Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes

I'm not much of a fan when it comes to breakfast food.  Eggs leave me with a stomach ache, waffles are fun until the third bite and then my stomach feels weighed down.  and pancakes, well Bisquick tries but have you ever gotten a bite of an unevenly stirred pancake! blah, the powder is enough to make you throw up all you have just tried to choke down.  Throw in a piece of bacon or sausage for protein, with a side of some sort of fruit, and yep, I'm done wanting to eat ever.  yes, i'd rather just stick to cherrio's or chex's. boring and simple but no aching belly afterwards (or in most mens case, a run to the bathroom!)

But, like most food I know I don't love, I still end up feeding my face with it every now and again, so when I found a new pancake recipe from the Pioneer Women Cooks, cookbook, I figured it was worth a shot! and as luck would have it, I've found a new favorite breakfast food.  we actually have these every saturday! they are delicious and don't leave you feeling groggy or wanting a turn on the porcelain thrown.  Most don't believe me when I tell them I've found the worlds best pancake, so I decided to share the wonderfulness. here it is.

Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes
(personally, when ever sour cream is involved I think its a sure bet it will be good, see sugar cookie recipe!)

1 Cup sour cream
7 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
butter
maple or pancake syrup

warm your griddle over medium- low heat. you want it to get nice and hot.  place the sour cream in medium bowl.  It's the top secret ingredient (see I told you!) dump in the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  stir together very, very gently. stop short of the mixture being totally combined. you want the pancakes to have some interesting texture. whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. add the vanilla to the eggs and stir to combine. pour the egg mixture into the sour cream/ flour mixture.  Stir together gently.  Don't worry about the mixture being totally combined; a little white and yellow swirling is fine.  Melt about a tablespoon of butter in the skillet.  Pour the batter into the skillet 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 then flip the pancakes over.  cook for another 45 seconds and remove to plate.  repeat with the remaining batter.  eat and enjoy the soft heavenly goodness!!!

sweet salsa chicken!

I don't know why this recipe hasn't been posted on the blog yet! it's a staple in our home, and one that everyone loves when we share.

Sweet Salsa Chicken

1 pkg Taco Seasoning
4 Chicken Breasts
2 T. oil
1 C. salsa1/4 C. apricot jam
1/4 C. water
1 T. Cilantro
1 T. lime juice
1 (15 oz) can of black beans
drain and rinse

Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces.  In large skillet heat oil; add chicken and taco seasoning and cook until juices run clear. Add salsa, apricot jam, water, cilantro, and lime juice.  Bring to a boil. stir in beans, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.  Serve over rice.

here are our personal changes to the recipe, we don't add cilantro because we aren't big fans, so in my opinion that step is optional. and we decided to add a 15 oz can of corn (dranded and rinsed) to the mixture. also we eat our with tortilla chips and it is one delicious meal.

this meal makes enough for a few adults, most likely you will have left overs, but it's great the next day too!

Chili's enchilada soup!

here is a soup i found on Pinterest and am so thankful I was craving it and then remembered I had pinned it! it turned out to be one of the best soups and we already went back to the store to make it again this week!  plus, we have already shared the recipe! so this is defiantly a keeper!!

Enchilada Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken stock
1 tablespoon chicken soup base (a bouillon cube will work)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (19 oz) can enchilada sauce (or two 10 oz cans)
6 small corn tortillas, minced
16 oz velveeta, cubed
1 cup co-jack cheese, shredded
1 22 oz bag tyson roasted and diced chicken thawed
1 can whole kernel for, drained (optional)

in a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and sauté' the onions until they are tender.  Add the minced garlic and cook another minute or two, then scrape the onions and garlic into your crock pot. Add all the other ingredients, except the chicken and corn. Cook over high heat for two hours or low for four.  Whisk until smooth. Add the chicken pieces and corn and heat through, maybe another 30 minutes to one hour. Check seasonings, and garnish as you like before serving.

Garnishes* pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, crunchy tortilla strips.

no picture, but I will take one when i make this again tomorrow! delish! i loved every bite and so did everyone else!!!! we fed 7 adults and there was roam for small seconds. we also served it up with breadsticks and salad.

yams aka sweet potato's

my favorite part of thanksgiving dinner is yams! Or, aka sweet potato's, i love them and could eat plate after plate.  they are like candy melting in your mouth! the best! you really can't knock them until you've tried them.  here is the recipe my aunt shared with me and that I look forward to every turkey day!

