Olive Garden Breadsticks

Quick, easy, and delicious!  Finishes off any meal.  Soup, pasta, pizza, etc...

Recipe is from Full Bellies, Happy Kids Blog

1 1/2 cups warm water (between 110 - 120 degrees F)
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt 

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered. Mixture should be frothy.

In separate bowl, combine flour and salt. 

Add to yeast mixture. Add melted butter. Mix with paddle attachment of stand mixer or wooden spoon until fully combined. 

Knead dough for a few minutes just until dough is smooth. Do not overknead!

Grease a cookie sheet. Pull off pieces of dough and roll out into strips.

Now, I tend to make pretty thick breadsticks so I normally end with around 10 or so, but I'm sure that if you rolled yours out more thinly you'd have at least a dozen.

Cover the dough and let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and once heated, pop in the bread sticks. In microwave, combine the following:

1 stick unsalted butter (or 1/2 cup margarine)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt

After 6 or 7 minutes, brush the bread sticks with half the butter mixture. 

Then continue to bake. Honestly, I almost never leave them in there for an entire 15 minutes - normally it's closer to 12 because I like them softer and less crisp on the outside, but to each their own. Either way, immediately upon removal from the oven brush the other half of the butter on the sticks.

Allow them to cool for a minute or two, and enjoy! 

Chicken Corn Chowder

I have done my fair share of chowders and cream soups, but I loved this one.  It was also really easy with minimal dishes.  The Jalapeno gave it such a great flavor, but didn't add heat.  Also I didn't add the ham and i always substitute the veggies with what i have on hand (ZUCCHINI, asparagus, squash, potatoes, etc...).  The cream flavor was awesome though.  Topping it off with bacon would be perfection.

this recipe is from Mel's kitchen cafe.

I am not yelling, I can't get the typing out of caps...?...

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped 
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (this is important for flavor – but doesn’t add heat because the seeds and membranes are removed and it is cooked with the other veggies)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced or cooked chopped ham
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (14-oz.) cans chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 ears of fresh corn kernels or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 4 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes. Whisk the broth with the flour in a liquid measuring cup or bowl and then stir into the soup. Stir in the corn and chicken. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat.
2. Whisk together the cream cheese and milk in a large bowl until smooth (I had a difficult time getting my cream cheese to completely whisk into the milk so my soup had some minor small lumps but next time, I’ll soften the cream cheese until almost melted in the microwave).
3. Whisk the cream cheese/milk mixture into the soup along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer on low until ready to serve.

German Chocolate Cake

 Cake

1 package white or yellow cake mix

1 chocolate instant pudding mix

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk

3 egg whites, beaten stiff

Frosting

3 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

½ cup butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ⅓ cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour three 8-inch or two 9-inch round cake pans.  Set aside.

For cake:  Combine cake and pudding mixes, flour, and milk and beat according to cake package directions.  Fold in egg whites.  Pour into the prepared pans and bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

For frosting:  Combine egg yolks, sugar, evaporated milk, and butter or margarine in a medium saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, 12-15 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla, coconut, and pecans.  Beat until thick. Spread over cake.

Breadsticks

I took a nap after church instead of starting rolls and woke up in a pinch needing to satisfy my carb desire.  I found this recipe on Sisters Cafe.  Husband, kids, and mother approved.  They are great, especially for the time and ingredients they take.  Sorry for my pathetic picture...

Our Favorite Breadsticks 

Submitted by Melanie~The Sisters Cafe

1 ½ cup warm water

1 Tablespoon yeast

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 ½ cup flour

½ tsp salt

4 Tablespoons butter  

Mix the yeast and sugar together then add it to warm water.  Let it sit and bubble for a few minutes.  Add the salt and flour.  Knead for 3 minutes then let the dough rest for 10 minutes.  Melt the butter and pour most of it onto a cookie sheet.  Roll out dough to fit the cookie sheet.  Then flip all the dough over to coat both sides in butter.  Cut the dough to desired width, then twist and lay on the cookie sheet. Brush remainder of butter on breadsticks and sprinkle with garlic salt, parmesan cheese, and parsley (or whatever seasonings you like). Raise for 10-20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.

Belgian Waffles

This has become mine and Jev's favorite Belgian waffle recipe. It doesn't use yeast like most other recipes I've found in my waffle book so it is quick and easy. And if you've been looking for a super awesome Belgian Waffle maker, I have the Waring Pro Double-Belgian Waffle Maker and I love it.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender for a minute or two.

Pour into waffle iron.

*When you put the eggs in a blender it makes them really puffy so your waffle iron may pop open like mine does. Just mix everything with a wisk instead if you don't want
this to happen.

Coconut Chicken w/ Apricot Sauce

 

{recipe and picture from Seeded at the Table}

1 egg
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup apricot preserves
*2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl; set aside.  Mix the coconut, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.  Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip the chicken in the bowl with the beaten egg and then coat with the coconut mixture.  Place on the baking sheet.  Once all chicken breasts are coated and on the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with the melted butter.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping once halfway.

To prepare the apricot sauce, mix the apricot preserves and the Dijon mustard in a small bowl.  Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Freezer Friendly:  After baking the chicken, let cool completely then freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month.  To reheat, bake in a preheated oven at 400˚F for 20 minutes.

