white chocolate peppermint fudge

My sister Jessica is pretty brilliant. For many reasons, but for the purpose of this post, because she created a spin-off of my late Great Aunt Lil's fudge that has been passed throughout my {Cajun} family for many, many years. Tradition in our family was to have this fudge every Christmas time {and also while watching/judging every Miss America/USA/Universe/etc pageant with my mom and sisters all growing up}. It's delicious, and it is my favorite. It has marshmallow cream, cream cheese, choc chips, peanut butter - and sugar & butter, too, of course! You can find the original recipe on my sister's blog in the middle of this post.

We were all together for Thanksgiving a few years ago and Jessica decided to experiment with the "base" of this fudge, and substitute the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chips... and eliminate the peanut butter and instead add crushed candy canes and peppermint extract!! And this is what I'm talkin' 'bout!!! soooooo creamy good... and FESTIVE, too!!

Jessica's White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

2 sticks of butter
12 oz. PET brand evaporated milk
4 cups sugar
7 oz. jar of marshmallow crème
8 oz. white chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli)
2 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
6 or so crushed/chunky candy canes

1. Cut and place parchment paper in pan and then butter.

2. Combine butter, evaporated milk, and sugar over high heat in a heavy-bottomed pot, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the soft ball stage (its easiest to use a candy thermometer. Also I like to continue to stir during this part so that the bottom doesn't burn). In a large bowl, combine the marshmallow cream, chocolate chips and cream cheese and microwave for about a minute. Stir a few strokes by hand until slightly mixed together.

3. When the candy mixture reaches the soft ball stage, remove from heat and add the vanilla and also add the bowl’s contents to the pot and begin to beat with a mixer on high. Pour in the peppermint extract after a few seconds of mixing all the ingredients and then continue to beat until thick and creamy and it begins to lose its gloss. You can add some of the crushed candy canes into the mix or just save it for on top only. Pour into a buttered pan and then sprinkle the crushed candy cane on top immediately and let cool. After its completely cool you can cut into squares and get ready to serve. A pizza cutter actually works really well to cut the fudge. Enjoy!

Luscious Lemon Bars

have you ever wondered what the best thing on the planet taste like? well, here it is. these suckers almost didn't get a picture because we ate them so fast. My mother-in-law made these while I was up in Seattle and it was love at first bite. they have a lovely thick crust (like a buttery pie) and a juicy and "luscious" lemon top. I couldn't wait to come home and make them myself. this recipe was handed down to her from her mother.



Dorothy Throssell's Luscious Lemon Bar Cookies
Crust:
1 cup soft butter          1/2 cup powdered sugar
dash salt                      2 cups flour
-Combine all ingredients and mix well. Press mixture into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until nicely browned.

Filling:
4 eggs, beaten                    1/4 cup flour
2 cups granulated sugar     6 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
-Combine flour and sugar, mix in beaten eggs and lemon juice. Pour into the slightly cooled crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until set.
-Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

Image Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

I've held onto this recipe for a couple years now, waiting until the day I would have enough time to make something so labor intensive. When I first saw Tyler Florence on TV making this, I could smell the roasted tomatillo sauce and enchiladas through the TV. I'm a sucker for enchiladas, and a bigger sucker for "green sauce". This was just as good as I imagined and smelled it to be a couple years back. Well worth all the effort!! And it knocked Jeremy's socks off, too!! =)

So here is the modified recipe that I did:

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa:
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled and quartered
4 to 5 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 lime, juiced

Enchiladas:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock, store bought
Chopped cilantro leaves
3 Chicken breast, cooked and shredded (or you could use 1 deli roasted chicken, meat shredded)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
14-16  medium flour tortillas
1/2 - 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 cups sour cream
Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the salsa:
On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas:
Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.

Serve hot with the remaining tomatillo salsa and sour cream.

Mom's dinner nachos

As a kid, I loved when my mom made these for dinner. I "helped" so that I could eat all of the extra green olives. yum! I made these for Jeremy for the first time last night, not sure why I never did it before. Since Jeremy loves nachos, and its a fun alternative to tacos.

