Saturday, December 5, 2009

Grandma Johnson's Famous Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter or shortening (butter is better!)
1 egg
1-1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter & butter. Mix in egg. Add flour, soda, salt & baking powder. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!!!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 cup pancake mix
1 large egg
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Mix it all together. You all know how to make pancakes. Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Oven Baked Bacon

I wish someone told me about this long ago!! We don't eat a lot of bacon, but I hate making it when we do because it's SO messy. This takes the mess out of bacon.....


  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
  2. Line a pan (that has edges) with foil
  3. Bake bacon for 15-20 min. or how crispy you want it.

That's it. Nice and simple, the bacon stays flat, there's no splashes to wipe up, and the foil cuts cleaning in half!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Cinnamon Cider Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. Bisquick
2 cups apple cider
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine first 5 ingredients in small saucepan.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Add melted butter.
Pour over waffles or pancakes.

So Yummy!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Quick Tofu "Lo Mein"

Ingredients:

1 box of firm tofu
egg substitute for 1 egg
3/4 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil for frying
2-3 (3 oz.) pkg. pork flavored Ramen Noodles
1 1/2 cups water (may need more water if you use 3 pkg. of noodles)
1 red* or yellow pepper, cut into strips
2 cups broccoli florets* or cauliflower
3 med. green onions, chopped
2 tsp parsley
1 1/4 tbsp soy sauce


Directions:

Drain, dry and cut tofu into 1 inch chunks. You can freeze tofu the night before to get a more chicken-like consistency, but it isn't necessary. Mix the egg replacement as specified on the box and add an additional 3 tablespoons water. Dip tofu in egg mixture and coat completely. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cornstarch over tofu and coat completely. Watch out that the cornstarch doesn't clump up at the bottom of the bowl.

Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden. Drain oil.

Break apart Ramen Noodles and add to skillet with water, seasoning packet and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until noodles are soft.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Simple Chickpea Vegetable Bake

Ingredients:

2 medium white potatoes
1 medium sweet potato
1 can drained chickpeas (or 1-2 cups cooked)
8-10 asparagus spears
2 cloves chopped garlic
seasoning to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Chop the potatoes into small chunks and put in a casserole dish generously coated with olive oil. Bake the potatoes for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the asparagus and mince the garlic.

Remove the potatoes and stir. Add the asparagus, drained chickpeas and minced garlic. Return to oven for 25-30 min or until all vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally during baking and add olive oil as needed to prevent sticking and to enhance flavor.

Season to taste (I just add salt, but other seasoning would be yummy too). If asparagus is not in season try broccoli, spinach or another green veggie.

Serve and enjoy!

Serves: 2-4

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Monday, March 9, 2009

Belgian Waffles

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 cups milk
non-stick cooking spray

Preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.

In 1 medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a second bowl use the wooden spoon to beat together the egg yolks and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved and eggs have turned a pale yellow. Add the vanilla extract, melted butter, and milk to the eggs and whisk to combine.

Combine the egg-milk mixture with the flour mixture and whisk just until blended. Do not over mix.

In third bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.

Using the rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter. Do not overmix!

Coat the waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and pour enough batter in iron to just cover waffle grid. Close and cook as per manufacturer's instructions until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Texas Sheet Cake

The Cake:

Bring to a boil:
2 sticks margarine
1 cup water
3 Tbsp. cocoa

Mix together in a 4-quart bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, combine the following:
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all three mixtures together and pour into a greased and floured half-size bun pan or 15 x 11 baking pan.
Bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes or until tests done.


The Icing:

Heat the following in a saucepan:
1 stick margarine
3 Tbsp. cocoa
6 Tbsp. milk

When heated thoroughly, remove from heat and add:
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well. Pour on hot cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Raspberry Trifle

Ingredients:

4 (10 oz) pkgs. frozen raspberries with juice (must use boxed raspberries)
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
1 cup cold water
1 (3 1/2 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen butter pound cake (I couldn't find frozen butter pound cake, so I used angel food cake. It might have gotten soggier than pound cake would have, but I thought it was still yummy!)
Diluted orange juice

*Thaw raspberries in hot water, and then drain juice into sauce pan.
*Add corn starch and almond flavoring to saucepan, stirring constantly until thick.
*Place mixture into bowl and chill for 5 min., then fold raspberries into sauce and chill again.
*In another bowl, blend condensed milk, pudding and water, then chill for 5 min.
*In another small bowl, add sugar and cream and whip until blended, then add to pudding mixture and place back into refrigerator.
*Cut pound cake into cubes and put half on bottom of large bowl and sprinkle with orange juice.
*Place half of raspberry mixture on top of pound cake then place half of pudding mixture on top of that.
*Repeat with remaining pound cake and mixtures.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Vegan Loaf

