Pear and Cherry Buckle

This is a recipe from Sandra Lee. It is so yummy and especially on a cold winter day! I think we are going to make it for desert for our Christmas dinner. Mmmmmm.....

1 (26-ounce) can cherry pie filling
2 (15-ounce) cans diced pears in syrup
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, cut into small pieces
1 (1.19-ounce) packet maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Whipped topping, for serving

Spray a 5-quart slow cooker with butter-flavored cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine pie filling, pears, and almond extract. Pour into prepared slow cooker. Sprinkle cake mix over fruit mixture. Dot with butter. In a small bowl, combine oatmeal packet and almonds. Sprinkle over cake mixture.
Place 8 paper towels over slow cooker bowl and secure with lid. (This helps to trap steam.) Cook on LOW setting for 4 to 6 hours. Do not lift lid to check cake for the first 3 hours.
Serve warm with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream.

Hobo Pork Chop n' Pineapple Dinner

I watched Paula Deen make this one and it looked oh so good. The same day I watched the episode, I went out and bought the ingredients to try it for myself and it was oh so good!!

Pork Chops
Bell Pepper
Onion
Canned pineapple slices
Teriyaki sauce (I used Kikkoman)
Salt and Pepper

For each serving, lay a pork chop on a large square of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Top each chop with the onion, green pepper, and pineapple slices. Drizzle with the teriyaki sauce. Top with the margarine and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly in the foil, rolling ends to completely seal the package. Place on the grill for 15-20 minutes. (mine took 22 minutes on medium heat)

P.S. For those of you who don't like onions or bell pepper, I'm sure it would still taste yummy without them.

Peanut Butter Cups

If you love Reeses Peanut Butter Cups you will love these. We love them at our house.

Peanut Butter Cups

2 cubes butter
1 cup peanut butter
Melt together then add
2 cups powdered sugar
1 ¾ cup gram cracker crushed ( can buy crushed at Target)
Mix all together and put in a 9x13 pan
Melt 1 bag milk chocolate chips and pour over peanut butter mixture.
Put in freezer for 30 min to set. Take out and let them get back to room temp. Enjoy

Pulled Pork (or Carnitas)

I saw that this was on sale for $0.99 a lb at Ralphs so I thought I would share a delicious and very versatile roast. Hurry and try this one while you can do it cheap~

1 pork butt or pork shoulder roast (it is better if it is boneless)

Season both sides generously with salt, pepper and paprika

Place in a turkey sized baking bag
(before you put in the baking bag, put 1 Tbs of flour in the bag and shake to prevent the bag from sticking)

Put 1/4 c. of water

Close the bag and slice 5 one inch slits in the top of the bag for venting.

Cook at 300 degrees for 5-6 hours (or until fork tender, should literally fall apart with the swipe of a fork)

This is great couple of different ways. As carnitas, serve with warm tortillas, black beans, cheese, guacamole to make into burritos. For another way to serve, add some BBQ sauce and place on hamburger buns. In fact, you will probably have left overs so do it as Mexican the first night then re heat for BBQ the second.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is a great meal for our family. I love getting Costco's rotisserie chicken for dinner but we don't eat the whole thing in one meal and I'm never good with leftovers, so this recipe is great to use with the leftover chicken. I imagine eventually our kids will eat more and then I'll have to buy two chicken to accomplish the two night's of meals, but for now...Enjoy!

3-4 c. chicken(or whatever you have leftover from last night's Costco rotisserie chicken), cooked and cubed
2 c. potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 onion, chopped
6 T. flour
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. sliced carrots
1 c. forzen peas
6 T. butter
1 c. milk
I pie crust

In a small saucepan, cover the carrots and potatoes with water. Bring to a boil and let boil 5 minutes. Drain and putin a 2 qt. round casserole or deep pie pan. Add the frozen peas and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper again. Melt butter in a saucepan and add the chopped onion. Cook until the onion is soft. Add the flour, stirring constantly until it is a smooth paste. Add the milk and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the broth is thick and bubbly. Pour over the chicken and vegetables. Top with the pie crust. Cut holes in crust to vent. Bake at 425 (400 for glass pans) for 25-35 minutes, until crust is brown. Put a piece of foil on the rack under the pie to catch any broth that drips out during baking.

Spicy Cinnamon Cake

Oh this is so easy and so yummy. I stole it from Paula Dean so you know it is good. We make it for a brunch recently and I have been craving it again ever since!

- 1 spice cake mix
- 1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 eggs
-1/2 cup oil
-5 Tbsp sugar
-2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (or not for me, I put them on half the cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease well a bundt pan. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs and oil and beat together well. In a separate bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar. Pour half the batter into the prepared bundt pan then sprinkle half the cinnamon and sugar mixutre over the top (sprinkle the nuts on the desired part of the cake but make sure you can tell what section so you do the same on the top layer). Pour the remainder of the batter into the pan and finish sprinkling the sugar mixture and nuts. Bake one hour and let cool before removing from pan. This does not need to be served hot and we ate it without anything on it but maybe it would be good with whipped cream because everything is! Yum~

Pumpkin Soup

This has become our family's traditional Thanksgiving dinner appetizer. It freezes really well too....just a little FYI!


