Roasted Red Pepper Alfrado

Recipe Source: Pinterest
Made: October 12, 2014

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces linguine
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
• 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in milk, heavy cream, goat cheese and Parmesan until cheeses has melted, about 1-2 minutes.
• Add red peppers and puree with an immersion blender. Stir in pasta and gently toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan, if desired.

Thoughts:  Pretty good.  I'm not a big fan of goat cheese so I thought the taste was a little strong, but Dakota loved it.  We will probably make this again.  It's super easy to make.

40 Recipes | Chicken Noodles Casserole

Recipe Source:Pinterest
Made: September 10, 2014

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1 package {16oz.}  frozen peas, carrots, beans and corn
• 1 cup milk
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 1/2 cup Chopped onion
• 2 TBSP. Melted Butter
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.

Drain noodles; add to chicken mixture.

Transfer to greased 8 inch cake pan (I used a pie plate).

Cover and bake remaining casserole at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer until heated through.

Thoughts:  It was good. Probably needed a little extra time cooking.

Make Again?:  Probably.

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Recipe Source:Pinterest
Made: August 3, 2014

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon water
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, plus about 1/3 cup more for garnishing
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, plus about 1/3 cup more for garnishing
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease 12 muffin cups.

In a medium sized microwave-safe bowl combine sugar, softened butter, and water. Microwave on high for about 45 seconds or until butter is melted. Stir in 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted. Stir in egg and vanilla extract, mix well. Add flour and baking soda, stir until combined. Allow the batter to cool to room temperature (doesn’t take very long). Then, stir in 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into center comes out slightly wet. After brownies are out of the oven, wait for centers to fall. This will happen upon cooling. If not (they did not for me) then tap the centers with the back of a teaspoon to make a hole for the peanut butter.

Place peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds then stir. While brownies are still war spoon about a tablespoon full of peanut butter into the center of each brownie. Top with remaining 1/3 cup of milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cool completely in pan.

Thoughts:  AMAZING!  So good.  Definitely keeping the recipe and doing again.

Bran Muffins

Recipe Source:all-bran.com
Made: July 14, 2014

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cup Kellogg's All-Bran Original cereal
1 1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegtable oil

Directions:
Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In large bowl, combine cereal and milk.  Let stand about 2 minutes or
until cereal softens.  Add egg and oil.  Beat well.  Add flour mixture,
stirring only until combined.  Portions evenly into muffic pan cups
coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400 degrees F about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Thoughts:  I don't like bran muffins.  I made these for D's co-workers.
But D and mom tried them and said they weren't bad for bran muffins.
So that's good.  Guess I'll use this recipe if I ever need to make bran
muffins again.

(Sadly, I forgot to take photo of muffins...fail.)

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Recipe Source: Pinterest
Made: July 13, 2014

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup milk + 2 tbsp.
• 1½ tsp. white vinegar
• ¾ cup flour
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp. butter, melted
• For the cinnamon sugar topping:
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. melted butter
• 
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease your donut pan and set aside.
2. In a large measuring cup, combine the milk and vinegar and set aside.
3. In a medium sized bow, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
4. Stir in the egg and melted butter into the milk and vinegar mixture. Then pour the milk mixture over the flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
5. Transfer batter to donut pan. You can use a spoon to spoon the dough into the individual cavities or put it in a ziploc bag, cut the corner of it, and pipe it into the cavities.
6. Bake for 7 minutes. Let cool in pan for 1-2 minutes when done and remove from pan and set on wire rack to cool completely.
7. In the meantime, in a small microwave safe bowl, melt 2 tbsp. of butter.
8. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix together.
9. When donuts are done cooling, brush one half of the donut with the melted butter and dip that side into the cinnamon sugar. Place back on wire rack. Repeat until all donuts have been covered with cinnamon sugar.
10. These donuts taste best the day of but you can still eat them the day after. I wouldn't keep them longer than two days.

Thoughts:  Not good.  The dough was awful.  I liked the concept of donuts, but we will definitely be trying new recipes.

Lemonade Cake

Recipe Source: Pinterest
Made : April 19, 2014

Ingredients:

• Cake:
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate $
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs $
• 2 large egg whites $
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
• Cooking spray
• Frosting:
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate $
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition.
3. Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. To prepare frosting, place 2 tablespoons butter and the next 4 ingredients (2 tablespoons butter through cream cheese) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat). Chill 1 hour.
5. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Thoughts:  It was good.  The frosting was amazing, but the cake needed more lemon flavor.

Verdict:  Make again?  Probably.

40 Recipes| Carrot Cake

Made: January 29, 2014
A family recipe that has been made for years and will continue to be made for many more!

