Chicken Nuggets and Honey Mustard Sauce

woo hoo!!! i'm blogging again!  :)

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c. bread crumbs*
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
seasoning
1/2 c. milk or melted butter or an egg

oven to 400F/200C. cut up chicken into bite size pieces. soak in milk (i use milk-- but when cooking i always use powdered milk because i'm such a cheap skate).
being a cheap skate-- i make my owm bread crumbs. my kids hate the heals, so i always toss them in the food processor and leave them in the fridge. (don't know if it's necessary to keep in fridge, but i do anyway.)
so mix crumbs, cheese, salt, and whatever other seasonings you'd like together.
not only am i a cheap skate, but i'm kinda lazy sometimes. lazy? i like to cut corners when possible. so instead of dipping my chicken in the crumb mix after being soaked, i just put the crumb mix in a big ziploc and just toss the chicken in there.
bake for 20 or until they look done.

sauce:
1/4 c. mustard
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. mayo

mix well.

tacos

these are really fast and really easy.



i hate corn tortillas, so i always use flour. fork hamburger meat on half of a tortilla. sprinkle with salt and my fave goya sazon seasoning. oh! before that put oil in a pan and heat it up. i have a gas oven and i just put it on low. okay, so back to the taco. fold it and place gently in oil. turn it over when it seems ready. see how good i am at giving instructions? after both sides are done-- set on a plate with a paper towel to drain. now i've had these with lettuce, tomato, salsa and cheese: but *confession* i'm not the best to have fresh veggies in my fridge. so sometimes i just use cheese and salsa.

musts

these are two things i use almost daily. well... these and sugar. and butter.

you can get goya sazon at walmart in the mexican area. that sounded bad, but you know what i mean. LOVE this stuff. i think the flavor i taste is cilantro. yum. i'll try to post more recipes that i use it in.

my mom bought me this vidalia, and i think she said she got it at walgreens. i love this thing. i have a really hard time with onions, so this thing works wonders for me. i could say more, but just take my word for it and buy it. think mom said it was $15. get it.

honey joys

*let me explain something real quick. this recipe used grams, and when i converted the measurements, it didn't turn out to be normal measurments. so i used the closest measurment cup, and then added a bit. there you go. explanation over.

1/3 c. sugar and a bit
1/2 c. butter
1 Tbl. honey and a bit
4 c. corn flakes

melt first three til frothy. remove from heat and add corn flakes. if it looks too wet, add a little bit more corn flakes.

bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes.

now you can have these kind of like rice krispie bars or you can crumble it up and put it on vanilla ice cream. yummy yum yum!

quickie but a goodie

yes, i should be embarrassed to post something as simple as this. but that's why i do this blog-- sometimes my brain is so fried that i need to be reminded of even the simplest of things.

you get your tortilla. you put the cheese on the tortilla. (sorry-- i have the smore instructions from sandlot on my mind.) you put the tomatoes/avacado/whatever on the cheese. salt and pepper from a grinder (because it's fun to grind). broil. yummy for my tummy.

cheesy bacon scones

i've already posted the recipe to this under '3 ingredient scones'. but i've added ingredients to make them savory scones. i added cheese, bacon, sun dried tomatoes and a few capers. yum-my. one of these days i'll try it with spinach and feta cheese.

Pear Crisp

2 jars (about 42 oz. total) pears, drained
2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. oats
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. butter, chilled

oven to the ever popular 350.

pour pears (i'm sure peaches would be just as yummy, or whatever fruit thrills you) into 9x13 pan. mix everything but the butter in a bowl. slice the butter and mix it into the dry mix until it looks like pea size crumbs. sprinkle onto the pears.

bake 30-40 or until lightly golden.

yum-my!

rosie's teriyaki chicken

my sister-in-law was visiting from texas and made this for us. it was DELICIOUS.

1 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1-2 Tbl. grated fresh ginger
2-3 garlic cloves

simply mix together and pour into an electric fry pan with 8-10 thighs (i'm lazy and i'd probably just use chicken breasts). turn every once in a while til it's done. serve with rice and veggies.

M&M Cookies

okay, for some reason i really wanted some m&m cookies, so i got this recipe off of allrecipes. my kids and nephews scarfed them down. i actually wasn't too impressed with them though. i think it needed more m&m's or something. i don't know. but like i said, the kids loved it. (they looked really flat too-- i didn't like that.)

