Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got this from a friend in high school and then he was kind enough to deliver it to us when we were in college. The cookie dough is sooooo good. So make sure you test it out. Or just enjoy that.

1 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 cup shortnening (Ilove using the butter flavored, It adds a little something to it)

2 eggs
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 c flour
1 bag choco chips

Cream together 1st three ingredients. Then mix others. Bake at 325-350 for 7-9 mins.

Meatballs

My kids love meatballs. These are my favorite. (I have to chop the spinach up to hide it from my kid who doesn't eat cooked veggies).

1 lb lean ground beef
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed, well drained (or finely chopped fresh spinach)
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 gloves minced garlic
1 egg
3/4 cup shredded italian three cheese blend
2 tbsp parmesan cheese


Mix together, then shape into 18 meatballs, using about 2 tbsp for each. Place in pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cook at 375 for 15mins. or until at 160 degrees.

Yummy Chili

We had our annual Ward Barn Dance and Chili cookoff. This was my favorite. I hope you enjoy it.

1lb ground beef
1lb ground pork sausage
1 packet chili seasonings
1/2 diced onion
1 diced green bell pepper
1 diced red bell pepper
3 cloves diced garlic
1 can petite diced tomatoes w/jalapeno
1 can petite diced tomatoes w/chilies and onion
1 can tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can northern beans

saute onion and peppers and garlic in a little olive oil until tender brown meats then add chili seasoning. add rest of ingredients and let simmer for 30 min stirring occasionally.

White Chicken Chili

Chad is such a lover of white chicken chili. I have been trying different recipes and this is my favorite so far. It's also very easy. It's not to spicy for the younger crowd but you can definetely tweek the recipe so it could be.

1 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion chopped
1 lb boneless skinless chcken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
3 cans chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans, drained (couldn't find them so I used white beans and G. Northern beans)
1 can chopped green chilies (you can add 1 more can for a little more spice)
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
(can add a dash of cayenne if you like)
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped Cilantro (did you know you can buy dried cilantro? I love it)

In 4 qrt sauce pan or dutch oven heat oil over med-high. Add onion, garlic and chicken. Cook and stir until chicken isn't pink. Add remaining ingredients except Cheese. (I used dried cilantro so I added it with rest.) If using fresh wait till you add the cheese. Heat to boiling and then reduce heat and simmer 10 -15 mins, stirring occasionally. Add cheese and cilantro, stir until cheese is melted and enjoy with some tortilla chips or a flour tortilla.

Fettucine Alfredo w/ Chicken

Fettucine

1 pound fettucine noodles

2 tbsp butter

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 tsp salt

1 pinch black pepper

8 oz (I just did a few chicken breasts) cooked and diced

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cups fresh or frozen sweet peas

Cook pasta according to directions, don't add salt or oil.

In large saucepan slice off 2 tbsp butter. Melt over medium heat. Add the full pint of cream and simmer. Once starts to simmer sprinkle the salt and simmer again for 2 minutes. Then add the black pepper and chicken. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese in and stir. Turn off heat and add in peas. Drain fettucine (reserve 1/2 cup of water). Then combine with sauce. Stirring and coating good. If it looks to thick add a little of reserved water.

Pumpkin Roll

Fall is in the air and it makes me start craving Pumpkin . Here is a yummy recipe from one of my mother in-laws.

Pumpkin Rolls

3/4 c Flour

1 c sugar

1 tsp ginger

3 eggs

1 tsp lemon juice

2/3 C pumpkin

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

dash of salt

Mix ingredients together. Pour on greased jelly roll pan. sprinkle with chopped walnuts on top. Bake at 375 for 15 mins. Remove from oven. Place on waxed paper covered with powdered sugar. Roll up with paper. Let cool 15 mins (can do the fridge). Unroll, spread with filling and roll up again. (You can freeze these to give out at a later time)

Filling

1 c powdered sugar

1/2 cube butter

6 oz. cream cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla.

Zucchini Carrot Cupcakes

I made these the other day hoping my anti veggie children would eat these. 3 out of 4 did. The other one just licked the frosting off. If you have a food pureer it's even better

1 c flour

1/4 c whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c canola oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup grated zucchini (about one small one)

1 c grated carrot

3/4 c chopped walnuts (opt)

Cream cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 350 and line your cupcake pans 12 big (I did mini ones).

Combine flours, baking soda, powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In large bowl beat sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla for one minute.

Beat wet and dry ingredients until no traces of flour remain. Stir in zucchini, carrots and nuts.

