Mini Cinnamon Rolls

Aren't these the cutest little things?  Won't these be great for a brunch or for a New Year's Day breakfast!  They are so easy to make.  I found this recipe in the book, Monkey Breads and More.

Mini Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:

2 T packed brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
1/2 t cinnamon
1 pkg (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent roll dough (I used Pillsbury)
1 T butter, melted
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 to 1/2 T milk (I ended up using 2 T milk)

Directions:
  
Preheat the oven to 375.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Roll out the crescent roll dough, firmly pressing together  the perforations to seal.

Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture.

Roll up the dough starting with the long end, jelly roll style.  Pinch the seams to seal.

Cut each roll crosswise into 1 inch slices.  Place each slice about 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove to wire rack to cool slightly.

Mix the powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.  Add additional milk, if necessary to reach the desired consistency (I ended up adding up to 2 T of milk).

Drizzle the glaze over the buns.

ENJOY!!

Comments:

These little buns are really good!  You could end up eating them all if you don't watch yourself - they are THAT good!!  This is definitely a keeper recipe!!

Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast

Not exactly sure how I found this recipe, but somehow I ended up on The Country Cook's blog.  And she had this recipe posted that sounded so good that I had to make a mad dash to the grocery store!!  I did eliminate the 8 Peperoncini peppers, because I am not big on hot peppers.  My husband is, but my son and I aren't - so the "popular vote" won!  LOL!!

This is one of those  super easy meals to make that takes about a minute or two to make!  I LOVE THESE RECIPES!!!!

Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast by The Country Cook

Ingredients:

(1) 3-5 lb. chuck roast
salt & pepper, to taste
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) – REAL salted butter *
 8 Peperoncini peppers **
* I only had unsalted butter, don't see that made any difference
**I omitted - see note above.

Directions:

You can brown the roast if you want by placing it in a skilled with olive oil and brown each side . I didn't - it is your choice.

Put the roast in the crockpot.  Pour the dry onion soup mix and dry ranch dressing mix over the top of the roast.  Place the stick of butter on top of the roast.

Put the cover on top of the crockpot and turn the crockpot onto low.

Let "cook" for 8 hours.

This is another one of those meals that makes your house smell wonderfully. 

Enjoy!!!

Comments:

The roast is so tender!!  This was a HUGE hit with my resident experts!!  I served this with mash potatoes.  We have another winner on my hands!!! 

Schnecken

My husband has been wanting me to find a schnecken recipe.  I have searched through several of my "German" cookbooks and have had no luck.  So off I went to the Internet and found this recipe.  It was titled "Grandma Douglas' Schnecken."  From what I read, it sounds like the American version of the "sticky bun."

Unfortunately, this not something you can whip up in matter of minutes.  This is a good project to do on a cold, snowy or rainy day (and it makes your house smell WONDERFUL!!)

Grandma Douglas' Schnecken:

Ingredients:

Dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup milk
5 T granulated sugar
1T active dry yeast

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
3 to 3 1/2 cups all- purpose flour as needed

Pecan Topping
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Cinnamon Sugar Filling
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup  granulated sugar
1 T ground cinnamon

Directions:

Dough:

Melt  the 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan, add the milk and sugar.  Heat just enough, while stirring, to dissolve the sugar. Pour the warm milk mixture into a bowl. Add the yeast. Allow this to sit for 10 minutes.

Beat the whole egg and egg yolk together and add to the yeast mixture. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time until you have a sticky dough.

Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until you have a nice smooth dough.

Oil or butter a large bowl. Place the dough in the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours, until tripled in volume. (I use my oven with the oven light on - works great!)

While the dough is rising, brush a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with some melted butter (or spray it with Pam).

Sugar-Pecan Topping:
 
Melt the butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan, stirring to combine. Remove the pan from the heat, and spread the mixture over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans.

After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter top. Using a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 15 × 12 inches and roughly 1/8 inch thick.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and allow it to cool. Brush the butter thoroughly over the surface of the dough.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the melted butter. Roll the rectangle up, like a jelly roll, along one long edge.

Cut the rolled dough into 1-inch-thick slices and arrange the slices, cut sides up, in the prepared pan. Cover the pan with a piece of plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the schnecken until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.

Check them occasionally during the baking time, and if they seem to be browning too quickly, loosely cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil.
 
Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes.

