Chicken Noodle Soup

Ah...I love this recipe and so do the kids. It's one of the few things they will eat! It's so delicious, warming, and healthy. It's also a good winter staple because it's helps to fight the common cold. (I read about it on the internet.) I know there are tons of ways to make it, but here's mine. It's so good that even my mom asked for my recipe! Usually it's the other way around.

INGREDIENTS:
1 garlic clove, diced
4 organic celery stalks, sliced (keep leafy ends)
3-4 large carrots, peeled and sliced (keep ends)
1/4 of a sweet onion, chopped
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
2 32oz containers of chicken broth
1 package of boneless, chicken breasts
1 bay leaf (optional)
1/2 bag of No Yolk brand egg noodles, size medium

1. In a large stock pot heat oil on medium heat. Add celery, garlic, carrots & onions and heat for about 10 minutes until tender.
2. Meanwhile in a medium pot, place chicken, salt & pepper, bay leaf, carrot ends, and celery leaf ends; cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered until chicken is no longer pink, maybe about 15 minutes. Take the chicken out, but SAVE THE BROTH; discarding the bay leaf, carrot and celery ends.
3. Once vegetables are tender add chicken broth from containers as well as the broth from cooking the chicken, but use a strainer. Bring this all to a boil and add the noodles. Shred, don't cut the chicken and add it to the soup. Let everything simmer for 25 minutes. Serve when ready.
4. Soup is always better the next day, so heat some up for lunch with a yummy grilled cheese. Grilled cheese with zucchini.

White Bean & Tomato Salad

This is a great salad to bring as a side to a party, holiday dinner, picnic or gathering with friends. It's really tasty and simple. I am looking for another opportunity to make it again soon!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lb new potatoes, unpeeled (I couldn't find "new" potatoes, so I bought a bag of small round ones that were yellow in color and the size of a child's fist.)
2 15oz cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 lb ripe tomatoes, chopped (I used Campari tomatoes and they were perfect)
4 scallions, diced
A bunch (handful) of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, squeezed
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a large pot bring potatoes and water to a boil. Salt the water once boiled. Cook potatoes for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl place beans, tomatoes, scallions and parsley. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt & pepper.
3. Once cool enough to handle, slice the potatoes in half. Pull the skin off with your fingers and cut into small chunks. Add cut potatoes to tomato mixture. Mix well and add more salt & pepper if needed. Serve at room temperature.

NOTE: You can make this a day ahead of time. About 1-2 hours before you are ready to serve it, take it out of the fridge and bring it up to room temperature. Stir well and drizzle with a tad more olive oil if it seems a little on the dry side.

Julia's spaghetti

I first had this in the kitchen of my dear friend Julia Webb. They have since moved back down south, but I miss her dearly. Julia made this delicious dinner for us one night. I wrote it down and it's been a dinner staple ever since.

INGREDIENTS:
2 TBSP EV olive oil
1 lb chicken breasts
1/2 of a small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 zucchini, roughly chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
(any other vegetables you love or want to add)
1 jar of your favorite sauce or 1 batch of Giada's DeLaurentiis Marinara Sauce
Pasta of your choice, although it works well with spaghetti
Shredded mozzarella cheese

1. In a large skillet heat the olive oil and cook the chicken until no longer pink. Cut into chunks and set aside. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the box. For the last 3-4 minutes add the broccoli. Drain and rinse pasta and broccoli when cooked.
2. In the same large skillet that cooked the chicken (don't clean the pan), saute the onion in a bit of olive oil. Add the pasta sauce, zucchini (still raw), broccoli and chicken. Heat through.
3. Serve the spaghetti, on each plate layering with mozzarella and then the pasta sauce mixture; that way the cheese melts well.

Giada DeLaurentiis Marinara Sauce

I love this sauce. This sauce changed everything for me. I used to exclusively buy jar sauce until I had this sauce and discovered how easy it is to make. Ok I still have a jar or two in the pantry for when I'm feeling lazy or when I haven't planned ahead for dinner.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled & finely chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
2, 32 oz cans crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves

1. In a large stock pot heat oil. Add garlic, onion, celery & carrots and saute for about 10 minutes until they become tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and bay leaves. Simmer for one hour over low heat, uncovered, until the sauce thickens.
2. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Season with more salt & pepper to taste. Let cool for 20-30 minutes and puree in the blender. Serve with your favorite pasta.
(Can be made one day ahead.)

