No Fail Pie Crust

1 c. flour
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. cold water

Combine flour & shortening. Add salt, then water. This recipe is for one double crust pie. If baking empty shell, bake at 375* for 8-10 minutes.

This pie crust bakes up nice & flaky every time.

Mock Apple Pie

4-5 c. zucchini
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
9 inch pie crust

Use a large zucchini (at least 12 inches long). Peel, cut in quarters lenghtwise, remove seeds with a spoon and slice crosswise. (So that they look like little apple slices). Cover with water and cook until tender crisp. Drain well and toss together with lemon juice and salt. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients, then add zucchini mixture and mix well. Pour into prepared 9-inch pie crust. Dot with butter and add top crust. Seal edges, cut slits for steam, brush with milk & sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake at 400* for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

*If you've never had this, I can guarantee you will not know that it is zucchini! It tastes and looks exactly like apple pie. I like to trick people by making it for them and not telling them what it is until after they have eaten it.

**Instead of nutmeg, I always use pumpkin pie spice (because I always forget to buy nutmeg), but I like the extra spices that are in the pumpkin pie spice anyway.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 c. sugar
2 c. grated zucchini
1 c. vegetable oil
3 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 c. raisins, nuts or chocolate chips

If using raisins, cover them with water in a sauce pan and boil for about 15 minutes, until they are plump. (Raisins are my favorite thing to add, I don't use nuts or chocolate chips, but that is personal preferance).

Mix all ingredients together. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350* for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Or use cupcake liners to make muffins and bake at 350* for about 20-25 minutes.

Are you guys still planning on using this blog?

Cause I'm the only one that has said anything...I don't want you all to get sick of me posting things, but I'm still going to use this blog to post recipes.

Also, please remember to bring the dishes that don't belong to you to Traci's house. Traci is missing a glass dish with a red lid, Melanie is missing a shiny silver 9x13 pan, and I'm missing some gladware containers.
Thanks!

Zucchini Relish

5 lg. zucchinis, grated
1 tbs. alum
3 lg. green peppers, diced
ice
5 lg. onions, diced
5 c. vinegar
1 lg. red pepper, diced
5 c. sugar
1/2 c. pickling salt
1 tbs. turmeric
2 tbs. celery seed

Mix all vegetables together and sprinkle with pickling salt and alum. Cover with ice and let
stand 4 hours. Drain and rinse. Combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seed and boil. Add
vegetables and cook until tender (20-30 min). Pour into jars and seal. Process in cold pack canner for 20 min. Makes 8-10 pints.

My family really enjoys eating this on bratwursts, hotdogs, and I always add a tablespoon or two in my egg salad sandwiches. My husband likes it in his chicken salad sandwiches too.

**If any of you have any large zucchinis that you want to part with, please don't throw them away! I want to make some relish this week but my plant has one of those dwarfism diseases. (Meaning it is the same size now as when I planted it in May!) Let me know if you have any large zucchinis that I can take off your hands. Thanks!

The new way we're doing things...

For those of you who aren't in the neighborhood, I thought you might like to know how those of us in the neighborhood are going to try the food exchange. Just in case you want to try it too... We are each taking a night of the week and we will make (not cook, just prepare) dinner for everyone on that night and take it to their house. Since we are close, we figure it should only take 5 minutes to deliver the food. This opens up a lot more possibilities for food (because some things don't freeze well), and the flavor of fresh food is always better than frozen. :) So hopefully this will work for us. Just thought I'd share in case you want to try it.

I forgot...

Can everyone bring the dishes that don't belong to them to Traci's house?
Thanks!

Jen, please post the recipe for the chunky cheese casserole. Loved it!

The food exchange

Hi Ladies,
I was getting kind of overwhelmed with the amount of meals we had to cook in our exchange, and in talking to the ladies in our neighborhood, it looks like we were all feeling kind of the same way. So we have decided to pull out of the big group and go back to just the four of us in the immediate neighborhood. I hope that's okay with y'all and that I'm not making you mad or hurting your feelings.

We would like to keep using this blog as a recipe blog though, so please continue to add recipes. And they can be any kind of recipes, I love any tried and true recipes! On future recipes, if you try them, make sure to comment and rate the recipe too. Feedback is a good thing! :)

I don't know if those of you who don't live in the neighborhood live close to eachother, but maybe you could start another group in your neighborhood. I love the concept, I've just come to the conclusion that it's easier with less people.

Jennifer S.

I don't know who made the Mexican Lasagna but my family really liked it...even my kids!
Please post the recipe when you get a chance.

Chicken Quesadillas

I didn't really use a recipe. It's just refried beans, seasonings, chicken and cheese on homemade tortillas. I can post the tortilla recipe if anyone wants it. Just let me know.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. canola oil
2/3 c. warm water
1/2 t. baking soda

Combine water and oil. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Mix just until blended. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll into balls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes. Roll very thin and cook on hot skillet or cook in tortilla press. *I used mostly white flour in the quesadillas I made because I wasn't sure how everyone would like wheat. I always make 100% wheat for my family. I also mix my dough in my mixer and use a tortilla press.

