Rebecca Denton's Pizzelles

Ingredients
12 jumbo eggs + 2 small
2 cups oil
3 cups sugar + 2 Tbsp
About 5 cups sifted flour
8 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp anise extract
2 Tbsp vanilla
2 oz whiskey

DirectionsBeat eggs well but not foamy. Add oil. Mix. Add sugar. Blend well. Add flavors. Last add whiskey. Scoop about Tbsp amount onto pizzelle iron. Allow to cool COMPLETELY before storing in air tight container such as a tin.

Fiesta Chicken Corn Chowder

Another crock pot recipe for you. Great for a cold day!

Ingredients
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of potato soup
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups cubed chicken
1 can Mexicorn
1 jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can chopped green chilies
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Dump all ingredients, except cheese, into a crock pot and simmer until hot. Add cheese about 10 minutes before serving and stir well.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality
- This recipe can be made on the stovetop but I love to throw it all in the crockpot and leave it awhile.
- I love the mushrooms, so I use two cans.
- Although I've made this with "real" chicken, I often times make it with canned chicken. It works fine either way.

Crock Pot Chicken Marsala

Have I mentioned that I have an obsession with my crock pot?? I'm always looking for a way to cook a recipe in it and here is my latest. Super easy, hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts, thawed
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
3 Tbsp butter
1 pkg fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup Marsala cooking wine

Directions
- Place sliced mushrooms in bottom of crock pot.
- Mix flour, salt, pepper, basil together in shallow dish.
- Dip chicken in flour mixture until well coated.
- Place chicken on top of mushrooms in crock pot.
- Pour Marsala cooking wine over chicken.
- Drizzle melted butter over chicken.
- Cook in crock pot on low until done. (About 3-4 hours)
- Serve over pasta.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality
- I didn't have time to thaw my chicken so I ran warm water over it and then dipped it -- okay more like rubbed flour on it. Didn't make any difference.
- I had Marsala cooking wine for another recipe-- bought it at Harris Teeter- but there are several substitutes you can use if you don't want to buy it. Do a google search.
- Next time I plan on using more mushrooms because they were yummy!

Danelle Blackwell's Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 15-ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Directions
Cookies- Combine flour, powder, and salt. Set aside. Combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line the baking sheets with parchment paper, spoon the dough (about 2 tbsps per cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes at 375. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes on the baking sheets.

Glaze- combine sugar, lemon juice, zest in bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon glaze on eatch cookie and use back of spoon to spread out gently. The glaze will harden in about 2 hours.

Danelle Blackwell's Monster Cookies

Ingredients
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
4 1/2 cups oatmeal (not instant)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup coated chocolate candies

Directions
Mix eggs and sugars in bowl until well blended. Add softened butter and peanut butter and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and salt; mix again. Dump in oats and sprinkle in soda and powder; mix well. Fold in chips and candies. Scoop out in balls on cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until edges are brown. Let cool 3 minutes before removing.

Gianna Baynard's Snowball Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Cream butter, add vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Roll into 1 inch balls and bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool and roll in powdered sugar.

Stephanie Lynn's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter flavored crisco
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Mix crisco, sugar, milk, and vanilla; then add egg. Mix dry and add to liquid. Add chips. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Amanda McWhirter's Dipped Crackers

I LOVE her recipe... hahaha... she is so honest!! I copied it exactly! Anna

___________________

Sooo... I'm not sure if these qualify as cookies but they are the only thing that I can bake.

ritz crackers
peanut butter
white chocolate almond bark
crisco

A-apply peanut butter to a ritz cracker, then put a ritz cracker on top on the peanut butter, like peanut butter crackers

B- in a double boiler (because you don't want to burn the chocolate) take a package of white chocolate almond bark mixed with a big scoop of crisco. stir until smooth.

C- Dip peanut butter crackers in white chocolate

D- Place covered peanut butter cracker on wax paper

E- Let cool

F- ENJOY!!!!

HINT: Do not make while your husband is around because he will eat all of them!

Kristin Turner's Soft Ginger Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tablespoons white sugar for rolling cookies

Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
In large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar till light and fluffy.
Beat in egg, then stir in water and molasses.
Gradually stir in dry ingredients.
Roll into balls and roll in remaining sugar.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten them slightly.
Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5
minutes and then transfer to wire rack. Store in airtight container.

Cristy Brice's Indian Ginger Snap Cookies

Ingredients
· 9 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
· 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
· 1 tablespoon ground ginger
· 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
· 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
· 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
· 7 ounces dark brown sugar
· 5 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
· 3 ounces molasses, by weight
· 1 large egg, room temperature
· 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
· 4 ounces finely chopped candied ginger

Directions
· Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
· In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cardamom, clove and salt.
· Place the brown sugar and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
· Add the molasses, egg and fresh ginger and beat on medium for 1 minute.
· Add the crystallized ginger and using a rubber spatula, stir to combine.
· Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until well combined.
· With a 2-teaspoon sized scoop, drop the dough onto a parchment lined half sheet pan approximately 2-inches apart.
· Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 12 minutes for slightly chewy cookies or 15 minutes for more crisp cookies.
· Rotate the pan halfway through cooking.
· Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to stay on the sheet pan for 30 seconds before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
· Repeat with all of the dough. Store in an airtight container for up 10 days.
· If desired, you may scoop and freeze the cookie dough on a sheet pan and once frozen, place in a resealable bag to store. Bake directly from the freezer as above.

Anna Blevins' Lemon Poppy Oat Lacies

Ingredients
2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
3 cups uncooked oatmeal
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar

Directions
- Beat butter and sugar.
- Add remaining ingredients except powdered sugar, mix well.
- Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Shape dough into 1 inch balls, place on cookie sheet.
- Flatten with bottom of glass dipped in powdered sugar.
- Bake 12-15 minutes until edges are light golden brown.
- Cool one minute on baking sheet, then cool on wire racks.
- Cool completely and sprinkle with additional powdered sugar if desired.

Ashley Lanier's No Bake Twix Bars

Begin by putting a layer of Club Crackers in a 13 x 9 pan. (About 24 crackers.)

