French Toast Souffle

An overnight french toast that you don't need any extra syrup with.. IT IS GOOD!

• 3/4 to 1 loaf Texas Toast or French Bread
• 9X13 greased pan.

Squish the bread to fit in the pan.

Combine

• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 c. half and half
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Pour over the bread and put in the fridge.

NEXT DAY

Mixrowave ofr 30 seconds so it is easier to stir

• 5 Tbsp. Butter soft
• 1/2 c. + 1 big Tbsp. Brown Sugar

Mix in 2 Tbsp. Corn syrup

Spread past over bread

Bakd uncovered at 305 degrees for 40 min. until puffy & golden brown

Spud Nut Doughnuts

Here is the full recipe. It is too much for my kitchenaid stand mixer, but enough for a crowd. I usually do 1/2 the recipe, it does at least 3 cookie sheets full of donuts. Invite some friends over for a donut party (or give some away) and enjoy!

Stir together, let soften:
2 T yeast
1/2 C warm water

meanwhile, mix
1 quart (4 cups) milk, scalded & slightly cooled
1/2 C shortening, softened (NOT oil)
2 C mashed potatoes
3/4 C sugar
2 T salt

then slowly add
3 eggs, beaten

then add yeast mixture

mix in
12 cups of flour, 3 cups at a time (The directions say to mix first 3 C with mixer, the rest with a wooden spoon, gently. Don't knead. I just use my kitchenaid)

Let dough rise until double (1 1/2-2 hrs) then stir down. Roll out on a floured surface until 3/4 inch thick. Don't overwork with rolling pin. Don't add flour or over mix the dough.

Cut with doughnut cutter. Or, you can make twists, bizmarks, long johns, etc. Allow to rise after cutting for 1/2 hour or so until double. Here is a picture of ours rising.

Put on an apron if you haven't yet! Fry in hot grease until lightly brown. Turn them over so both sides are cooked. Put on a brown paper sack to drain (I put a sack on a cookie sheet). While they are still hot, frost.

We like to frost and sprinkle, leave plain, or sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top. You could even make a maple frosting if you want (I'm usually lazy and use the can stuff for these)

*I use potato pearls/instant potato and they work just as well as "the real thing" Also, I have used powdered milk: I put the milk powder in when I'm mixing the flour in, but I put the liquid for the powdered milk in when it calls for the milk.

P.S. They taste the best when they are fresh. Day 2 is ok, but day 3 throw them away!

Spinach-Tortellini Soup

2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. Butter
1 32 oz box chicken broth
8-oz. pkg. tortellini
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. cumin
10-oz pkg. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
16-oz can stewed, chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 lrg. can tomato sauce
Bacon crumbled I usually do 5-6 slices
Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese


In large saucepan, over medium heat, saute garlic in butter for 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and tortellini, heat to boiling. Reduce heat, add peppers and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach and tomatoes; continue to simmer an additional 5 minutes. Add bacon stir. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese to taste. Makes 6 to 8 servings

Swiss Chicken in the Crockpot

Chicken enough for your family
1 can cream of Chicken
1/3 c. milk
Swiss cheese slices
1 package stove top stuffing
1/2 a cube of butter

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Put in chicken the cheese slices, the soup mixed with the milk, and then the stove-top. The slice butter and out over stove top. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is cooked through. I love this recipe it was pretty tasty!

Salsa Chicken - Crockpot

This recipe came from my neighbor Chandra Farnsworth. It is good and easy - a great combination! We eat it on a tortilla with some cheese on top. Its also good with rice, either in the tortilla with it all or served with the chicken on top of rice.

1 C salsa
1 C sour cream
chicken

Put all in crockpot and cook. Shred chicken, put back in juice, and enjoy!

Poppy Seed Bread

I can't NOT post this recipe. This bread is to die for! It was served at my baby shower and I have eaten practically a whole loaf by myself! The recipe is from my friends Cheryl Burrows and her daughter Holley Searle. Enjoy (and try to share?)!

1 egg
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup oil
2 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 tsp butter (melted)
3 Tbsp. poppy seeds
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk

Makes 2 loaves. Mix all ingredients, pour into two loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Test with toothpick.

Make glaze with powdered sugar and lemon juice. Spread on loaves when cool.

Linda's Fresh Fruit (Peach) Pie

This is Aunt Linda's fresh fruit (peach) pie recipe. Its way good. If you make it too often, you can't blame me for the extra pounds!

Make a single layer pie crust and cook it. Let it cool. Wash, peel, and cut your fruit, and place it in your crust. Then follow directions below, but don't wait too long or you will have brown fruit.

1 1/2 C sugar
1/4 C cornstarch
Mix in a pot, then add
1 1/2 C water
Bring to a boil, stirring, then remove from heat.
Add 1 small package jello* (just the powder, don't follow jello directions)
Stir and let it thicken a little bit.

Pour over fruit in crust.
Put in fridge for at least 2 hours (although it usually takes my pie more like 4 or 5 to be set). You may want to put a plate under it for it to drip on or you'll be cleaning your fridge!

We like to put cool whip or whipping cream on our pie!

TIPS:
You can use whatever flavor of jello you want to. I like to use raspberry jello with my peach pie, or peach jello depending on my mood.

You really could make this a strawberry pie, or some other fruit, but I personally think peach is the best (my family would probably really like strawberry, but why make a pie if you can't eat it?) Although, I should make it a raspberry pie sometime, that would be even more heavenly!

If I make this in my regular pie plate, it always overflows. I have started making it in my deep-dish style pie plate and it fits in the pie plate better.

I usually use 5-7 peaches, depending on how big they are.

