Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 T vanilla
4 oz sour cream
5 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1 T water

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Mix together flour and baking powder. Add to sugar mixure. Add water. Roll out to desired thickness. Cut into shapes Bake at 375 deg. for 8 to 10 minutes

Rice Luau Style

1 chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 lbs sausage
5 cups boiling water
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 pkgs lipton chicken noodle soup

Brown sausage with vegetables. Add boiling water, rice and soup. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 deg., stirring occasionally.

Berry Sauce

1 pint fresh or frozen berries
1/3 c water
1/2 c sugar
1 T corn starch
1 T lemon juice

Combine berries, water, sugar and corn starch and heat to boiling stirring frequently until thickened. Cook 2 minutes more stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice.

I like to serve this over waffles or cheese cake.

Enchilada Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (about 10 ounces) red enchilada sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chile peppers
1 cup milk
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 package (about 7 ounces) tortilla chips, coarsely crumbled
8 ounces grated Cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 375°In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onion; remove from heat and drain off excess fat. Add enchilada sauce, soups, chopped chile peppers, milk, and minced garlic; mix well.
In a greased 9x13x2-inch baking pan, place a layer of half the coarsely crumbled tortilla chips; top with half of the ground beef mixture. Layer with remaining crumbled tortilla chips, then remaining meat mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top the last 10 - 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Favorite Stuffed Peppers

6 medium peppers
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup cooked long grain rice
1 small onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 t salt
1/4 t ground pepper
1 clove garlic minced
1 can tomato soup
1/2 c water

Cut tops off green peppers, remove seeds and membrane. Mix beef with rice, onion, salt, pepper and garlic. Fill peppers with meat mixture. Arrange snugly in 3 quart casserole so one pepper is in the center of dish. Mix together soup and water, pour over and around peppers. Cover with plastic wrap and cook in microwave for approximately 30 minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken

chicken cut in strips
stir fry type vegetables (if desired)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 c water
1/4 t ground ginger
1 minced garlic
3 T brown sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/4 c cold water

Partially cook chicken and vegetables as you would for a stir fry.
Combine soy sauce, 1 cup water, ginger, garlic and brown sugar in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cold water and add to sauce. Stir constantly to allow sauce to thicken. Pour over chicken and/or vegetables. Simmer together. Serve over rice.

New Favorite

I was just introduced to uncooked flour tortilla's and they are sooooo good! I will probably never buy regular tortilla's again. I know you can get them at Costco in the refrigerator section. It comes in two bags, so I just freeze one. To cook the tortillas, place each on a non-stick skillet and flip when starting to lightly brown. Then use as you would other tortillas.

Dinner Ideas:
Chicken Quesidilla's
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/3 C green salsa (or any salsa)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 sweet onion chopped coarsely
shredded cheddar cheese (try a mexican blend or cheddar/mozzerella blend if on hand)
uncooked tortillas
make it your own: salsa, sour cream, tomatoes

Cook chicken, salsa, & salt in saucepan 15 minutes over med/low heat or until most liquid is evaporated, stirring occasionally. Saute onions until tender. Have all tortillas cooked beforehand. Each person can make their own quesidilla - place cheese, chicken, and onions on half of tortilla and fold over other half. Cook on nonstick skillet until cheese melts, flipping once. Adults will probably want two. Servings: 3 Put whatever you want on it, and find fun dips!

French Toast

I know what you are thinking...."yeah right, I don't need a recipe for this," but after I started making french toast this way, I will never make it the old way again. The problem I have had for years is that I always thought french toast was either too eggy or soggy. I have since learned that too much milk makes it soggy and too little makes it eggy. The secret ingredient in this recipe is flour added to the batter! Perfect french toast every time! I found this in a "Top secret restaurant recipes" book and apparently this is IHOP's recipe. I have adjusted it just a bit for my own liking though (their recipe is for 2 eggs).

French Toast

3 eggs
1/4 C milk
3 Tb flour
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla


So that you never have to read this recipe ever again, just remember one Tb flour per egg. I plan on one egg per person. Let me know what you think!

