Chicken Italiano

Mmm... Italian food is such comfort food for me. This is an awesome recipe. It's so quick and easy to throw together, and it's a fun twist on Italian. I saw this idea over at The Daily Smash, and just adjusted a couple ingredients. Both Nate and I loved the zest that the Italian dressing gives the sauce, very very yummy!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (I used fat-free)
2 cups marinara sauce (I used Prego brand light sauce)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. garlic bread seasoning

Preparation:
Place all ingredients into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve over pasta.

Pantry Pork Roast

This is such an easy and tasty recipe. It cooks in the crock pot and uses ingredients you most like have in your pantry at all times, hence the name pantry pork roast. I use pork roast that I buy at Costco. They come four to a pack and each roast is about two pounds. The smaller size works great for our small family and I've got some awesome leftovers to use later on in the week. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 (2 lb.) pork roast
1 envelope dry onion soup mix (I used Lipton's beefy onion soup mix)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup water
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (you could also use beef or chicken broth, whatever you have on hand)
pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Add pork roast to crock pot. Pour onion soup mix, soy sauce, water, broth, and garlic powder over top of roast. Flip roast a few time to get it evenly coated. Add some freshly cracked black pepper over top of roast. Cook on low for 4 hours. Let roast rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Strain remaining liquid and serve on the side like an au jus.

Baked Chicken Egg Rolls

As I'm sure you know by now that we are big fans of Chinese food at our house. We've also been much better at calorie counting and portion control the past little while. I think the recipe is a good marriage of both those things. These baked egg rolls are much lighter than traditional fried egg rolls, and they still have that nice crisp exterior. I hope you like them as much as we did!

Ingredients:
I have a recipe posted for a chicken filling for lettuce wraps. This is the same filling I used for these egg rolls, I just added some green bell pepper.

1/2 lb. chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. Lawry's teriyaki marinade
1 carrot, julienned
1 green pepper, diced
2 cups cabbage, sliced into thin ribbons
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 onion, chopped
egg roll wrappers (this recipe made 14 egg rolls)

Preparation:
Marinate chicken in 1 cup Lawry's teriyaki marinade for 1 hour. Cook chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat. Halfway through cooking add the garlic and onion. Once finished cooking remove chicken, garlic, and onion. Let cool slightly and then shred. I left my chicken in fairly good sized pieces, I didn't want the chicken to get lost in the rest of the veggies. Add 1 Tbsp. teriyaki marinade, shredded chicken, garlic, onion, carrot, and cabbage to skillet and cook until evenly coated with sauce and the cabbage and carrots are slightly softened, but still have a slight crunch. Lay out an egg roll wrapper, turn it so that a point is towards you. Spoon some of the chicken and veggie mixture onto the bottom portion of the egg roll wrapper. Brush a tiny tiny amount of water on the two edges of the egg roll wrapper that are furthest from you. Take the point closest to you and start to roll up the egg roll. Roll part way, tuck in the sides, and then finish rolling up. Place rolled egg rolls seam side down on a baking sheet that has been lined with tin foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Enjoy warm!

Baked Breakfast Taquitos

I'm a bad wife. I never make Nate a nice breakfast. In fact, if I do make breakfast, it's because that's what we're having for dinner. We really enjoy breakfast for dinner at our house, we probably have it two or three times a month. This is a nice variation on breakfast.

Ingredients:
8 small flour tortillas (I think I used the soft taco size)
8 eggs
1/2 pound turkey bacon (or any breakfast meat you like)
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
shredded cheese (optional, I don't like cheese and eggs mixed so I didn't add any)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Preparation:
Cook bacon and then crumble into bite-sized pieces. Season eggs with salt and pepper, whisk, scramble, and cook. Heat a tbsp. of olive oil in a medium skillet and saute
pepper and onion until tender. I like to heat my tortillas slightly before using so that they are easier to work with. I just throw them in the microwave for 20 or so seconds. Into each tortilla, spoon some scrambled eggs, veggies, bacon, and cheese (if you like cheese). Keep it on the bottom third of the tortilla for easier rolling. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes or until crisp and golden brown on the edges. Enjoy hot!

