Category Archives: Definitely Making it Again

December 14, 2011 · 9:14 am

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles

We had breakfast for dinner last night and these were a HUGE hit!

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 egg, separated
1/2 cup plain pureed pumpkin
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Instructions:
Preheat waffle iron.

In a large bowl, combine milk, egg yolk, pumpkin, vanilla, oil and brown sugar together.

Pour in remaining dry ingredients to the wet and slowly incorporate.

Spray waffle iron with non stick cooking spray. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter onto waffle iron. Close the top slowly. Cook about 2 minutes or until waffles are crispy.

Did I change anything? Well, since I didn’t read the whole recipe through before I started cooking, I put in the egg yolk and tossed the egg white before realizing I was supposed to beat the egg white to stiff peaks and then fold it in. So, I skipped that whole step and the waffles turned out just fine which is why I didn’t include it in the recipe above.

What did the family think? Yum!

Where did this recipe come from? The Spiffy Cookie

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Filed under Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

December 13, 2011 · 8:51 am

Creamy Green Chile Soup

My husband isn’t always a big soup fan and was complaining just a teensy weensy bit when he realized we were having soup for dinner. I think it was at around the third bite when he said, “Wow, this is really good.”

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large ribs celery, diced
1-7 oz. can whole fire roasted green chiles, drained & diced
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt & pepper, to taste
2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 cup frozen sweet corn
2 cups diced, roasted chicken {optional}
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup all purpose flour {optional}
grated cheddar cheese (garnish)
chopped cilantro (garnish)
broken tortilla chips (garnish)

Instructions:
Heat large pot over medium heat. Melt butter and saute onions and celery until onions are translucent, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and green chiles and saute 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Cover pot with well fitting lid and reduce to simmer. Simmer soup 10-15 minutes and then remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree soup and return to heat. Stir in carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn and chicken.

Place flour into small bowl and slowly whisk in cream to prevent lumps. {If there seems to be lumps, you can always pour it through a strainer first!} Pour this mixture into hot soup and cook until it thickens slightly. Taste and readjust seasonings adding more salt and pepper, if needed.

Serve hot with any desired toppings.

We had this with some fresh pineapple.

Did I change anything? No, but I was thinking the next time I make this that I could add some lentils instead of chicken. The lentils would thicken it up a little more and add protein.

What did the family think? The boys didn’t eat this, but hubby and I did and we REALLY liked it.

Where did this recipe come from? Lauren’s Latest

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Lent, Mexican, Stew/Soup, Vegetarian

December 10, 2011 · 2:02 pm

Mini Eggnog Muffins with Eggnog Glaze

These are the yummy treats I made last night. They are very Christmasy and you don’t have to like eggnog to like them.

Ingredients:
For the muffins
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup eggnog
2 2/3 cups all-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt

For the glaze
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup eggnog
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 mini muffin pans. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream together the butter, canola oil, and sugars till smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla and egg nog, beating to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.

Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pans, filling the cups nearly full. Bake the muffins for 10-12 minutes, or until they’re a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean. Remove muffins from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes.

To make the glaze, combine butter, sugar, eggnog, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Dip the tops of each muffin into the glaze and let cool on a wire cooling rack until glaze sets up.

Did I change anything? I simplified the steps and I didn’t sift the powdered sugar as the original recipe instructed. The next time I make these, I will use less sugar. They are sweet!

What did the family think? The family didn’t eat them because we had to take them to a function at church this morning. They will also be going to a violin recital this afternoon!

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from Two Peas and their Pod and they got it from King Arthur Flour.

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts

December 6, 2011 · 11:15 am

Creole Salmon

A little bit spicy, but it can definitely be tweaked so it’s not so spicy.

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons creole seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I used dried.)

Instructions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first three ingredients. Add salmon; shake to coat.

Place salmon on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Broil 6 in. from the heat for 10-14 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with parsley.

Did I change anything? I left out the ground pepper that was in the original recipe.

What did the family think? Hubby and I liked it and it was a good departure from how I have been making salmon lately.

Where did this recipe come from? Taste of Home

Photo from Taste of Home

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Fish, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

November 30, 2011 · 8:54 am

Waffle Iron French Toast

Not only does this turn out amazing, but it so much easier to make it this way. We had this for dinner last night with eggs, bacon and fruit salad and it was a HUGE hit! I made extra so we would have some for breakfast the next day, too. If you are wondering what kind of bread to use, I ended up using some cinnamon bread I had purchased that turned out to be kind of dry and no one would eat it, but it was the perfect bread for this recipe since it already had a little cinnamon in it.

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoons brown sugar
10-12 slices bread

Instructions:
Preheat the waffle iron and spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, then add the remaining ingredients and whisk until mixed.

Dip 1 slice of bread into mixture, covering both sides. Place in the waffle maker.

Repeat with whatever number of slices will fit in the waffle iron.

Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Did I change anything? I reduced the amount of brown sugar. The original recipe called for 2 T.

What did the family think? Thumbs up…way up! They asked for seconds and then went back for thirds. We had it for breakfast this morning, too.

Where did this recipe come from? Group Recipes

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

November 28, 2011 · 2:45 pm

Cinnamon Almond Granola

We are back from our trip to Kansas for Thanksgiving and started today with a trip to the doctor’s office for a cast for our youngest who broke his arm while practicing tae kwon do with his older brother…never a dull moment. Before we went to the doctor, however, I sat down and ate a tasty bowl of this very yummy granola cereal.

