Chicken Noodle Casserole

This is a quick and easy recipe that we got from the Beary Special Cookbook. It tastes pretty good and the kids love it.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

1 can chicken
1/2 c. salad dressing (I do half mayo, half miracle whip)
1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. cheese
1 (8 oz.) pkg. egg noodles (I've used whatever kind of pasta you want...you need probably 12 oz.)

Cover noodles with water and boil till tender. Mix soup, salad dressing, milk and chicken. Add drained noodles. Grate cheese and mix in casserole. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Note: Can substitute tuna for chicken. Top with buttered corn flake crumbs if desired.

Chocolate Pudding Cookies

We have been making cookies a lot lately. This is a recipe we got from Scott's grandma. He remembers having them a lot. They are really good, but there is a lot of dough.

Chocolate Pudding Cookies

Makes 6-7 Dozen Cookies.

2 c. Shortening (½ Margarine)

1 ½ c. Sugar

2 c. Brown Sugar

1 8 oz. Pkg Chocolate or Vanilla Instant Pudding

5 Eggs

1 t. Vanilla

1 ½ t. Soda

1 t. Salt

5-6 c. Flour

1 pkg Chocolate Chips

Bake @ 350 F for 10 minutes. Do not overbake.

Recipe courtesy of Scott's grandma.

Ginger Cookies

Scott and I like Ginger Cookies. Scott likes them so much more than me, but I like them too. He decided to try this recipe. They were great cookies. We shared some with the neighbors and every one seemed to like them.

The cookies before baking.

The baked cookies.

Ginger Cookies

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

	1	cup butter
	2	cups brown sugar
	2	eggs
	¼	cup molasses
	4 ½	cups all-purpose flour
	2	tsp. baking soda
	3	tsp. ginger
	½	tsp. allspice
	½	tsp. cloves
	½	tsp. cinnamon

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth, then add eggs and molasses and mix until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Stir them into the butter-egg mixture and beat until combined.
4. Roll cookie dough into golf-ball-sized rounds. Roll them in sugar if you desire. Place balls onto cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies have spread. Cool on wire racks.

Link to original recipe from Culinate Kitchen.

Honeyed Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate chips cookies are really chewy even after they are cool. You should give them a try.

Honeyed Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in honey and both eggs, adding the eggs in one at a time.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Working by hand or at a low speed, gradually incorporate flour mixture into honey mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape cookie dough into 1-inch balls and place onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie to allow for the dough to spread.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool for 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4-dozen cookies

Note: If larger cookies are desired, use rounded tablespoonfuls of dough and extend baking time by a few minutes, also until golden.

Link to original recipe on Baking Bites

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since it is the season for pumpkin, we have been trying some pumpkin recipes. These pumpkin cookies are really great. They are very different than any that I've had before.

The dough.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ½ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch nutmeg
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 c chocolate chips or raisins
½ - 1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Whisk together flour, leavening, salt and spices. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars. Beat in egg, then vanilla, then pumpkin. Add flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans, if using.

Drop by tablespoons and bake for 12-14 minutes at 350F. Bake them until they’re lightly browned at the edges, but not dark. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Link to original recipe at Baking Bites

Quick and Easy Cinnamon Bun Bread

We found this recipe from a blog that we really enjoy. We tried it the other morning. Milo said "Mmmm, this is better than chocolate cake!" It is really very tasty.

Quick and Easy Cinnamon Bun Bread

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp active dry or rapid rise yeast
2/3 cup warm milk (100-110F; low fat is fine)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg

Filling/Topping
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground cardamom

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk or cream

Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Dissolve the yeast in a measuring cup filled with the warmed milk, then stir milk mixture, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture. Mix well, until very smooth. Pour into prepared pan and let rest for 15 minutes.

While the dough rests, mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom in a small bowl using a fork until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and press the mixture down into the dough with your fingertips (or swirl in with a spatula.)

Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F. Bake for about 30 minutes, until bread is lightly browned at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed. Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.

Cool for at least 30 minutes before whisking the powdered sugar and milk together to form an icing and drizzling it onto the bread.

Serve warm. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.

Serves 9.

Link to original recipe at Baking Bites.

Papaya and Other Fruit Salsas

We wanted to try another fruit salsa. We found this recipe in our new cookbook and wanted to try it. We made pineapple salsa. It was very tasty.

The author also suggests that you can substitute the papaya with mango, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, Crenshaw, peaches, nectarines, apricots, grapes, blueberries, etc. His list contains most fruits although he states that for less juicy fruits you may need to increase the oil or citrus to get the desired consistency.

Papaya and Other Fruit Salsas

2 c. firm but ripe papaya, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 c. diced red onion
1/2 c. diced red, yellow, or green bell pepper or a combination
2 T minced fresh chile, to taste, or hot red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste
1/4 c. or more chopped cilantro fresh leaves
1 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more to taste
salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Put all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more chile, lime, or salt as needed.

2. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a couple of hours. (Bring back to room temperature before serving.)

This recipe is from Mark Bitmann's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."

Watermelon Salsa

This is a recipe that we've made lots of times before. We thought we'd post how we make it. I believe we got the recipe from Alysha.

Watermelon Salsa

2 c. watermelon
1/4 c. cilantro
2 green onions
1/3 c. lime juice
1 green or yellow bell pepper
Tabasco to taste

Mix together and serve.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

'Tis the season for harvesting the garden! I've been waiting to make this recipe!1 cup vegetable oil

(I used applesauce instead, making it low fat. Give me another piece!)

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup milk

3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate

(I use cocoa and follow the directions to substitute)

1 tbs. vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini
(if it is peeled & you don't grate the seeds, you'll never know it's in the finished product)

1 cup chopped nuts

(This is my personal addition to the recipe. Sometimes I add nuts, sometimes I don't.)

In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, and eggs. In a separate bowl sift dry ingredients; add to first mixture. Add milk and mix well. Melt baking chocolate in the microwave for 20 second intervals, until just melted. Blend chocolate and vanilla into batter. Stir in zucchini. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes (this is what the recipe says, it always takes quite a bit longer). Cool and frost. (We don't frost ours because then it wouldn't be low fat anymore. This cake is really moist so it is great without frosting.)

Since it has zucchini & applesauce in it does it count as a vegetable and a fruit serving or am I stretching it?

Chicken Pasta Salad

This is the pasta salad that we had the other night for our family dinner. I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of it, but you all saw it, so hopefully you’ll remember it. We have made it with any kind of pasta, grapes and the pineapple. It also works well in pitas. You can also leave the chicken out.

Chicken Pasta Salad

1 8 ounce Faralle (bow tie macaroni)
1 8 ounce tri-colored spiral macaroni
1 cup cashews
2 cups red grapes sliced in half
2 cups chopped celery
1 small package raisins
2 chicken breasts cubed
3 green onions, chopped
1 can pineapple tidbits (drained)

Cook the pasta and drain well.
Cook the chicken thoroughly.
Then mix all ingredients together well.

COMBINE

1 16 ounce bottle Kraft coleslaw dressing
1 cup mayonnaise (Do not use salad dressing. It is not the same thing.)

Pour over salad.

Enjoy!