Zesty Turkey Meatballs

Okay, these are seriously amazing. I am so impressed with myself for coming up with this recipe. Scrumptious is the only way to describe it. Two of my favorite things, turkey and Italian food, this recipe is a top ten favorite of mine. Nate loved them too. I made a large batch so I could freeze half for another meal so you may want to halve the recipe if you have a small family. Oh, I am so excited to share this recipe with you, make it asap!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground turkey
30 slices turkey pepperoni, finely chopped (I use the Hormel brand)
1/2 onion, minced
1 green pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
2/3 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning
1/2-1 tsp. crushed red pepper (depending on how much spice you like)
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Combine all of the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Be careful not to overmix or your meatballs will be a bit tough. Don't add too much salt because the Worcestershire sauce, garlic bread seasoning, and parmesan all have a bit of salt in them. I just did a nice sprinkling of kosher salt and it was perfect. Also, the amount of breadcrumbs is an estimate, I started slowly and then added what I needed to get the meatballs the right consistency, so if your mixture is really loose, you may want to add a bit more. Once mixture is well combined, use a cookie scooper to create evenly sized meatballs. If you like bigger meatballs, use two scoops and roll them together to get a nice big meatball. Place meatballs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until cooked all the way through. If you are making big meatballs you will need to cook them longer. Serve the meatballs hot with pasta and marinara sauce. I made my meatballs mid afternoon so once they were done I threw them in a crock pot with some pasta sauce and just kept them on low until dinner. Enjoy!

This recipe makes about 50 medium meatballs.




My recipe was featured over at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes. I'm so flattered!


I linked up this recipe over at Six Sisters' Stuff, Mandy's Recipe Box, and Chef In Training.

Taco Pizza

Tonight we made dinner for Nate's grandparents, two aunts, two cousins, and sister. Quite the crowd. Nate's grandpa really likes those frozen taco pizzas so I thought I'd make that for dinner. I was a little worried about making a new recipe to serve to others, but I figured they're family, and they'd be okay being my guinea pigs. I have to say that this recipe was a hit! Everyone commented on how good it was, and most everybody had seconds. Success!

Ingredients:
Dough-
I used this dough recipe, I highly recommend it! But you can use your favorite recipe, or even a pre-made crust.

Sauce-
6 oz. tomato paste
6 oz. water (just use tomato paste can)
12 oz. mild salsa
8 oz. Rotel mild red sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes

Toppings:
1/2 lb. beef, cooked and seasoned with taco seasoning (I used thinly sliced steak but you could use leftover roast or ground beef, whatever you've got)
refried beans
sliced olives
diced green pepper
slivered onions
shredded mozzarella cheese
diced tomatoes


Preparation:
Whisk together all the sauce ingredients. This makes quite a bit of sauce, you definitely will have leftovers, it would be great used as an enchilada sauce too.
Sprinkle a small amount of cornmeal on a pizza pan and stretch out pizza dough. Spread a layer of refried beans on the dough. Next add sauce on top of beans. Add meat on top of sauce layer. Top with shredded cheese, olives, green pepper, and onion. Bake pizza at 500 degrees for 8-12 minutes (or whatever is required for your dough recipe). Let set for a minute or two, add tomatoes if you like them, then slice and serve warm. Enjoy!

Sorry about the photo. I forgot to take a picture until halfway through dinner.

Amazing Pizza Dough - Freezer Friendly

Okay folks, I may have completed one of my goals for 2012 already! I was so so pleased with this pizza dough. I want to try it baked fresh (not frozen) before I call it the perfect pizza dough recipe. This dough is not too thick, not too thin, has a great texture. We made this pizza for a group of people tonight and everyone loved it and commented on how good the dough was. I found this idea over at Annie's Eats. I recommend reading her whole post, it has good information on pizza dough and how to freeze the dough successfully. Make this soon, it's so good!

Ingredients:
-makes enough dough for 2 pizzas
½ cup warm water
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting*
1½ tsp. kosher salt
1¼ cup water, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:
Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle the yeast over the top. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the bread flour and salt, mixing briefly to blend. Measure the room temperature water into the measuring cup with the yeast-water mixture. With the mixer on low speed, pour in the yeast-water mixture as well as the olive oil. Mix until a cohesive dough is formed. Switch to the dough hook. Knead on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1½-2 hours.

Press down the dough to deflate it. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball. (If freezing the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze at this point.) Cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no longer than 30 minutes.

