Friday, February 29, 2008

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

So this was actually last week's dessert that I didn't make because I was sick. So I'm trying to play catch-up. This is from Simple & Delicious, which I have been loving. I just got my 2nd issue last week and there is like something on every page that I want to try. This recipe is from Jan/Feb 2008.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 pkg (18.25 oz) chocolate cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Sprinkle marshmallows into a greased 13x9 baking dish. In a large mixing bowl (such as my kitchen aid mixer bowl), combine the cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil, and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium for 2 minutes or until smooth. Pour over marshmallows in pan; sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake @ 350 for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

So I'm sure I don't need to tell you that Steve loved this. The marshmallows all melted and made the cake very moist, so even though there is no frosting, there doesn't need to be because it's so moist. It was quite tasty. Jessica came over for lunch today and she had some too and she also liked it. So this one is a keeper. See you all soon!

Thursday, February 28, 2008

One-Pot Salsa Beef Skillet

Remember that Shania Twain song "That Don't Impress Me Much"? Well, that was the theme of last night's supper. We had this, from Kraft Food & Family winter 2008. It was just blah. Steve said it was like hamburger helper. Which is not an insult, because we rather enjoy hamburger helper. But I can make hamburger helper a lot easier than this. And cheaper. But here it is anyway.

One-Pot Salsa Beef Skillet
1 lb extra lean ground beef
2 cups water
1 cup salsa
1 pkg (14 oz) Kraft Deluxe macaroni & cheese dinner made w/ 2% milk cheese
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup shredded mexican style cheese
1 green onion, chopped

Brown meat in large skillet; drain. Add water, salsa, and macaroni; stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low; cover. Simmer 10 minutes or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally. Add corn and cheese sauce from pkg dinner; stir. Cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Top w/ shredded cheese and onion. Makes 4 servings.

So Sam & Steve ate all theirs, Emma and I did not. Nathan did not partake. I would not run to the store for this one. Talk to you soon!!

Tangy Pork Chop Stuffing Bake

Hello. I have been faced with yet more difficulties posting recipes, this time due to illness. Sickest I've ever been as a grown-up. Seriously. So this one I made probably like a week and a half ago. I didn't really like it, but then, I was sick. So if you think it sounds good, you should make it, because I'm not the impartial taste/recipe taster that I usually am. It's from Kraft Food & Family winter 2008.

Tangy Pork Chop Stuffing Bake
6 bone-in pork chops (3 1/2 lbs)
1 pkg Stove Top stuffing mix for pork (not at the wal-mart. Had to get it @ Hannaford)
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
3/4 cup barbeque sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Cook chops in skillet on medium heat 5 minutes on each side or until browned on both sides. Meanwhile, prepare stuffing in large saucepan as directed on package. Place chops in 13x9 baking dish; set aside. Mix cranberry sauce, barbeque sauce, and brown sugar. Add to stuffing and mix lightly. Spoon evenly over chops. Bake 30 minutes or until chops are cooked through. 6 servings.

The lady featured in this recipe says it is a year round staple at their house. Well, it won't be here. But I guess it wasn't bad for a change. Steve-o and the kids love cranberry sauce so I thought they would like the stuffing, but Emma wouldn't even touch it. Sam lapped it up, though. So, there it is. Try it if you want. =)

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Spicy Garlic Chicken Pizza

Hi girls. This is what we had last night. It was so yummy and flavorful. The kids didn't like it because it was spicy, and it was just a little bit too much for me, too, but the next time I make it I am going to decrease the amt of crushed red pepper. This is from the Better Homes & Gardens book. I am finding that I have liked almost every recipe I have made from this one...even though they tend to take a little bit longer than some others, I guess it's worth it. So here it is.........

Spicy Garlic Chicken Pizza
12 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts (I just used 2 frozen halves, defrosted. I think it was more than it called for but it still almost didn't seem like enough)
1/2 cup sliced green onions (I didn't have these so I used onion flakes. Still good)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used garlic from a jar. But I have a garlic press coming from Pampered Chef, so it will be interesting to see if fresh garlic makes a big taste difference)
2 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (here's what I will reduce to like 1/4 next time)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cornstarch
16-oz Boboli italian bread shell
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozarella cheese
2 tbsp pine nuts or sliced almonds

Rinse chicken; pat dry w/ paper towels. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. In mixing bowl, combine half the green onions, the minced garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, 1 tbsp oil, red pepper, and black pepper. Add the chicken pieces, stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. In skillet heat other 1 tbsp oil; add chicken pieces. Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir cornstarch into reserved liquid. Add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Spoon evenly over crust on baking sheet (I of course used my large round stone). Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake, uncovered (duh), @ 400 for 12 minutes. Top w/ remaining green onions and the nuts. Return to oven for 2 more minutes. 6 servings.

So like I said, this was good. And, you can get whole-grain Boboli. That's what I did. In my new "low-crap" diet, I am trying to avoid white bread and stuff. So this was actually a pretty healthy meal, too, even though it has lots of cheese, but cheese has calcium. And we need that. Also I didn't measure the cheese, I just sprinkled until it looked right. So I probably used more than it called for but it was good so I don't care. Also the recipe says low-sodium soy sauce, but I don't believe in that. Then you just have to add salt later for it to taste right. These soy sauce people already get the proportions right for us, so I say we should just go with it. Plus sodium is a necessary nutrient. Sometimes we get patients admitted with "hyponatremia" which is low sodium, and they can have cardiac issues, dizziness, etc. So clearly we don't want this to happen to our families. So just use regular soy sauce girls. Talk to you soon!