Devynn's Divinely Delicious

Cilantro Rice (Easy) & Citrus Chicken (Easy)

2010-11-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

I made both of these recipes tonight and YUMMY! The rice is hands down the best rice I've ever had! LOVED it. It was a huge hit in this house so I thought I would share!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ask-aida/cilantro-rice-recipe/index.html

Here is the chicken recipe (I used bonesless skinless chicken breasts)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/citrus-garlic-roasted-chicken-recipe/index.html

Enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken (EASY)

2010-09-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

I modified this recipe: here to make the follow recipe:

Balsamic Chicken (EASY)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup soy sauce
2 tsp dried rosemary
3 garlic cloves halved
2 - 3 bonesless skinless chicken breasts

Combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary and garlic cloves in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar. Add the chicken breasts to the bag and seal with as little air as possible. Place in refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours. (I just put mine in a Tupperware container that was deap enough for the chicken to be submersed in).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place the chicken in a small baking dish lined with foil. Back 30-35 minutes.

While that is cooking place the marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a full boil to kill the bacteria. Reduce the heat and simmer and cook until it thickens up, should take until the chicken is done baking.

Then I cooked up enough wholewheat thin spaghetti for my family and when that was done cooking I put the remainder of the now boiled marinade over the pasta and toss. Then top with the chicken. YUMMY!!! It is kind of sweet but it was SO good! My boys couldn't get enough of it!

AMAZING Whole Wheat Bread (EASY-MODERATE)

2010-08-11T14:13:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe from our Bishop's wife. She gets to make it MANY loaves at a time but I halved the recipe since that's all that would fit in my mixer. After her's cools she cuts in and then freezes it and says it comes out just like fresh bread. If you cut your loaves into 20 slices that makes them 1 pt each for Weight Watchers or 3 pts for two pieces. This is CRAZY moist and amazingly yummy!

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD (EASY-MODERATE)

6 cups potato water (very warm -- I make it just hot enough so I can't keep my wrist under the water) (read below for info)
1/2 cup oil (I used vegetable oil)
3/4 cup honey
3-4 eggs (beat them)
2 tbsp. yeast
3/4-1 cup gluten (you can find this by the flour in the supermarket)
tbsp. salt
9-13 cups flour (I used entirely whole wheat flour)

Potato water? After you make regular mashed potatoes, save the water you boil the potatoes in. I just put mine in glass jars I had lying around from pasta and stuff. I put the water right from the stove into the jars and put the lids on them and they sealed. Apparently this is THE ingredient that makes the difference! Who would have ever guessed?

Mix above ingredients in your mixer with the dough hook and mix until it leaves the bowl and is one large ball. Add flour if it doesn't make a ball until it does.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and put your dough in it. Cover with a dish towel and place in a warm place away from drafts. I usually heat my oven up to 350 degrees and just place my dough on the stove. Let rise until it doubles in size (about an hour).

Then beat down and separate into thirds. I spray my counter with Pam and work the dough on the counter until I get it into a nice loaf shape. Spray your loaf pans with Pam. Place the dough into your pans. Place back into a warm place away from drafts and put a dish towel over them an let them rise another half an hour or until they double again.

Bake for 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack. ENJOY!

Puffed Wheat Squares (EASY)

2010-07-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

These are a treat I grew up with and have learned that it is kind of a Canadian thing. I don't know many Americans that have had this before. I love it! There are only 3 pts per serving (Weight Watchers), and a serving is an 8th of the recipe which fills a 9x13 pan :) YUMMY!

PUFFED WHEAT SQUARES (EASY)

Boil the following together for three minutes: (I usually melt my margarine first)

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine (I use low fat)
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla

Pour over 6-8 cups of puffed wheat. Flatten into a greased 9x13 pan like you would with rice krispie treats.

You can find puffed wheat at Wal-Mart in the bagged cereal section on the top shelf. It is sometimes hard to find. I also found it at Albertson's once.

Enjoy!!!

Lemon Cilantro Chicken Salad (EASY)

2010-05-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

McDonalds has a super yummy southwest salad. This is my version of it.

Lemon Cilantro Glaze

2 1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar (or splenda)
1/4 cup cilantro
juice from one lemon

Mix above in a pot and boil until it reduces to about half the amount. Then I mixed it in my food processor (a blender would work) to emulsify it a bit more and chop up the cilantro a bit more and I added the juice from another lemon. Let cool.

Lemon Cilantro Chicken Salad (EASY)

One head of lettuce (I used iceburg)
3/4 cup frozen corn
1/4 medium green pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
15 tortilla chips
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
cayenne
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or a mexican blend would work well too)
1/4 cup black beans

I sprinkled salt, pepper and cayenne on the chicken just on one side and I was very generous with the amount. Then I place under the broiler for 20 minutes (flip about half way through).

I sauteed the corn, green pepper and onion in a frying pan with a bit of Pam until the onions were translucent.

I layered, lettuce, corn mixture, black beans, chicken, 2 tbsp of lemon cilantro glaze on the chicken breast, tortilla strips and cheese.

I didn't need any salad dressing on mine with the glaze, but Brian put ranch dressing on his. Be warned, this is REALLY sweet. You could cut the sugar in half and you would still be fine. I liked it.

ENJOY!

(for those on Weight Watchers, the entire salad if you use fat-free cheddar cheese is 8 pts. If you use Splenda instead of sugar it would only be 6 pts for the whole thing).

Christmas Recipes

2009-11-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

I posted all of my favorite Christmas recipes on my other blog last year, so rather than putting them here, I'm just going to link them:

http://mommyiscrazyblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-recipes.html

Thanksgiving - Sweet Potato Casserole (EASY)

2009-11-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

I don't like sweet potatoes. This recipe make them taste like candy, so I will eat them this way :) YUMMY! This recipe is from my sister-in-law.