- brown 1 lbs. ground beef with taco seasoning (according to pkg.)
- lay out chips on baking sheet. (Don't overlap, let each chip have its own space)
- place small spoonful of meat on each chip.
- sprinkle with shredded cheese of your liking.
- Bake in oven (at 350 degrees) until cheese is melted. This won't take long. I didn't time it, but maybe 5 minutes? Keep an eye on them. :)
- top with sour cream and half of a green olive (my favorite part!!)
- CRUNCH!

I served this with my favorite salad on the side.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Parmigiana

This is FANTASTIC!! (I'm channeling my best Tyler Florence impression.)

I recently started reading The Pioneer Woman's blog, and I thoroughly enjoy it. I saved about 15 recipes from her site that I want to try. But this one caught my eye the most. Either that, or I already had 2 large chicken breasts in the fridge. The smells of the kitchen are fantastic, and tasting the sauce as I was going was even better. And even fantastic for my lunch leftovers today.

(Adapted from Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Trimmed And Pounded Flat (1/4 - 1/2")
1/3 cups All-purpose Flour
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1/3 cups Olive Oil
1 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1/3 cup of chicken stock
1 large can (28 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
1 Tablespoons Sugar
Handful  Chopped Fresh Parsley
1/2 - 3/4 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 pound Thin Linguine

Directions:

• Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate.
• Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.
• At this time, you can start a pot of water for your pasta. Cook linguine until al dente.
• Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.
• Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in splash of chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. Allow stock to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
• Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.
• Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated Parmesan. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.
• Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.

EXTREME banana nut bread

I recently made this EXTREME banana nut bread from allrecipes.com.
It is the very non-healthy version- and TASTE LIKE CANDY!!!



I usually make just half the batch- since I only have one loaf pan and usually only have a few over-ripened bananas at a time. So here is the recipe for just ONE loaf.

Ingredients
* 1 cup1 all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup mashed overripe bananas
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the butter or margarine and sugar until smooth. Stir in the bananas, eggs, and walnuts until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture, and stir just until blended. Pour into loaf pan.
3. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the crown of the loaf comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep in the moisture.

Teriyaki Sesame chicken pasta

We went to a fun ward pizza party at the Bishop's house last night. They have an outdoor pizza oven and everyone got to make their own mini personalized pizza. Bishop's wife made homemade pizza sauce and dough that was fantastic.

So Jeremy signed me up to bring a salad. I usually always sign up for dessert (vs. salad), so I was a bit nervous but up for the challenge. I looked through my file folder of recipes I've collected over years but haven't gotten around to making yet. I found this one torn out from a Taste of Home Magazine from August 2007. Yum Yum Yum!! I made it Thursday night first to make sure it was good, and it sure was!! I was snacking on it all day Friday. This isn't a very good picture, but feel I always have to have a picture when posting a recipe.



Teriyaki Sesame Chicken Salad
1 package (16 oz.) bow tie pasta
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup white wine vinegar (I didn't have this so i used half red wine vinegar/half rice wine vinegar)
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce (I used Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki which I would recommend using)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cans (11 oz each) mandarin oranges, drained
2 cans (8 oz. each) sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 package (9 oz) fresh spinach, torn
1 package (6 oz.) dried cranberries
6 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup sesame seeds, (toasted in oven at 400 degrees for 3 minutes)

Cook Pasta according to package directions; drain and place in a very large bowl and add cubed chicken. In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, teriyaki sauce, sugar and pepper. Pour over pasta and chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Just before serving, add the remaining ingredients; gently toss to coat.
(Yield: 22 servings at 1 cup each)

Tomato Basil Pizza

I've seen and heard about the Pioneer Woman for quite some time, so I figured it was about time for me to make something from her website. I love all of her pictures and the step-by-step commentary and visuals.

I followed her directions for TOMATO BASIL PIZZA (with a Pesto Sauce).



It was a yummy and fresh meal last night. Head over to her blog for the recipe.


