When you just need Dessert

I have to share my recipe for 70 second cake. Imagine - a cake you can whip up while your hubby clears the dinner dishes!

Ingredients:

• powdered cake mix (ideally one that has "pudding in the mix"), any flavor
• 1 (4-serving) box of jello instant pudding mix, any flavor
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Frosting if desired

Directions:
Take the powdered cake mix and powdered pudding mix, and combine the powders in a big ziplock and shake to combine.
Mix 1/2 cup of the powder with egg, water and oil in a microwave safe dish. A large coffee cup or small bowl works great. Microwave on high for 70 seconds, and turn over onto a plate to eat. You can eat it warm or let it cool and frost it.
Voila! Cake for 1 to 2 people. No leftovers to gorge on at midnight. Unless you make more. Label the ziplock with the recipe and keep for the days when you're desperate for cake. Or when you're at the office and want to annoy coworkers with the smell of warm gooey chocolate (or other flavor) cake.

Another from my Sis - Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I have to tell you - my Sister Mercy should really be the one with the blog. I have gotten SO many recipes from her over the years. Granted, she cooks for a family of 7! So I'm guessing it's not "leftovers again" at her house very often. In any case, I'm so glad she gave me a cookbook she and her church friends put together. Everything is super easy and so good! But of course - as all recipes - I've changed it a bit....

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• Pinch Pepper
• 1 bag frozen veggies, thawed (my house likes the potato & carrot stew mix, Mercy's family prefers broccoli, corn & cauliflower.)
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken (or about 2 chicken breasts)
  
• 1 (10 oz+) can of refrigerated flaky biscuits (we use Pillsbury Grands)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add Celery and onion, and stir over medium-high heat until crisp tender. Stir in Soup, milk and spices. Mix well. Stir in thawed veggies and chicken. Heat through. Pour into 13x9" baking dish.

Separate biscuits, and cut each one into four or six pieces. Place these chunks of dough on top of the filling mixture. They won't completely cover it, but nearly. Place in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and filling is bubbly.

A new favorite - Caramel Apple Pork Chops

This recipe comes from my Sister, and it might be my new fall favorite! If you have the Pampered Chef Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer, this is a good time to get it out! A paring knife or veggie peeler will work too.

Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tart apples, peeled, cored & sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in warmed pan. Cook 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally, until evenly browned. Transfer to an oven safe dish, and pop in oven to keep warm. (250 degrees should be a good temp).
In a small bowl, combine sugar & spices. Add butter to skillet and stir in spices and apples. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove apples to the small bowl and cook sauce uncovered until thickened slightly.
To serve, divide apples over chops and spoon sauce on top. Sprinkle with Pecans.
I think a bacon-cheddar mashed potato compliments these chops nicely.

As promised...Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever! We've adapted it a lot since the original. So far our favorite is using Chocolate pudding mix and white chocolate chips!

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups unsifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butter (softened, not melted)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 package instant pudding & pie filling (4 serving size)
• 2 eggs
• 1 package chocolate chips (12 ounce size)

Directions:

Mix flour and baking soda in a small bowl & set aside. Combine butter, sugars, vanilla and pudding mix in bowl. Beat until smooth. Beat in eggs. Add flour mixture in parts, mixing well. Fold in chips. Drop by teasoon on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Guest blog from the NorCal Knot's sm23

Thanks for the suggestion, Shelly!

Okay - on to the recipe! This is a vegetarian pasta dish that I only just tried tonight. I can't say it was my favorite dish ever, but my family all liked it, and the children even cleaned their bowls! They're not the easiest kids to please, so I'm going to have to keep this recipe!

Lemon Gnocchi with Spinach & Peas

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen baby peas (not thawed)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (you can substitute half and half, or milk, but it may cause the sauce to separate some when you add the lemon)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes (we skipped this - not hot peppers for kiddos!)
  
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 3 cups packed baby spinach (about 3 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 pound dried gnocchi
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan (make sure to use grated, not shredded, or you will end up with a big, tough ball of cheese)

Directions:
Simmer peas with cream, red-pepper flakes, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large, heavy skillet, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add spinach and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring, until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in a pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain gnocchi.

Add gnocchi to sauce with cheese and some of reserved cooking water and stir to coat. Thin with additional cooking water if necessary.

