Chocolate Trifle Sauce

3/4 C. Whipping Cream
2 T. Butter
2 C. Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1 tsp. Vanilla

Put butter and cream in a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until cream is hot. Do NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Let it melt then whisk until smooth and add vanilla. Excellent treat on top of your favorite ice cream!

Veggie Tostadas

Corn tortillas
Refried Beans

Toppings:

Cheese, shredded
Lettuce, shredded
Tomatoes, diced
Red onion, chopped
Salsa
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Avocado, chopped
Fresh lime juice

1. Turn on the oven to broil. Spray both sides of the corn tortillas with cooking spray. Place tortillas on a baking sheet. Broil for 5-7 minutes. Turn them over once. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from oven and let cool.
2. Prepare your toppings. Heat up the refried beans in a microwave safe bowl. Stir.
3. Take a corn tortilla and spread refried beans over the top. Add whatever toppings you like.
4. Enjoy!
*Note-you can add meat if you want extra protein. Also, feel free to add other toppings like olives, jalapenos, diced green chilies, corn, etc.

Thai-Style Coconut Chicken

Prep: 25 minutes Cook: 7 minutes ~ Yields 4 servings

Expect the dish to resemble a very flavorful broth which is typical of many Thai dishes. Like your Thai food quite hot? Just add another chili or two.

Ingredients:

1 T vegetable oil

1 lb chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

1 t grated lime peel

1 t grated gingerroot

1 clove garlic, minced

2 fresh Serrano chilies or 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and finely chopped (I would recommend doing more)

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 can (about 14 oz.) coconut milk

1 t packed brown sugar

1/2 t salt

1 T soy sauce

curry powder (I don't have an amount for you since the recipe doesn't call for it. We added this and it was delicious!! It's nice for some extra flavor)

1 cup sugar snap pea pods

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch cubes (the recipe calls for green peppers - but I prefer red)

1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup - I left this out because Matt hates tomatoes and it was still good)

1 T chopped fresh basil leaves (I also left this out)

Hot cooked jasmine rice

Directions:
1. In nonstick wok or 12 inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Add lime peel, gingerroot, garlic, chilies, and cilantro; stir-fry 1 minute.

2. Pour coconut milk over chicken. Stir in brown sugar, salt, soy sauce, (curry powder if desired), pea pods and bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in tomato.

3. Spoon into shallow serving bowls over rice; top with basil.

Caribbean Black Beans

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 10 minutes ~ Yields 5 servings

Ingredients:
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 t vegetable oil
1 medium papaya peeled, seeded and diced (about 1 1/2 cups) I substituted with mangos
1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped (1 cup)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (about 1/2 medium onion - I left this out since Matt isn't a huge fan of red onions)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 t ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 cloves garlic, minced
(We also added some grated ginger - about as much as the minced garlic - this is optional)
5 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:
In 10 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook all ingredients - EXCEPT the black beans and rice - in oil for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Stir in beans. Cook about 5 minutes or until hot. Serve with rice.

Chicken Pasta w/ Broccoli & Garlic Cream Sauce

2 Chicken Breasts
1 Can Chicken Broth
1 Can Evaporated Milk
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1/4 Diced Onion
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 T Flour
Salt & Pepper
3 C. Steamed Broccoli Florets(I use the frozen kind)
12 oz. Pkg. Fettuccine or other favorite pasta


1. Dice and fry the chicken & set aside
2. Saute onion and garlic in large sauce pan with a little bit of olive oil
3. Add chicken broth & evaporated milk
4. Combine sour cream and flour & whisk in until smooth consistency
5. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened
6. Salt & Pepper to taste
7. Add cooked chicken
8. Add steamed broccoli
9. Combine sauce mixture & noodles and enjoy

Strawberry Cheesecake Crepes

Crepes:
1 ½ C. Flour
1 T. Sugar
½ tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Salt
2 C. Warm Milk
2 Eggs
½ tsp. Vanilla
2 T. Melted Butter

Mix all ingredients together. Pour a small amount on a hot skillet and swirl it around to thin it out. Cook until nearly golden and then flip.

Filling:
1 (4 ounce) Package Cream Cheese (softened)
1/4 C. Powdered Sugar
1 T. Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Lemon Zest
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 C. Heavy Cream (whipped)
Sliced Strawberries

1. Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla in a bowl.
2. Fold in the whipped cream.
3. Add 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture and some strawberries in the crepe, roll, sprinkle with powdered sugar, & serve.

Optional syrup:
1/2 C. Butter
¾ C. Buttermilk or Whip Cream
1 C. Sugar
½ tsp. Baking Soda
½-1 tsp. Almond Extract(depending on how you like it)

Place butter, buttermilk and sugar in a pot. Turn stove on medium and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil one minute. Remove from heat and add soda and flavoring. It will bubble up; just continue to stir and give it a few minutes for the 'fizz' to reduce before serving.

Parmesan Alfredo Sauce

1/2 C. Butter
1/2 C. Evaporated Milk or Heavy Cream
3/4 C. Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp. Salt
Dash of Pepper

Heat butter and evaporated milk on low heat in a sauce pan until butter is melted. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Continue stirring until thickened. Serve over 8 oz fettuccine or other noodles. Sometimes I add shredded chicken to the sauce also.