* I didn't have Dijon mustard {plus, my husband doesn't like it}, so I just used regular mustard.  

Smoothie

So I know a lot of you have smoothie recipes you love already but I thought I'd share one I like.  A friend shared it with me and I believe she got it from the book Eat to Live but I could be wrong.  Anyways here is the recipe.

2 cups spinach
1 banana frozen (Peel them, toss in ziplock, then freeze)
1 cup frozen fruit (I like 1/2 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup strawberries)
1/2 cup OJ
1/2 almond milk

Blend and enjoy! It's seriously like Jamba Juice good and my kids love it! I'd love to hear your favorite smoothie recipes so please share them :)

Tortellini Sausage Soup

This recipe is from melskitchencafe.com. I just love her recipes and her pictures are absolutely beautiful so of course I want to make something that looks delicious. We had this for dinner tonight and Jev loved it (which says a lot because he hates soup). I do have to confess though that I didn't have some of the ingredients. No zucchini, no apple cider, and only half the chicken broth so it pretty much was just a pasta dish because most of the water boiled off but it was still delicious.


Tortellini Sausage Soup

*Note: If zucchini isn’t in season, you could easily sub chopped spinach or frozen peas here. Also, if you absolutely can’t find apple cider, try apple juice and in a last ditch effort, leave it out (although it does add a delicious hint of unique flavor).

*Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
3 links Italian sausage (the kind that is uncooked in casings – see note above)
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 onion, diced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup apple cider
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup chopped carrots
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated (no need to peel)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
8-10 ounce package refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini

DIRECTIONS:
Remove the casings by slicing down one side of the sausage and peeling the casing back from the sausage. In a large pot, cook the sausage over medium heat until it starts to brown, using a wooden spoon to crumble as it cooks. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Continue cooking until the onions are translucent and the sausage is cooked through. Drain any excess grease, if needed (alternately, if your sausage is extra lean, you may need to add a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking).

Stir in the chicken broth, apple cider, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, oregano, and basil. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in zucchini and parsley simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add the tortellini and cook until tender (usually only a couple of minutes, even when the packages call for 7-9 minutes cooking time, I only cook the tortellini for 4-5 minutes so it doesn’t fall apart). Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

This is a 5 star recipe from allrecipes.com, and an instant favorite for our family.

3 cups water
2 Tb chicken bouillon granules
2 bunches broccoli (or one bag frozen)
1/2 onion diced
2 cups milk
1/2 cup margarine
5 Tb all purpose flour
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese.

1. Bring water and chicken bouillon granules to a boil in a pot. Add broccoli and onion; cook at a boil until tender, 10-12 minutes.
2. Combine milk, margarine, flour, and cream cheese in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir until the margarine melts and the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir Cheddar cheese into the milk mixture; cook and stir until the cheddar melts completely.
4. Pour the broccoli mixture into the cheese mixture in the large pot; stir well.

Original recipe can be found here. The only thing I did differently is I used butter instead of margarine, and about half as much called for.

Enchilada Sauce

This is Richie's Grandma's recipe for enchilada sauce (red).   It's the meal he requests the most.  He loves it!


oil in bottom of a sauce pan  (doesn't take a lot)

3 T. chili powder

3 T. flour (maybe a little more)

1-8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2-1 can el pato (depending on how spicy you want it)

3 c. water

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 T. sugar

Heat oil. Add chili powder and flour to make a paste. Wisk in tomato sauce and add water. Add seasonings. Simmer for one hour.

Dip corn tortillas in hot oil to soften them. Fill them with a little bit of sauce, meat (usually do ground hamburger), and cheese. Roll and put into casserole dish (13x9 works great). Cover with remaining sauce and some cheese (and onions if you want. We hate onions but i like green onions and will garnish the top with them).

Bake at 375-400 until cheese is melted on top.

*Note: I use flour tortillas and skip the softening phase, and it turns out fine.

For all of you in Pittsburgh, there is only one place I could find the El Pato sauce there.  The super walmart by Mills Mall.
 s in the 
preheated oven, or until done.

Marshmallow Brownies

Recipe from: Six Sisters Stuff

1 c. margarine

2 c. sugar

1/3 c. cocoa

4 eggs

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

Soften margarine and blend in 2 cups sugar and cocoa.  Beat together and add 4 eggs, one at a time.  Add flour, salt and vanilla.

Spread on large (10x15x1 inch) greased cookie sheet.  Bake 25 minutes at 350.  Remove from oven and cover entire top with 1 package of miniature marshmallows.  Return to oven for 3 minutes, until soft and puffy.  Cool and frost with chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting:

1 stick margarine (1/2 c.), softened
1/4 cup milk
1-2 tsp vanilla (depending on your taste)
3 tablespoons of cocoa
2-3 cups of powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth.  Add more powdered sugar or milk until you reach desired consistency and spread on top of bars.