Bake for 15mins or until done. Cool on rack and frost (or you can dust with powdered sugar)

Sausage Sandwich Squares

3 to 3 1/2 c flour

1 pkg active dry yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/3 cups warm water

1 pound bulk italian sausage

1 sweet red pepper diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 lrg onion diced

1 cup chopped spinach

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg

1 tbsp water

2 tbsp parmesan cheese

2 tbsp parsley

1/2 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp garlic powder

In a bow, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt. Add warm water; mix well. Add enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto a floured surace; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 mins (I just turned on my mixer for about 4 mins.) Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise for about 50 mins. In skillet cook sausage and drain. Saute onions, peppers, and spinach. Press half of dough on bottom of jelly roll pan and sprinkle sausage mixture on top. Then spread cheese evenly over top. Roll out remaining down to fit pan; place over pan. In a small bowl beat egg and water. add remaining igredients and mix well. brush over dough. Cut slits in top. Bake at 400 for 20-25mins. (Can omit any of veggies you want) Yummy for breakfast also.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

1 cup cooked rice

1/2 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion

1/2 cup diced red or green pepper

1/4 c chopped cilantro

1 whole lime juice

6 burrito size flour tortillas

2 cups shredded cheese (combo of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)

1/2 cups sour cream

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except tortillas, cheese and sour cream. Smear sour cream on tortilla then sprinkle cheese over sour then add chicken mixture.. Roll stuffed tortilla's (or can make like a quesadilla) Spray griddle with pam and cook until golden brown and crisp

Snickerdoodles

1 C shortening

2 eggs

2 tsp cream of tarter

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 C sugar

1 tsp Soda

2 3/4 C Flour

For cinn/sugar mixture:

2 TBSP sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs thoroughly. Sift together and stir in flour, cream of tarter, soda, and salt. Roll into balls. Roll around in cinnamon and sugar mixture Place on ungreased cookie sheet Bake at 375 for 8-10 mins.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are one of the best choco chip cookies. I got this recipe in college from a friend and it is so yummy. The cookie dough is sooo good.

1 C sugar

1/2 C brown suger

1 C shortnening

Cream together above

2eggs

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Mix, then

Add all together with 2 1/4 C flour and then a bag of choco chips.

Bake @ 350 for 7-8 mins (I had to do 360 the last time I made them)

Cake Mix Cookies

This is a yummy cookie recipe from Ashley and Jenni. They are so good! I love the German Choc/white choc.chip combo

1 box cake mix
1/4 c flour
1/4 c water
1/2 c oil
1 egg

Mix and Bake@ 350 for 10-11 mins.

Combo's to try: German choc. cake/white choc. chips, Lemon cake with Lemon Frosting, choc. or vanilla cake with reeses peices chips.

Six Layer Brownies

1 box supreme premium browniemix
1/3 cup melted butter
1 egg
2/3 cup coconut (I only used about 1/4 cup)
2/3 c toffee bits
2/3 c semisweet choc. chips
2/3c chopped pecans
3/4 c plus 2 TBSP sweetened condesed milk

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom only of 9 in pan with pam. In large bowl sirt brownie mix, pouch of chocolate syrup, butter and egg until well blended. Press into pan. Bake 14 minutes.

Top with coconut, toffee, choco. chips, pecans. drizzle evenly with condensed milk to within 1/2 inch of sides. Bake 35 to 39 minutes longer or until center is set. Cool completely. (use a plastic knife to cut cleanly cut brownies)

Grilled Herb Chicken

As you can tell it is bbq time. When it is above 100 outside who wants to make their house feel like it also? We tried this last night and it turned out yummy. I have found some of these on betty crocker website.

This calls for thighs and drumsticks but I used boneless skinless tenderloins

1/2 cup veg. oil
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tsp dried basil leaves
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
2 tsp dried thyme leave (if you have fresh of the above herbs you can use those, but use TBSP instead)
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
8 pieces of chicken

Mix ingredients together and marinate chicken in either shallow pan or in plastic bag. Turn Chicken occasionally. Don't marinate more than 24 hours.

Heat grill and cook on med. heat. Coat with marinade once while cooking. Then discard rest and enjoy. We ate it with yummy corn on the cob.