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 c. shortening
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. m&m's

preheat to 350.

mix sugars, eggs, shortening and vanilla. add flour, salt and soda. add 3/4 c. m&m's. after you drop them on the cookie sheet, (using the rest of the m&m's) slightly push a few m&m's on top to make them look cute.

bake 9-11 minutes. i think it made about 3 dozen. and they were gone like that. *snap!*

Raspberry Squares

i had a couple small containers of raspberries that i needed to use fast, so i tried this recipe. the picture is horrible, i know. and in the picture it looks more like a cobbler, but that's only because i'm not patient and i dished it up straight out of the oven. however, if you let it sit for a while, it is more like a bar. let me tell you, i'm not a fan of raspberries, but i LOVED this recipe. also, my two year old does NOT like nuts. no joke-- he will put peanut m&m's in his mouth, move his jaw around a bit, then spit just the nuts out. it's like that with all things with nuts, he just doesn't like them. but he also loved this. so wa-la! it's a keeper.

fresh raspberries
1 c. chopped walnuts
2 1/4 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. butter

preheat oven to 350.

let butter soften then mix everything except raspberries. reserve at least 1 1/2 c. of this mixture.
press the stuff you didn't reserve into an 8 inch square pan. spread berries over this. now sprinkle the reserved mixture on top.

bake 40-50 minutes or until light brown.

my favorite macaroni

1 lb. ground meat
24 oz. spag sauce (not sure if that's the right amount-- sorry!)
8 oz. macaroni (i buy mac in bulk, so i use a cool whip container to measure this)
1/2 c. mayo
1 c. shredded cheese

cook meat and prepare pasta. now mix everything together. easy peasy.

coOkiE crAviNGs

um, we like cookies. for mother's day we made a variety of cookies for my grandma. plus also we made some more. :)

classic choc chip cookies


1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. crisco (or oil, but i prefer crisco)
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. each: salt, soda, powder and vanilla
1 1/2 c. choc chips

cream crisco and sugars. add eggs and the rest. (i told you i'm lazy.)

ungreased pan in a preheated 375 oven for 8-10. makes 3 dozen.

let me pass my wisdom on to you (oh i'm such a riot!). i learned something in home ec (thanks mrs. cook!) that i think is so handy to know. whenever a recipe calls for crisco or peanut butter-- whatever the measurement is, first i put an egg in there and swirl it around. and of course i use the egg! sillies. but ya, that just makes it so the crisco or p.b. doesn't stick to the measuring cup. clever!

gorilla poop

no bake cookies

{when i was a cheerleader (go tigers!) these were regulars at our practice. i think it was gretchen didion who called them gorilla poop.}

2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pinch salt
1/2 c. peanut butta
3 1/2 c. quick cooking oats (give or take-- you'll figure it out.)

before you get started, it's really better if you have everything premeasured and ready to go. i learned that timing is crucial when i got distracted last time i made these: they got too dry, so i ended up just dumping it all onto a cookie sheet. that was still good, but formed into cookies is better.

melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. add sugar, cocoa and milk. bring to a boil, stirring constantly. boil for 1 minute, remove and add vanilla, salt, p.b. and oats.

drop by scoopy spoonfuls on wax paper. cool for 1 hour. (what?!? patience is NOT one of my virtues.)

makes 30.

***let me explain this picture: it's my daughter's birthday. i'm poor as, so i gave her a bunch of things that used to be mine: jewelry, fabric (aka dress up clothes), and makeup. and she's four now, so she's big enough to put on her own makeup (wink wink).

i also want to add that my precocious little girl wouldn't taste these cookies until i called them gorilla poop. that's my penny!

chocolate brittle yumminess (my fave!)

unsalted soda crackers (saltines minus the salt)
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. choc. chips
1 c. chopped pecans

preheat to 350. cover cookie sheet with foil and spray the foil with pam.

fill the sheet choc-o-block full of crackers.

microwave butter for 2 minutes. add brown sugar and stir. nuke it for 2 more minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. pour over crackers. bake 17-20 minutes. as soon as you pull it out of the oven, sprinkle with choc chips. spread after 2 minutes after they've softened. sprinkle with nuts. refrigerate for an hour. break into pieces. man these things are good.

*update: i just now made some more of these and used normal saltines, and i thought they were good. also-- just so you know, it took me 48 crackers to fill a big cookie sheet.

reese's cookies (all the goodness of reese's and then some!)

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. peanut butta :)
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. soda (come on, do they even make a 3/4 tsp?)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. flour
*reese's mini cups

preheat to 375.

mix all of that til it's lovely. i'm a dork, so i describe things in a dorky way. you know those scoopy things? looks like mini ice cream scoopers? yes, those. use those and put a small scoop in each tin in a mini muffin pan. got that? :)

okay, these bake for 6-8 minutes. but no rest for the wicked: you need to unwrap lots of reese's mini's. and the second the cookies get out of the oven, you have to work whippity quick and put all the reese's into the dough while it's nice and puffy.

