Chicken Alfredo Pizza

We had this on Friday before Cinderella. As I was making it, I thought, the kids are not going to eat this. So I kept some of the chicken off the pizza and just gave it to them plain. So it was marinated but didn't have the vegetables or spices on it. Even still, Nathan would not eat it. Such a picky kid. Anyway this is from Simple & Delicious July/Aug 2008.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza
1 envelope zesty herb marinade mix (near the dry gravy & chili mixes)
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
1 prebaked Italian bread shell crust (they mean Boboli)
1/2 cup prepared Alfredo sauce
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
3 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup (4 oz) finely shredded pizza cheese blend
1/2 medium green pepper, julienned (don't really know how to do that, I just sliced it thin)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings (how do they make these onions red? Is it the same as red cabbage? It stained my fingernails a little bit)
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (left these out because mushrooms are slimy and gross)

In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp marinade mix, water, vinegar, and oil. (Save remaining marinade mix for another use, they say, but there really wasn't much left so I didn't bother). Pour 1/3 cup marinade into a large ziploc bag; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade. Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Broil 4 inches from heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally w/ reserved marinade. Cool. Cube chicken and set aside (I didn't really let mine cool before I cubed it, I was working with a deadline here). Place bread shell crust on ungreased 12 inch pizza pan. Spread with alfredo sauce. Sprinkle w/ parmesan cheese, italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1/2 of the cheese, green pepper, onion, mushrooms (if you like to eat fungus, I personally do not), cubed chicken and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, @ 450 for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 6 slices.

So this is definitely an adult pizza. Not like XXX adult, but I mean the type only adults will like. It smelled so delicious, like a pizzeria, while it was cooking. It tasted pretty good too, although the alfredo sauce added something weird. Steve said, what's the white stuff, sour cream? And I said no silly alfredo sauce. He likes alfredo, which is the whole reason I chose this recipe to begin with. But neither of us was crazy about that part of it. On the whole though it was a yummy meal and we all got our princesses to Brewer Middle School on time for Cinderella.

Johnny Appleseed Cake

This is my mom's recipe. It is featured in the awesome cookbook from the church my dad pastors on Deer Isle...in Oceanville. Doesn't that sound like a made up town name from a novel? But it is a real place, I have been there a few times so I am sure of it. Anyway this cake has a very "fall" feel to it, plus you have it with whipped cream instead of frosting so I'm sure it's healthier. Steve is on a diet, so we had a little bit of cake at home, then I took the rest to work, where it flew off the plate (I got there at 1:30 and it was gone by 2:30). So I would say this is a good choice. I have made this before (I think) but not in recent memory, so here it is for intersted parties (Autumn).

Johnny Appleseed Cake
1 stick margarine (I used butter because I LOVE butter...now that Steve is back to working full-time I can buy butter exclusively so this is a very exciting time for me)
1 3/4 cup sweetened applesauce
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Once butter is melted, add it plus the applesauce and raisins to the dry mixture. Mix well. Pour into 11x7 or 9" square pan (I used 11x7 which I think is the way to go because then you get more pieces), greased on bottom only. Bake 40-45 minutes (check often after 35 minutes)(my Mom's advice, not mine). Serve with whipped cream.

So I think this was so moist and tasty. It almost reminded me of gingerbread, but not as dark and spicy. You should definitely try this one.

Chicken and Rice Dinner

So this is what we had for supper on Wednesday night. I thought it looked like an easy yummy way to make chicken and rice. And it was real rice, not minute rice, so I thought that was a plus. But my usual problem with rice happened here, too: it doesn't cook all the way! It is still chewy, like "al dente" pasta or something. Maybe I am just too used to Rice a Roni enjoy the real deal, I don't know. But here it is (from Taste of Home cookbook pg 160).