To bake, preheat the oven and pizza stone to 500˚ F for at least 30 minutes. Transfer the dough to your shaping surface, lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Shape the dough with lightly floured hands. Brush the outer edge lightly with olive oil. Top as desired. Bake until the crust is golden brown, and cheese is bubbling, 8-12 minutes.


*I required more flour. The amount varies on where you live, altitude, humidity, whatever. I need to add more flour to most every bread and pastry dough I try. I added about an extra cup to this recipe.


Freezer Instructions:
If you don’t plan on using your dough immediately, freeze it. To do this, mix up the dough as usual and let it rise as normal. After dividing the dough into two equal portions, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and store inside a freezer-safe bag, and transfer to the freezer immediately. (Reuse these bags to avoid being wasteful!) The double layer is important here. Even after the dough is moved to the freezer, it will continue to rise a bit before the rise is completely suspended. It always, always pops through the plastic wrap so the extra layer of protection is needed to prevent exposure.

Freeze the dough until it is ready to be used. The day you plan to use the dough, transfer it to the refrigerator in the morning to thaw in time for dinner that evening. (If using the dough for lunch, transfer to the refrigerator the night before.) The dough that has been frozen tastes every bit as good as fresh, so it is incredibly convenient to have available for a quick, throw-together meal.

I’ve had many questions pertaining to the need to freeze the dough if you plan to use it the very next day. It seems logical that you could simply refrigerate it immediately after the rise and use it the following day. However, I have tried this and it didn’t go well. The refrigerator is not cold enough to stop the rise quickly and the result is an over-risen, crazy puffy monster dough.

My Kitchen Goals for 2012

Okay, so like most people I set some goals and resolutions for this new year. A few of them revolve around cooking. I thought I'd share those with you and hopefully you'll be seeing the success stories on Durfee Family Recipes!

1. I want to try at least 50 new recipes this year. This shouldn't be a problem, I made more than that last year, but I like having it in writing.

2. Can my homemade salsa. I've only ever canned with my grandma, and that was years and years ago. I love my homemade salsa recipe and I'd love to have it readily available. And a bonus would be the ability to have hot and mild salsa to suit both Nate's and my taste. Alisha is a pro at canning salsa, and hopefully she'll be my canning mentor!

3. Try some freezer meals. In the past I've been against making freezer meals, I just doubted that they could be as good as a freshly made dinner. However, I would love to have a meal or two in my freezer for those super busy days or those nights I just don't feel like cooking. Next week I'm making some spicy turkey meatballs including some to freeze. Anyone want to try some with me?

4. Find the perfect pizza crust recipe. We love pizza in our house, and I've made some really good recipes that I've shared on the blog, but I want that perfect recipe. I'm trying another recipe tomorrow so we'll see how that goes.

5. Match my weekly menu to sales and coupons. I'm really good at planning a weekly menu, but I think I can save more money if I look at the sales and then plan my menu accordingly.

Alright there you have it! I think that all the goals are 100% achievable. I want to continue my passion for cooking and experimenting in the kitchen and I think these goals will help me do that. Happy 2012! Do you have any cooking goals for the new year?

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Okay, Alisha made this soup for her family the other night and it was a huge hit! It is the same soup Aunt Kathleen made at our chocolate dipping party, and I remember everyone loved it. This recipe comes from Simply So Good. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
3 corn tortillas (6-inch size), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (10.5) ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, shredded or cubed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt and pepper
Black bean Salsa
Sour Cream
Tortilla strips

Preparation:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high; add onions and garlic, and saute 3 minutes. Stir in tortilla pieces and saute until they begin to soften. Add tomatoes, broth, and spices, and bring to a boil. Removed from heat; let cool 5 minutes, then puree soup base in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return soup to pot.

Add Turkey, corn and cream. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes, or until beginning to thicken. Reduce heat to medium, sprinkle in cheese, and stir until melted. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with salsa, sour cream and crispy tortilla strips.

Makes 8 cups. 267 calories per cup. Not including the salsa, sour cream or tortilla strips...Just so you know.

Lasagna Roll Ups

I've been meaning to try this idea for months! I don't know why it's taken me so long to make this. You know how I love pasta and this dish didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed it. Recipes like this are great, it's a new way to serve a family classic. There's no risk in trying it, because you already like lasagna! Here's how I made it, but you can put in whatever ingredients you like. I don't like ricotta, but you could definitely make a ricotta filling for the roll ups, make it how you like it!