In a saucepan on the stove, combine…
* 1 c. Graham Crackers, crushed (about 6 whole crackers)
* 3/4 c. Brown Sugar
* 1/3 c. White Sugar
* 1/3 c. Milk
* 1/2 c. Margarine

Bring to a boil, continue to stir and boil for approximately 5 minutes (possibly a little less). The mixture will be caramel-like and pull away from the sides of the pan.

Pour over the crackers, being very careful, the mixture is extremely hot.

Immediately top with another layer of Club Crackers, pressing down slightly.

Place in fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

For frosting, in small bowl, combine…

* 2/3 c. Peanut Butter

* 1 c. Milk Chocolate Chips

Microwave for 2 minutes, stir well and frost crackers.

Place in fridge until frosting is firm. Cut into bars.

(These no-bake Twix Bars were 2nd place at the Indiana State Fair several years back.)

Marie Short's Easy Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

1 Pouch Sugar Cookie Mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 to 1/2 mint extract
8 drops green food coloring
1 egg
1 cup creme de menthe baking chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions
Mix cookie mix, butter, extract, food coloring, and egg in a bowl. Stir in creme de menthe chips and chocolate chunks. Drop dough on 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Grape Salad

While this didn't sound appealing to me, I loved it when a coworker brought it to a potluck last week. I think I'll serve it in a pretty glass bowl instead of a 9 X 13 pan.


Ingredients:
4 cups each seedless red and green grapes

8 oz sour cream

8 oz cream cheese

½ cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

¾ to 1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup light brown sugar


Directions:
Mix sour cream, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Stir in halved grapes. Place in 9 X 13 glass dish. Top with brown sugar and pecans.

Waffle Iron Cookies

I've had this recipe for SEVERAL years, but have never made them. In trying to find a recipe for my cookie exchange on Monday, I tried this one out. It is more like a brownie than a cookie, so I've decided to not use it for the exchange. However, it is a yummy recipe! And how fun it is to use a waffle iron to make cookies-- super FAST!!

Cookie Ingredients:
4 squares melted chocolate
1 cup butter (softened)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Melt chocolate and add butter, beat in eggs and sugar. Fold in flour and vanilla. Drop by teaspoons on a heated waffle iron, timing 90-120 seconds when cover is down. Frost while warm if desired.

Frosting Ingredients:
2 squares chocolate
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 box plus 1 cup powdered sugar

Melt chocolate and butter together, add vanilla and sugar. Mix well, spread on cookies.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I ran out of chocolate baking squares but the back of a can of cocoa gives you the equivalent substitution. (1 square is 1 ounce of chocolate.)
- I did NOT frost mine. They were yummy without frosting.
- The time will vary based on your waffle iron temperature and how big you make your cookies.

Sweet and Sour Chicken (Mu Shu Diane)

This was the main dish for our Iron Turkey 2010 Competition where the girls did a Chinese dinner. This chicken is super easy and really tasty.

Ingredients:
- 6 boneless chicken breasts
- 1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
- 1 small bottle of Russian dressing
- 1 10-ounce jar of Apricot preserves

Directions:
- Place chicken in greased baking dish.
- Sprinkle onion soup mix over chicken.
- Mix dressing and preserves together and then pour over chicken.
- Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- We found the Russian dressing at Wal-Mart but I think French or Catalina would work the same. I actually had never heard of Russian dressing.
- We baked the dish covered but recommend baking it uncovered. The sauce was a little watery.

Fried Ice Cream

YUMMY!! I've never eaten fried ice cream but really enjoyed it, they weren't too hard either.

Ingredients:
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1 cup crushed frosted cornflakes
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, or 1 cup chopped walnuts, or 1 cup cookie crumbs
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
Vegetable oil, for frying
Hot chocolate sauce or caramel sauce, optional
Whipped cream, optional

Directions:
With an ice cream scoop, form 4 large balls of ice cream. Place on a waxed paper lined sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

In a bowl, combine the cornflake crumbs with either the coconut, walnuts or cookie crumbs (or any combination). Spread the mixture in a shallow dish.

Roll the ice cream balls in the crumb mixture and freeze for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar. Dip the coated ice cream balls into the eggs, then roll in the crumb mixture, coating completely. Freeze for 1 hour. (If necessary, or for a thicker crust, roll again in eggs and crumbs until the balls are completely coated.)

Heat the oil in a large pot or fryer to 400 degrees F. One at a time, lower the balls into the oil and fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the oil and place in a dessert bowl. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and whipped cream, as desired. Repeat with the remaining ice cream.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Be sure to fry for only 30 seconds! The ice cream will start leaking out.
- We topped ours with caramel sauce. Very tasty.

Egg Drop Soup

I love egg drop soup and now know why it is so cheap to buy at the Chinese restaurant! This recipe worked great.

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

Directions:
- Reserve 3/4 cup of chicken broth, and pour the rest into a large saucepan.
- Stir the salt and chives into the saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil.
- In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and cornstarch until smooth.
- Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk together using a fork.
- Drizzle egg a little at a time from the fork into the boiling broth mixture.
- Egg should cook immediately.
- Once the eggs have been dropped, stir in the cornstarch mixture gradually until the soup is the desired consistency.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- Be careful, you'll want to whisk or stir the soup when you drop in the eggs, DON'T! There is a reason it is called egg DROP soup.
- We added pepper to ours to enhance the flavor.

Molten Butterscoch Cakes

Great new recipe I made with my friend Shannon. Hope you enjoy!!


Ingredients:
6 teaspoons graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butterscotch chips
2/3 cup butter or margarine
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:
-Heat oven to 450°F.
-Spray bottoms and sides of 6 (6-ounce) custard cups with baking spray with flour.
-Sprinkle 1 teaspoon cracker crumbs onto bottom and around side of each cup.
-In 1-quart saucepan, melt butterscotch chips and butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. -Remove from heat; cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
-Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat whole eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk or egg beater until well blended. Beat in brown sugar. Beat in melted butterscotch mixture and flour until well blended.
-Divide batter evenly among custard cups. Place cups on cookie sheet with sides.
-Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until sides are set and centers are still soft (tops will be puffed and cracked).
-Let stand 3 minutes. Run small knife or metal spatula along sides of cakes to loosen.
-Immediately place individual dessert plate upside down over top of each cup; turn plate and cup over. Remove cup. Serve warm.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I made these in one of my special pans which leaked and then ended up setting the oven on fire. I recommend custard cups or deep muffin tins. (The above picture is not from the ones we made if you are wondering!!)
- Watch your time or they will get overcooked and not be "molten" in the middle. Although they are still very yummy overcooked.
- Serve with ice cream... carmel, pumpkin, or plain vanilla.
- This recipe is very easy to double.

