French Dip Sandwiches

I have not made this myself but my sister in law makes it, and suggested it.

I think it sounds good and SUPER easy!

Ingredients:
1 roast (round or rump)
1 can French onion soup
1 can beef broth
1 can beef consumme

Directions:
Put in crock pot on low for 8 hours.
Use the extra sauce for dipping.


It just can't get easier than that!
(unless you go to the Arbys drive thru)

TRULY SCRUMPTIOUS

Robert Redford Dessert

If you can't be WITH him for dessert you might as well HAVE him for dessert! (HAH!!)

(aka: Mississippi Mud)

1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup chopped nuts
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup powder sugar
2 small containers of whipped topping
1 lrg pkg choc. instant pudding
1 sm pkg van instant pudding
4 cups milk

Mix together the flour, butter, sugar and nuts and spread out into a 9x13 pan and bake for 15-18 min and cool completely. Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 container of whipped topping and spread on crust after it has cooled completely. Mix together the two pudding mixes and milk and spread on top of layer 2. Then spread with remaining container of
whipped topping Serves 6.

BON BON

Chicken Curry over Rice

Chicken breasts: 1 lb (skinless and boneless)

Frying Oil: 3 tbsp

Onion: 1 (large)

Garlic: 2 cloves

Coconut milk: 1 1/2 cup

Ginger: 1 tbsp

Curry powder: 2 tsp

Salt: 3/4 tsp

Pepper: 1/8 tsp

Cooked rice for 4 (to serve with)

1. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and finely dice the garlic cloves.

2. Rinse chicken; pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces

3. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the chopped onion and saute until tender. Add chicken and saute about 5 minutes or until slightly browned. Transfer the chicken to a medium-size bowl.

4. Add remaining 1 tbsp of oil to the frying pan. Add the rest of the chopped onion and garlic. Cook and stir until onion is tender. Drain.

5. Add coconut milk, ginger, curry powder, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and simmer for about 10 minutes. 6. Transfer the curry to the serving bowl. Serve with rice. (you can garnish with slivered almonds and coconut powder - I usually don't)

BON BON

You asked for it!

I'd like to dedicate this recipe to all my devoted fans. I would be nothing without you...

Taco Soup

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey, OR chicken (shredded or cut-up)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans beans, undrained (use any kind you like--I usually use one can of black beans and one can of kidney beans)
1 can corn, undrained
2 cans tomatoes, undrained (again, use whatever you like--I use petite diced)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

Saute the meat and onion. Drain. Add remaining ingredients and I add about 2 cans of water (depending on what consistency you want.) Simmer 45 minutes, or put in the crockpot on low all day. Top with your favorite Mexican toppings and serve with corn bread or tortilla chips.

Note: This soup is impossible to mess up--you can change it anyway you like--add more or less of an ingredient, make it spicy, whatever you want!

**GG**

Salmon with dill and lemon

a tasty little meal

INGREDIENTS-

1 pound salmon

1/4 c. melted butter

4 T. lemon juice

1 T. dried dill weed

1/4 t. garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS- preheat oven to 350 degrees . Lightly grease a medium baking dish. Mix butter, lemon juice and dill in a small bowl--drizzle over salmon. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake 25 minutes. (i covered mine with foil for the first 15 minutes)then served it with pasta and asparagus.

I love this dish,

Truly

Ceasar Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 chicken breast fillets

2/3 cup finely crushed seasoned croutons

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a ziplock plastic bag, make marinade by mixing together olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic salt and pepper. Add chicken, seal bag and shake to mix and thoroughly coat chicken. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

2. On shallow plate, mix crushed croutons and Parmesan cheese. Remove chicken from marinade and drain; reserve marinade. Add chicken, one piece at a time, to crouton mixture, dredging to coat.

3. Place chicken on greased shallow baking pan; drizzle reserved marinade over chicken. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until cooked.

BON BON

Fast and Easy Porkchops

6 lean pork chops

3 tablespoons lemon juice concentrate

1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons minced onion

Just a drizzle of ketchup

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pork chops in a single layer in a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.



2. Sprinkle the rest of the ingredients over the pork chops. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes and smile, smile, smile!

