BUNCO

Last night it was my turn to host bunco. It was my first time ever and I wanted to have good food. No problem! I had 16 people to cook for. I planned out my menu, thinking it would be easy. It turned out well I think, but easy? NO WAY. I spent the night before cooking and then what felt like all day cooking before. And then I couldn't get into the clubhouse (because thats where I was hosting it) and got behind. Thanks to an amazingly kind friend who helped me set the entire thing up by herself while I was cooking some last minute things, I was able to pull through in the nick of time. It was exhausting but I don't have to do it for another 16 months. Sweet. I may just serve cereal :) And for any of the judgy judgers out there...we do our bunco the non gambling way and it has been an excellent way for everyone to get to know their neighbors. Love it.

So the reason why I'm even posting this is because I loved the recipes and wanted to share! It was an Olive Garden night with soup, salad, and bread sticks. Oh my. I love Pinterest.

ZUPPA TOSCANA

• 1 lb italian sausage (i used chicken sausage)
• 2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
• 1 large onion chopped
• ¼ cup crumbled bacon
• 2 garlic cloves,  minced
• 2 cups chopped kale
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream 

Directions:

1. Chop or slice uncooked sausage into small pieces.
2. Brown sausage in your soup pot.
3. Add chicken broth and water to pot and stir.
4. Place onions, potatoes, and garlic in pot.
5. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
6. Add sausage and bacon.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.
8. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
9. Turn to low heat.
10. Add kale and cream.
11. Heat through and serve.
    
    
    *i actually cooked the bacon, then used the grease to fry up the onions. So yummy!

SALAD DRESSING

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian spices
• 1 teaspoon salt
• black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 envelopes Good Seasons Italian Dressing, prepared per directions on envelope with white distilled vinegar

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender on high until combined, about 30 seconds.
2. Pour into small bowl and cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Stir before serving.
4. **Don’t forget, add your 2 prepared recipes of Italian Dressing from the envelopes (I used Good Seasonings Brand) to this.  Yes,yes, it makes a ton of dressing.  Put it in the fridge, you’ll drink it later.

*I also made my own croutons. Never done it before and I couldn't believe how delicious they were!

BREADSTICKS HERE

they are so good and easy. I'm making more tonight to go with leftovers! Dessert was this that I posted a few years ago. Didn't turn out as good as I was hoping because the chocolate filling was too stiff but it was good still!

And I made these brownies a few days ago for Sunday dinner. I made two different ones and these were the favorite. So good. They are my new favorite recipe!

Seriously though, make the soup. Its the bomb.

A few recipes

My friend let me borrow her cast iron dutch oven for a week along with a recipe book. I tried two recipes and I instantly fell in love. And I must must have this one day for my kitchen.

Too bad its "only" $200. I'm sure there are cheaper varieties out there. I really need to get one. The cook book was called "Glorious One Pot Meals" by Elizabeth Yarnell. They were all vegetable heavy and very good for you. And from the two I tried, delicious!

I just wanted to write them down and if any of you are lucky enough to own something like this, then you should try it! I think a regular dutch oven would work too... oh and I lined the pot with tin foil because i don't like scrubbing pots.

Chicken Satay 

*this was by far my favorite. it was like the thai peanut saute that I make but WAY healthier (like no noodles healthier!). I used brown rice instead of white and it didn't cook so I didn't even use the rice. I didn't miss it, and the veggies and peanut sauce were amazing and the chicken was absolutely perfect.

canola oil spray or sesame oil
1 scallion, sliced into thin rings
2 T. peanut butter
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. grated ginger or 1/4 tsp. ground
1 or 2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 c. broth
1 c. rice (white)
1/2 to 3/4 pound chicken
1/4 head red cabbage, shredded
about 2 c. frozen or fresh pea pods


preheat oven to 450.  coat inside and lid of a cast iron dutch oven or line with tin foil!

In a small bowl, whisk the scallion, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and 2 T. broth. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and peanut butter is emulsified.

Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Tip the rice into the pot. Add the remainig broth and 1/4 c. water and stir to make an even layer.

Add the chicken and drizzle with one third of the peanut sauce.

Arrange cabbage on top and pour half of remaining sauce on it.

Add the snow peas in another layer and pour the rest of the sauce over all.

Cover and bake 45 minutes, or until 3 m inutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.