Turn the schnecken out of the pan while still warm by inverting the pan over a large platter or baking sheet. Serve the schnecken warm.

ENTIRE RECIPE

Grandma Douglas' Schnecken:

Ingredients:

Dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup milk
5 T granulated sugar
1T active dry yeast
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
3 to 3 1/2 cups all- purpose flour as needed

Pecan Topping
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Cinnamon Sugar Filling
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup  granulated sugar
1 T ground cinnamon

Directions:

Dough:

Melt  the 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan, add the milk and sugar.  Heat just enough, while stirring, to dissolve the sugar. Pour the warm milk mixture into a bowl. Add the yeast. Allow this to sit for 10 minutes.

Beat the whole egg and egg yolk together and add to the yeast mixture. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time until you have a sticky dough. Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until you have a nice smooth dough.

Oil or butter a large bowl. Place the dough in the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours, until tripled in volume. (I use my oven with the oven light on - works great!)

While the dough is rising, brush a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with some melted butter (or spray it with Pam).

Sugar-Pecan Topping:
 
Melt the butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan, stirring to combine. Remove the pan from the heat, and spread the mixture over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans.

After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter top. Using a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 15 × 12 inches and roughly 1/8 inch thick.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and allow it to cool. Brush the butter thoroughly over the surface of the dough.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the melted butter. Roll the rectangle up, like a jelly roll, along one long edge.

Cut the rolled dough into 1-inch-thick slices and arrange the slices, cut sides up, in the prepared pan. Cover the pan with a piece of plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the schnecken until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.

Check them occasionally during the baking time, and if they seem to be browning too quickly, loosely cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the schnecken out of the pan while still warm by inverting the pan over a large platter or baking sheet. Serve the schnecken warm.

ENJOY!!

Comments:

First of all, your house will smell WONDERFUL!!!  That is a definitely PLUS!!  This is good!!  Really good - the type of good that you won't want to get on the bathroom scale for a couple of days!!  It was a huge hit with my two resident experts (i.e., husband and son), so this one is a keeper!!
 

 

Chicken Pizza

I found this recipe in the Better Homes & Gardens Cook Healthy Today cookbook.  I did alter the recipe because I am not really into "spicy" - the original recipe is called "Spicy Chicken Pizza" - I will note the ingredients that I did not use in the list in case you want the "spicy" version.

This is a pretty easy recipe to make, it does require a bit of "pre-work" such a cutting the chicken into bite-size pieces and cutting the onions & peppers into small pieces.

Chicken Pizza by Better Homes & Garden

Ingredients:

12 ounces skinless, boneless, chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces (I bought the chicken tenderloins that were in thin strips)

2 tsps cooking oil (I used olive oil)

1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into strips and into bite size pieces

1 small onion, peeled and chopped into small pieces

1 package of refrigerated pizza dough

1/2 cup of bottled picante sauce ** I used plain tomato sauce

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ** I used a "pizza blend" cheese mixture

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400

In a large non-stick skillet, cook the chicken pieces in the hot oil over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, until you no longer see any pink.  

Remove the chicken from the skillet, add the onions and peppers.

Using a large baking dish, spray with Pam or something similar.  Unroll the pizza dough into the baking dish and press with your fingers to fill out the pan.

Pinch up the edges to form a crust.

Spread the crust with the sauce (tomato or picante).

Sprinkle the chicken and vegetables over the top of the pizza.  I also sprinkle a little bit of oregano since I was using plain tomato sauce.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the pizza.  

Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Entire Recipe:

Chicken Pizza by Better Homes & Garden

Ingredients:

12 ounces skinless, boneless, chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces (I bought the chicken tenderloins that were in thin strips)

2 tsps cooking oil (I used olive oil)

1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into strips and into bite size pieces

1 small onion, peeled and chopped into small pieces

1 package of refrigerated pizza dough

1/2 cup of bottled picante sauce ** I used plain tomato sauce

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ** I used a "pizza blend" cheese mixture

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400

In a large non-stick skillet, cook the chicken pieces in the hot oil over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, until you no longer see any pink.  

Remove the chicken from the skillet, add the onions and peppers.

Using a large baking dish, spray with Pam or something similar.  Unroll the pizza dough into the baking dish and press with your fingers to fill out the pan.

Pinch up the edges to form a crust.

Spread the crust with the sauce (tomato or picante).

