lots of chips

What do you do when you find 6 bags of corn chip crumbs in your pantry?

You make Taco Casserole for dinner. YUM.



1/2 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups tortilla chips, crumbled
1 package taco seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1  8-oz. can tomato sauce
2 c. water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Toppings:
sour cream
shredded lettuce
chopped tomato
chopped avacado
chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion; drain fat. Add taco seasoning, chili powder, cumin, tomato sauce, black beans and water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Gently fold in corn chips and most of the cheese; pour into 2 qt. casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with toppings, as desired.

valentine cookies

We've been wanting to make cut-out cookies for a while, and it just didn't happen during our hectic holidays. So we decided to bust out some heart shaped goodies and make up a platter to bring our wonderful library staff in the Young Adult department. We love them. A LOT.

We made the actual cookies the evening before, so these photos are in the morning when I had to drag the kids out of bed to get these done before it was time to head to the library. That's why they are in their jammies :)






It was great having Bea with us for this project. We haven't seen enough of her lately and we've missed her. And of course, these three made it lots of fun and wowed me with their creativity. They made some gorgeous cookies!






We had a lot of fun and made a big impression on the staff when we brought these in to them! We just wanted them to know how much we appreciate all they do for our teens, all year long. They are fabulous!


We used store bought black icing in a tube for our cookies, which really made them stand out. We also used red food coloring to dye some coarse sugar for the sprinkles, which worked really great. You just put the sugar and food coloring in a zip lock bag and squish it around until it is evenly absorbed. Oh and we used coconut to sprinkle on some of the cookies, which looked really pretty and tasted delicious.

I know some of you are going to ask, so here is the recipe we used. It's the one my mom used when we were kids, but I'm not sure where it came from before that. It's pretty basic but oh-so-good.


Cut-out Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

Cream together butter and sugar, then blend in eggs and liquid flavorings. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to sugar mixture a little at a time. The dough will be quite stiff and you'll have to make sure to work in all the flour. Chill for 2-3 hours (DON'T SKIP THIS PART!) and then roll out on well floured surface to about 1/8" thick. Cut with cookie cutters and then bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes or until cookies just start to brown slightly. Cool completely before frosting.




Frosting

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 T. softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
TINY bit of hot water
food coloring

Blend ingredients together with electric mixer and beat until fluffy frosting consistency. Add more water as needed, but just a TINY bit at a time. Add more sugar if it gets it too runny. Frost cookies and enjoy!

cheerio treats

I did a search and I can't believe I have never shared this recipe on the blog before. That is crazy, because it is one of our favorites. A great treat to make up quickly for an evening snack or to take to a party and share. They are always a hit with everyone and even though they have sugar (marshmallows), the plain cheerios and good peanut butter balance it out a bit and make it a fairly healthy snack as far as sweets go. Making them in the microwave makes them super fast, although I'm sure you could do it on the stovetop too. This is literally the ONLY thing I use our microwave for anymore, so I have to carry all the ingredients down to the basement since that is where I keep it now!


Cheerio Treats

2 T. butter
1 bag of mini marshmallows, 10 1/2 oz.
3/4 to 1 cup of peanut butter (I use closer to 1 c.)
6 cups cheerios (I use store brand)

In a large microwaveable bowl, melt the butter and then add the marshmallows, stirring until coated. Microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until marshmallows are completely melted. Working very quickly, stir in the peanut butter until blended, then heat mixture for 30 more seconds. It cools and solidifies very fast, so you have to be quick in order to keep it from hardening before you are ready. Last step is to mix the cheerios in (VERY quickly!) and then put the mixture into a 9x13 cake pan, pressing down with your hands. We often sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of one half and then stick it in the oven for a minute or two to get them all melty before spreading the chocolate over top.

eggplant burgers!

Thanks, Amanda for your suggestion- here are the burgers we ate last night! They were very good. I also consulted this page about eggplant for some of the details. I feel much more confident now and will try something else with eggplant soon. The baba ganoush sounds fantastic, and we will be sure to keep that on our list of things we want to make with our new grill (coming this week!)

So, a quick recap of what I did with my eggplant:
Peel eggplant and slice it into burger thickness
Salt slices on both sides and leave them to sit in a colander for about 40 minutes
Rinse well and squeeze out excess water
Dip in eggwash, then bread crumbs
Fry in olive oil until nice and tender
Top with marinara and slices of mozzerella, then place under broiler just until cheese melts.
Voila!

oatmeal pancakes

These have become our all-time favorite pancakes. Better than any of the mixes we've used, and better than any recipes I've tried for homemade. They are whole grain, but not dry or heavy. They have a moist and fluffy texture and taste great! And you can make a dry mixture up ahead of time and store in jars, which makes preparation a snap at breakfast time. I usually mix up 4 jars or more so we'll be set for a while (this is a weekend breakfast for us). This would make a great gift too, with a nice bottle of real maple syrup.