HEARTY POLENTA AND SAUSAGE 

*this was yummy too except we made it with half spicy sausage and half mild. I wish we would have used all mild. the spicy was SO overpowering, and we love spice. But it was SO yummy!

olive oil
1/2 c. dry polenta
1 1/2 c. broth
4-8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
2 or 3 mild sausages
4-8 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
sea salt and pepper
one 10 oz. package of spinach
3 T. grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350

Spray the inside and lid of cast iron dutch oven

pour the polenta in the bottom of the pot and add the liquid. Stir to smooth the grains into an even layer, then sprinkle a large pinch of the garlic and basil.

Add the sausages, followed by the mushrooms, bell pepper, and carrot.

Sprinkle another large pinch of garlic and basil and season lightly with salt and pepper

Add the spinach and rest of the garlic and basil.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately with parmesan cheese

Dear Crockpot, I love you!

I have never been one to really use my crock pot. I tried a couple recipes years ago that either didn't turn out or were just gross. My friend sent me this recipe and said that I MUST make it. I never ever cook with pork, because it always ends up too dry, and then I get frustrated. SO I went out on a limb when I made this and I'm SO stinkin' glad I did. It was freaking amazing. Like seriously the best thing I've made in a long time. (Since the Thai Peanut Saute recipe...) I love that it is easy and it made my house smell incredible. The second day we had it I made these rolls to have sandwiches on. I bought a 5 lb pork loin roast and only used 2 pounds of it and we ended up wishing I had just used the whole thing.

So here it is:

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

*Serves 6-8 (or maybe 2)

Pork:

2 pound boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of large fat pockets

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, finely minced or crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze:

1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

In a small bowl, combine the sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub the spices all over the roast. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and pour in the 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Near the end of the cooking time for the roast, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker, shred and place on a platter or plate. Drizzle the glaze over the pork and serve.

Tilapia with Almond Brown Butter and Swiss Chard

I found this recipe in the Rachael Ray magazine. I decided to splurge and buy fish and I'm glad I did. It was only $5 a pound actually, which was a great deal. The real recipe calls for flounder but said you could substitute tilapia because it was cheaper. It was delicious and not fishy at all. And the swiss chard was amazing. I will definitely make it again!

AND IT WAS SOOOOOO EASY and really fast!!!

3 1/2 T. EVOO
1 bunch swiss chard, stems discarded and leaves chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
3 T. butter
1/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted
2 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges
about 1 pound of tilapia

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 T. olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, chard leaves, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the leaves are just wilted, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover loosely. Wipe the skillet clean.

2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook, swirling often, until browned, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in almonds, parsley, the juice of 2 lemon wedges, and a pinch of salt.

3. In the reserved skillet, heat the remaining 2 T. EVOO over medium-high heat. Season the fish, add to the pan, and cook turning once, until light golden, 6-8 minutes.

4. Spoon the almond brown butter over the fish. Serve with the chard and remaining lemon wedges.

Homemade Graham Crackers

I think graham crackers are so delicious but I just can't get myself to buy them. So I found a recipe and made them. They are delicious and really not that difficult. It does have a lot of butter in it, so I have to be careful how much I eat. I might experiment with other recipes too to see if one turns out better but wow, they are fantastic! Next time I might use a circle cookie cutter and make circle crackers for smores. YUM!

Martha Stewarts Homemade Graham Crackers

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for working
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup untoasted wheat germ
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons high-quality honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flours, wheat germ, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter, brown sugar, and honey into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture, and mix until combined.
3. Turn out dough onto a floured surface, and divide into quarters. Roll out each piece between 2 sheets of floured parchment paper into rectangles a bit larger than 9 by 6 inches, about 1/8 inch thick.
4. Using a fluted pastry wheel, trim the outermost edges of each rectangle, and divide into three 6-by-3-inch rectangles. Pressing lightly, so as not to cut all the way through, score each piece in half lengthwise and crosswise, to form four 3-by-1 1/2-inch crackers. Stack parchment and dough on a baking sheet and chill in freezer until firm, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove two sheets of dough from freezer. Pierce crackers using the tines of a fork. Transfer to large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, rotating halfway through, until dark golden brown, 8 to 9 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Let cool on sheet 5 minutes; transfer crackers to wire racks to cool completely.

**I used all whole wheat flour and I used sucanat instead of brown sugar. I think I am going to go eat another one right now!