1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 turn of the pan 2 tablespoons butter
1 fresh bay leaf
2 ribs celery with greens, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
***I don’t add the celery or onion****
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 2 teaspoons ground thyme
2 teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste
6 cups chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can cooked pumpkin puree
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Heat a soup pot over medium to medium high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion (optional in my opinion). Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning and hot sauce, to taste. then cook a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Add the Chili powder, honey and ground cinnamon. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit then add in cream and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

Bruschetta

Ok, sorry for the tomatoes Maren! I had to share this though. It is a great appetizer to dinner or finger food for a party. Enjoy!

Serving 20

Prepare:
Cut 5 baguettes into 20 slices each
Toast in the oven
Set aside to dry out

Separately combine and set aside in fridge:
1 cup mayo
1 cup parm cheese

Combine:
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. fresh chopped basil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
5 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. pepper
2 T. sugar
2 T. parsley
Mix well
Then add:
1 cups olive oil
1 red onion (finely chopped)
10 roma tomatoes (chopped)
Marinate for a few hours
Serve:
Spread cheese/mayo mixture lightly on toasted bread
Add 1 T. of tomato mixture
Sprinkle with fresh parm cheese

French Dip Sandwiches

As long as I am on a sandwich kick! I made these tonight for dinner and it was really good and quite easy.

3-4 lb. sirloin tip roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
2-3 whole peppercorn (I just used some from my pepper grinder and it seemed to work fine)
1 tsp dried crushed rosemary leaves
1 tsp garlic powder

Trim off fat from the roast and place in a crock pot
Mix all the ingredients and pour over the roast.
Add water until the roast is almost completely covered
Cook on low for 10-12 hours
Thinly slice meat and place on crusty rolls (slightly toasted) with a few slices of Swiss cheese
Use the juice as As Jus

Meatball Sandwiches

Okay, so I don't know if this really counts and a recipe that you "cook" it is one of those semi-homemade meals, but they are Cam's favorite and they are SUPER easy!

5-6 Meatballs (I get the ones from Costco, they are bigger and have great flavor)
1/2 bottle of marinara sauce (whatever is on sale)
french hogie roll
mozzarella cheese
grated Parmesan cheese

So all you do is heat the meatballs, I personally like them better if you heat them in the oven (they aren't chewy that way).
Heat the marinara sauce.
Slice the hogie rolls and sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on the inside and toast
Place the warm meatballs on bread then top with marinara sauce and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top and Viola! Delicioso!
Complete with a side salad and it is an easy dinner!

Cobb Salad

OK, this is really easy (if you have all the stuff anyway), and even my kids love it - my daughter even requested this for her birthday.

Romaine lettuce - 1 head
Tomatoes
Cheese
Turkey (sometimes I use thickly sliced lunch meat, but I love the cooked turkey breast from Costco that you can cut into chunks)
Chicken (rotisserie chicken is really good) in chunks
hard - boiled eggs (1 per person that is eating)
bacon (i use the Costo pre-cooked that is by the eggs - not the one that is not in the fridge) or you can cook it up from fresh, then chop it)

Put all the ingredients together and mix with ranch. Delicious.

Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad

. . . or so they say!

Breaded chicken strips cooked and cut up. (I grill mine)
5 cups of mixed romaine lettuce, cabbage, or greens of your choice.
Carrots, if desired
Sliced almonds (sometimes I toast them under the broiler)
Rice noodles (I use La Choy found in the oriental section)
1 small can mandarin oranges

Dressing:
3 T honey
1 ½ tsp white vinegar
4 tsp mayonnaise
1 T grey poupon dijon mustard
1/8 tsp sesame oil

Caramel Popcorn

I made this the other day and it was fantastic. I tell you, there is not much better than freshly made caramel popcorn, especially in the fall

5-6 cups of cooked popcorn (I just used microwave popcorn)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, milk and salt together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes (do not over cook, I did that and it made the caramel too hard). Remove from heat. Add 1/2 tsp baking soda and stir. Pour over popped popcorn and mix

Easy Apricot Chicken

1 envelope onion soup mix
1 small bottle Russian Dressing (Catalina)
1 c. apricot preserves
4 chicken breasts

Stir all ingredients together and pour over skinlss/boneless chicken in a 9x13 baking dish. Let it marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Serve over rice.

Cucumber Dill Toasties

Oh my goodness, I love these, I could eat these as a meal alone, especially the ones Laura makes, she has it down to a science. Anyway, it is a great appetizer for a party

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 .7 oz pkg good season Italian dressing mix
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 cucumber sliced (English)
2 tsp dried dill weed

Toast bread slices under the broiler. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, dressing mix and mayonnaise. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on each slice of toasted bread, and then top with a slice of cucumber. Sprinkle with dill. You can make this ahead and keep it in the fridge, chilled.