Shrimp Enchilladas

*If someone wants the recipe I will post it...just let me know.

Rotisserie Chicken

*just putting this on the blog so you can rate whether or not to do it again.

Meatball Sandwiches

Meatballs
Spaghetti sauce
Cheese (mozzerella or Provolone)
Buns or rolls

Heat meatballs and sauce in crockpot or on the stovetop. Serve on fresh bread with cheese.

Marinated Chicken

Pour your favorite Italian dressing on the chicken and leave in fridge for at least an hour before cooking or grilling. (my favorite is Kraft Zesty Italian)

Dijon Chicken Pasta Salad

1 package Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad® classic pasta salad mix
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
Vegetables (optional)


Empty Pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While pasta is cooking, stir together seasoning mix, oil, water and mustard in large bowl. Stir in any vegetables and chicken.
When pasta is done, drain & rinse in cold water. Shake to remove excess water. Mix into seasoning, chicken & vegetables. Refrigerate any remaining salad.

To Freeze: Combine seasoning mix, oil, water, cooked chicken and mustard in a freezer bag.
To Serve: Cook pasta (as above) and mix into chicken mixture.

**Note: Vegetables are optional, but I used tomatoes and cucumbers and loved it. Sometimes I add olives. Carrots & broccoli are also good, but if you use them, they need to be slightly cooked (so that they are not raw but are still crunchy).

Sides: Hard rolls, corn on the cob, jello, fruit, etc.

Chicken Rice Skillet

1 T. oil
2 chicken breasts
1 clove, garlic
1 c. uncooked rice
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. water
1/2 t. pepper

In a large skillet saute chicken and garlic in oil until light brown. Sitir in rice, broth, water, and pepper. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Yield 4-6 servings. (May add juice of one lemon before simmering. (I one and a halved this recipe for the group. Also, I put it in bags and froze before the simmering step)

Sides: This is good with steamed broccoli or green beans and also a salad or fruit

Sorry!

Today I found a bag of marinated chicken in my freezer that I must have missed. Whoever didn't get theirs I will bring it to the next exchange. Sorry!

What I'm making for July 2

Jen S. - (Cold) Chicken Pasta Salad
Lisa- Chicken Quesadillas
Melanie L--Meatball sandwiches (this will be my last exchange for the summer)
Linda- Rotisserie Chicken
Melanie N-hamburger patties
Jen C.-Chunky Cheese Casserole

How to cook Bratworsts

We like our brats grilled. Brown them on the grill on medium or high heat, turning until they are fully browned. (Don't overcook, a black bratworst is NOT good). Once they are browned, place the brats on the top shelf of the grill (usually located inside the lid of the grill), if you don't have a top shelf, turn your heat down to low and cook for another 10 minutes or so. You'll be able to hear the juices boiling inside the brats. Keep turning them to avoid charring. Eat on a bun with your favorite hot dog condiments. We like to eat ours with my homemade zucchini relish. I'll post the recipe for anyone who is interested.

NOTE: We have tried several different kinds of brats, but Collosimo's are our favorites.

Sloppy Joes's

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 chopped onion
1/4 chopped green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
3 teaspoons brown sugar( I accidently did tablespoons) so add extra salt or something...sorry
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onions and green pepper, drain off liquids.

Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar, mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

How many brats do you need?

So this week, my meal is bratworsts which come in a package of 5. One package is enough for our family because we eat them with sides (chips, salads, jello, etc) and our two younger girls (age 7 & 10) split one and then my husband eats two. So I'm wondering if any of you think that 5 won't be enough for your family? If you don't reply to this, I'll just assume that 5 is enough.
Thanks,
Jen S.

Marinated Pork Chops

1 Cup Sprite
1 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp garlic powder

Let Marinate on Chicken or Pork for at least 8 hours. Grill, Bake or Broil

What I'm making for June 18th

Jen S. ~ Bratworsts
Linda- Shrimp Enchilladas
Traci - Beefy macaroni
Lisa- Chicken Rice Skillet
Melanie L-- marinated chicken
Jen C.- Chinese skillet
Melanie N-Sloppy joes

Uh Oh...we have two chinese skillets. Are they the same dish?

Beef or Turkey Stroganoff

Brown 1/2 - 1 pound of ground turkey or beef (can add 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic). Drain grease. Add one package of onion soup mix and 1/2 cup water. Mix and let simmer on low heat. Add 4 oz of cream cheese. Mix until melted. Take pan off of the heat and add 1 can of cream of mushroom and 1 cup of sour cream. I also added a dash of Worchestershire sauce and some mustard. Mix well. Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice. (You may want to add milk to thin it as it is quite thick.)

Side: green salad with tomatoes and cucumbers

Hey guys,
I think this is going to be my last time doing it for the summer. I'm getting really busy and my husband loves to bbq a lot during the summer. Plus all the camping trips and so on. If you all are still doing it in the Fall. I would love to join again(if there's room). Thanks for all the yummy meals!
Melanie N

pans

I need all the 9x13 pans on thursday please

Chili Pasta Casserole

8 ounces uncooked wagon wheel or other pasta
1 pound lean ground sirloin or ground turkey (I used ground beef)
3/4 c. chopped green bell pepper (I didn't use it)
3/4 c. chopped onion (I used 1 TBSP dry onion)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 c. shredded cheese (I used 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

Spray large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add meat, green pepper and onion. Cook 5 mins or until meat is not pink, stirring frequently.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, black pepper, and allspice. Cook 2 mins. Stir in pasta. Spoon into casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake 20-25 mins or until heated through.

