Crepes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling

Crepes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 t. salt
1 T. sugar (omit if making savory)
2 T. butter, melted
Filling:
1 cup strawberries, chopped
2 T. sugar
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk, stirring to combine. Add the salt, sugar, and butter; beat until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly greased griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
3. Cook the crepe for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the bottom is lightly browned. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Serve hot. Makes 8-10 crepes.

For the filling: Combine strawberries and sugar and set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in strawberry mixture until well combined. Put about 1-2 Tbsp. of mixture in each crepe. Roll up and serve with sliced strawberries and whipped cream.

YUM-MY! This was my first time making crepes and I am hooked. I love they they are chewy and sweet. They're so pretty and fancy-looking, too! I am putting two links to crepe recipes that I used. I kinda combined the two.

Crepes (Thin Cakes) from Our Best Bites
Easy Crepes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling from Favorite Family Recipes

Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups beef broth
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, chopped onion, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl until evenly mixed. Shape beef mixture into 4 patties, about 3/4 inch thick.

Fry patties in a large skillet over medium heat until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Add beef broth, onion, and mushrooms; bring to a boil. Reduce head to low, cover, and simmer until patties are no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes more. Transfer patties to a platter and keep warm.

Bring onion mixture to a boil. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir into onion mixture. Cook and stir until gravy is thickened, about 1 minutes. Pour over patties to serve.

Brownie Mix Truffles

Brownie Mix Truffles

• 1 box fudge brownie mix + ingredients on back of box (or any fudgy homemade brownie recipe)
• 12oz Baker's chocolate (I used 6oz each semi-sweet and white)
• sprinkles/embellishments

Directions

1. Bake brownies according to package directions then cool completely. Cut off edges then fluff cooked brownies with a fork. Scoop out brownies by the Tablespoon then roll into a balls and place on baking sheets lined with wax paper.
2. Add chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl just big enough to hold it (makes for easier dipping) then microwave for 1 minute and stir. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring between increments, until chocolate is melted. Dip brownie truffles in chocolate then transfer between two forks to let excess chocolate drip off. Transfer back to wax paper then add embellishments on top. Place into refrigerator to harden then package. Store on the counter or in the fridge.

So fun to make these!! They look like they'd be hard to make but it was so easy! And really fun for the kids. And of course they were delicious. 

Lasagna

Lasagna (from Worldwide Ward Cookbook: Mom's Best Recipes)
1 lb. ground beef
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. hot pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 13-oz. can tomato paste
2-3 T. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated, plus 3 T.
1 16-oz. container of cottage cheese (or ricotta)
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 pkg. oven-ready lasagna noodles

In a skillet, brown beef; drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine oil and hot pepper flakes. Cook about 1 minute. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomato paste and 2 1/2 cans water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add sugar to desired sweetness and salt and pepper to taste. Process tomatoes tomatoes in food processor until smooth and add to saucepan. Add onion. Cook for about 30 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and ground beef. Cook another 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Place small layer of sauce in 9x13-inch casserole dish. Place 5-6 lasagna noodles in dish. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle half the cheddar and mozzarella cheese over sauce. Place another 5-6 noodles over this layer. Spread sauce over noodles and top with the cottage (or ricotta) cheese. Spread evenly. Place another layer of 5-6 noodles and spread with remaining sauce. Top with remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with 3T. Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour, or until bubbly and noodles are soft. Allow to cool before cutting. Makes 12 servings.

This turned out great! It was fun making my own meat sauce. Although I didn't like the amount of sugar I added. I would half that amount next time. I also didn't have oven-ready noodles so I had to cook those. I'm always afraid the oven-ready noodles won't cook all the way!

Cafe Rio Recipes

Chicken
5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 small bottle zesty Italian dressing
1 T. chili powder
1 t. cumin
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Mix all ingredients together in a large crock pot. cook on high 5-7 hours. Remove chicken and shred with fork. Reserve a small amount of juice and pour over shredded chicken to keep moist. Keep warm.

Pork
5 lbs. pork roast
1 small bottle honey BBQ sauce
1 T. honey
1 liter Dr pepper or Coke
Place all ingredients in large crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove pork and shred with fork. Place the meat back in the crock pot and leave it on low.

Lime Rice
In a sauce pan saute:
2 T. butter
1 yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
In a large pot bring the following to a boil:
6 2/3 cup water
8 tsp. chicken bullion
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
2 small cans diced green chilies
2 T. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
Add onion and garlic to boiling water. Add 3 cups long grain rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Pico de Gallo
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. pepper
Comibne ingredients in medium bowl.