Sweet Potatoes (EASY)

BOTTOM LAYER:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (I'm guessing this is 2-3 large sweet potatoes)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk

Mix the above ingredients.

TOPPING:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
5 tbsp melted butter or margarine

Place bottom layer in 9x9 pan, it will be runny. Spinkle with topping. Bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

NOTE: I double the bottom layer and put this in a 9x13. You don't need to double the top layer, though.

Thanksgiving - Stuffing (EASYish)

2009-11-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

I LOVE turkey dinner. My family used to eat turkey dinner often and since moving to the States, Brian and I have done Canadian Thanksgiving every year but this year (I just couldn't get into it being 30 something weeks pregnant). I missed it though! This is the recipe my mom has always used.

Stuffing (EASYish)

4 cups dry bread cubes (I like to use a mixture of white and brown, mostly white, though)
3 tbsp chopped white/yellow onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp sage
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter

Hot broth or water to moisten (I just use water)

Cook onion in melted margarine until tender.
Combine dry bread cubes and seasonings in a large bowl.
Add margarine and onion to bread cubes.
Mix.
Add water to moisten.
Makes stuffing for a 5 lb chicken or turkey.

A few notes about this one. We usually 8 times the recipe for 20 people because it is always the first thing to go and left overs are always yummy! This is the BEST stuffing, I promise.

And I make my own bread cubes but you can buy them. The afternoon before I'm going to make this I freeze all of my bread if it isn't already frozen. Then, the night before I'm going to make this I cut my cubes out of the loaves and spread them out on cookie sheets all around my kitchen and tables. Freezing the bread makes it easier to cut. Then just leave the bread cubes out to dry all night and by morning they should have dried out. In Florida, just do the best you can, they have yet to go super dry for me but in Canada they dry right out. Oh, and I'm going to stick with store-bought bread for this as I have yet to find my homemade bread to be light enough for what I would want for this, but go ahead and try!

And when adding the water to moisten, add a bit at a time. You don't want the mixture too soggy or too dry. You may have to try this a few times before you get the hang of it. Or you can fly my dad to visit you as he is the official stuffing taster in the family :) I like to make mine a *bit* on the moist side as I can't stand dry stuffing. So as you are mixing this you need to taste it ever so often just to see if you are getting a good consistency out of it.

Sugar Cookies (EASY) & Buttercream Frosting (EASY)

2009-10-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

This is the BEST sugar cookie recipe EVER! It comes out perfect every time and everyone that has them loves them!

This is from my mother-in-law. We make them for every holiday. Right now I'm doing them for Halloween for our playgroup on Monday -- hopefully there will be some left by Monday :)

Sugar Cookies (EASY)

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine (I use butter)

Cream the above together.

Beat in 2 eggs, 3 tablesppons of milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (this is what makes them the best, you MUST use this)

3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine these together, then add it to the above mix. Divide the dough into two and tightly wrap them in saran wrap and chill for at least a few hours. We actually make ours the night before and it works out even better.

Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut into your desired shapes. Add the refrigerated dough to the dough you have already cut to make the best cookies.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING (EASY)

This is from Betty Crocker.

3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine softened (I use butter and that tastes the best)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons of milk or until the desired consistency (it doens't take much!)

That is the basic recipe, BUT for these sugar cooies, we add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to this too and it is THE best!

Enjoy!

Pizza Crust (EASY)

2009-10-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from my sister-in-law Sandra. It's yummy!

Pizza Crust (EASY)

3 to 3 ½ cups bread flour
2 T yeast
1 t salt
1 1/3 cup warm water
2 T olive oil
2 T honey
Cornmeal

Preheat oven to 420° Dump all ingredients together and mix for 5 minutes. Add a little more flour if sticky. Form into a ball, cover, and let rest for 3 minutes. Sprinkle cornmeal on pizza stone and roll out dough to cover stone. Bake 15 minutes. Rub a cube of butter around the crust edge.

I don't have a pizza stone -- I don't make enough pizza to justify it yet. So I just use a 9x13 pan or one of my other stoneware pieces.

You can top your pizza with anything you like, but a favorite in this house is a cheeseburger pizza.

Cheeseburger Pizza Topping

Ground beef
Pizza sauce
1/4 of a medium onion
Italian seasoning (optional)
dill pickles sliced into small rounds
cheddar cheese

I saute onions and the ground beef, I add a little Italian seasoning to it. Then I put my pizza sauce (either store-bought or I just add Italian seasoning to tomato sauce), then the ground beef mixture, and then dill pickles (I know, It sounds nasty but it is super yummy -- I put mine on cold after the pizza is out but Brian likes his cooked in it), and then I top it with cheddar cheese.

Leave a comment on what you put on your pizza!

EDIT: Last night I decided to look for a good pizza sauce recipe and I FOUND it! OMGosh, this was SO yummy!

http://www.recipezaar.com/Ultimate-Pizza-Sauce-114392

You can freeze it! I plan on making up several batches and freezing it!

Crispy & Creamy Donuts (MODERATE)

2009-10-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Kim who is ALLLL the way over in New Zealand has been raving about these donuts on Facebook and I just had to try them! And boy are we glad we did!!!

Here is the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crispy-and-Creamy-Doughnuts/Detail.aspx

Don't use the glaze from that, here is my friend Kim's mom's recipe:

Glaze:

1c. sugar
1/2c. butter
1/2c. milk.

Heat on the stove until sugar is dissolved. I melted my butter first and then added the rest of the ingredients. I also added an extra 1/2 cup of sugar.

We tripled the glaze recipe for a double batch of donuts. And we also double and triple glazed the donuts -- YUMMY!!!!