Chicken and Rice Dinner
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 1/2 to 4 lbs) cut up (for a reminder, you do not have to do this nasty job...you can buy the chicken already cut up, without giblets, at the Wal-Mart, for under 5 dollars...it does have the neck though, so gross...just throw that part away)
1/4 to 1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
chopped fresh parsley (I left this out, as I almost always do with senseless and sometimes expensive garnishes)

Dredge chicken pieces in flour. In a large skillet, brown chicken on all sides in oil over medium heat. In a large bowl, combine the next 6 ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with chicken. Cover lightly with foil and bake @ 350 for 55 minutes or until rice and chicken are tender. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. 6 servings.

So I am not keeping this one. It was okay, and we had the leftovers yesterday, but the kids really don't like rice, and I don't like undercooked rice (I think it's undercooked at least) so that's that.

Baked Apple Donuts

This is something I have made for a long time, but I am putting it on now because Lisa asked for the recipe. I found this one in like 2005, in my pre-blog days, so it wasn't on here yet anyway. It is such a yummy way to use apples this time of year!

Baked Apple Donuts
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup butter
1 cup grated apple (no peel)
1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted (may need more)
1 cup sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon

Combine first 5 ingredients. Cut in butter w/ pastry blender. In separate bowl, combine apple, yogurt, and eggs; stir into flour mixture. Divide and spoon into greased muffin tin. Bake @ 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from tins and roll in melted butter, then into cinnamon sugar mixture. Makes 18.

So these are so so so yummy. Back when we were doing bake sales for Haiti I would make like a triple batch every Saturday and they always sold out. I quickly grew tired of grating apple, and thought I would use applesauce in one batch. They were still okay but the muffins were a bit tougher, not as moist. So I would stick with the grated apple. After we stopped the bake sales I said I would not make these again for a very long time, and it must be true because I have not made them since. Time to dust off the recipe, I guess. Thanks for the reminder Lisa!!

Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing with Buttery-Onion Corn on the Cob

So this is what we had for supper last night, from 2 different magazines...it was a very yummy fall meal, all told. While we were eating I put a batch of cookies in the oven, so we had warm (nestle refrigerated cookie dough) Turtle cookies for dessert. It was a very cozy domestic day. Also it was our anniversary and Stevie only worked a half-day, and it was so nice having him home!! Anyway the pork chops are from Kraft Food & Family Fall 2008 and the corn is from Simple & Delicious July/Aug 2008.

Pork Chops with Apples & Stuffing
1 pkg (6 oz) stove top stuffing for chicken
1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling
6 boneless pork loin chops (1 1/2 lbs), 3/4 inch thick

Heat oven to 375. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package. Spread pie filling into bottom of 13x9 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with chops, then stuffing. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake for 10 more minutes or until chops are cooked through.

Can you believe how easy that is? And it was so so yummy. The apples tasted so good with the stuffing, and the pork was moist. Everyone liked it except Nathan. So we call that a hit. It's definitely a keeper. We had it with the following corn...

Buttery-Onion Corn on the Cob
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 envelope onion soup mix
4 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed

In a small bowl, combine butter and onion soup mix; rub over corn. Place each ear of corn on a 12x10 inch piece of foil (I put the corn on the foil first, the rubbed the butter mixture over the corn--less mess). Fold foil over corn and seal tightly. Bake @ 450 for 15-20 minutes or until corn is tender, turning once.

So Sam and Emma did not like the onions on the corn, but Steve and I did. It was so yummy and perfect. I have not had good luck with fresh corn in the past, but this was so easy and took the guess work out of "how long to boil? Should we grill it for like 3 years?" So this one is a keeper as well. 2 hits in one night. Wow.

Banana Bread

I already have a recipe for banana bread that I usually use, but I don't love it. I also have a recipe for banana muffins that I got from Lisa, and I do really like that, but I don't know how that would translate into a loaf. So I thought I would try this one from the Taste of Home cookbook since I had ripe bananas. This one uses sour cream, which I think is a bit odd...and this banana bread is slightly less banana-y than my usual recipe...but the loaves were bigger than the other recipe. So I am torn. Guess I still don't have a recipe that I love...but here's this one anyway...