To freeze: Do not cook pasta completely, keep firm. Mix ingredients all together, freeze.
Thaw, put in casserole dish, top with cheese and bake.

Names and Numbers

I think it would be a good idea to put all of our names and phone numbers on the blog. I started a spot to the right under "chefs". Just click on the edit button and add your name and number if you would like. Thanks!

Beef Fajita Skillet

1 lb. ground beef
1 c. uncooked rice
2 c. salsa
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1 1/4 c. water
1 c. cheese, grated

In large skillet, saute ground beef; drain fat. Top meat with rice, salsa, beans and water. Cover and simmer 25-30 minutes; stir occasionally. Top with cheese. Cover and heat until cheese melts. Top each serving with corn chips. Yield: 6 servings

If freezing, combine all ingredients except cheese before simmering and freeze. Thaw and cook in covered skillet for 25- 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with cheese and heat until cheese melts.

Sides: We like corn or a salad with this. It's also good rolled up in a tortilla.

Barbequed Spare Ribs

2 lb. boneless spare ribs
12 oz. barbeque sauce
1 c. applesauce

Cut ribs inot serving-sized peices. Boil in 1 quart water for 1 hour; drain. Combine barbeque sauce with applesauce. Place ribs in slow cooker and top with sauce mixture. Cover and cook on low setting 8-10 hours or high seting 4-5 hours. Yield: 6-8 servings.

For the freezer, I boiled the ribs then put them in bags with barbeque sauce/applesauce combination.

Side dishes: Baked or twice baked potatoes, veggie, green salad or fruit

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2-3 cups of cooked, diced chicken
6-8 flour tortillas
2-3 cups shredded colby jack cheese or cheddar
For the sauce:
1 can of cream of chicken
8-16 oz of sour cream (depending on how much you like)
1 can of diced chiles
1/2 cup of milk
a little salsa
a sprinkle of chili powder
(or you could even add a can of enchildada sauce)

Mix up the sauce until smooth. Layer stips of tortillas across bottom of a greased 9 X 13 pan (2-3 tortillas) (also you may want to put some sauce on the bottom if you like) Spread about 1 cup of sauce over the tortillas then sprinkle 1 cup of chicken over that and then cheese. Repeat the process with tortillas strips, sauce, chicken and cheese. Add one more layer of tortillas and then some cheese. Bake uncovered until bubbly at 350 for 30 minutes.

What I'm making for next exchange on June 4th

Melanie L: Beef (or turkey) Stroganoff with noodles
Linda: Marinated Pork Chops
TRACI: cheese manicotti
Lisa: Beef Fajita Skillet
Jen C: Chili pasta Casserole
Melanie N: not sure yet...maybe something with chicken since I don't see any
Jen S: Thinking about french bread pizza

Chicken Spaghetti

3-4 chicken breasts
1 c. chicken broth
2 cans creamed chicken soup
2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
Spaghetti, cooked
Parmesan cheese

Cook chicken breasts until done. Cut up in pieces. In large bowl, mix everything together except Parmesan cheese. In a casserole dish, layer with spaghetti mixture, then Parmesan cheese. Cook 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees in a 9 x 13 dish.
*I mix the noodles and the sauce altogether (instead of layering it), it makes it creamier and easier to dish up if you do it that way.

**Side** We do garlic toast and a green salad or green beans

Pizza Casserole

2 cups uncooked egg noodle(I used Penne)
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped(I didn't use that much)
2 cloves garlic, minced(I didn't use that much)
1 green bell pepper(I only used half)
1 cup sliced pepperoni sausage(I didn't know what it was so I just used pepperoni)
16 ounces of pizza sauce
4 tablespoons milk(i forgot it hopefully it doesn't make a huge differance)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

IF FROZEN-thaw and preheat oven to 350* cook for about 20 min, sprinkle with cheese and cook for about 10 more min.

DIRECTIONS:

cook noodles according to package

in medium skillet over med-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onions, garlic and green pepper. Drain excess fat. stir in the noodles, pepperoni, pizza sauce and milk, and mix well. pour into a 2-quart casserole dish

bake at 350* for 20 min, top with cheese for 5 to 10 more min

French Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbls yeast
2 tbls oil
2 tbls sugar
1 egg
1 tbls salt
6 cups flour

Mix water, yeast, oil , and sugar and let sit until starts to bubble. Gradually add flour and salt until you can handle it well enough to knead-if you have a mixer knead by machine for 10, or by hand until smooth. Let rise until double (about 45 min). Divide dough in half. Roll each into a rectangle and roll into long loaf. Tuck the ends under. Cut slashes across top of each loaf. Smear each loaf with beaten egg white. Place on cookie sheet that is greased or sprinkled with cornmeal. Rise until double. Bake 20-30 mins at 350.

Quiche

4 eggs (I used 1 cup egg beaters0
1/4 cup flour
1 cup light Mayonaise
1 cup milk
8 oz cut and cooked bacon or 1 cup chopped ham
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup grated cheese
1 small tomato
* you can add just about anything you would put in an omlette
Mix first four ingredients, and then add the rest. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350.
*you can also use a crust if you want

** I serve with fresh fruit and french bread or corn muffins

Quick Chicken Cordon Bleu

1 box (6 oz) dry Stove Top stuffing mix
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 tbs butter
3/4 lb. lean, low-sodium ham slices
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
3/4 lb. sliced, diced or shredded cooked chicken (2 cups)
2 cups sauce, optional (see below)
cranberry sauce, cherry tomatoes, parsley etc, optional garnish

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
Bring water to a boil; stir in butter and stuffing mix; remove from heat, cover and allow stuffing to stand 5 minutes.
Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick spray. Layer ham slices in bottom of pan; sprinkle with shredded cheese; arrange chicken over cheese. Spread prepared stuffing over chicken slices. Bake 20-30 minutes or until heated through and stuffing is browned on top. Cut in squares and serve with optional sauce* and optional garnish.

Serves 6-8

Sauce:
1 can (10.75oz) condensed Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1-3 teaspoons lemon juice
2-4 tablespoons milk, as desired
Whisk together soup, sour cream and lemon juice. Dilute sauce to desired consistency by stirring in one to two tablespoons milk at a time; heat sauce before serving.

CHICKEN PACKETS

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 3-ounce package cream cheese softened( I just use the 8 oz and double everything else.)
1 T. chives
2 T. milk
salt to taste
1/2 cup crushed, seasoned crouton crumbs ( I just used bread crumbs)
2 8-ounce packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup melted margarine

Directions: Mix 1st 5 ingredents together in medium bowl(mixing with hands works best).
Unroll cresent rolls, and press down on perferations so that you have 4 regtangles. Place about 1/4 cup mixture into center of rectangle and pinch edges closed. Dip into melted butter then into
crumbs. Flash freeze and place into bags.

Do Not thaw place onto baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350 and cook for 30 minutes or until dough is done.

Preferences

Since we have some new members to our group and I also don't remember everyone's preferences, I thought it would be a good idea to have everyone put on this post what their family really dislikes and won't eat. Here goes:

peas
mushrooms (cream of mushroom is ok)
raw onions & green onions (sauteed is ok)

Chicken Pot Pie

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 carrots choopped
1/2 cup celery
1 potato, cut up
2 cups cooked and chopped chicken

PIE CRUST
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup butter flavored crisco
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 2 tabl water

Place vegetables in skillet, cover with small amount of water until vegetables are tender-put aside. Place butter, salt and pepper in skillet until butter is melted. Blend in flour until mixture is smooth and bubbly, remove from heat. Stir in Chicken broth and cooked veggies. Pour into crust or pastry lined pan, cover with crust. Cook at 425 for 30-40 minutes

Taco Pie

1 lb. ground beef
1 c. onion
1 1.25oz. envelope Taco Seasoning
1 2.25 can sliced black olives (optional)
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 8oz. can cresent roll dough
1 c. refried beans
2c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 10.50oz. bag corn chips
1 c. sour cream

Brown beef with onion. Add taco seasoning, olives, and tomato sauce. Unroll cresent roll dough and press together perforations. Press into bottom and up sides. Heat beans and mix with water to make spreadable. Spread over crust. Top with 1/2 of the cheese. Cover with 1/2 of the chips. Spoon meat mixture over chips. Cover with sour cream; sprinkle remaining cheese. Top with remaining chips.

To serve: Thaw. Bake uncovered 45 minutes @ 375degrees. Makes 8 servings.

Pork and Green Chili Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. boneless pork, cut into 1/2 in. cubes
1 T. cooking oil
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies
1 c. quick cooking brown rice
1/4 c. water
2 T. salsa
1 t. cumin
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, saute pork in oil until no pink remains; drain. Add the beans, soup, tomatoes, chilies, rice , water, salsa and cumin; cook and stir until bubbly. Pour into an ungreased 2 quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 350° for 30 minutes. Srpinkle with cheese; let stand a few minutes before serving.

Sides: This is good with corn or a salad and fruit. We like to eat it with tortilla chips too.

Baked Beans and Hamburger

3 strips bacon, diced
3/4 lbs. lean ground beef
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onions
1 28-ounce can pork and beans in tomato sauce
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. prepared mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon: drain on a paper towel, let cool, then dice. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and saute onions until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the fat. Mix in bacon and remaining ingredients, put in container, and freeze.
To Prepare for serving, thaw and bake uncovered in a large baking dish in preheated 350 oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Make Ahead Lunch or Dinner Wraps

2 Cups uncooked brown rice
4 Cups water
4 (15 ounce) cans black beans
2 (15.5 ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (10 ounce) can whole kernal corn
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
16 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 pound shredded pepperjack cheese
1 packet taco seasoning
veg oil
onions

Saute onions and 1 T of taco seasoning. Add rice and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 35 to 40 min, or until tender. Remove from heat and add the rest of the taco seasoning, and then let it cool.