Sprinkle the chicken and vegetables over the top of the pizza.  I also sprinkle a little bit of oregano since I was using plain tomato sauce.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the pizza.  

Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes.

Verdict:

Oh yes, this was good!!  The only thing I would change is the sauce.  The tomato sauce was a wee bit runny.  Next time I would use a pizza sauce.  But, other than that, this was good!!  Definitely a keeper recipe!! 

Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cupcakes

Here is another one of those recipes I found wandering around the Internet one day.  These cupcakes are the best!  Perfect for the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!!  Very easy to make and the only thing you might need from the grocery store is a lemon and cream cheese

Betty Crocker's Gingerbread Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (I used unsalted)
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tsp baking soda 

1 1/2 tsp ginger 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp allspice 

3/4 cup water

Frost
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter softened (I used unsalted)
2  tsp grated lemon peel (I didn't have so I omitted)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tsp milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Using a 16 or 18 muffin tin pan, place cupcake paper liners in each cup.
 
In large bowl, mix the granulated sugar, 1/2 cup butter, the molasses and eggs.

In a separate bowl, combine the  flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and allspice.

While mixing the sugar/molasses mixture, add the flour mixture and add the water.  

Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup - I used a small ice scoop - works wonderfully!!

Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. 

To make the icing, in medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, the lemon peel, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. 

Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth. Beat in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreadable - I thought the icing was way too "watery", so I added probably another cup of powdered sugar.

Pipe or spread a generous amount of frosting on top of each cupcake. Store covered in refrigerator.

Entire Recipe: 

Betty Crocker's Gingerbread Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (I used unsalted)
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tsp baking soda 

1 1/2 tsp ginger 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp allspice 

3/4 cup water

Frost
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter softened (I used unsalted)
2  tsp grated lemon peel (I didn't have so I omitted)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tsp milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Using a 16 or 18 muffin tin pan, place cupcake paper liners in each cup.
 
In large bowl, mix the granulated sugar, 1/2 cup butter, the molasses and eggs.

In a separate bowl, combine the  flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and allspice.

While mixing the sugar/molasses mixture, add the flour mixture and add the water.  

Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup - I used a small ice scoop - works wonderfully!!

Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. 

To make the icing, in medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, the lemon peel, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. 

Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth. Beat in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreadable - I thought the icing was way too "watery", so I added probably another cup of powdered sugar.

Pipe or spread a generous amount of frosting on top of each cupcake. Store covered in refrigerator.


Betty Crocker's Gingerbread Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (I used unsalted)
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tsp baking soda 

1 1/2 tsp ginger 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp allspice 

3/4 cup water

Frost
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter softened (I used unsalted)
2  tsp grated lemon peel (I didn't have so I omitted)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tsp milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Using a 16 or 18 muffin tin pan, place cupcake paper liners in each cup.
 
In large bowl, mix the granulated sugar, 1/2 cup butter, the molasses and eggs.

In a separate bowl, combine the  flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and allspice.

While mixing the sugar/molasses mixture, add the flour mixture and add the water.  

Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup - I used a small ice scoop - works wonderfully!!
 
Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. 
 
To make the icing, in medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, the lemon peel, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. 

Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth. Beat in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreadable - I thought the icing was way too "watery", so I added probably another cup of powdered sugar.

Pipe or spread a generous amount of frosting on top of each cupcake. Store covered in refrigerator.

 Comments:

These were excellent!  My family loved them.  I didn't like the icing as I thought it was a bit too soft.  I think next time I will used my standard buttercream recipe  or just add more powdered sugar to this one.  But this is definitely a keeper recipe!

Pork Chops with Rosemary Wine Sauce

Surprisingly this is a Weight Watcher recipe!  And it was good!   And it wad quick and easy!! And I have use "AND" too many times.  My English teacher is probably rolling in her grave!!

This comes from the Weight Watcher's cookbook All-Time Favorites.

Pork Chops with Rosemary Wine Sauce

Ingredients

4 boneless pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
flour for coating
olive oil
1 1/2 T fresh chopped Rosemary (I didn't have, so I used dried rosemary, just 1 T - next time I will only use many 1 t )
1/2 cup dry red wine

Directions:

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. 
In a separate bowl, put a few scoops of flour, dust both sides of a pork chop with the flour.
Heat up a skillet with the olive oil.
Add the pork with the rosemary and brown each side for about 4 to 5 minutes.

