Peanut Butter Cup Cookies - Dangerous!

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped (I like to put them in the freezer first before putting them in the cookies)

Preheat oven to 375F. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes (no longer, even if they look like they're not done). Remove from oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes. Press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

The peanut butter cups in the middle then become oo-ey goo-ey goodness...mmmm

"The Best Chocolate Chip Cake in the Whole World"

This is Liz's recipe, but since I just made it, I'll post it. :)

1 pkg. regular devil's food cake mix (not butter or pudding style)

*use these instructions instead of those on the box*
1 small pkg of instant chocolate pudding mix
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
1 (8 oz) sour cream
6 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1 c. pecans, walnuts, or almonds (optional)

1. Grease and flour bundt pan or 9x13 or 3 layer pans
2. In mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, and flour. Stir to blend.
3. Add oil, water, eggs, and sour cream.
4. Mix at medium speed for 2 min. or until well blended.
5. Stir in chocolate chips
6. Pour into pan and bake at 350* for 50-60 min. If using other pans, check after 30-40 min.
7. Can be served plain, with powdered sugar on it or frosting.
   

**Yes, I realize my picture looks like a giant donut -- shoosh. :)

creamy chicken & pasta bake

This one is from Kraft. We had it tonight. It was really good, but only makes an 8x8 dish, so don't plan on leftovers unless you double it. Ari really liked it, too. Photo from KraftFoods.com

1 1/2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked (the whole grain pasta we used was really good in it)

1 small bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (I could have done with a little less chicken, maybe 3/4 lb?)

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 oz. cream cheese, cubed

1 cup mozzarella, divided (I realized last min. I didn't have mozz., but provolone was also good:)

2 Tbsp. parmesan

HEAT oven to 375º. Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli for the last 3 min.

MEANWHILE, heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 min. or until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Add cream cheese; cook and stir on low heat 1 min. or until cream cheese is melted. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella.

DRAIN pasta and broccoli. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon into 8-inch sq. baking dish; cover.

BAKE 15 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 3 min. or until melted. Let stand 5 min.

white chocolate raspberry cheesecake

I can't take credit for this recipe at all (it's from allrecipes.com), but it's yummy and I have to share! I've made it twice - num nyum.(this photo also from allrecipes, but this is exactly what it looked like ... except ours had cracks:)

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (we used whole oreos, crushed)
3 Tbsp white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen raspberries
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 Tbsp sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.
2. In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 Tbsp sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.
3. Preheat oven to 325*. In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 Tbsp raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 Tbsp raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to marble.
   
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.
6. Enjoy, and watch out, your husband will snitch the leftovers. :)

There are some good additional cheesecake tips there too, if you want to peek. Click here.

Smokey Ribs

1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c ketchup
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2c molasses
1/4 c spicy brown mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp liquid smoke
1 lb pork or beef (I use boneless) ribs

Mix ingredients. Put in the crock pot with meat. Cook 3-4 hours on high heat.

Creamy Italian Chicken

*Warning: this recipe is for a tiny crockpot meal for a tiny family! I added notes if you want to double it. I also added notes for my tasty reduced fat version.

I love good crockpot recipes! I've made this before, but just found a version that the kids and I devoured. I tweaked it a bit, and it takes little preparation for such a gourmet meal!

2 frozen chicken breasts
1/2 c. (fat free) Italian dressing (I actually didn't measure, I just dumped it in until it seemed good. By the way, not need for water, the chicken will make its own).

Put these in the crockpot on low for 4-5 hours (6 hours if you're doing 4 or more chicken breasts).

30 minutes before you're ready to eat, put on some pasta to cook. We used whole wheat penne, but fettucine would work. Pull out and shred/cut up the chicken. You could probably skip this step, but the little pieces seemed more moist as the sauce works its magic. Return the chicken to the crockpot and put in one can of cream of chicken soup and 1/3 block of (reduced fat) cream cheese. (For 4 or more chicken breasts, just add the whole block of cream cheese, no need to add more soup). Drain pasta and add to the crockpot with chicken and sauce.

