Completely Not a New Recipe. :)

I know... this a blog about recipes and food but...  I wanted to share a link to another blog instead.  This is an interview with my favorite author, Wanda Brunstetter.  And if I share the link, I have a chance to win an autographed book.  If I win the book, I will have motivation to whip up a tasty meal for you all. :)  Anyway, head on over here for the interview and check out the other blog entries while you're there.   As far as a recipe for today, I hear KFC is having some great deals. lol  Happy Eating!

http://austenitis.blogspot.com/2011/11/birthday-party-interview-and-giveaway.html

Banana Pudding Supreme

Last weekend we found ourselves with so many plans for Saturday I wasn't sure how we'd squeeze them all in!  Sadie had stayed at Uncle Darrin and Aunt Cara's.  So she had to be picked up, at a pot luck at 11:30, parade started at 2, then home to drop off empty dishes, pick up fresh ones and to a fish fry by 5:30.  I had no idea what food I would make that would be yummy, travel well and things that could be made and left at home all day and picked up to take for dinner.  I figured it out and we made it to every event in time. :) 


 Along the way I ran across this recipe that was amazing!   This is a twist on the classic Banana pudding.  (As always, I tweaked it to suit me so this is my version:

Banana Pudding Supreme

8 oz light cream cheese

14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

2 small packages of sugar free instant vanilla pudding

3 C cold milk

1 tsp vanilla 

8 oz light Cool Whip

Bananas

Nilla Wafers

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the whipped topping.

Slice bananas (to save time, slice them lengthwise) and place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Top with pudding.  Spread the rest of the Cool whip on top.  Place Nilla Wafers on last. 

Chill.

If there are leftovers, remove the wafers and replace before serving.  No one likes soggy wafers! :)

Happy Desserting!

Chicken and Dumplings and Tumbling

It's Tuesday so we're off to tumbling and Gerald will still need to eat even if I'm not here...  


I found an interesting recipe for Chicken and Dumplings for the crock pot and thought tonight would be a perfect night to try it out.  I tasted it a bit ago and although it's not as good as grandma's it's pretty tasty.   


{Gerald went to Walmart and 'grocery shopped' alone the other night.  I use this term loosely because it basically means he wandered the aisles tossing in various items that looked appealing and did not use a single coupon.  He came home with a box mix for Chicken and Dumplings and I rest assured he will like this version much better.}

Chicken and Dumplings Crock Pot Style

4-6 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless of course)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can chicken broth

salt, pepper, parsley, poultry seasoning

biscuits from the refrigerator section of your favorite grocer

Cut chicken in half and lay in the crock pot.  Sprinkle salt, pepper, parsley and poultry seasoning to your liking.  Add both cans of soup and chicken broth.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.  About  90 minutes before serving (if using High setting) tear biscuits into pieces and gently push into the liquid with spoon.  When the biscuits are cooked, you're ready to dish up and enjoy!

I bought the small biscuits and actually used 2 cans adding one, letting it cook for a while and then adding the other.  I stirred it a couple of times to keep the 'dumpings' from clumping into one huge dumping.

Well, It's BS... Chicken! (Formerly known as Balsamic Vinegar Chicken)

I knew better than to tell Gerald we were having "Balsamic Vinegar Chicken."  I know him well enough to know he would get that look on his face that translates into "Great, this is going to taste awful.  I wonder if I can sneak out of the house long enough to get some Chinese?"  :)  So I shortened it to BS Chicken and he seemed interested.  It was very yummy and I'll be making it again!  I tweaked a recipe I found online and I'll probably make other adjustments next time too.

BS Chicken

4-6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

28 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves

1/2 C balsamic vinegar dressing (I used Light)

2 T olive oil

sprinkle of Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

Pour olive oil in bottom of crock pot.

Place in chicken breasts, salt and pepper each breast.

Put sliced onion on top of chicken and sprinkle Italian seasoning using as much or as little as you prefer.  Add garlic, pour in dressing and top with tomatoes.  

Cook in crock pot on high for 4 hours or on low 6-8 hours.  Serve over angel hair pasta.