Boil 5-6 Yams (5 cups)
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 cube butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C. milk
cream together and pour over potato's

Next:
1/2 cube butter
1 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. flour
crumble together and sprinkle over the top of potato's

(this is what they look like before they go into the oven)

Bake at 350 for 45 mins (it can be frozen before baking)

*put pecan halves on top, optional!

yum, all melted and coated in brown sugar! they are so so good!

enjoy! happy thanksgiving!!!

bow tie spinich salad

sorry no pics, but this is a wonderful salad!!! we love it! i sometimes wish I had more reasons to make it it's so good! and it's always a big hit at parties.  I got it from this cookbook, The Domestic Art, a collection of fine recipes! so of course it had to be delicious!!!

8 c. of spinach torn
8 oz. bow tie pasta cooked and cooled
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
1/4 c. salted sunflower seeds
1/2 c red and yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

dressing
1/2 c. oil
2/3 c. soy sauce
2/3 c. rice vinegar
6T. sugar
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 c. sesame seeds

combine dressing ingredients n a large zip lock bag.  add cooked and shredded chicken and marinate overnight in refrigerator.  combine remaining salad ingredients in large bowl.. before serving toss with dressing and chicken mixture.

Oatmeal Crispies

The other night Dane and I wanted a dessert after dinner but sadly our cupboards have been a bit bare since I went back to school so I thought, let's grab a cookbook and make the first recipe that we have all the ingredients for.  Of course the cookbook we grabbed was Pioneer Woman and the first recipe we hit was Oatmeal Crispies so we gave it a go.  We made the recipe minus the pecans and added craisins....so good!!  I am usually the type of person that can have a few cookies and be good but sadly I have been eating these for breakfast and dinner!  (It's healthy if it has oatmeal and craisins, right?)

Oatmeal Crispies

chicken pot pie with savor crumble topping!

one saturday morning while watching cartoons with george I left the tv on and came upon a cool cooking show, America's Test Kitchen.  it's awesome! this nerdy bow tie wearing guy gathered up a bunch of cooks and has them test recipes, brands, kitchen equipment and best of all, step by step instructions on how to make perfect meals! I love it. I'm usually not one for cooking shows, big yawn, but this one has had some pretty good stuff and they make everything look easy because they teach you step by step how to make the meal taste better and easier to make.

the latest episode i caught showed me this sweet recipe, Chicken pot pie with savory crumble topping!  i decided to go for it, they walked me through it and didn't make it seem so bad and I decided that for the first time in too many months to count I was going to make a really good home cooked meal...

****NOTE ****This recipe relies on two unusual ingredients: soy sauce and tomato paste. Do not omit them. They don’t convey their distinctive tastes but greatly deepen the savory flavor of the filling. When making the topping, do not substitute milk or half-and-half for the heavy cream.

Ingredients

For the Filling,

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
• 3 medium carrots , peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 cup)
• 2 small celery ribs , chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
•   Table salt and ground black pepper
• 10 ounces cremini mushrooms , stems trimmed, caps wiped clean and sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (see note)
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste (see note)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 3/4 cup frozen baby peas
•  

 Crumble Topping:

• 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese , finely grated (about 1/2 cup) 
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream (see note)

Instructions

• 1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until chicken is just done, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
  

  

  This is my chicken after it was cooked, and just like the recipe said, it took exactly 12 mins! awesome!

• 2. FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
  

  

  i didn't think i was doing this part right, but I did, it really does feel like cornmeal when you start to mash it all together! just like the recipe said! awesome!

   Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces ranging from 1/2 to ¾ inch each onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and starting to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Set aside.
  

  

  here is what my crumble mixture looked like after it was cooked. I wasn't used to my new oven so I almost over cooked mine, but they are delicious! i could have eaten them plain! get your kids to do this part!

   3. FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, celery, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

• 4. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes. Remove cover and stir in soy sauce and tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, mushrooms are well browned, and dark fond begins to form on surface of pan, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with chicken and vegetables. Set aside.

side note, don't be afraid of the word dutch oven, i'm not sure why they call their pans that.