Carrot Bars

My mom got an Amish recipe book as a gift for her birthday. I was flipping through it and found this recipe. I made it tonight for some Chinese friends that came over for dinner. I ate a large second piece after they left; I had to have more.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs beaten

1 cup shredded carrots (3 large carrots, peeled & grated)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional), finely chopped (and some additionally to sprinkle on top as a garnish)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 lb powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese
4 TBSP butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan. Blend sugar, oil and eggs. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and stir to blend. Add carrots and nuts and stir until batter is smooth.
2. Bake for 30-33 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before frosting.

3. For frosting: Cream together sugar, cream cheese, and butter. Stir in vanilla. Spread evenly over carrot cake. Sprinkle with finely chopped nuts (optional).

Butternut Squash and Smoked Turkey Sausage Soup

I made this soup the other night. It was a combination of leftovers and wanting to use a butternut squash I had bought. By the way, butternut squash in soups are AMAZING!!!! The flavor is so sweet and delicious. Not overly sweet, but perfectly sweet like nature intended. So here's how I made it...

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 of a sweet onion, sweetly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped and sitting at room temp for 10 min for the cancer-fighting agents to come out (I read that in Real Simple's Magazine.)
1 package of smoked turkey sausage, cut in quarters (usually in the isle with the hot dogs)
6 cups of chicken broth, low sodium if you can (the sausage is very salty)
1 large zucchini cut in quarters
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 butternut squash, chopped
1/2 lb cooked pasta of your choice, I used left over penne and cut it into thirds.

1.  To prepare a butternut squash, simply peel the outer skin with a peeler. Cut off the top and the bottom of the squash. Stand the squash on its bottom and cut it in half length wise. Scoop out the inside pulp with a spoon. Cut the squash into smaller pieces.
2. In a large stock pot heat olive oil. Once heated add onion, garlic and sausage. Saute for 5-7 minutes until sausage is slightly browned. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiled add zucchini, carrots, and squash. Simmer with a lid for approx 20 minutes, until squash is tender. Add cooked pasta about 10 minutes before serving just to warm it and for it to soak in the flavor.

Pumpkin Cake/Bread

This recipe is tried and true. It's from my mother-in-law. It's so yummy and it makes 2 loaves; one for you and one for a neighbor! Plus it's easy and you have most of the ingredients in your pantry already!

INGREDIENTS:
3 c flour
2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 c canned pumpkin
1 1/2 c oil
4 eggs
3/4 c chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in pumpkin, oil and eggs. Mix until blended.
2. Grease 2 bread loaf pans. Spread mixture evenly into both bread pans and bake for 45 min.

Pork Tenderloin in the Crock Pot

Oh how I love this recipe. It's so tasty, so delish, and perfect for the cooler weather. It's my mom's recipe so of course it's so good. Please bear with me because I never measure the ingredients for this recipe and you don't need to. Those of you who need to, just try it this way and it will be ok.

INGREDIENTS:
- Pork Tenderloin
- Hellman's Mayonnaise,
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- Pepper

1. Set the crock pot to low and set it for at least 6-8 hours. Perfect for a "before you leave for work" kinda thing. In the bottom of the crock pot spoon a heaping glob (yes, I believe that is a measure word) of mayonnaise using a large spoon from your silverware drawer. Rinse off that spoon and use it to measure out the dijon mustard. Don't make it so heaping, but do make it a glob. Place the pork on top of that. Drizzle the honey over the loins, about 1 Tbsp worth. Press your garlic and place that on the pork. Season with pepper. You don't really need salt because the pork is already salty, but add some if you wish. Now take that spoon and smother the mayo/mustard mixture over the top of the pork so it can all marinate. Put the lid on and come back when your hungry for dinner. The meat will just fall apart with the touch of a fork. It's beautiful and so tasty.
Serve the pork with your favorite side dishes; rice, couscous (from a box) or potatoes, and some yummy veggies!

Creamy Chicken with zucchini and corn

Making dinner last night went like this, "What should I make?" Open the fridge,"What's in the fridge?" Closing the refrigerator door, "Oh I don't know." Open the fridge again, "Ok I have corn to use up, zucchini and I took chicken out of the freezer last night." 

