Monday, October 18, 2010
Buttermilk Pancakes and Syrup
Monday, October 4, 2010
Pumpkin Cornbread
Pumpkin Cornbread (Real Mom Kitchen)
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or freshly cooked and processed)
2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 10-inch glass pie pan or 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Sift flours, baking powder, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in cornmeal.
3. In separate bowl, beat eggs lightly. Whisk in pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and molasses.
4. Make a well in the dry mixture. Add pumpkin mixture and blend batter with a few quick strokes.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cornbread is browned and the surface has a slightly springy feel.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Citrus Cream Cheese Pull Apart Rolls
Citrus Cream Cheese Pull Apart Rolls
1 package frozen roll dough — (25-ounce)
Cooking spray
1/4 cup butter or margarine — melted
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries — (such as Craisins)
OR 1/2 cup dried apricots — chopped
1 cup granulated sugar — divided
2/3 cup 1/3-less-fat cream cheese — (6 ounces) softened (I used the whole 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 cup powdered sugar
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Thaw roll dough at room temperature 30 minutes. (It usually takes longer for them to be soft enough to cut.) Cut rolls in half. Place 24 halves, cut sides down, in bottom of each of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray. Brush butter evenly over rolls. Cover; let rise in a warm place (85º), free from drafts, 30 minutes. Sprinkle with dried cranberries. Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar, cream cheese, orange juice, and egg; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Pour cream cheese mixture evenly over rolls. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and rinds. Sprinkle evenly over rolls. Cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size. (It usually takes longer to double in size.)
Preheat oven to 350º.Bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Cover with foil. Bake an additional 5 mintues or until rolls in center are done. Remove from oven; cool 15 minutes. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over rolls.
OVERNIGHT VARIATION: After pouring the cream cheese mixture over rolls, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12 hours. Gently remove plastic wrap from rolls; sprinkle with rind mixture. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. (Depending on the temperature of your kitchen it may take longer to double in size.) Proceed with recipe as directed.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Caramel Apple DIp
16 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup water
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, melt caramels with water, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in caramel mixture. Serve immediately with apple slices.
*I can't remember for the life of me who I got this recipe from. If I stole it from anyone let me know and I will give you all the glory.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Parmigiano Pumpkin Soup
Parmigiano Pumpkin Soup (American Lifestyle Magazine, October 2009)
3 slices bacon, cut into thin strips
1 large onion, cut into 1/8” dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (about 28 ounces) 100% pure pumpkin
1 quart chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ cup cream (at least 10% fat)
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley (flat-leaf)
Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and sauté until crisp and frizzled. Add the onion and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, until aromatic. Stir in the pumpkin, broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Transfer to a 5- to 6- quart slow cooker, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high, or 6 to 8 hours on low. Stir in the cream and Parmesan, and heat through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves minced
2 Tablespoons oil
2 lbs. chicken
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz can Ro-tel tomatoes w/ green chilies
4 cups chicken stock (broth is fine as well)
2 cups beef stock
1 can tomato soup
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste
tobasco to taste
In large saucepan, cook onions and garlic in the oil until soft.
Add next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer for 50 mins.
Remove chicken and shred or cut up. Return chicken to pan.
Adjust seasonings and serve soup with condiments:
-shredded jack or cheddar cheese
-sour cream
-chopped green onions
-fresh cilantro
-tortilla chips or strips
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 box spice cake mix
1 can (the size of a soup can) pumpkin puree
chocolate chips
Mix all together and drop by spoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 mins, depending on your oven. I just usually estimate and do the toothpick trick since I have never actually seen a real recipe for this but it is basically a no fail cookie.
Friday, September 17, 2010
The BEST Marinara Sauce
Marinara Sauce for Pasta (Katie B from Hershey Ward))
½ cup olive oil
1 medium onion
1 small carrot
large handful of fresh parsley or 2-3 Tbsp. dry parsley
3 to 5 cloves of garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 large can crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. dried Basil
1 16 oz. tomato sauce
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
3 tsp. capers
1 tsp. sugar
½ cup to ¾ cup of water (used to rinse out tomato sauce cans)
½ to ¾ cup chicken broth
Finely chop onion, carrot, parsley and garlic by hand or in food processor. Sauté chopped ingredients as well as basil and oregano in heated olive oil until somewhat soft. Add rest of ingredients. Simmer very slowly for 1 ½ to 3 hours. Serve over the pasta of your choice with freshly grated (not canned) Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese.
For a change of pace, you may add mushrooms, ground beef, ground Italian sausage, shrimp, etc. I always add lots of ground beef and/or sausage!!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Apple Brownies
Apple Brownies
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 large or 4 small apples, peeled and diced
granulated sugar (for sprinkling on top after baking)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Choose your pan size: either a 9 x 13 pan, two pie pans, or a pie pan and four mini-loaf pans. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and apples. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sugar.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Chicken Salsa Tacos
6-8 Chicken breasts
Jar of Salsa ( medium sized )
1c. brown sugar
Mix Salsa and brown sugar pour onto chicken breasts and cook. (Either in Crock pot or oven) Shred chicken and serve in soft flour tortillas with regular tacos mixings. (ex. sour cream, lettuce, tomato, olives, re-fried beans, etc.)
Friday, September 10, 2010
Sidewalk Chalk Paint Recipe
In container add 1/4 cup cornstarch, then 1/4 cup water, about 5-10 drops of food coloring. It might be difficult to mix at first, but it will suddenly come together (remember to put cornstarch in container first).
