Ice Cream Cake

Oh, hey again everyone.  Maybe I don't have a life because all I do is look for recipes every day?  

Yep.

Anywhoo.. I love this lady Jenny Keller and she does some pretty fantastic stuff with cookies and buttercream frosting.  And she throws a wicked party! Just check out this bad boy. But more importantly, she created this tutorial on how to make an ice cream cake which I promptly made for Trace's birthday. I haven't tried it yet, but its ice cream cake so I'm pretty sure I will love it.

Just gaze upon the beauty. 

 (Don't be fooled though, mine didn't look that good.)

Mmmmm.

Get some. 

Oh, Baby!!

Oh, hey everybody! I miss you all so much since we were last (finally) reunited for Leesil's baby shower.  It was one of those moments when you look around the room and see all the people you love surrounding you and you just feel overwhelmed with gratitude for the friends God has blessed you with.  Maybe it was just me, but I felt like the luckiest gal alive that night!

Besides all that mushy, you guys are the best friends in the whole world stuff (#butreally) (side note: are we allowed to use hashtags on here?), I just wanted to share some of the recipes I used that day since a lot of people asked about them.  P.S. Don't tell, but it was the first time I'd used a lot of them... good thing they turned out!

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip 
from here 
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan, Asiago, or Swiss cheese (I used Parmesan, baby)
1 - 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 - 10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained (I used fresh*)
1 - 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
dash black pepper

Hearty Version: (which is the one I used) In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except for 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.  mix until all ingredients are well blended.  Pour into oven safe dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.  Chill for at least 2 hours for flavors to fuse.  Bake at 350 F for about 30-35 minutes, then bake under broiler for a couple of minutes until top layer of cheese is completely melted and bubbly.  Serve hot!

Creamy Version: Add all ingredients except for 1/2 cup of shredded cheese in a blender and blend on high until creamy.  Pour into oven safe dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.  chill for at least 2 hours for flavors to fuse.  Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes, then bake under broiler for a couple of minutes until top layer of cheese is completely melted and bubbly.  Serve hot! 

*I used fresh spinach and it turned out just fine.  One word of advice though, cut up double the amount of spinach that you think you'll need because it cooks wayyyy down.  When you are cutting it and adding it and you think you have more than enough, cut up another couple handfuls.  

The BEST Chocolate Cupcakes Ever 

1 box Devil's food cake mix
1- 5.9 oz box chocolate pudding mix
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
4 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup hot water
8 oz sour cream (aka 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl combine the cake mix, chocolate pudding, and chocolate chips. Stir until combined.  Next mix in the eggs, canola oil and water.  Finally, mix in the sour cream.  Pour cake mix into the cupcake liners (about 3/4 the way full).  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the spring back when touched.  Do not over cook.  You can also test with a tooth pick to make sure the centers are cooked all the way through.  Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool on a wire rack.  Frost with buttercream (P.S. I used cream cheese frosting because I'm a rebel like that.)

Hummus
1- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini paste (only at Smith's)
half of a large clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 to 3 Tbsp water

In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini paste and lemon juice.  Puree for 1 minute; scrape side of bowl.  Add garlic, olive oil, salt and cumin and puree.  Add half of the chickpeas and puree until smooth.  Add remaining chickpease and puree.  If the hummus is too thick or chunky, add water until it reaches the desired consistency.  

Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week.  Great served with vegetables or whole grain crackers.  

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake
Apparently this cheesecake is contest winning!

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp cold water

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 16 squares)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Filling:
3 pkgs (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs, lightly beaten

1. in a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice.  cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the berries are softened.  Combine cornstarch and water until smooth, stir into the blueberry mixture.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature.  Transfer into a blender; cover and process until smooth.  Set aside.
2. For crust, in a small bowl combine the crumbs and sugar; stirr in the butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, flour and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour filling over crust. Drizzle with blueberry mixture; cut through batter with a knife to swirl.
4. Return pan to baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.
5. Refrigerate overnight.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Easy Garlic Parmesan Butter Breadsticks
aka regular ole breadsticks with amazing topping 

Breadsticks
1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 cups very warm water (105 -115 degrees)
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 cups flour
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
garlic salt and Parmesan OR Garlic Parmesan Seasoning below

