Ice Princess's Recipes

Making cute Christmas cookies for my daughter's class

2012-01-28T21:40:00.000-05:00

Guest post written by Madeline Houston

I was really surprised when I became a parent that so much of those skills are just cooking for other people's children. But it also gives you somewhat of an excuse to cook and bake some really great things. The holidays are especially the case for that between all of our church activities, my kids' Christmas party and their class holiday parties at school. I've been baking so many cookies lately, but I don't really mind it. I love baking cookies and also eating them too!

But I thought that maybe I could find a new recipe or two to try out for this holiday season. It never hurts to have a few extra recipes on hand. While I was online looking up some recipes, I came across some info on miracle ear. I forwarded it to my husband and convinced him to go and get fitted with some hearing aids.

I found this one really cute cute Christmas cookie that I really took over the top with some holiday cookie cutters. Plus, some colorful icing never hurts, either!

Quick n Easy Banana Split

2012-01-15T17:17:00.001-05:00

This is a recipe similar to one found in my new Speedy Sneaky Chef book. My picky 7 year old loves it. It's now one of my go to snack recipes for him. It is super easy and only takes a few minutes to make.

1 frozen banana
3 tbs of yogurt, plain or any other flavor of your choosing will work
1 tsp honey
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Add all ingredients in order to a small food processor. Mix until smooth.

Tip: Keep a couple of frozen bananas in the freezer ready to go.
This recipe would also be great with other frozen fruit in place of or in addition to the banana.

Jessica Collins Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies

2012-01-02T10:29:00.000-05:00

I love ginger cookies this time of year. I made this recipe last week. It was a ginger cookie recipe by actress Jessica Collins I found in the December 27, 2011 issue of Soap Opera Digest. Pretty good!

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbs ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter - 12 tbs - a little colder than room temp
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon sugar: 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon mixed in a small bowl

Mix together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, salt.
With a mixer, beat butter & sugar until light & fluffy - about 1 minute.
Beat in egg, molasses, vanilla on medium speed - about 1 minute.
Turn mixer to low & gradually add flour mixture. Do not overmix.
Form dough into a loose disk & wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. - Apparently this is a great cookie baking secret, so don't skip this step.
Preheat oven to 350. Let dough sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into a ball. Roll each ball into cinnamon sugar and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place balls 2 1/2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 15 - 17 minutes.
Cookies are done when they are set and slightly cracked on top.
Note: Cookies will puff up and flatten.
Sprinkle warm cookies with a pinch more of cinnamon sugar and cool on a wire rack.

Jessica Collins used to play Dinah Lee on the soap opera Loving. She now plays Avery on The Young and the Restless. She also has her own cooking website: http://www.jessicacollins.tv/

More Cookie Recipes

Couponing

2011-12-28T15:07:00.000-05:00

Posted by Gaylord Campbell

With the economy the way it is these days, I have been trying to save money the best that I can. One way I have found to save money is through couponing. And I hate to say it, but I am sort of becoming obsessed with couponing. People who are obsessed with couponing are like they are in some sort of cult. I guess I have joined the cult. Most of the time that I spend looking for coupons is when my children are in school. We live across the street from a park called Memorial Park in York, Pennsylvania. Since we got York Clear Internet, I can just take my laptop over to the park after the kids go to school and get on all these couponing websites. That way I am getting some fresh air, and finding ways to save my family money at the same time. Some of the websites have coupons that you have to print out so I just bookmark them and print them when I get back in the house. Other websites have something that allows you to send the coupon to your cell phone, and when you get to the store the clerk can just scan your phone to get the discount. Isn’t it amazing what technology can do these days?

Health Benefits Dark Chocolate Antioxidants

2011-11-22T12:50:00.001-05:00

About two years ago, my doctor put me on the Low Glycemic Mediterranean diet. You basically limit grains, dairy and red meat, and eat lots of nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry & lean meat, olives and olive oil. You also eliminate all processed foods, chemicals, artificial sweeteners and caffeine, although green tea is ok. Red wine and chocolate are also ok. I'm home all the time by myself with two small children, so I haven't really gotten into the red wine yet, but once they are older I will definitely add in a glass per day. Being able to eat chocolate is also a huge bonus.
I love chocolate! Dark chocolates are full of antioxidants, which help fight heart disease, diabetes and lower your cholesterol. It may also improve memory, neurovascular activity and alertness. Eating dark chocolate also improves your mood as it contains tryptofan and stimulates the release of endorphins.
I've read that a chocolate craving indicates a magnesium deficiency. A chocolate craving is also very common for women between ovulation and the start of menstruation. I take a magnesium supplement to help with migraines. I also make sure to eat a little bit of dark chocolate every day, so I don't crave chocolate as much as I used to. When I do crave chocolate, a handful of dark chocolate chips and a batch of my homemade chocolate chip granola bars really help.
Dark chocolate comes from cacao, which is a plant, and contains flavanoids called flavanols. The higher the cacao content, the more flavonols present. At least a 70% cacao content is recommended. The chocolate I eat every day contains 80%. I tried the 90% and it's edible, but it's really bitter. The 80% is much easier to eat. I also make sure to use dark chocolate chips when I bake. Milk chocolate does not contain as many antioxidants as dark chocolate. It tastes smoother, but the added milk reduces the antioxidant activity. It's also not recommended to eat dark chocolate with a glass of milk, as that will also reduce the amount of antioxidants. Natural cocoa powders are a better choice for baking rather than Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which is not a good source of antioxidants due to alkalinization.
Eating a small amount of dark chocolate daily is a great activity to add to your daily health regimen.