Watermelon Frosty

I've tried a watermelon drink before that ended up DISGUSTING but this one was freaking awesome. So refreshing and delicious. Perfect for summer!! Also this link here shows you how to cut a watermelon. I'm probably the last one on earth to know this but it worked beautifully. I really despised cutting watermelon before but my kids love it. Now I don't have to hate it, and I can make them this drink too.

Watermelon Frosty

2 c. cubed watermelon, frozen

1/2 banana, cut in chunks, frozen

juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 lime

1-2 T. maple syrup or honey

1/2 cup of water (I used about a cup with my cruddy blender)

Blend well. YUM-O

You just might want to go to the store right now

because you will need the ingredients to make this. I made it into a cake for a girl I visit teach. And see that cake stand? I made it from stuff from the craft store. My sister in law came up with the idea. So cute right? Much cuter than a paper plate or just the card board cake round. But seriously, the cake itself is almost tart, but the White Chocolate frosting is so delicious and sweet. It compliments it nicely. I almost couldn't bear to give the cake away because the frosting smelled SO good. Like white chocolate. I have a white chocolate recipe but this one is WAY better. It is a little difficult to spread on the cake because the white chocolate hardens up pretty fast if the cake is cool, but seriously. You need to try this. If you don't like lemon so much I bet you could eliminate the lemon zest.

Raspberry Cupcakes w/White Chocolate Buttercream
makes 2 dozen
3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

White Chocolate Buttercream
5 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups white chocolate chips, melted
2-3 tablespoons milk

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest and work the zest with your fingers until the sugar becomes moist and fragrant. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix. Add the almond and vanilla extracts. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk until combined well. Carefully fold in the raspberries. Line 2 cupcake pans with cupcake liners and evenly distribute the batter between the 2 pans.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until baked through. Let cool.

To make the buttercream, using your mixer, cream the butter until soft. Add about half of the confectioners’ sugar, the milk and the melted white chocolate. Mix until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the remaining sugar and mix until smooth. Add any more sugar or milk you might need to get a good frosting consistency. Smooth or pipe on top of the cooled cupcakes

Mel's Banana Bread

Soooooo yummy! I used 3/4 c. sucanat sugar instead and whole wheat flour. Also her original recipe doesn't call for cinnamon. But its my favorite!

Cream:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla

Add:
3-4 mashed ripe bananas
2 well beaten eggs

Stir in
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

350 for 60 minutes.

Tomato Bisque

I have had this recipe in my recipe binder for FOREVER. I finally made it. When it was 85 degrees outside. I love tomato soup and I spend a lot of money on the good kind, and always talked about making it but never did. This was my first attempt and I am in love. This is no campbell's tomato soup. Delicious.

Tomato Bisque

1/2 c. butter

1 large onion

2 large carrots

3 stalks celery

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. salt

6 T. flour

8 cups of stewed tomatoes (2 28-oz cans)

2 c. chicken broth

1 bunch thyme

1 bunch basil

2 c. cream or milk

In a large pot, saute butter, chopped onions, carrots, and celery until onions become translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic salt, salt, flour, mix well and continue to stir over heat for about 3 more minutes. Slowly add chicken stock. Add tomatoes, basil, and the whole bunch of thyme, stir the bottom of the pan well and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Whisk in 2 cups of milk or cream and mix thoroughly. Cook another 5 minutes on low. Remove any stems from the thyme. With an immersion blender, or in small batches in a food processor, mix until ingredients are fully blended

Oatmeal and a Smoothie

I am constantly looking for ways to make oatmeal, its my favorite thing to feed my kids! They stay fuller longer and I know exactly how much sugar/honey/maple syrup is going into them. This next recipe is by far my favorite! NO cooking required!

Crockpot Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats ( i buy them in bulk at Sunflower Market)
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. cinnamon

Put all ingredients in a crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. I usually do it right before I go to bed. It seems like a lot of liquid but it absorbs it all! And if you've never had steel cut oats before and your kids are used to instant, this is pretty darn close because it is so soft. And HELLO my house smells amazing in the morning! For my kids I add banana, raisins, peanut butter, and a little sugar, and sometimes some unsweetened organic coconut flakes.