Whole Grain Oatmeal Pancakes

Dry ingredients (fits perfectly in a pint sized jar for later use):
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. old fashioned oats (or use quick oats for a smoother texture)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar (if you keep brown rice syrup on hand, you can omit the sugar here and add 2 1/2 T. brown rice syrup when you add your eggs and buttermilk. We do it both ways and they are equally delicious!)

Add to mix when ready to prepare:
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
OR
1 1/2 T. lemon juice plus milk to make 1 1/2 c.


Mix well, and pour on hot griddle by 1/4 c. measure. Makes about 15 pancakes. And of course, real maple syrup is the only way to go in my opinion. The taste is fantastic! This recipe works well cut in half for a smaller family as well, since there are 2 eggs in the original recipe. These are quite filling, and the above recipe feeds our family of 6 with a few leftover.

Enjoy!

ice cream

Last week after we cleaned up our section of the Greenway with our Trail Keepers group, we came back to our place for a big ice cream party with everyone. I really should have taken more photos, but I didn't. Something about feeling nervous- having everyone at our place for the first time since we moved in, or something like that.



Everyone had a lot of fun and ate a lot of ice cream. I made coffee and strawberry flavors, and we bought chocolate and vanilla. I've posted my recipe before, but I haven't ever put up photos of our homemade ice cream, so here are a few of the strawberry. It has pureed strawberries spooned over top- oh my goodness. SO good. And have I said before how much I love my KitchenAid ice cream attachment? Yeah. It rocks.

it's popsicle time again

I've mentioned our popsicle molds here before, and we are loving them almost more than ever this year. We've yet to make pudding pops though- the big new favorite is smoothie pops!



Packed with fruit, there is nothing in these popsicles that isn't great for us. We make up a blender full of smoothies with various ingredients, and after everyone has a glass to drink we pour the rest into the popsicle molds. After a few hours in the freezer we've got some fantastic treats, just as good as ice cream.



Stella ate five of them today, which is probably the equivalent of a nice big smoothie (she doesn't like them in liquid form though, so this is how she ends up getting her daily fruit intake.) Lyle loves them too, and will actually eat almost a whole one if you let him have it. Outside, of course. Unless you want red stuff all over the house.



Our Basic Smoothie Recipe:

Fill blender a little over half full with ice. Add about a cup of OJ, or one small can of mandarin orange slices (in their own juice), a half can of pineapple chunks (with or without juice), a cup or more of strawberries- frozen works fine, and 2 bananas. I often pour some vanilla yogurt in too if we have it. Blend until smooth, and serve immediately (or freeze leftovers!) Enjoy!!

turtles

We have a new favorite treat- these little turtles are super quick and easy and a big winner around here. Not really health food, but fun for a once-in-a-while treat. I buy the ingredients and then make just a dozen or so at a time, saving the rest for another night. It's too easy to eat wayyyyyyy too many of them otherwise! (I was making them for a party in this picture- that's why there are so many.)



Just pick up some square pretzels (ours are Snyder's of Hanover Snaps), Rolo candies, and pecan halves. Put the pretzels on a cookie sheet (We use the small one that fits in our toaster oven), and place one unwrapped Rolo on each. Warm them in the toaster oven for just a few minutes on about 300 degrees, so they are warm and melty soft, but not meltED. Then just press a pecan half into each one and cool! The hard part is trying to get a few for yourself before everyone eats them all.

the best ice cream ever

As requested, (I'm actually surprised I've never posted this before!) our custard ice cream base recipe. This is from one I found online, but I've tweaked it enough over the past few years to call it my own. It is a bit of extra work, but the consistency is so much closer to the creamy ice creams I like to buy at the store, when compared to a lot of the ice cream recipes I've tried. If you have one of the tall ice cream makers, double this recipe, maybe even triple. For my Kitchenaid ice cream maker, this is just right. Use the recipe as-is for a wonderful vanilla to go with your pies or brownies, or add the suggested flavorings. Or try your own and let me know how it goes! Enjoy!!

3 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream

In a 2 qt. saucepan, scald half and half while blending in sugar (basically just get the half and half hot enough so the sugar melts in and there is no more gritty feeling when you stir it). Beat the eggs and place in top of a double boiler. Slowly add the scalded half and half mixture over the eggs, stirring to blend. Cook on top of double boiler until thickened, stirring frequently. Pour through wire strainer to remove any bits of cooked egg, and chill for at least 6 hours.

Once chilled, add salt and whipping cream, and any additional flavorings you might be using (chocolate, coffee, fruit puree, etc. These should already be prepared and chilled as well).

Churn in ice cream freezer, adding vanilla when ice cream is almost finished. It will be soft serve consistency at this point- transfer to airtight container and ripen in the freezer overnight for a more solid consistency.



Variations:

Coffee flavor- When adding the whipping cream, add 3/4 cup strong coffee, cooled. When ice cream is nearly done you can also add some chopped chocolate and/or almonds.

Pumpkin flavor- When adding the whipping cream, add 1 cup pureed pumpkin, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 tsp. nutmeg. When ice cream is nearly done you can add pieces of chopped pie crust (already baked of course) for a perfect pumpkin pie ice cream.

