Hamburger Stroganoff

Hamburger Stroganoff
Ingredients:

1/2 C. minced onion
1 clove minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
2-3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 C. (8 oz) sour cream
1 lb. Country Pasta, cooked and drained
Directions:
Saute onion and garlic in butter, over medium heat. Add meat and brown. Drain all but about 2 Tbsp of grease. Add flour, salt and pepper, stir, and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Add soups, stir and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Heat through, sprinke with parsley (optional), and serve over hot Country Pasta noodles.

Alex's dance recital pictures

"Wouldn't it be loverly"

Chocolate Pancakes

Chocolate Pancakes

1 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup miniature chocolate chips (optional)

Sift together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Overstirring will create flatter pancakes. We like ours thick and fluffy. Lightly stir in chocolate chips if desired. Heat a griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees. Lightly butter the hot griddle or use cooking spray and laddle the pancake batter onto the griddle using about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. You can make yours into heart shapes by drawing a V with the batter. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden (though this is hard to tell with chocolate pancakes), gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 1 to 2 minutes or until the pancake is set. Serve with butter and maple syrup or with whipped cream and strawberries or raspberries.

Tyler's Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

Great served over rice or noodles
I | 20 min prep
SERVES 6
• 3 lbs chicken pieces ( I used boneless skinless chicken tenders)
• 1 (2/3 ounce) package Italian salad dressing mix
• 4 tablespoons melted butter (divided)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
1. Place chicken pieces in crock pot and sprinkle Italian seasoning over chicken. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan and saute onion and garlic. Add Cream of Chicken Soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth. Stir until smooth.Pour over chicken.
3. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Serve over your favorite noodles or rice

Weekend Visit With Baby Nathan.....FUN FUN FUN !!

How to cleanly cut brownies!!

This isn't a recipe. I wanted to share with you all something that has made my life a lot easier, when it comes to brownies. I learned this a few years ago, but I'm still shocked to see the number of people who struggle with cutting brownies. Want to know the secret to easy to cut brownies? PLASTIC KNIVES!!!! You can use a plastic knife at any time with the brownies and it makes perfect squares. No more brownie build-up on regular knives as you cut. Try it, I think you'll like it!

Best Blondies

I made these Blondie's for Alex's class...they loved them. A couple of the boys asked for my secret recipe so here it is.... I omitted the nuts and coconut for the kids version. They are great either way.

The Best Blondies
1 c pecans, chopped
1 1/2 c shredded coconut
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbs unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted and cooled
1 1/2 c light brown sugar
2 large eggs lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla
8 ounces chocolate chips

Set oven @ 350. Grease and pam spray 9 x 13 glass baking dish.
Wisk flour, baking powder, salt in bowl, set aside
Wisk melted butter and brown sugar til combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Fold in dry ingredients with spatula til just combined. Fold in chocolate, coconut and nuts and pour into prepared pan , smoothing top with spatula.
Bake 25-30 minutes. DO NOT overbake. Top will be shiney,cracked and gloden brown. Cool to room temp on wire rack before cutting.

Orange Muffins

Muffins with a light orange taste.... great with whipped cream cheese.
1/3 C. Butter or margarine
½ C. sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
½ C. orange juice
¼ C. Milk
2 Cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Place butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat for 1 minute. Add egg ,orange peel, orange juice and milk. Mix well.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and add to bowl mix just until moistened. Do Not Overmix.
Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 375* for approx 15 minutes or until to the tops begin to turn golden brown.

Basic Pancakes 2 Options

Basic Pancakes

2 Cups Flour
2 TBSP Baking Powder
1/4 C.sugar
1 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
2 C. Milk
1/3 C. Oil

Sift together dry ingredients set a side. Mix eggs, milk and oil and add to flour mixture mix until all flour is well mositened. There will still be lumps in the batter DO NOT OVERMIX..... Prepare in usual manner on a griddle heated to 350*

The following is my favorite especially if you are watching your weight . When prepared as directed and using only 1/4 c. of batter per pancake your total caloric intake per pancake is 76 with 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of fat making them (1 point each for any of you weight watchers )


Anissa's Oat/Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 1/3 c whole wheat or oat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 1/3 c buttermilk (if you don't have this, you could add some lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk)
1 Tbl brown sugar
1 Tbl oil

In a medium bowl, stir or sift dry ingredients together. Beat the egg, buttermilk, brown sugar, and oil together. Sitr into dry ingredients (just until moistened). Batter should be slightly lumpy. Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto a hot griddle (I tried making the pancakes a little bigger than this and it was a bad idea! The whole wheat/oat flour makes the pancakes a little heavier than normal pancakes, so bigger pancakes of this recipe are hard to flip over). Turn when bubbles appear on the surface. Makes 12 (4 inch) pancakes.

If the batter is too thick for you, simply thin it with water. Also, these are very good with blueberries added. I usually pour batter on griddle and top with blueberries before turning them over.

Roasted Potatoes

Oven Roasted Potatoes
5 russet potatoes
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Wash each potato well, peel if desired, although peeling is not necessary. Cut each potato into eight wedges, cutting first in half, then half again, and then halves of the quarters.
Combine the melted butter, olive oil and seasoning salt in a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
Toss the potato wedges in the butter/oil mixture and lay them out on a baking sheet individually, make sure the wedges are not actually touching each other.
Sprinkle all the wedges with freshly ground pepper and then bake for 45 minutes. Flip them at the 30 minute mark to crisp both sides.
Serve with ketchup or sour cream for dipping.