 
Transfer to a separate plate and keep warm
Pour the wine into the skillet. Using a spoon or spatula, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
After the wine has come to a boil for about 2 minutes, pour over the pork chops.

I served mine with a salad.

Entire Recipe:

Pork Chops with Rosemary Wine Sauce

Ingredients

4 boneless pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
flour for coating
olive oil
1 1/2 T fresh chopped Rosemary (I didn't have, so I used dried rosemary, just 1 T)
1/2 cup dry red wine

Directions:

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. 
In a separate bowl, put a few scoops of flour, dust both sides of a pork chop with the flour.
Heat up a skillet with the olive oil.
Add the pork with the rosemary and brown each side for about 4 to 5 minutes (each side).
Transfer to a separate plate and keep warm
Pour the wine into the skillet. Using a spoon or spatula, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
After the wine has come to a boil for about 2 minutes, pour over the pork chops.

VERDICT:

OH, this was good!  And yes, this will be appearing on our dinner plates again.  

Whole Wheat Noodles

I made whole wheat noodles and they turned out really good  Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures.  I will next time I make them.

I found the recipe in my book The Pasta Bible by Christian Teubner, Silvio Rizzi and Tan Lee Leng.  Now you know that any cookbook with the word "Bible" in the title, it has to be good!!  This is my "go to" book for any pasta recipe.  Any the recipe is pretty easy to make.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 T olive oil
7/8 cup lukewarm water (I just filled it up for a slightly under a cup)

I added all the ingredients in my food processor and pulsed it until all the ingredients started coming together.
Then I turned out the ingredients onto a floured counter top and kneaded it for a few minutes.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for, at least, one hour.
Then cut off small sections and process through your pasta machine if you have one.

My family thought the noodles were very good, so I will probably makes these again!

ENJOY!

Kielbasa with Sauerkraut

Not the best picture of this, but it was good and super easy to make!!!  The hardest part was cutting the kielbasa into 1/2 inches slices and chopping the onions (well, maybe opening the can of sauerkraut!).  Get out your trusty crock pot and dust it off!

Kielbasa with Sauerkraut

Ingredients:

1 32 oz. can of Sauerkraut
1 lb kielbasa (I used turkey kielbasa because I am not supposed to eat beef)
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 apple (optional, peeled and chopped)

Instructions:

The instructions say to drain and rinse the sauerkraut, which I did, but I think that made it very dry.  I think next time I won't drain the sauerkraut - your choice.

Add the sauerkraut, chopped onions, kielbasa and apples (if you are using them), and set the crock pot temperature to LOW.  Cook for 6 hours - occasionally open up and stir the mixture.

I served this with mashed potatoes.

My family loved it!  And so did I - it was quick and easy - couldn't ask for more!

ENJOY!

Zucchini Pie

This is one of those recipes I found wandering around the Internet one day, printed the recipe and I just found it last week.  If you are like me, you have a pile of papers with all sorts of recipes that you might SOMEDAY try.    I need to go through that pile more often!!

The top of the recipe says "Allrecipes.com" and it was by "IMTHECOOKSTER." As luck would have it, yesterday I was at one of the local farmer's market. One of the vendors had these wonderful zucchini for sale - not too big, but just the perfect size and he made me a deal I couldn't refuse!  So this recipe was meant to be!!  And it is a pretty easy recipe to make, the most work is just chopping up the zucchini and onion.

Zucchini Pie by IAMTHECOOKSTER

Ingredients:

3 cups zucchini, diced
1 onion, chopped
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk baking mix (I used bisquick)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried marjoram (I didn't have it so I used oregano)
1 tsp dried parsley
pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a large pie plate with Pam or something similar
Using a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
Spread into the prepared pie plate.

Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly brown.

Entire Recipe:

Zucchini Pie by IAMTHECOOKSTER

Ingredients:

3 cups zucchini, diced
1 onion, chopped
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk baking mix (I used bisquick)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried marjoram (I didn't have it so I used oregano)
1 tsp dried parsley
pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a large pie plate with Pam or something similar
Using a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
Spread into the prepared pie plate.
Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly brown.

Verdict:

I was very surprised by this recipe.  I was expecting to be kind of bland, but it was really very good!  Even, my resident expert (aka, my husband), loved it.  Yep, we have a keeper!  This will definitely be appearing on our kitchen table again!  Thank you IAMTHE COOKSTER for the great recipe!