40 Recipes | Egg Casserole

So I haven't posted this in so long because I lost the recipe.  I still haven't found it, but the OCD in me still has to post this recipe.

Made: January 17, 2014

Thoughts:  It was alright.

Verdict: Make again?  Probably not.

French Toast

Recipe Source: Pinterest
Made : January 5, 2014

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cup heavy cream, half and half, or milk

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

6 slices (1 inch thick) bread, preferably day old

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

pure maple syrup, for serving

Directions:

1. Whisk together, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Place bread in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold bread slices in a single layer.  Pour egg mixture over break; soak 10 minutes.

3.  Turn slices over, soak until soaked through, about 10 minutes more.

4.  Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.  

5.  Fry bread slices until golden brown. 

6.  Serve warm with syrup and powdered sugar.

Thoughts:  It was good, but still needs some tweaking.

Verdict:  Make again?  Probably.

40 Recipes | Overnight French Toast

Recipe Source: Pinterest
Made : December 29, 2013

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter, melted
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 loaf of French bread, sliced into 1 ½ inches thick
8 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup pecans, measured then chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
Maple syrup and powdered sugar to top (optional)

Directions:
1. In a small bowl combine brown sugar and melted butter and pour on the bottomw of a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Arrange slices of bread in the baking dish overlapping if necessary.
3. Combine milk, eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a bowl and pour evenly over bread slices.
4. Sprinkle chopped pecans over bread slices.
5. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours.
6. in the morning, take the casserole out of the fridge for at least 10 minutes while you are preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
7. Bake casserole for 30-35 minutes.  If top starts browning too quickly place a foil loosely over the top of the casserole for the last 10 minutes or so.
8. Remove casserole from over and let it cool slightly before serving.  Serve with a dusting of powered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Thoughts:  I wanted more of a traditional French toast.  This was too eggy.  I really liked the idea of it though.  Still looking for something that is easy to make and doesn’t take too long in the mornings to prepare.

Verdict:  Make again?  Probably not.

40 Recipes | # Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

Recipe Source: Pinterest
Made : November 30, 2013

Ingredients:
For the shortbread layer:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar

For the caramel layer:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk

For the chocolate layer:
8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp. light corn syrup
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Fleur de sel or sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions:
To make the shortbread layer, preheat the oven to 325° F.  Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.  In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a fork to blend, and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 1-2 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press in an even layer over the bottom of the pan.  Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden.  (If the crust puffs up a bit while baking, just gently press it down while it is cooling.)  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the caramel layer, combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted.  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring constantly.  Continue simmering and stirring until the mixture turns an amber color and thickens slightly.  Pour the mixture over the shortbread layer, smooth the top, and allow to cool completely and set.  (I chilled at this stage to ensure that the caramel layer would not melt when the warm chocolate was added.)

To make the chocolate glaze, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.  Pour evenly over the caramel layer and use an offset spatula to smooth the top.  Allow to cool for a minute or two and then sprinkle with fleur de sel.  Chill, covered, until ready to slice and serve.
Thoughts:  These were very time consuming to make.  There was a lot of down time between each layer.  They were also very rich tasting.  And the caramel layer was 5 times thicker than the other layers.  I'm wondering if I didn't make the caramel correctly.

Verdict:  Make again?  No.  Not a fan.  And these were a bit of a let down.

40 Recipes | # Homemade Thin Mints

Recipe Source:  Pinterest 
Made : November 30, 2013

Ingredients:
Ritz Crackers
1 bag of Andes Mint Baking Chips

Directions:
1.  Melt 1/4 of the Andes Mint at a time.
2.  Dip the crackers and let dry.

Thoughts:  I melted the baking chips on the stove over low heat.  I placed the chocolate covered crackers on waxed paper on a baking sheet.  Then I placed the baking sheet in the freezer to harden the chocolate.  I think next time I would use the reduced fat crackers.  Some of the cookies had a buttery taste.

Verdict:  Make again?  Yes.  Thin Mint cookies are still better, but these are are great when you need a quick fix.  And they are super easy to make.

40 Recipes | #17 Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes

Recipe Source: Pinterest : Tastebook.com
Made : November 5, 2013

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, poached and diced
1 (14.5oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbs Herbs De Provence
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic salt
2 (10oz) cans Pillsbury biscuits

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, frozen veggies, cheese, herbs and spices.
3.  Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin and place the Pillbury biscuits into each cup, pressing into the bottom and up the sides.
4.  Evenly spoon the pot pie mixture into each biscuit cup.  Slide into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes.  Check at the 12 minute mark.
5.  Let rest for about 3 minutes and dig in!