BON BON

Ranch Chicken (or something like that)

can't remember what this is called :0

6 slices bacon
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces.
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. ranch dry salad dressing mix
1 1/4 cups whole milk ( i would add a little extra next time)
3 cups dried medium noodles
1Tbsp. finely shredded parmesan cheese

Cut bacon into narrow strips. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; discard all but two tablespoons drippings.
In the same skillet cook chicken in reserved drippings until tender and no longer pink, turning to brown evenly. Sprinkle flour and salad dressing mix over chicken in the skillet; stir well. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in bacon. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Serve chicken with noodles; sprinkle with parm. Makes 4 servings! I'm not sure of the name, but it does taste good!

Truly

Sunday Skillet Supper

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
1-2 tsp. salt (I usually use seasoned salt, or you could use garlic and/or onion salt)
3 cups water
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes (I usually use petite diced because my kids don't like chunks!)
8 oz. noodles (I usually use elbows)
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
cheddar cheese

Cook meat and onion in skillet until browned. Add salt, water and tomatoes, and cover; simmer 10 minutes. Mix in noodles and vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with cheese near end of cooking time.

(BTW, I don't usually make this on Sundays--that's just what it's called.) Quick and easy!

Love, GG

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

28 oz. crushed tomatoes
16 oz. tomato sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
4 cups water or chicken broth
2 T. sugar
3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp oregano
4 oz. diced green chilies
2 C. cooked chicken cut in bite size pieces


Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.

serve with any of these sides
sour cream
avocado
olives
grated cheese
crushed tortilla chips
corn
black beans

My sister in law Ginny makes this and it's muy bueno!

T. Scrumptious

Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

Have you guys colored eggs with your kids yet? We did ours today (no school!) I like hard boiled eggs, but I can't stand it when they get that gross GREEN ring round the yolk--has that ever happened to you? Well, it's your lucky day because I'm going to tell you how to prevent that--Cover the eggs with at least 1 inch of water, bring to a rolling boil, then cover and remove from the heat. Let them sit for 13 minutes, then rinse in cold water and put them in an ice bath. (I just left them in the pot, emptied the hot water, put it in the sink and ran cold water over them for a few minutes until the pot was full, then added ice and let it sit until all the ice was melted.) It worked! NO RING-AROUND-THE-YOLKIE! Now you know the secret...You can thank me later!

HAPPY EASTER!

~GG

Homemade Granola

6 c oats

1 c shredded coconut

6 oz pkg sliced almonds

1 c honey

1 c oil

(you can add raisins and whatever else too)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, add honey and oil in a sauce pan and heat on medium until warm. Add wet to dry and stir until thoroughly mixed. Bake on a cookie sheet (spread granola out thin) at 300 degrees for 10 min. Stir and bake another 10 min. I do this until the granola starts turning a golden brown. Take out of oven and loosen with a spatula and then let cool. Cover in tight container and store. (I like to keep it in the freezer because I love the way it makes the granola really cold and crispy in the milk.)

BON BON

Chicken and Green Apple Salad

Did I mention how much I love salads? Here's another one of my favorites...

1 pkg of Romaine lettuce, cut up

3 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled and chopped

3-4 green apples, chopped

1 6 oz pkg of slivered or sliced almonds

croutons

Honey Mustard Dressing

1 c mayo

1/3 c mustard

1/3 c honey

Mix all three ingredients together. I usually taste as I go and add more of an ingredient if needed. This is a really good dressing for this salad. I think it's pretty kids friendly. Enjoy!!!

BON BON

ice cold milk and an OREO cookie

(i'm a recipe and photo thief-this is from Gilbert!)

1 box of chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1/2 bag chocolate chips (I use the mini chips)
1 store bought frosting, any flavor ( I like the cream cheese frosting)

Beat the eggs and oil in a large bowl, add the cake mix; stir and add the choc. chips.
Form into balls (golf ball size) and bake for 7-8 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely. Frost between two cookies and enjoy!

TRULY SCRUMPTIOUS

(Thanks L.Gilbert)

worth making

we had CHICKEN PARMA-SHAWN this evening...

it was enjoyed by all (some more than others)

two thumbs up!

TRULY

"BTS" cake

Bake a chocolate cake (as directed on the BOX) :)

as soon as you pull it from the oven, poke holes all over in the top...

drizzle a can of sweetened condensed milk over cake.

THEN, drizzle a jar of caramel (ice cream topping) over the cake

let it cool, the smother with cool whip and crushed score candy bar.

refridgerate an hour or so before serving!

it's GOOD! not at all healthy, but good!