• 5. Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons parsley.
  6. Stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce. Pour mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish or casserole dish of similar size. Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon parsley and serve.
  
  
   this is the finished product! it was so so so good. I'm not even saying that because I made it, because honestly I'm not that great of a cook but I would make this meal again anytime! i loved it! you must try it! i promise your family will enjoy it and want it again. I made this without any help, and while my kitchen looked like this afterwards,
  
  
  haha, it was still worth it and the clean up was really pretty easy.  make sure you read through the recipe before starting though, that would have helped me out a little but all the same it was a meal worth making!!!! check out America test kitchen! you'll love all their cool recipes and ideas!!!

chickent spaghetti

recently we've tried some new recipes and found them worthy of being saved on the blog sphere. so here is one I'm making again tonight and hopefully I'll get the other posted later this week!

this recipe comes for the wonderful world of...the Pioneer woman!!! yep, she hasn't steered us wrong yet and this meal got a way thumbs up, even from some picky eating kiddo's.

here is the link to the recipe, Chicken Spaghetti

 james liked this meal so much the first time we tried it he wanted me to make another round again the same week! for someone that doesn't like eating leftovers I thought this was a big deal.  so, there's a tried and true testament to this meal! delicious!

side notes: we left out the pimento's and blended the onion real small so you could hardly taste it, so I guess we could have also left it out, (but I don't mind onions) other family members suggested that they would even add other veggies, such as celery or mushrooms. the options are endless!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

So for Bunco last month I decided to take a dessert and for some reason Lemon Bars sounded delicious so I called my mom for the recipe but she politely told me they are hard to make and I probably shouldn't serve them to people until I have made them a few times (yes, she is a perfectionist Wilcox, through and through :) )  She did tell me that Keri had this really good recipe for Lemon cookies if I wanted something lemony.  I'm not a huge lemon fan but she loved them and I know Dane is an absolute lemon-lover so if I didn't really like them he'd eat them.  I ended up making them and taking them to Bunco without tasting them (I know major mistake when serving other people) but then at Bunco people were asking who made the lemon cookies and then they wanted the recipe so I decided I better try one and well...they were DELICIOUS!!!  I had saved a couple for Dane in the fridge (which was good because I didn't bring home any leftovers home from Bunco) and he loved them so I ended up making a second batch in the same week and we have them saved in the freezer for a sweet treat.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies w/Icing

Bake @ 325 degrees

6 TB butter

2/3 C granulated sugar

2/3 C ricotta cheese

1 large egg

1 TB lemon extract

1 1/3 C flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

Icing

1/3 C butter

¼ C fresh lemon juice

3 C powdered sugar

4 tsp lemon zest

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add ricotta cheese, egg and lemon extract.  Beat until well mixed.  Add dry ingredients and butter mixture; stir to mix and then beat until will blended.  Drop batter in TB portions 1 ½ “ apart on cookie sheets.

Bake cookies in 325 degree oven between 10 – 14 minutes – watch to make sure they do not over bake.  Cookies will be light on the top.  If baking more than one pan, switch pan positions every 8 minutes.

Icing

Combine Ingredients.  Add more lemon juice if needed for smoother icing.  One at a time, hold cookies by the edges and dip rounded tops into icing.  Set in a single layer, icing up (duh), on rack and let stand until icing is firm – about 10 – 15 minutes.  Serve, or store in air tight container up to one day.  Freeze to store longer.

THANKS KERI!!

Paying Our Respects...

Dane and I paid our respects from 300 miles away to the death of the family restaurant, Rafael's.  For those who don't know Rafael's has been a part of my family since before I was born.  Grandma Bonnie & Grandpa Bob loved it and any time we had a family gathering it usually was at Rafael's.  We would also go for lunch when Grandma & Grandpa would babysit me.  My dad would take us there when my mom was hosting Bunco at the house and we were kicked out.  We would go for birthday's to partake in delicious sopapillas.  We also went there the first time Dane's parents were introduced to my parents for all the fun wedding planning.  Within the last few years my aunts and uncles would gather there every Monday with Grandma Bonnie and it became a tradition that still stuck after she passed away last fall.  Sadly though, our delightful family restaurant shut it's doors on Saturday 7/31/11 and since Dane and I weren't able to go one last time with the family, we 'attempted' to make their famous 'Bean Dip Chips'!  They turned out delicious!