***Wendy here - we skipped the hot pepper flakes, but I will probably add them in when I cook this for just hubby and I. I didn't add in any of the pasta-cooking water, just threw the sauce in and served it up with Garlic bread. Thanks sm!***

Another request from Jackie...Apple Berry Salsa and Cinnamon chips

Apple season is upon us, and you should have seen Jackie perk up when I mentioned Apple Berry Salsa and Cinnamon chips. This is a past pampered chef recipe, with a few changes by me.

Cinnamon chips (I generally double this recipe, or I'll have a lot of salsa left over!)

Ingredients:

• 4 (7 inch) flour tortillas
• 1 egg white
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush tortillas with egg white. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges (a pizza cutter works well!), and place in a single layer on a baking stone or pan. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned & crisp. Remove to cooling rack, and cool completely.

Apple Berry Salsa

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1 kiwi, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
  
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple jelly

Directions:
Peel apples, core & slice into small chunks. (You want pinky-nail sized pieces.) Place all ingredients in a medium sized bowl, and stir. If you've used a fresh orange for the juice, you can add some orange zest as well. Mix it all up and serve with cinnamon chips.

A little out of season - Chicken salad on Cantaloupe rings

Okay, so this is something I usually serve in late spring, when the temperatures are starting to climb, but it's still pretty toasty here in the valley, so I'm going to give you this recipe for a refreshing light lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups Cubed, cooked chicken (use canned chicken chunks if you're short on time!)
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 cup halved green grapes
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
  
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablesppon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teasoons mustard
• 1/2 teasoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 cantaloupe rings (slice off the top and bottom of a cantaloupe, and divide the remainder into four rings. cut the melon rings of the rind)
• toasted sliced almonds

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery, grapes and parsley. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, lemon juice, cider vinegar, mustard, salt & pepper; mix well.Pour over chicken mixture and toss.

To serve, place 1 cup chicken salad on each cantaloupe ring, sprinkle with almonds. My kids like when I make crescent rolls with this meal.

Super simple cookies - Peanut Butter Kisses

In honor of my knottie girls coming over, I thought I'd post the recipe we used tonight. I had a few dozen hershey's kisses just begging to be made into cookies. So Michi and Britt & I chatted and made cookies together, sitting around the kitchen table.

Ingrediants:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teasoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter (softened, not melted)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used chunky and it worked fine)
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• About 40 chocolate kisses, unwrapped
  

Directions:
Combine ingredients. (This is a great chance to use that Kitchen Aid mixer you got as a wedding gift!). Roll dough into small balls, and roll in sugar. Bake on cookie sheets at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Top with Chocolate kiss immediately upon removal from oven.

Gardener's delight - Vegetable Primavera over Pasta

I used to garden, but now I just enjoy the overflow from my Mom's veggie patch. I found this recipe years ago when I needed a simple way to use up ALL that squash!

Ingrediants:

• 1 package of your favorite pasta (I use a whole grain penne most often)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 zuchini, halved and sliced
• 1 yellow squash, halved and sliced
• 1 or 2 bell pepper (red, orange yellow or green), sliced
• 1 cup light cream (sub whole milk for lower fat version)
• 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesean

Optional:

• grilled, sliced chicken breast

Directions:
Boil Pasta according to package directions.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a large skillet, and brown onion. Add green beans, saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add zucchini and yellow squash, then bell pepper. You shouldn't be cooking them long, they should be hot in the time it takes to boil the pasta. Add heated veggies to strained, cooked pasta, cover and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add cream and parmesean, stirring constantly. When cheese is melted, pour over pasta & veggies, toss and serve.
Obviously, this recipe gets less healthy if you put a ton of sauce on each serving. But there's lots of vitamins in the veggies, and whole grain pasta adds even more fiber. If your husband really needs meat with his meal, add sliced chicken breast on top of the pasta/veggie/sauce mixture.

Great Grandma's Potato Soup

Okay, this is another of my favorite fall soups! Once again it feeds a crowd, but it doesn't freeze quite as well as Taco soup. The recipe can be halved though.