Grandma's Chili Recipe

Ever since I can remember my Grandma would make this Chili recipe for Halloween dinner. I grew up eating it every year, and have made it every Halloween since! I thought I would share it with you guys, it is a fun family tradition to have warm chili waiting in the kitchen after trick-or-treating! (especially when its freezing outside) -Have a great Halloween, I miss you all!

About 1 lb of hamburger
4 cans of red kidney beans ( you can use other beans as well, I just usually use kidney beans.
I c. onion
I c. celery
I c. red or green bell pepper.
I can of crushed tomatoes.
I small can of tomato paste
I c. ketchup
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. lemon juice.
spices:
2 teaspoons. ground mustard
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tsp chili powder,or a bit more to taste.

-Brown hamburger in a skillet.
-Chop veggies into small pieces, depending on how chunky you want the chili to be.
-I usually strain two of the cans of kidney beans, and dump the entire other two because the juice adds substance.
-Add all the rest of the ingredients, stir, and cook in crock pot on slow for about 7-8 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.

Pumpkin Alfredo

Don't be afraid of the word pumpkin.  It's not overpowering at all.

Tannon said this tastes like "a fancy restaurant meal".  I agree, it tasted like it should have been served at Macaroni Grill, or something.  I dare say this may be my favorite meal I've ever made.

P.S. I'm just now noticing it calls for 1/2 batch of Alfredo sauce, instead of 1 full batch.  No wonder it tasted so good.

Recipe from Our Best Bites.

Pasta with Pumpkin Alfredo

1 Package Cheese Ravioli
1/2 batch Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
1/2 T real butter
1/4 C Finely minced onion
1/2 C canned pumpkin
2 T Chicken broth
1T chopped fresh sage (1t dried leaves)
1/2 T fresh thyme (1/2 t dried leaves)

Follow instructions on pasta to cook. In a separate sauce pan melt butter on medium heat. When melted, add onion. Make sure your onion is really finely diced. Since you have a nice smooth sauce, you don’t want big chunks of onion, you just want little bits.

Saute until soft. Since they’re small it should only take a couple of minutes. Add chicken broth and herbs. 

Use a spatula to deglaze the pan a bit and get any cooked bits of onion off the bottom. Add pumpkin and whisk to combine. Add alfredo sauce, stir to combine, and cook until heated through. 

Donuts

Growing up my aunt made homemade donuts and homemade root beer every Halloween.  It's one of my favorite traditions I can remember from my childhood.  I don't make donuts very often myself, but I decided to make some this year and they did not disappoint.  I got the recipe from Buns in My Oven.  The original recipe says not to poke a hole in the middle, and to fill with Nutella.  The donuts I made with no hole were doughy in the middle, so I only made one like that.  The rest, I just punched holes, like regular donuts.

You can either toss them while warm in sugar, or dip them in some vanilla glaze.

Ingredients

• 1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 2/3 cups milk, at room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 eggs
• 7 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, cut into 7 pieces
• Canola oil, for frying

Instructions

1. In the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the yeast and milk. Allow the yeast to dissolve, about 1 minute. Add the flour, 1/3 cup of the sugar, salt, and eggs and mix on low for about 4 minutes to develop the dough. Begin adding the butter, one piece at a time, and continue mixing for 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 6 - 15 hours.
3. Lightly flour a baking sheet. Flour your work surface and roll out the dough into a 12 inch square about a 1/2 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2 to 4 inch round biscuit cutter, cut out the donuts. (I ended up with 11 total.) Arrange the donuts on the prepared baking sheet and cover in plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm spot for 2 - 3 hours or until doubled in height and feel poufy and pillowy.
4. When ready to fry, heat 3 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350 degrees. Line a try with paper towels and add the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Add the donuts to the hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pan, and fry on each side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on the lined tray. When cool enough to handle, toss in the sugar to coat. Return each donut to the tray to cool completely, about 3o minutes.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

I have a few wrap recipes that I make often, this is by far the best one I have ever tried.  The proportions and flavorings are JUST RIGHT! I thought this would be a fun recipe for a small girls luncheon, or shower. If you make the middle ahead of time, you could grill them up in no time.

Yield: 6 wraps

(perfect for 3 adults. For lunch I think one wrap per person would be perfect with a side salad or something)

1 cup cooked rice

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1 can black beans

1 green onion

½ red bell pepper

¼ cup cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

½ Tbs chili powder

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp garlic salt

2 cups shredded cheese

Sour cream

6 flour tortillas

1. Mix rice with chili powder, cumin, and garlic

salt. Add all other ingredients except cheese

and sour cream.

2. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, then arrange

the chicken mixture down the center. Dot

with sour cream and roll up tightly.

3. Spray each wrap all over with cooking

spray.

4. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Arrange

wrap seam-side down in skillet and cook

each side until golden and crisp (usually

only takes a minute or two).

(sorry, not the best picture, I remembered to take it only after my plate was a mess from eating the first one!)

Rich and Moist Zucchini Cake

We had 2 HUGE zucchini's from our garden that I needed to use.  I decided to try a zucchini chocolate cake and I dare say this was one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had.  I even snuck some whole wheat flour in there.  Delicious and few healthy ingredients :)

{photo by Six Sisters' Stuff}

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional- I didn't use any)
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake springs back when gently touched. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled cake before cutting.