I'm still on the lookout for a good pizza crust recipe. I wasn't a big fan of hers. I thought it was a bit dense and heavy on the olive oil flavor.

Thai chicken peanut noodles

I saved this recipe from the Sister's Cafe a long time ago. I've been on a cooking roll lately! And I love it! This is one of Jeremy's and my new favorites... seriously DELICIOUS!!! especially if you like Thai or peanut sauces. I changed just a few tiny little things in the recipe, so I wrote what I did below.



1 lb regular thin spaghetti noodles ( I only used 3/4 of noodles, because I didn't want to dilute the sauce too much.)
2 garlic clove, peeled
1 (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
½ Cup smooth peanut butter
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
¼ Cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 scant teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ Cup hot water
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 Cup finely chopped white onion
½ Cup finely chopped red or orange bell pepper
2½ - 3 Cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
¼ Cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼- ½ Cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped

First I boiled 2-3 chicken breast for 10 minutes. And then boiled the noodles according to package. And while the chicken was boiling and noodles a-brewin', I made the sauce.

The sauce was incredibly EASY to make in the food processor.
Place garlic and ginger in food processor until well chopped. Then add peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Pulse until well combined and slowly add hot water. Set aside.


{picture of sauce before pouring in hot water.}

Place olive oil in hot skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in chicken breast, cilantro and salt. Stir until heated through.


Add sauce.


Then Add the chicken and sauce mixture to pot of drained noodles. Toss to coat and garnish with peanuts and more cilantro if desired.

foiled wrapped dinner

The last time we were at Jeremy's parents home, I raided Leslie's (my mother-in-law) cookbooks and recipe box for recipes. She is an amazing cook, and Jeremy raves about her meals growing up all the time. I tried to type as many recipes as possible until my fingers got tired.

I found this particular recipe in her recipe box, so this one Jeremy said his mom made more than once. It was fun doing something different with chicken. It kinda reminded me as a kid when my mom made us foil dinners for a camp-out that were super yummy. Don't remember what was in them exactly.

Anyways... here is a quick picture of the chicken foil packages before I wrapped them and put them on cookie sheet in oven.

• 4 bone, skinned chicken breast
• Dijon mustard
• Flour
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 4 T. butter
• 4 mushrooms
• 4 T. soy sauce

Brush chicken on both sides with mustard. Roll in flour. Place on square of foil. Divide onions and mushrooms between breasts. Add 1 T. butter, 1 T. soy sauce to each package. Wrap and seal in foil. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve over rice.

Chicken Dorito Casserole

This was one of me and my siblings favorite meals as kids that our mom would make. What kid wouldn't love Doritos in their dinner? I was chatting with my college brother earlier this week and he said he was making this, so I've been craving it ever since. A major bonus, a large bag of Doritos were on sale at Target for $2.50.  This is a yummy home-style meal especially great for kiddos.

Here is a picture before I put in oven. I serve individually with sour cream on top. And also sprinkle some leftover chips on top for some crunch.



2 cans cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can Ro-Tel
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup water
1 big bag Nacho Cheese Doritos
2 chicken breast, cooked and shredded or cubed
Sour cream (for topping)

combine all can ingredients, and add some water to make it a little soupy (no too soupy). Layer half of chips, then half of chicken, then half of soup mix. Repeat layers, then top with shredded cheese. Serve with sour cream.

Costa Rican Rum Cake

Or as Jeremy calls it "C double R cake". It's his absolute favorite, so birthday cake it was! It's super easy to make. It's just a yellow cake mix. But the yummy part comes when you poke holes throughout while its still warm out of the oven with a creamy rum sauce.



And my favorite part...topped with home-made whipped cream and chunks of macadamia nuts!



INGREDIENTS:
Cake: 1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs

Sauce:
1 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup rum (or 1 teaspoon rum extract)
14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
12 ounce can evaporated milk

Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/3 cup coconut toasted (optional - we did not use this)

METHOD:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9" baking dish. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients at low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Pour into greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees or 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Poke holes in cake. Mix together sauce and pour over while cake is still warm. Cool and keep in refrigerator. Cut into squares and top with whipped cream, toasted coconut (optional)  and chopped macadamia nuts.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!! I love you!!

