Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This recipe comes from Travis' girlfriend from high school's family. How's that for a connection? We call them Nebeker oatmeal cookies. These are fantastic, pretty much my favorite oatmeal cookie ever. A few things, #1, I hydrate my raisins before I throw them in the dough. This consists of me taking about 1 and 1/2 cups of raisins, putting them in a medium size bowl, filling the bowl mostly full of water and popping it in the ol' microwave for about 5 minutes. I always hydrate before I start making the cookies, then the raisins have time to cool down, soak up that water and become plump little beauties. #2, Just for cookies in general, I cream the sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla for 5 minutes. Seriously. I set my timer for 5 minutes, and let my Kitchen Aide work some magic. EVERY cookie will benefit from the extra "creaming" time. Thought I'd share that wonderful tid-bit.

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup shortening (I resisted my natural impulse to use butter, and used butter flavored Crisco, love how they turned out)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp hot water
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2 cups oatmeal (I use quick oats, never use instant oatmeal)
tons of raisins

Cream together sugars, shortening, eggs and vanilla

Add the tablespoon of hot water

Combine dry ingredients, flour, salt, and soda and add them to the creamed mix. Mix just long to have it sorta pull together, then add the oats and raisins. Then mix thoroughly to combine.

Bake at 370 (odd temp, I know. I'm just going off the recipe card, folks and its always worked for me) for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!

Homemade Ice Cream

If you don't have an ice cream maker, get one before summer is gone!! They are fantastic and homemade ice cream is SO YUMMY! Who wants the processed stuff with seaweed they sell in the grocery store when you can have creamy, flavorful, creamy, tasty, and did I mention creamy, ice cream at home? This is from the June 2009 issue of Everyday Food. I copied all the pictures from the website because they really helped me follow the directions better, hope they are not overwhelming. I have made this several times now and I always have made vanilla, but there are a host of other flavors waiting to be tried. See my notes about flavor at the bottom. Leave a comment if you end up making a different flavor, I'm curious how it turns out.

ps- I have a cuisinart ice cream maker, it works great!

prep time 20 minutes
total time 50 minutes + freezing

Ingredients

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

• 8 large egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 cups skim milk
• Choice of flavoring (see notes at bottom)
  
• 2 cups heavy cream

Directions

1.In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until blended. Gradually whisk in milk.

2.Cook over medium, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens slightly and evenly coats back of spoon (it should hold a line drawn by your finger), 10 to 12 minutes.
See notes about flavor at the bottom, for vanilla stir in 2 tsp pure vanilla extract.

3.Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl set over ice. Stir in cream. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until chilled. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to a resealable plastic container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours (or up to 3 months).Notes: there are different flavor choices

CHOCOLATE- in step 1, stir 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder into egg-yolk mixture before adding milk
STRAWBERRY- mash 4 cups sliced strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar, and let it stand 10 minutes. Add to ice cream as it churns in the ice cream maker
GINGER- after step 2, stir in a 2 inch piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into matchsticks, into custard. cover and let stand 30 minutes
ORANGE- after step 2, stir 6 strips orange zest into custard. cover and let stand 30 minutes.

Mother's 1-2-3 pie

Failed again to snap a photo. Please forgive me! But I really liked this. EASY!!!!! and delish. Great way to use fresh summer produce. I know some who like crunchy fruit crisps, but I am all about the cake-y cobblers and this fits the bill. Hhhhhmmm, I can taste it again right now. From the World Wide Ward cookbook, page 300, submitted by Jeannie Juergens of Houston, Texas.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, (1 stick) softened
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 quart fruit, drained (any kind, I used peaches)

In a 2 qrt baking dish, mix all ingredients except fruit; beat until there are no lumps. Pour in drained fruit, do not mix, just spread fruit evenly. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Best served warm with cold ice cream.

Limeade

From my tried and true Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. A nice way to use some lemons/limes and its just so refreshing and summer-y. A little planning goes into it since it has to chill in the fridge, but only a few hours notice so its not so bad. I think a "fancy" drink really makes it a special occasion.