Ingredients:

• 6-10 Potaotes, peeled [2.99 for 5 pounds]
• 1 Tbsp salt [on-hand]
• 1 Onion, chopped [0.44]
• 1 clove garlic, minced [1.29]
• 2-3 cans evaporated milk [4.77 for 3]

Optional:

• 4 strips bacon [3.59 for Turkey bacon]
• 2 cups broccoli florets [1.50 for one pound]
• 1 cup shredded cheese [4.89]
• 1 can chicken or vegetable broth [1.59]
• 1 can creamed corn [1.49]

Directions: Cut up potatoes into chunks and drop into a large pan of cold water. Strain, and refill the pot with just enough water to barely cover the potatoes. Add salt, and cook the potato chunks until soft. In a medium skillet, brown the onion in a little olive oil, or even the drippings from the bacon. Add garlic to the onion, drain if needed, and let sit until the potatoes are cooked.
For a really thick soup, pour off half of the water from cooking the potatoes, for a thinner soup, leave more (or even all) of the water. Add in the onion and garlic, as well as any optional ingredients, and heat again to near boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove pot from heat, and add evaporated milk. Stir and serve with crusty French bread.
[With ALL of the add-ins, this meal ends up being about $25.00 for 8-10 generous servings. And we usually use only 1-2 add-ins, making our usual cost $2 or less per serving]

Repost into it's own blog - Twice baked Potatoes

Twice baked potatoes

I’ve made these so much I don’t have an “actual” recipe any more. So this is less than precise! Let me know if something is really unclear!

Bake potatoes [1.11 for 2], and allow to cool. Cut in half lengthwise to make “boats”. Scoop out the meat of the potato, leaving about ¼ of an inch on the skin. (If it's hard to get the potato scooped, bake some more!)
Put the potato innards in a bowl and add some combination of:

• butter (about ½ tablespoon per potato) [on hand]
• salt
• pepper
• cream (either sour cream or whipping cream, a dash of milk works too.) [1.79 for half pint]
• chopped onion (green, white, red or yellow, or just some dried minced onion) [0.44]
• garlic (fresh minced or powder) [on hand]
• bacon pieces [3.35]
• Chopped Broccoli [1.00]
• Shredded cheese (or save to sprinkle on top) [2.50]
• Beaten Egg whites (this makes it fluffy, but it's still optional!, add last and fold into the mixture gently) [on hand - Mom has chickens]

Spoon the mixture back into the potatoes, and bake at 375 for about 20-30 minutes (long enough that they’re hot in the middle!) You’ll probably have leftover filling, so have an oven safe bowl around to cook that in. That’s your leftovers to take to work the next day.
[This costs about $12 to make 4 potatoes or 8 servings]

An Old Favorite - Swiss Chicken Cutlets

This is another recipe that is easy to make, but impressive for company. It may look tricky, but the extra steps are well worth the taste!

Swiss Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients:

• 2-4 thin slices reduced-fat swiss cheese (approx. 2-4 ounces)
• 4 chicken cutlets, 1.4 inch thick (4 oz. each) You can substitute turkey breast slices if you don't want to find or pound cutlets.
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine (I generally serve the rest of the bottle with dinner)
• 1/4 teaspoon Oregano

Directions:
Starting at the narrow end, Roll each chicken cutlet with 1/2 a slice of cheese, jelly roll style. Tie with string. Combine flour & pepper in a ziplock bag, and toss cutlets in flour until coated. Melt butter over medium heat. Add cutlets, turning frequently, until golden (about 3 minutes).

Add broth, wine & oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 10-12 minutes. Remove string & serve with rice and a veggie (Our favorite is Brussels sprouts!). I like to melt another 1/2 slice of cheese over each cutlet, and add a dash of oregano before serving. But I'm also a cheese fanatic, so you can do it either way!

Company favorite - Tangy Pot Roast

The first time someone comes to dinner at my house, this is usually what they'll be served. I'm not a very good housekeeper, and this recipe lets me get the food ready first, so I can clean house right up until the doorbell rings. Shh, don't tell!

Tangy Pot Roast
Ingredients:

• 3-4 Pound Lean Beef Roast (look for the string netting - I get that kind!)
• 1 packet of powdered onion soup mix
• 1 can jellied cranberry sauce
• 4-6 small red potatoes, scrubbed

Directions:
Sprinkle the powdered onion soup mix around the bottom of the crockpot. Place the roast on top. You can leave the string on or not, it won't hurt the flavor. Spoon the jellied cranberry sauce around the sides of the roast. Cut the potatoes into halved or quarters, and place on top of the roast & cranberry sauce. Cook on High for 4 hours, or low for 6-8. I've cooked it as long as 10 hours (my normal time away from home) and the meat falls apart really easy, but it still tasted good. The cranberry sauce cooks into a delicious gravy. Sounds weird, but I promise it's really tasty!
Serve with a salad of baby greens.