Grab some paintbrushes and enjoy painting before it gets too chilly!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Two Delicious Summer Recipes
Chicken Kebabs with Creamy Pesto (Cooking Light, September 2010)
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Pieces of yellow bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
Cherry tomatoes
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Red onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream
1 tablespoon commercial pesto (I used Classico)
Combine rind, 1 tablespoon juice, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Toss with bell pepper, tomatoes, chicken, and onion. Thread vegetables and chicken onto four 12” skewers. Place skewers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray (I did not do this, I grilled mine outdoors). Broil 12 minutes or until chicken is done, turning occasionally. Combine 1 teaspoon juice, yogurt, sour cream, and pesto. Serve sauce with kebabs. Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1 kebab and 1 tablespoon sauce).
Calories: 211, fat: 7.3, Protein: 27.9, Carb: 7,
Chicken Dinner Salad (Cooking Light, September 2010)
6 medium beets
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
½ cup plain 2% Greek-style yogurt
14 cup Sriracha (hot chili sauce, such as Huy Fong)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 shallot, minced (I used 1 tablespoon grated onion)
6 ears shucked corn
6 cups packed fresh spinach
4 ounces goat cheese, cut into 6 slices (I used feta)
6 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans
Leave root and 1-inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 hour or until tender. Drain. Cool beats slightly. Trim off beet roots and stems; rub off skins. Slice beets.
While beets cook, place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound to ½” thickness using a small heavy skillet. Combine yogurt and chile sauce in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag and seal. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Combine 2 tablespoons oil (I omitted), ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
Place chicken on grill rack; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Cut chicken into 1” strips.
Brush remaining 1 tablespoon oil over corn and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Grill 10 minutes or until lightly charred, turning corn occasionally. Cool. Cut kernals from eats of corn.
Place 1 cup spinach on each of 6 plates. Top each serving with chicken, 1/3 cup beats, 1/3 cup corn, 1 cheese slice and 1 tablespoon pecans. Drizzle 1 tablespoon dressing over each salad.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Big, Soft Ginger Cookies
Big Soft Ginger Cookies
• 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
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Makes 2 dozen.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Oatmeal Crispies
Cream Together:
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup white sugar
1 Cup shortening
Mix in,
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 cups oatmeal
Bake at 350 for 10-12 min.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Beef and Cheese Manicotti
This recipe is in my top 3. It is pure deliciousness. It’s so good, you just sit there and savor. SAVOR people. The first time I made this it seemed a bit time consuming, so naturally I was ticked and swore I would never make it again. But once I tasted it, it was worth it – and now it goes pretty fast. It is a Giada recipe care of Danielle. Huge plus: the manicotti freezes well.
- 1/2 pound ground beef (I use turkey)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (from one onion)
- 1 (15 oz) container whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- 12 pieces of manicotti pasta (from one 8 oz box)
- 1 1/2 cups Marinara Sauce (I just use plain canned tomato sauce)
Heat a medium size skillet over medium. Add ground beef and onion and saute until meat browns and onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in the meat mixture and set aside.
Brush 1 teaspoon olive oil over large baking sheet. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook manicotti until softened, about 6 minutes. Transfer manicotti to baking sheet and cool.
Preheat oven to 350. Brush remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over 13x9x2 glass baking dish. Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce over bottom of prepared dish. Fill manicotti with cheese-meat mixture. (I put the filling in a ziplock and cut the corner to fill the manicotti.) Arrange filled pastas in a single layer in dish. Spoon remaining cup of sauce over manicotti. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and then the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese over the manicotti.
Bake uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the bottom of the dish, about 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Quick & Easy Tatziki
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Cantaloupe Salad with Lime, Mint & Ginger
Marinated Mushrooms with Blue Cheese
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 cup vegetable oil (I always use canola oil)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 coup white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
hot sauce to taste (I use Frank's)
2 cups fresh mushrooms, stems removed
In a medium bowl, mix together the blue cheese, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, seasoning salt, sugar, dry mustard and hot sauce. Stir in the mushrooms. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours before serving.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
CoCa Cola Frosting
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Nutella pizza

Brush the dough with butter, then bake until the crust is crisp and pale golden brown, about 20 minutes. Immediately spread the Nutella over the pizza then sprinkle all the chocolate chips and banana over.
Guacamole
Sunday, May 23, 2010
TO DIE FOR Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Icing
Listen party people. This is my all time favorite dessert (and I only discovered it a year ago after moving to Hershey, PA). I can not begin to describe the deliciousness of this cake. For all of you that have had chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting at the Hershey Pantry - you know what I am talking about. And you know life will never be the same. For those who haven't - stop what you are doing and make this cake! I don't know who came up with such a brilliant combo - maybe it was someone here who was smelling Reese's in the air. But we gotta get the word out. Here we go.....
- 2 C sugar
- 3/4 C oil
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 C cocoa
- 1 1/2 C boiling water
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 C flour
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2 C crisco
- 3/4 C peanut butter
- 1/2 C butter
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- 1/4 C + 2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 1/2 lb. powdered sugar
- 1/2 C chocolate chips
- 1/4 C heavy whipping cream
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Pizza pizza pizza
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Coconut Cake
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sweet and Sour Chicken
1/4 C. chicken broth
4 Tbs ketchup
3/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. vinegar
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt
3-4 eggs, mixed in a bowl
garlic salt
corn starch
oil
3 chicken breasts
Cut chicken into pieces. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Roll in cornstarch, dip in eggs. Heat oil in pan until hot. Brown chicken in pan until light brown. Place in a casserole dish.
Heat sauce in a small saucepan until sugar melts, don't boil. Pour over chicken.
Bake at 375 for 30 mins. Stir once after 15 mins. to coat all sides of chicken. Serves 4-5 people.
From my friend Natalie E.