Apricot chicken hash

This morning I was watching the "Today" show while rocking/feeding baby. They happened to be cooking a "low calorie and less than 30 minute meal". their words not mine. because after I was done, it definitely took more than 30 minutes (but still less than an hour, so that's good)... anyways I thought it looked interesting and different than anything i've ever made. i've never even thought of cooking with chicken thighs. and it turned out pretty good. i give it a 7.5 out of 10.  It's called Apricot Chicken and Hash. And here is the link to the Today show recipe.


it's too bad whenever i'm taking pictures of meals/food i make its usually at dinner time when there is now natural light left. bummer. so my food pictures always turn out kinda dark and yellowy... but i still wanted to include a picture anyways, because i don't like making anything that doesn't have a picture.

INGREDIENTS
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (1 3/4 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce ( i used enough soy sauce to coat all the chicken-i didnt measure)
• 1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled
• 1 large red pepper
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam
• 1 tablespoom fresh lemon juice
• 11/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced, plus additional for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In large bowl, combine chicken and soy sauce; let stand. Cut potatoes and red pepper into 1/2-inch pieces. In small bowl, mix jam and lemon juice until blended.
2. In large microwave-safe bowl, combine potatoes and ¼ cup water. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on high 5 minutes or until potatoes are just tender. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, spread chicken on foil-lined 18-inch by 12-inch jelly-roll pan; brush with jam mixture. Roast 15 to 17 minutes or until meat is no longer pink inside.
4. While chicken roasts, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium 1 minute.
5. Add pepper and cook 3 minutes, stirring. Stir in potatoes, green onions, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring.
Skim and discard fat from pan juices; serve chicken and hash with juices. Garnish with green onions.

Each serving: About 435 calories, 43 g protein, 44 g carbohydrate, 9 g total fat (2 g saturated), 5 g fiber, 164 mg cholesterol, 435 mg sodium.

fruit dip

we've been eating alot of this lately.


i was chatting on the phone with my lil sis Sarah last week, and she was eating while i was talking to her. is it funny that i could tell through a cell phone from across the country that whatever she was eating sounded like it was very tastey and extremely enjoyable? I asked her what she was eating and she raved about how she had been making this fruit dip alot lately and dipping strawberries and grapes in it. as soon as she mentioned it and told me what was in it, i immediately started craving it, and me and pearce were off to the grocery within minutes of "end call".

this is my second week in a row making it. it is simple and delicious. it's a great snack during the day and an equally great dessert post dinner.

oh and if you are curious what is in this magic dip... one jar of marshmallow cream, one package of "light" cream cheese (to somehow justify that it is healthy that i'm eating this dip with fruit) and half a container of cool whip. all you do is get out the hand mixer and blend until its all smooth and pretty.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

i found the most beautiful raspberry's at the grocery last night, and picked up a lemon, and figured i'm game for anything with this combo! after some research of what i could make that i actually had ingredients for, i came up with these little babies! i had to improvise a few things.

This is what they looked like before i frosted with lemony frosting. i pureed 1/3 of my raspberries and added a bit of sugar to the mix, and spooned a teaspoon of it into the middle each cupcake.

cupcake:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup half and half (or you can use milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Combine milk and extracts; add to creamed mixture alternately with dry ingredients. pour into cupcake papers. (my batch made 32)
- puree some raspberries with a little sugar or you can always use raspberry jam. spoon in 1/2 teaspoon (or more) of raspberry puree into middle of cupcake.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

lemon frosting:

6-8 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

- In a mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and peel.