Mini Pumpkin Muffins

The above picture is of Madeline's new favorite sample at Sam's Club, Mini Pumpkin Muffins. It's a good thing she's cute because otherwise I'm sure the sample lady wouldn't have given just anyone 4 whole muffins over the course of our last trip. As I picked up the box to see how many were in it for the crazy price of $5.88, Madeline promptly told me to put it back because the muffins were out over there, pointing to Brenda our favorite Sam's sample lady. Too funny!

Needless to say, I did NOT buy 36 mini muffins for $5.88. On our tight budget it wasn't a splurge I was going for. BUT, I knew I could make a cheap version of my own at home, and sure enough, here it is!


Ingredients
1 box Jiffy Oatmeal Muffin Mix
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
2 tsps pumpkin pie spice

Directions
- Mix all ingredients together and spoon into greased mini muffin pan.
- Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of each muffin if desired.
- Bake @ 350 for 12-14 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I got the oatmeal muffin mix at Wal-Mart for 56 cents a box.
- I used pumpkin pie spice because I had it, otherwise I would have just used cinnamon.
- For my sprinkle topping, I used demerara sugar (the chunky sugar) it makes for a fun crunchy topping, but use whatever you've got.
- This recipe made 20 mini muffins for less than $2.00!! Take that Sam's Club!!
- This is a great recipe for getting picky kids like Madeline to eat some veggies like pumpkin, sweet potato, or carrot. I might be making some more varieties soon!

PS... Madeline LOVES them!!

Apple Cake

Although it seems like it is slow getting here, fall is right around the corner and we are already enjoying some yummy mountain apples at our house. I had a few too many for us to eat this weekend, so before they went bad, I decided to pull out a recipe I hadn't made in a couple years. Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
Cake:
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups sliced apples

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
- Mix all cake ingredients together and bake in a 9x13 pan for 45 minutes.
- When cake is almost done baking, melt the butter on the stove top and then add the rest of the topping ingredients. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture gets lighter in color, about 10 minutes.
- Take cake out of oven, and immediately poke holes with a knife every 2 inches or so across the cake then pour the carmel like topping onto the cake.
- Allow to sit 15 to 20 minutes and enjoy warm with vanilla ice cream.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- Using different kinds of apples definitely changes the flavor of this cake. I love green tart apples for this recipe, like Granny Smith, but any kind will do.
- Pouring the carmel topping on while the cake is still really hot, definitely makes a better cake, so don't let it cool.

S'more Bars

Here is a great dessert that my sister made over the Labor Day Weekend. I stole the magazine with the recipe, so I am posting it! YUM!

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3 chocolate bars
1 jar (7-ounces) of marshmallow creme

Directions
- Grease an 8 inch square baking pan and preheat oven to 350.
- In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the graham crackers, flour, salt, baking powder, and beat until well mixed.
- Spoon half of dough into pan and spread evenly. Break chocolate into pieces and arrange over the dough. Spread a layer of marshmallow creme over the chocolate. Flatten the remaining dough into pancakes and lay them over the marshmallow.
- Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Shrimp Scampi

This is a recipe from Paula Deen's magazine, tried it tonight and we really enjoyed it.

1 1/2 Lbs. large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen easy peel from Harris Teeter)
1/2 tsp. salt divided
1 Tbls. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup vermouth (I used red sweet)
3 Tbls. lemon juice
2 Tbls. butter
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbls. chopped fresh parsley (I used basil)
3 cups cooked angel hair pasta

Sprinkle shrimp with 1/4 tsp. salt. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add shrimp, and cook 5 minutes or until pink and firm. Using a slotted spoon, remove shrimp from pan. Add garlic to pan, cook 3 minutes or until golden brown. Add vermouth, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, butter, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper, stir until butter is melted.

In a large bowl, combine shrimp, parsley, pasta and vermouth mixture. Toss. Serve immediately. The recipe didn't call for Parmesan cheese, but I sprinkled some on top just before I served it. Enjoy!

Soft Pretzels

YUM!! My friend Rebecca posted this recipe on her blog and it looked like a great kid-friendly recipe. We made them yesterday and will definitely be repeating these again soon!!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3 3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pretzel salt or grill seasoning
1 heaping Tablespoon baking soda (add it to the boiling water just before throwing in the pretzel dough!)

Directions:
- Stir together sugar, yeast, and 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water in a measuring cup, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk together 3 1/2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon table salt in a large bowl.
- Add yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough.
- Dust work surface with 1 tablespoon flour, then turn out dough and knead, gradually dusting with just enough additional flour to make a smooth sticky dough, about 8 minutes.
- Return dough to bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
- Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and cut into 8 equal pieces.
- Using your palms, roll 1 piece back and forth on a clean dry work surface into a rope about 24 inches long.
- Twist dough into a pretzel shape.
- Preheat oven to 425
- Transfer pretzel with your hands to an oiled baking sheet and form 7 more pretzels in same manner with remaining dough, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart.
- Let pretzels stand, uncovered, about 20 minutes.
- Bring a wide 6-quart pot of water to a boil.
- Once boiling, add heaping tablespoon of baking soda. The baking soda will help the pretzels brown. It will also kind of foam up quickly, so just watch out for your arms and hands.
- Carefully add 2 (maybe 3) pretzels, 1 at a time, to boiling water and cook, turning over once with tongs, until pretzels are puffed and shape is set, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer parboiled pretzels to a rack to cool.
- Repeat with remaining pretzels.
- Arrange pretzels on greased baking sheet.
- Brush pretzels lightly with some of egg and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
- Bake until golden brown and lightly crusted, about 35 minutes.
- Serve warm.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- The baking time and temp in the recipe above were pretty accurate for my oven. But watch your pretzels carefully if you know your oven cooks hotter. (Rebecca noted this on her blog.)
- These go fast, so I would encourage doubling the recipe!