Mel's Purple Green Smoothie

1 c. orange juice
1 c. mixed frozen berries ( i buy the triple berry blend from costco)
1 c. packed spinach or kale or a mix
1 banana
1-2 T. peanut butter

Blend until smooth. The peanut butter adds a creamier taste to it and it is more palatable, plus the fat helps your body absorb the super awesome vitamins in the spinach or kale! My kids DOWN this stuff. Hooray for spinach!

Our Favorite Snack

Our favorite snack these days is popcorn! I got a great deal on amazon for coconut oil and found this great recipe for delicious popcorn. It has a slightly sweet taste (very slight) and you can taste maybe a hint of coconut. We have it every night! Here is what you need:

3 T. Coconut oil or you can use vegetable oil

1/2 c. Popcorn

Salt

big, heavy bottomed pot with a lid

Heat pot on medium high heat and add 3 T. coconut oil. Place 1 kernal of popcorn in and put the lid on leaving it slightly opened (see photo above?). Once that kernal has popped your oil is ready. Remove the kernal and salt the oil (don't be stingy). Throw in your popcorn, put the lid back on with a crack to let steam escape, and start moving the pan in a circular motion. Once the popping has slowed remove the pot so you don't burn it and put it in a bowl once you can't hear any more popping! Eat! Sometimes it needs a little more salt but usually not.

YUM

the bomb.com

We had this dish a few weeks ago and Nathan couldn't stop raving about it. I made it last week and it was sooooo good. Besides the time it takes to chop garlic and grate the ginger, it was SO fast and easy to make!

Thai Peanut Linguine

1-2 Lbs. chicken, cut into thin strips
vegetable oil (to saute)
2 Tbsp Sriracha chili sauce (found it at Walmart in the Asian cooking section)

juice of 1 lime
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced (if you've never bought this before its usually in the refrigerated section of the produce. Use a knife to peel off the outer layer of skin and then use a fine grater to grate it)
3-4 shakes soy sauce
salt & pepper (to taste)
16 oz. (1 pkg.) linguine noodles
**peanut sauce (see below)
peanuts
2-3 limes, sliced

The following are all to taste, add as much or little as you want

We used broccoli, green onion, and peanuts

-shoestring carrots

-broccoli florets, chopped
-green onion
-peanuts (chopped)
-bean sprouts

In a large skillet, saute chicken in oil, Sriracha, lime, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, salt & pepper. While chicken is cooking, prepare the linguine (to al dente) and make the peanut sauce. After the chicken is cooked, remove from the skillet and wrap in foil to keep warm. Re-oil the skillet, add vegetables and saute (except for the bean sprouts, add those a few minutes before serving so they are still nice and crunchy and don't get overcooked). Add the chicken and bean sprouts to the skillet, cover, and reduce heat. Drain noodles and toss with a little olive oil (to keep the noodles from drying out and sticking together). Now there are 2 ways you can finish the dish: 1. mix the sauce with the noodles and TOP with veggies & chicken (this is what we did) OR 2. you can add the noodles and sauce to the skillet with the vegetables and toss until everything is well coated with sauce. Garnish with peanuts and limes.


**SAUCE: (I found this good peanut sauce from "Our Best Bites":)

1 c. chicken broth
6 Tbsp. (heaping) creamy peanut butter
2-4 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (on Best Bites, they said that 2 tsp. is mild and 4 is hot. I might leave it out all together next time because there was so much in the chicken and it was pretty spicy. the kids wouldn't touch it...but whats new?)
3 Tbsp. honey ( I might try more next time)
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
4-5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

Combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until sauce becomes smooth and well blended

How can you NOT like something with peanut butter in it???

Homemade Laundry Detergent

my 5 gallon bucket of detergent

I've been using homemade laundry detergent now for about a month or so and I feel comfortable in saying that I love it and it works! I had a few hiccups at first but now I think I can handle it. I'm convinced we are wearing clean clothes and I LOVE knowing what is in my detergent (most detergents have bad chemicals that aren't that great for your skin or the environment) and it is SUPER cheap. Like a penny a load. I haven't figured it out yet what it is for my washer but I don't really care. The price breakdown is someone else's calculations. I had borax already and my store was cheaper for the Fels Naptha and Washing Soda. Try it out! Its fun!