Ingredients :

*substitute for 2 eggs (mix 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, 1 tablespoon corn starch, and 4 tablespoons water)
*1 tablespoon soy sauce
*1 box medium firm silken tofu (350 g)
*3/4 cup chopped walnuts
*1 packet onion soup mix (1.5 oz)
*1 teaspoon oil
*1 onion, chopped
*1 celery rib, chopped
2 cups chopped mushrooms (use portobello mushrooms for a heartier taste)
1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (Variations: To make it stick together better, try lowering the bread crumbs to 3/4 cup and adding one of the following: 1 extra box of tofu, 1 cup of instant mashed potato flakes, 1 - 1 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice or 1 cup burger-style crumbles)

Directions:

Mix egg substitute, soy sauce, tofu & onion soup mix together in blender. Add walnuts & blend until smooth.

Saute vegetables in oil until onions are transparent (add other diced veggies if you wish - ie: peppers, carrots, etc). Add herbs/spices while vegetables are frying.

Mix blender ingredients, cooked vegetables and bread crumbs together in a large bowl.

Press into a greased loaf pan. (Or, instead of a loaf pan, use a square cake pan and liberally coat the loaf with ketchup so it gets kind of burnt and caramelized. Yum!")

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool slightly. Turn loaf out and slice.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Yummy Vegan Lasagna

Ingredients:

28 oz. spaghetti sauce
1-16 oz bag of spinach leaves
1/2 lb. carrots
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup canned low-sodium veggie broth
1 lb. herbed tofu, drained (not silken tofu)
8 oz. vegan cream cheese (I used regular cream cheese)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
12 lasagna noodles, cooked
1/4 cup nutritional yeast, (optional for extra "cheesy" goodness)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.
Slice carrots and steam, set aside.
Add olive oil to a large skillet, place over medium-high heat until hot.
Add parsley and garlic, saute for 1 minute..
Add carrots and veggie broth; simmer uncovered for 5 min.
Add herbed tofu, vegan cream cheese, and lemon juice; stir well.
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until fake cheesy stuff starts to melt. Stir in nutmeg and nutritional yeast, if using. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Place 4 lasagna noodles in bottom of 9x13 baking dish. spread 1/2 of carrot mixture over top. Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce and a layer of spinach leaves on top of that.
Repeat layers. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce. Cover and bake 15 min. at 375 degrees. Uncover and bake an additional 20-30 min. until it is thoroughly heated.

Serves a lot.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Apple Turnovers

1 medium tart apple, peeled and chopped (ie:Granny smith)
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
1 tube refrigerated biscuits
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. sugar
vanilla ice cream

Heat oven to 400-degrees. Combine apple, applesauce, and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl. Separate biscuits and roll out each into a 6-inch circle. Place biscuits onto greased baking sheet. Place a heaping teaspoonful of apple mixture in the center of each biscuit. Fold biscuit in half and pinch the edges to seal. Brush tops of each biscuit with melted butter. Combine sugar and the rest of the cinnamon; sprinkle over the tops. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Serve warm with vailla ice cream.

Tasty Pork Tenderloin

1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb. each)
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups applesauce, unsweetened
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 tsp. ginger, ground

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a small, shallow bowl. Cut tenderloins into six pieces and flatten each cut piece to about a 1 inch thickness. In a skillet, melt butter, dip each pork piece into the flour mixture and then brown in skillet, turning to brown on both sides. Place por in an ungreased baking dish. In the same skillet, saute the onion and garlic until tender. Add remaining 5 ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour this mixture over the pork and cover and bake for 1 hour or until juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads 160-degrees.

Chalupas

2 lb. lean pork loin roast, boneless
1 lb. pinto beans
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1 small can green chilies, peeled and roasted

Put all ingredients in crock pot and cover with water. Cook covered over low heat. Add water as needed. After about 6 hours, take out meat and shred. Cook with lid off until thick, about 1 hour. Serve over tortillas,chips, in a burrito, or over a salad. Add toppings: grated cheese, chopped lettuce, chopped green onions, diced tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, black olives, salsa, hot sauce, etc.