Chocolate flavor- When adding whipping cream, add melted chocolate- I use 2 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate and 1 square of semi-sweet, melted with a little bit of heavy cream. We also add chopped chocolate sometimes and nuts too.

Fruit flavor- When adding whipping cream, add 1-2 cups of fruit puree (peaches, strawberries, banana, etc.) You can chop some larger to add in as well.

veggie pizza

I made this Friday to bring to our last get-together with our local homeschool group before our move. This is one of our very favorite appetizers- it's great to bring when most of the other choices will be sweet treats, because this is something more substantial and meal-like. The flavors are fabulous too, and it's got vegetables! Which are good for you! So I'm pretty sure they cancel out the the cream cheese and the pastry crust...

Enjoy!!

Veggie Pizza

2 8 oz. packages Crescent Rolls
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3 T. mayo
1 tsp. basil leaves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
2 small tomatoes
1 med. bunch of broccoli
1/2 head of cauliflower

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press crescent roll dough into lightly oiled cookie sheets or pizza pans. I manage to get one round 15" pizza pan and one 10x15" cookie sheet out of the 2 packages of dough, spreading it out nice and thin. You could just do one one pan if you wanted the crust to be thicker. This step is much easier if you lay a damp dishcloth on the counter under your pan, so it won't slip all around on you. Prick dough with a fork in several places and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Combine softened cream cheese with mayo, basil and garlic, with an electric mixer. Spread over cooled crust. I find that this amount is just enough to do the 2 pans with a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture. It is too much for just one pan for sure.

Finely chop the tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower, and spread over cream cheese mixture along with the black olives. Sprinkle top with Salad Supreme (McCormick product) seasoning.

And then comes my secret step: with clean hands (they were clean all along anyway, of course, but I wash them again) press the veggies into the cream cheese mixture just a little, to help everything stick better and not fall off so easily when people are eating the pizza.

Cut into squares, and chill until ready to serve. Which really should be as soon as possible- this is a dish that is best when it is fresh. Leftovers should be refrigerated and eaten within the next day.

carrot cake recipe

For those who requested it! Really not a difficult cake- especially if you have a food processor to shred the carrots. I have done it by hand and it does take a little while. But it is worth it!

Cake
6 egg whites
3/4 cup Shedd's Spread, melted (I used Organic Smart Balance)
3/4 cup applesauce (I use the unsweetened kind or homemade if I have it)
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
3 cups carrots, grated
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/4 cup raisins

Frosting
1 lb. powdered sugar
2 T. Shedd's Spread (or Smart Balance)
8 oz. lite cream cheese, softened (NOT fat-free)
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour pan- I use a bundt pan but a rectangular cake pan would be just fine, and easier (but not as pretty!).
In a large mixing bowl mix egg whites, spread, applesauce, and sugar. In another bowl blend flour, soda, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Add flour to egg mixture and stir until well blended. Add the carrots, nuts and raisins and mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, and then reduce heat to 320 degrees. Bake for another 30 to 40 minutes.

For the frosting, blend all the ingredients in a deep mixing bowl. Add extra powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. Frost the cake when cooled. (I reserve a small amount to dye orange and green for my decorations before frosting the cake) Refrigerate until ready to serve, as well as any leftovers. Pictures of my version here.


From Real People Cookin' Low Fat, by Kathy M Walton, Ph.D. and Lynette M. Yerbury, CPA, MBA (out of print)

some recipes

I have been needing to type these out to send to a friend for a looooong time, so I figured I'd put them here. That way the rest of you can see some of our favorite recipes too, and then they will be searchable for me next time I need them. :)

Cut-out Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix first 5 ingredients together. Blend in flour, soda, and cream of tartar. Chill 2-3 hours. Roll out on floured board and cut with cookie cutters. Bake 7-8 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow to cool before frosting. You can also decorate with sprinkles or colored sugar before baking, if desired.

Frosting for cut-out cookies

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbl. butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
a drizzle of hot water (TINY bit- don't water it down too much!)
food coloring

Blend ingredients together until smooth.



Veggie Pizza

2- 8 oz. packages crescent rolls
2- 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3 Tbl. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. basil leaves
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
broccoli, about 2 bunches
cauliflower, about half a head
1 or 2 tomatoes
1 can black olives, sliced
Salad Supreme seasoning (Schilling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press crescent rolls into 15x10x1 baking sheet (I find if you spread it out a bit thinner I can do a second smaller sheet as well). Prick with a fork, then bake for 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

While the crust is baking and cooling, combine cream cheese with mayo, basil, and garlic powder. Add more seasoning to taste if desired. Chop veggies, the smaller the better.

When crust is cool, spread cream cheese mixture on top. Then sprinkle veggies over cream cheese evenly. I usually press everything into the cream cheese with my hands once all the veggies are on- this helps keep things from falling off so easily. Sprinkle top with Salad Supreme seasoning. Cut into squares and serve. Refrigerate uneaten portion immediately.

This is best made right before it will be served, and used up within a day. The crust gets soggy and the veggies start to wilt otherwise. Enjoy!