BBQ Chicken Salad

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2-1 cup BBQ sauce (to your liking)

1/2 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 head Iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 Avocados, diced

shredded cheese, Mexican blend or cheddar

crispy tortilla strips

Stir shredded chicken in with the BBQ sauce until well coated. Toss together the lettuce, cilantro, corn, beans, and chopped veggies. Top with shredded chicken, cheese and crispy tortilla strips. Drizzle ranch or cilantro lime dressing over salad and enjoy!

Oreo Cookie Turkeys

A yummy Thanksgiving craft for the kids...

Cookie Supplies:
Oreos
Candy Corn
M&M Minis (separate out the red ones)
Chocolate frosting
Bell shaped chocolates

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream together:

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

Then add:

1 cup pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

Sift together dry ingredient then add to above wet mixture.

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp salt

Add 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Allow to cool then frost. (Optional: top with chopped walnuts)

Icing:

In saucepan, heat 3 Tb butter and 1/2 brown sugar over medium to med-high heat until bubbling and thick. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup milk. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

2 packages reduced sodium Stuffing mix

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 lb sliced deli ham, cut into 1 inch strips
1 cup swiss cheese shredded

2 cups cheddar cheese shredded

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

Prepare stuffing mixes according to directions on box. In a bowl, combine soup and milk. Put chicken in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with pepper. Layer with ham, swiss cheese and 1 cups of cheddar cheese, soup mixture and stuffing. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Cover and bake at 350º for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer.

Chewy Ginger Snaps

2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. shortening

2 eggs

1/2 c. molasses

4 c. flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 pkg. white chocolate chips (optional)

Mix first four ingredients well, then add the remaining ingredients. Roll into balls and roll in sugar. Bake at 350º for 11 to 13 minutes.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded

Sauce:

1/3 C honey

1/4 C lime juice

1 T chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 to 2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce
shredded monterey jack cheese

flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray, depending on how thick you stuff your enchiladas. Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350º for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy.

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
3 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat oven to 400°

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill 10 minutes.

3. Combine buttermilk and honey, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times. Roll dough into a (1/2-inch-thick) 9 x 5–inch rectangle; dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds (as if folding a piece of paper to fit into an envelope). Reroll dough into a (1/2-inch-thick) 9 x 5–inch rectangle; dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds; gently roll or pat to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 1 3/4-inch biscuit cutter to form 14 dough rounds. Place dough rounds, 1 inch apart, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan; cool 2 minutes on wire racks. Serve warm.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

Here is the recipe for the laundry soap I have been using....and it is so cheap and works really well! I am really posting it here so I can have a quick place to refer back to the recipe each time I run out:) Thanks Lacie!

1 Bar Fels Naptha Laundry Bar Soap
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
Water

Grate the bar soap & dissolve in 4 cups water on medium-low heat in medium saucepan. Pour melted soap into 5 gallon bucket. Add washing soda & borax, stir. Fill to top with hot water and mix well. Cover. Let set overnight. Stir again. Fill a 1 gallon jug (milk jug works well) 1/2 full of concentrate, 1/2 water. Shake a couple times. Ready to use 1/2 cup-1 cup per load.

Crockpot Counrty Style Pork Ribs

3 lbs. Country Style Pork Ribs, boneless
1 1/2 C. Ketchup
2 T. Dijon Mustard
1/4 C. Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Red Wine Vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. Liquid Smoke Flavoring
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder


Directions
1. Trim excess fat from ribs.
2. In a large skillet, brown ribs on all sides in oil.
3. Put ribs in the crockpot and cover with sliced onion.
4. In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients; pour over ribs and onions.
5. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Stirring occasionally.
6. Shred meat with 2 forks when done.

Chicken Taco Salad

Simple recipe, but one of my favorite foods:)

2 Chicken Breasts
Taco Bowls
Romaine Lettuce, chopped
Tomatoes, diced
Olives, sliced
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream
Avacado
Tortilla Strips

Optional:
Green Onions
Black beans
Rice

Defrost chicken, cut into strips or small pieces and fry (I have shredded it and then fried it also). Add taco seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Cut up the vegetables and put in taco bowl on top of lettuce as desired. Top with sour cream, guacamole, salsa or Ranch dressing, and tortilla strips.

I get my taco bowls at Macey's premade and they work great. I have also used the tortillas that you cook yourself, for a softer shell.

Two chicken breasts is enough for about 4 salads.

For a quick taco salad you can just do the meat and vegetables but it is also good with white rice and black beans. I usually put the rice and beans on the bottom when I make it with rice and beans.

Rolos Cookies

Devils Food Cake Mix (Duncan Hines is the best!)
1/2 C. Butter flavored Crisco
2 Eggs
Handful of Powdered Sugar
1 Bag of Rolo Candies

Unwrap rolo candies and place into bowl. Set aside for later.
Cut shortening into cake mix and add in eggs. This will create a THICK dough almost the consistency of bread. Knead with hands for easiest mixing.

Roll spoonfuls of dough into balls. Squish 1 rolo candy into EACH dough ball and cover all sides of the rolo candy completely with dough so that you create a little rolo pocket.

Place 12 per cookie sheet and bake at 350º for 9 minutes.

Remove from cookie sheet and dust with powdered sugar for garnish.