Recipe Items:
Tortilla Chips
Re-fried Beans
Tomatoes (1-2)
Onion (we used half)
Green Pepper (1)
Cheese

Prep:
Lay the tortilla chips on a baking sheet
chop the onion & green pepper and throw in a frying pan, you don't want to cook them but let them sweat to make them soft.  Warm up re-fried beans in a pan, once warm spread evenly on the chips.  Next sprinkle the peppers and onions on top.  Then chop the tomato and sprinkle on next.  Last you'll want to sprinkle shredding cheese across the top.  Set your oven to broil and watch closely, as soon as the cheese is melted they are done (ours took about 10 mins)

tuna melts!

okay okay, i know that when some people think of, or smell, tuna fish they tend to vomit in their months a little. I admit that I'm not one of those people i actually enjoy a good tuna fish sandwich. but I think that I have finally found the one and only tuna recipe that will swoon tuna fish haters over to from the dark side! this is not your grandmothers tuna loaf! this is really good!

and of course it would be because guess who the recipe came from? pioneer women! and she has yet to steer me wrong when it comes to meal time. here is the link to the recipe (you can even print it out to take the list to the store with you!).

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/tuna-melts/

and here our my sweet pics of making it and loving every bite.  the meal was easy, fast and so filling and healthy! and best part, I hardly even remembered I was eating tuna fish!!

see you can't even see the tuna....

 so here is our batch of the veggies, mustard, mayo, and tuna fish.  I dipped a Ritz cracker in this and it was so so good. I even thought that if I ever need an appetizer for a summer shindig, I might make this and just serve it up on crackers, or some good bread.  quick and easy!

and here it is out of the oven, like a I said so quick and easy and so so good!

these were so good and filling! and james loved them so i have a sneeky feeling that kids would eat them too! looks like a gorment grilled cheese! any way, if you are in a bind and don't want to run to your local fast food joint give these a whirl! they were a nice refreshing meal!! i promise everyone will enjoy them!

Strawberry White Chocolate Streusel Bars

After making jam, I had LOTS of leftover strawberries and by lots I mean an entire Costco case!  So I went on a mission today to find some good food to make with strawberries and I came across this recipe.  Dane and I wanted a sweet treat after dinner so we gave it a try...DELICIOUS!

Ingredients

• 2 cupsOld Fashioned Oats
• 1-½ cupAll-purpose Flour
• ¾ cupsWhite Sugar
• ¾ cupsBrown Sugar
• 1 teaspoonBaking Powder
• ½ teaspoonsBaking Soda
• ½ teaspoonsSalt
• 1 cupCold Butter, Cut Into Small Pieces
• 4 ounces, fluidStrawberry Jam
• 1 teaspoonLemon Zest
• 2 cupsStrawberries, Chopped Or Sliced
• 3 ounces, fluidWhite Chocolate

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. Add the chopped up cold butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like small crumbles. Reserve 1 cup of this mixture.
3. Dump the remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 15” x 10” pan (jellyroll pan) and press it into an even crust.
4. Bake in 350 degree oven for 12-13 minutes or until it is firm to touch. Do not brown.
5. Remove pan from oven. Warm the jam in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stir in the lemon zest. Drizzle the warm jam over the warm crust. Spread the chopped strawberries over the crust. Sprinkle on the reserved cup of crumb mixture.
6. Return pan to 350 degree F oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the crumbs on top are lightly browned. Then remove it from the oven and let the pan cool for 1 hour.
7. Melt the white chocolate in microwave, following directions on package. Drizzle melted chocolate in thin lines over the streusel top. Cut into bars.

Thanks Tasty Kitchen!