Garlic and Ginger Marinated Tri Tip

Garlic & Ginger Marinated Tri Tip
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup oil
½ cup sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup black pepper
½ cup garlic salt
½ cup chopped garlic
¼ cup chopped ginger
½ cup chopped dried onion
2 (4 pound) tri tip steaks, trimmed
Mix all marinade ingredients in large plastic container. Then pour over meat. Let stand in refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Heat grill to medium heat. Place tri tips on the grill at 45 degree angle to establish grill marks and cook to desired doneness. Let meat rest for a few minutes before slicing. Always slice against the grain. Serve warm.

Buttermilk Syrup

Here is the syrup that goes with the waffles. It is to die for.

Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk

Melt butter, add sugar buttermilk. Bring to boil. As soon as it starts to boil put in 1/2 tsp baking soda. Stir one or two time. Boil 1 min. Watch it. Take off heat add 1 tsp vanilla.
Refrigerate after done using it.

Overnight Yeast Waffles

These are hands down the best waffles. Gavin loves them. Someone made them for us when we had Payton.

Overnight Yeast Waffles

1 (1/4 oz) pkg active dry yeast
1/2 C warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 tsp sugar
2 C warm milk (110-115 degrees)
1/2 C butter, melted
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

In a LARGE mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and sugar; let stand for 5 min. Add the milk, butter, and eggs; mix well. Combine flour and salt; stir into milk mixture. Cool and refrigerate overnight.
Stir batter. For each waffle, pour by 1/4 cupfuls into heated waffle iron; bake according to manufacturer's directions until golden brown

Pasta Fijole

-1 lb ground beef -2 14oz cans of diced tomatoes -1 tsp. dried basil
-1 c diced onion -1 15oz can tomato sauce - 1/2 tsp. pepper
-1 c diced carrots -1 15oz can red kidney beans (with liquid) -1/2 tsp. dried thyme
-1 c diced celery -1 12oz can V8 juice -1 1/2 tsp oregano
-2 cloves minced garlic -1 Tbsp white vinegar -1/2 pound of
ditali pasta

In a large pot brown beef then drain the fat. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Let saute for 10 minutes or until tender. Add remaining ingredients except the pasta. Bring to a boil and let simmer 1 hour. Cook pasta just until about done then add to the soup. Let simmer another 5 to 10 minutes then enjoy. I also add salt and if you can't find the ditali pasta just use any type of small pasta. This is great!

Lazy Salsa Chicken

-Three or four chicken breast halves (I use the frozen ones from Costco)
-One medium sized jar of your favorite Picante salsa (I use Pace- medium)
-1/4 cup water
-salt and pepper

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with Pam then place the chicken at the bottom. Poor the entire jar of Salsa and the water over the chicken then season with salt and pepper. Let cook on low for 6-8 hours and then shred. This is so good on tortilla's with black beans and cheese or even good with chips! Yum!

Thai Chicken Pasta

I personally believe anything with a peanut sauce is delicious! This one has a little kick, but it is good!


1 cup Picante sauce
¼ cup peanut butter
2 tbs Honey
2 tbs orange juice (or 1 tbs frozen concentrate)
1 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp ginger
¼ cup peanut halves
2 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
6 oz Fettuccine Pasta

Directions:
1. Combine picante sauce, peanut butter, honey, orange juice, soy sauce, and ginger in a sauce pan over low heat. Stir until mixed well and keep warm
2. Cook fettuccine until done, drain and put in a large bowl
3. Cook chicken in a frying pan with 2 tbs olive oil until cook through
4. Combine sauce with chicken and noodles. Top with peanuts.

It is also good if you add some zucchini to it!

Grilled Asain Kabobs over Rice

1 pound sirloin steak or beef round cut into 2 inch cubes
1 large zucchini cut into ½ rounds
Metal or wooden skewers
¼ cup black bean sauce (in Asian isle)
1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Skewer steak and zucchini on separate skewers, set aside
2. In a small bowl, whisk together black bean sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil. Brush mixture all over beef and zucchini.
3. Place skewers on the hot grill. Grill skewers for 5 minutes, sprinkle sesame seeds all over skewers and cook until seeds are golden brown
4. Cook rice, adding bell pepper at the beginning of cooking time. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve skewers over rice

American Lasagna

1 1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used the stuff that you can buy already minced, much easier)
1 Tbs basil
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 (29 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
12 lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grate Parmesan cheese
2 tbs dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 Tbs grate Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. In a skillet, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 ½ tsp salt, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook until al dente; drain and lay flat on a non-stick surface.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 tsp salt
4. Layer 1/3 of the noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pyrex. Cover noodles with ½ ricotta mix, ½ mozzarella cheese and 1/3 sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Good Home Cookin'

Hello there to everyone! Welcome to our recipe blog. I really hope this takes off because I am really stuck in a rut when it comes to cooking dinner during the week. I feel I have this 2 week rotation of food and that is about it! And most of the new recipes I find are really too involved or use ingredients I label as "GROSS" So anyway, feel free to post whatever recipes you love, main dishes, appetizers, desserts, side dishes, whatever you feel inclined to share! Hope to hear from you soon!