Garlic Parmesan Seasoning
1/4 cup powdered Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspon oregano
1 teasoon basil
1 teapoon marjoram
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add butter to a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to melt, being careful not to burn butter. Remove when melted.
In the bowl of your standard mixer, combine yeast, water & sugar. Set aside and let sit 5-10 minutes or until yeast is foamy and dissolved.
Gradually add salt and flour to the yeast, mixing with your hook attachment until well combined. Knead dough a few times then divide dough into 15 balls. (If dough is too sticky, you can spray your hands with nonstick spray). Roll dough into sticks and place on buttered baking sheet. Roll in butter.* Top with garlic salt and Parmesan or Garlic Parmesan Seasoning (Note that you will NOT use all of the seasoning*). Let the breadsticks rise for 15-20 minutes. Bake for 15 -20 minutes or until golden.

Cedar 17th Ward Christmas Party Salad 
*this recipe makes a big bowl of salad that will serve 35 to 40 people*
Also, ingredients are approximate, just stir in what looks good to you.

Mixed greens- 1 lb
Iceberg lettuce 1-2 heads (I like Romaine better)
Spinach- 10 oz package
Feta cheese- 1 cup
Craisins- 2 cups 
Sugared pecans- 2 cups (recipe below)
Red onions thinly sliced
Chopped Apples -we put them in pineapple juice to keep fresh
Can also add pineapple tidbits, sliced strawberries, mandarine oranges, etc. 
Brianna's Poppy seed Dressing- 1 bottle or to taste (We mixed this with the recipe below, but Brianna's seems to be the best poppy seed dressing.)

Mix all ingredients together and toss with dressing.  Try to serve as soon as possible as dressing will cause salad to wilt. 

Sugared Pecans
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 cups pecans, roughly chopped

Boil all on high until the water is gone and the sauce is bubbly and caramelized, 7-10 minutes.  watch it carefully the whole time.  There is a point when it is done and would start burning if left any longer.  Stir as it cools and turns to sugar. 

Poppy Seed Dressing
In a blender add:
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1 /2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1/4 red onion grated (be careful, this may be too much)

Will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. 

Cottrell Family Christmas Punch
(watch out guys, this one's a toughy)

1 part grape juice
1 part lemon lime soda
Ice

Yep.  That's where the magic happens. My great grandma used to make her own grape juice which I'm sure made this 10 million times better.  Store-bought grape juice seems to work just fine though.  

*Whoops.. forgot to add the Key Lime Trifle*
From Our Best Bites

1- 4 serving box vanilla instant pudding mix (can use sugar free, but I don't!)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup cold water
1- 14oz can sweetened condensed milk 
2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 loaf pound cake, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup toasted coconut, divided
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Combine pudding mix, lime juice, water, and sweetened condensed milk in a medium-sized bowl.  Mix well and refrigerate a few minutes while you prepare the whipped cream.  Whip 1 cup cream in another bowl until soft peaks form.  fold into pudding mixture and then return mixture to refrigerator.  In a medium trifle dish or small, individual trifle dishes, spread a thin layer of pudding mixture.  Add a layer of cake cubes, a thicker layer of pudding, and a sprinkling of coconut.  Repeat, ending with a layer of pudding.  Whip remaining 1 cup cream with powdered sugar.  Spread on top of final layer and garnish with remaining toasted coconut.  Chill at least 1 hour before serving. 


Well, there you have it.  I hope you guys had as much fun eating these as I did.  They sure were fun to make too.  Honestly, I wouldn't be intimidated by any of the recipes (even the cheesecake!), none of them caused me much anxiety.  Y'all can do it!!

I LOVE YOU!!!! 

P.S.  Who is excited to meet Baby McLemore??!!!!!

  

Oven Shoyu Chicken

Oh hey there everybody! Props to whoever added our picture to the front page, I dig it! So I've been all domestic and such since I am jobless so I decided to try out a new recipe for dinner the other night.  I got it from the Worldwide Ward Christmas Cookbook, courtesy of Melani :).  Basically, this chicken is bomb.  And its really easy, so win win!  Here's the recipe, hope y'all are doing good!