Store to table in one hour - Pork Chops

Hubby’s favorite Pork Chops Dinner

Now this recipe is really simplistic. But we never ate pork chops when I was growing up, so I didn’t know how to cook them. Maybe you're in the same situation, or you just haven't thought of pork chops in a while. But they’re a cheap, lean protein, and make a quick meal!

Ingredients:

• Pork chops (thick cut is served in our house, but get whatever you like.) [4.29 for two]
• 1 packet gravy mix. (Hunter gravy, roasted pork gravy, brown gravy, it’s up to you!) [1.79]
  

Directions:
In a large skillet, drizzle a little olive oil, and brown the pork chops. You’ll probably cook the first side about 5 minutes over medium heat, and then turn. While the chops get golden brown, mix the gravy packet with about 2 cups water. (This is probably more than the packet recommends, but it will cook down.) When the second side of the pork chops are browned, pour the gravy into the skillet. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pork chops. It’s pretty hard to over-cook these, so they’re a good option when you’re waiting for a hubby to get home.

We serve almost all meats with a veggie, and a starch. For these chops, I like steamed broccoli [1.29] and a rice pilaf [1.89] (Rice-a-roni is your friend!)

[Total price is about 10.00 for the full meal, or about $5 per serving]

My first request - Taco Soup

Okay Jackie – here you go! This recipe is great for fall, but I'll warn you, it feeds an army! You may need to invite a few friends over for dinner! It also freezes well, so you can always save half for another time! Just put the finished soup in a freezer safe container, and chill well. When you're ready to have it again, throw the block o' soup in the crockpot to thaw and reheat.

Taco Soup
· 1 pound ground beef, or ground turkey (can substitute chicken breast pieces or skip the meat all together if your veg SIL is coming over!) [1.99 for lean ground beef]
· 1 onion (yellow or white or red), Chopped [0.44]
· 1 packet taco seasoning [0.99]
· 1 can corn [1.00]
· 1 can kidney beans [0.99]
· 1 can garbanzo beans [0.99]
· 1 can black beans [1.00]
· 1 can stewed or diced tomatoes [1.00]
· 1 can tomato sauce [0.99]

· Tortilla chips [1.99]
Toppings:
· Shredded cheese [2.50]
· Sour cream [1.00]
· Guacamole [3.65]

In a large soup pot, saute onion in a little oil. Add the meat, brown and drain if desired. (If using chicken, cut into ½” chunks and just brown the outside.) Add all cans of ingredients, undrained.
Heat until nearly boiling. If you want to make this in a crockpot, just cook the onion and meat and throw it in the crockpot with the other ingredients. Cook on low for 4 hours, or on high for 2.

To serve: We like to crush a handful of tortilla chips in a soup bowl. We then add the soup, and desired toppings. You can also serve the crushed chips on top. If some people prefer a meat free meal, you can also serve the meat on the side like a topping.

[Total cost is about $20.00, and you can probably serve 10 people. This is even more affordable if you have some items already, or skip the more expensive things like meat or guac! An additional way to stretch the servings, is to add another packet of seasoning and 4 cups of water. The thinner soup is still SO filling!]

Let's get cooking! French Dip Sandwiches

This blog started when my knottie girlfriends asked about my dinner plans. Or maybe I was just bragging. But a few asked for my recipe for French Dip Sandwiches and Twice Baked Potatoes. Someone else had eaten my Taco soup, and wanted that recipe. They asked for a cookbook, but I’m not that cool. I’ll give you a blog though! Let’s get started with those original recipes.

French dip is super easy. At least the way I do it!

· ½ pound thick sliced roast beef per person from the deli. [10.00 for 1 pound]
· 1 roll per person [1.99 for 6, or about 70 cents)
· Butter [almost free, you ought to have this!]
· Beef broth (1/2 can per person) [1.49]
· 1 packet onion soup mix per 4 people. [1.00]

Mix the broth and powdered onion soup mix, and place the sliced beef in the mixture. This can even be done the night before. Heat beef & au jus until it’s hot. Meanwhile, slice the rolls and lightly butter them. Toast them under the broiler (or on the BBQ if hubby needs a chore!) until crispy. Place warm meat on rolls and serve with individual cups of warm au jus.

[Total cost is about $14 for two servings. You can use less meat per serving though - this is a lot of food!]