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce

I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Healthy Family Cookbook that my sister-in-law gave to me many years ago when my husband was diagnosed with heart disease.  It is a pretty simple recipe to make and I had most of the ingredients (I did substitute 1 can of mushrooms instead of the fresh mushrooms).

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

3 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 t crushed. dried thyme (I didn't have crushed thyme, just dried thyme leaves)
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped (see note above)
4 t cornstarch
1 cup light dairy sour cream
1/4 t ground sage
pepper to taste

Directions:

1, Rinse and pat dry the chickens breasts.  Place chicken in a large skillet and pour in the chicken broth.    Sprinkle each breast with the dry thyme. Bring the chicken broth to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the skillet and simmer the chicken for about 10 to 12 minutes (so the chicken is no longer pink).

2. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set on a separate plate. For the sauce, add the mushrooms and let simmer while you are preparing the rest of the sauce.  In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, cornstarch and spices and add to the chicken broth.

3. Cook and stir until the sauce starts to thicken.  Pour over each chicken breast.

I added brown rice and steamed broccoli to complete the meal.

Verdict:

My resident expert, i.e., my husband, loved it.  I thought it was really good for a "lo-cal" meal.  So far I have been really pleased with my "new" diet menus.  We will definitely be seeing this again on our dinner plates.

Turkey Meatballs and Whole Wheat Spaghetti

What better place to start losing weight with than Weight Watchers!  This is a slightly modified Weight Watchers recipe since I haven't had a chance to start completely changing over all my "menus."  This is just my first attempt and please don't take anything I post up as "gospel."  I have had very limited instructions as what to do with my current diagnosis, so I am just feeling my way.  I am going to try to stick with the American Diabetes Association recommendations as much as possible - i.e., limited red meats, limited amounts of sugar, etc.

So I bought the cookbook, Weight Watcher's 50th Anniversary Cookbook.  I thought this would be a good place to start.

This recipe is pretty easy to make and is not entirely "lo-cal" as I did not have "low-fat" Parmesan  cheese or low-cal spaghetti sauce.   Sometimes you just have to make due with what you have in the refrigerator (and, of course, my husband wanted garlic bread with his spaghetti).

Turkey Meatballs by Weight Watchers

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
4 T bread crumbs
1 large egg (I know Weight Watchers says egg whites)
2 T parsley

Directions:

Mix all 4 ingredients together.  I used my pastry cutter (works great!!!)
Shape into meatballs.
Sprinkle a skillet with vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
Cook the meatballs until browned.

Add your favorite spaghetti sauce to the meatballs and simmer.

Prepare the spaghetti according to the package instructions.

ENJOY!!

Verdict:

My husband said he loved it. If I hadn't told him the meatballs were made out of turkey, he would have never guessed (I think he was being nice). It was good.  I think next time, I might add a little grated onion to the meatballs, otherwise they were pretty good. 

A Wake Up Call!

No, this wasn't ONE of THOSE calls in the middle of the night.  This was one of THOSE "calls"  from your doctor about the latest results of your blood tests.  I have known for the last year and a half that I have chronic kidney disease very early stage 2.  And supposedly, I am on medication that will, hopefully, slow down the progression of the disease.

The last blood tests results showed those numbers were slightly elevated.  The doctor didn't seem too concerned about those.  The other blood test, showed that I am "prediabetic" - in other words, at a very high risk of developing diabetes.  Hmm, hadn't planned on that!!

She, the doctor, assured me that we shouldn't jump the gun just yet.  Hopefully, with a few lifestyle changes, we can stop this.  I must try to eliminate as much sugar from my diet as possible and, she suggested, that I should try to lose some weight, 5 to 10 pounds.

So from now on, look to see more "healthier" recipes on the blog.  I have thought about writing about my journey.  We'll see.

Frosted Orange Rolls

This is one of those recipes I accidentally found wandering on the Internet one day.  It is from Stephiecooks.com.  Fortunately, I had all the ingredients (even the oranges!!) so it was a "go" for a new adventure.

A word of warning . . . even though this a very simple recipe to make, the dough is extremely hard to work with.  I almost threw it out.  Anyway, onto the recipe . . .

Frosted Orange Rolls by Stephie Cooks

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 pkg active dry yeast
3/4 c warm water
1 1/2 c warm milk
1/2 c sugar, divided
4 1/2 c flour, divided
1/4 c shortening, melted

Orange Icing:

4 1/2 T butter, softened
1 1/2 T orange zest
3 T orange juice
2 1/4 c powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Add the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar.  Stir to combine.  Add 3 cups of flour.  The dough will be very runny.  Let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place (I use my oven with the oven light on).

Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and melted shortening to the dough and mix to combine.  Mix in the 1 1/2 cups of flour.  The dough will be extremely wet.  This is the way it is supposed to be, so don't worry.  Do not add any more flour!   Let the dough rise again until doubled for about an hour.

While the dough is rising, make the icing by creaming the butter in a medium size mixing bowl.  Add the orange zest, juice and powdered sugar.  Mix until all ingredients are completely incorporated

After the dough has risen, dump the dough on a well floured surface and divide in half.  The dough will be very runny and sticky!!  I used a "bench scraper" to cut the dough and help get it off the counter.  The dough will be very hard to work, so do the best that you can and flour your utensils a lot!!!

Using your rolling pin (floured!!!), roll each half into a large rectangle. You will need to flour your rolling pin several times.  Spread the rectangle with 1/3 of the icing.

Roll up the dough into a log from the long side.  You will need to use your bench scraper to help you roll the dough up, flouring the scraper several times.

Cut the roll into 9 equal sizes if you can and "glop" them into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  I also put them in  an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.  Let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Bake the rolls for about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.  Let the rolls cool slightly before frosting with the remaining icing.

Entire Recipe

Frosted Orange Rolls by Stephie Cooks

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 pkg active dry yeast
3/4 c warm water
1 1/2 c warm milk
1/2 c sugar, divided
4 1/2 c flour, divided
1/4 c shortening, melted

Orange Icing:

4 1/2 T butter, softened
1 1/2 T orange zest
3 T orange juice
2 1/4 c powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Add the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar.  Stir to combine.  Add 3 cups of flour.  The dough will be very runny.  Let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place (I use my oven with the oven light on).

Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and melted shortening to the dough and mix to combine.  Mix in the 1 1/2 cups of flour.  The dough will be extremely wet.  This is the way it is supposed to be, so don't worry.  Do not add any more flour!   Let the dough rise again until doubled for about an hour.

While the dough is rising, make the icing by creaming the butter in a medium size mixing bowl.  Add the orange zest, juice and powdered sugar.  Mix until all ingredients are completely incorporated

After the dough has risen, dump the dough on a well floured surface and divide in half.  The dough will be very runny and sticky!!  I used a "bench scraper" to cut the dough and help get it off the counter.  The dough will be very hard to work, so do the best that you can and flour your utensils a lot!!!

Using your rolling pin (floured!!!), roll each half into a large rectangle. You will need to flour your rolling pin several times.  Spread the rectangle with 1/3 of the icing.

Roll up the dough into a log from the long side.  You will need to use your bench scraper to help you roll the dough up, flouring the scraper several times.

Cut the roll into 9 equal sizes if you can and "glop" them into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  I also put them in  an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.  Let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Bake the rolls for about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.  Let the rolls cool slightly before frosting with the remaining icing.

Enjoy!!

Comments:

Even though this was a "pain in the butt" to make, it was worth it!!  The rolls are GOOD!!!  I was pleasantly surprised, I was expecting them to be soggy or undercooked.   I also got rave reviews from my two resident experts (i.e., my husband and son!).  Will I make this again, probably. 

 

My Mom's French Dressing Recipe

I was looking through my Mom's cookbook last night in search of her recipe for cole slaw dressing and found this recipe.  I don't remember her ever making it, but back then I wasn't a big salad fan - you know how kids are - if it is healthy, they don't want anything to do with it!

This is another easy recipe to make and you can "shake" this up in a matter of minutes.  And it shouldn't require a mad dash to the grocery store either!!

French Dressing by Betty Askew

1 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola since that is what I had on hand)
3/4 cup catsup
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated onion

I add all the ingredients in a quart size mason jar, put on the lid and mixed.  I think putting the ingredients in a blender would have been a better idea then pour into a mason jar for storage.

ENJOY!!

Verdict:

Since I am the only one who eats salads on a regular basis, I must say this is pretty darn good!!  And, yes, I will be making this again.

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Coffee Cake - OH MY!!

For my birthday, my wonderful husband bought me cookbooks!!  A bunch of them!!  What a wonderful man!!!  Two of the books were: Deep Dish South and Melissa's Southern Cookbook - excellent cookbooks!!  And he bought me a handful of those little cookbooks you always find right next to the checkout counters by Pillsbury, etc.   I am sure you have seen those.