Oven Shoyu Chicken
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt (I didn't use this)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 corn oil (I used olive, I didn't have any corn oil)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp grated ginger (I'm sure ground ginger would work just fine, too)
2 lbs chicken wings or thighs

Mix all ingredients except chicken.  Pour over chicken.  Bake in aluminum foil-lined pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour, turning twice.  You can thicken the sauce if preferred.
*So, when I made this I just thawed two chicken breasts and cut them into strips and poured the sauce over them and it worked just fine.  Also, I recommend double lining your pan because when I was turning the chicken, I accidentally poked a hole in the tin foil and stuff boiled up and over like Mount Vesuvius (you can read about that here.  It'll blow your mind) all over my oven which was unpleasant to clean up. I served this with rice and a couple veggies.  Way easy, way good.  

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this as much as we Torgersens did.  Ty even said to make it again, so you know its a hit!

Egg Rolls

 Egg Rolls 

Here's what I did:

I chopped three small chicken breasts and marinated them with soy sauce, sprinkled some ginger and a tablespoon of garlic for 30 minutes.

I browned the chicken in some olive oil then added 1/2 package of mushrooms and 1/2 package of shredded carrots to the pan. I let them cook for 3-5 minutes. I then added 1/2 package of coleslaw mix and a few green onions and let them cook for another few minutes.I added a little more soy sauce then  put the mixture on about 15  egg roll wrappers, wrapped those babies up like an envelope and cooked them at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.I bet there's plenty of better recipes out there but this is just what I came up with :) I served it with a salad and then ate 3 brownies afterwards. Win.

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

 Ladies and Gentlemen (Minus the gentlemen part), I baked something and I didn't screw it up so I think it's safe to say it's fool proof. Do they taste exactly like Little Debbie's Oatmeal Cream Pies? No, but they are sorta better. Better as in they don't have a taste of processed chemical shiz. I obviously don't mind that taste too much since I eat the Little Debbie's version on occasion. Anyway, I cooked mine for ten minutes and that seemed to be a tiny bit too long for my oven. Here they are...

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

Ingredients
COOKIES
1¼ cups unsalted butter (2.5 sticks), softened to room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar (Clarke's Country Market didn't have this so I just used regular)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark molasses (Also didn't have this so I used regular molasses)
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats (NOT whole-rolled oats)


CREAM FILLING
¾ cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt, as needed

1. Instructions For the cookies: With a stand or handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugars together at medium speed until light and creamy. Add egg, vanilla, and molasses, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside.In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Whisk it all around. Add the quick oats and combine.With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients. The dough will be quite thick and you may have to mix it all by hand after a few seconds in the mixer.Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking mat. Drop dough with a large cookie scoop, or make sure each ball of dough is 3 tablespoons in measurement. Cookies will spread in the oven, so drop each ball of dough 2 inches apart.Bake for 10 minutes, until cookies are lightly golden around the edges. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.For the filling: With a stand or handheld mixer, beat butter for about 1 minute until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Pour in heavy cream and vanilla extract. Mix on high for 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Taste and add a pinch or two of salt, as needed. If filling is way too thick, add a couple more teaspoons of heavy cream. Spread 1½ tablespoons of cream filling on the bottom side of half of cookies; top with remaining cookies, right side up.Devour. 

P.S..The author of this recipe said:
Old-fashioned whole rolled oats will not work in this recipe You can make you own quick oats (like I did here) by measuring 3 cups of whole rolled oats and pulsing them in the food processor 4-5 times or until they resemble the consistency of quick oats.

Vegetable Pasta Stuff

As some of you may know I'm a pretty big fan of vegetables in my diet but not so much pasta. However, I liked this dish because it has a shiz load of vegetables so here it is, pasta with a shiz load of vegetables.The recipe is actually called Cajun Chicken Pasta but I was too lazy to thaw and cook the chicken so I just did without.

Cajun Chicken Pasta 

8 ounces uncooked linguine (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
1 pound chicken breast strips
1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced (or whatever color of bell peppers you want)
1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup  chicken broth
1/3 cup  milk
1 tbsp flour

4 oz cream cheese

 pepper
2 scallions, chopped
salt to taste

Cut all your vegetables. Make a slurry (whatever the muff that is) by combining flour, milk, and softened cream cheese. I wisked this briefly. Set aside. Season chicken with cajun, salt, and garlic salt then set aside. Cook your pasta of choice according to the directions. Heat a skillet to medium high with olive oil and cook half the chicken for 5-6 minutes. Repeat with the other half. Set chicken aside and then add a little more olive oil and saute the onion, garlic and peppers for 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and saute for an additional 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and add your chicken broth and your slurry, stirring for about two minutes. Combine chicken, pasta, and vegetables and heat through for about two minutes. Top with chopped scallions.