Grilled Citrus Chicken

1/2 c frozen (thawed) orange juice concentrate
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1. In plastic dish or resealable food strage bag, mix all ingredients except chicken. Add chicken; turn to coat marinade. Cover dish or seal bag; refridgerate, turnig chicken occasionally, at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

2. Heat gas or charcoal grill. Remove chicken from marinade; reserve marinade. Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 15 to 20 minutes, turnig chicken and brushing with marinade occasionally, until juice of chicken is clear when center is thickest part is cut (170 degrees).

We really enjoyed this :)

Lemon Butter Pasta

This is a dish you serve warm but is yummmy!

1 box bowtie pasta
2-3 chicken breasts, diced
1 bag frozen california veggies
Butter
Olive Oil
Lemon Pepper seasoning.

Cook bowtie pasta according to directions. Cook chicken with olive oil and season with lemon pepper in large skillet. Warm veggies up (I sometimes chopp them into smaller peices). Drain noodles and add to chicken along with about 2 TBSP butter. Mix around and add veggies then add more Lemon pepper seasoning. Once warm and coated with butter. Serve.

Lemon Chicken

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes.

4 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. flour
1/4c. butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp pepper
1 TBSP Lrg. Capers
2 TBSP lemon juice

Coat chicken with flour. Heat butter over medium heat. Cook chicken and garlic in margarine 4-6 minuts, turning once until chicken is brown. Add juices; sprinkle with pepper. Heat until hot. Sprinkle with capers. (If you haven't tried capers before you will love them and might want to add more, I usually do)

Lettuce Wraps

These are Yummy Lettuce Wraps from my friend Dawn.

2-3 chicken breast cooked and chopped
1/2-3/4 bag mini carrots, chopped fine
2-3 green onions slices
mushrooms (opt.) finely chopped
1 pkg ramen noodles
Garlic powder
Seaseme Seed oil
Soy Sauce
Peanut Sauce- (House of Tsang Bangkok Padang) (available at target or smiths)

Saute veggies in extra virgin olive oil. Boil broken ramen noodles for 1 min. Then drain. Add to saute a few shakes of garlic, seaseme seed oil and soy sauce. Then add chicken. Mix well and serve on lettuce leaves. Top with peanut sauce. (warning peanut sauce is yummy but has a kick to it)

Rice and Bean Casserole

I found this on back of a cheese bag. We had it and it was a nice, easy meatless dinner.

Rice and Bean Casserole
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp cumin
1 can (15oz.) diced tomatoes (I pureed them in my processer so my kids wouldn't complain)
1 can balck beans, rinsed and drained.
1 cup rice, uncooked
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

In large skillet sauted onion in oil. Add garlic, oregano, cumin, tomatoes, and beans to onion. Cover and cook on med. heat. Cook rice according to package. Add rice and mix well. Then add cheese and mix well until cheese has melted. Serve with tortilla chips. (we just dipped our chips in and enjoyed)

Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffin

3/4 c Wheat flour (I actually used 1/2 c wheat and 1/4 white flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c sugar
2 1-2 ripe bananas, mashed
3 tbsp butter melted
1 egg
1/4 c choco chips
2 tbsp chocolate almond spread (such as nutella)

Heat oven to 400 and either grease a muffin pan or use muffin papers.

Mix dry ingredients. Add mashed bananas, butter, and egg. Mix well then add chocolate chips. Pour into muffin tins. Using a spoon swirl some the the nutella spread (I heated it so it would spread better) on top of each muffin. Bake for about 15 minutes or until knife comes out clean.


PS 3 out 4 kids love them. You can't beat that.

Herbed Lime Chicken

I made this the other night and it was sooo good. Chad only wants me to make this kind

1 bottle fat-free Italian Salad dressing (i just used what I had on hand)
1/2 Cup Lime juice
1 lime halved and sliced, (didn't use)
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

In bowl add 1st five ingredients. Remove 1/2 cup for basting; cover and refridgerate for later. Pour remaining marinade into a container and add chicken for marinating. Refridgerate for 8 hours.

Drain and throw out marinade. Grill chicken then a few minutes before done bast chicken with reserve marinade occasionally until done. Enjoy!

(this came from Taste of Homes Everyday Light meals)

White Chili Chicken

We had this for dinner last night and Chad and I loved it!

2 cans Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups shredded chicken
7 cups chicken broth
1 can Rotel (mild)
1 chopped onion
4 piecs of garlic clove- chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp parsley

For my picky eaters I pureed the rotel, onion and garlic. Combine everything in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. (I spray my crockpot with pam, which makes for an easy cleanup). About 10 mins. before ready to serve add a few large handfuls of colbyjack cheese and about 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Turn on high and stir a few times until melted. Then serve.