T. Scrumptious

Cheesy "Funeral" Potatoes

2lb bag of frozen diced hashborwns

16 oz. carton sour cream

2 small cans cream of chicken soup

1T. diced onion

2 cups cheese

MIX TOGETHER and cook on low in the crock pot for a few hours

you can bake it, probably 350 for 20 or so minutes...until hot and bubbly

I'm all about the crock pot! it's easy.

T. Scrumptious

tried and true

Hey BON BON!

I made your potatoes and kielbasa for our St. Patty's dinner. It was a SUCCESS!

THANK YOU for the yummy recipe!

Truly

Italian Sausage, Spinach and Pasta

My sister Jenny emailed me this recipe that she found in the Boston Globe. Her family loved it! (and she has picky eaters) I haven't tried it yet but will make it for dinner this coming week.

2 lbs (spicy) Italian Sausage

(cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced into 1 inch pieces)

1 large onion, chopped

5 to 6 c low-sodium chicken broth

1 lb thin spaghetti, broken into thirds

2 pks baby spinach

1 c half and half

1/2 c parm cheese

Heat large pot over medium heat and add the sausage. After about 2 min. add onion and cook stirring until sausage is cooked through - about 5 more minutes. Drain off fat, add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 8 min. Add spinach and cover to wilt, about 3 min. Stir in half and half and parm cheese. Continue to stir until sauce thickens, about 5 min. Serve immediately. Enjoy!!!

BON BON

Pineapple Coconut Cake

This cake reminds me of summer and since I'm hoping it'll come really soon I thought it would be a great dessert to make! It's the cake I request for my birthday from my mom every year. Delicious!

1 white cake mix (or you can make one from scratch)

1 can crushed pineapple

1 pt. heavy cream

coconut

Prepare cake mix and bake in three round cake pans. When they come out of the oven, poke holes in the top and spread the crushed pineapple over the tops. (I usually drain some of the juice out before spreading) Remove from the pans. Whip the heavy cream with a little vanilla and sugar. Spread on the three cakes. Stack the layers and cover with whipped cream and coconut. Getting the coconut on the sides can be pretty tricky - I usually tip the cake just a little and pat ever so slightly so that it will stick. YUM!

BON BON

Cobb Salad

I'm a total salad lover and have thankfully turned most of my kids into one too. This is one of my top favorites! Probably not too kid friendly but the nice thing is that you can add or subtract whatever you like.

Romaine lettuce

1 avocado, sliced and diced

1 large tomatoe, sliced and diced

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced and diced

6 strips of bacon crumbled

3 oz blue cheese (I prefer feta)

black olives

red onions

Dressing of choice (I prefer blue cheese)

BON BON

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Okay, so I hesitate to post this recipe because it seems kind of like a science experiment because one of the main ingredients is Velveeta! Yuck, I know, but the soup tastes good, and maybe all the healthy broccoli cancels out the nasty Velveeta...Anyway, here's the recipe--Make it if you dare!

INGREDIENTS:

3 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
6 tablespoons margarine
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 1/2 pounds processed cheese food (eg. Velveeta), cubed
1 pinch ground white pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, simmer the broccoli in the broth for 15 minutes. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine, add the onions and saute for 5 minutes, or to desired tenderness.

2. Add the flour to the onions and stir well, forming a pasty substance. Gradually add the milk and stir until thick. Add this mixture to the broccoli mixture in the pot and stir well. Then add the cheese, stirring until melted. Finally, add the pepper. (Note: Be careful not to let the soup boil, or the cheese will break down.)

***I'm thinking that you might be able to substitute real cheese for the Velveeta--let me know how it goes if you try it.***

~GG

Kielbasa and potatoes

Leftovers...that's what WE had for dinner and let me tell you...my kids were SO thrilled! (not) I like this recipe because it is really easy and tasty. If my kids didn't throw such a fit I would add sweet potatoes and green apples to it as well.

2 pks. Hillshire Farm Kielbasa, sliced

8 red potatoes with skin on, cubed

Throw ingredients in an 8x11 glass pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes or so. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or so until the tops are a little brown. Serve with salad or some kind of vegetables. If you are brave enough, add the apples the last 10 minutes of foil baking so they don't come out mushy. It adds a great flavor too.