This is what's for dinner at my house

I will let you know how it turns out.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/05/baked-creamy-chicken-taquitos.html

Rich Chocolate Cupcakes

1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. chocolate cake mix
1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips. Mix 2 minutes on medium speed. Increase speed to medium-high; mix 3 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon into cupcake pans lined with cupcake cups. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean and cool.

Makes about 24 cupcakes

German Pancakes

6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 C milk
4 T butter
1 C flour

Whip eggs in blender till thick and lemon colored. Add milk, flour, and salt. Mix again. Heat butter in 13x9 pan while oven is preheating. Pour batter into pan of melted butter. Bake 450 degrees for 15 to 20 min.

Serve with syrup or apple syrup.

tip: be sure not to burn butter. Melt it the second half of preheating.

Oreo Cookies

2 eggs
1/2 C oil
1 choc. fudge cake mix

Beat eggs & oil then add cake mix. Roll dough into walnut size balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 3 min. Frost cookies when cooked!

(I like to make mini ones also with no more than a Tb. of batter per cookie)

Cream cheese frosting

4 oz cream cheese
1/4 C or less of butter at room temp.
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. milk
2-2 1/2 C powdered sugar

(this recipe has been halved)

Buttermilk Cornbread

1 stick of butter
2/3 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 C buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 C cornmeal
1 C flour
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 inch square pan.
Melt butter in a large skillet or pot. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Lentil Soup

1 C dry lentils
5 C water
4 each beef and chicken bouillon
2 C grated carrots
1 chopped onion
1/2 C chopped celery
dash of garlic powder

Place in a crock pot and cook until tender approximately 3 hours on high.
Add diced cooked ham for the last 20 min. or add chopped, cooked bacon in at the end (both optional).
When ready to serve put 1/4 cube butter in soup.
This soup is good served with warm cornbread.

Basic Smoothie

3-4 large strawberries
1/2 C blueberries
1 banana
1/2 C milk
1/2 C plain yogurt
a squeeze of honey
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tb sugar
6 ice cubes
1-2 Tb. frozen spinach (optional)

Mix until smooth and enjoy!

You can change this recipe to fit whatever you have on hand but this is a basic outline. AND..Try the spinach! You can't taste it at all and I am always thrilled my little boy is eating spinach!

Apple Syrup

1 C sugar
2 T corn starch
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 C apple juice
splash of lemon
1/4 C butter

Combine all then cook over medium heat till desired thickness. Serve warm

(I half this for my family of 3 and still have leftovers for the refrigerator.)

Puff Pancakes

2 Tb butter
2 eggs 1/2 C milk
1/2 C flour
2 Tb sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Place the butter in a 9 in. pie plate; bake in a 425 degree oven for 4-5 minutes or until melted. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk eggs and milk. In another small bowl, combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon; whisk in egg mixture until smooth. Pour into prepared pie plate. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until sides are crisp and golden brown.

Serve with blueberry sauce & whipping cream.

(for my family of three, I have to double this and use 2 pie plates....but YUMMMMM!)

Blueberry Sauce

3 Tb sugar
1 Tb. cornstarch
1/4 C orange juice
1/4 C water
2 C fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in orange juice until smooth. Stir in blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes longer or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Enjoy with a huge variety of breakfast pancakes. (3 servings)

(This is a good basic sauce for any berries)

Crepes

Sorry Alicia for not posting this sooner, but I have been debating on which recipe to post, so instead I will post both recipes and maybe you can help me decide which one you prefer.

Crepes

1 C flour
1 Tb. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 C milk
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients well; on a nonstick skillet over medium head use a stick of cold butter to grease the pan immediately before adding a scoop (depending on skillet size) of batter. Swirl batter around to make a thin layer. Flip. Repeat greasing with butter between each crepe. Have two skillets going if possible to make them faster.


This one is Clarks families recipe - it is a little bit easier but I still kind of like mine.

Swedish Pancakes

1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
3 well beaten eggs
3 cups milk
3 Tb. butter

Mix all and cook as above except there is no need to grease skillet in between crepes. Enjoy!

Favorite toppings: Syrup, apple syrup, blueberry sauce, strawberry sauce, fresh strawberries, (whipping cream with berry toppings), and white sugar.