So yesterday I decided to try one of the recipes in one of the books.  The book I chose was Pillsbury's Country Baking.  The recipe that caught my eye was Cinnamon Pecan Swirl Coffee Cake.  Since my husband isn't a big "nut" fan, I substituted raisins for the pecans.

This recipe does take a little bit of time to prepare, but trust me!!, it is worth it!!

Cinnamon Raisin (or Pecan) Swirl Coffee Cake by Pillsbury

Makes 2 coffee cakes

Dough

Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water, heated to 120 to 130 F
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 eggs

Instructions:

Mix together 2 cups flour, yeast and sugar.  Add the hot water, butter/margarine and eggs.
Mix at low speed until moistened.
Add additional 2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour to form a stiff dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for, at least, two hours.

Filling:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans (or whole raisins)
2 tsp cinnamon

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp margarine or butter, at room temperature
1 to 2 T milk (the recipe calls for coffee - I used milk instead - your call)

Directions:

Prepare dough and refrigerate according to the recipe

Cover two 15 x 10 x 1 baking sheets with parchment paper
On a lightly floured surface, divide the chilled dough into 2 halves
Return one half to the refrigerator and roll the other half out into an 16 x 10 inch rectangle
Spread with margarine or butter.
 In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling and sprinkle half over the dough.

Starting with the 16 inch side, roll up tightly and pinch the seam firmly to seal.
Cut the roll in half lengthwise, turn the dough so the cut side is up (this is where it get a bit tricky as the filling will start to spill out - just pinch the dough together as best you can).
Place a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter or a drinking glass on the baking sheet and coil the first dough half around the cookie cookie cuter/drinking glass.  Add the second half of dough to the first half, pinching the two ends together.

Remove the cookie cutter/drinking glass.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a dish towel.

Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Place dough in a warm place to rise until almost double in size (about 20 minutes).
Heat oven to 350
Uncover the dough and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for the icing and drizzle over warm coffee cake.

The Entire Recipe:

Cinnamon Raisin (or Pecan) Swirl Coffee Cake by Pillsbury

Makes 2 coffee cakes

Dough

Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water, heated to 120 to 130 F
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 eggs

Instructions:

Mix together 2 cups flour, yeast and sugar.  Add the hot water, butter/margarine and eggs.
Mix at low speed until moistened.
Add additional 2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour to form a stiff dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for, at least, two hours.

Filling:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans (or whole raisins)
2 tsp cinnamon

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp margarine or butter, at room temperature
1 to 2 T milk (the recipe calls for coffee - I used milk instead - your call)

Directions:

Prepare dough and refrigerate according to the recipe

Cover two 15 x 10 x 1 baking sheets with parchment paper
On a lightly floured surface, divide the chilled dough into 2 halves
Return one half to the refrigerator and roll the other half out into an 16 x 10 inch rectangle
Spread with margarine or butter.
In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling and sprinkle half over the dough.
Starting with the 16 inch side, roll up tightly and pinch the seam firmly to seal.
Cut the roll in half lengthwise, turn the dough so the cut side is up (this is where it get a bit tricky as the filling will start to spill out - just pinch the dough together as best you can).
Place a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter or a drinking glass on the baking sheet and coil the first dough half around the cookie cookie cuter/drinking glass.  Add the second half of dough to the first half, pinching the two ends together.
Remove the cookie cutter/drinking glass.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a dish towel.
Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Place dough in a warm place to rise until almost double in size (about 20 minutes).
Heat oven to 350
Uncover the dough and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for the icing and drizzle over warm coffee cake.

ENJOY!!

COMMENT:

Oh yes!!  We definitely have a winner with this one.  My husband ate half of this in about an hour.  It is good.  I will probably be making it again some time this week.  I really think this is so much better with the raisins than with the pecans (or a combination of both raisin and pecans would make an awesome coffee cake!).




 

Homemade Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

Since I no longer have a job outside the home (my choice), it is time to "tighten the belt" on our spending.  Which means I have to scale down my spending on groceries.  So I am going to try to make as much of our food needs at home as possible such as bread, noodles, etc.

Everyday for lunch, I almost always have a salad.  Salad dressings, though not horribly expensive, do add up.  And I am not sure a lot of them are that healthy - if you look at some of the ingredients on the labels makes you wonder what exactly are you putting on your salads!!!