Bon Bon

CHICKEN PARMA-SHAWN

8 CHICKEN BREASTS

1 QT. PLAIN YOGURT

1 TUBE RITZ CRACKERS

1 TSP SALT

1 1/2 TSP GARLIC SALT

1 TBSP PARSLEY

4 TBSP PARMESEAN

4 TBSP BUTTER (MELTED)

DIP CHICKEN IN YOGURT. CRUSH CRACKERS AND ADD OTHER INGREDIENTS, EXCEPT BUTTER. DIP CHICKEN IN CRACKER MIXTURE. DRIBBLE WITH BUTTER. COVER WITH FOIL AND BAKE AT 350 FOR 30 MIN. UNCOVER AND BAKE 30 MIN MORE. ENJOY!!!

I took this from one of my friends blogs (thanks Shelby)....I thought it looked simple and yummy. I hear it's a "real crowd pleaser" a lot like myself :) JUST KIDDING!

EXCUSE ME, BON BON and GG, are you guys not eating these days....whatcha' got cookin?

Love, T. Scrumptious

Cold Chicken Salad

this seems to be a popular dish...it's GREAT for summer!

Boil 4 chicken breasts (add celery, onion and salt)

1 pkg. salad macaroni

2 big peeled apples

dicedcelery purple

grapes

mayo

evaporated milk

lemon juice

onion salt



Directions:cook noodles in same water chicken was boiled in. combine 1 small jar of mayo and a can of evaporated milk. wisk it adding 1T. lemon juice and onion salt. and cut up celery and apples.Cut up chicken, sprinkle with onion salt add macaroni and mayo mixtures. Season with onion salt to taste. Chill for a few hours.

Good stuff! but it's a process with the cutting of apples and celery and chicken. It makes a LARGE amount, so plan to eat it for a week, serve it at a party or invite Aaron for dinner!



Truly

Seafood Chowder

I apologize if you are not a seafood lover, because I am so I wanted to post this recipe. Kaleb requests this quite often and so it's a regular in my house. You can serve with corn muffins or crackers.

1 med onion, diced

3 T olive oil

5 med potatoes cubed (with skin on)

4 cans of clams (save the juice)

2 c small shrimp

2 c scallops

extra clam juice

2 c heavy cream (light or half and half will do)

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions in olive oil until browned. Add 4 cups of clam juice and water. Heat to boiling. Add the potatoes and cook until soft. Turn heat down to low and add clams, shrimp and scallops. Add the cream, salt and pepper. If you want a thicker chowder, I sometimes will make a white sauce and add it in at the end. (5 T butter melted in a pan, add 5 T flour and mix until like a paste. Take some of the liquid from the chowder and slowly add to pan. Mix with a whisk on med heat. Keep adding liquid until it is not too thick. Add the sauce to the chowder and stir until all mixed in.)

Enjoy!!

Bon Bon

Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's a little dessert to go along with the delicious dinners that you have posted tonight. This is my all-time favorite cookie recipe. Enjoy!

1 c butter (melted)

1 c sugar

1 c dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 t real vanilla

2 c flour

2 1/2 c oats (blended into fine powder)

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

24 oz bag milk chocolate chips

Bake cookies at 325 for 12 minutes or so. Watch carefully with first batch to determine how long to bake them. I will make cookie balls and freeze them and on crazy nights I can just pop a dozen or so on a sheet and have fresh, yummy cookies on hand. Love, Bon Bon

Baked Ziti

INGREDIENTS:

Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces ziti rigate (ridged) or other short pasta
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) best-quality tomato sauce (about 3 1/2 cups) (I'm not so sure that Ragu qualifies as a "best quality" sauce, but I use it anyway!)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain and reserve.

2. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the mozzarella; season with salt and pepper (if desired.)

3. In the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce. Top with ziti, then ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes (ish).

***Editor's notes: I don't follow this recipe exactly--(Don't be scared, Truly--it's easy!) I usually add a little more sauce (trust your instincts!) because I can't stand it when baked pasta dishes dry out, and once in a while I like to add cooked, sliced italian sausage to this dish before baking. And, of course I serve this with salad and garlic bread.***

~GG

Chicken Enchiladas

A Family Favorite!

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked, cooled and sprinkled with garlic salt)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
16 oz. carton sour cream
1 pkg. taco seasoning
28 oz. can enchilada sauce
3-4 green onions
cheddar cheese
flour tortillas

Mix soup and sour cream in large bowl. In separate bowl, empty enchilada sauce. Put one cup of soup mixture into enchilada sauce. Mix well, take one cup and put back into soup mixture.