Season the dish with garlic salt and parmesan cheese.

As a side dish, I steamed carrots and broccoli for color. Or you could probably add some other veggies directly into the chicken since this dish lacks veggies.

Yum!

Mexican Shredded Pork

1 (3 lb) boneless pork loin roast, cut into 2" pieces (for our small family, I buy 1 lb or less and that's more than plenty.)
1/2 tsp salt
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chili peppers
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chipotle sauce (I've used chipotle salsa)
3 1/4 cups water, divided
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

*Put the roast in a crock-pot and season with salt. Put chili peppers and garlic on top. Pour in the chipotle sauce and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low 7 hours.

*In a pot, mix rice with 2 3/4 cups of the water. Mix in the lime juice and cilantro and simmer 20 min on the stove. (In other words, just cook the rice as you normally would but with lime juice & cilantro.:)

*Remove roast from the crock-pot, and use 2 forks to shred. Return pork to the crock-pot and allow to sit 15 minutes to absorb some of the liquid.

*You can serve this just over the rice, or as we like to do, make burritos! Yum yum yummy. Set out cheese, salsa, beans (refried, black, whatever), cilantro, rice, pork, avacado, lime, etc, and tortillas so everyone can make their own.

Grilled tilapia

We're not fish lovers at all, but this makes it pretty tasty! We prefer to grill it outside so our house doesn't smell like fish for 2 weeks :), but this is also a good broil recipe if you prefer.

1 lb-ish tilapia (or any light fish of your choice)
1/4 c. parmesan
1/8 c. butter, soft
1 1/2 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp pepper
pinch onion powder
pinch celery salt
smidgen garlic powder (really, this whole recipe isn't one to "measure" :)

Mix ingredients (except fish) in bowl and set aside. Grill the fish for a few minutes (we use a grill pan lined with foil), and when you flip it over, spread the prepared mixture on both sides. Cook through, la de dah, tasty fish. Oopsie, I forgot to take a picture before ... but as you see, it was good. :)

We like it served with steamed broccoli and rice.

Easy, healthy, and TASTY

Spiced Rubbed Turkey Breast with Sweet Potatoes

This recipe came to me from my Dad and it is easy and really tasty. It sounds nasty I know, but sweet potatoes are actually good even without the sugar and marshmallows!

1 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed rosemary

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

coarse salt and ground pepper

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)

6 teaspoons olive oil

2 boneless turkey breast halves (about 2 lbs each) skin removed

***My parents swear by the turkey, but I used boneless skinless chicken breasts equaling about 3-4 lbs and it was still tasty****

2 sweet potatoes about 8 ounces each cut in half lengthwise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix rosemary, paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons of coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, lime juice, and 4 teaspoons of oil. Rub all over the chicken. Leaving space between them, place both halves in the center of a large foil lined (easy clean up) rimmed baking sheet.

Brush cut sides of sweet potatoes with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Place cut side down on sheet with turkey. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of each breast half registers 160 degrees about 50 minutes (potatoes should be tender) Let stand for 10 minutes, loosely tented with foil to keep warm

Cut one breast half into thick slices. Cut potato halves into wedges. Transfer turkey and potatoes to serving platter and drizzle turkey with any remaining juices from the baking sheet.

Yummers

Taco Soup

Easy and yummy for "quick dinner" nights. This recipe makes a lot, so 1/2 it unless you like leftovers for lunches. I like the leftover option, personally. :) And FYI, it reheats very well.

Ingredients
1 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

3 cans (15.5 oz. each) mild chili beans, undrained

1 can (14.5 oz.) whole tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14.25 oz.) corn, undrained (I used corn that my mom froze from the summer - yum)

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) taco seasoning mix

1-1/2 cups water

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Brown meat with onions in large saucepan; drain.

Add all remaining ingredients except cheese; stir, breaking up tomatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally.