Strawberry Rhubarb freezer jam!

my grandma carlita has a rhubarb plant that has been growing for over 20 years! And of course everything gets better with age, so this year the rhubarb produced in mass proportions! so grandma invited me over to help her put it to good use! My first jamming experience ever was created with the help of the fantastic summer classic, Rhubarb....

nothing beats homemade jam!

here is what you need,

containers, I used Tupperware
 1 2oz box pectin
4 cups sugar
4 cups strawberries and rhubarb
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp butter ***

 1. begin by slicing your rhubarb into bite size squares.  you will need enough for 4 cups.  after you have your rhubarb ready start slicing your strawberries into fourths.  again you'll need enough for 4 cups, (which ended up for me, two containers of strawberries.)  once your strawberries are cut put them in a larger container and start mashing them until all the strawberries are blended. (there can be some lumps.)
 2. in a separate bowl pour out your four cups of sugar so it will be ready to dump in when your fruit starts to boil.
 3. pour your strawberries, rhubarb, pectin, lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp butter into your pot and stir constantly on high until the mixture comes to a rabid boil that you can NOT stir down.  *** the 1/2 tsp butter is a trick, it help keep the jam from getting frothy, a little wisdom from my gradma!

 4. once the jam is boiling pour in your pre-counted, 4 cups of sugar! and continue stirring on high until the jam again comes to a boil.
5. once the jam has begun to boil again, time it for ONE MINUTE, while constantly stirring at a rapid boil.(it will splash on you so watch out!) and then remove from heat and let stand. there may be a titch of froth on the top of the jam, gradma just grabbed a small ladle and skimmed it off the top, but the butter really did keep it to a minimum. 
6. after a half hour or so you can pour the jam into your containers, but do not put the lids on them, or place them in the freezer until they are cool. sealing them or freezing them to soon will make your jam runny!
one round of jam for me made, 8 containers worth of jam. but this is probably depending on your container size!
also note that when you go to buy pectin, make sure the box is 2 oz. not 1.75 oz, because your jam will be slightly runnier.  I for one did not know that pectin came in different amounts.

Our Cinco De Mayo Feast

Thanks to Pioneer Woman, Dane and I made this for dinner and it was delicious!

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos
adapted from Pennies on a Platter, originally from Our Best Bites

• 3 oz cream cheese, softened (reduced fat is fine)
• 1/3 cup salsa verde (recipe below)
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbs chopped scallions
• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken *
• 1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Pepperjack cheese
• 8-12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese with the salsa, lime juice, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, onion powder, garlic, cilantro, scallions, and 1/4 tsp kosher salt.  Fold in the chicken and cheeses.  Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Working 3 tortillas at a time, stack them on a microwave-safe plate and cover with plastic wrap.  Cook 30 seconds, or until tortillas are soft and pliable.

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of filling onto the lower third of each tortilla, and roll tightly.  Place seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Spray the taquitos lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt.  Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp and golden-brown.  Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole.


*This is how I prepare my chicken if I don't have leftover chicken to use:  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spread a piece of aluminum foil across a baking sheet, and arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in the center.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and season as you wish.  Fold the aluminum foil over the chicken breasts, and enclose them to form a "packet."  Bake the chicken (on the baking sheet) 35-45 minutes, or until it is cooked through.


**To freeze, prepare the taquitos, but before baking, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until the taquitos are completely cold.  Wrap each taquito in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and freeze.  To bake, unwrap the taquitos and cook  in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes (no need to thaw first).

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
adapted from Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday

• 4-5 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved (about 8 ounces)
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 jalapeno
• about 1/3 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped cilantro
• 1/2 small white onion, chopped
• juice of 1/2 lime
• salt

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  lay the garlic, tomatillos, and jalapeno in a single layer, laying the tomatillos cut-side down.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the tomatillos are well-browned.  Turn everything over and brown the other side (the tomatillos should be very soft).  Remove the tomatillos and garlic and add to a food processor or blender, and cook the jalapeno on all sides before removing to a cutting board.

When the jalapeno is cool enough to handle, peel the shriveled blackened skin, halve, and remove ribs and seeds.  Roughly chop and add to the food processor as well.

Add 1/4 cup of water, onions, and cilarntro to the food processor, and blend to a coarse puree.  Pour into a dish and add more water if necessary, to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency.  Add lime juice and salt to taste (usually about 1/2 tsp salt).

Chicken Tacos

I got this recipe from America's Test Kitchen, we tried it last night and it was delicious and pretty easy to make...

To warm the tortillas, wrap them in foil and heat in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. Top the tacos with shredded lettuce, grated cheese, diced avocado, tomato, and sour cream.