Portabello Mushroom Sandwiches

I love a good portabello mushroom. Some people hate them and others have acquired the taste for them. Whatever the case, try them... it's a nice healthy "burger" alternative.

Ingredients:
- 4 large whole portabello mushrooms
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 tbsps balsamic vinegar
- 3 cloves of chopped garlic
- salt & pepper
- 1 jar roasted red peppers
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- fresh basil leaves
- mayo (I add pesto, garlic, chopped basil or whatever else sounds good into my mayo for a little extra flavor, but you don't have to.)
- Deli Flats or other bun-like bread

Directions:
- Lightly score the top and the bottom of the mushrooms with a knife.
- Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper-- brush both sides of the mushrooms well
- Place on foil lined baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, flip mushrooms and cook 15 more minutes.
- During the last 2 minutes of baking, place a piece of provolone cheese over each mushroom to melt.
Assemble Sandwich:
Deli Flat with mayo- topped with cheesy mushroom, roasted red pepper slices, and basil leaves.

Tips for a Kitchen of Reality:
- Portabello Mushrooms are sold by the pound at Harris Teeter, look for them loose, not in the plastic wrapped package. They are cheaper by the pound.
- Roasted red peppers are a new fairly new addition to the Mt. Olive line of pickles, look for them in the green jar-- these are much cheaper than the other fancy brands.
- Swiss cheese is good instead of Provolone.
- Mushrooms can be grilled on a grill in the same manner, but sometimes it takes a little longer.
- I tend to add more garlic, salt, and pepper for a stronger flavor-- but make them once and you can decide what you like best.

Blackberry Wine Cake

I have had this before at our neighbor's house, but finally decided to make it on my own. YUM!! It was just as good as I remembered, and it's super easy! I had a few different recipes for this cake, a few off the Internet and some from my mom's church cookbooks. I ended up combining recipes and this is the one I used.
Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 white or yellow cake mix
1/2 cup cooking oil
3 oz package blackberry jello (or grape)
1 Cup Blackberry wine (Manischewitz)
4 eggs

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup blackberry wine

Directions:
Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased bundt pan.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until done.
Let cake cool slightly and flip out onto cake plate.
While cake is cooling, mix up glaze.
Once cake is cool, pour glaze over the top.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I found all ingredients at Wal-Mart, including the blackberry wine.
- You can pour the glaze on before the cake is completely cool, but it will soak in and run off the cake some. BUT... it's still yummy!

Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil Couscous

We had this recipe a few weeks ago at a cookout and have made it twice since. If you like a cool "salad" of sorts for summertime, this is your recipe. Thanks Paige!

Ingredients:
2 cups diced tomatoes
3/4 cup diced fresh mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed and minced
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup uncooked couscous
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:
-In a large bowl combine the tomato, mozzarella, shallots, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic, toss well then refrigerate, covered, to marinate for 30 minutes.
-In a saucepan bring the water to a boil and gradually stir in the couscous; remove from the stove, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes.
-With a fork, fluff the couscous then let cool.
-Add the cooled couscous and chopped basil to the tomato mixture in the bowl and toss.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality
- Couscous can be found by the rice and pastas in most stores. I got mine at Harris Teeter.
- Scallions... shallots... green onions. All pretty much the same thing, but green onions are easiest and cheapest to find.
- I used balsamic vinegar.
- I also used more mozzarella, tomatoes, and vinegar than it called for. It's a no fail recipe, so after you make it the first time, add more of what you like and less of what you don't! Less onions for me.

Chicken with White Cream Sauce

This was a FABULOUS dinner brought to us after we had Audrey. Thanks for the awesome and easy recipe, Emily, we loved it!

Ingredients:
- 6 chicken breasts
- 2 tbsps butter
- 16 oz sour cream
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup cooking wine
- 1 cup mushrooms
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp garlic

Directions:
- In a large skillet, melt butter and brown chicken on both sides.
- Place chicken in 9 x 13 pan.
- Mix all ingredients and pour over the chicken.
- Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I had Chardonnay open in my kitchen, so that is what I used for the cooking wine. (And to fill the glass that was sitting on the counter next to me!)
- Mushrooms are optional, I have had the recipe with and without them... and it's good either way.

Bountiful Brunch Pizza

This was originally a Pampered Chef recipe, but I altered it to my liking and my pantry. Be sure to see the tips at the end for what I did, but the original recipe is below.

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 pkg. (24 ounces) frozen shredded hash brown patties, thawed and broken apart
1 egg, beaten
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Egg Topping:
7 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup chopped ham
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup green onion slices
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For crust, combine potatoes, egg, salt and pepper; mix well. Spread potato mixture onto pan; pat down with back of spoon. Bake 10 minutes; remove from oven.

For egg topping, whisk eggs and milk in bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Microwave on high 3 minutes; stir. Microwave an additional 3 minutes; stir. Spread cooked egg mixture evenly over potato crust; top with ham, mushrooms, green onion and bell pepper. Sprinkle with cheese.

Return to oven. Bake 10 minutes. To serve, cut into wedges with pizza cutter.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I used shredded hashbrowns in a bag and only used 16 ounces.
- I don't like eggs cooked in the microwave, so I cooked the egg/milk mixture on the stove top until it was the consistency of runny scrambled eggs. (Remember it gets baked in the oven too, so you don't want the eggs overdone.)
- Use whatever toppings you've got. I made a sausage, mushroom, and cheese instead of onion, peppers, and ham. It's a pizza, so use what you've got.

French Potato Salad

My friend Shannon made this for us while we were at the beach back in June, and I just tried my hand at making it. I love that it is a non-mayo potato salad recipe and the fresh herbs give it an awesome flavor. (Not to mention if you have an herb garden it makes you feel "super-gardeny" that you are able to use so much of your own ingredients!)

Thanks for the recipe Shannon... every time I make it I will remember the first time having it with you guys on the screen porch by the beach! YUM!!