Turkey Pesto Sandwich

This is a pinterest success! I love it cause it takes like 5 minutes to make, it's delicious, and healthy! Sorry I have to pictures. It was so good I could not control myself enough to hold back shoving it in my mouth so I could take a snap shot.

Ingredients:
1 jar of pesto
Turkey lunch meat of choice
Mozzarella (I prefer fresh, but regular works great too)
Tomato
Bread (The crusty italian stuff is really good, but I usually just use regular wheat)

I take 2 slices of bread and spread about 2 teaspoons of pesto on one slice. Then I put a few tomato slices on top of that. Next I slice some mozzarella and layer that on top of the tomatoes. Then I finish it off with a slice or two of turkey. I spray both sides down with some EVOO (baby mama anyone?) and grill on my George Foreman. Sometimes I even put parchment paper down so I don't have to clean it up.

Caramel Corn!

So here is the deal. I love popcorn in all forms, but especially caramel. Luckily my dear sweet mother gave me an awesome air popper from the 80's that works fantastically. If you don't have an air popper I'm sure you can use microwave popcorn (probably 2 bags), and I would try to get something without butter or at least the "light" version.

 So I start out with a big bowl of popcorn...voila!

 You will need Karo Syrup, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Butter, Salt, & Baking Soda

 I start out by melting a cube of butter, then I add the brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and karo syrup.

Once the mixture mooshes together it should be a dark brown (like syrup).

 Remove from heat, then add the baking soda. It looks a little like baby poo color, but it's cool. At this point some people bake their carmel corn for a more shiny brittle effect. I like my stuff gooey so I usually forego this step. 

Then I take really attractive photos of myself eating it for social media so everyone can know how great my life is compared to theirs. 

Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 cups popped popcorn

Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Over medium heat, combine first 4 ingredients and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and baking soda. Stir well. Pour over the pop corn. Stir to coat well. Bake in large roaster or pan for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to dry.

Why is everything with pineapple automatically Hawiian?

Hey Ladies, I was inspired by the pizza. So here is a delish recipe that is oh so easy! Long live the blog!

Pineapple Pork (crockpot style)

Ingredients

• 1 boneless pork loin roast (3 to 4 pounds)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 3 tablespoons canola oil

• 2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice

• 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup sliced celery

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 1/3 cup cold water

  Directions Cut pork roast in half. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown roast in oil on all sides; drain. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the pineapple juice, pineapple, brown sugar, celery, vinegar and soy sauce. Pour over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until meat is tender. Remove roast and keep warm. Strain cooking juices; transfer to a large saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with pork. Yield: 8 servings.  If you are wondering "wow this thing is jacked up!" I did copy and paste. And I'm challenged/lazy and don't want to fix the format. Anyways I made this deliciousness the other night and put it over sticky rice. Pretty darn good.

Homemade Margherita Pizza

Remember how we haven't posted on this blog since September? Or do we hate school for getting in the way of being faithful to our blog? I can speak for myself by saying yes with my whole soul. As it turns out I decided to try to make a homemade pizza. Deysha loves the Margherita pizza but none in Logan have satisfied her needs like the pizza cart in Cedar City does. Anyway I tried to my best to duplicate it. Obviously it still doesn't compare to the pizza cart but that's ok. I just made stuff up so if you find ways to better this recipe by all means please do and then teach me your ways.

 

 

Leesa try not to be disgusted by the crappy quality of this photo.

Homemade Margherita Pizza 

Makes 2 pizzas

Crust (I used my Mama's recipe)

2 C. Luke Warm water 

2 packets yeast 

2 T. sugar 

Add together and then let bubble 

1/4 C. oil 

2 tsp salt 

5 C. flour 

1 jar of tomato basil pasta sauce (I was too lazy to find the pizza sauce also I definitely didn't use the whole jar) 

5 roma tomatoes 

Dried basil seasoning 

Fresh basil leaves 

8 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese (you'll need more if you want to make two pizzas)

Before church I sliced the tomatoes and seasoned them with the dried basil seasoning, salt and pepper and left them in the fridge. I did this because I wanted them to dry a little so they didn't make the pizza soggy. I don't know if they would make the pizza soggy anyway but it's better to be safe than sorry I told myself! I spread the sauce on the dough and sprinkled more dried basil seasoning for the heck of it. I layered the tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and sliced the fresh mozzarella on top.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until done.