To the soup mixture add taco seasoning, green onions and cubed chicken. Mix well.

Spoon soup/chicken mixture into tortillas and roll up. Place in 9 X 13 baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover with enchilada sauce and cheese (i also add cheese to soup mixture) Bake 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

sounds complicated but they're really easy. I normally double the recipe and put a pan in the freezer.

TRULY

Pina Colada

Do you guys love pina coladas? I do and I have tried all sorts of non-alcoholic drink mixes and haven't really found one that I love. Tonight folks, I think I found THE ONE! It's actually really easy and it doesn't have all the preservatives in it either. (quit laughing Rachael!) Anyway, I hope you guys try it out - it would be a great drink to serve at your next game night!!!

2 cups of pineapple juice (chilled)

8 oz Goya cream of coconut

12 scoops of vanilla ice cream (small scoops)

1 cup crushed ice

Blend all of the ingredients together and garnish with fresh pineapple - YUM!!! BON V.

Crepes

I am going to give you my world famous Crepe recipe because I like you guys SO much!! Just don't go sharing it with anyone else, okay? HA!

1 1/2 c milk

3 eggs

1/2 t vanilla

1 T melted butter

dash salt

1 c flour

----------

freshly sliced strawberries

strawberry yogurt

whipped cream

powdered sugar

----------

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth. Heat frying pan to med. heat. Spray with oil and spread 1/3 c into pan - tip to cover the whole bottom of the pan. Flip after 30 seconds or so, cook another 30 seconds and move crepe to a plate. After it's cool I spread strawberry yogurt on the bottom, sliced strawberried, whipped cream - fold crepe in thirds and sprinkle powdered sugar on top. These are yummy with whatever you would like to put in them. Be creative. Bon V

Spuds, anyone?

So this is not a new idea, and you will probably think I'm lame (oh wait, you already do!) but maybe you haven't had this in a while...Do you ever do a baked potato bar for dinner? That's what we had today after church and my family likes them. I pop the potatoes in the oven before I leave for church and set the oven to start on a timer so they are all done when we get home. For toppings I put out chili, broccoli, bacon bits, cheese, sour cream, green onions, etc...Serve with a salad and call it a meal! ~GG

KEY LIME PIE

4
Egg Yolks
1
14oz Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2
Cup Key Lime Juice
1
9" Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1/4
Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Lightly beat egg yolks. Slowly mix in the condensed milk. Add the Key Lime juice & vanilla. Blend filling thoroughly, but do not over beat. Gently pour into pie crust. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Top with whipped cream and garnish with lime zest or slices.

a friend requested this recipe today, so I figured I'd share it with everyone!

you HAVE to use KEYLIME juice...i have purchased it from Whole Foods or Crate and Barrel.

Love, TRULY

Spinach Smoothies

Okay...before you all judge me people, you HAVE to try this smoothy. My kids BEG for it all the time. Stevie is sitting here with me while I type and she wants me to share with you that you don't taste the spinach. This would be a perfect month to try it on your kids because it is St. Patty's day. They don't even have to know there is spinach in it. (as a bonus it's another way to get a great vegetable into your kids)

1/2 pkg of baby spinach

2 slightly brown bananas

pineapple juice

frozen fruit

Blend baby spinach and pineapple juice until well blended - you should not see any signs of baby spinach. Add the bananas. Add the frozen fruit until you get the thickness that you like. (with the frozen fruit I find that the medly from Schwan's is the best - it has manderin oranges, strawberries, pineapple, mangos and peaches.) Go ahead, I DARE you!!! Chef Bon

PS: Stevie also picked the new background...she was feeling a little "Springy"

Quesidillas

These are one of my kids favorite things to eat. It's so easy and yummy. The nice things about these is that you can add all kinds of stuff to them to suit your family.

10 flour tortillas

mexican cheese

shredded chicken

green chilis

finely chopped tomatoes

Heat a skillet to med. Add a T olive oil and place one tortilla into the pan. Sprinkle with cheese and whatever else you would like. Cover with another tortilla and flip when browned. After both sides are slightly browned, cut with pizza cutter into 4 wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa. (my family prefers green salsa)

Chef Bon Vivant

Decadent Dessert!