*I do have to add though, that I will add vinegar to the bleach tray when I wash whites and definitely treat stains before sticking the clothes in the wash. I haven't tried it yet, but my friend told me that Fels Naptha is excellent for treating stains! Just take the bar and rub it on the stain before

**I try not to use fabric softeners but I will use them for my high thread count sheets because they are just too stiff and scratchy without it

Homemade Laundry Soap

1 bar Fels Naptha or ZOTE
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax powder
water
~5 gallon size bucket~

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.  Add 6 cups water and
heat it until the soap melts.  Add the washing soda and the borax
and stir until it is dissolved.  Remove from heat. 

Fill your bucket about half full with hot water.  Now add your soap mixture and
stir.  Add water to finish filling bucket, and stir.  Let the soap sit
for about 24 hours and it will gel.  Use ½ cup per load; that’s 160
loads per bucket!!! (optional—1/2 oz. essential oil)

The Soap:  The most typical type of soap to use is Fels Naptha.  It is an old-
fashioned type of soap usually found in the laundry aisle.  The other option is
another brand called, Zote. I like Fels Naptha better….

Washing Soda: This is not to be confused with baking soda.  They are not
the same thing.  Washing soda is sodium carbonate or soda ash (baking soda
is sodium bicarbonate).  It is a white powder.  Its purpose is to help remove
dirt and odors.   The brand to look for is Arm & Hammer Washing Soda.

Borax: Borax is a naturally occurring mineral: Sodium Borate.  It is a white
powder.  It’s purpose is as a laundry whitener and deodorizer. The brand to
look for is 20 Mule Team.  It comes in a 76 oz. box.
Fels Naptha: $1.59 for a 5.5 oz bar; ZOTE: $0.89

Washing Soda: $3.19 for a 55 oz. box.  This came to 42 cents per batch.  I
calculated how much per oz (3.19 divided by 55) and then weighed a cup of
washing soda (8.4 oz.) and multiplied my per oz. price by 8.4

Borax: $4.59 for a 76 oz. box.  This came to 42 cents per batch.  Same
calculations as above, however 1 cup of borax weighs 7 oz.

February 20, 2010 updated prices (Macey's, tax not included):
ZOTE:
$0.89 + .42 + .42  =  $1.73  for 160 loads  =  1 cent per load
Fels Naptha: $1.59 + .42 + .42  = $2.43 for 160 loads =  1.5 cents per load

Chicken Saltimbocca

Our Relief Society cookbook came a few days ago and this is the first recipe I picked out. We were not disappointed! It was the first "stuffed chicken" recipe I've ever tried so I wasn't too good at it but the results were still delicious! It was really moist and a great way to eat chicken!

4 chicken breasts, pounded to evenly flatten
salt and pepper
4 paper-thin slices prosciutto
1/2 bag fresh spinach
3 T. olive oil
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
2 c. chicken stock
2 T. fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon juiced)

1. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 T. olive oil to coat.
2. Place the chicken flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto on top of each chicken breast.
3. Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the prosciutto slices.
4. Sprinkle with cheese.
5. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll and secure with toothpicks
6. Het the remaining 2 T of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 8-10 minutes
7. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken and serve immediately.

Black Bean Chicken Salad

Black bean Chicken Salad

Black bean mixture:
1/2 chopped red pepper
1/2 chopped green pepper (or whatever you have)
1/2 chopped onion
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can corn drained
MIX

Stuff for Salad:
chopped romaine lettuce
chopped tomato
sour cream
crushed tortilla chips
cheese
chicken (rub a little salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper on the chicken before cooking)

dressing:
1/3 C vegetable oil
2 TBSP lime juice
2 TBSP chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt

Then you just build your own salad. Little lettuce, little bean mixture, little tomato, cheese, sour cream, chicken and some tortilla chips, topped with the yummy dressing!

edited to add: I ran out of the dressing and I didn't have any chicken so I just put the leftover bean mixture on some salad and used Annie's Roasted Red Pepper dressing instead. It was SOOOOO delicious and healthy because of all those pretty colors. hooray!

Bunny Buns

These are incredible soft and delicious!