Banana Bread
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (instead I used mini chocolate chips...so much better)

In a lg mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in bananas and sour cream. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir into banana mixture just until moistened. Fold in nuts (or chocolate chips). Transfer to greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pan. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

I used some wheat flour with this recipe as well, to make it a little bit healthier. Of course it made it a bit heavier as well. But the kids liked it. Except Nathan. But one day I thought Emma would turn into a loaf of it, because she had it for supper the night I made it, then breakfast and lunch the next day. She said she loves banana bread. Obviously. So I guess my search continues...

Chicken and Biscuits

So we had this last week. It is remarkably similar to the Chicken Tot Pie we had like 2 weeks ago. Usually I screen better than that, but oh well. So it really wasn't much different than the other one, but biscuits instead of tots. It's from Kraft Food & Family Fall 2008.

Chicken and Biscuits
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup (8 oz) sour cream, divided
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup baking mix (like Bisquick)
3 tbsp milk

Heat oven to 375. Mix soup and 1/2 cup sour cream in 8-inch square baking dish. Add chicken, vegetables, and cheese; mix. Place baking mix in medium bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup sour cream and milk; stir until stiff dough forms. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls into 6 mounds over chicken mixture. Bake 35 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and chicken mixture is hot and bubbly.

So, nothing to write home about (even though I kind of just did). Not bad, but not saving it either.

Carmelized Pork Slices

We have moved on to the "pork" section of my Taste of Home Cookbook that I got for Christmas last year. I see now that it will be to next Christmas and I will not be through this one yet. But Mom I still want a cookbook for Christmas because I like them. So this is from pg 121. It was very yummy, almost like little boneless pork chops.

Carmelized Pork Slices
1 pork tenderloin (1 lb) cut into 1 inch slices
2 tsp canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Flatten pork slices to 1/2 inch thickness (this just seemed silly. Cut the pork into 1 inch slices and then flatten to 1/2 inch? That is not what I did. I cut them 1/2 inch to begin with. I highly recommend it). In a nonstick skillet, brown pork in oil over medium-high heat. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute garlic for 1 minute; stir in remaining ingredients. Return pork to pan; cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. 4 servings.

So we had this with real brown rice, not minute rice. I figure we better get used to rice because of the whole Haiti thing. Well, Sam is a trooper and of course ate his. Emma didn't like hers. I explained that in Haiti we will eat a lot of rice so we need to try to like it. She was not convinced. But it actually tasted good, and the texture of it made me a little nostalgic. So a healthy supper, because you know pork is lean meat with protein and stuff. And brown rice is like the best kind. So it was a hit. We had a little of the pan juices over the rice to give it some more flavor. Pretty sure this one's a keeper.

Triple Layer Peanut Butter Brownies

When I saw this recipe in the Fall 2008 Kraft Food & Family, I instantly knew I would be making it for my brownie-loving, peanut butter-loving family. It was pretty easy to make and of course tasted very yummy. I actually made this on Monday when it was still September, but due to the busyness of late, couldn't put it up until today. So October's numbers are totally going to be off. If I even kept track of them, they would be.

Triple Layer Peanut Butter Brownies
1 pkg brownie mix, prepared in 13x9 pan
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups cool whip (do no thaw)
3 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped (I left these out because Steve doesn't like nuts (even though he loves peanut butter so that makes no sense) and Sam thinks he doesn't like them because he threw up once after he ate a bunch of peanuts. I have told him the two events are unrelated and it was like 2 years ago but he is quite sure about this)

Make brownie mix according to box directions. While brownies are cooling, whisk milk and pudding in a bowl for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and sugar; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until brownies are completely cool. Spread pudding mixture over brownies. Microwave frozen cool whip and baking chocolate on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds (I had to do this for 1 min 30 seconds). Spread over pudding; sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour. Refrigerate leftovers.

So these were quite delicious. Couple of problems...you cannot eat them like a regular brownie, you have to eat it like cake, with a fork. Nathan would not touch these. He was very excited when I asked him if he wanted a brownie, but then when he saw one he was like "NO NO NO NO" etc. But everyone liked them. The peanut butter layer was runnier than I thought it would be by looking at their picture. But of course Steve loved these so I will be saving the recipe.