Place blk beans and pinto beans into a colander or strainer, and rinse. Add corn and then transfer to a large bowl. Add tomatoes and green chiles and toss to mix. Add rice and cheese.

Put mixture onto tortillas and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Place in freezer bag and freeze. Reheat as needed in microwave.

Hamburger Chinese Casserole

This was one of the first things I made.

3 c. hamburger
1 1/2 c. onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 c. water
1 c. uncooked regular rice
2 T. soy sauce
Chow Mein noodles

Combine all ingredients except noodles. Put into freezer bag and freeze. When thawed, put into casserole dish, and bake covered at 350° for 45 minutes. Remove lid, cover with noodles and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.

Pizza Pockets

Use your favorite pizza dough recipe. Roll out to about 1/8 inch and cut into circles at least 4 inches wide. Place favorite toppings on one circle and then some sauce. Put another circle on top and seal it. I used my Pampered Chef sealer which worked okay. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. Frozen pockets may take up to 20 minutes.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

(forgot about this one)
2 cups of cooked rice (I used long grain brown rice)
2 cups of diced, cooked chicken
2 cups of frozen or fresh veggies
1 can of cream of chicken
1 cup of cheese

Mix all of the above and put in casserole dish. Heat at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Should we include rice with our meals?

Last time we met we were talking about the rice issue because Lisa says she has a ton & doesn't need more. Anyone else feel the same way? After thinking about it, I don't need rice either. My meal this week is served over rice, so please comment on this post ASAP so I'll know if I should send rice or not. btw, I will not be there this week, I'll be sending my food with Melanie.
Thanks for the yummy food!

Cheese Manicotti

Ricotta cheese
Cottage cheese
1 egg
Italian seasoning
Mozzerella cheese
Spaghetti sauce
Uncooked manicotti (or shells)

Combine ricotta & cottage cheese with egg and Italian seasoning. Spray baking pan with Pam, then spread a little spaghetti sauce in the pan. Fill uncooked pasta with cheese mixture. Place filled pasta in pan, cover with remaining spaghetti sauce and top with shredded mozzerella cheese. Cover with freezer foil. To serve: Thaw, bake covered at 350* for 45 minutes. Uncover, bake a few minutes longer or until cheese is melted. (We like our cheese to start to brown).

**Traci, here are the ingredients. I don't remember the exact measurements on how much ricotta & cottage cheese I used, just equal amounts of each, and I just sprinkled in the seasoning. You know me, I don't use recipes very often!

Cranberry Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 16oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup creamy French dressing
1 envelope onion soup mix

Cut chicken into strips. Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over chicken. Place in greased baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 45 mins at 350*.

To serve: Thaw, reheat and serve over rice. It might be good to add some stir fry veggies if you want.

NOTE: This recipe can be frozen prior to baking.

Cheesy Ham and Noodles

3 c. corkscrew pasta
2 c. ham
1 c. American cheese
1 c. mozzrella cheese
1 10.75oz. can cream of celery soup
1 c. sour cream

Cook pasta, salted for 2 minutes less than shortest time on package. Drain. Combine cheeses, soup and sour cream. Stir in ham and noodles. Put in ziploc and label.

To serve: Thaw. Bake in greased baking dish, covered, 45 minutes @ 350 degrees-stir.

Chicken and Stuffing

2 c. chicken broth
1/2c. butter, melted
1 8oz box chicken stuffing
1 c. sour cream
1 10.75 oz. can mushroom soup
4 c. cooked chicken, chopped

Combine broth and butter. Stir in stuffing and season mix. Combine sour cream and soup. Stir into stuffing; add chicken.

To serve: Thaw. Bake in greased dish, covered, 30 minutes @ 350 degrees. Uncover, bake 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Oriental Beef and Noodle Toss

1 lb. ground beef
2 pkgs. Oriental Ramen Noodles
2 cups water
2 cups frozen Oriental vegetable mixture
1/8 t. ginger

Brown ground beef over medium heat in a large skillet; drain fat. Season beff with one seasoning packet. Remove from pan and set aside. In same skillet, combine water, begetables, noodles(broken in several pieces), ginger and remaining seasoning packet. bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 3 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Return beef to skillet; heat through. Yield 4-6 servings.

*I 1 1/2 timed the recipe for the exchange. I also used mostly fresh vegetables. You can use any vegetable combination you want. It's also good with chicken, turkey or leftover roast beef. Any flavor of ramen is good too.

Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

3/4 Pound Ground Turkey
3/4 Pound Italian seasoned Ground Turkey
1 box Cornbread Stuffing (made according to box)

Mix Meats together, and place a small amound in the palm of your hand. Put a spoonful of dressing on top of meat and wrap around stuffing. Brown Meatballs in a skillet. Top with Mushroom gravy.