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 lasagna noodles
1 jar pasta sauce
1 (14 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded mozzarella
garlic bread seasoning
salt
pepper

Preparation:
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the minced onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Once beef is cooked add diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, and 1 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning. Let sauce simmer. Boil lasagna noodles, drain, and lay out noodles on a piece of parchment paper. Don't let the noodles touch or they'll stick together. In a 9x13" baking dish, add some sauce to cover the bottom. Using a slotted spoon, get some meat and spread on a lasagna noodle. Top with a little cheese and proceed to roll up lasagna noodle and filling. Place roll up in the baking dish. Repeat for remaining noodles. Once finished, top the roll ups with remaining sauce mixture and cheese. Sprinkle some garlic bread seasoning over the cheese. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, or until cheese on top is nice and melted. Enjoy!



My cheese is a bit over done. It was in the oven nearly 30 minutes so I adjusted the time in the recipe to 20 minutes.

Baked Chicken Chimi-Ritos

My handsome husband loves Mexican food. He could eat it several times a week if I made it that often. We couldn't decide what kind of Mexican we wanted to make for dinner last night (curse not having my menu planned for the week!) so we combined a couple ideas. That's how we came up with chimi-ritos, half chimichanga, half burrito. They turned out really yummy, so filling, I couldn't even finish one, but so good! Nate is really happy to have leftovers for lunch today. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded*
4 large flour tortillas
refried beans
Mexican rice
shredded cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. oil

Preparation:
Heat tortillas to make them more pliable. Spoon some bean mixture onto tortillas and spread. Add some rice then chicken then cheese. Fold side of tortilla in and roll up. Melt butter and then combine with oil. Brush a small amount of butter/oil mixture onto a tin foil lined baking sheet. Place rolled chimi-ritos seam side down on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with a bit of the butter/oil mixture. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Flip chimi-ritos, brush with butter/oil mixture and bake another 8 minutes. Serve warm at top with salsa, sour cream, etc.





Nate wanted to try a new seasoning on our chicken. I'm so glad we did, it was amazing! Here's the rub he used. Then I baked the chicken at 400 degrees for about 30-33 minutes, then let rest for 10 or so minutes before shredding.

Ingredients:
2 tsp. chile powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Mix all of those really well. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on chicken breasts and then add some of the seasoning and cook your chicken.


Linked up at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes and Chef in Training.

Nate's Favorite Holiday Treat - Dipped Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

No holiday season would be complete without me making these pretzels for Nate. I've made them three times in the last two weeks. Nate wants them made for every party we go to, for neighbor gifts, I'm even making a batch tomorrow for Nate to take with him to work. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as Nate does!

Ingredients:
1 bag tiny twist pretzels
1 package vanilla flavored almond bark (or you could use white chocolate)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
5 Tbsp. butter

Preparation:
Chop all the almond bark into small pieces. Melt about a third of the bark over a double boiler, stirring frequently. Once melted and smooth dip 1/2 the pretzel into the bark and then set on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the pretzels are finished, adding more almond bark to double boiler as needed, and continue to stir frequently. I usually get about 5 trays worth of pretzels from one bag. While pretzels are drying combine cinnamon and sugar and mix well. Place one tray worth of dipped pretzels into a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Pour in 1 Tbsp. melted butter and then sprinkle 2 tsp. of cinnamon sugar mix over pretzels. Close up bag and shake to evenly coat pretzels. Once coated pour pretzels out onto some wax paper, spread out and let cool/dry. Repeat with remaining trays of pretzels. I let my pretzels sit for about an hour and then they can be packaged and put away.

I should mention that if you are short on time you can simply go straight to the cinnamon sugar and butter coating. Let those dry and then drizzle the melted bark over the coated pretzels. Much quicker, but I think the original method looks better.

Slow Cooker Pork Roast and Vegetables

Okay, this recipe is a rarity. I never make a traditional pork roast. I usually do a Mexican seasoned pork roast that I can shred or a simple pork tenderloin. When I saw this recipe, it seemed too easy not to try. It is one of those great crock pot recipes where you just throw everything in and set it. I found this idea over at Mommy's Kitchen and adapted it for our tastes. It is really good, both Nate and I enjoyed it.