2 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 sugar
1/2 tsp finely shredded lime peel
1 1/4 cups fresh squeezed lime juice (I used 10-12 limes or for lemonade, 8 lemons)

1. For the base, in a saucepan heat and stir water and sugar over medium heat till sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; cool 20 minutes. Add peel and juice to sugar mixture. Pour into a jar, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

2. Once mixture is chilled, add 4 cups icy cold water to the base, mix well and serve. Can garnish with lime wedges. Makes 8 (1 cup) servings.

Teriyaki Chicken

From the World Wide Ward Cookbook, page 119, this is Ty's Shoyu Chicken, commonly called Teriyaki chicken. Family hit! Easy, tasty and flavorful. I did mine in the crock pot, see my notes at the bottom.

5-6 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated (I used dried ginger, about 1 1/2 tsp)
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tsp water
1 1/4 cups soy sauce (recipe recommended Aloha shoyu, I used Kikoman)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
5 lbs chicken thighs (bone-in), skin removed (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and since I have a small family, we need only 2-3 chicken breasts to feed us all, please adjust amount of chicken for your family)
green onions, chopped (optional, I did it, I love green onions!)

Combine all ingredients, except chicken and green onions in a large bowl or leak-proof plastic resealable bag. Add chicken to marinade. Marinate at least 4 hours, overnight is best. Place chicken in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour marinade over the chicken. Sprinkle with green onion. Cover with foil and let bake at 350 for 1 1/2- 2 hours. The chicken can also be grilled on a BBQ and basted with marinade. Eat with white rice and Hawaiian style macaroni salad.

*a note. I did mine in the crock-pot, no overnight or 4 hour marinating for me. So I placed the chicken in first, then poured the marinade all over it and let it cook on low for 5 or 6 hours, not all day or else the chicken disintegrates. I reserved the green onions as a garnish, they didn't go in the crock pot. I served it with white rice and chunks of pineapple. Yum!

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

Ripped right from the Kraft recipes website! Mine was a little melty and sad looking by the time I stopped shoving my face and remembered the camera, so here's a pretty picture to inspire you. This is simple, easy and looks oh so beautiful. And not to mention the taste! How can you go wrong with strawberries, cool whip and oreos? Impress your friends with this recipe.

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

8 OREO Cookies, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

LINE 9x5-inch loaf pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Mash 2 cups berries in large bowl. Add milk, juice and 2 cups COOL WHIP; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

MIX chopped cookies and butter. Spoon over COOL WHIP mixture. Cover with ends of foil; gently press cookie mixture into COOL WHIP mixture. Freeze 6 hours or until firm.

INVERT dessert onto plate when ready to serve; remove pan and foil. Frost dessert with remaining COOL WHIP. Slice remaining berries; arrange over dessert. Freeze leftovers.

Asian Salmon Steaks

Sorry, no photo. These were inhaled quick like and in a hurry! The marinade was terrific and I paired it with coconut rice, yum! Since our grill is broken (sob!) I baked these in a 9x13 at 350 for 30 minutes and they turned out perfect, flakey and delish! Thanks recipegirl.com for sharing!

3 Tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 Tbs honey
½ tsp ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 fillets salmon (about 1 1/2 pounds)
minced cilantro for garnish, if desired

1. Combine first five ingredients in a jar; cover and shake well. Place salmon steaks in a glass dish. Spoon about 1 Tablespoon marinade over each steak. Refrigerate 10 to 30 minutes.

2. To cook, remove salmon from marinade; discard marinade from dish. Place salmon on a lightly greased grill. Brush fish with some of the remaining marinade. Grill until fish is flaky to touch, turning once and basting.

3. Serve garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Servings: 4

Toffee Rice Krispie Treats

From Sallie's blog to mine, these are addicting treats!! Don't make if you are trying to watch what you eat, you surely will not be able to keep away from them. (cough, cough, Mary Ann) Its a fantastic twist on regular rice krispie treats and scotcharoos.