As I took the ingredients out of the fridge I quickly came up with a yummy dinner. I totally made it up, but it was so good, even as leftovers today, that I decided to write it down for myself to make again and post it here. It's simple, not that good for you, but delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

1 box of pasta, your choice of the shape. (I used bowtie.)

1 package of boneless chicken breasts

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 tub whipped cream cheese or 4 oz regular cream cheese

1 zucchini (or 1/2 depending on the size) cut into quarters

2 corns on the cob

1/2 bell pepper either yellow, orange or red diced

Fresh shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, about 1/3 cup worth

Salt & Pepper

1. In a stock pot boil salted water for the corn and the pasta. Once boiled add the pasta and corn. Boil the corn for 12 minutes and time the pasta accordingly. (My pasta said 11 minutes so I did both the pasta and corn for 11 minutes.) Once cooked pull out corn and set aside; drain and rinse pasta. Cut the corn off the cob and set aside.

2. Mean while in a large skillet place 2 Tbsp of cream cheese, garlic and chicken in a frying pan. Set the heat to medium low, cover with a lid and cook. A few minutes in to cooking the chicken add approx 4 Tbsp of water to help cook the chicken but not burn the cream cheese. Once the chicken is cooked removed from pan to the cutting board. Mean while in the same skillet add zucchini and bell pepper. Salt and pepper this to taste. Also add 1-2 more Tbsp of cream cheese. Cook until vegetables are soft about 4-5 minutes. Then add the cut up chicken and corn to vegetable mixture. Add shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese. Stir well. Add 1-2 Tbsp more of cream cheese IF NEEDED.

3. In a large serving bowl place pasta and skillet mixture. Stir very well until all coated. Serve hot. Feeds approx 6 people.

Orzo with Chicken, Corn, and Green beans

I made this tonight for the first time and throughout the whole meal all I could think about was posting it to the blog. Yum, yum, and yum! Oh and did I mention it's easy and the kids love it. Total win!
One thing is very important about this dinner though. Are you ready? It's ALL ABOUT THE CORN. Trust me. Don't use frozen. You will notice a difference if you use fresh. (Disclaimer: I've only made it this way, not with frozen, but it did taste amazing this way.)
I bought bi-colored corn on the cob at the growers market on Saturday. It was so incredibly sweet and delicious in this meal! It totally made it amazing.
By the way, it's out of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food cookbook, with a tweak.

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 box orzo pasta
- 1 package of fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
- 3 ears of corn on the cob
- 1 package of chicken breasts
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 Tbsp pesto
- Olive oil
- Salt & Pepper

1. In a large skillet place 1 Tbsp of pesto. Add chicken and stir it around to coat well. Cook on med heat until no longer pink, covered so it stays juicy.
2. Meanwhile, boil water for the pasta and cook according to package. Also in a separate pot cook corn. (Once salted water is boiled, add corn and cook for approx 10 min.) For the last 3 minutes of cooking the corn add the green beans. Drain everything well. Rinse the pasta and place in large serving bowl. Set corn aside. Cut green beans into bite sized pieces; add to orzo.
3. Stand the corn on end and slice it off the cob over a cutting board. In a small skillet heat olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper. Add corn and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes; add to orzo.
4. Once the chicken is fully cooked, shred it and add to orzo. Drizzle everything with some swigs of olive oil, add salt & pepper, stir well, and serve. This meal can be served at room temp or cold.

Grilled cheese with Zucchini

It's summer and that means zucchini! I think we eat zucchini at least twice a week; on pizza, with pasta or just sauteed as a side. Here's a go at a delicious lunch I made the other day. Oh man, I could have eaten two sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS:
- 2 slices of really good bread, like from your favorite bakery. (Don't use regular sandwich bread.)
- 3-4 slices of monterey jack cheese (like the block cheese from the food store)
- 7-8 slices of zucchini, sauteed
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- salt & pepper
- butter

1. In a small pan heat the olive oil. Add the zucchini. Season with a bit of garlic powder, salt & pepper. Stir occasionally for a couple of minutes until tender.
2. Meanwhile butter the bread and cut the cheese. In the same pan, clean it if you wish, place the bread, cheese, zucchini and second slice of bread. Cover with a lid so the cheese melts well. Only turn the sandwich once. Serve with your favorite sides. Mine are chips & a pickle!

