Augratin Vegetables

OK 

This is a little time consuming

 but so worth it..

Probably my favorite vegetable dish.

4 ½ c. fresh broccoli cut into i-inch pieces (pre-steamed for 3-5 minutes)

I like the bottom of my dish covered with broccoli.

1 ½ c. carrots, cut into julienne strips (pre cook separately 3-5- minutes)

1 c. diced celery ( I saute these in garlic butter first)

1 jar pimentos (or not)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 TB. minced onion

2 TB parsley flakes

1 stick butter

1 c. sour cream

1 ½ c. shredded cheese (Colby jack)

1 TB. milk

Once your broccoli and carrots have been steamed separately,

 BUT NOT COOKED THROUGH

drain. In a greased 13X9 dish layer broccoli first on the bottom, then carrots on top, celery and pimentos.

In a sauce pan combine and heat the soup, butter, minced onions, and parsley. Once heated add sour cream then cheese. If too thick to pour add milk to thin. Pour over vegetables, and sprinkle with cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 until heated through 4-50 min.

Seriously the sauce is soooooo good. A great way to get your kids to eat veggies.

Leslie's Any-Fruit Fruit Salad

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This is an awesome dish to serve as a snack,

a side dish, or even as a dessert.

The awesome thing about it is-

you can use ANY fruit you want.

-

This salad has a secret ingredient,

and it works wonders with any combination of any

type(s) of fruit.

-

So you can use your very favorite fruits,

or you can go for the colors you want,

or for what's in season or on sale,

or just whatever you have in your fruit basket.

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DIRECTIONS:

Simply cut and mix up any kind of fruits you want.

My faves include melons, berries, bananas, etc.

If you want it to look nice, be careful not to smash

the berries as you mix.

The secret ingredient is: Pina colada mix.

Our favorite is the frozen Bacardi pina colada mix,

located in the frozen juice section of the store.

But if you can't find that one, just use a bottled

pina colada mix from the soda section.

Add enough to give a nice, sweet, pina colada flavor.

YUM!

Mexican quinoa

1 c. water

1/2 c. quinoa

bring water to boil, simmer until water is gone.

cool.

ADD:

1 15. oz can of black beans

1 15 oz. can or corn drained

1 c. Roasted Tomatoes

1/4 c. purple onion diced

2 TBLS. cilantro

2 jalapenos-diced (or less if you don't like spicey)

juice of 2 limes

1 TBLS. olive oil

Salt to taste.



Next time you need a salad...

Holy Awesomeness, Batman.

This is such a delish salad.

It's kind of a cross between my mom's broccoli-bacon

salad and the infamous "Fart Salad" haha...

Perfect as a side, for an event, or just to much on through the week!

-

**PS- This salad, in my opinion, tastes better if the flavors have

had a chance to 'marry'... so I'd make it the night before and

let it sit in the fridge, if it's for an event or shower ;)

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Bowtie Broccoli Pasta Salad

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INGREDIENTS

-

~ 16 oz. bow tie (farfalle) pasta noodles

~ 3 c. fresh broccoli (cut into small pieces)

~ 3 c. seedless red grapes (halved)

~ 2 c. mayonnaise

~ 2/3 c. sugar

~ 2/3 c. diced red onion

~ 2/3 c. red wine vinegar

~ 2 tsp. salt

~ 3/4 c. bacon bits (cooked or from a jar)

~ 1 1/3 c. chopped pecans, toasted (*Optional)

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DIRECTIONS

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1.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

-

2.

If not already done, cut broccoli from stem and into

small pieces. Cut all grapes in half.

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3.

In a large bowl, whisk together may, sugar, onion,

vinegar and salt til thoroughly mixed. Add broccoli,

grapes, and drained cooked pasta. Stir to coat.

-

4.

*Depending on whether you want the bacon crunchy or

moist, you may add those now, or not til you're ready to eat.

Chill the salad for a few hours, or overnight.

Add the pecans (and bacon, if not already in) before eating.

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You're sure to get asked for this recipe!

It's happened to me every time ;)

Mexican Quinoa

Since Quinoa is a staple at our house now, I'm always looking for new recipes.

I made this today and liked it. It can be a dip, salad or a side dish.

*

Mexican Quinoa

1 c. water

1/2 c. Quinoa

Bring water to boil

simmer 20 min. until water is gone.

cool

*

add:

1-15oz can of black beans drained

1-15oz can of whole corn drained

1 c. canned roasted tomatoes

1/4 c. purple onion- diced

2 TBLS. cilantro

1-2 jalapenos with or without seeds depending on how hot you want it

juice of 1-2 limes

1-2 TBLS. olive oil

salt to taste
GOOD!!!!!!!!!

Easy, Awesome Dinner Rolls!

Yes, another recipe I found on Pinterest ;)

The original recipe is from How Does She

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It's true-- these were super-easy!