It was pretty easy but let me know if you make this and make it better!

White Chicken Chili (not because I'm racist)

White Chicken Chili

1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilis
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cans(14 oz.each) great northern beans, drained, divided
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped Jalapeno pepper, optional

1.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onion in oil for 10 minutes
or until tender.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the chicken;  cook
until no longer pink.  Add chicken broth,green chilis, cumin, oregano and
cayenne.  Bring to a boil.
2.  Reduce heat to low.  With a potato masher, mash one can of beans until
smooth.  Add to saucepan.  Add remaining beans to saucepan.  Simmer for
20-30 minutes or until heated thoroughly.
3.  Top each serving with cheese and jalapeno pepper if desired.


I used half cayenne pepper and half chili powder
Instead of green chilis, I added a bottle of green chili salsa
I used more broth, too.
Also I use canned chicken a lot of the time because cooking chicken is boring and messy.

Chicken Cordon Bleu/Grape Salad Goodness

This is Tyson's all-time favorite meal. We're talking birthday dinner status here. So I thought I'd make it today for Sunday dinner and share it with you guys.  It was so delicious!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken breasts

Ham

Slices of Swiss cheese (or provolone)

1 cup flour
Salt, pepper, garlic powder

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

Olive Oil

More milk
(You may also need chicken bouillon granules.)

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. Pound the chicken breasts until they are about 1/2 inch wide all around.  Lay them out on a plate and season with salt and pepper. 

3. Take the sandwich ham and lay a few pieces on each  chicken breast followed by a slice of cheese.  I then usually sprinkle some basil over everything.

4.  Roll up the chicken, ham, and cheese and place toothpicks into the combination to keep everything together. 

5. Crack an egg into a bowl and add 1/4 cup milk and stir it all together.

6.  In another bowl, put the flour in and add generous amounts of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and any other seasoning that smells like it would fit in. When I say generous, I mean like you should feel uncomfortable about how much seasoning you are adding to the flour, but trust me it needs it! Sometimes I get crazy and put some thyme in, but honestly good old salt and pepper and of course garlic powder are sufficient.  Also, BEFORE you put any raw chicken into this flour, reserve around 1/4 cup for later.

7. Next take your rolled up chicken breasts and roll them around in the egg wash.  Then dredge them in your nicely seasoned flour.  Repeat with all of your chicken breasts.

(7 1/2. I send all of them through the eggs and flour again, just for good measure.)

8. When you are done giving your chicken breasts a nice flour bath, set them aside and let them rest for 10 minutes or so, just to let everything soak in.  While you are waiting you can heat up a nice frying pan with a generous amount (maybe 1/4 cup?) of olive oil in the bottom so when you add your chicken it sizzles.  

9.  Fry your chicken breasts in the olive oil turning so all sides get browned.  You're not trying to cook it all the way through, you just want to get some color on them.  It usually amounts to about 3-4 minutes per side.  

10.  Place your nicely browned chicken breasts in an oven safe dish and get ready to throw them into the oven.  

11. Take the 1/4 cup seasoned flour and add it to the pan you just fried your chicken in. (***If you don't have much oil left over from frying your chicken, add some more into the pan and let it get hot.) When your roux is made, add milk into the pan and stir everything together until it starts to thicken.  You'll want to make at least 3/4 of a cup gravy for each chicken breast so plan accordingly.  

12.  Once your gravy is nice and yummy (make sure to taste it and see, if its lacking in flavor, sprinkle some chicken bouillon granules in there to spice things up), throw it on top of your chicken breasts.  Place everything into the hot oven for about 45 minutes to an hour.

13. Make sure the chicken is cooked through, and then enjoy the deliciousness!! 

Grape Salad
Ohhhh.. this salad. SO GOOD!
A lot of grapes
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Brown sugar for sprinkling

1. Remove the grapes from the stems and wash thoroughly. 

2. In a bowl combine the cream cheese (it helps if its at room temperature), sour cream sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

3. Add grapes to the cream cheese mixture and stir around until all grapes are evenly coated.

4. Layer some grapes in the bottom of the bowl and sprinkle some brown sugar on top.  Repeat with as many layers as your heart desires with as much brown sugar as your heart desires.  