Ingredients:
1 pound small white boiling potatoes
1 pound small red boiling potatoes
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons chicken stock
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes. As soon as you can handle them, cut in 1/2 (quarters if the potatoes are larger) and place in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I used white wine vinegar instead of Champagne vinegar, that stuff is just too expensive.
- I couldn't find scallions at Harris Teeter, so I used green onions instead... and I didn't use as many because I don't especially care for a super onion flavor.
- I used all red potatoes instead of both kinds, because they come in 2 pound bags anyway.

Boston Cream Pie

Now that baby Audrey has arrived and I am no longer pregnant sick everyday, I'm quite excited to be back in the kitchen cooking. (Mark's quite excited, too!) There will be several good recipes coming your way in the next week or so.

Mark's mom is in town this weekend and we are celebrating her birthday. When asked what kind of cake she wanted, she said a Boston Cream Pie. I have never eaten one of these nor made one, but here is the recipe that everyone seemed to enjoy!

Ingredients:

For Cake: One box yellow cake mix and ingredients to make it according to the box.

For Filling:
-1/2 cup light cream
-1/2 cup milk
-1/4 cup white sugar
-1 pinch salt
-4 teaspoons cornstarch
-2 eggs
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Chocolate Frosting:
-3(1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
-2 tablespoons butter
-1/4 cup light cream
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

To Make the Cake: Mix and bake in 2 round 9" pans according to the directions.

To Make The Filling: Combine the 1/2 cup light cream with 1/4 cup of the milk and cook over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan. Immediately add 1/4 cup of the sugar and the salt, stirring until dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the milk with the cornstarch and whisk to remove lumps. Whisk in the 2 eggs. Add the hot cream mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Return to the mixture to the saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and is smooth (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and allow to cool to room temperature.

To Make The Chocolate Frosting: In a heavy saucepan over low heat, stir the chocolate pieces and 2 tablespoons butter until they are completely melted. Remove from the heat and, stirring constantly, add the 1/4 cup light cream in a thin steady stream. When mixture is smooth, stir in the confectioners' sugar and beat vigorously. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

To Assemble Cake: Spread the cooled filling over one the cooled cakes and place the second cake on top. Pour the chocolate frosting evenly over the top allowing it to spill down the sides

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I actually made my cake 4 layers, therefore I doubled the filling and the chocolate frosting portion of the recipe.
- The cake turned out great, but my frosting needs some work. It didn't turn out as thick as I thought it should but I think it's because I ran out of powdered sugar and didn't have quite enough.

If you like Boston Cream Pies, let me know what you think if you decide to make this recipe. Also, I've yet to figure out why it's called a pie when it's really a cake!

Creamy Pasta Primavera

This is a Kraft recipe I came across, really easy and a good use for some garden vegetables.

Ingredients:
- 3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
- 2 Tbsp Italian dressing
- 1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1-1/2 cups cut-up fresh asparagus (1-inch lengths)
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
- Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package.
- Heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and vegetables; cook 10 to 12 min. or until chicken is done, stirring frequently. Add broth and cream cheese; cook 1 min. or until cream cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Stir in Parmesan cheese.
- Drain pasta; return to pan. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Cook 1 min. or until heated through. (Sauce will thicken upon standing.)

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I did use a little flour to thicken the sauce. It may have thickened after it sat for awhile, but I was ready to eat so I helped it along.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

I LOVE a good homemade chocolate pound cake, it is actually my favorite cake, but I don't make it often because it takes a while. This past week in our travels, we had this fabulous alternative that can fool anyone! (I give all credit for this recipe to my dear friend Susan Sawyer.)

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
3/4 c. water
3/4 c. oil
4 lg. eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 sm. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Sift together cake mix and chocolate pudding.
Add all other ingredients except chocolate chips.
Beat well, then gradually stir in chips.
Pour batter into greased and floured tube pan and bake 55 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- It really is that easy! Mine baked for right at an hour.
- Next time I might do mini chocolate chips instead of the regular size ones.

Carrot Orzo

I bought a box of orzo a while back and have been waiting for the perfect recipe to try it in. Turns out this is it! This is a recipe from Southern Living. It's almost like a risotto but easier!


Prep and Cook time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

8 oz. carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces (about 2 cups)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1. Process carrots in a food processor 15 seconds or until finely chopped.
2. Combine 2 1/2 cups of water and chicken broth in a microwave safe measuring cup. Microwave on HIGH 5 minutes or until very hot.
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until tender. Add orzo and garlic, and cook 1 minute.
4. Add hot broth mixture, salt, and pepper into orzo mixture. Cook, stirring often, 15 to 18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
5. Stir in Parmesan cheese, chives, and thyme until blended. Serve immediately.

Notes from Kitchen of Reality:
-I cut this recipe in half and felt like it was about 6 servings. I can't imagine how HUGE of a serving you would get if you made the full recipe and made it into 6 servings.
-I used store bought pre-shredded Parmesan cheese.
-I didn't have fresh herbs so I omitted the chives and used a few sprinkles of dried thyme. I would LOVE to try it with both fresh but I didn't have them and didn't want to pay that much money for them either.
-This is an easy way to sneak veggies into picky kids diets because you can't even really taste the carrots, it just has a wonderful flavor.
-The recipe didn't really say what temperature to cook on once you added the broth mixture. I kept mine at a slow simmer (medium to medium high heat) and it worked well. Make sure you stir often because it will stick to the pot especially toward the end as the broth is absorbed.

Blackberry Cobbler

I can always rely on my cooking buddy Paula Deen for a great recipe. We had fresh blackberries in the fridge that we picked this past weekend so Mark has been begging for me to make a blackberry cobbler. I used Paula Deen's famous peach cobbler recipe, with the fruit switch, and it turned out great.

Ingredients:
- 4 cups fresh blackberries
- 2 cups sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup water
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- Ground cinnamon

Directions:
- Combine the blackberries, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Put the butter in a 9 x 13 baking dish and place in oven (heated to 350) to melt.
- Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir.
- Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup.
- Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon.
- Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- It is Paula Deen, so of course she'd use a whole stick of butter. However, I thought it was a little much, so next time I'll probably use 4-6 tbsps instead.
- My blackberries had a lot of syrup with them after cooking in the saucepan, so my actual cobbler took almost 50 minutes to bake. Just watch for the top to brown.
- The cinnamon was an optional ingredient in Paula's recipe, I think it is an AWESOME addition. Try it and see.