Cilantro Lime Dressing
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing dry mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
1-2 tomatillos, peeled
1 garlic clove
1/3 bunch cilantro
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1/2 small jalapeno, seeds removed
Blend ingredients together in a blender. Add additional mayonnaise if dressing is too thin. Keep refrigerated.

Serve in the following order:
Tortillas, shredded cheese, Chicken or Pork, Black or Pinto beans, Lime rice, Red and Green leaf lettuce (shredded), Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Parmesan Cheese, Cilantro Lime Dressing.

Enjoy!

Wow, this was amazing! It was a lot of work but totally worth it. And this makes a TON of food. For us we didn't like all that cilantro so I would maybe add it to one component next time and that's it. It's very strong. It was so fun to cook with new ingredients! Like tomatillos. That dressing is so good. Would be delicious on a taco salad or burritos. The pork wasn't as sweet as from the restaurant but I've seen lots of different recipes that use brown sugar. Six Sisters' Stuff has a good one.

Fried Rice

Fried Rice
1/2 c. finely diced cooked ham, chicken or pork
1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots
2 T. oil
1 finely chopped green onion
2 cups cold cooked rice
2 T. soy sauce
1 egg

Fry ham and vegetables lightly in oil. Add onion, rice, and soy sauce. Fry over low heat for 10 minutes. Add one well-beaten egg; cook and stir 5 minutes more. If color isn't dark enough, add a little more soy sauce. Makes 6-8 servings.

Savory Crock Pot Beef Pot Roast

Savory Crock Pot Beef Pot Roast

3-5 pounds chuck pot roast
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1/2 - 1 cup of water

Place roast in crock pot. In a bowl combine the mixes together. Sprinkle on top of the roast and rub it in all over. Pour in water and cook on low for 6-7 hours. For the gravy, pour the liquid from your crock pot into a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Thicken with cornstarch and water mixture or brown gravy mix.

Oh. My. Goodness. This is the best roast recipe ever. Roast and mashed potatoes is my favorite meal and this is so comforting and delicious. There are so many delicious flavors and the meat is tender. The gravy is the best. Drool.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
10-12 oz penne pasta
2 cups coocked and chopped chicken
3/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/3 cup ranch dressing
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Melt butter in sauce pan, add flour and stir to combine. Once you have your roux, add milk. Stir constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in garlic salt, onion powder and ranch dressing until well combined.

Add chicken, bacon and cheese to sauce and stir evenly to combine.

Bake in 9x13 baking dish at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

I really enjoyed the flavor of this dish! It's always good to try new flavors and this did not disappoint. I wasn't sure how well this would turn out but I loved it!

Cream Cheese Raspberry Muffins

Cream Cheese Raspberry Muffins
1 package cream cheese, softened
2 T. butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
3 T. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
2 T. chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. milk

1. In a small bowl, cream the cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and egg white. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture just until moistened.
2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350F for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
3. Combine confectioners' sugar and milk; drizzle over muffins. Makes 12 muffins.

Nutritional Facts

1 muffin equals 200 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 46 mg cholesterol, 163 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein

Read more: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cream-cheese-raspberry-muffins/print#ixzz3WCUtJaFb

Yum! These were so delicious. I loved the fresh raspberries and icing on top. The original recipe says it only makes 8 muffins but I got 12. These tasted a lot like breakfast cake but in muffin form! Love it. I also didn't' have any buttermilk in the fridge but I learned that you can make your own.

Via Taste of Home: There are a number of substitutes for buttermilk in baking. For each cup of buttermilk, you can use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes. You can also use 1 cup of plain yogurt or 1-3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar plus 1 cup milk.

Read more: http://www.tasteofhome.com/cooking-tips/ask-the-test-kitchen/buttermilk-substitute#ixzz3WCVrqCwV

4/13/15 Made these with strawberries. Yum-o!

Kid-friendly Chicken Lo Mein

Kid-friendly Chicken Lo Mein

1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T minced fresh gingerroot or 1-1/2 tsp dry ground ginger
3 T canola oil, divided
2 medium carrots, julienned
1 medium green pepper, julienned
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
3 green onions, sliced
1 T cornstarch
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup of your favorite teriyaki sauce 
1 T sesame seeds
Cilantro, for garnish- optional

Drain pineapple, reserving 1/3 cup juice (discarding remaining juice or save for another use); set pineapple aside. In a large skillet, cook the chicken, garlic and ginger over medium heat in 2 tablespoons oil for 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in the carrots, green pepper and pineapple. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in spaghetti and onions. 