Bunny Buns

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk, warmed not quite to boiling

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

5 1/2 cups flour, sifted

Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon butter

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Sprinkle yeast in the warm water and set aside.
3. In another bowl, blend milk, sugar, shortening, and salt. Cool until lukewarm, then add eggs, water with yeast, orange juice, and orange peel.
4. Stir in flour a few cups at a time to make a soft dough. Let stand for 10 minutes.
5. Knead dough 5–10 minutes on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover bowl with a clean towel and put it in a warm place. Let dough rise for 2 hours, or until double in size. Punch dough down and let stand for 10 minutes.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into strips 1/2 inch wide and 14 inches long. Roll between hands into rounded snake shapes. Cut one strip into pieces 1/2 inch long, and roll into balls.
7. Place one long piece of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Place one end of the strip over the other to make a loop; bring the end that is underneath up and cross it over the other end. Place a ball of dough on top of the bottom loop.
8. Cover bunnies and let rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until nearly double in size. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 12–15 minutes.
9. For the glaze, stir powdered sugar, water, and butter together. Frost bunnies with the glaze while they are still warm.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

WOW. This is delicious! I am a terrible cupcake maker, just ask Nathan. He told me the other day "you are a really good cook but you stink at making cupcakes!". Yep, it doesn't matter if its a box or a from scratch recipe, vanilla cupcakes are NOT my forte. But even though the cupcakes were less than excellent, they were to die for with this frosting!

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
6 ounces chopped white chocolate  (I used 1 c. white chips)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

Gently melt the white chocolate over a double boiler, or in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring until smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool until just barely warm.

Combine the white chocolate, butter, vanilla and cream cheese in the bowl of your mixer and beat until smooth. (It is important that the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature, as any chill will result in the chocolate hardening and creating a grainy or lumpy frosting.)  Add the powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth.
*we stuck them in the fridge over night and I really liked them better chilled. The frosting is amazingly smooth. Oh man! I might just have to go sneak another one!

Butternut Squash and Apples

This was from Family Fun magazine.  Amazingly Easton ate it! I used sucanat sugar instead of brown sugar.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 butternut squash (about 2 lbs) peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small cubes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Step 1: heat the oven to 350. Lightly oil a large baking pan, then combine the squash and apples in the pan.

Step 2: in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over teh squash and apples, our the melted butter on top, and cover the dish.

Step 3: bake until the ingredients are fork-tender, about 45 minutes

A NEW White Bean Chili

A couple of friends and I did Bountiful Baskets last week and included in the basket were some anaheim peppers (i think...they were fairly big and green). My friend sent me her recipe for White Bean Chili and so instead of using my usual DELICIOUS recipe I tried hers. It was amazing! Apparently she did it without a recipe. seriously? I got another delicious recipe from my other friend for a butternut squash/apple bake. SO good. So I'll be sharing that one as well. I told them that if they do bountiful baskets to let me know so I can mooch off their recipes. I love having talented friends!


Megan's White Bean Chili

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Anaheim chilis, roasted, chopped and partially seeded (depending how spicy you like)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
3 Tbsp flour
4 c chicken broth
3 cans Great Northern beans
2 large chicken breasts
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 c nonfat dry milk
2 c  cheddar cheese

Saute the peppers and onion in olive oil until soft, about 10 minutes; add garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook a few more minutes; add flour and cook another minute. Add chicken broth, stirring well and scraping the bottom of the pan so everything is combined. Add whole chicken breasts and simmer until chicken is fully cooked. Remove cooked chicken to a cutting board and let rest. Add beans, oregano, basil, and nutmeg to the pot, and let them simmer for 15-20 while chicken is resting.

To finish, chop up chicken, add back to pot; combine nonfat dry milk with a little water so it is smooth, then add to the pot. Add cheese and stir until melted. Cover tightly with a lid and turn off heat, then let it sit for 30 minutes (if you have time) so the flavors can all meld together.

Serve with sour cream and more cheese if you want.

**my favorite thing about this recipe is the flavor AND the fact that you cook the chicken right in the spicy broth. It was super moist and flavorful!

My favorite hot chocolate!

I've really been on a hot chocolate kick lately. I am obsessed! Here is my favorite recipe from the Hershey's cocoa box. Single serving. just perfect!

2 T. cocoa
1 1/2 - 2 T. sugar
pinch salt
dash cinnamon
8 oz milk

Stir together dry ingredients. Add hot milk and stir well. YUM!

So in San Francisco at the farmer's market there was this little tiny stand that had the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted. It was super duper thick and rich and delicious. The other day I found a recipe on this blog for Italian hot chocolate...which was described as the same thing that we had in San Francisco. Sweet! So I tried her recipe and although I wasn't super impressed right off the bat (although I think it might have had something to do with the fact I used arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch) I am excited that I may have found a way to possibly recreate it!