Open Faced Lasagna Ciabattas

1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 (26 oz.) jar favorite pasta sauce
8 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1 (15-oz.) container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
8 ciabatta rolls
1 ball shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Cook sausage over medium heat until browned, about 5-7 minutes; reserve 1/4 cup sausage for ricotta. Reduce heat to low and stir in pasta sauce and basil leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes. Place reserved 1/4 cup sausage, ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, mozzarella, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning into a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Split each ciabatta roll and place cut side up onto a large baking sheet. Spread ricotta mixture over each roll, about 1/4 cup (you probably won't use all of ricotta) Top with a couple spoonfuls of pasta sauce, and lots of fresh mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Remove, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Bolognese Sauce

I made this sauce for a spaghetti pie, but I liked it so much I thought I'd post it again by itself. I think it would be really yummy in lasagna, sloppy joes, spaghetti, or by itself! It makes a big batch, so plan on freezing half of it for later use!

* 2 lbs. Hot Italian Sausage (I used mild)
* 2 lbs. ground beef (from freezer)
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 lg. yellow onion, diced (from freezer)
* 1 green pepper, diced
* 2 stalks celery, diced
* 2 cans crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
* 1 bay leaf
* 3 T. dried oregano
* 2 T. dried basil
* 2 tsp. salt
* 1 tsp. pepper
* 1 cup dry red wine (optional)
* 2 cans tomato paste (6 oz. each)
* 1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Remove sausage from casing. Place in pan with 1/4 cup water and crumble with spoon while browning. When cooked, drain in colander and rinse with very hot water (this washes the extra grease off); set aside.

Brown ground beef, drain, rinse as above, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in dutch oven. Saute celery, onion, and pepper until tender. Add sausage, beef, tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered for an hour. Add wine, tomato paste and cinnamon. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.


***Bobbi's Note: When I made this, I completely forgot to add the tomato paste and the cinnamon. I thought it was very delicious without it!! I'm anxious to see if it's even better with all the ingredients! (not likely)

Spaghetti Pie

* 6 oz. spaghetti, cooked and still warm
* 2 tbsp. butter
* 1 well beaten egg
* 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 c. cottage cheese
* 1 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
* 2-3 cups Bolognese sauce (recipe to follow)

Bolognese Sauce: (This recipe makes a lot of sauce and is absolutely delicious. You will only need about a fourth of the sauce for the spaghetti pie, so plan on freezing the extra to use later for lasagna, sloppy joes, spaghetti or by itself!)

* 2 lbs. Hot Italian Sausage (I used mild)
* 2 lbs. ground beef (from freezer)
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 lg. yellow onion, diced (from freezer)
* 1 green pepper, diced
* 2 stalks celery, diced
* 2 cans crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
* 1 bay leaf
* 3 T. dried oregano
* 2 T. dried basil
* 2 tsp. salt
* 1 tsp. pepper
* 1 cup dry red wine (optional)
* 2 cans tomato paste (6 oz. each)
* 1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Remove sausage from casing. Place in pan with 1/4 cup water and crumble with spoon while browning. When cooked, drain in colander and rinse with very hot water (this washes the extra grease off); set aside.

Brown ground beef, drain, rinse as above, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in dutch oven. Saute celery, onion, and pepper until tender. Add sausage, beef, tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered for an hour. Add wine, tomato paste and cinnamon. Simmer covered for 15 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until dinner time. You will use 2-3 cups of the sauce for the Spaghetti Pie and freeze the rest in dated gallon freezer bags.


Spaghetti Pie:

Combine hot cooked spaghetti with butter until butter is melted. Add egg and Parmesan cheese. Place in pie dish and form a "crust" with a well in the center. Spread cottage cheese over spaghetti in pie dish. Cover with Bolognese sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350°F or until bubbly. Cut into slices and serve.


***Note: I just realized as I was copying this recipe down that I completely forgot to add the tomato paste and cinnamon to the sauce!!! Oops! It was still very delicious!!!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Chicken Tetrazzini

* 8 oz. linguine, cooked
* 2 cups chicken, cooked & shredded
* 6 Tbsp. butter
* 6 Tbsp. flour
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1/8 tsp. pepper
* 1/2 tsp. celery seed (optional)
* 1 can chicken broth
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 cup heavy cream (may be labeled whipping cream or table cream)
* 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
* 1/4 cup skinned almonds, toasted
* 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
* 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
* 3 Tbsp. Sherry (substitute broth if necessary)

In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until blended then stir constantly over heat for one minute. Add cream gradually, stirring constantly. When smooth, add broth and water. Cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes until slightly thick. Add mushrooms, almonds, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, celery seed, parsley, and sherry. Alternate layers of cooked noodles, chicken, and sauce. Cook at 375°F until it bubbles. Does not freeze well.