These were super light and fluffy and creamy and crispy all at the same time! I give this two thumbs up for sure!

Banana Bread (EASY)

2009-08-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the Betty Crocker Bridal Edition cookbook :) I did make a couple of changes myself.

Banana Bread (EASY)

1 1/4 cups sugar (I do half white and have brown sugar)
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened (I prefer butter)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, just add 1 tbsp of lemon juice in with regular milk)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips, optional

1. Grease loaf pans well with Pam or shortening.

2. Mix sugar and butter. Stir in eggs until well blended. Stir in bananas, buttermilk and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts and choco chips. Divide evenly between loaf pans.

3. Bake 8-inch loaves about an hour and 9-inch loaves about an hour and 15 minutes or just until a toothpick comes out clean.

4. Remove from pans carefully and cool on wire rack. Cool completely about 2 hours (I don't ;) ). Wrap tightly and store at room temp up to 4 days or refridgerate up to 10 days. Also freezes well.

Neiman Marcus Cookies (EASY)

2009-07-25T06:19:00.000-07:00

This is our stand-by chocolate chip cookie recipe. This was a recipe that came in one of those dumb chain emails and circulates all the time. Anyway, I was bored one day and just started reading the recipe and thought, dang, that looks good. So, I tried it and HOLY CRAP!

Here is the link to the site, but I will also post the recipe on here:
http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/cookie.asp

You can halve this recipe and it still makes a TON -- in fact, the entire recipe barely fits in my Kitchenaid mixer. These also freeze really well. We like to make the cookies like golf ball sized and then they stay soft in the middle just like I like them! If you make them to small they still taste good, they are just too cooked for me...if that makes sense.

Neiman Marcus Cookies (EASY)

2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
2 cups sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal** (You can put this in not blended into a powder or blend it, it is yummy either way)
24 oz. chocolate chips (if I have it on hand, I use several different chocolates, white, semi-sweet, dark, German...)
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies (If they are little).

**measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.

Tip #3 - Quality of ingredients

2009-07-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

Because I'm trying to be Ms. Frugal, last night I decided to get the no-name brand of shortening. I won't be doing that again. I've always used Crisco and now I know why. Tonight I made my Chicken Pot Pie recipe and the crust was AWFUL. It wouldn't set like it should because the no-name brand shortening was WAY too soft and had no density to it. It was pretty much impossible to work with.

So some of your ingredients, you may not be able to be cheap on. Like my meat, I am VERY picky about where I buy my meat from. I am picky on the cuts of meat and everything. You just never know...

I have not found the same problem with sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, flour, you know, the basics. So that is kind of weird.

Oh, and one funny thing, I was at Costco exactly two weeks ago and I picked up the 25-pound bag of flour (SO CHEAP) and thought -- I'll NEVER get through that much flour...HAHAHAHAHA -- I emptied the last of the bag into my regular flour container today. I had planned on seperating the flour into Ziplocs and putting it in my deepfreeze and it never made it there! I guess I've been a busy girl!

Gumdrop Cookies (EASY)

2009-07-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe my mom always made when we were growing up and it was one of my favs! Lately I have been making it without the gumdrops and coconut and making oatmeal cookies out of it -- yum!

Gumdrop Cookies (EASY)

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flor
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut
1 cup baking gumdrops

Thoroughly cream shortening and sugars, add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Sift dry ingredients. Bake 375 degrees 10-12 minutes.

Now, when I made these withouth the coconut and gumdrops, they flattened out a LOT and were awesome! Super flat, though, so don't be surprised! You could also add chocolate chips!!! I haven't but they would be good if you just did the oatmeal version.

Fluffy-ish Bread (EASY)

2009-07-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

I'm still in search for the perfect bread recipe, but this one is really good!

Fluffy-ish Bread (EASY)

4 cups flour
1/2 tbsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp instant yeast

Mix above and make a well and add:

2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
4 cups very warm water
More flour (until it is a dough-y consistency) 4-6 cups, maybe more

I mix mine in the Kitchenaid until is elasticy and dough-y and makes it's own ball in the bowl.

Put in a covered bowl to let rise. I spray my bowl with Pam. Punch down 3 times every 15 minutes. One the 4th time, punch down and form into loaves or buns, or anything else.

Bake at 350 degrees until well browned and sounds hollow when you tap on it.

This is a HUGE recipe. You can make four to six loaves. I halved mine today and it made two HUGE loaves.

Baked Potato Soup (EASY)

2009-07-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law and it is AMAZING! I will put the recipe down just as I was given it, and then I will add in my little things that I did differently.

I did this in the crockpot for 5 hours on high.

Baked Potato Soup (EASY)

5 medium potatoes upeeled (I used yellow potatoes)
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup chicken boullion (I used chicken broth)
3 cups milk (next time I will do half milk and half cream)
1/2 cup dehydrated onion (I cut up half of a medium yellow onion and stuck it in instead)
1/2 cup crumbled bacon (I used Hormel pre-cooked/crumbled bacon -- next time I'll use real bacon)
2 cups shredded cheddar (I used colby jack but I think cheddar would be better)
Chopped green onion

Otional - add one cup potato pearls (I don't like potato pearls and didn't see the need for them)

- pierce the potatoes and microwave for 10 minuites. Using oven mitts, carefully cut potatoes into chunks and put into crock pot
-add water, boullion, milk and onion
-1/2 hour before serving use a potato masher and slighly crush potatoes to thicken (I blended mine in the blender and it was awesome but I would have saved a few potato chunks out to add in after I blended it)
-depending on desired thickness, you can add potato pearls
-dish into bowl and top with bacon, cheese, green onion and sour cream/ranch

We didn't add sour cream because we didn't have any, but it would be great!

