Homemade Mac & Cheese

We really love this macaroni and cheese. It takes a little more time than the boxed stuff, but it is a million times better!

8 oz elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour (I use wheat)
2 cups milk (I use whole)
8 oz shredded cheddar (I like the Cheddar Jack preshredded mix)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I use just a tiny dash of cayenne pepper)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the pasta according to the package (usually about 8-10 minutes depending on if you get the regular or the large).

I use my big pot for making the sauce too, less to clean up and it actually cooks the sauce faster than a smaller sauce pan.  I usually wipe out the dried pasta water residue, then add the butter and melt on medium heat.  Add the flour and whisk for about 2-3 minutes.

This is the tricky part, slowly add the milk while whisking.  I usually add about 1/4 cup and whisk until smooth.  Then another 1/4 cup and whisk.  By about 3/4 to 1 cup of milk you can add the rest more quickly while you are still whisking.  The smoother you make it in the beginning, the better it will turn out.  Cook on medium to medium high for about 5 minutes or until it begins to thicken.

Remove from heat and stir in the spices then most of the cheese (save a little for on top-I usually forget and just get a little more to go on top).  Stir until cheese is melted.  Then add the pasta (most bags of pasta are bigger than 8 oz, don't add too much or your mac & cheese won't be very saucy).  Put in a lightly greased pan or several small ones.  Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbly and the cheese on top begins to brown a bit. Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes after pulling it out of the oven or it will be too hot to eat.

World's Best Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c.white sugar

1 c brown  sugar

1 egg

1 c.oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. oatmeal

1 c. crushed cornflakes

1 c.coconut

1 c. chopped nuts

3 1/2 c.flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp.salt

cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg ,oil and vanilla.

Add oats,cornflakes,coconut and nuts,mix well.Add flour,soda and salt,mix well

and form into small  balls,about the size of walnuts.Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Press down with fork.Bake at 350* for 12 to 15 min.

English Nut Bars

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg white

1/4 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream butter. Gradually add sugar. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla.  Add flour and salt. Pat evenly into a 13"x 9" baking pan. Brush lightly with egg white. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool slightly, cut into one inch bars.  Cool completely.

Easy & Delicious Frosting

I adapted this from the birthday cake Matt made me. You might have to play around with it a little to make it what you like. 

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy whipping cream (very cold)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
First, put the bowl in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes (I also put the cream in there).  Whip the cream with a hand or stand mixer until peaks form.  I aimed for somewhere between soft and stiff because you mix it a little bit after.  Add the sugar, cocoa, and vanilla and mix until blended.  Scrape the sides of the bowl, and you are ready to go.

I used this to frost 2 dozen cupcakes.  But we prefer to have a lighter coating of frosting.  You might want to double the recipe if you like extra frosting.  I also lightly dusted them with cocoa powder for decoration (on a side note:  do not put the cocoa powder in the sieve while it is above the cupcakes or it will be a heavy coating not a light dusting).

Matt's recipe called for cream cheese and instant coffee (it was a tiramisu cake).

Winter's White Chicken Chili

Easy and super tasty!

 

 

SAUTE:
1 medium onion, diced
1 TB olive oil
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 chicken breasts, grilled and diced
ADD:
2 cans garbanzo beans
1 can white northern bean
1 can creamed corn
5 cups chicken stock
8 oz chopped green chilies
1 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
SIMMER FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES THEN ADD:
1/2 cup half and half mixed with 1 cup sour cream

Serve hot w/ crackers or crusty bread of choice.  Can top w/ cheese or avocado.

Banana Nut Muffins

Banana Nut Muffins

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

½ cup oil

1 cup mashed bananas

2 cups flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease bottoms only of 12 regular sized muffin tins.

Beat egg; stir in milk, oil and banana.  Stir in remaining ingredients all at once, just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy.  Fill muffin tins about ¾ full.  Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Immediately remove from pan.

"My Hero" Sandwiches

This is an upgraded version of a super-simple sandwich recipe.  Matt and I made some changes, and I am so glad we did!

Ingredients:

French Hero Rolls (we used ciabatta)
~1 lb. cheap steak
Worcestershire sauce
season all
thick sliced mozzarella
olive oil
1 red pepper, sliced thinly
1/4 of a red onion, sliced thinly (I would probably do half of that...it was pretty onionly)
~6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
white wine vinegar

For the Sauce:
1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish sauce (I have the zesty instead of hot)
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 garlic cloves, minced (I used the garlic press)

Tenderize the steak by forking or using a tenderized with tines.  Pour Worcestershire sauce on it.   Marinate for about 15-20 minutes (or as long as you have)

Make the sauce by mixing or whisking all ingredients together.  Then chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to make up the sandwiches.

If you are lucky, you can have your husband grilling the steak while you are working on the veggies.  If not, you will have to do them in stages or broil the steak.  When it is the done-ness that you like, let it rest for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Then slice it very thinly across the grain.  I think of it as the slanting or angled cut.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Cook the onions for about 5 or so minutes.  Then add the red pepper.  Cook for about 5 more minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to shrink and turn brownish.  When it gets dry, add a splash of white wine vinegar and add the salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until the veggies are the softness that you like.  Cover to keep warm. 