Yum Yum Enjoy! 

Peanut Butter Chiffon Pie-Sorry there's no photos, it didn't last very long!

I got to visit one of my favorite little shops last week: The Country Lamb.  I can't leave that store without purchasing something and Gooseberry Patch got me again.  :)  This pie went fast!  

Peanut Butter Chiffon Pie

1 C pretzels, finely crushed

6 T butter, melted

3/4 C plus 3 T sugar, divided

1 env. unflavored gelatin

1/4 tsp salt

1 C milk

2 eggs

1/2 C creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 C cool whip, thawed

Garnish: Chocolate syrup

Combine pretzel crumbs with butter and 3 T sugar.  Press into an ungreased pie plate and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Cool completely.  Mix gelatin, 1/2 C sugar and salt in saucepan.  Add milk and egg yolks.  Cook over medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter; stir until smooth.  Refrigerate until chilled.  Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy.  Gradually stir in remaining 1/4 C sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  Fold in chilled peanut butter mixture into egg whites.  When combined, gently fold in cool whip.  Spread mixture into prepared pretzel crust.  Chill 2-3 hours or until set.  Garnish with chocolate syrup, drizzled in a criss-cross pattern.






Until next time, Happy Cooking!

I'd like to blame the computer crash...

A few weeks ago my laptop went down.  I took it in to be repaired and it is currently having a new hard drive installed.  I'd like to blame my lack of blogging on that but we have other computers so there isn't an excuse... unless you count two small children, a forever messy house and a bottomless laundry hamper.  


I hope to have some new and exciting recipes to share as I am currently compiling a cookbook of recipes my family has contributed.  Since I'm in charge of the project I get the perk of getting access to the recipes months before anyone else and I WILL be using them before the books to go the printer. :)  


Tonight's recipe comes from SugarBelle's blog.  If you get a chance to check her out, please do!  Her cookies are BEAUTIFUL!  Almost too pretty to eat.  Almost!  Here is her link:   http://sweetsugarbelle.blogspot.com/


Ok here's the good stuff:  

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2 & 1/2 c. all-purpose, unbleached flour
1/2 c. dutch-process cocoa (natural is OK, too)
1 tsp instant espresso powder --I left this out!
1/2 tsp. coarse salt-if you use salted butter, leave this out as well
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour,cocoa, espresso powder and salt; set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light an fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.

In 3 additions, add the flour mixture at low speed. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as needed.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured and cocoa-ed surface. (I mixed the 2 of these, then spread on my rolling surface, on my rolling pin, and used it to dip my cookie cutters.)

Cut into small circles.

Freeze cut cookies five minutes.

Bake 8 minutes. Let cool completely.

While cooling make filling:

Peanut Butter Filling

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tbs milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth. Place filling in a disposable pastry bag and pipe it onto cooled cookies.

I couldn't find a cookie cutter that was as small as I wanted so I used the lid to a bottle/sippy cup.  However, after completing the cookies and tasting, they are too big!  I suggest making these no bigger than an Oreo cookie because they are pretty rich.

What are you doing still reading, get to your kitchen and get busy!

I'll Share a Recipe Instead of Doing Laundry!

I've been stalling on housework all day so I was thrilled when a friend asked for a recipe!  An excuse to put off the housework for a while AND a reason to dig out my old friends!  I made these cookies a while back for a fellow at church and I think he ended up sharing and not getting to take any home.  The great thing about these cookies are they can be altered to your taste so easily.  If you don't like coconut don't automatically toss out this recipe.  You really don't taste the coconut, it just makes the cookie extra chewy.

Ranger Cookies

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1tsp vanilla

1 1/4 C flour

1 C quick oats

1C coconut

1 C raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries, or mixed dried fruit bits.

Beat butter with mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add both sugars, baking powder, and baking soda.  Beat until combined.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Beat in flour.  Beat in oats, coconut and raisins.  (if your mixer plays out, mix in by hand)

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 minutes or until edges are golden.

Happy Baking!