1/2 c. butter
80 large marshmallows
1/3 cup peanut butter
10 cups Rice Krispie's Cereal
1 1/3 bag toffee pieces
12 oz. chocolate chips, milk or semi-sweet
butter for pan

1. Place butter in a very large mixing bowl.
2. Microwave on high for 1-1 1/2 minutes or until melted.
3. Add marshmallows and stir to coat with butter.
4. Microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring after each minute.
5. Stir in peanut butter until smooth.
6. Stir in cereal and toffee chips until well coated
7. Transfer mixture to a foil-lined and buttered 9 x 13 pan.
8. With buttered spatula, press mixture evenly into pan.
9. Melt chocolate chips in microwave stirring every 30 seconds. Spread evenly on top of Rice Krispie Treats.
Makes 20 bars

*notes, same as with my scotcharoos, I like them in a greased jelly roll pan. This makes the rice krispie surface to melted chocolate ratio much better!! In fact, increase melted chocolate to 2 bags of chips, more ooey gooey goodness.

Salmon Glaze

Easy peesy and good!

Salmon Glaze

¼ cup Brown sugar
¼ cup Olive oil
3 T. Soy sauce
3 T. Lemon juice
2 T. White wine
Salmon

Mix ingredients of glaze together. Pour over salmon. Bake at 400* on center rack for 15-20 minutes. During cooking, occasionally brush marinade on top of salmon. You can also marinate the salmon for a while before baking it.

Chicken Parmesan

This is an easy, yummy meal. Most of the ingredients are out of a can so it whips up fast and if you wanted to dress it up, you could make your own sauce!

Chicken Parmesan

Milk
Bread Crumbs
Italian Seasonings
Chicken
Pasta of choice
Spaghetti Sauce

This is a simple recipe. If you want to be fancy you can make a homemade sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 *.
Pound out chicken breasts until about ¼-1/2 inch thick. I do this by putting the chicken between two pieces of Saran Wrap or wax paper. If you don’t have a mallet you can use a heavy frying pan.
Dip pounded chicken breasts in milk and then breadcrumbs. You can by Italian crumbs or just add some seasoning to plain breadcrumbs. Coat the chicken evenly and place in a heated frying pan that has a little olive oil in it. Repeat with other chicken breasts. Lightly pan fry chicken breasts. Cover with spaghetti sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. I bake these in the frying pan, but this can only be done if your frying pan is oven safe (ex. No plastic or rubber pieces). Otherwise you can transfer the breast to a baking dish, cover with the sauce and cook.

After 30 minutes top chicken with either mozzarella or Parmesan cheese and return to oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Cook pasta of choice. Serve chicken over pasta and with plenty of sauce. Very yummy!

Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce

I got this recipe years ago from a Cooking Light magazine. I love it! It has a nice peanut buttery taste...mmmm!

Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce

WARNING: The first time you make this it is a little confusing. Read directions all the way through before beginning. It gets easier each subsequent time. This is one of my favorites!!

5 oz. Japanese curly noodles (You can find these at an Oriental store or section at the grocery store. I use whatever I find that looks like it could be a Japanese noodle.)
2 t. Dark sesame oil, divided
1 pound Chicken breast (about 4)
½ cup Red bell pepper strips
½ cup Chicken broth
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce (Oriental section)
½ cup Creamy peanut butter
2 T. Rice vinegar
2 T. Ketchup
¼ t. Crushed red pepper
1 T. fresh garlic (I often substitute a pinch or two of dried)
1 t. minced garlic (2-3 cloves, crushed)
½ cup green onions, chopped

Cook noodles. In a frying pan over med-high heat, add 1 t. oil. Add chicken and sauté 4 minutes (until cooked). Add bell pepper and cook 3 minutes or until softened. Remove from heat and put mixture with noodles. Combine broth and next five ingredients and stir with a whisk. Heat a pan with 1 t. sesame oil. Add ginger and garlic for 15 seconds. Stir in broth until heated. Add to noodle mixture along with ¼ cup green onions.

Mom's Tortilla Soup

My mom, that is...this is total comfort food for me...reminds me of being home. It is a little more work intensive, but mighty delish!