Ingredients:
3 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup Slivered Almonds
1 cup Shredded Coconut
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed
1/4 cups Butter
1/4 cups Honey
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
1 pinch Salt
1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
1 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Pour oats, coconut, almonds, wheat germs and flax seed into a large bowl.

In small bowl, mix butter, honey and brown sugar together. Microwave on high for about 1 minute or until sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour ingredients from small bowl into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

Spread granola mixture evenly on tray and bake 40 minutes stirring every 20 minutes.

Cool on sheet tray and store in air tight containers.

Did I change anything? I added the wheat germ and flax seed. If you don’t have those just use four cups of oats instead.

What did the family think? This is for me only. 🙂 They did comment on how good it smelled though.

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from a recipe at Lauren’s Latest

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Vegetarian

November 18, 2011 · 8:41 am

CrockPot Hawaiian Pulled Pork

Go ahead and read this recipe, write down the ingredients and then go to the store. This is your dinner for tonight. This is seriously SO good! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch today. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 Pork Tender Roast (appx 4-5 lbs)
1 can crushed pineapple (in 100% juice)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/2 onion sauteed then added to the crock pot
Jarred jalepeno slices (I only used five, I wish I would have used more.)
Hamburger buns (I used Hawaiian bread sandwich buns…potato buns would be good too)
Mozzarella cheese slices

Cook everything but the buns and the cheese in crock pot on high 4-6 hours.

Serve on buns with mozzarella slices.

We had this with fresh pineapple and kettle chips.

Did I change anything? I reduced the amount of sugar and onions from the original recipe. The recipe above is how I made it.

What did the family think? 3/4 of us thought it was deeelish.

Where did this recipe come from? Nicole Arnold at CrockPot Girls

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Pork, Sandwich, Super Easy to Make

November 17, 2011 · 10:31 am

Cheesy Mexican Pasta Casserole

Yep, that’s right, we’re having pasta again. You shouldn’t be surprised. We eat A LOT of pasta around here. This was absolutely delicious. There were even people at the table asking for seconds and thirds.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 package taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
14 oz. noodles, I used penne
1 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
3 green onions, garnish
Sour cream, garnish

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well.

Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish. In a large bowl, combine meat mixture and pasta and spoon into baking dish on top of salsa. Cover shells with taco sauce. Top with cheese.

Bake for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted. Top with any condiments you’d like (crushed tortilla chips,green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

Did I change anything? Yes, I made this dish a lot easier than the original. The original used large pasta shells that you had to stuff and required that you bake it for 45 minutes. Also, I couldn’t find any taco sauce, so I just used salsa.

What did the family think? Three out of four of us thought it was super duper tasty.

Where did this recipe come from? Get in My Belly

photo from A Pinch of This and That

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Mexican

November 11, 2011 · 7:09 pm

Cinnamon Rolls with Buttermilk Cream Cheese Glaze

We had these with our breakfast for dinner last night. They were good last night, but they were even better as leftovers for breakfast today.

Ingredients:
Filling
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt

Dough
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (4 1/8 oz) whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
5 tbsp butter, melted and cooled, divided

Glaze
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 oz light cream cheese
1 tbsp buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with aluminum foil and lightly grease.

Prepare the filling. Whisk together all filling ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all purpose flour, whole what flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Add in buttermilk and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter and mix until dough starts to come together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes, until dough begins to look smooth and can be handled easily.

Place dough on a floured surface and press or roll out into a 9×12-inch rectangle. Take remaining tablespoon of melted butter and brush over dough rectangle. Sprinkle evenly with filling mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border around each edge. Roll the dough up into a tight spiral. Pinch seam to seal.

Use a serrated knife to cut dough into 9 even pieces. Gently flatten each of the rolls before placing them in the prepared pan, to even them out if they were misshaped when sliced.

Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 12 minutes covered, then uncover the rolls and bake for 14-18 minutes, until golden brown. Use the foil to lift the rolls out of the baking pan and place them on a wire rack. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk all glaze ingredients together with a hand mixer until very smooth. Drizzle over slightly cooled rolls and serve.

Store leftovers (if you have any, which I doubt you will) in an airtight container after they have completely cooled.

What did the family think? They were so good that hubby couldn’t believe I made them. I will just go ahead and take that as a compliment.

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from Handle the Heat. They got it from America’s Test Kitchens.

photo from Handle the Heat

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

November 10, 2011 · 8:35 am

Braided Spaghetti Bread

This looks like it’s hard to make. It’s not, but let your family think you worked for hours in the kitchen whipping up this fancy looking dinner that tastes great and will make your house smell fantastic.

Ingredients:
1 Loaf Rhodesâ„¢ Bread Dough or 12 Rhodesâ„¢ Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
6 ounces spaghetti, cooked
1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
Melted Butter
Garlic Powder
Parmesan cheese
Parsley flakes
Parchment paper (not necessary, but will make things a lot easier)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray or use parchment paper (I highly recommend using parchment paper for when you have to transfer this to the baking sheet). Roll loaf or combined dinner rolls into a 12×16-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10-15 minutes.

Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and let cool slightly.

Remove wrap from dough. Place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down center of dough. Top with sauce and cheese.

Make cuts 1 1/2-inches apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2-inch of filling. Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid. Lift braid with both hands and place on a large, sprayed baking sheet. (If you used parchment paper just transfer everything onto the backing sheet.)

Brush with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and parsley.

Bake at 350°F 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

Did I change anything? I added garlic powder and brushed it with butter since a friend of mine had made this earlier in the week and thought it would taste better that way.

What did the family think? Yum! Everyone had seconds.

Where did this recipe come from? Rhodes Bread

photo from Rhodes Bread

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Make Ahead of Time, Vegetarian