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, soy sauce, reserved pineapple juice and remaining oil until smooth. Gradually add to chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in teriyaki sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds & fresh cilantro.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Declicious recipe! And a good change up from the things we normally eat. I used half a bag of frozen peas and carrots. My mom has used cabbage in it and that was delicious. Broccoli would good in this too. You could easily adapt this to whatever you've got in the pantry.

Hawaiin Ham and Cheese Sliders

Hawaiin Ham and Cheese Sliders
3/4 cup melted Butter
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Poppy Seeds
2 tsp Dried Minced Onion
12 King’s Hawaiian Dinner Rolls
9 oz thin sliced Deli Ham
8 oz thin sliced Swiss Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Combine butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, poppy seeds, and dried onion.

3. Slice the rolls to make sandwiches. Remove tops and set aside.
4. Place the bottom pieces into the prepared baking dish.
5. Layer the ham onto the rolls. Top the ham with the Swiss cheese.

6. Place the tops of the rolls onto the sandwiches. Brush or pour the liquid mixture evenly over the rolls.

7. Bake 20 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned and cheese has melted.
8. Separate into individual sandwiches to serve.

These are so, so, so good. Something I wouldn't normally try making but my MIL made these at a family party a while ago and we fell in love!

Blueberry Rhubarb Breakfast Sauce

Blueberry Rhubarb Breakfast Sauce

6 cups finely chopped rhubarb

4 cups sugar
1 can (21 ounces) blueberry pie filling
1 package (3 ounces) raspberry gelatin

Rinse seven 1-cup plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.
In a saucepan, bring rhubarb and sugar to a boil. Boil 10 minutes. Remove from heat; add pie filling and 

mix well. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin.
Fill all containers to within 1/2 in. of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; cover with lids.
Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 12 months. Thaw frozen jam in refrigerator before serving. 

Serve with pancakes, waffles, toast or English muffins. Yield: 7 cups.
Nutritional Facts:
1 serving (2 tablespoons) equals 75 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 7 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein.
Read more: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/blueberry-rhubarb-breakfast-sauce/print#ixzz3W4fB86yk

My mom introduced me to this recipe. Sooooo delicious. Everyone loved it!! The kids were a little wary of the chunks of rhubarb. Maybe next time I will put them in the food processor first.

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
2 heads Broccoli Cut Into Florets
2 cups Whole Milk
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 clove Garlic, Optional
1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, More To Taste
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder (more To Taste)
12 ounces, weight Velveeta Cut Into Cubes
4 ounces, weight Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Grated
4 ounces, weight Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated

Steam the broccoli florets for 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly tender but not overly soft.

To make the sauce, heat the butter and milk over medium-low heat until hot. Stir in the garlic (if using), seasoned salt, black pepper, salt, and chili powder. Add the Velveeta and stir it until it's melted and creamy. Stir in the cheddar and Monterey jack until melted. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve ramekins of cheese sauce with warm broccoli florets.

So delicious!! I only made half the recipe and I'm so glad I did becuase I'm the only one who ate this at my house. I think Brandon would have liked it though. We'll keep trying :) I also omitted the garlic and Monterey jack cheese and just used cheddar.

Peek-a-boo Pound Cake

Valentine's Day Peek-A-Boo Pound Cake

• 2 (16 ounce) boxes Betty Crocker Pound Cake mix
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided, softened
• 4 eggs, divided
• 1 1/3 cups milk, divided
• red food coloring

Vanilla Icing

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9×5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Prepare your first pound cake: combine 1 box of cake mix, 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter, 2 eggs, and 2/3 cup milk in a large bowl. Whisk together with an electric mixer or by hand. Add in your food coloring until you reach the desired color (I think I used 25 drops.)
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 8-10 minutes less than instructed on box (about 50 minutes.) Let cool, remove from pan and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Cut cold cake into slices the thickness of your cookie cutter. Cut heart shapes from the slices. Set aside.
4. Prepare your second box of pound cake mix the same as the first, except omit the food coloring. Coat a 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray and pour just barely enough batter to cover the bottom. Align your heart cut-outs down the center, keeping them tightly together. Poor the remaining batter over the heart cut-outs in the pan, making sure to cover the sides and tops. (Careful the batter doesn’t overflow.) Bake according to the directions on the box, about 1 hour. Let cool when done.
5. Meanwhile, prepare your icing. In a medium bowl, mix all of your ingredients together until combined and creamy. Add more powdered sugar if it appears too runny or more milk if it seems too stiff, until you reach the consistency you like.
6. Remove baked and cooled pound cake from pan and top with icing. Let set; cut into slices and enjoy! Adorable, right!? Serves 10

So adorable right?? I tried making 4 mini loaves with it and it turned out pretty good. Would have been much easier to just make one big loaf like the recipe says. Could do this for any holiday!!