Edible Easter Nests

We made these last night for Enrichment: Recipe Club. I thought they were cute and wanted to share. I think they'd be fun to make with kids, or give to kids. They are pretty much like rice krispy treats but using All Bran instead. Don't let that scare you! They taste super good because they are drenched with marhmallows and butter. :)

Little Nests:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup All-Bran cereal
1 small package mini chocolate Cadburry egss

In a small saucepan, melt butter or margarine over low heat. Add miniature marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat; add cereal and stir just until coated. When cool enough to handle, form into eight little nests. Place on waxed paper. After about 1 hour, press in center of each nest to form indention. Place three robin eggs in center of each nest. Place on a 3 or 4 inch doily and use as place cards or favors. Or just eat and enjoy! Makes 8 nests.

Best Friend Bread

It was an exciting day for me! I made my first loaf of bread! Jeremy's mom made the best home made bread while we were home for Christmas, so I found the recipe online - it's from the Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks. This bread is so light and fluffy and soft and yummy! :)
For the most part, its was really easy. I just get restless waiting the two separate hours for the dough to rise...

Here is the recipe.

"Best Friend Bread":
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. oil
1 t. salt
2 eggs
4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. butter, melted

- Disolve yeast in warm water. Mix sugar, oil, salt and eggs together; stir in yeast mixture. Add flour and knead until smooth. Cover and let rise until double in size. (About an hour.)
- Punch down and turn out onto floured surface. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece with your hands until you have 3 ropes about 12 inches long. Pinch one end of each of the 3 pieces of dough together and braid dough. Pinch the other ends together to seal, then tuck under. Place on a greased 13"x9" pan and let rise until double again. (About an hour.)
- Pour butter over the top and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tomato Basil Chicken

I've been trying alot of my sister-in-law, Natalie's, recipes lately. And we made this last night, and it knocked our socks off!! I have to blog and share it. I put off trying this recipe for a while, because Jeremy hates tomatoes. He ended up LOVING this, and says this is fighting for first place as his all time favorite meal. WOWZA! You gotta love it when your husband, or any food guest for that matter, RAVES about the meal you prepared. I served it with Leslie's (my mother-in-law) Cashew Rice Pilaf - also one of Jeremy's favorite.

This picture doesn't do it justice. :)

Tomato-Basil Chicken
1 T. Butter
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 can (14 oz.) Italian seasoned tomatoes (if not already cut up, coarsely chopped)
1/2 c. julienned FRESH basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat butter in skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat until translucent, 5 min. Increase heat to high; add tomatoes and cook until liquid is almost evaporated, 5-10 min. Add cream and bring to boil; boil until slightly thickened, approx 3 min. Stir in basil, salt and pepper. Arrange chicken in shallow baking dish; pour sauce on top. Bake for 20-25 min.
(Serves 4)

the next time I made this dinner, i had fresh mozzerella, so i added slices of it on top of the chicken breast before i poured the sauce on. super good!

Cashew-Rice Pilaf
1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. uncooked regular long grain rice
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1/2 c. cashews, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. chopped FRESH parsley

In large saucepan, melt butter. Saute onion until soft. Add rice; stir until coated. Stir in broth and salt. Cover; simmer 24-30 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in cashews and parsley.
(Serves 4)

Tex Mex Chicken Taco Soup - it's got cream cheese in it yall!!

I'm on a roll yall. I made dinner two nights in a row!! I printed this recipe about 2 years ago, and finally got around to making it. And we loved it! It's creamy and very tastey.

1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced green bell peppers
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Vegetable oil
1 pound chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 (8-ounce) jar salsa
1 (14-ounce) can kernel corn
1 (14-ounce) can hominy
1 (16-ounce) can ranch style beans
2 (4-ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

Saute onions, green bell peppers, and garlic in a small amount of vegetable oil. Add chicken, taco seasoning mix, salsa, vegetables, beans, tomato paste, and chicken broth. Adjust liquid to your liking. Bring to a slow simmer and simmer for 20 minutes. Place cream cheese in a separate bowl. Using a measuring cup, take some of the hot liquid from the soup and pour over cream cheese to melt and then add back to the soup. Simmer on low for another 10 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and grated Monterey jack cheese.
Also, great on the second day over rice.

Mom's dinner in a pumpkin

One of my favorite childhood memories is my mom making this dinner in a pumpkin every year around Halloween time. Making this tonight for FHE and smelling the casserole mixture brought back so many warm fuzzy memories. Good thing Jeremy loved this, because we will carry this tradition on.Recipe:
Cut off top of medium sized pumpkin and cut a triangle notch on one side to make replacing lid easier to line up.
Scoop out the inside and wipe out with paper towel. Mark a face on the front with a permanent pen if you would like.
Spoon casserole mixture inside and bake 350 degrees for about one hour (on a cookie sheet) until meat of pumpkin is tender (if you will eat it, otherwise, just so dinner is hot inside).

Casserole Mixture:
Cook 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of ground beef with 1 chopped onion until fully cooked
Add 4 tablespoons soy sauce
Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Add 1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
Add 1 can cream of chicken soup
Add 1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
Add 1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked rice
Simmer 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Spiced and Iced Cookies

Tis the wonderful season of pumpkins! And time for my favorite seasonal cookie recipe. When I first started dating Jeremy, back in the fall of 2004, I was craving a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe and asked Jeremy if his mom had a good recipe. Sure enough it was more than just good... it was excellente! I've handed this recipe out many a times to pumpkin adorers, so here is Leslie Curfew's pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (with vanilla glaze) recipe:

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (Spice Island Brand)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
15 oz. Libby 100% pure pumpkin
2 cups (12 oz. package) Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Vanilla Glaze: Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 1 1/2 Tblsp milk and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract in a small bowl. Mix well.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and vanilla extract.
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by the rounded tablespoons onto foiled covered baking sheets.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.
6. Drizzle or spread the vanilla glaze on top of cookies.

(Makes about 4 dozen cookies)

Barefoot Contessa's Jam Thumbprint cookies

Jessica and I made these cookies my first night in Utah. We also made 7-layer bars. these Thumbprint cookies came out fabulously and would make a lovelyl treat for something special. :)


3 Sticks butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg (beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash)
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry or Apricot Jam

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar and then add vanilla and salt. Mix in the flour and then roll together into a flat disc.
3. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Roll into 1 1/4 inch balls. Dip in egg wash and roll in coconut. Make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie and fill with 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon of jam.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, WATCHING CAREFULLY to keep from browning. Depending on your oven it may need less or more time, so it will take the first batch of discovering the right time for you.