Spinach Smoothies

My friend Kristin in my Huntington Beach ward taught us how to make spinach smoothies for our relief society activity last week. please don't be scared of the name or the color. because i definitely was and was skeptical to even taste it (come on! i grew up in the south where it's not uncommon to have an entire stick of butter in 1 dish/1 plate)--but i promise you will like it, and the taste of spinach is totally disguised!! it reminds me of my favorite smoothie at Smoothie King growing up called the "Light and fluffy"- taste like orange, banana and strawberry. yum!!

the best part about it is... you get your veggies for the day! i'm not the greatest when it comes to eating greens, so this is a great way to get your greens for the day (along with fruits for the day)

Most of the ingredients I got from Costco--which is great to have in bulk, since I try to have this {almost} once a day {for breakfast or even sometimes dinner}.

* large bag of frozen strawberries
* large jug of OJ
* large container of fresh baby spinach
* large bunch of ripe bananas- that i peel and put in a large freezer bag, and take one out at a time for smoothie
* large container of vanilla yogurt

Step 1: fill blender to 1 cup line with Orange Juice and add 2 handfuls of {baby} spinach. blend/grind/etc until spinach is completing blended into OJ.


Step 2: Add 1 frozen ripe banana (frozen because its more frothy than a regular ripe banana). blend until mixed well.


Step 3: Add the yummy stuff!!! 5 frozen strawberries, and 1/4 cup of vanilla yogurt. And blend until smooth.


Side note: when you mix RED (strawberries) PLUS GREEN (spinach smoothie) the resulting color is not so appetizing...SOOOOO...Jeremy's wonderful Christmas present to me this year really came in handy.

Jeremy knows I love drinking from Styrofoam cups with lids and straws, and usually save these cups from different places we go and re-use at home. He calls them my "sippy cups".
So thus he thought it would be a good idea to get me my own personal stash of Styrofoam cups, lids and straws. We have a huge stack of these cups now standing as tall as me in our kitchen. Really truly, one of the best presents I've ever received.

Stuffing Chicken

This is Jeremy's most favorite meal that his mom made growing up, and it has also become one of my faves too! And it's a great meal for when you have company over or need to bring a meal to someone. We usually serve it with Cashew-Rice Pilaf, which I've already posted the recipe to here.

4 boneless chicken breasts halves
4-6 slices of swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken-mushroom soup
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup (or more!) of Stove Top stuffing mix
3-4 Tablespoons melted butter

1) Place chicken in 13x9" pan.
2) Top each breast with a slice of Swiss cheese.
3) Mix together the soup and chicken stock. Pour over chicken.
4) Then Sprinkle Stove Top stuffing Mix and drizzle with melted butter.
5) Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes in a 350 degrees oven.

Served with Cashew-Rice Pilaf. And in a perfect world, I would have served with a veggie like grilled or steamed asparagus or something like that.

I'm guessing the reason I haven't posted this recipe yet, is because it's hard to get a pretty picture, because its very monochromatic. I debated whether to put up a picture, because it's not the best, but i hate recipes without pictures. so i'm putting it up anyways. :)

Mom's spaghetti

I was craving my mom's spaghetti for a few months, and finally after all these years asked her for the recipe. My mom doesn't have any recipe's written down, so i knew she'd have to write it down while trying to think what she does. she's amazing in the kitchen, can just throw stuff together, and i don't think i've ever seen her measure anything. so i knew making this would be a challenge, because her directions didn't include exact amounts, just a little bit o' this, and a little bit o' that. but i wrote down my notes along the way of specifics, and now i'm not afraid to make this every again because it turned out excellent. Jeremy is my taste tester, and when he is raving about something, i know it must be good.



Ingredients:
2 lbs. sirloin ground meat
1 onion chopped
3 or so celery stalks chopped
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
lots of chopped garlic ( i used 4 heaping teaspoons of chopped garlic from a jar)
salt/pepper
2 tsp worsheshire sauce
1 tiny can of tomato paste (6 oz)
1 large can of crushed tomatoes (about 15oz)
1 reg can of tomato sauce (28 oz)
2 T brown sugar
lots of chopped fresh parsley
about 1/2 T dried basil
sprinkle of a little bit of oregano
and spaghetti noodles of course! (i sometimes like to use angel hair noodles)









6) Stir Good, and let simmer for an hour or more. And its always better the next day!