And not overly time-consuming.

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INGREDIENTS:

-

1 1/2 cups of milk

-

3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar

-

1 egg

-

1 Tablespoon salt

-

2 Tablespoons yeast

-

2 cups of warm water

-

about 9-10 cups of flour

-

at least 1 cup of butter

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DIRECTIONS:

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1. Mix 1 1/2 cups of milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of butter

in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for about 2 minutes.

 Cutting the butter into pieces helps it melt faster. There will

probably be some little cubes of butter still floating in the

hot mixture, they will melt.

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2. We are going to add yeast to this hot mixture,

but it will be too hot to just dump the yeast straight in

(it would kill it!). To cool it down stir in 1-2 cups of flour,

 then add 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of salt, and leave it to cool

for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a measuring cup dissolve

2 Tablespoons of yeast in 2 cups of warm water and

1 Tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit for a couple of minutes

until it is bubbly.

**Keep track of how much flour you are adding!!!

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3. When milk mixture is warm and not HOT anymore,
add the yeast mixture into it. Using a fork or wooden spoon,
gradually stir in 9-10 cups of flour

 (counting the flour you have already added to cool it earlier).

I would recommend only adding 2 cups at time and stirring in between.

These rolls turn out so much better when they are mixed by hand.

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4. At the end the dough will be dense and sticky, and may be hard

to stir, you can use your hands to incorporate the rest of the

 flour if needed. Be sure not to add too much flour. Then smooth the dough

 out and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place and let it raise.

(You want it to double in size, which usually takes about 45 mins to an hour.)

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5. Cover your working space with flour to prevent the dough

 from sticking. Dump your dough out and divide it into 4 balls.

Eyeball the sizes, then lift them up and feel the weight of each ball.

Try to make them even, but they don’t have to be perfect.

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6. Using one ball of dough at a time: roll the dough into a circle

on a floured counter. Once it is rolled out spread the top with

 butter from edge to edge. You will use about 2 Tablespoons per circle of dough.

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7. Cut the dough into quarters using a pizza cutter. Then cut each

quarter into three. (This leaves you with 12 slices from the one circle.)

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8. Roll each triangle up from wide end to pointed end and set on a

buttered baking sheet. You should end up with 48 rolls.

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9. Preheat to 350. Place baking sheets in a warm place (on top of the

stove) to let them rise. Once they are touching and full in size,

cook (one pan at a time) in the oven ’till they are golden brown.

About 10 – 15 minutes, it may take longer depending on how hot

 your oven cooks. Keep a close eye on your first pan to get the right

 time for the second.

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10. When taken hot and fresh out of the oven, rub a stick of butter

over the top of the rolls for buttery glaze ;)

-

YUM!

30 min rolls. UPDATED

I've always loved homemade bread/rolls, and my family

does too... but I'm not as long on patience as I should be.

But I also don't wanna pay so much for Rhodes frozen dough!

Which is why I was stoked to come across this awesome idea!

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30 Minute Rolls

(yes, that's from start to finish !!)

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INGREDIENTS:

-

1 C. plus 2 T. warm water

-

1/3 C. oil (I used veg., she uses canola)

-

2 T. yeast (or 2 of the pre-packaged packets)

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1/4 C. sugar

-

1/2 t. salt

-

1 egg

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3 1/2 C. flour

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DIRECTIONS:

-

1. Preheat to 400

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2. In bowl combine water, oil, yeast and sugar (mix in

mixer or with beaters or stir).  Allow to rest for 15 minutes.

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3. Using your dough hook (or your hands like me!), mix

in salt, egg and flour.  Knead (w/ hook or hands) til well

incorporated and dough is soft and smooth.

(Mine was a bit sticky so I added small palms of flour til I

could manage it.)

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4. Form dough into 12 balls and then place in a

greased 9 x 13 pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

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5. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown.

Voila!

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**UPDATE: The first time I made these, I measured out the 2 T. of yeast,

and while they were good, they tasted a bit yeast-y. 

Since then, I've used 2 of the small packets (which are actually a bit less

than a tablespoon), and it's worked like magic!

This original recipe came from YourHomeBasedMom

Pizza Factory Bread Twists // (and/or garlic bread spread)

Ah, yes.  Another Pinterest find.

I don't post things from Pinterest on here til I've

actually tried it, and we did so with these on Sunday.

DIVINE.... {~angels singing~}

-

Now, of course, my grocery store I ran to at about midnight

did NOT have skewers (!!), so we ended up doing Pizza Factory

Rolls, instead.  Didn't matter.

-

You can use this butter-spread on rolls,

french bread for garlic bread-

whatever!  It's delish.  So, here goes:

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INGREDIENTS:

-

*Rhodes frozen rolls (as many as you want- it takes

two rolls to make one twist)

[You could, of course, use homemade dough or whatever too...]