Ingredients

3	tablespoons unsalted butter
4	garlic cloves , minced
2	teaspoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2	cup orange juice
1	tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4	cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1	teaspoon yellow mustard
	Salt and pepper
12	(6-inch) flour tortillas

Instructions

1. POACH CHICKEN Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in orange juice, Worcestershire, and ½ cup cilantro and bring to boil. Add chicken and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until meat registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

2. SHRED AND SAUCE Increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquid is reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in mustard. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to skillet. Add remaining cilantro to skillet and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with tortillas.

two new dinners

Hawaiian haystacks

we had these last sunday for dinner. it was easy and a nice change to the sunday usuals.

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. milk

1 can Cream of Mushroom w/ Roasted Garlic soup

1 c. mushrooms, sliced

6 c. chicken breast, diced cooked

sticky rice cooked

Melt butter, add flour, and salt.  Add milk and cook until thickened stirring constantly.  Add mushroom soup, mushrooms, and chicken.  Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.  Serve over sticky rice and top with toppings. 

suggested toppings:

grated cheese               Pineapple, Tomatoes, coconut

chopped celery            slivered almonds, green onions

chow main noodles     water chestnuts, and soy sauce

we thought it was delicious. we got this recipe from the "the domestic art" cookbook. if you are looking for an awesome cookbook this is the one to get! all the recipes so far have been delicious!

white chicken chili!

I love this soup! yum, my favorite part is the hominy, every time I make this I wonder why I don't make it more often! delicious!

2 chicken breaths

2 cans great northern beans

2 cans chicken broth

1 lg can hominy

1/2 can green chile's

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 oregeno

1/4 tsp cayanne pepper

1 clove garlic minced

Drain and rinse beans and hominy. put all ingredients in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. just before serving shred chicken breasts and mix into soup. top with sour cream, pepper jack or cheddar cheese (this is optional because it's really good plain)

**my sidenotes** james thought that maybe we could have put in 1/2 tsp cumin instead of a whole tsp. he said it was hot, so you can choose, i don't think it would take away from the flavor.  also i added a whole can of green chile's. 

Breakfast Frittata

this recipe is great if you are needing to feed a lot of people. And luckily a lot of people ended up loving it when we made it...

8-10 cups hash browns frozen (or 2lb frozen bag from grocer)
8-10 eggs, scrambled (we used 9, but who's counting)
1 carton small mushrooms sliced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 pound ham
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cups or more cheddar cheese grated

Cook hash browns in skillet until golden brown, season with sale and pepper.  Place in bottome of a large, greased casserole dish and set aside. In a small saucepan saute mushrooms and onions, set aside.  Scramble eggs and place on top of the hash browns.  Layer with Ham, mushrooms and onions, and tomato's. top with cheese and bake until heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

finish product, minus tomato's*

now for my own little notes. we did not use ham, i think the stuff is nasty so we went with turkey sausage, and used 1 1/4 cup.  I have been told this recipe would be delightful with any meat replacement though, such as bacon. or as my grandma suggested you can leave it out all together.  We ended up using only 2 cups of cheese, but this recipe is really based on your taste, so if you think you need a bit more or less of something, change it up.  it turned out really good though. we made four 9x13 pans to feed 45 people and we had the perfect amount!

*I also left out the tomato's because i'm allergic, but we had fresh salsa for people to add to their dish and they loved it even more!

Caramel Apple Sticky Buns

When my parents came to visit last weekend I decided to make this scrumptious treat.  Thank you Pioneer Woman, these were SOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!

Caramel-Apple-Sticky-Buns Recipe

No-Bake Macaroni & Cheese

This is a super easy, fast recipe and we had everything in our house so it was a perfect after work meal.

• 8 ounces elbow noodles (2 cups)
• 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli
• 1 3/4 cups milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

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Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 4 minutes. Add frozen broccoli and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and broccoli are just tender, 4 to 5 minutes more.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 cups milk in another large pot over medium-high heat until just simmering. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture to the simmering milk; return to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in Cheddar, Parmesan and mustard until the cheese is melted.
3. Drain the pasta and broccoli and add to the cheese sauce. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, until heated through, about 1 minute.

We topped ours with classic Tony Chachere's seasoning and Dane pointed out that it would be good to sprinkle more cheese on top and bake