5. Stuff your face

*Oh, you may want to refrigerate it first; it usually never makes it that far in our house.

Here are some pictures of the dinner we ate! So good!!

This one's for Ashlee Bug

Since Ashlee was so concerned about vodka being a main ingredient in our recipes, I searched the world over and found this bad boy. Bon appetite! 

Red Velvet Cheescake Swirl Brownies

Wouldn't it be awesome if I was actually a food photographer? Sorry about these photos. Remember how these brownies were the most delightful thing ever? They also made feel like I was gonna be in a coma immediately.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

2 large egg

1/2 cup (1 stick ) unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon red food coloring
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used the reduced fat kind)
1/4 cup  sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

 Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray 8x8 baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

1. Make the brownie layer first. In a small bowl, beat the 2 eggs together. Set aside. Melt the butter in a large microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments until melted. Stir in 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring, and vinegar. Mix each of those ingredients into the batter in that order. Whisk in the eggs, then fold in the flour until completely incorporated. Do not overmix. Pour the brownie batter into prepared baking pan, leaving about 3-4 Tablespoons for the top.
2. Make the cheesecake swirl. With a hand-held mixer on medium speed, beat the softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl until completely smooth - about 1 minute. Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top of the prepared brownie batter. Cover with the last few Tablespoons of brownie batter. Glide a knife through the layers, creating a swirl pattern.
3. Bake the brownies for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting into squares. Store brownies at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I think we should all be impressed and extremely surprised I have cooked at all let alone twice in three days. So this first recipe is the harder then the second but if I did it then we all know its on the easy scale of cooking.

Prep time 15 minutes  Cook time 30 min 

Ingredients first: 2 C cooked rice, 6-8 slices of ham chopped, 3 C cooked chicken, 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 6 slices Swiss cheese, 10 saltines (or ritz), 1/4 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 C milk, 1/2 C sour cream, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp parsley.

 Now for some directions:  spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Put rice in the bottom of the pan. Then layer chicken, ham, and cheese. Crush the saltines and add spices together in a separate bowl. In another bowl combine soup, milk, and sour cream. Spread cream mix on the cheese then top with cracker/herb mix. Bake for 30 minutes 

I hope I did this blog thing right on my first try and I hope you all enjoy 

Chocolate Chip Cookies (The Good Kind!)

So Kaitlin inspired me to post the recipe for possibly THE best batch of chocolate chip cookies you will ever partake of. 

3 Cups flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Cup Butter

3/4 Cup Sugar

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 Cups Chocolate Chips (I prefer the Guittard brand, they are in a silver package next to the Ghiradelli)

Cream: butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl blend: four, soda, and salt. Mix with creamed mixture. Stir in choc. chips then form cookies on baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. 

Holy Deliciousness. 

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever... From the Pioneer Woman

So there I was, helping make lunch for the lovely senior citizens of Escalante, Utah when BAM! I made this chocolate cake from the Pioneer Woman.  I would need about 29 more fingers to show you how many compliments I got about this lovely, decadent, delicious, chocolaty cake. Please try it; it is so good!

P.S. I should probably put a disclaimer on here that the majority of my posts will probably be Pioneer Woman recipes, just for future reference... I love her, what can I say?

Here is the recipe, you can watch her step by step at this page here. She is a lot more witty than me too, so you might enjoy scrolling through her post more than mine. Anyways.. this cake is good, no lie.

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

Prep Time:  20 Minutes

Cook Time:  20 Minutes

Difficulty:  Easy

Servings:  24

 

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• FOR FROSTING:
• 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans *
• 1-3/4 stick Butter
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Note: I use an 18x13 sheet cake pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.
Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

*Katy note: I toast my pecans, it makes them taste soooooooooo much better

Caramel Sauce (otherwise known as happiness)

WHAAA? Two Posts in one day? WHY (you may ask)? Perhaps it is because I am a crazed recipe/blog writer. But mostly because Devin is on a fire. Anyways, I made this the other day to go over some vanilla bean ice cream. I love this sauce because it's delicious fresh and even better after it sits in a jar in the fridge. Just ask Devins Dad, he ate it all.

Caramel Sauce

1 Sq. butter melted

1 C. white sugar

¼ C. brown sugar

2 T. Karo Syrup

½ C. evaporated milk or whipping cream

Stir constantly over low until it comes to boil