Butternut Squash and Chicken Sausage over rice

I completely made up this recipe myself. I originally made the squash, craisins and onions as a side. Then I thought of making it into a meal. If you try it and like it, great! If you make your own changes, perfect! That's what sharing recipes is all about.

INGREDIENTS:
Al Fresco (the name of a brand) Chicken Sausages
1 med sized Butternut squash
1/2 - 3/4 cup of craisins
1/2 large onion, diced
1 or 2 cup of rice (depending on the rice and how many you are serving)

1. Take the sausages out of the packaging and slice them into approx 1/2 slices. In a large skillet heat up 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the sausages and cook until no longer pink. Meanwhile cook rice according to package.

2. With a vegetable peeler, peel the butternut squash. Cut off both ends and then slice it half. Spoon out the seeds and discard.  Cut the squash into bite size chunks. Once the chicken is cooked, set aside. In the same pan add the squash; season with salt & pepper. Cook on med to low heat, covered and stirring occasionally. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft and tender.

3.  Add onion and saute 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add craisins and chicken sausages and heat through. Serve over rice.

Summer Mexican Salad

This dish makes a great appetizer for parties. Make it a meal by serving it with quinoa. Quinoa is considered a superfood. In just 1 cup of this grain you'll get 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt

2 (15oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cuos frozen corn or 4 cobbs of corn, cooked and shaved
1 avocado, diced
1 yellow bell pepper
1/2 container of grape tomatoes, cut in half
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 container of feta cheese (optional)
1 bag of tortilla chips

1. Combine lime juice, olive oil, garlic & salt in a small bowl. Shake well and set aside.

2. Combine beans, corn, avocado, pepper, tomatoes, green onions and optional feta in a large serving bowl.   Pour dressing over salad and serve at room temperature. Can be made one day ahead of time. Refrigerate and let sit out about 30 minutes to serve at room temperature. Stir well before serving.

Summer Corn Chowder

This is an excellent soup in summer or winter. I must say that unless you have air-conditioning, save it for a cooler day. Feeds 4-6.

INGREDIENTS:
- 6-8 slices of bacon, I like turkey bacon because it's meatier and healthier.
-1/4 of a large onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 large russet potatoes, chopped
- 2 large sweet potatoes, chopped
- 3 corn on the cobb stalks, shucked, cooked and sliced down in a bowl
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk or cream (I used whole milk and it tasted great.)
salt & pepper to taste
1 sprig of rosemary

1. Cook the bacon according to the packaging. (I find cooking it in the oven is wonderful. Easy and much cleaner.) Chop bacon into small pieces.
2. In a large stock pot heat olive oil. Add carrots, onion and garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Heat about 8-10 minutes until soft and tender. Add broth, bacon and potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
3. Stir in whole milk or cream and corn. Add the sprig of rosemary and let simmer for about another 20 minutes. Serve hot with your favorite side of a salad and/or bread.

Easy as 1, 2, 3 chicken tacos

I am not kidding you; this is the easiest meal you will ever make. And it's so tasty! It is 3 ingredients, sort of, and just 3 steps!!! It's good for casual dinner guests because it goes a long way too.

INGREDIENTS:
1. one package of chicken breasts
2. one jar of salsa
3. one taco seasoning packet

Step 1. Get out your crock pot, and plug it in. Set it to low.
Step 2. Put chicken, salsa and seasoning packet in the crockpot. Give it a good stir.
Step 3. Walk away, leave the house, go to work, whatever...when you come home for dinner it will smell so good! Oh sorry, I guess part of the 3rd step is to shred the chicken. Since it's been in the crock pot all day it will simply fall apart with 2 forks. Place it in a bowl to serve.

MORE INGREDIENTS:
bell peppers, diced
tomatoes, diced
spinach or lettuce, chopped
shredded cheese
avacado, chopped
sour cream
Trader Joe's, handmade tortillas, or which ever brand you love

Make me a Shandy!

This is my new favorite summer drink! Even if you don't like beer, try this anyway. I think you might just love it. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 very cold, Blue Moon beer

Organic lemonade, or a brand with no high fructose corn syrup

1 sprig of fresh mint

Get out a glass, fill it 2/3's of the way with beer. Add the mint and top off the glass with lemonade. You can stir if you wish. Enjoy!

Tortellini Salad

I wanted to include this recipe in time for Memorial Day. It's a delicious salad that's great for picnics, parties or even just as a side for dinner.

INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD:
16 oz bag tri-colored tortellini; cooked and drained
1 package grape tomatoes, quartered
2 handfuls spinach, roughly chopped
1 jar pimentos
1 package feta cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING:
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
4 oz honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

1. For salad, assemble ingredients in a large serving bowl and refrigerate without dressing.
2. For dressing, add ingredients to a shaker bottle and let stand on counter.
3. Pour dressing over salad 4-6 hours before serving so it has time to marinate. Refrigerate and toss thoroughly before serving.

Sugar and Spice Blueberry Crisp

With a scoop or two of ice cream, this dessert is to die for!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 pints of blueberries
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 stick butter, cut up
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl combine sugar and cornstarch. Add blueberries and lemon juice; mix well. Spoon blueberry mixture into a medium baking dish. Set aside.
2. In the same large bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Mix with a fork to form coarse crumbs. Crumble over the blueberry mixture. Cook for 35 minutes. Let cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Vegetable Bean Chowder

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
2 large sweet potatoes, chopped
1 (15 oz) can cream-style corn
1 (15 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch or flour

1. In a large stock pot heat oil. Add onion, celery and carrots; saute for about 8 minutes until tender. Add water and salt and bring to a boil Add sweet potatoes and bring to a second boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cover; cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in corn and beans. Simmer covered 10 minutes until heated through.
2. Combine milk into cornstarch or flour until smooth. Stir into soup and simmer uncovered until soup is thick.

Strawberry Shortcake with Whipped Cream

This recipe is taken from Country Living Magazine. I made it tonight and it is really yummy. Also, it's not as complicated as it may look; it was fairly easy to make.

INGREDIENTS:
1 quart strawberries, rinsed and cut into quarters
3/4 cup sugar divided
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
6 Tbsp cold butter, divided
A pinch of salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 pint heavy cream
3 Tbsp confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1. Combine strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar. Set aside in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow for the sugar to draw out the juice of the strawberries.
2. Preheat oven to 400 and place rack on the highest position. In a mixing bowl combine flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cornmeal, and baking powder. Mix well. Add butter and salt and cut into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingertips. Whisk egg and milk together in a separate bowl and add to dry ingredients. Drop batter onto a lightly greased cookie sheet with a Tbsp and make 3 inch diameter rounds. Bake for 15 minutes on top rack until lightly golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
3. Pour cream into a mixing bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla and beat again until stiff peaks form. Assemble dessert as the picture shows being sure to use the juice and the strawberries.

BALTs, A version of the famous BLT sandwich

Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato. Don't forget the avocado. My friend Jenny told me they had these the other night and so we tried them tonight. Yummy! Plus here's what I learned about the goodness of avocados from a website avocados.org..."Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit."
So get out your INGREDIENTS:


Whole wheat bread, toasted
Turkey bacon (it's our favorite)
Tomato slices
Avocado
Fresh Spinach or whatever lettuce you prefer
Hellmann's Mayo


Mayo that bread, layer those ingredients, and bite into delicious goodness. Tonight we paired our BALTs with baked beans and homemade sweet potato fries (this recipe is listed on this website). Yum and yum!

Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got these cookies off the back of my bag of flour. Boy oh boy are they yummy! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups oats

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup or 1/2 of a 12oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350. Mix sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs until creamy and well blended. 

2. In a separate bowl combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add mixed dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix well; stir in chocolate chips.

3. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet for 9-11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack for about 10 minutes, then place in a tight seal container.

Taco Pizza

As usual, this recipe is a family classic. No family gathering is complete with out it. I have fond memories of Easters at my Nanny & Poppop's house where I would plop myself next to this delicious appetizer and eat about a third of it. Now that it's spring, maybe you'll host a party. Try this one, I'm sure it will be a hit! What's even better is that you can make it ahead of time. Cut up the ingredients and set aside until serving.

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 jar salsa
1 green pepper diced
8 oz mozzarella cheese
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 large bag of Scoops

In a medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese and mayo with a fork until mixed well. Spread over a large serving dish. You want to have approx. a 1/4 layer of this mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, layer the ingredients in this order; salsa, green pepper, cheese & tomato.