2 - 2 1/2 lb pork roast
1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup (I also think cream of celery would be tasty)
2 packets pork gravy mix, {prepared according to packet directions}
3 carrots, cut
1 onion, quartered
4 potatoes, cut
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. montreal steak seasoning
salt & pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Add olive oil to a large frying pan. Heat the pan up nice and hot. Sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of the pork roast and rub. Place the roast in the pan and sear on each side before adding to the slow cooker. Add the carrots, onions, and potatoes to the bottom of the slow cooker and then place the roast on top. Pour cream of chicken soup over everything and add bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 6 - 7 hours or high for 3-4. The last 2 hours of cooking remove the bay leaf. Add the prepared gravy. Continue cooking until roast is tender and vegetables are cooked. Remove from slow cooker and serve.

Double Stack Tostadas

We needed a variation on tacos. Nate really loves double decker tacos, so keeping that in mind we made these tostadas. I used ground beef, but these would also be super good with some shredded chicken or pork. It's a good recipe for using up leftover meat.

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1 packet taco seasoning plus the water it requires
small flour tortillas, warmed
tostada shells, warmed
easy bean dip
pico de gallo
shredded lettuce
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced olives
sour cream

Preparation:
Brown cook the ground beef with the onion and green pepper. Once beef is cooked add the taco seasoning packet and the water it requires and cook per package directions.
We like our tortillas and tostadas warm, so we just pop them in the oven for a few minutes. To assemble top a flour tortilla with some of the bean dip, then top with a tostada, next add some ground beef. Once that's done add whatever toppings you like, I did lots of shredded lettuce, some pico de gallo, sliced olives, and shredded cheddar cheese. Make them just the way you like them and enjoy!



I linked this recipe over at Totally Tasty Tuesdays and Twisted Thursdays.

Sour Cream Potatoes aka Funeral Potatoes

One of the ladies that I visit teach is getting married tomorrow and I got a phone call last night that they need some funeral potatoes provided. Of course I'd love to help, just one problem. I've never made funeral potatoes before, and I can't remember ever having eaten them either! It's a good thing I have a mother-in-law. Lucky for me she just made these the other night and she totally came to the rescue and provided me with her recipe and she's letting me share it with you! Here is Katie's sour cream potatoes recipe-

6 russet potatoes, peeled (or 12 small red potatoes)
Boil in salted water until tender
While the potatoes are boiling:
Saute 1 chopped onion in a little olive oil
Then combine:
1-28 oz can cream of chicken soup (or 2 small cans)
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

shred the boiled potatoes and stir into the creamed mixture with the sauteed onions

Pour into greased casserole dish and sprinkle top with cheese or bread crumbs or smashed corn flakes.
Cook in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until bubbly and golden.

Gingerbread Truffles

Nate's cute Aunt Kathleen had all the girls over last Friday for the annual chocolate dipping party. One of the treats I brought to dip was gingerbread truffles. I found the idea over at Sing For Your Supper, and I followed her instructions exactly.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup boiling water
1 package almond bark or white candy coating
1 8-oz. block cream cheese, at room temperature
nutmeg, for garnish (I didn't garnish mine)

Preparation:
Mix together the butter and sugar, then add the egg and molassess, mixing well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, spices, soda and salt, then add to wet mixture. Stir to combine, then add the boiling water and mix. Pour batter into a greased 9×13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until springy. Let cool completely.
When cake is completely cooled, crumble into the bowl of a stand mixer (you could also use a hand mixer for this; even your hands!) and add in the cream cheese. Mix until the cake and cream cheese is totally combined. Roll out into walnut-sized balls and place on a sheet pan lined with wax paper. Chill for 1 hour.
Melt the almond bark in the microwave in 1 minute increments, stirring in between, until it is completely smooth. Dip the balls in one at a time (I use a toothpick for this) and coat with the almond bark. Set on a sheet of wax paper and sprinkle with nutmeg. Allow to harden completely. At this point you can serve immediately or freeze for later use.



Here are the links to the other two treats I made Oreo Truffles and Peanut Butter Balls.

Weekly Menu

Okay, here's the deal. I LOVE menu planning. I seriously love it. It helps in so many ways. I am better about using up what food I've purchased, I spend less because I have a list and don't eat out as much, we eat healthier, I get to try new recipes, the list goes on and on. I think I've mentioned it before, but I try and have quite a bit of variety throughout the week and I try not to have the same type of cuisine or protein two nights in a row. Anyway, if you want some help menu planning call me, I'd love to help you out!