Mushroom gravy
1 can cream of Mushroom soup
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup milk

Warm and mix until smooth

Sorry

My friend will not be doing the exchange this time around. I hope this isn't an inconvenience to anyone. So let's do the 7 meals like before.
Thanks,
Melanie N

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 /4 c. cream cheese, softened
1 pound chicken, cooked and chopped
1/3 c. bbq sauce
4 slices bacon, cooked til crisped, crumbled
1/2 c. shredded monterey jack cheese
crushed red pepper flakes

Spread cream cheese onto unbaked crust. Mix together chicken and bbq sauce. Place chicken mixture evenly on top of cream cheese. Top with bacon, cheese, then red pepper flakes. Bake at 400° for about 10-15 minutes.

I can't remember for sure which crust recipe I used so I will post 2

Pizza Crust(this one is kind of thick and chewy)
1/2 c. warm water
2 pkgs. yeast
2 c. hot water
3 T. sugar
1 T. salt
1/3 c. oil
6 cups flour
Combine warm water and yeast; let stand 10 minutes. In a large bowl blend hot water, sugar, salt and oil; let cool. Add yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that can be mixed witha spoon. Leave spoon in batter and allow dough to rest 10 minutes. Stir down and let dough rest again; repeat process every 10 minutes for 1 hour. Divide dough into 4 pieces and stretch onto greased pizza pans. Makes 4 crusts

Pizza Crust( this one is really quick)
1 T. yeast
1 cup warm water
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 T. oil
About 2 1/2-3 c. cups flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c. warm water. Add sugar, salt and oil to remaining 1/2 c. water. Combine all together and gradually add flour until dough isn't sticky. Spread onto greased pizza pan. Makes 1 crust

Easy Beef Stew

1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 pkg. onion soup mix
1 can water
1 pound beef stew meat(not cooked)
6 potatoes, chunked
6 carrots, sliced

Mix and bake at 325° for 3 1/2-4 hours. You can also cook in the crock pot on low all day or on high for a few hours.

Mexican Tortilla Bake

Brown 1 pound ground beef, 1 onion and 1 clove garlic.
Add 2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. water
1 t. chili powder
1/4 t. salt

Simmer 20 minutes. Spoon 1/4 mixture in 9x13 pan. Spread 9 corn tortillas with sour cream(1/2 pint). Arrange 3 tortillas on meat mixture in pan. Sprinkle with about 1/2 c. cheese. Then layer more meat, tortillas and cheese 2 more times. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Italian Meatball Subs

Meatball mix:
4 lbs. ground beef
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups Italian, or regular bread crumbs
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Sauce ingredients:
2 (15 oz.)can tomato sauce
1 (29 oz.)can crushed Italian tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 envelopes spaghetti sauce seasoning

To Serve:
Thaw; Place on hogi buns, put shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese on top. May toast if desired.

Combine meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place meatballs on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400. for 10-15 minutes. Drain on paper towels; cool. Then Place desired amount of meatballs and sauce in container and freeze.

Apricot or Peach Glazed Chicken

½ c. Italian dressing ( or Catalina dressing)
2 tsp. Ground ginger (optional) I didn't put it in
2 ½ - 3 lbs. Chicken pieces
¼ c. apricot or peach preserves
To freeze: Dump all ingredients into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer.
To cook: Thaw in refrigerator. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until chicken is done. This is also a nice grill recipe

I forgot

I forgot to put chicken bouillon in the water for the lemon rice. It will need enough for 2 cups of water.

Meatball

Meatball Sauce
1 1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c white vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
1 1/2 c ketchup
Pour over meatballs

Meatballs
1-1 1/2 lb. hamberger
1/2 c oatmeal
2 eggs
1/2 c chopped onions
1/4 c milk
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t Worcestershire sauce
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Form into small balls. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes and drain off grease. Pour sauce onto meatball and put back in oven for about 25-30 minutes. Serve with rice.

What am I making for next time

Hey everybody, Traci had a great idea when posting what we're planning on making next time. Just add to this post so that there aren't 8 different posts saying what we're bringing. To do that, click on edit posts, then find the one that says "What am I making for next time" and click on edit. Then add what you want to make onto the list. That way all of our posts will be in ONE post! Great thinking Traci! ~Jen

Traci: Ham and Potato Casserole
Lisa: Pork and Green Chili Casserole
Linda: Chicken Pot Pie
Jennifer: Cranberry Chicken over rice
Melanie L: Pizza Pockets (next time i'm doing chicken enchiliadas)
Melanie N: burrito wrap thingy

Lemon Rice Pilaf

2 cups chicken broth or 2 cups water with bouillon
4 Tbs. butter
1 cup rice
Lemon juice to taste.

Bring broth to a boil. Place in rice and turn heat down to simmer. Cook for 20-25 min. or until water is soaked up.

Souvlaki Marinated Chicken Skewers

1 tsp. minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbsp. cooking oil (I used Canola)
6 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. oregano
2-3 lbs. of chicken, cut into 1-to-2 inch peices
(can also use pork or turkey)

Combine the onion, garlic, oil, lemon juice,salt, pepper, and oregano in a glass bowl or casserole dish. Add the meat and stir well. If Freezing, Place into container and Freeze, otherwise marinate in the fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight. Put meat on skewer sticks. Cook on countertop grill or on a barbecue grill. You can also cook in pan on stove.
CAN INCLUDE LEMON RICE PILAF

Spaghetti Pie

Cook enough spaghetti to make a layer or "crust" in a pie dish (you can use a bigger baking dish but you may have to double the following ingredients)
Mix one egg, 1 TBS butter, and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese with the spaghetti and form your crust. Spread 1 cup of cottage cheese over the crust. Then add a layer of spaghetti sauce, 1-2 cups. You can add hamburger to the sauce too. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees.