*sorry, i don't know how many you'll need. darnit, you may just have to buy a big bag and eat the leftovers. shame.

white chocolate and cranberry cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 egg
1 Tbl. brandy or vanilla
1 1/2 c. normal flour :)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. dried cranberries
3/4 c. white choc chips

preheat to 375. grease cookie sheets.

cream butter and sugars til smooth. beat in egg and vanilla (or brandy for you heathens-- ha ha! i'm TOTALLY kidding). combine flour and soda and stir into the sugar mixture. mix in white choc chips and cranberries.

bake 8-10 minutes. only makes 2 dozen, so you probably want to double it.

cheaters lemon cookies

1 (18.25 oz.) package lemon cake mix (cheater!)
2 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
zest and juice from one lemon
1/3 c. powdered sugar

preheat to 375.

mix cake mix, eggs, oil and lemon zest and juice until well blended. if you have the time, it would be nice to stick this dough in the fridge for like an hour, otherwise it's pretty sticky-- but i'm sure you can cope like i did.

drop teaspoonfuls of dough into a bowl of the powdered sugar. roll them til lightly covered. place on cookie sheet.

bake 6-9 minutes. don't bake too long: bottoms will be light brown and the insides chewy.

everybody loves this chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbl. butter
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/3 c. water
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
italian seasoning

melt butter in skillet. add italian seasoning. i love italian seasoning. i don't know how much i use-- probably at least a Tbl. brown chicken in butter and seasoning. put the chicken in a baking dish. mix cream cheese, soup, and water in the skillet you just used (because heaven forbid we dirty another dish!). stir this mixture and then pour over the chicken. cover with foil or lid and bake at 325 for an hour. serve with angel hair pasta. (i always prefer angel hair to spaghetti.)

this is so yum that ALL of my kids actually eat it. miracle.

pecan pie bites

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
2 eggs
2/3 c. melted butter
1 c. chopped pecans
mix and pour into greased mini muffin tins-- 2/3 full.
makes about 40.
bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.
SO easy and SO yum.



veggie lasagna


-boil and prepare lasagna noodles.

-saute lots of veggies in olive oil. (i used a head of broccoli and cauliflower, 1 and 1/2 tomatoes, an onion, and 3 stalks of celery. (can you tell i was just trying to clean out the fridge?) next time i will chop the veggies up more, they were a bit too big which makes for cute pictures but not easy eating.)

-pour 1/2 c. flour into pan and gradually whisk in 3 c. milk until well blended. bring to boil over medium heat. cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. stir in 1/2 c. cheese, salt and pepper, cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. remove from heat and stir in spinach.

-mix big thing (lovely measurements, huh?) of cottage cheese with a beaten egg.

layer everything in 9x13. top with the white sauce. bake at 375 for 25-30. add cheese on top. bake another 5.

blackberry cobbler

1/2 c. butter
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
2 c. milk
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. blackberries
melt butter in a 9x13 pan. in bowl stir flour, sugar and milk. batter will be slightly lumpy. pour mixture on top of butter in pan. don't mix. drop berries into batter. bake at 350 for one hour or until golden brown.

*i'm not a huge fan of blackberries, although this was really good. i think maybe next time i'll use peaches or apples with cinnamon.

mini quiches

3 eggs
1/2 c. bisquick
1-2 c. cheese
add whatever else you want: bacon, chives, tomatoes, spinach, ham, onion.....
350. bake 10-15 minutes.
makes about 2 dozen.

lemon bars

crust:
1 c. soft butter
2 c. flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
dash of salt
combine. press into 7x11. (???... that's what the recipe said. i used a square dish and it was too small-- although they were still so delicious that i forgot to take a picture til there was only a tiny bit left.) bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until slightly brown. cool.

filling:
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. flour
2 c. sugar
6 Tbl. lemon juice
combine and pour over crust. bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until set. sprinkle with powdered sugar. cool and cut.

cinnamon top muffins

2/3 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. milk

cream first three together. add rest. 350 for 25 minutes.

melt 1 cube butter
add 1 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

dip tops in cinnamon/sugar mix. makes 2 dozen.

skor choc chip cookies

1 c. butter flavored crisco
2 eggs
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 pack choc chips
1/2 pack skor bits
(i can't remember the package size-- but you use the same amount of skor as you do choc chips.)

10 minutes at 375. makes about 3 dozen (depending on how much of the dough you eat!).

sausage and rice casserole

i love casseroles. cook 1 c. rice and throw in a chicken noodle soup mix. cook about a pound of sausage-- jimmy dean is the best but this stupid country doesn't have it, so any ground sausage will do. throw about half an onion, 1 green bell pepper, and 1 small case of mushrooms in -- all chopped (i like them super duper chopped up, that way my kids don't realize they're eating something healthy). mix everything up.

we like to eat this with buttered bread-- and then strawberries with my dip from heaven for dessert. yum.

spinach pie

wash and drain frozen spinach. throw in some plain yogurt and feta cheese (i've also used just cheddar cheese, and it's good-- just not as good as feta). pour some melted butter in a dish that's about the size of a bread pan. use about 5 sheets of phyllo dough (for me that's all that's leftover after making sausage rolls). pour some more melted butter on the top after folding the dough over the spinach. bake at like 350 for like 20-- i don't know.

BBQ pork sandwiches

slow cook pork so it's nice and tender. shred it up. plop it on a buttered bun. throw on some coleslaw and top it with bbq sauce so it'll be nice and messy.