Sunday: Super Easy Chicken Drumsticks with Garlic Bread and Salad

Monday: Beef Tostadas* with Pico de Gallo and Fresh Fruit

Tuesday: Nate works late so I'll just make a sandwich or eat leftovers

Wednesday: Stephanie coming to dinner, Do It All Marinated Chicken with Roasted Potatoes* and Green Beans

Thursday: Lasagna Roll Ups* with Salad

Friday: Ward Christmas Party, bringing dessert for 20 people

Saturday: Date Night

The starred recipes are new ones that I am trying out this week. I've also linked the recipes that you can find on our blog here. Enjoy!

Thin Crust Pizza

We have Nate's little sister Stephanie over for dinner once a week. She likes to look at my weekly menu and pick what night she wants to come and eat. When she saw barbecue chicken pizza on the menu she got so excited. She has told me every day this week that she was excited for dinner. Thankfully she really enjoyed tonight's dinner, I was starting to feel the pressure! I got the crust recipe from Chef in Training. I like that there is only one short rise time for the dough making it a super easy meal. It was so good, and it's Stephanie approved!


Ingredients:
2 cups warm water
1/2 Tbsp. yeast (I used Fleischmann's pizza yeast)
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour
olive oil

Preparation:
Mix warm water and yeast, let sit 5 minutes. Add 1 1/4 cups flour and mix well in Kitchen Aid or with a dough hook, I used my Bosch. Add additional 1 1/4 cups flour and salt, knead. Let dough rest in a ball for 10 to 20 minutes. Spread a scant amount of olive oil on pizza pan, roll dough out very thin and place on greased pan. Also brush a small amount of oil on top of dough before adding sauce so that the sauce doesn't make the dough soggy. Top pizza with sauce and toppings and bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Nate's and Stephanie's portion was barbecue chicken pizza, you just replace the pizza sauce with barbecue sauce and top with mozzarella, green peppers, and onions. My portion was veggie pizza with normal sauce, I'm not a fan of barbecue.

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

Even though we have church at 9 am and our afternoons are available, I really like to use my crock pot on Sundays. I like to be able to throw something in either in the morning or when we get home from church and just let it cook. It makes Sunday naps so relaxing when I don't have to stress about dinner when I get up. This recipe is one that I adapted for the slow cooker from an idea at Chef in Training. I halved this recipe for the two of us. I served this chicken with my garlic herb pasta.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp. paprika
2 bay leaves
1-2 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning
seasoned salt, to taste

Preparation:
Add water, tomato paste, onion, paprika, garlic bread seasoning, and salt to crock pot and whisk well to combine. Add chicken and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.




I linked this recipe to Totally Tasty Tuesdays.

Garlic Herb Pasta

Nate and I plan on serving an LDS mission together one day. I would really love to serve in Italy. The culture, the history, the food would all be amazing. I seriously love Italian food. I have finally converted Nate to liking pasta and this dish tonight was really good. This dish is flavorful enough to stand on it's own as a side dish, or you could top it with some parmesan cheese or a simple marinara sauce. Yum! We will definitely be making this again and again. I adapted this dish from an idea over at Armstrong Family Fare.

Ingredients:
8 oz. pasta, cooked and drained (I used thin spaghetti)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
seasoned salt, to taste
seasoned pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation:
Cook pasta per package instructions. While pasta is cooking place butter and olive oil into a pan, stir to mix together while butter is melting. Add chopped garlic, onion, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook until onions are transparent. Add cooked pasta and toss to combine. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Do It All Marinade

I saw this idea over at Real Mom Kitchen and adapted the marinade to our tastes and to what ingredients I had on hand. It was so yummy on our chicken breasts. I also think it would taste fantastic on pork chops. Enjoy.

*my measurements were to marinate 2 chicken breasts, so you may need to double if you are cooking for more than two people

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (I always use low sodium)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard (but I bet Dijon would be great too)
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 Tbsp. dry parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. seasoned pepper (or more depending on your tastes)

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients and whisk together. Pour marinade into gallon size ziploc bag. Add your two chicken breasts and make sure they get coated well. Put ziploc bag in a large dish and refrigerate. The dish helps prevents any leaks in the fridge. Marinate for 5 or so hours, turning chicken every so often so that it marinates evenly. Once finished marinating, cook chicken as desired.