Mom’s Tortilla Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. olive oil
4 oz. can green chilies, chopped
15 oz. can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 t. lemon pepper
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
½ t. hot sauce or to taste
4 T. flour
½ cup water
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/3 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
tortilla strips

In a large saucepan, cook the onion and garlic in the oil over medium low heat for five minutes or until the onion is softened. Add the chilies, tomatoes with their juice, broth, lemon pepper, Worcestershire, spices, and hot sauce and simmer for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the flour with the water until there are no flour lumps. Whisk into the soup. Bring the soup back to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the sour cream and salt and pepper to taste.


Tortilla Strips:

4 corn tortillas
Pam cooking spray

Spray pan with Pam. Cut the tortillas into strips and spread across pan. Bake them at 400* for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted and crispy. Sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired.

**I always make more of the tortilla strips and they typically take longer than 10 minutes to crisp.

Jerk Chicken

This is one of my favorite BBQ recipes. I got it out of Everyday Foods magazine a few years back.

Jerk Chicken Serves 4

1 Bunch scallions, chopped (1 ½ cups)
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 Jalapeno chili, chopped (seeds and ribs removed for less heat, if desired)
2 T. Fresh lime juice
2 T. Olive oil, plus more for grates
1 T. Light brown sugar
1 ½ t. Ground allspice
1 t. Dried thyme
½ t. Ground cinnamon
Coarse salt
8 Pieces bone in chicken, skinned and trimmed of excess fat

Make marinade: In a blender, combine scallions, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, oil, sugar, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, 1 t. salt, and 2 T. water. Blend until smooth. Set aside ¼ cup for brushing.

Place chicken in a shallow dish: season all over with salt. Pour remaining marinade all over chicken; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate, turning once or twice, at least two hours or up to overnight.

Heat grill to medium-high; oil grates. Lift chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off (discard marinade); place on grill, and cover. Cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is blackened in spots, about 10 minutes.

Move chicken to a cooler part of the grill; brush with reserved marinade. Grill, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Mexican Fiesta Biscuit Bake

So, I should mention that my hubby and kids really like casserole dishes. I like them because they are easy and crowd pleasers. This one is from my "Remedies for the I Don't Cook Syndrome" cookbook which has provided me with many great recipes. It may sound odd, but try it...it is one of the favorites in my house!

Mexican Fiesta Biscuit Bake

1 can Pillsbury Grand biscuits cut into fourths

1-16oz. jar thick and chunky salsa

12 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated

½ cup chopped green pepper (I use red)

½ cup chopped onion

2 T. chopped cilantro

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

4 chicken breasts cooked and diced

Sour cream for topping

Heat oven to 375*. Place quartered biscuits in a large bowl. Add salsa, cheese, pepper, onion, cilantro, garlic and chicken. Mix. Place mixture in greased 8 inch square pan. Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

This is my grandma's recipe and one of the best I have ever had. I think the key is not to use beef that is too lean (85% or less). It results in a moist, juicy meatloaf perfect for any cool, blustery day...

I think I am looking forward to cooler times!

Grandma’s Meatloaf

2# ground beef

2 small onions, minced

2 cups soft bread crumbs

3 t. salt

2 eggs

2 T. horseradish

1 t. dry mustard

¼ cup catsup

Mix all together and put into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 400* for 1 hour.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Easy home cookin' at its finest. My kids love this!

D grew up in the south eating chicken and dumplings and sometimes I am a good wife and make the real deal, but other days, I just need a quick, easy dish to throw in the crock pot. I have added carrots, celery and potatoes to this as well to make it a little heartier.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2T. butter

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 onion, finely diced

2 (10oz.) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Place chicken, butter, soup and onion in slow cooker and fill with enough water to cover.

Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on high. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until dough is no longer raw in the center.

My tried and true recipe. I make it all summer while my basil is growing!

Pesto

3 cups packed fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
¼ cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
Coarse salt
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground pepper

Process basil, pine nuts, garlic and ½ t. salt in a food processor until combined. With machine running, gradually add oil; process until smooth.

Transfer pesto to a small bowl. Stir in Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. If not using immediately, cover pesto with plastic wrap, pressing directly to the surface to prevent browning. Can be refrigerated up to one day. Stir before serving.