BBQ Pork (or Beef or other fleshy animal)

Dice a large onion finely
Add 2 or 3 16 oz bottles BBQ sauce of your coice
3-5 bay leaves
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp Liquid Smoke (optional, 3-4 drops is all--less is more)
a small pinch of dry mustard or 1/2 tsp of wet
1/2 cup water
Pressed or roasted garlic 2-3 cloves

Put sauce in crock pot with a 3-5 pound roast. Slow cooked for 6-8 hours is best. Shred with two forks and serve on hard rolls.
OR
Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes. Place your roast in oven bag and add all the sauce to the bag. Poke a few small holes in the top of the bag or you will have a BBQ bomb.
Place in 300 degree oven for 6 hours.

Vegetable Cheese Soup

4-5 cups diced potatoes
2 cups carrots, diced or baby
1-2 cups chopped celery
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups water
Steam above veggies in water for 20 minutes. Then add:
1 16 oz. package of frozen broccoli and cauliflower (you can use fresh too)
Continue to steam for 7 more minutes.
Melt together in saucepan:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
Add:
2 cups milk
6 chicken boullion cubes
1 TBS dry mustard
1/2 tsp pepper
Blend until melted:
1 lb Velveeta cheese
Stir into vegetables. To extend, add cream of chicken soup.

Chicken Crepes

Crepes:
3/4 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c. milk
1 T. oil
Combine flour and salt. In separate bowl, comvine beaten eggs, milk and oil; stir to blend. Gradually add egg mixture to dry ingredients, stirring constantly witha wire whisk or fork until batter is smooth. Cook in hot skillet.

Filling:
About 2 cups Shredded Chicken
About 1/2 c. Chopped celery
About 1/2 c. Chopped fresh or frozen spinach
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
About 1 c. Shredded cheddar cheese

Mix chicken, celery, spinach, 1/4 can soup and 1/2 c. shredded cheese. Roll up in crepes. Place in 9x13 pan. Add about 1/2 c. water to remaining soup and pour over crepes. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes

How to use this blog

First of all, Lisa, what is your sister's name and email address so I can add her onto the blog?

Okay, down to business...The purpose of this blog is to be able to share our recipes, to get other's feedback on our recipes, and to be able to communicate with eachother.

So please make the time to sit down and enter your recipes! There are recipes that you all have made that I would like to make again, but I don't know how. For example, Lisa, I have some crepes in my fridge right now and I'd love to be able to make your chicken crepes. Our family loved them and we'd eat them again even though it was just last week when we had them the first time.

Also, we've made lots of different recipes, and we're almost at the point where we can start doing the same recipes again. So especially for those that are new to the group, it would be great to have some tried & true recipes to use.

Secondly, I would appreciate everyone's honest feedback about my recipes. I don't want to make something again if one of you hated it. I'm sure you all feel the same way about it and this is why it's important to rate everyone's recipes. I added the rating system after each post for this reason. This is what the stars mean:

**** Delicious!
*** Good, we'd eat this again
** Not our favorite, but not horrible
*Please don't make this again.

Don't be afraid to be honest! Also, regarding rating the food, please leave comments saying specifically what you liked/disliked and/or suggestions about the recipe.

Communication is important as we add more people, recipes, and dishes to our group. Use this blog to post what you are planning on making and if you need pans or dishes. For example, I have 3 gladware containers and the 13x9 gladware pan that are empty. I'm not using them, but I'm sure someone could. So if you need a particular dish for your recipe, post it on here so that we can get them to you. As far as dishes are concerned, a few of us have purchased gladware or ziploc containers. If it is in your budget to buy a few more, that's great. As long as we don't microwave them, they should last for a while. Let's also remember to keep our eyes open at the DI and garage sales for more dishes.

One more thing...when you post a recipe, at the bottom of the box where you type your text, there is a box that says "labels". In this box, enter the name of the recipe and what kind it is. For example: crock pot recipe, mexican, burritos, etc. This will help to keep the recipes organized as we add more to the blog. On the right side of the screen on the blog all of the recipes are listed by labels so it will be convenient if you are looking for a crock pot meal to click on it and all of those meals will come up.

I hope I'm not coming across like a know-it-all or something, but I can't help it...after all, I do know it all. Just kidding!!! Looking forward to seeing you all & eating your food!
~Jen
P.S. Hope you didn't take that last part seriously! (the part about being a know-it-all! I am serious about looking forward to seeing you & eating your food!)

Shredded Pork Mexican Style

I can't decide what to call this recipe! On the ziploc bags that you will all be getting on Thursday, I wrote Shredded Pork Soft Tacos/Burritos, but it really tastes like Chili Verde (except its way easier to make than authentic chili verde). Here is the recipe:

1 pork roast
1 pint (or more) salsa
1 pkg. taco seasoning

Put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook until the meat is falling apart and shreddable. Shred and serve how ever you like it.