Thoughts:  I am my mother’s daughter.  I get a recipe and I alter it with what I have in the kitchen.  I used one large can of cooked chicken.  I only had a 10 oz can of cream of chicken soup.  I didn’t have an Herbs De Provence so I added about ½ tsp of Thyme leaves.

I thought this was good and I really liked the idea of having a chicken pot pie with a little less work.  To me, it was a little cheesy.  Next time I think I’ll cut back on some of the cheese and add more veggies and maybe more chicken.

Verdict:  Make again?  Overall, it was a success and we will be keeping this recipe (with a few modifications!)

40 Recipes: Snickerdoodles

Recipe Source:  Dakota’s Mom

Made : September 29, 2013

Ingredients:

1 cup soft shortening (part butter)

1 ½ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 ¾ cup flour

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1.  Set oven to 400 degrees

2.  Cream shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

3.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.

4.  Roll into balls and roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture.

5.  Bake 8-10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet.

Thoughts:  These are one of Dakota’s favorite cookie and he begged me to make them for him.

Verdict:  Make again? Yes! And I’m sure I will be making them a lot in my future.

40 Recipes | Ginger’s Salsa

Recipe Source:  Family Friend
Made : September 17, 2013

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh tomatoes
1 can rotel
1 can green chiles
¼ large onion
2 clove garlic
½ cup cilantro
salt

Directions:
1.  Cut fresh tomatoes into large chunks.  Add to food processor.
2.  Add remaining ingredients.  Pulse food processor until desired consistency.

Thoughts:  Pretty simple to make.  Very tasty!

Verdict:  Make again? Yes! And we have!

40 Recipes | White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Recipe Source:  Blog
Made : September 5, 2013

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened but still chilled.
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp hot water
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white chocolate chips
4 oz macadamia nuts

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  Using a standard mixer, beat the butter and shortening together until well mixed and smooth.
3.  Add the brown sugar and sugar. Beat for 1-2 minutes, until nearly creamy.
4.  Add the eggs, one at a time and mixing in between additions.

5.  Dissolve the baking soda in the tablespoon of water. Add both the baking soda and the vanilla to the mixer and mix well. Mix in the salt.

 6.  Add the flour and mix until dough forms.
7.  Mix in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts using a wooden spoon or spatula.
8.  Scoop dough by heaping tablespoons onto a parchment lined or silicon lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
9.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely

Thoughts:  These cookies were incredible!

Verdict:  Make again? Yes!

40 Recipes :: Creamy Garlic Pasta

Recipe Source:  Blog
Made : August 31, 2013

Ingredients:2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
¼  tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley


Directions:

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil. 

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.

Thoughts:  Really good.  The heavy cream we bought was bad (we bought brand new that day).  So we had to make due and use milk.  Ours was a little cheesy, definitely needed the heavy cream.  But it was still good!  I think in the future it will be a side dish to chicken or shrimp.

Make again? Yes!

#77 | Make Pizza from Scratch

When I added this to my list, I thought I’d be making more of it from scratch ie the dough and sauce and not pre packaged meat.  But I realized that that was not going to happen so we went with a little easier approach.  It is still a pizza we made at home and not something that we bought or ordered from a store, so I’m calling it good.

Recipe Source:  Made Up
Made : June 10, 2013

Ingredients:
1 Pillsbury pizza crust
½ cup pizza sauce
1 package Mozzarella cheese
1 package Hormel Italian Sausage Bits
1 package Hormel mini pepperonis
Green pepper, chopped
Onion, chopped
Black olives, chopped
Mushrooms

Directions:
1.  Follow the directions from the Pillsbury pizza crust package.
 Spread dough
 Spread pizza sauce over dough
 Add cheese, meat toppings, vegetable toppings, top with more cheese

Note : You can add any toppings you want.  We eyeballed how much of each topping we wanted.  We also only put the mushrooms on half of the pizza because dad likes them and I don’t.

Thoughts:  Surprisingly good and easy to make. Dad liked it better than the walmart and frozen pizzas we usually get so this one was a win!

Make again? Absolutely. We are going to play around with various types of toppings to see what we like best.

33 of 101

Completed: June 10, 2013

40 Recipes : Hazelnut Butter Cookies

Recipe Source:  St. Joseph Junior League Cookbook
Made : May 31, 2013

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup butter
1 cup finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar


Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Add butter and cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add chopped nuts, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla, and mix until smooth dough forms.
3.  Shape into 1 inch balls.  Place on a cookie sheet and press with back of fort in a crisscross pattern to form 1/4 inch thick cookies.  
4.  Bake cookies until a pale golden brown, about 15 minutes.  
5.  Cool and roll cookies in powdered sugar.

Thoughts:  Really good.  Very similar to a holiday cookie we make.

Make again? Absolutely.  We've already made them again.