Sunday, April 3, 2011

Olive Garden Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 C. Mayonnaise
1/3 C. White Vinegar
1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. Romano Cheese
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt – or one clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp. Parsley Flakes
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
Salad Mix

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little to tart for your own personal tastes please add a little extra sugar. Pour over Salad Mix and enjoy.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Kopy Kat Recipes

Candy Cane Kissed Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1/2 c. real butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
optional: 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
48 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the centers are set but still soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

Difficulty: Easy
Time To Make: about an hour
Recipe Origin: Our Best Bites

Monday, March 28, 2011

Chicken Pot Pie


Ingredients:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. celery seed (optional)
1 + 3/4 cup chicken broth (save the water you boil the chicken and veggies in)
2 tsp. chicken bouillon powder
2/3 cup milk
2 - 9 inch unbaked pie crusts

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot, combine the chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add enough hot water to cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain (save the water) and set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and saute the onions until they are translucent. Add the flour to the onions and mix well, then slowly add the chicken broth (using only 1 + 3/4 cup of the broth) and milk and chicken bouillon. Add the salt, pepper, and celery seed and heat until thick. Once thickened, pour the chicken and veggies into a pie dish lined with one of the pie crusts. Pour the onion/chicken broth mixture onto the top and cover with the top crust. Cut slits into the top crust to let out the steam and bake the pot pie for 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before eating.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about an hour
Recipe Origin: allrecipes.com by Robbie Rice

Sugar Top Muffins


Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
cinnamon + sugar (for sprinkling the muffins)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl and stir till well blended. Add the beaten egg, milk, and vegetable oil and stir till just blended. Add the walnuts and stir till mixed. Pour batter into a greased (or lined) muffin tin and sprinkle each muffin with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom's cookbook

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Alice Springs Chicken


Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts
8 pieces of bacon
mushrooms
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Chicken Marinade:
1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 + 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
Whip all ingredients for 30 seconds with an electric mixer and continue with the recipe below.

Wash 3-4 chicken breast and trip off the fat. Marinade the chicken with 2/3 of the marinade for about 2 hours. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Heat a frying pan with a few tablespoons of oil until hot. Sear both sides of the chicken in the frying pan and then place the chicken in a baking dish. Saute some mushrooms in a pan with butter. Brush the chicken with some of the marinade (but save some for serving). Sprinkle the chicken with some salt, pepper, and paprika. Stack 2 pieces of cooked bacon on each chicken breast. Spoon mushrooms on chicken, spread 1/4 cup of monterey jack cheese and 1/4 cup cheddar cheese on each chicken breast. Bake chicken for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked completely. Serve with the remaining marinade.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about 30 minutes prep time + 10 minutes cooking time
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Salt Dough

Ingredients:
1/2 cup salt
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup flour

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and roll the dough into a ball. Flatten with a rolling pin and imprint with whatever design you want. Bake at 250 degrees for several hours (or until firm). Once the dough is cooled, paint and decorate however you want.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 15 minutes prep time + several hours bake time
Recipe Origin: online somewhere