Aaron has been on a big chocolate mousse kick lately-he's been asking for this every weekend! A lot of mousse recipes call for raw eggs, so I like this particular one because the eggs are (somewhat) cooked, also because the ingredients are really basic.

4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
1 1/2 cups whipping (heavy) cream

1. Beat egg yolks in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed about 3 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar.

2. Heat 1 cup whipping cream in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until hot. Gradually stir at least half of the hot whipping cream into egg yolk mixture; stir back into hot cream in saucepan. Cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens (do not boil). Stir in chocolate chips until melted. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, just until chilled.

3. Beat 1 1/2 cups whipping cream in chilled medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream. Pipe or spoon mixture into serving bowls.

Immediately refrigerate any remaining dessert after serving.

GG

not so appetizing

guess what...i've got RATATOUILLE going on in my kitchen!

i was digging into my recipe drawer to find my favorite enchilada recipe and GET THIS....i found mouse poop and the WORST part; those DANG rodents have muched on my recipe cards.

mice make me angry

with great sadness,

Truly*

Springtime Penne

(i haven't made this-i will next week-but doesn't it sound YUMMY!)

3 cups uncooked penne
1 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine
1/2 lb. cubed fully cooked ham

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, saute asparagus and onion in butter for 5-8 minutes or until asparagus is crisp tender. Add the ham and sauce. Reduce heat; cook over low heat for 1 minute. Drain pasta and add to the asparagus mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.



Sauce
Melt 1 T. butter or margarine, add 1 T. flour, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/8 tsp salt. Stir until smooth. Add 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup milk. Cook until it thickens.

Chef Truly*

Shredded Barbecue Beef Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries

Steve LOVES barbecue so he'll be happy when he comes home tonight. I bought a pot roast this past week for this specific meal. It's really easy (which we all love), the meat just needs to cook for a long time.

1 pot roast (buy according to what you need)

your favorite barbecue sauce

cheese (Steve prefers swiss)

rolls

Brown meat on all sides on high heat in some olive oil - I like to cover with salt and pepper too. After meat is browned, add enough water in pot to cover half way. After water starts to boil, turn down to simmer. Simmer long enough (atleast 3 hours) for the meat to fall apart when pulled with a fork. If you choose, you can use a crockpot and let it simmer in the barbecue sauce - I prefer to add the sauce after it's done cooking. Shred the beef and serve on rolls with barbecue sauce.

Have you ever tried Sweet Potato Fries? If not, I dare you! Take 5 sweet potatoes and wash and peel them. Chop them into strips and coat with olive oil, brown sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or so.

Yummy! Chef Bon

CARROT CAKE

don't eat this for dinner

Grease and flour 3-8 inch pans
Grate 3 cups raw carrots
Sift together
2c. flour
2c. sugar
2t. baking soda
2t. cinnamon
1t. salt
Beat 4 eggs and add 1 1/2 cups oil. Mix, add dry ingedients-mix and add carrots.
Bake 350 for 30 minutes.

ICING:

1 stick butter-softened

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese softened

1 box powdered sugar

2t. vanilla

This is Laura Gilberts recipe and it is the yummiest carrot cake I've ever had!

Chef Truly*

Ranch Chicken Wings

Yummy chicken wings. I serve these as a meal with some salad and rice, messy but good.

24 chicken wings

2 envelopes Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix

1/3 c butter melted

1/4 Tabasco sauce

3 T vinegar

paprika

Combine butter, Tabasco and vinegar. Dredge chicken in ranch mix; then dip in butter mix. Place on cookie sheet lined with foil and spray. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. Turn over and sprinkle again. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes more. You could serve these with Blue cheese dressing if you want. (I got this from my friend Alicia - very tasty)

Love, Chef Bon

Easy Spinach Squares

This is an easy, quick meal that I especially love because I don't have to make a pie crust for it. My kids really like it because the spinach taste is masked by the other ingredients. I sometimes will substitue finely chopped broccoli for the spinach. You can 1/2 the recipe to make a smaller portion.

6 eggs, beaten

2 c milk

2 c flour

2 t salt

2 t baking powder

16 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded (or cheddar)

2 (8 oz) pkgs frozen spinach thawed and drained

1/2 c melted butter

Mix all but butter. Melt butter in a 11x14 inch baking dish. Add remaining ingredients. I like to sprinkle some salt, white pepper and about a 1/4 t of nutmeg on top before baking. Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. While still hot, cut into bite-size squares. Squares warm nicely in microwave as leftovers.