These are some suggestions on how you could serve it. The first one is the way my family ate it, and loved it.

*Like chili verde...put a long scoop down the middle of a tortilla, top with a little cheese. Roll up the tortilla, top with a little more meat (we like our chili verde smothered), some more cheese and then microwave until hot. You could also make it up ahead of time and bake it until it's done. If you do that option, make sure to spray the pan with Pam.
*Soft Tacos...spread meat onto half of a tortilla, fold tortilla over and then fry in a hot frying pan with a few tbsp. of oil until the tortilla is lightly golden. Turn over and fry the other side. We like our soft tacos with lettuce, olives, tomatoes, and sour cream.
*Hard shell Tacos... heat up meat and eat in a hard taco shell with whatever you like to eat in a taco.
*Nachos...top tortilla chips with whatever you like (meat, refried beans, tomatoes, olives, onions, jalapenos, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese). Cook in microwave until cheese is melted.

NOTE* We ate more of these today, but I was out of flour tortillas so I used corn and Chris says it's better than with flour. Don't tell him, but I think he might be right about this!

I'm thinking of doing a burrito wrap. I will try it first then I will decide. If it's not good I will pick something else.

Enchilada Chowder

Put the following in a pot or crockpot:
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of corn or 10oz of frozen corn, drained
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 can of diced chiles or fresh chopped

In separate bowl, mix these and then add to above:
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 lg can or 2 sm cans of enchilada sauce
2 cups of milk

Cook on stovetop for about 40 minutes or in crockpot, 3 hrs on high.
Add 1-2 cups of cheese. Can add sour cream, avocado, corn chips.

What I'm cooking for the next exchange

I'm making shredded pork soft tacos. What about the rest of you?

Cream Cheese Chicken

This recipe is from the cookbook Dinner Is Ready. Really easy and really yummy! Sometimes I add frozen broccoli when it is almost done. (You wouldn't want to add it to early or it would turn mushy). I don't follow the directions exactly either...I put all of the ingredients in the crock pot at the beginning and let them all cook together. I prefer bowtie pasta.

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1/2-1 c. butter or margarine
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz. cream cheese

Melt butter in crock pot on high. Mix italian salad dressing mix into butter. Cut chicken into 1" strips. Place in crock pot and stir to coat. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Remove chicken to plate to cool. Add 1 can of cream of chicken soup and cream cheese. Stir to melt and mix well until smooth and creamy. Remove sauce from crock pot and allow to cool. Place chicken and sauce into a gallon freezer bag. To serve: Thaw. Heat until piping hot and bubbly. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or hot buttered noodles.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Okay ladies...I told you I don't use recipes very often, so here are the ingredients that I use when I make sweet & sour chicken. I will try to give approximate measurements, but when I cook I just add things until it tastes good.

Chicken, cut in bite-size pieces
Canned pineapple (I like crushed)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. House of Tsang Korean Stir Fry Sauce
garlic salt
1 bell pepper, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
a few tbsp. cornstarch mixed with a few tbsp. cold water

Season chicken with a little garlic salt, soy sauce, and stir fry sauce and brown in a little bit of oil. When chicken is about half way done, add sliced carrot and cook together. Once chicken is done, add bell pepper, pineapple, vinegar and brown sugar. Taste the liquid at this point to see if you need more sugar, vinegar or seasonings. Simmer in liquid for a few minutes to cook pepper until it is tender but still crisp. Mix cornstarch with cold water and add to sauce to thicken. Serve over hot rice, we like sticky rice.

Fajitas

This is the fajita recipe that I used, except we didn't use red bell peppers and we used lime juice instead of lemon. We pre-cooked the chicken and then froze it along with the peppers and onions. Also, when we warm the tortillas, we wrap a few in a dish towel and heat in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. This recipe comes from my old Syracuse 8th ward cookbook and was from Holly Welch. (She's like a gourmet cook or something!)

4 large chicken breast halves or 1 1/2 lbs beef, cut into strips
1/2 tbsp oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 small onions, sliced

Marinade
2 tbsp soy sauce
2-3 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
dash of red pepper
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
1/4 tsp ground cumin, optional
2 tbsp oil, optional

In small bowl, whisk marinade ingredients together in the order they appear (adding the oil in slowly). Pour over the meat and marinade for 15 minutes to 1 hour for chicken and 1-4 hours for beef. In a heavy frying pan, heat oil and brown half of the meat (it should not be fully cooked); remove from the pan. Then cook half of the onions and peppers until tender and crisp. Add in the browned meat and stir together; remove from heat and serve. This will make 2 servings. Repeat with remaining ingredients. To garnish, squeeze with lemon juice and serve with warm flour tortillas. Top with sour cream, guacamole, or whatever you like. NOTE- The secret to good fajitas is to brown and sear the meat rather than saute. For this reason you will need a heavy pan that retains heat well and only cook 1-2 servings at a time. Also, traditionally the vegetables should still be crisp so try not to overcook. Total cooking time should only be 2-3 minutes. Serves 4.