Japanese Pan Noodles

We ate at a Noodles & Company in Portland last summer and I fell in love!! Then a few months later, I notice that they are popping up on the east coast... I've now been to one in Charlotte and Raleigh. The Japanese Pan Noodles are my favorite and since I don't live around the corner from one, or have the budget to eat there as often as I'd like, I found a pretty good knock-off recipe. I tried it tonight for the first time, and it was quite yummy, although not exactly it because I couldn't get my noodles to "caramelize" -- I think it's because I don't have a wok! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:
- 3 cups hot cooked udon noodles (Japanese wheat noodles)
- 2-3 drops, toasted sesame oil
- 4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil - divided
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 2 large cloves minced garlic cloves
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms (stems removed), sliced
- 1 cup Asian sprouts
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup (2-inch) julienne-cut carrot
- 1 tbsp blk sesame seeds
- 1 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:
- Heat 2 tbsps vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- To the wok, add the carrots and then broccoli. Stir fry 2-3 minutes and then remove.
- Add 1 additional tbsp vegetable oil, then saute the ginger & garlic.
- After a minute or so, add the well drained noodles and let caramelize.
- Add the red chili flakes, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce, rice wine vinegar and all of the other ingredients and toss to coat well.
- Serve hot.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- Good luck getting the noodles to caramelize. If you figure it out, let me know.
- A lot of the ingredients (oils/sauces) are not things you normally have, but now that I've bought them, my cost for making this recipe again-- which I will- is going to be much lower.
- I found all the non-typical ingredients in the international section at Ingles but I'm sure Harris Teeter carries them all too. I just know that Ingles is typically cheaper and has a great selection.
- I used canned stir fry mushrooms. Much cheaper than shiitake.
- I hate cilantro, so I left that out completely.
- My biggest disappointment was not being able to find udon noodles other than the dried version. They just don't plump up like the ones at Noodles & Company-- the dried ones are more like linguine. But next time I'm in the big city, I'll be sure to hit up an international food store to see what I can find.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

My friend Paige made this for us a year or so ago for the first time and we LOVED it. It is super easy to make and although the original recipe calls for a homemade chocolate topping-- which Paige does make for hers-- I am a slacker and go a much easier route. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients:
- 1 box graham crackers
- 2 boxes vanilla instant pudding
- 3 cups milk
- 1 8-oz container of Cool Whip- thawed
- 1 can chocolate frosting

Directions:
- Mix pudding and milk together, then stir in cool whip.
- Layer the following in a 9 x 13 pan: crackers, pudding, crackers, pudding, crackers, chocolate frosting.
- Refrigerate 3 hours or more before serving.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- Melt the chocolate frosting in the microwave for about 30 seconds and stir well-- you can then just pour it over the top and smooth it out. (Make sure you get all the foil wrapper off the can before microwaving...hehe!)
- Feel free to use fat free cool whip and pudding- they work fine.
- This is one of those desserts that I love to keep the ingredients on hand for. It takes like 5 minutes to make, so it's ready to go on short notice!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Carmel Trifle

I am all about a trifle. They look pretty, are super easy, and serve a ton of people. I made this one for my Women's Bible Study group on Tuesday and have been asked the recipe by several, so here it is.

Ingredients:
- 3 boxes of instant vanilla pudding
- 6 cups of milk
- 1 bag of chocolate chip cookies
- 1 jar of ice cream carmel topping
- 1 large tub of cool whip

Directions:
- Mix pudding mix with milk, let sit to firm up a little.

Trifles are awesome in that you just take your ingredients and layer them, and it doesn't really matter in what order and what amount as long as you use everything and finish with cool whip. (Pudding tends to get a little crusty if you leave that as your top layer!)

So...
- Layer: crumbled cookies, carmel drizzle, pudding, cool whip-- Repeat.
- I usually try to get three layers just so it looks pretty, but it doesn't matter.
- It's best if it sits a few hours before serving. (And leftovers are always YUMMY!)

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I use a large trifle bowl, so to fill it I need 3 pkgs of pudding, you may only need 2. If so, cut your milk to only 4 cups.
- I usually don't use the entire jar of carmel, use however much you want.
- I often use sugar free pudding and fat free cool whip, I pretend that this adjustment makes it a healthy dessert.
- This dessert is really awesome if you use crumbled brownie pieces instead of chocolate chip cookies, but that requires you to make brownies too. So in a rush, I do cookies.

Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam

While we were up north I got a bunch of rhubarb and decided to try making some strawberry-rhubarb jam. It turned out super yummy! Here's the recipe for anyone who might want to try it.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups fruit (I used 1 cup strawberries and 1 cup rhubarb)
- 4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 box sure jell

Directions:
- Chop, mash, or food process your fruit to the desired "chunkiness"
- In a large bowl, mix fruit with sugar and let stand about 10 minutes
- On the stove, boil water.
- Add the sure jell and boil for one minute.
- Pour sure jell mixture into your bowl of fruit/sugar- and mix well for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour the jam into glass or plastic containers.
- Allow to set for 24 hours without the lids.
- After 24 hours, either put them in the freezer or the fridge. (Keeps up to 1 year in the freezer or a few weeks in the fridge.)

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- If you live in Gaston County, Lineberger Farm's Market Stand sells packets of "dutch jell" for $1 that I think works better than the certo or sure jell that you buy at the store for jams and jellies-- and it is WAY cheaper.
- This is the same recipe I use for regular strawberry jam-- just use 2 cups of strawberries and no rhubarb.

Black bean, corn and zucchini enchiladas

Drew and I really enjoy this recipe. The homemade sauce is delicious and this combination of veggies is just great. I'm sure you could substitutue other veggies if you prefer. It takes a little while to cook but is very easy and makes a lot! The only change I make is using chicken broth instead of veggie broth since I always have it on hand and am not a vegetarian. Once again, a Cooking Light recipe!

