a chili or soup pot. Cook the onions until they are slightly translucent, about 10 minutes, and then add ground meat, stirring to break it up, cooking about 5 minutes until meat is no longer red. Then add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and a few grinds of pepper. Add the White and Green Purees, tomato paste, tomatoes, 1 cup of vegetable broth, and the kidney beans, and mix well to combine the colors. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, adding more vegetable broth as necessary. Season with salt, pepper, more cayenne for extra spice, and top with optional garnishes. Save leftovers and put a portion in a thermos or plastic container for your man’s lunch pail.

Vegetarian Variation: > Omit the meat and add 2 more cans of pinto and/or kidney beans.

Super Good Slaw!

This might not answer your ground beef question, but it is a good one ladies. This weekend we had enrichment and there was a booth on Easy Gourmet Cooking. This is the recipe I picked up. We had it one Sunday night and it was delicious. I am a huge coleslaw fan, and when I moved out here I ran into a ton of people who "didn't know you actually ate that stuff." I guess it is the southern girl in me, but I go coo coo for Coleslaw. It is the same flavors as Cafe Rio Salads. Yummo!


Cilantro Lime Slaw

1 Small or 1/2 large cabbage shredded

1 C. Mayonnaise

1 C. Cilantro, chopped

1 tsp. Minced Garlic

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Lime Joice

1/2 tsp. Cumin

Combine all but cabbage in a food processor or blender and mix. Add to Cabbage and stir. Serve within 30 minutes so cabbage stays crisp.

They served this on a tortilla with Roasted Sweet Pork (Cafe Rio Pork). It was super tasty. We had it as sandwiches, or you can just eat the pork and slaw without anything else. It is delicious!

Holy Cow!

Really, after our institute class, I feel awful for my post title. Forgive my sacrilege. Girls, what shall I do with all my ground beef? Anyone have any good recipes? ...or any recipes for that matter. :) Thanks!

I'm lovin' this!

I just had a burst of love for this dinnertime diva blog. I am so happy about it. I will post on it until I die. Thank you for your recipes! I also had a burst of love for you girls, too, just now!

This is kindof what I am looking like when I read our blog.

"Yes, another one for exotic [food] bingo. I'm lovin' this!"

Fruit Dip

So last night, I hurt my back and was laying in bed and realized I hadn't eaten since lunch time. I couldn't get up, so I just dreamed about all the things that I wanted to eat. I only wanted one thing, this amazing fruit dip. It is so easy and so good too. I love it with apples, grapes, fresh pineapple, and other delicious fruits. So for lunch today this is what I am having :)

One brick (8oz.) cream cheese (I use Neuffechel sp? cheese, it is just as good and less fat)
1 jar (7oz.) Marshmallow puff

Make sure the cream cheese is room temperature, it is creamier this way. Beat the two together with a hand mixer for best results. It is so good and not too sweet at all. I hope that you enjoy..I sure am!

Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well, I am sick of hanging onto the empty chocolate chip bag, and what better place to record one of our favorite cookie recipes? They work with any kind of chocolate chips but Ghirardelli is the best!
(makes 4 dozen cookies)

• 2 cups Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/4 cup unsifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional - I don't like them in there)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375ºF.

Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at meduim speed until creamy and lightened in color (about 4 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts if desired). Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

cake donuts

Christmas we made these and I of course ate a ton!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 dash ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 quart oil for frying

Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk and egg until smooth. Knead lightly, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a doughnut cutter, or use two round biscuit cutters of different sizes.
Carefully drop doughnuts into hot oil, a few at a time. Do not overcrowd pan or oil may overflow. Fry, turning once, for 3 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne

1 lb pkg Penne pasta
1-2 lbs Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast
1 pkg (9 oz) Fresh Spinach (chopped)
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce (I used 1 can each of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and threw in some oregano, etc.)
1/2 Onion- minced
4 cloves Garlic- minced
1 tbsp olive oil
4 oz Cream cheese- cubed
1 1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Shredded Parmigiano- Reggiano Cheese

Pre-heat oven to 375*. Cook pasta. While that's boiling, work on the remaining ingredients.
Cook chicken in oil. Remove to a large bowl. Add garlic and onion to chicken drippings. Sautee until tender, add to chicken. Pour Spaghetti sauce in with chicken mixture. Add basil. Before you remove the pasta, add the chopped fresh spinach for about a minute. Then drain and add to bowl. Add cream cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Mix well. Pour into baking dish and bake at 375* for about 15 minutes. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano cheese. Bake for another 5- 10 minutes, until cheese starts to bubble. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.

one of my new favorites!

Chinese Noodle Haystacks

Sorry no pics, I ate them too fast. Next time though!
This is my new favorite treat! These were served at our Relief Society meeting and she said she got the recipe out of the friend. In honor of the Chinese new year, I submit to you Chinese Noodle Haystacks (not the real name, mind you. I don't know what they are really called). Basically they are a Chinese noodles covered in chocolate/butterscotch goodness.

You will need:
3 cups chocolate chips
3 cups butterscotch chips
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter (recipe called for crunchy but I did smooth)
Peanuts (optional)
2 1/2 cups chinese noodles

1) Melt chocolate and butterscotch in microwave or in a double broiler on stove top.
double broiler = just boil water in a sauce pan, put another on top with chocolate in it
w/lid and stir (that explanation part was for me, Emily.)
2) Take off stove top once melted, add vanilla and peanut butter and peanuts (I just skipped that peanut part, I like smooth haystacks)
3) add Chinese noodles (I add extra Chinese noodles to compensate for the lack of nuts).
4) Stir and glop onto a sheet covered in aluminum foil, make sure to glop, not plop.
5) freeze (solidifies chocolate, doesn't take very long).

Don't try to eat them right out of the freezer, they are hard and will hurt your teeth. They are the best when room temperature.

The best chocolate chip cookies ever!

Hey gals, So I know it has been a while, but today I had to make cookies for my class and I am not a cookie maker, so I searched high and low for a good recipe and I found one, so I thought I would share.

ingredients:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 cups butter, softened 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix 4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips

Directions:

	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
	In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
	Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.