Now that all the parts are cooked, it is time to assemble the sandwiches.  We got two big ciabatta sandwiches from it.  Put a thick layer of the mayo mix on the bottom, and if you like, put a little on the top too.  You might want to taste it to see how hot it is for you.  Lay the rolls on a broiling rack with the insides up.  Put the steak slices on the bottom of the roll, then the mozzarella on top of the steak.  On the top, add the vegetables.  Broil in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until melty and delicious. Be careful to watch it so it doesn't burn!  After pulling them out of the oven, let them rest for a minute, until you can handle them.  Then put them together, slice them in half at a fancy angle, and serve. 

This is probably the best sandwich recipe we have ever made!

Easy Ranch Eggs

This is my version of Huevos Rancheros. It was pretty easy and can be left to simmer until you are ready for the eggs.   We like our eggs cooked through and solid, so I mixed each one before adding them to the sauce (I also flipped them).  You can do them softer or over-easy if you prefer.

1/2 onion chopped finely
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can of tomatoes with diced chiles
1 can of diced tomatoes (I usually get the no salt added version)
1 can of diced chiles (if you like it with less heat, don't add this part)
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
4-5 eggs
Olive oil
Large skillet with a lid

Using a large skillet, saute the onions in olive oil over medium-high heat until soft.  Add the garlic until fragrant (about 30-60 seconds). Don't let the garlic burn!  Add the cans of tomatoes and chiles along with the cayenne pepper.  Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, to reduce down. If you are letting it simmer for a while, you probably want to put the lid on it so it doesn't get too thick.  About 5 minutes before you are ready to eat, add the eggs.  Make a little bowl in the sauce, add an egg.  Repeat until you have about 4-5 eggs in their own respective sauce bowls.  I give mine a quick stir right before I put them in.  If you want to flip them, wait until they had solidified enough and be very careful.  I wasn't careful last night, and they didn't turn out very pretty (although they were still delicious).  If you don't want to flip them, you can scoop some of the sauce on top (after they had cooked for a while).  When you serve, try to remove the eggs intact, if you are interested in appearances.  My eggs looked messy, so I just served them with the sauce on top.   I also thought it was a bit too hot, so I served it with a dollop of sour cream to mine.

Kim's Favorite Oatmeal

I eat oatmeal almost every morning.  Eventually, I came up with this recipe.

1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 cup Original (sweetened) Almond Milk
1/2 cup water
Raisins and whole Almonds to taste

Make sure to use a big bowl with tall sides or you will have a huge mess to clean in your microwave!  Measure oats with dry measuring cup and put in bowl.  Shake your almond milk, using the same measuring cup, and put it in with the oats.  Now use the measuring cup to measure the water and put it in (with a quick rinse, now the measuring cup is clean [well, clean enough for me]).  Microwave on high for 5 minutes.  Add raisins and almonds right away.  Let oatmeal sit until it is cool enough for you to eat.

*I have tried all three kinds of oats.  And I like the old-fashioned best.  Plus, you get more of the delicious, chewy grain and less mush.  If you choose to use a different kind, check the package for the correct amounts and use half water and half milk. 

**You can use regular milk too.  But I just tried the almond milk and it is my favorite!  I use the sweetened but you could use the unsweetened.  You might want to add some sugar then.  The almond milk (1/2 cup) is only about 30 calories.  I think that unsweetened is about 20.  Vanilla flavor is optional and I haven't tried it.  I think there are a few more calories in it.  I might try the unsweetened vanilla next.

#92 Pesto Spinach Tomato Pizza

I created a new healthier thin crust pizza that the family just loves!

Makes two large pizzas

Crust:

1 1/3 c. warm water

2 Tbsp oil

2 tsp rapid rise or SAF yeast

1 tsp salt

3 c. all purpose flour

Add oil to water and sprinkle yeast on top of water/oil mixture.  Mix flour and salt into water mixture until a ball forms.  Split the dough in half and set aside.

Oil a two large jelly roll pans (about 12"x16") and using hands or a rolling pin roll one ball of dough onto each cookie sheet until the dough is spread very thin.

Top each pizza with:

About 1/4 c. pesto

1 - 2 cups of baby spinach leaves

2 thinly sliced tomatoes (optional)

1 - 2 cups shredded mozerella

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until brown.

#91 Chocolate-Chip Peanut Cookies

1-1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 stick butter at room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the flour, soda and salt.  Cream the peanut butter and butter.  Beat in the sugars and then the vanilla and egg.  Beat in flour mixture.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Spoon the dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly.  Bake until the edges of the cookies start to brown., 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool on rack.

#90 Zucchini Spaghetti Sauce

Zucchini Spaghetti Sauce

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

1 cup broccoli florets, chopped

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

1/2 pound ground turkey, browned and drained

2 Tbsp canola or oil oil

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet and sauté onion until clear.  Add garlic, zucchini, basil, broccoli, and tomatoes to pan and cook until tender.  Add cooked turkey meat to vegetables until heated through.  Serve immediately over cooked spaghetti noodles.