Picture updated 06/19/13.

Cheesy Mexican Rice

I have finally found it! The perfect Mexican rice recipe. This is the only recipe I'll use from now on. It was amazing. We had another couple over for dinner last night and everyone had a second helping of rice. I LOVE when that happens! This recipe is adapted from one I saw over at Let's Dish. The rice has a tiny bit of heat to it, but I'm not a big fan or spice and it is mild enough for me. I am seriously so excited for leftovers!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice (I use basmati rice)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 chopped jalapeno (or you could do a 1/2 cup chopped green pepper)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 oz.) can mild Rotel
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/3 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (your preference)

Directions
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice, onion, peppers, and garlic. Cook until the rice is browned and vegetables are tender. Stir in the water, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 15 to 17 minutes. Remove rice from heat, keeping the lid on, let rice stand for 5 or so minutes then fluff and stir in shredded cheese. Serve hot.

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

I really love Chinese food, I could eat it all the time. This recipe was just a few ideas I had to make something healthy and flavorful. Both Nate and I really enjoyed it and the leftovers were good too!

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, julienned
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, julienned
2-3 heads of broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce (I always use low-sodium)
8 oz. Chinese noodles (or you could substitute spaghetti noodles)
olive oil

Preparation:
Mix water and cornstarch together in a small bowl, add brown sugar, ginger, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, and soy sauce and set aside. In a large skillet heat 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil and cook chicken. Once finished, remove chicken from the skillet and set aside. Add another 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil and saute vegetables. Cook vegetables until tender but still have some bite to them. Pour some sauce into the skillet, you want enough to cover the bottom of the skillet, but you don't want to drown the vegetables and mix well. Boil noodles and remove them from pot a few minutes before they hit al dente. Saute vegetables in the sauce until the sauce starts to thicken. Add partially cooked noodles and stir well. Continue to saute until noodles are finished cooking and sauce has thickened. Serve hot!



I linked this recipe up to Totally Tasty Tuesdays.

Baked Chicken and Rice

Oh man, talk about good comfort food for a cold night! This recipe is reasonably healthy and so so flavorful. We loved it. I'm so glad we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. This is definitely a new family favorite of ours. I found this idea at Cooking with K.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
6 boneless chicken thighs or 4 boneless skinless breasts, rinsed and pat dry (I used the chicken breasts)
1/2-1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cajun seasoning (optional)
1 15 oz. can chicken broth (I always use fat-free, low sodium broth)
1 15 oz. can vegetable broth
1 pkg. Knorr classic vegetable soup mix

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread rice in the bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish that has been lightly greased. Arrange chicken evenly only top of the rice; sprinkle with salt and cajun seasoning. Pour chicken broth over each piece of chicken. Sprinkle vegetable soup mix evenly over the the chicken. Pour chicken broth over each piece of chicken. Using and fork, separate the chicken to let the broths run evenly around the chicken. Cover and seal tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Once finished, let it stand for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy hot!

Hamburger Soup

This recipe is similar to one my mom would make when we were growing up. It was a favorite of my little sister Kelley's. I hadn't thought about this soup in years until a week or so ago. I called my mom for the recipe and she told me she didn't have one. She told me the basic idea and this is what I came up with. Instead of potatoes you could add pasta, but it has to be wagon wheel pasta, that's my mom always used.

Ingredients:
4 cups beef broth
4 cups V8 juice
1 cup water
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 large potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (or you can add wagon wheel pasta)
2 carrots, sliced into rounds
1 celery stalk, sliced
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 can cut green beans, drained
1 bay leaf
seasoning salt
seasoned pepper

Preparation:
Add beef broth, V8 juice, and water to pot and bring to boil. Add bay leaf, cut potatoes, carrots, and celery, reduce to simmer and cover, stirring occasionally. Brown and cook ground beef with diced onion, seasoning with salt and pepper. Drain any grease from beef mixture and add to soup. Continue to simmer until vegetables are fork tender. Then add drained green beans and any additional salt and pepper that the soup requires. Simmer until beans are warm and then serve.




I linked up this recipe over at Totally Tasty Tuesdays at Mandy's Recipe Box.