This recipe is AMAZING! Brian doesn't even like baked potatoes, he says they are too much work, and he LOVED this and ate two bowls! Both of my kids downed it too. It also makes a ton, so it would be great to take to a potluck or when having dinner guests.

Caramel Apple Dip (EASY)

2009-07-07T08:00:00.001-07:00

I had totally forgotten about this recipe until I was flipping through recipes today and came across it!

I promise, if you take this to an event, people will hover around the dish the entire evening. You will run out. I don't think I have ever got to an event and come home with any left over. In fact, I often taken enough to make two.

Icing sugar, for my American friends, is powdered sugar.

Also, I can't take credit for this one, it is from one of my sisters-in-law, but I can't remember which one!

Caramel Apple Dip (EASY)

2 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 large tub of store-bought caramel dip (or, if you have some left over of the recipe posted below, use that!)
12 apples (Granny Smith work best!) Slice these up right when you get there.
2--3 Skor (Heath) bars, crushed

Combine cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Spread on platter. Top with caramel dip and crushed Skor (Heath) bars. Serve with sliced apples.

To prevent browning of apples, toss with small amount of lemon juice after slicing.

Seriously, to die for!

Chicken Salad (EASY)

2009-07-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

I hosted a baby shower a few weeks ago for the girl that watches my kids when I'm working and I knew I wanted Chicken Salad Croissants since it was an early lunch shower. We had these for one of our wedding receptions and they ROCK! This is a just a bit fancier than a typical chicken salad of chicken, mayo and celery. I also tried a new spice this time I hadn't tried before, it's called Beau Monde seasoning. YUMMY!

I got this recipe from my Aunt Laura who I called out of the blue for and I think she was a bit surprised to hear from me all the way down in Florida!

Chicken Salad (EASY)
Serves 4 people

2 cups cooked chicken (I like mine shredded)
1/2 cup celery
1/4 cup green pepper
1/2 cup mayo
2 tbsp onion
2 tbsp Worschestishire Sauce (I went a little lighter on this)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
dash of celery salt
tiny bit of Beau Monde seasoning (you hardly need any to make a difference)
1/2 cup grapes quartered (optional)

Mix it all together and serve! I served mine on croissants (Costco's are big and yummy and cheap -- Costco cost me $10 for two dozen, Publix wanted $45 for two dozen).

I also like to put a piece of lettuce on the croissant to add a bit of crunch and it looks pretty too. The salad will last in your fridge for a few days but the grapes start to get blech after a while so maybe only add them in as you are going to make it up.

Brian added a piece of cheddar cheese to his and liked it -- me, not so much.

Like I said, we had this at our wedding reception and it was a hit then and it is always a hit!

Chicken Fried Chicken (EASY)

2009-07-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

I'm sure it isn't just because I live in the south that I LOVE fried chicken. The problem is, I can't eat anything battered from a restaurant because there is a VERY good chance they used MSG as one of their special little spices. So for a long time I've been reading recipe after recipe for fried chicken and blah. I've been mulling this one over for a while so I tried it tonight and VOILA it works. Oh, and one thing, I can't stand meat on bones. I know, it's weird. It all comes from that but I can't touch bones, it weirds me out. I'd love to know if anyone tries this recipe with chicken thighs or wings and how it turns out.

Oh, and I measured nothing as I went along so these are guesses -- I'll get better at that, I promise.

Chicken Fried Chicken (EASY)

1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
canola or vegetable oil
1 - 1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 egg yokes
1/4 milk

1. Cut the chicken breast in half like you are going to filet it and then cut those in half so you have four pieces.
2. Pour enough oil into your skillet so there is about a half an inch of oil. Heat to just past medium heat.
2. Pound the chicken so it is thin, about a 1/4 of an inch thick.
3. Mix the bread crumbs and all of the spices and flour together in a shallow dish.
4. Mix the egg yokes and milk in another shallow dish.
5. Set up your stations with your eggs first, bread crumb mixture and then pan so it flows and you don't spill.
6. Then dip your chicken into the egg, then the bread crumbs and then back into the eggs and bread crumbs and place into the oil, repeat this for all of the chicken.
7. This will only take a few minutes on each side since the chicken is very thin. Let the chicken get a good crust on it before you flip it so you don't end up with your batter all over the skillet.

Enjoy! I served mine with garlic mashed potatoes. You can find a great mashed potatoes recipe in my archives.

Oh, and I tried it with just egg yokes as opposed to entire eggs used and it was so much better. I think the whites get in the way of a really good crust. I really liked this this time.

I think you could also use this recipe for a chicken fried steak, but I don't really like chicken fried steak, so I'm not going to try it. If you do, I'd love to know!

Amazing Caramel Sauce (Easy)

2009-07-01T16:27:00.001-07:00

I can't take the credit for this one, it's my sister-in-law's recipe. For Christmas one year they gave us ice cream dishes and this recipe...YUMMY!

I promise you will never eat another caramel sauce again and not think about this one.

We use this on ice cream, it's great for dipping apples into. I also use it as the caramel in my turtle cheese cake. It's also great on a spoon...or finger ;)

Caramel Sauce (Easy)

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup golden brown corn syrup (regular corn syrup works fine too)
1 cup margarine (I use butter)

I melt my butter and corn syrup together first until that starts to boil a bit, and then I add my sugar. I only stir the sugar in until is is mixed in a bit, and then I let it do it's thing and I don't bother it really until it hits 225 degrees (yes, you need a candy thermometer -- come Christmastime you are going to need it anyway for my recipes so go and get one now :) ). Remove from heat.

Add one can of sweetened condensed milk, stir until it is all mixed and turns a nice caramel color.

You can serve warm right away or store in the refrigerator. This also freezes really well. We like to freeze ours in ice cube trays and then you always have it on hand and it is easier to thaw in smaller batches. If it has been frozen or in the fridge, in order to thaw, just place in your microwave in 30 second intervals and stir until it is the consistency you want. About a minutes does it for me.

ENJOY!!!!!!

Hamburger Soup (Easy)

2009-06-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

This is my mom's recipe. We grew up eating this a lot and it is a total comfort food for me! My kids LOVE it and so do I!

Hamburger Soup (EASY)

1 1/2 lb hamburger
medium onion
28 oz diced tomatoes
2 cups water
3 cans consume soup (I use 3 cups of MSG-free beef broth)
1 can tomato soup
2-3 cups chopped carrots
1-2 cups chopped celery
2 tbsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
2/3 cup pearl barley

Brown meat and onions and drain. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large stock pot with the meat and onions. Simmer covered at least 2 hours.

This is also a great recipe for the crock pot! You could cook your meat the night before and then throw everything in in the morning.

This is also one of those recipes that gets better as a leftover. And I hate leftovers.

Philly Beef Dip (EASY)

2009-06-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite foods to order in a restaurant so last year I decided...it can't be that hard to make. So I made up this recipe and I LOVE it. This is probably my favorite thing to eat for lunch.

Philly Beef Dip (EASY) Serves 4

1/2 lb of good quality deli-style roast beef (I prefer Boar's Head brand. I have tried to use the thinly sliced stuff that already comes in the packages but it doesn't taste near as good or work as well.)
1 french bread loaf (I buy mine, but I do have a recipe to make them)
Cheddar cheese
2 cups beef stock (I, of course, use MSG-free beef stock)
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 large green pepper
1 medium onion
1 cup mushrooms *VERY OPTIONAL* (I HATE mushrooms, but I know restaurants often use them in this recipe)

Turn oven to broil.

Melt your butter in a sauce pan. Cut your veggies into strips, don't dice, and put in with butter until they become soft and onions are transparent.

Once your veggies are cooked add your beef stock and bring to a boil.

Cut the ends off the french bread and then cut it into four even pieces. Cut those pieces in half and put cheddar cheese on one half of each roll and place in oven to toast. WATCH CAREFULLY. You only want the cheese melted and the bread toasted. You can do this in your microwave oven but with as many as you do at a time the oven is easier.

Once to a boil I add my roast beef into the pot and I boil it all together for about two minutes.

Then drain your meat and veggies from the sauce, but don't discard the sauce, make sure you drain into a bowl as that is your au jus to dip the sandwhich in.

Place the meat and veggies on the rolls and then give each person a bowl with about half a cup of au jus to dip in. I use little ramikins for the au jus.

YUMMY!

Stuffed French Toast

2009-06-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

So tonight we are having breakfast for dinner! I made bread today and thought Stuffed French Toast sounded YUMMY!

About two years ago we ate out at Denny's or IHOP and I had Stuffed French Toast and I LOVED it. I think I made it for a week straight after that LOL. I just figured it out in my head, pretty simple when you read it.

Stuffed French Toast (EASY)

1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese softened
1/2 cup jam (we LOVE raspberry or strawberry but anything would work)
1 loaf of bread (white or wheat works but it can't be pre-cut) -- you *can* use french bread but the crust is kind of tough to get through

3 eggs
3/4 cup milk or cream
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
Butter or margarine

Mix the cream cheese and jam in a small bowl. Cut the bread at least 2 inches thick. Cut a 2 inch cut into one side of the bread and use a spoon to shove in about a quarter of the filling.

The rest from here is like regular french toast. Whisk your eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and place in a shallow dish. Use the butter or margarine to grease your frying pan. Set your pan to medium heat (I set mine a little higher than medium). Dredge your bread into the egg mixture and then put into the pan. Fry about four minutes on each side or until a nice golden brown.

I like to serve with maple syrup and butter. My husband likes butter and powdered sugar on his. Today I think I'll serve it with raspberry syrup. ENJOY!

Marshmallow Fondant

2009-06-01T13:22:00.001-07:00

I had a request for this the other day and thought I'd post it here. I got this recipe from an AMAZING cake decorator I know here named Wendy -- check out her blog! http://www.wendywoocakes.blogspot.com/ Her recommendation for homemade fondant is this recipe here: http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm

EASY to do and you get exactly the color you want! LOVE it. If you use this, PLEASE let me know and send me a pic and I'll put it on the blog!

Inside-out Cheeseburgers (EASY)

2009-05-26T19:38:00.001-07:00

This recipe is just from my brain -- add your own twists to it! My husband doesn't like big portions of meat so he isn't a huge fan of steak or homemade hamburgers. Even so, sometimes I like a big juicy homemade burger! Rachael Ray makes a great turkey burger similar to this.

I had ground beef thawing in the fridge for tacos but I ran out of taco shells so I had to think of something else.

Inside-out Cheeseburgers (EASY)

2 lbs ground beef (I prefer extra-lean)
1-2 tbsp. paprika
1-2 tbsp. seasoning salt (I prefer McCormick's as it is MSG free)
1-2 tbsp. ground pepper
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 egg
2-3 tbsp. bread crumbs
1/4 onion finely chopped (optional)

So mix all of the above ingredients and make sure the egg is mixed in well. You may want to break up the egg yoke and mix it up in a bowl first and then add it to the meat mixture.

Then, this is what makes it inside out. Add two slices of cheese into the middle of the patty and form your patty. I find if I fold the cheese into four and then stuff it in it's good. You could also use a cheese stick and break it in two. This makes 4 HUGE burgers or 6 good-sized burgers.

Grill on your in-door grill or BBQ until done to your liking.

I served these on thick-cut homemade bread that I toasted. Instead of putting onions into my burgers, since my husband doesn't like them, I just sauteed them up on the side in a little butter. I topped the burgers with mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickles, lettuce and onions and Brian added more cheese to his.

As a side to this, I was too lazy to get out the deep fryer to make french fries, so I just thinly sliced potatoes (skin on) in a skillet with butter or margarine until they are crispy and I added seasoning salt to them.

Creamy Ceasar Salad Dressing (EASY)

2009-05-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

This is my all-time favorite ceasar salad dressing. I got this from a sister-in-law. I have never met another recipe that I thought was better. You will notice that mine doesn't have anchovies in it like 99% of the recipes. I don't even like the thought of putting anchovies in my food -- yuck! BUT, my other sister-in-law swears by her recipe that calls for them.

This recipe does have a raw egg in it. No way to really get around that that I know of. I make this recipe almost every week when I'm not pregnant. I don't make it often when I'm pregnant because of the raw egg.

Creamy Ceasar Salad Dressing (EASY)

1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp dry mustard
4 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 clove of garlic

Blend above ingredients. Add 1 egg. Blend. Add 1/2 cup of canola or vegetable oil (not all that great with olive oil). Blend. Serve over cut-up romaine lettuce.

Keeps in your fridge 2-3 days.

I add bacon bits and croutons. I often add shredded chicken to it and call it a meal!

Another idea is to use a wrap, put a romain leaf or two in the wrap, add some shredded chicken, bacon bits and then some dressing. YUMMY!

Fettucine Alfredo (EASY)

2009-05-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from my Betty Crocker Bridal Edition cookbook. A favorite of mine. Don't count the calories or you won't eat it. You can't substitute milk, it doesn't taste good.

Tonight we had it with cooked broccoli in it. Usually I add shredded chicken to it and broccoli but tonight we had it vegetarian style!

Enjoy!

Fettucine Alfedo Sauce (EASY)

Cook fettucine as directed on package.

Sauce:

1/2 cup butter or stick margarine
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (or romano, whatever you have on hand)
1/2 teaspoon of salt (go light on this)
dash of pepper

Heat butter and whipping cream in skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until butter is melted and it starts to bubble. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 6 minutes, stirring frequently until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Don't boil too long or the butter and cream will seperate.

This is an easy recipe and tastes far bettter than anything out of the jar and is a little cheaper, especially if you use margarine instead of butter. You can top with fresh parsley, but I don't love it for some reason.

Another twist on this that we have done is made it, placed it in a 9x9 pan and then topped with shredded cheddar or whatever cheese you have on hand and then broil for about 5 minutes in the oven.

Serve with a ceasar salad and breadsticks!

Russian Chicken (EASY)

2009-05-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

I was going to make this recipe tonight but I forgot half of the ingredients at the store yesterday LOL. Anyway, this is EASY and super yummy! I serve this over rice when I make it.

Russian Chicken (EASY)

1 large bottle of Russian salad dressing (this is hard to find in Florida...at Wal-Mart it is on the top shelf and they only have small bottles, so I use 2-3 small bottles)
1 small jar apricot jam
1 pkg. onion soup mix (yes, this has MSG in it, haven't found it MSG free yet but I find the ratio pretty minimal)
3-6 raw chicken breasts

Mix above ingredients, pour over uncooked chicken breasts. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes - an hour until chicken is cooked.

I was planning on doing mine in the crockpot today but since I don't have all of the ingredients, I'll have to do it this way tonight for dinner. Either way it's totally yummy!!!!!!!

Overnight Cinnamon Buns (EASY)

2009-05-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've only made this recipe once and it was a long time ago. I'm not a fan of frozen bread dough, so that's why I haven't made it since. BUT, for a recipe with frozen bread dough in it, this is a really good recipe. I thought I would post this one with the last one since I know there are going to be some of you that read the last one and say HEEEECCCKKKK no, I'm not making those. Try this one instead! This recipe is from my Mom!

Overnight Cinnamon Buns (EASY)

2 loaves frozen bread dough, still frozen (1"-1 1/2")
1/2 cup nuts (optional)
1/2 cup rasins (optional)
4.6 oz package vanilla pudding -- not instant (1/2 cup - 2/3 cup)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1/2 cup butter melted

Grease 9x13 pan and line bottom with nuts/raisins if desired. Cut frozen bread dough into small chunks with scissors and arrange in pan. Mix vanilla pudding, cinnamon, brown sugar, milk and butter to make thick mixture. Pour over bread chunks. Cover and refrigerate overnight (can leave out overnight). Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool 5-10 minutes and flip pan upside down to remove buns.

Air Buns/Cinnamon Buns (MODERATE)

2009-05-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

Growing up you always knew someone special was coming for dinner if you saw mom's big Tupperware bowl out and smelled yeast. She was making homemade buns (yes, we call them buns, not rolls in Canada).

My mom is a pro at these, I am not. I am still figuring them out but they taste good they just don't look as pretty as her's do!

I rated this moderate because there are several steps involved and it is kind of something you have to set a good chunk of your day aside to be home with. This would be a good recipe to try not when you have company for the first time and a lazy day when you are around your house and have time to fiddle with it. As involved as this recipe is, it is TOTALLY worth figuring out and learning! And, yes, there is lard in this recipe -- it doesn't taste NEAR as good with vegetable shortening, I tried it.

AIR BUNS (MODERATE)

1/2 cup warm water (I turn the hot water on the tap on and when I can let it run hot on my wrist and not take my wrist away, but it's fairly warm, then I know it's the right temperature.)
1 tsp. sugar

Stir the above ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle one package of yeast on top (if you use the quick-rise yeast you can skip the first rising stage later on). Let stand 10 minutes.

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lard
1 tbsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. vinegar

Add 4 cups scalded milk. My mom always used powdered milk but I use regular whole milk. To scald your milk, put it in a pot on the stove on low-medium heat. Watch it and stir constantly. When the milk starts to steam, then it is scalded. Don't burn it!
Add 6-10 cups flour one cup at a time.

Knead well.
Raise 2 hours.
Stir down.
Raise 1 hour.
***Set in buns. To do this stir the dough down first. Then melt some lard and use that on your hands so you can work with the dough. Take a small palm full of dough and knead the dough into a small bun shape. Then put this into a greased sheetpan and continue until you are done with the dough.
Raise again.
Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until browned on top and sound hollow when you tap them.

***If you want to make these into cinnamon buns take a small amount of dough in your hands and knead the dough and then make it into a 'snake' shape. Dip that into butter and then a cinnamon/sugar mixture and then tie your snake into a knot. Place these into greased muffin tins so they keep their shape.

I kind of think I might need to take pictures of all of the stages of this so it makes sense. I watched my mom do these growing up, so that's how I learned but if you haven't seen it done, you might need some visuals. Maybe I'll make these on Sunday and have Brian take pictures of the process. Mmmm...yummy!!!

World's best Mashed Potatoes (EASY)

2009-05-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is actually Chef Brian here. Since it is Mother's Day, I figured I would put my fabulous culinary skills to use to create some delicious dishes for Devynn today. While the ham didn't turn out quite like I had hoped, I did manage to create an amazing batch of mashed potatoes. Now, I have always loved potatoes, especially the flavor combination of a baked potato. But, I'm too lazy to really get into enjoying them when I have to worry about the skin and mashing it all up on my plate. So, a baked potato was the inspiration for these. I don't have any measurements for these (because I'm such a culinary genius I just don't need any, lol), so just use what your tastebuds call for.

Cube up skinned potatoes (if you prefer you can leave the skin on) and boil until tender.
Use either a mixer or masher to mix in the following:
about 1/2 cup sour cream
about 1/2 cup cream cheese
chives or regular onions (chives have a better flavor for this)
bacon bits (just a small amount will give you the flavor you want)
about 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
about 1 teaspoon garlic salt
about 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
a dash of white pepper (or black will do)
fresh or dried parsley

Combine it all, make sure it tastes good, and enjoy. You will never use another recipe again. These are absolutely delicious.

Basic Bread (EASY)

2009-05-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, like I said, I'll always take recipes from others as long as I try it first I will post it.

I've been wanting a good bread recipe because I'm just not a fan of the way my breadmaker makes bread or how it tastes. SO....I asked my sister and this is the recipe she uses. This is out of the Kitchenaid book that comes with your mixer (that means I've had this recipe for 5 years and didn't know it!)

Basic White Bread

1/2 cup milk
3 TBSP sugar
2 tsp salt
3 TBSP marg. or butter
2 pkgs active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp.)
1 1/2 cups warm water (105 - 115 F)
5 - 6 cups all purpose flour

Place milk, sugar, salt and butter in small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm. (I find that if I dissolve the sugar and salt in the milk and then add the butter, it melts the butter and cools quicker - less waiting).

Dissolve yeast in warm water in mixer bowl. Add milk mixture and 4 1/2 cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Mix about 1 min. on speed 2.

Cont. on speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 c. at a time, and mix until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl, about 2 min. Knead onspeed 2 about 2 min. longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic.

Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour or until doubled on bulk.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll each half into a rectangleapprox. 9 x 14". Roll the dough from the short end. Pinch at ends to seal the seams. Place dough seam side down in loaf pan. Cover. Let rise about 1 hour.

Bake at 400 F until golden brown - about 30 minutes (my oven only takes about 21 minutes). Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

I sometimes use up to 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour and substitute 3tbsp ground flax for 1 tbsp butter.

My first trial of this is in it's first stage of rising right now!

TIP #2 - Cooking ground beef ahead of time

2009-05-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

This was in a comment on Tip #1 from Jessie and it was a tip I was going to post anyway, so let's do it now!

"Another one for you is to cook your ground beef and freeze in 1 lb packages. I have done this and it saves me when I am making a quick meal like tacos etc. Just pop it in your fry pan to thaw add the seasoning and done!"

Thanks, Jessie!!!!

This is a good time to let you all know, if you have fabulous tips or ideas or recipes, please feel free to share!!

Chicken Fried Rice (EASY)

2009-05-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

Brian's FAVORITE restaurant here is a Japanese Hibachi grill. It's pretty pricey to go so we don't get to go very often. So we watched closely once while we were there and made it at home the next day and it tastes almost exactly the same.

This one is from my head, so it may be a bit scatter-brained. Oh, and if you want to use a cooking spray instead of butter and oil, you can, but I promise you it doesn't get the same effect or taste quite as good.

CHICKEN FRIED RICE (EASY)
You need a large frying pan for this

3-4 cups of cooked rice
one cooked/shredded chicken breast
veggies, broccoli, carrots, onion, corn, peas (whatever you want or have on hand)
butter (margarine)
canola oil (not olive oil)
salt and pepper to taste
a dash of ground ginger
about 1 minced garlic clove (we use pre-minced)
1 or 2 eggs
soy sauce

1. If you need to cook your chicken, do that first.
2. Put a tbsp or two of oil in your pan and coat the pan and then saute your veggies until almost tender. I salt and pepper my veggies, I think it helps bring out the taste while they cook.
3. Put the veggies in a dish and set to the side.
4. Put another tbsp or two of butter and oil as well in the pan and warm up and coat the bottom of your pan and then put in your rice. I like to kind of pat the rice down so it is all flat.
5. Don't stir. You will be tempted to. Let it 'fry'. Don't let it burn! BUT, let it get crispy. One that bottom part is crispy, then stir and do the same thing again, flatten the rice, let get crispy. I also very slightly salt and pepper the rice. When the rice is starting to brown on the bottom, make a space to cook your eggs in. You basically scramble them on the side, then mix them in with the rice.
6. Add your veggies back into the rice and your chicken, along with the garlic and ginger. You may want to turn your heat down a bit so you can saute them more. At this point you are just reheating the veggies and heating up the chicken. Add a LITTLE soy sauce. You can always add this on after and not everyone loves it that much. Your dish can get too salty really quickly if you add too much.