#87 Clam Chowder

4 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small onion diced
2 stalks celery diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 head cauliflower diced
1 table spoon butter

Melt butter in a Dutch Oven, saute vegetables in butter about 5 minutes or so.

1 can clams, drained, save the juice
2 cups chicken broth

Add clam juice and broth to the vegetables, top off with water to just cover the veg (if needed) and simmer covered about 15 minutes.

While the veg is simmering, make a white sauce:
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Mix 3 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning and a dash of salt and pepper.  Whisk into melted butter and cook until bubbly and starting to brown,  Slowly stir in 2 cups of milk.  Cook stirring frequently until boiling. Continue to cook and stir for at least a minute or two.  By this time the veg should be tender.  Gently stir in white sauce and clams.  Heat through for a bit and then serve.

Options:

Fry up a couple of slices of chopped bacon, use the bacon grease to saute veg.
Add some corn.
Add mushrooms.

I didn't have any celery on hand, so I added some celery seed to the white sauce.

#88 Lamb Pound Cake

Found a fabulous pound cake recipe - FINALLY!

Cream together:

1 cup butter, softened

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

Then add:

3 cups flour

1 cup sour cream (full fat!)

2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine until well mixed.

Fill a Wilton Lamb Mold to brimming full.  There will be enough left to make a loaf as well.

Tie the mold together with baking twine or wire to keep it from moving when the cake rises.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Lay lamb on his face and remove string/wire.  Remove back of mold and allow to cool about 10 minutes.  Replace back of mold and flip.  Remove front of mold and allow to cool another 10 minutes.  Remove lamb from mold and allow to completely cool at least one hour before frosting.

Use Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe sprinkled with sweetened, shredded coconut for a fabulous taste sensation!

Next year I will work on getting the decorations pretty.  This year I am just happy for a fabulous taste!

#89 Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

I found this fabulous frosting recipe over on Not So Humble Pie and I have to share it!  I did change the ingredients just slightly:

8 oz. Cream Cheese at room temperature
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Whip together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.  In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff, forming stiff peaks.  Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.  Do not over mix.  This frosting is light and delicious!  I can't wait to try it on a carrot cake!

#86 Pink Sauce

A yummy sauce for pasta.

1 -12oz can evaporated milk
1/4 cup milk
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/4 cup red pasta sauce (I like to use Traditional flavor Prego)
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
2 T parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
Chopped up Chicken Breast (optional)

Make a roux by melting the butter in a medium sized sauce pan and adding flour.  Stir together until flour and butter make a paste.  Add evaporated milk to roux and continue stirring until sauce begins to thicken.  Add red pasta sauce, chicken(optional) and cheeses and continue to stir.  Add milk if sauce becomes too thick.  Salt and pepper to taste and serve over pasta.

#85 Coleslaw

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together in a large bowl.  Add about a 1/3 cup of raisins or craisins, 1/2 apple, chopped, 1 carrot grated, 1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped or shredded.  Toss gently to coat with dressing.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

#84 Zucchini and Eggplant Fritatta

2 small zucchini diced
1 small white eggplant diced (you can sub a purple one)
1/2  cup diced red onion (or whatever kind you have on hand)
2 tablespoons butter
6 eggs, slightly beaten with a fork
Fresh basil, oregano and parsley, finely minced (or dry if you don't have fresh) I didn't measure exactly, just to taste
Salt and pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, heat a cast iron skillet on med high. Add butter and when the butter is melted, turn down heat to med and add the vegetables.  Saute until onion has softened.  Turn off the heat.  I added the herbs to the eggs, along with a bit of salt and fresh ground pepper.  Pour egg mixture over the vegetables.  Put the skillet in the oven and bake about 15minutes.  Loosen from the edge of the pan and invert on a plate.  I served this with fried potatoes and fresh tomato slices (our first homegrown tomato this year!)

#83 Whole Wheat Waffles

2 eggs

1-3/4 cups milk

1/4 cup oil or melted butter

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat eggs with a whisk until fluffy.  Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth.  Let rest about 10-15 minutes. Heat waffle iron.  Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and cook for a few minutes.  As waffle irons vary, check the booklet to find the best time frame for your appliance.   Serve hot with any of the following, butter, syrup, jam, fresh sliced strawberries, fresh fruit, whipped cream.

#82 Slow Roasted Ribs

Dry Rub

Roaster

With fried potatoes and corn!

Dry Rub

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon onion salt

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Mix together in a small bowl.   Cut a rack of pork ribs into manageable pieces (about 3)  Rub the dry rub on both sides of the ribs and then refrigerate for a couple of hours.  Broil the ribs, both sides to brown.  Put in a roaster and roast in the oven at 225 degrees for about 4 or 5 hours.  Remove from oven and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.  Brush on your favorite BBQ sauce and cut into serving sized pieces.