Pulled BBQ Pork

Oh this recipe is such a good one and it's SUPER EASY! It works best when you use it with a pork tenderloin as opposed to a shoulder (on the bone). When you do it on the bone it makes the sauce more greasy and oily. With a tenderloin, the sauce is thick and delicious. The meat becomes so tender that is shreds easily with a fork.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pork tenderloins (medium size)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic salt
The best rolls you can find

1. Other than the tenderloin, combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Place half the mixture in the crock pot, add the tenderloins, then smother the tenderloins with the rest of the sauce. Cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook an additional 5-6 hours. The meat should easily shred with a fork. Serve on your favorite roll with orzo salad and sweet potato fries (just a suggestion).

Pork Tenderloin

INGREDIENTS:
A hearty squeeze of honey
2 cloves pressed garlic
1 large spoonful of dijon mustard
Black pepper, to taste
Pork Tenderloin

1. In a gallon size ziplock bag, combine all ingredients. Let the meat marinate any where from 2 hours to the whole day.
2. Heat oven to 475 and cook meat uncovered for 10 minutes. Lower oven to 375 and cook mean covered for 35 minutes, or until no longer pink inside. Allow meat to sit for 5 minutes before slicing (this allows for the juices to hold together well).

You could also cook this on the grill, which is also fabulous.

Cashew Chicken and Broccoli

INGREDIENTS: 

2 cups rice

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

1 lb chicken breast, cut into chunks

3/4 cup chicken broth (divided)

1 1/2 tsp corn starch or flour

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 head fresh broccoli, chopped

2 green onions (scallions) sliced

1 cup cashews

1. Cook rice as directed.
2. In a large bowl mix soy sauce and sugar. Add chicken. Let stand 15 min. to marinate.
3. In a small bowl stir 1/4 cup chicken broth and corn starch or flour until dissolved; let stand.
4. In a large skillet heat oil and cook chicken, BUT NOT marinade. Cook until no longer pink. Stir in broccoli and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cook 1 minute then add onions and cashews.
5. Push mixture to the sides of the pan or to one side leaving an opening in the skillet. Add marinade and corn starch mixture and stir in the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes until thick. Mix well with chicken and broccoli. Serve over rice.

Waffles

Yum, don't those look good? I got this recipe from a friend while we were living in China. All of these ingredients are very easily accessible there. I have no idea where she got the waffle iron though! The Chinese don't do breakfast the same way we do it. If you make these, I hope you enjoy them!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup dried oats (oatmeal)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
5 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp light brown sugar

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, dry oats, baking powder, cinnamon & salt. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients of eggs, milk, oil and brown sugar. Stir everything together very well and add to a preheated, greased waffle iron.

Fudgy Oatmeal Squares

These are very similar to brownies only they are very moist and a little bit more like cake, but they aren't cake. They are so yummy and since they have oatmeal in them, I think technically they are good for you!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup dry oatmeal (not instant)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place boiling water in a small mixing bowl and add oats. Stir well and set aside for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix all other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add oats, which should have absorbed all of the water and become cooked oatmeal. Beat everything together with an electric mixer at low speed for 2 min. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 35 min.
Optional: Garnish with powdered sugar.

Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin)
1/4 parmesan cheese

1. In a small mixing bowl add first five ingredients. Blend well.
2. Add mayonnaise; blend until smooth.
3. While continually whisking, add oil to mixture in a steady stream. Whisk until blended. Stir in parmesan cheese and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Keeps for 2 weeks.

Makes 1 cup.

Note: For Chicken Caesar Salad, make the dressing. Drizzle about 2 tsp of dressing into the frying pan. Add chicken and cook in a skillet until chicken is no longer pink. Let cool for about 10 min. Slice into thin strips. Serve over romaine lettuce.
You can also serve the entire salad over bowtie pasta (cooked, drained and cooled off) to make it a complete dinner. Garnish the salad with tomatoes and cooked peas.

Mustard Crusted Chicken

This is going to be a tough one because I never measure anything for this recipe. For those type A's out there (and Danae) it would drive you nuts for me to not include tablespoons or cups. I'll do my best, just for you.

INGREDIENTS:
1 stick butter melted
1 Tbsp dijion mustard
1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup bread crumbs
a pinch of salt (unless you use salted butter)
dried parsley as a garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a small mixing bowl melt butter. Add mustard and mix well. In a large ziplock bag or in a medium mixing bowl add breadcrumbs and salt.
2. Dip chicken in butter mixture, then in breadcrumbs coating the chicken well. Place in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with dried parsley if you wish to garnish it. Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes (until juices run clear). Serve with your favorite sides.

Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced
4 celery stalks chopped
4 carrots chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 1/2 boxes chicken broth
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed (this is what give the soup it's wonderful flavor)
1 large sweet potato cubed
1 can chick peas, drained
1 TBSP lemon juice

1. Heat oil in a large stock pot. Add leeks, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook until tender, stirring frequently. Add sea salt & pepper to taste. (I like to use sea salt, but table salt is just fine.)
2. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add squash and potatoes; return to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 15 minutes. Add chick peas; return to a boil. Season again with salt & pepper and let simmer for 30 min. uncovered. Serve with your favorite bread.

WANNA MAKE IT KID FRIENDLY?
Just boil up some egg noodles in water, like the kind in chicken noodle soup. From the Winter Vegetable Soup, ladel out the basic ingredients your kids will like (carrots and sneak in some butternut squash). Then add the egg noodles on top. My kids scarfed it up!

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

This recipe is Dave's Aunt Linda's. She always brings desserts for Thanksgiving and the year we came home from China was the year she made it. Alex was born in October and the day before Thanksgiving I had to give up dairy due to breast feeding issues. (Yes, giving up dairy did make a difference with Alex.) So there I sat, watching everyone eat this delicious goodness. Don't worry, the story has a happy ending. Alex later stopped nursing from me for a whole week so we gave it up all together and I got to eat all my favorites again! Believe me, we were all much happier.

ICE CREAM CAKE:
1 package oreo cookies, finely crushed
1 stick butter melted
2, Half gallons of ice cream, pick your favorites
1 quart cool whip (the bigger container)
1 jar carmel (optional)

1. Crush oreos in a food processor or just smash them in a large ziplock bag.
2. Melt butter. Remove from heat and mix well with oreos. Spread this mixture into a 9x13 pan. If you want to add the carmel layer, here where you do it. Just spread it on, but not too thick a layer because it's strong.
3. Spread the ice cream.
4. Spread the cool whip and garnish with what ever toppings you like such a sprinkles, crushed oreos, crushed m&m's, etc. Really the possibilities are endless.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Chocolate Glaze

My friend Courtney made this cake for a holiday party we had. It was so amazing! I had to get the recipe. I decided I wanted to make it for Christmas for our families. Well instead of following the recipe, which calls for a boxed cake, I decided to make it from scratch. Let me just say, "Big Mistake!" I made "Lemon poppy seed muffins" and topped it off with chocolate glaze. It was so dry and not very sweet. We ended up throwing it out! So my advice to you is, follow the recipe!

LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE:
1 box of lemon cake mix (disregard their directions)
1/3 cup poppy seeds
1/3 cup milk
3 eggs
8 oz plain yogurt
1 tsp freshly grated lemon peel

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and bake in a bundt pan for 40 min. Let cake cool completely on a wire rack.

CHOCOLATE CITRUS GLAZE:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp milk
1/8 tsp orange extract
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Melt butter in saucepan. Remove from heat and whisk all ingredients into butter gradually. Drizzle over cake. Refrigerate until served.

You may be thinking, "oh but I don't care for orange chocolate glaze." I thought the same thing, but once I tasted it...oh man did I change my mind fast! Let me tell you that it tastes so good.

Wild-rice Pilaf with Cranberries & Pecans

This recipe is straight from Martha Stewart's website. My mom made it on Christmas day and I went crazy for it! She also make a cranberry walnut bread that was amazing. I still have to get the recipe form her on that one. So here's the rice:

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped (you can use a regular onion instead, about 1/4 cup)
1 cup wild rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 dried cranberries
1/4 cup golden raisins (optional)
salt & pepper

1. Heat oil in a medium sauce pan over med. heat. Add shallot or onion and cook until translucent. Add rice and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer covered until rice is tender and starting to burst about 45-50 min. Transfer rice to a large skillet and add cranberries and raisins. Cover and stir occasionally until cranberries and raisins are soft and warm, about 5-7 min.
2. While rice cooks heat oven to 400. Arrange pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until browned and fragrant, about 8 min. Let cool and coarsely chop. Add toasted pecans, and salt & pepper to rice. Serve hot with your favorite meat dish.