Serve topped with the cheese. It was also yummy served with tortilla chips on the side to dip and scoop, and sour cream would be good, too.

I got this from the Kraft Foods magazine, and the picture is from their website. You can actually just click on the picture to get the recipe from the website, but I put it here, too ... um, obviously. :)

Tortellini Vegetable Soup

This turned out more of a thick soup the first time I made it, but it was so good and super easy! Just the way I like it and the girls ate it too!

Tortellini Vegetable Soup

2 TBS. olive oil
1 med. onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
1 med. carrot, peeled and diced
5 1/2 c. chicken stock
1 tsp. dried basil (more if fresh)
1-3 bay leaves
1/2 c. canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
8-9 oz. fresh or frozen tortellini (cheese or meat filled)
2-3 TBS. chopped fresh parsley
Black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot or large saucepan. Add the onion, zucchini, and carrot. Saute over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the stock, basil, bay leaves, tomatoes, and salt to the pot. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a low boil. Add the tortellini and bring the soup back to a low boil. Cook it for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes longer. Gently stir in the parsley and pepper during the last minute or so.

Makes about 5 servings

Chicken Tacos

I found this recipe on the blog twomomsinthekitchen.blogspot.com and was surprised that I had all the ingredients on hand, so I made it that night and it was so good and super easy!

(Even Kajsa ate it and she claims that she doesn't like chicken! Shhhh...don't tell her!)

(Picture courtesy of twomomsinthekitchen.blogspot.com)

Ingredients:
1 pkg. frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained
2-3 frozen chicken breasts
1 jar salsa
cumin
chili powder

Directions:
-Place corn in bottom of crock pot, then beans, and chicken
-Sprinkle chicken with cumin and chili powder
-Add salsa
-Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours, or until chicken is done and shreds easily
-Remove chicken from crock pot, shred, return to crock pot and mix well with other ingredients
-Serve on tortillas

Chicken Lunch Wraps

1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1" cubes)
salt
pepper
1/4 c. firmly packed crumbed Roquefort or Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. blue cheese or ranch dressing
1/3 c. dried cherries or craisins
1/4 c. finely chopped celery
1/2 c. firmly packed chopped arugula or spinach
2 (10 or 11") flour tortillas (spinach flavored are good with this)
1/4(ish) c. fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 350*. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until they are shiny and aromatic. Remove from the oven and let cool. Cook the chicken in heated olive oil in a skillet, and add salt and pepper to taste. (about 1/2 tsp of each.) Cook until chicken is cooked through. Let cool. Mix together the cheese, dressing, cherries/craisins, and celery. Add the chicken. Toss the arugula/spinach, cilantro and walnuts into the chicken mixture. Divide among the tortillas and wrap.

Quick Chicken Enchiladas

12 tortillas
3 c. cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 can (7 oz) diced green chilies, drained (I use salsa)
1 tbsp. dried cilantro
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp allspice
1 c. jack cheese, grated
2 c. enchilada sauce
2 c. lettuce, shredded

Combine chicken, chilies, cilantro, cumin, allspice and half of the cheese. Toss gently. Distribute equally among the tortillas. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in a large baking dish. Pour 1 cup of the enchilada sauce over them and bake in a 400* oven for 10 min. Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake 5 min. more. Top with shredded lettuce and serve with the remaining sauce for those that want more.

Perfect Pizza Dough

(my sister's recipe, yum!)

1 c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 (1/4-oz) packet active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus extra for coating
2 1/2 c. flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp. salt

Place 1/4 cup of warm water in small bowl. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then sprinkle yeast onto the surface of the water. Let yeast float there for 1 minute, then stir into water. Let yeast "proof" for 10 minutes. pour yeast mixture into large bowl and stir in remaining water, oil, flour, and salt. With wooden spoon, mix until the dough forms a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Coat inside of large glass bowl with oil. Press dough into bottom of bowl and flip it over so oiled side is on top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Pat dough out on greased pizza pan. Put on toppings and bake at 425*F for 15-20 minutes.