So off to the Internet I went in search of the "perfect" salad dressing.  My adventure started at the "Kitchen McCabe" website where she claims that she has the "BEST" homemade Poppy Seed recipe.  Now you know that is a challenge to me, so I had to give the recipe a try.  It is a very easy recipe that you can whip up in a matter of minutes (probably doesn't require a run to the grocery store!).

"The Best Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing" by Kitchen McCabe

Ingredients:

3/4 c white vinegar
1 1/2 c Canola Oil
3/4 c white sugar
2 T chopped finely onion
1 T salt
3/4 t Dry Mustard
1 1/2 T Poppy Seeds

Directions:

Pour all of your ingredients (except the poppy seeds) in a blender or food processor.

Blend on high for about 1 minute or 2
Add the poppy seeds and blend until the seeds have been mixed into the dressing.

Refrigerate.

Entire Recipe:

"The Best Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing" by Kitchen McCabeB

Ingredients:

3/4 c white vinegar
1 1/2 c Canola Oil
3/4 c white sugar
2 T chopped finely onion
1 T salt
3/4 t Dry Mustard
1 1/2 T Poppy Seeds

Directions:

Pour all of your ingredients (except the poppy seeds) in a blender or food processor.
Blend on high for about 1 minute or 2
Add the poppy seeds and blend until the seeds have been mixed into the dressing.
Refrigerate.

ENJOY!

Comments:

Is this the "BEST" homemade poppy seed dressing??  The jury is still out on this one.  It is good, but I not sure it is the best.  My husband thought it was good, but felt it could be a tad bit more sweeter - so off I go to the Internet in search of the "perfect" poppy seed salad dressing - stay tuned!! 

Apple Rhubarb Crisp

Don't you just love when  you get a real bargain!!  I found this book on Amazon for only $.04!!!  YES, 4 cents plus $3.99 shipping.  I had to buy it. Who gets a cookbook these days for 4 cents!! (ok, with the shipping it was $4.03, but it still was a bargain!!  The cookbook is Country Breakfasts Ken  Haedrich.  I have several of his cookbooks and love all of them, so I knew this one had to be good.

The first recipe I tried is Apple Rhubarb Crisp.  He says it is for "breakfast" and he serves it with either sour cream or yogurt.  It is easy to make.  The hardest part is chopping and peeling the various fruits.  The recipe calls for cranberries as an optional, I had dried cranberries so I threw those in.

Apple Rhubarb Crisp by Ken Haedrich

Topping

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour**
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Filling

3 cups sliced 1/4 in thick rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
grated zest of lemon
3 large apples
1/2 cup cranberries (optional) -see above
1 T unbleached all purpose flour **

** you can use regular bleached flour, don't see that would make too much differe ce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter or grease a 10 or 11 inch round or oval baking dish.
 
For the topping, mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
Add the butter, using a pastry cutter or two knives, blend into the mixture so it is clumpy.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready.

For the filling, put the rhubarb in a large bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon zest.
Peel and slice the apples and mix them in with the rhubarb.
Add the cranberries if you are using them and the flour.

 (looks kind of pretty!)
Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom of the baking dish and sprinkle the topping over the fruit.

Bake for 40 minutes, until the fruit is soft and is bubbling hot around the edges.

(your house will smell WONDERFUL!!)

Entire Recipe:

Apple Rhubarb Crisp by Ken Haedrich

Topping

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour**
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Filling

3 cups sliced 1/4 in thick rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
grated zest of lemon
3 large apples
1/2 cup cranberries (optional) -see above
1 T unbleached all purpose flour **

** you can use regular bleached flour, don't see that would make too much differe ce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter or grease a 10 or 11 inch round or oval baking dish.
 
For the topping, mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
Add the butter, using a pastry cutter or two knives, blend into the mixture so it is clumpy.
 Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready.

For the filling, put the rhubarb in a large bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon zest.
Peel and slice the apples and mix them in with the rhubarb.
Add the cranberries if you are using them and the flour.
 
Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom of the baking dish and sprinkle the topping over the fruit.

Bake for 40 minutes, until the fruit is soft and is bubbling hot around the edges.

Enjoy!

Comment:

I will post a verdict soon, but it kind of reminds me of an apple pie.  It does smell wonderful.  I think we might have a winner here!