Enjoy!! Chef Bon

Chicken Fajitas

So this isn't really a recipe, but it is a quick, easy, yummy meal option that we really like...


To make chicken fajitas I use the McCormick (I've tried other brands and don't like them) fajita seasoning packets and just follow the directions on the package. I usually use a whole onion and 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 green pepper. I also like to add some black beans for fiber. And of course I serve it on tortillas with lots of yummy toppings: cheddar, olives, avocado, tomatoes, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, etc...Oh, and usually canned or frozen corn on the side.

En joy!
Love, Chef G.G.

Mexican Corn Chowder

As was mentioned in my specialty area I like to make a lot of Mexican dishes. Doesn't really qualify me to be an expert, but this is one of my all-time favorite dishes. It's not that hard to make and my whole family loves it.

Mexican Corn Chowder

1 onion chopped

1 t cumin

1 clove garlic

3 T virgin olive oil

Saute onions, cumin garlic in olive oil until browned.

Add:

3 c water (I use juice from cans of corn)

3 chicken boullion cubes

3 med. potatoes cut in cubes

Boil until potatoes are soft

Add:

1 can green chilis chopped

2 cans corn

Turn heat down to low

Add:

1 8oz block of Monterey Jack Cheese shredded

(add it a little bit at a time while stirring it in)

After the cheese is all melted I add 2 c light cream

Serve immediately

I love to serve corn bread with this dinner so I'll include my recipe for that as well. It's a sweeter corn bread which we all prefer over the not-so-sweet version.

Corn Bread

1 1/4 c flour

3/4 c corn meal

1 T baking powder

1 t salt

3/4 c sugar

1 egg

1/4 c oil

3/4 c milk

Add dry ingredients together and mix. Add wet ingredients into a separate bowl and beat egg. Add wet to dry and stir as little as possible. You can make muffins or bread with this recipe. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or so. Keep an eye on them while baking. Enjoy!!

CHEF BON VIVANT

Chicken Sauce over Rice

I had to post this, it's my signature dish! Seriously, it doesn't get any easier than this....

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot. Add a block of cream cheese, 2 cans cream of chicken soup and an envelope of the dry Italian dressing.

Cook on low for 7 hours. Blend with electric beaters, it shreds the chicken and blends everything. Serve over rice. Our favorite is Basmati rice.

Perfect for Sunday dinner! we always have pineapple on the side, peas are also yummy with it.

Chef Truly Scrumptious*

Bacon, Cheese and Potato Chowder

(WARNING: I made this last week and the kids said it gave them bad gas! Eat at your own risk!)

Chowder:
6 cups milk
2 cans condensed cream of potato soup
4 cups frozen Southern-style hash browns

Toppings:
shredded cheddar cheese
crumbled bacon
sliced green onions

Mix milk and soup in large saucepan. Stir in hash browns. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 min., stirring frequently. Ladle into bowls, add toppings as desired.

We thought this was yummy and the kids really like adding their own toppings. I served it with warm homemade bread.

CHEF GORGEOUS GOURMET

"Wendy's" Chili

This is what I'm making for dinner tomorrow. It's SO easy and everyone seems to like it.

2lbs. ground beef

1 29oz. can tomato sauce

1 29oz. can Kidney and Pinto Beans (both cans with liquid)

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced green chilies (one can)

1/4 cup diced celery

3 medium tomatoes chopped (i used canned 29oz. can)

2 teaspoons cumin powder

3 Tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups water (i usually don't add the full two cups, too soupy)

Brown the meat, crumbling to pea sized pieces. Drain off fat. Add celery and onion, cook until tender. In large pot, add the rest of the ingredients, simmer over low heat. Cook 2-3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

I FIND IT MUCH EASIER TO BROWN MEAT (with onion and celery). THEN throw it all in a crock pot and cook all day on low. SO YUMMY!

and with our left overs, we do chili cheese dogs.

Chef Truly Scrumptious*

devour THIS

Chef Becky had a GREAT recipe for a yummy little recipe blog. She shared the recipe with me, and THIS is what I've cooked up.

Hope it meets your needs and leaves you feeling satisfied!

We are here to SHARE RECIPES! Since you probably won't be having us for dinner, please let us know what you're serving, how you prepared it and what your thoughts are.

DIG IN!!!!