I have noticed that the pie still looks good on day 2, but on day 3 it starts to look ugly and get a little bit of a "different" texture to it - so don't try to save it too long. Just enjoy it! Give in! Eat all you want/can, or at least have some friends over to share it with in the first place! You can always make another one on day 4 (if not sooner)!

Mom-O's Banana Bread

This is my mom's banana bread recipe that she gave me. I like this one.. it makes 2 big loves or 4 small. I normally do 1 big and 2 small.


2-3 Bananas
3 T. oil
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. milk
1 egg
2 1/2 c. flour
3 1/3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
Chocolate chips (it isn't banana bread without them!)

Mix together and put in greased and floured pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 + (large loves) or 30+ (small ones) Times are estimates. I just bake until I know there are done. (toothpick it!)

Refried Beans in the Crockpot

I signed up to take refried beans to the ward taco night, having heard you could make refried beans in the crockpot. They turned out pretty good, and way cheaper than buying cans to warm up. Here is the "recipe"

dry pinto beans
water
beef boullion
salt
onion salt

Sort and rinse pinto beans. Put in crockpot - NOT turned on - overnight to soak, with water a few inches over the beans. In the morning drain beans and put in fresh water, covering beans completely. Cook on low all day (6 hours or so), adding water periodically to keep the beans covered. Use a potato masher or blender to mash the beans. Add beef boullion, salt, and onion salt to taste. We added a little oil to our beans, too. Jim said we should really have some bacon grease or something to make them a little more authentic. But, they turned out pretty good!

I did one full (1 lb?) bag of beans in my larger round crockpot, and the pot overflowed. Next time I will use my big oval crockpot. It made TONS, but you can put it in containers and freeze them for later.

Cherry Bars!

At Lisa's request. I hope this helps with that craving! I personally would do raspberry. But if you like the cherry do the cherry.

Cherry Bars
2 Cubes Margarine
1 ¾ c. Sugar
3 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
21 oz cherry or other pie filling.
½ - 1 tsp. salt

Cream margarine, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour, salt, and Baking Powder. Grease and flour large cookie sheet. Spread with 2/3 of the batter. Put pie filling on top of batter. then drop remaining batter by tablespoonful on top of this.
Bake at 350° for 35-45 min.

Frosting: 1 c. Powdered Sugar
2 Tbsp. Milk
½ tsp. Almond Extract

Oriental Chicken in the Crockpot

This is one of the easiest crockpot meals, and it tastes SOO good. My neighbor even said it tastes like something from Panda Express! However, it isn't so asian that you can't use the chicken in a chicken salad or something if you wanted to. Cook lots, cause you'll wish you had even more leftovers!

1/2 C honey
1/2 C soy sauce
chicken
optional (I never do it) 2 T sessame seeds

Put chicken in crockpot, sauce (with seeds mixed in) on top, cook till done. Maybe 4-6 hrs on low? I put my frozen chicken in the crockpot before noon, cook on low, and eat dinner around 5 or 6. This amount of sauce will be enough for more chicken than you think, but if you want more just do equal parts of honey and soy sauce.

Eat it with rice. Enjoy!

(FYI, it is from the "Fix It and Forget It" cookbook)

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is great because you just cook it in a crock pot!

4-6 Chicken Breasts
4-6 Slices of your favorite Deli Ham ( I use Apple wood smoked Ham)
4-6 slices of Swiss Cheese
1 can cream of chicken
3 T. Milk

Pound out your chicken breasts until flat. Then layer with ham and cheese. Roll up and secure with a toothpick.

Brown Chicken rolls in a pan with a little olive oil.

Put browned chicken into the crock pot. Mix Cream of Chicken soup and milk together, pour onto the top of your chicken.

Cook on Low for 5-6 hours!

I usually serve this with a salad and some fruit!

Cake in a Mug!!! Fast and easy!

This is a really easy and fast treat to have on hand. And kids love helping to make it.

First make the mix:
in a big bag (Ziploc) put 1 angle food cake mix and 1 other flavor cake mix (any flavor, I like chocolate) Shake to combine it all together.

When you are ready for a small personal cake measure 1/3 c. mix into a coffee/Hot chocolate mug. Add 3 T. Water and mix. If you want you can put candy pieces, chocolate chips, etc. in the mix/water mixture. Place in microwave and cook for 1 min. Then turn it over on your plate and eat! Really good with Ice Cream! (but everything is)

Tip:Microwave with something under it, My cakes boil over.

Breakfast for Dinner

After a hard day with the four girls I had today we made breakfast for dinner. We had

• Scrambled eggs
• Pancakes (with sweet potatoes, bananas or chocolate chips (well the chocolate chips could go with the other two)
• Muffins
• Juice
• Milk
• Sliced fruit

Sound like a lot, but Maddie and Adrian did a lot including Making a "forest" (fort) in the living room to eat in.

Chicken Devon

I am sure we all have the recipe but it is a good way to use left over chicken and rice. So you need

• Rice
• Chicken
• Broccoli
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1/2 t. lemon juice
• 1/4-1/2 t. curry powder
• 1/2 c. Mayo
• Cheese
• Bread Crumbs

Layer your pre-cooked Rice, Chicken and Broccoli. Mix the measured ingredients. Put that mixture on top of rice.chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs (I never do bread crumbs.) Heat in oven or microwave.

This time when I made it I made two 9x9 pans. One I froze for some time when I may need it. It also used up all my left over rice that Adrian and Maddie made (Maddie told him how to make it, so we had a lot :) )

Looking for good ideas!

Have you ever wondered what you were going to cook for dinner? Or what someone else made for their dinner? Or if they liked what they fixed? I always am. So, here is a place where we can share our ideas and give our reviews. Please leave a comment if you would like to join in this quest for new meal ideas. Then I will contact you and we will begin sharing our ideas here on this blog!