-

*2-4 T. melted butter

(The less butter you use, the stronger the garlic flavor...)

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*1/4 t. garlic salt

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*1/4 t. garlic powder

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*1/4 t. dill weed

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18" skewers (bamboo or other large-size skewer)

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DIRECTIONS:

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1. Let dough thaw and rise. Knead two rolls together and

roll into a thin rope. Twist the rope around the skewer and hang

on a cake pan (you can place them on a greased cookie sheet,

but they'll have flat marks on the bottom when they're done baking).

SMART!!

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2. Repeat till all dough is used. Let twists rise till doubled.

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3. While they are baking, combine the glaze ingredients so the flavors will blend.

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4. Bake twists at 375 for about 12-15 minutes or till golden brown.

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5. Remove from oven and brush with the butter glaze. (The butter is

so good, my family was dipping rolls and bread into it... mm hmm.)

-I will never buy garlic bread spread again. Too good.

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~from recipe-exchange-group.blogspot.com via Pinterest

Chili's Queso dip

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Chili's Skillet Queso

This really IS a delicious copycat of Chili's famous queso.

My only problem was that it was a teensy bit spicy for me and

my littles... so the next time I make it, I will cut the cayenne and

chili powder in half (I marked these with asterisks as a reminder) -

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INGREDIENTS:

-

 16-ounce box Velveeta Cheese

-

1 C. milk

-

2 teaspoons paprika

-

½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper **

-

15-ounce can Hormel Chili (No Beans)

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4 tsp. chili powder **

-

1 tablespoon lime juice

-

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

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DIRECTIONS:

-

Cut Velveeta into cubes.

-

Over medium-low heat, warm all ingredients in saucepan til cheese is melted.

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That's it!!  It's DELISH!

Fried Zucchini Spaghetti

I've posted my recipe for fried zucchini and mushrooms here before.

Well, I saw Gwyneth Paltrow on Rachael Ray Monday, and she

made this awesome-sounding recipe that was similar to mine,

plus noodles!  She cooks it as a main dish, but you could also

add chicken or use it as a side to pork chops.  It's so awesome.

I played a bit, adding mushrooms and onions and not adding

basil.  And it was DE-LISH!!  Super easy and quick, too.

Fried Zucchini (& Mushroom) Spaghetti

Ingredients

• ¾ pound (¾ box) spaghetti
• Salt & Pepper
• 3-5 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour (*I've cooked it without the flour)
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• **I add onion and mushrooms too... just cuz I love it!
• [orig. recipe calls for handful fresh basil leaves, but I don't use these]

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Preparation

Boil the spaghetti in salted water until just al dente. Meanwhile, toss the zucchini with flour. Heat the ¼ cup of olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium/med-high heat and add zucchini (*orig. recipe directs you to cook in single layer, but I like to fry all together, slowly, to soften.) *If I'm including onion and mushrooms, I cook these together with the zucchini.  Cook, stirring occasionally, til slightly browned and a little crispy, about 4 minutes or to your desired texture. Remove the zucchini to a plate and sprinkle with coarse salt.
-

(The original recipe directs you now to mix most of the parm with some oil and pasta water to creamy texture, but my cheese clumped up, so I did it as follows:)
Add small bit of oil and zucchini to noodles, add parm and mix.  Season with S&P.

To serve, portion the pasta into four shallow bowls and evenly distribute the rest of the zucchini on top of each, along with a couple of gratings of Parmesan.

Kim Kardashian's Mac N Cheese

A couple of years ago, I was watching the Bonnie Hunt show (love her!)

and she said that Kim Kardashian was going to be on later to cook her

macaroni and cheese... so I waited-

It looked SO yummy, and it was not difficult, so I got the recipe and

made it for our next big dinner- THANKSGIVING!

(it's not usually a great idea to try a new recipe on a holiday, but this

time it happened to work out...)

It is super-delish, rich and creamy... yummy.

It does take a little longer to melt and mix all the cheeses, so I usually

just make it for 'big' meals or holidays.

Enjoy!

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INGREDIENTS:

-

4 c. dry elbow macaroni

2 c. milk

1 lb. Velveeta, cut into cubes

2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 c. shreded Cheddar cheese

1 stick butter (she recommended unsalted but I use regular)

1 t. garlic salt

1 t. Lawry's seasoning salt

salt and pepper to taste

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DIRECTIONS:

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1. Preheat oven to 350.  Cook pasta according to directions and drain.

Place in large mixing bowl.

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2. Heat milk in large saucepan, add butter and cheeses, stirring until melted-

(this takes a few minutes).  Add seasonings.

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3. Pour cheese mixture over pasta and stir to mix.

-

4. Pour into rectangular baking dish (you may prep dish with cooking spray first)

-

5. Sprinkle some additional shredded cheeses over top.  Bake 30 mins or

until bubbling and brown.