Black Bean, Corn and Zucchini Enchiladas

1 tsp canola oil
2 c diced zucchini
1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups enchilada sauce (see below)
cooking spray
8 (8-inch) tortillas
2 c (8 ounces) shredded chedder cheese, divided

Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and corn; saute for 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Remove from heat, stir in beans.

Spread 1 cup of Enchilada Sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/2 cup of veggies onto tortilla and sprinkle with 2 tbsp. of cheese, roll up, place seam-side down in baking dish. Repeat and make 7 more tortillas. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover, top with remaining 1 cup or cheese and bake for 10 more minutes or until the cheese melts.

Sauce

1 tsp. canola oil
1/2 diced onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 veggie/chicken broth
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in broth and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Lemon Delight Trifle

This is from the latest issue of Taste of Home. I am not a big fan of lemon but it was a big hit. Very pretty layered dessert that tastes like SPRING! :) Enjoy.

Ingredients:

- 3 1/2 cups milk

- 2 pkgs lemon instant pudding

- 1 pkg cream cheese, softened

- 1/2 cup butter, softened

- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

- 1 carton (12 oz) cool whip, thawed

- 1 pkg (12 -14 oz) lemon cream-filled sandwich cookies, crushed

Directions:

- Mix milk and pudding, let stand until soft set.

- In mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar until well mixed and smooth.

- Gradually stir pudding into cream cheese mixture.

- Set aside 1/4 of cool whip-- fold the remaining cool whip into the pudding mixture.

- Place 1/3 of cookies in trifle bowl, top with with half the pudding mixture. Repeat layers.

- Garnish with reserved cool whip and remaining 1/3 of the crushed cookies.

- Refrigerate until serving.

Meatballs w/ Mushroom Cream Sauce

1/4 cup Diced Onion

1/4 cup Diced Red Pepper

1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms

1 Tbl Spoon Italian Season

1 cup Chicken Stock

1 cup Heavy Cream

2 Cloves of Garlic

1/2 Cup Grated Swiss Cheese

"Many" Frozen Meatballs (the ones from Ikea are the best)

Spaghetti Pasta

Heat a large pan to med high, with a little olive oil. Sauté the onion, pepper, and mushrooms till lightly browned. Add the garlic, seasoning, and meatballs. Brown slightly with salt and pepper to taste. Add stock and cream, and bring to a boil. Stir in grated cheese and reduce to thicken. Toss with the cooked pasta. Eat.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

This is a Kraft recipe I tried last night (hence all the name-brand references in the ingredients, I am cutting and pasting) This was really easy. I did not pound the chicken out. I just sliced the ones I had in half length-wise b/c they were huge. This made them thin enough to roll up easily. I did not need toothpicks. I assembled it in the afternoon and then just popped them in the oven before dinner. I served it with the spaghetti sauce and fettucini noodles.

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

6 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

1 egg

10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)

1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

MIX cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. Starting at one short end of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired.

BEAT egg in shallow dish. Mix remaining Parmesan and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella.

WHERE ARE MY COOKS??

Have all of you given up cooking in 2010??!? You can't possibly eat out EVERY night!!

I need some new recipes-- SO SHARE THEM ALREADY!!

Rachel-- post your chicken enchiladas that you made this weekend-- Mark informed me last night that yours are better than mine. OUCH!

Kitchen Love to All!

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

A SWEET cheese ball-- definitely a great variation on a classic party food!

Ingredients:
- 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for outer coating
- Graham Crackers or Chocolate Wafer cookies to serve

Directions:
- beat cream cheese and butter in mixer until well blended
- add vanilla, sugar, brown sugar, and chocolate chips
- scoop into a ball shape on a large piece of foil
- wrap and refrigerate about an hour
- unwrap cheese ball and roll in leftover chocolate chips to coat the outside
- serve with graham crackers or chocolate wafers

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- The original recipe calls for the cheese ball to be rolled in pecans... but we have the nut allergy family so we avoid that.
- I have always found that my cheese ball is never quite hard enough to "roll" in the chocolate chips, so I just take handfuls and press them against it. Otherwise I end up with a HUGE mess. .

Quick & Easy Chicken Pot Pie

My friend Kristin made this for us right after we had Madeline and it was YUMMY!! When she gave me the recipe I was amazed at how simple it was, I think it originally was a Kraft recipe.

Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken (cooked and cubed)
- 2 cups frozen vegetables
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 4 oz Velveeta cheese
- 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry or pie shell

Directions:
- Mix chicken, veggies, soup, and melted cheese
- Pour in 9" square baking dish
- Cover with pastry and tuck in the edges
- Poke holes in the top to vent steam
- Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes

Tips from Kitchen of Reality:
- Although it calls for one can of cream of chicken soup, I use two. The first time I made it, it seemed a little dry.
- Great recipe to double and then throw one in the freezer.

Stuffed Shells with Crispy Pancetta & Spinach

My mom, Diane, made this a week or so ago, and I LOVED it! Stuffed shells with a white sauce, definitely a new twist on the traditional favorite. She hasn't gotten around to posting it yet, but I am planning to make it this week, so I looked it up and decided to post it for her. Love you, Mom! It is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:
-1 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-½ pound thick-cut pancetta, cut into ¾-inch cubes
-2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained
-1 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta
-3 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
-3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
-1 tablespoon butter
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1 cup heavy cream
-¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the shells and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the shells and set them aside.
3. Warm the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook it until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the spinach, ricotta, 1 cup of the asiago cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper to the bowl and stir everything together. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each, and place the stuffed shells in a large buttered baking dish.
5. Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until just golden, being very careful not to burn it. Add the cream, and bring it to a simmer. Turn the heat down very low and add 2 cups of asiago cheese, the parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted completely. Pour the sauce over the shells. Sprinkle the tops of the shells with remaining ¼ cup of asiago cheese.
6. Bake until a light golden crust has formed on top, about 25 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- Really, who uses pancetta in the real world... she used BACON!!
- She used the nutmeg but you couldn't taste it, so if you don't have it, leave it out.
- We aren't big buyers of fresh herbs in the winter, too expensive, a few tbsps of dried parsley works fine.
- Mom used half & half instead of heavy cream. I'm gonna try plain old milk this week to try and cut a few more calories out. Your call on that one.

