Our Family Secrets

This is a new recipe that I adapted from the Jif Peanut Butter recipe – it is my new favorite!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbs Milk
1 Tbs Vanilla
1 Large Egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

2.  Add egg, beat until blended.

3.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl.  Add to creamed mixture in three batches, mixing well between batches.

4.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto greased cookie sheet (or just use a Silpat if you have one).  Flatten lightly by pressing a crisscross pattern into dough with the tines of a fork.

5.  Bake 8 minutes or until just starting to brown.  Cool.  Eat!  🙂

We LOVE using our waffle maker on weekend mornings, but sometimes the batter can be tiresome to make.  Solution:  We use Bisquick pancake mix.  I  know, I know – you can’t always get that nice crispy outside that you can when you make the batter from scratch.  Problem solved: just separate the eggs and whip up the egg whites, then fold them in – the whites are the secret to a nice crisp waffle.  😉

Ingredients:

2 Cups Bisquick Pancake Mix
1 1/3 Cup Milk
2 Eggs – separated
2 Tbs Vegetable Oil

Directions:

Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Beat yolks with milk and oil.  Mix yolk mixture in with Bisquick in large bowl.  Gently fold egg whites into batter.  Cook according to waffle iron directions.

We serve these with syrup, fruit and whipped cream…

We made this over the weekend and it was AWESOME.  Tastes just like a certain Italian restaurant chain’s version…

Ingredients:

1 lb ground sweet Italian sausage
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion, diced
6 slices of bacon
2 tsp minced garlic
10 cups water
5 cubes chicken bouillon
1 cup Fate Free Half and Half
4 large potatoes, sliced
1 bunch of kale

Instructions:

1.  Brown the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a large pot.  Remove from pot, drain excess fat.  Set aside.
2.  In the same pan, saute’ onion, bacon, and garlic until onions are soft (10-15 min).
3.  Pour in water and add chicken bouillon.  Add potatoes and cook till soft; about 30 minutes.
4.  Add half and  half and cook until heated (about 10 minutes).
5.  Stir in sausage and kale.  Simmer for another 5 minutes and serve.

This one is super easy and it a family favorite!

Ingredients:

1 – 1-2lb Pork Roast
4-5 new potatoes, peeled (optional) and cubed
1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 – envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (optional – I didn’t have it on hand once and this turned out fine)
1-2 chicken flavored bouillon cubes (I use 2 if I don’t use the cream of mushroom soup)
Enough water to cover
Pepper to taste (you don’t really need to add salt because of the soups)

Directions:

Put everything in the crockpot (veggies on the bottom) and simmer on low for 8 hours (the longer the better).

Enjoy!  🙂

This is simple, oh so good, and CHEAP.  🙂

Ingredients:

4 beef cube steaks (4 steaks)
1 small onion, chopped
1 -2 cups sliced mushrooms (quantity is up to you – we like it shroomy)
1 can condensed golden mushroom soup
16 ounce can of beef broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
flour (for dredging)
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Salt and pepper both sides of steaks and dredge in flour.
2. Melt butter and olive oil in pan. Saute onions and mushrooms till tender. Transfer to plate.
3. Brown steaks on both sides, transfer to plate.
4. Pour beef broth in skillet to deglaze pan. Add soup and stir to combine.
5. Add steaks, onions and mushrooms to pan. Bring to boil for one minute. Reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer for one hour.

We usually have these steaks with egg noodles and it is just the best COMFORT FOOD.  🙂

I got this recipe from the Food Network website, but tweaked it a little. The original called for hazelnuts (which I couldn’t find shelled) so I changed up the recipe a little. This one will definitely be a Christmas time favorite….

Ingredients:

2 Cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, softened (do not substitute)
1 cup powdered sugar (plus about 1/2 cup for coating)
1 tbs vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour and salt in bowl and set aside.
2. Cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Add sugar and vanilla and mix until whipped and light – about 2 minutes.
3. Add the nuts and mix until well incorporated. Add flour/salt mixture and mix about 1 minute.
4. Shape dough into 1 Tbs balls and place on baking sheet spaced about 1 inch apart. Bake until underside of cookies are browned – about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets.
5. Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Once cookies have cooled, roll them in powdered sugar until coated. Tap off excess.

These are so rich and buttery. They are one of my favorite type of cookie. Enjoy!

I got these yummy cookies from Heidi Swapp’s Blog.  Tried them out this week.  Though they are more “cakey” than your average chocolate chip cookies – they are DELICIOUS!  A great way to celebrate Fall.

Ingredients:

1 c. pumpkin
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 egg
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. milk
1 c. chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
Nuts (optional)

Directions:

Dissolve baking soda in milk; set aside.

In large bowl add pumpkin, sugar,
oil, and egg; stir. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon,
salt and baking soda mixture. Mix well.

Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla. Spoon onto cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees 10 to 12 minutes or until done.

This is one of my FAVORITE desserts ever.  This is my beautiful friend Christi’s recipe – she used to bring it to work during potlucks and if you blinked, it was GONE.  Whether or not it is better than sex really depends on the person I guess!  LOL

Ingredients:

Yellow cake mix

Can of crushed pineapple (in heavy syrup if you can find it)

1 cup sugar

lg box vanilla instant pudding

big tub cool whip

coconut (if desired)

roasting pan (spray with Pam…it helps)

Directions:

Bake cake as normal, in a disposable roasting pan.  The pan gives more room for the toppings. Cook pineapple and sugar together in a saucepan till boiling.  Boil for 1 minute.  Poke holes in cake with a fork and pour pineapple mixture over cake.  Let cool.  Mix pudding as directed and spread over cake.  Let it sit over night in the fridge (covered) and the ad the cool whip right  before you serve it.  Sprinkle with coconut if desired.

As Christi would say:  NUM NUM NUM!  🙂

This recipe originally had no meat in it, but we thought the ground turkey would be great in there.  It is a quick and easy weeknight meal that our family really likes.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Ground Turkey

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1lb penne (or other preferred pasta)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saute garlic and onion in olive oil (in a sauce pot) until transparent.

2.  Add turkey and cook until browned.

3. Add crushed tomatoes and spices and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

4. Cook pasta in lightly salted, boiling water until cooked el dente.

5. Drain pasta and place in serving bowl with some of the sauce.  Gently toss until coated.

6.  Serve with additional sauce and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional).

We had this last night and even my picky 6 year old liked it.  I have been using the heck out of my Crockpot this week!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound small white (or new) potatoes, quartered

8 ounces baby carrots

1 medium onion, sliced

2 large ribs celery, sliced

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

4-6 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into pieces

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried basil

salt and pepper

1 – 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

Place vegetables in bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle with dried herbs, salt and pepper. Add chicken pieces, then finish with canned tomatoes and broth. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked.