Manly Beef and Noodles

Another crock pot recipe! We really enjoyed this one, so give it a try!

Ingredients:
2 lbs beef stew meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 packet Lipton's French Onion soup mix

Place all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Cook one 24 oz bag of egg noodles. Stir into meat mixture. Serve with bread and salad.

Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

This is an easy and yummy crock pot recipe that I made for Small Group last weekend and it was a big hit! The best part was, it didn't require a lot of effort from me! Check it out! It'll be delcious on these chilly fall days coming up!

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cans chicken broth, low sodium
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 stick butter
1 bag egg noodles

Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts into the crock pot. Pour in chicken broth, cream of chicken and mushroom soups, and place one stick of butter.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours.
3. Remove chicken breasts and shred into bite sized pieces. Return to crock pot.
4. Stir in egg noodles. Cook on high for one hour. Serve and enjoy!!

**Jeremy prefers it with Texas Pete sprinkled on right before eating. It adds a yummy little kick to it!

Creamy Peach Pie

I whipped up this pie yesterday afternoon after deciding that it sounded amazing. I was right! This pie is simple, not too terrible for you, and really yummy! Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg or cinnamon
3 tbsp. butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1 can (16 oz.) drained peaches save juice
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened ( I used fat free)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. peach juice
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

What to do:
1. Combine first 9 ingredients (flour-milk). Beat for 2 minutes, pour into greased 10 inch pie dish.
2. Arrange sliced peaches on top of the batter.
3. Mix cream cheese and next three ingredients (through peach juice). Beat two minutes. Spoon over peaches.
4. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over top.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Best served warm with a spoonful of vanilla icecream!!

Easy Chicken Parmesan

This is a recipe that I made for dinner last night. It was super easy and really yummy! Jeremy especially liked it a lot. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast tenders
1 box Italian flavored Shake N Bake (it comes with two packets, use one and save one for next time)
1/3 c fresh grated parmesan cheese, a little extra for topping
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 tbsp butter
1 jar pasta sauce
Extra mozzarella cheese for topping

What to do:
1. Combine Shake n Bake packet with 1/3 c parmesan cheese in a shallow dish.
2. In a separate shallow dish, place the egg white.
3. Dip each chicken tender in the egg white, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.
4. Melt the butter in a medium sized pan on medium-high heat. Add chicken, cook until done, about 3 minutes on each side.
5. Put sauce in a microwave safe dish. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave for 2 minutes or until heated through.
6. Pour sauce over chicken in the pan. Top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Cook until cheese melts; about two minutes.

Serve over pasta or rice.

Homemade Ice Cream!

When I think of summer, one of the first things that comes to mind is homemade ice cream. It's a tradition that I've grown up with and enjoy a lot. Probably too much. But we won't go there. Below are a couple of different recipes that I've tried. Both are delicious!

**Recipes are written for a four quart freezer. Adjust accordingly.

This one is a family favorite and usually our go-to recipe when we're making ice cream:

Homemade Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients:
6 bananas, mashed
2 Quarts half and half
2 c sugar
3 tbsp vanilla
3/8 tsp salt
Milk to fill container (not always needed)

What to do:
Mix all ingredients together. Put into ice cream freezer. Follow instructions on your freezer. Serve immediately for soft serve ice cream or freeze for two hours for more firm ice cream.

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 quarts half and half
2 cans Eagle brand milk
1 small box vanilla instant pudding
2 small packages frozen strawberries, slightly thawed
Milk to fill container (not always needed)

What to do:

Mix all ingredients together. Put into freezer. Freeze according to instructions on your machine. Serve immediately for soft serve or freeze for two hours to firm up.
**This one works will with lots of different mix-ins. You can substitute peaches, candy, etc in places of the strawberries.

Better than Anything Cake

Whew, it's been a while since I've posted! It's good to get back to it. Here's a recipe for a cake that is absolutely, drool on yourself wonderful. Here it is!

Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix (+ items needed to bake cake according to box)
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1 jar caramel icecream topping
1 large tub Cool Whip
8 fun size Butterfinger bars

What to do:
1. Bake cake according to directions on the box in a 13x9 dish.
2. While cake is still warm, poke holes in it with a fork. Drizzle the Eagle Brand milk and caramel over the cake.
3. Crumble 4 of the Butterfinger bars, sprinkle over the cake.
4. Allow to cool completely in refrigerator.
5. Top with Cool Whip. Crumble the other 4 Butterfinger bars over top. Refrigerate until ready to eat! Keep all leftovers in the refrigerator.

Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein

This is a recipe that I borrow from Lisa Burns because it is delicious!! It turned out great when I made it a couple of weeks ago. Leftovers were just as yummy as the first go around!

Ingredients:
4 C hot cooked spaghetti (8oz uncooked pasta)
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp minced peeled ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 C chopped broccoli
1 1/2 C vertically sliced onions
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 lb flank steak, trimmed and cut across the grain into long, thin strips
1 Tbsp chili paste

What to do:
1. Cook pasta according to pasta directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Combine pasta and sesame oil, tossing well to coat.

2. While pasta cooks, heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic, saute 30 seconds. Add broccoli and onion, saute 3 minutes. Add steak and saute 5 minutes or until done. Add pasta mixture, soy sauce, and remaining ingredients; cook 1 minute or until lo mein is thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.

**The grocery store was out of ginger when I made this, so I had to leave it out. It still turned out great! I also used olive oil instead of peanut oil because it's what I had. To get the authentic taste, do NOT omit the sesame oil or the oyster sauce. They are the key!

Grilled Cajun Salmon

Today was a beautiful day! The perfect day to grill out. I happened to have some salmon in the freezer that I had bought on sale a while back, and we decided to throw it on the grill for dinner tonight. It turned out great!! Here's how we cooked it...

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tbsp black pepper
a bit of minced garlic
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
olive oil for drizzling

Instructions:
1. Mix together all ingredients except salmon and oil.
2. Spread the rub over over the salmon fillets, coating both sides well. Let sit for 1-2 hours to enhance flavor.
3. Heat grill on low-medium low heat. Drizzle olive oil over each side of the salmon.
4. Grill 5 minutes on each side until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Enjoy! We had it with parmesan rice and steamed vegetables. Yum!

Maw Maw's Lasagna

In late honor of my birthday (it was on the 6th), I'm posting one of the traditional birthday dishes from growing up. My grandma would make this for dinner a lot for birthdays because it was one of everyone's favorites! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!

Ingredients:
1 box lasagna noodles, cooked according to package
8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz shredded parmesan cheese
butter

Sauce Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
4-5 slices deli ham
2 cans tomato paste+ 2 cans water
1 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Curry
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Thyme
pinch salt
pepper to taste
1 green pepper, chopped and cooked (optional)
1 onion chopped and cooked (optional-you know I hate onion, so of course I leave it out)

**Maw Maw did not use these last two ingredients in her dish once us picky grandchildren were born....and it tastes better without it.**
**The original copy of the recipe does not have measurements for the seasonings. I guessed at it for those of you that like to have numbers, but you'll have to taste and add more if needed. You'll want to go lighter on the curry than anything else because of it's strong flavor**

Gravy Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
a splash of milk
salt

Making the sauce:
1. Brown and drain your beef.
2. Add tomato paste and 2 cans of water. Mix well.
3. Add seasonings to taste. Add onions and peppers if desired.
4. Allow to simmer to mix flavors while preparing the rest.
*Sauce could be made ahead of time to give the flavors time to really blend well. It could also be a time saver for when you're throwing the dish together after work for dinner.

Making the gravy:
1. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in the microwave or on the stovetop.
2. Mix 2 tbsp flour in with the butter until no lumps are visible.
3. Add just a touch of milk, stir well.
4. Either microwave for 1 minute or heat over medium heat stirring constantly. (Careful not to scald it!)
5. Stir well, repeat microwave step 1 minute at a time until a thick gravy-like consistency is reached. If using the stove, stir constantly until mixture thickens.

Making the dish:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray your 13x9 dish.
2. Layer noodles in the bottom of the dish, covering entire bottom.
3. Layer 1/3 of the meat sauce on top of the noodles.
4. Tear ham into small pieces. Layer on top of meat sauce.
5. Spread 1/3 of gravy on top of ham.
6. Sprinkle 1/3 of mozz. cheese and parm cheese over the gravy.
7. Repeat layers until materials are gone, ending with cheese on top.
8. Melt 1 tbsp butter. Pour over dish.
9. Bake at 350° for 45 min-1 hourm until golden brown and bubbly.

Serve with salad and garlic bread for a complete birthday (or anytime!) dinner!

Maw Maw's Banana Pudding

Banana pudding is an essential at any southern gathering. It can be made many different ways, anything from being baked in the oven to being served cold. Below I decided to post BOTH of grandma's recipes for banana pudding and let YOU decide which one you like best!! They're both served cold, no oven necessary, which is my favorite way to eat banana pudding. Try them both and let me know which one you like better!!

Maw Maw Franklin's Banana Pudding
Ingredients:
3 3oz boxes instant vanilla pudding
5 c milk **(see note below)**
1 tsp vanilla
16 oz fat free cream cheese
12 oz tub Cool Whip, divided
4-5 ripe bananas
1 box Nilla wafers

What to do:
1. Mix dry pudding mixes with milk. Whisk well until pudding thickens. Add vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and 8 oz of Cool Whip until smooth.
3. Combine bowl one with bowl two until well blended.
4. Layer pudding mixture in a large bowl with bananas and Nilla wafers.
5. Top with 8 oz of Cool Whip.
6. Crush a few Nilla wafers and sprinkle over the top of the Cool Whip.
7. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until serving.

**Note**: Instant pudding will not set up when made with soy milk. I learned this the hard way! It's best to use real milk. The higher the %, the thicker the pudding will be.

Maw Maw Swanson's Banana Pudding

Ingredients:
2 large boxes instant vanilla pudding
5 c milk
1 8oz container sour cream
4-5 bananas
1 box Nilla wafers
1 8oz tub Cool Whip

What to do:
1. Mix pudding mixes with 5 c milk.
2. Stir sour cream into pudding mixture.
3. Layer Nilla wafers, pudding mixture, and bananas in a bowl.
4. Cover with Cool Whip. Crush a few Nilla wafers and sprinkle over the top of the dish.
5. Refrigerate two hours before serving.

Chopped BBQ Chicken

This one is for all of you BBQ lovers out there...and for those of you (like me) that don't like NC BBQ too!

Jeremy and I ate this for dinner a couple of nights this week and it was really yummy!

Ingredients:
3-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1/2 c Italian dressing
1/4 c brown sugar
Sandwich buns for serving

What to do...
1. Place chicken into crockpot.
2. Mix together BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, and brown sugar into a bowl.
3. Pour over chicken, covering completely.
4. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
5. Remove chicken, shred/chop into bite sized pieces.
6. Stir back into sauce and mix well. Continue to cook for 2 additional hours on high or 3-4 on low.
7. Serve as a sandwich or on a plate.

Spinach and Mushroom Stromboli (or pepperoni, or sausage, or whatever!)

This one is a staple in our house. Jeremy and I like different toppings and it's fairly easy to please us both with this one! The recipe below show my preference of toppings, but we usually make it with half spinach for me and half pepperoni for Jeremy. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients:
1 Pillsbury pizza dough (found in the refrigerated section with the cookie dough and biscuits, etc)
1 egg white
1 pack shredded 5 cheese Italian mix (or Mozzarella)
1 bag fresh spinach
1 can mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Italian seasoning
A sprinkle of parmesan cheese
1 can pizza sauce for dipping

What to do:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease a cookie sheet. Spread the pizza dough so that it is stretched over the cookie sheet in the shape of a rectangle.
2. Put on tbsp olive oil into pan. Stir in minced garlic and saute for 1 minute. Then add mushrooms. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add spinach. Cover 1 minute to allow spinach to wilt.
3. Spread half of the egg white onto the pizza dough. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, then spread cheese over entire dough. (leave about half an inch-1 inch around the edge.)
4. Spoon the sauteed mixture over the cheese. Beginning at one of the smaller sides of the rectangle, roll the pizza dough up in a jelly roll fashion. Be careful, the toppings like to fall out!

5. Arrange on the baking sheet, then spread the other half of the egg white over the top of the roll. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese over top.
6. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

**If you prefer other toppings, follow the same recipe, just change out the toppings to meet your needs!

Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili

Ok, before you cringe and run away screaming at the name of this recipe, stop! It's good, I promise! The pumpkin that you think of as having a sweet, cinnamon taste, like pumpkin pie, actually is not sweet at all! It blends perfectly with the beans and seasonings in this recipe to make a thick, delicious chili!

Ingredients:
1 medium red or yellow pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained (makes them lower in sodium and is easier on the tummy)
3 c chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped (optional, I left it out)
1 lb ground turkey or 2 1/2 c cubed turkey or chicken, cooked
1 can solid packed pumpkin
1 can diced tomatoes, juice and all
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning

What to do with it all:
1. In a large skillet, saute the onion and pepper in olive oil until tender.
2. Add the garlic, cook for one minute longer.
3. Transfer to a crock pot, add in remaining ingredients.
4. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until heated through.

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

Are you ready for the best cookies you've ever eaten? Because these are it. The best. You will want to eat them all as soon as the come out of the oven. Jeremy has affectionately named them The Cookies from Heaven, if that tells you anything. Anyway, here they are. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1/2 c mini chocolate chips
10 oreos, crushed
1/2 c white chocolate chips, melted (optional, I didn't use these and don't think it was missing much)

What to do:
1. Beat together the butter and cream cheese until mixed well.
2. Add in sugar and vanilla, mix well.
3. Add in flour, mix on low setting until well blended.
4. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
5. Roll into 1 in cookie balls. Roll each ball in crushed oreos until covered well.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes, or until done.
7. Once cooled, drizzle with white chocolate if desired.

Enjoy with a glass of milk. Yum!

Sausage and Spinach Rigatoni

Here's a simple pasta recipe that's really yummy! It has spinach in it, which is really good for you, but mixed together with the sausage, pasta, and parmesan cheese, the healthy taste is masked with goodness.

Here's what you need:
Smoked Italian Turkey Sausage
-1 box whole wheat rigatoni (or your personal preference) pasta
-1-2 cloves minced garlic (or use 1 tsp of the pre-minced jar, it's a lot easier!)
-2 tsp olive oil
-1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
-1/2-1 bag of fresh spinach (10oz)-varies depending on how much spinach your crew likes
-Shredded Parmesan cheese (not the grated powder stuff)

What to do:
1. Cook pasta according to directions on box. Save 1/2 c pasta water for the end, drain the rest.
2. Cut up sausage into small bites. Cook about 7 minutes.
3. Add in garlic and olive oil, cook about 30 seconds, then add chicken broth.
4. Add spinach into pan, cover. Cook until spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Pour sausage mixture and the pasta water that you set aside in step 1 into the pasta. Mix together well.
6. Add as much parmesan cheese as you like. I personally like it pretty cheesy, so usually use about 1/2 the bag. It's up to you!
7. Mix together well to melt the cheese. Serve warm with salad and bread.