Chicken Caprese- Olive Garden Style

It seems we have started a Valentine tradition since the past 2 years we have gotten together with our friends Matt & Annie to celebrate the "holiday." None of us are big "romantic types" - so we just make it a fun night and give the guys a chance to do something sweet for us. So Friday night, Mark and Matt made this pretty involved dish for us (along with dessert and chocolate dipped strawberries) and it was fabulous!! It is pretty easy, it just has a ton of steps. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!


Ingredients:
- 8-10 Roma tomatoes
- 30 fresh basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus 1 tbsp, divided
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups flour, plus 1 tbsp, divided
- 1 lb dry angel hair pasta

Tomato and Basil Preparation:
-cut tomatoes and basil leaves into 1 inch pieces
-combine tomatoes, basil, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, 1½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning and 1½ teaspoons of salt in a large bowl and blend thoroughly.
- cover, set aside and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.


Chicken Preparation:
-preheat oven to 350.
-coat a large, non-stick skillet with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat.
-combine 1½ cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, black pepper and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning in a shallow dish
-dredge chicken in the mixture
-place chicken in skillet and saute for about two minutes on each side
-transfer chicken to a large baking dish and place in oven to cook for approximately 10 minutes or until chicken is 165 degrees

Pasta Preparation:
-cook pasta according to package directions
-drain and set aside until needed

Sauce Preparation:
-heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
-add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and sauté for approximately 1 minute
-add 1 tablespoon of flour and stir to combine
-add white wine and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
-drain tomatoes and basil from liquid and set aside until needed. Add ½ cup of the marinade liquid and sauté for approximately 1 minute.
-add heavy cream. Lower heat and bring to a simmer
-add grated Parmesan cheese

Assembling Chicken Caprese:
-remove chicken from baking dish and set aside until needed
-transfer pasta to baking dish and partly coat with sauce
-pour desired amount of the remaining sauce on pasta and evenly distribute tomatoes and basil over pasta
-place chicken on top of pasta
-sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over chicken
-place baking dish under broiler for approximately 2-3 minutes to melt cheese

Here's a picture of the boys being proud of their meal!!

Potato Soup

Here is another easy crock pot soup, it is so easy and yummy!

4 cups diced potatoes
1/2 onion diced (or amount to your liking)
Combine potatoes and onions in saucepan, cover with water and cook until tender. Leave water on them.

In crock pot mix the following ingredients:
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups skim milk (you can use any kind of milk, skim just makes it less fat)
1/4 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1/2 tsp. garlic salt (I used minced garlic)
Tabasco sauce to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

To this mixture add the cooked potatoes, onions and water.

I prefer thicker soups so I added about a tablespoon of cornstarch.

Black Eyed Pea Soup

Since it has been so cold, I've been making some new WARM recipes in the crock pot. Here is one that I got brave and made, wasn't sure I'd like black eyed peas... I am not the typical southern cook nor eater. However, Mark and I both loved it and have plenty of leftovers for lunches this week!

Ingredients:
-1 pound dried black eyed peas
-1 pound spicy sausage, I used Hillshire Farm Hot Smoked Sausage
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 4 cloves garlic, diced
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:
- Soak your beans overnight. Drain in the morning.
- Use a 5 to 6 quart crockpot. This will serve about 8 people.
- Dice the veggies, and dump them into your crockpot with the pre-soaked beans.
- Add sliced sausage.
- Pour in broth, and stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 6.

Tips from Kitchen of Reality:
- I hate tiny diced up onions-- so I peeled and then cut the onion in half and put it in the crock pot. It left the flavor and then I took it out before serving.
- Mark and I both hate celery, so we left that out too.
- The spicy sausage was AWESOME!! Totally flavored the whole dish.
- This is a great dish to serve with cornbread.

Stuffed Chicken

4 chicken breasts
10 black olives, chopped
3 oz crumbled Feta cheese
4 tsp sundried tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp dried dill
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Mix and stuff in chicken breasts.


Marinade

5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
pinch of S&P
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp oil

Brush on chicken while grilling

Cook time: 7-10 minutes

Rhina's Tomato Basil Salad

4 medium tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

Arrange tomatoes on plate. Sprinkle with basil.

In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar and pepper - pour over tomatoes.

Sprinkle Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses on top. Cover and refrigerate.

Strawberry Congealed Salad

2 1/2 c chopped pretzels
3 tbsp sugar
3/4 c butter (softened - this does not mean melted!)
8 oz cream cheese
2 c cool whip
1 c sugar (I know I've already said sugar...just go with me here)
2 c boiling water
6 oz strawberry Jello
20 oz frozen sliced strawberries

Combine first 3 ingredients. Press in bottom of 9x12 in dish. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Mix next 3 ingredients and pour on top of cooled pretzels. Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Mix in frozen strawberries. Put Jello mix in fridge until almost set. Pour on top of cream cheese and congeal.

Garlic Basil Shrimp

Mark found this recipe in BH&Gardens and cooked it for me on New Year's Day. I think he's been living with me a little too long, because he actually changed/altered the recipe way more than I would have. Those notes are at the bottom.


Ingredients:
6 oz whole wheat or plain fettuccini
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 lbs frozen shrimp: thawed, peeled, and deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:
- Cook pasta, drain, and keep warm.
- Heat oil and add shrimp, cook 4 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Remove shrimp from pan.
- To pan add garlic and red pepper flakes.
- Cook about 30 seconds.
- Add wine- cook about 1 minute.
- Stir in tomatoes and basil.
- Return shrimp to pan and heat through.
- Serve over pasta.

Tips from Kitchen of Reality:
- If you don't like spice- be sure to note the 1/8 tsp-- Mark added 1/2-- it wasn't too spicy at dinner that night -- we both like spicy anyways-- but the leftovers the next day left a nice burning sensation for quite awhile.
- It's winter so we had no fresh basil, so Mark used some of the pesto I made this fall. Smart way to get the flavor without having to spend a fortune on herbs.
- Overall, a very tasty recipe.