Anyway, that's my Chicken Fried Rice and it is always a great meal in our house! I hope this post makes sense!!!

TIP #1 - Shredding Chicken

2009-05-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

How to shred your chicken? Two forks, right? Nope! My sister told me this AWESOME tip and I think she said she got it from our sister-in-law, so this is not a Devynn genius moment.

Boil your chicken until it isn't pink anymore (I boil 5+ at a time in my biggest pot) and then take the chicken out of the water and put it in your Kitchenaid mixer with the whipping attachment and shred your chicken! Then I freeze them in approximately 1-cup increments and I always have shredded chicke on hand. It's awesome!!!!

Chicken Pot Pie -- the best you'll ever try! (MODERATE)

2009-05-05T09:57:00.001-07:00

I didn't grow up eating Chicken Pot Pie -- at least I don't remember eating it much. But this has become a STAPLE in our house. I LOVE it and could eat the entire pan in one sitting if I didn't have a family to feed LOL.

One thing I LOVE about this recipe is that you can put whatever you want in the middle of it. I have made it exactly as the recipe calls for and it rocks, but sometimes I just have all sorts of veggies around and that's what I use. I like to buy frozen veggies, they are cheap and I don't hae to worry about them going bad before we eat them.

In this recipe you are going to learn how to make a pie crust. This is a skill that you will use over and over again. It is EASY. You just need to do it. You could buy a pre-made crust. I haven't done this in a pre-made crust, I always make it from scratch, but you can do whatever it easiest for you. I promise you, though, that this crust is AMAZING. This recipe comes from The Betty Crocker Bridal Edition (BCBE).

CHICKEN POT PIE (MODERATE)
Prep: 40 minutes Bake: 35 minutes 6 servings
Oven: 425 degrees Pan: 9x9x2

1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas and carrots (or whatever veggies you want to use, broccoli is REALLY good in this)
1/3 cup butter or stick margarine (everything is better with butter ;) )
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped onion (we go a little lighter on the onion)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 3/4 cup chicken broth (I make my own or use MSG free chicken broth)
2/3 cup milk (or heavy whipping cream...it is amazing with cream, I usually do 1/3 cup mil and 1/3 cup whipping cream)
2 1/2 - 3 cups shredded chicken (I only do one chicken breast and use more veggies)
Pastry

1. Please frozen veggies in a bowl and cover in cold water to separate (drain before adding)
2. Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, onion, salt and pepper (makes a roux). Cook and stir constantly until mixture is bubbly, remove from heat and stir in broth and milk. Remember to remove from heat so you don't scald the milk. Return to heat and oil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken and veggies, remove from heat.
3. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Make pastry (I do this first) roll two-thirds of hte pastry into a 13-inch square. Ease into an ungreased 9x9x2. Pour chicken mixture into pastry-lined dish.
5. Roll remaining pastry into 11-inch square. You can cut out designs and stuff with a cookie cutter and make it all pretty, I just cut slits in the top on the diagnol to let air vent. Turn edges of the pastry and cut off the excess.
6. Bake about 35 minutesz or until golden brown.

PASTRY FOR PIES & TARTS
Two-crust Pie

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp shortening
4-5 tbsp cold water

1. Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or criss-crossing 2 knives until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, toss with a fork until all flour is moistened and it starts to form a ball.
2. Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into two flattened rounds and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in fridge for about 30 minutes. (You MUST do this step to make your crust flakey). I make the rest of my pot pie while it is in the fridge (about the same time).
3. Roll pastry on a floured surface, flour your rolling pin. Roll your dough out about 3 inches larger than you dish so you have room for it to go into the dish.
TIP: fold dough carefully into 4ths and then place into your dish and unwrap the 4ths to fill up the plate. If confused about this, just email me.
4. Repeat with second ball of dough for the top of the pie.

So this recipe may seem overwhelming for the first one, but I PROMISE you, you won't regret it. And remember, the more you make a recipe, the easier it gets. The more you work with pie dough, the more you will learn to hate store-bought ;) I promise you that cooking for your family is fullfilling and you will love putting time and energy into your family's meals. It is fun! I hated cooking when I started -- now I love it!!!! Don't be overwhelmed! I apologize for the photography. Yes, I am a professional photographer (http://www.dbimagesblog.wordpress.com/) but these were taken with my iPhone.

Why oh why?

2009-05-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Did I start yet another blog? Well, I get asked at least once a day for a recipe and I thought, what better than to post these recipes all in one spot? I've posted recipes on my other blog http://www.mommyiscrazy.com but I would like to localize them all and make it easy to find ideas by categorizing them.

My goal this year was to write a cookbook -- haha, I decided to make a baby instead! Maybe next year (yes, because having three little ones running around will make it easier to write a book LOL).

What's the first thing I want you to do? Go and buy this cookbook: http://product.half.ebay.com/_W0QQcpidZ205305138QQprZ1774745 NOW! This book has helped me immensely and a lot of the recipes I will post are from this or my variations on recipes from here.

If you ever have any questions and would like to ask for a recipe you don't see here, email me at info at dbimages dot ca.

Happy Cooking!!!!