Cafeteria Food Scrub Clothes

2011-11-21T12:51:00.002-05:00

When my oldest son was born nine weeks early, I spent a lot of time at hospitals. He was in the NICU of two different hospitals for a total of five and a half weeks. During that time, I ate in the hospitals' cafeteria a couple of times. I don't remember what I had to eat, but I do remember it wasn't the greatest food. I also felt a little out of place being surrounded by doctors and nurses all dressed in their scrub clothes. I must have been very noticable wearing regular clothes in a sea of doctors wearing http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Men/.
I'm not a real fan of cafeteria food anyways. When I was in high school I would eat it once in a while, but the food just never tasted that good. When I was in college, I ate at the cafeteria a few times. The college cafeteria food was much better than the high school cafeteria food. The school lunch menu my son brings home from his elementary school is really something. It's always the same: pizza, some flavor of chicken, chili and tacos.
These days I don't eat out much. It gets very expensive. I also like to know what's in my food. Due to my high blood sugar and cholesterol issues, I've done a lot of nutrition research. It's amazing how changing your diet and adding some exercise can make you feel so much better. It also makes your blood sugar and cholesterol numbers return to normal.
Unless it's organic, food is filled with chemicals, pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and growth hormones. That's a big part of why people are sick nowadays. McDonald's gets a bad rap, but what about a cafeteria or your local diner. Is the burger you just ordered made with grass fed beef? Probably not, which means whatever that cow ate, you are now eating. That cow was probably fed corn. Was that corn organic? Probably not. That corn was probably sprayed with pesticides, maybe Monsanto's RoundUp. Maybe the corn seed was genetically modified. The cow may have been injected with antibiotics, which you are now ingesting. Some farmers give their cows growth hormones. You might be eating that in your burger too. The ketchup you put on the burger, take a look at the ingredient list. Chances are very good it contains high fructose corn syrup. If it wasn't made with organic ingredients, it will also contain pesticides. The bun may contain high fructose corn syrup, GMOs and pesticides too.
Good thing there are doctors and nurses out there to help us when our bodies can no longer handle all those invisible, extra ingredients that will eventually make us sick.

Health Benefits of Coffee Espresso Machines

2011-11-10T11:49:00.002-05:00

Christmas is coming fast. I have a ton of shopping to do with few ideas. I have lots of ideas for what I want, but it's hard coming up with ideas for others. Gift cards are always an option I guess.
At the top of my list is a juicer. I was checking out Espresso Machines. I may add one of those to my list as well. I saw pumpkin coffee for sale in Hannaford the other day. Since then, I've been thinking about putting my one cup coffee maker back into use. A nice hot, frothy cup of cappuccino sounds really good too. I don't have an Espresso Machines though. I've bought the pre-made cappuccino mixes before. They are good, but not as good as the homemade version using one of those nice professional Espresso Machines.
The other day I was reading about the health benefits of coffee. Coffee is full of antioxidants. Apparently, it helps protect the brain from dementia and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinsons. It also helps protect against diabetes, stroke and depression.
Coffee should be consumed in moderation though as it can aggravate any existing kidney or bladder problems. It also stimulates the release of adranaline and inhibits the release of serotonin. This may result in irritability and jitteriness causing an inability to cope with stress.
Dark roasted, organic Arabica coffee is the best. Arabica has a richer flavor than Robusta, which is found is less expensive coffees. Dark roasted coffee has less caffeine than lighter roasts.
It's also a good idea to choose mycotoxin free coffee. Mycotoxin is a fungus found on coffee beans and are formed during the drying process. They may cause health problems affecting the liver, kidneys, smooth muscles, and alimentary canal. You also feel better after drinking mycotoxin free coffee. To ensure your coffee is mycotoxin free, choose coffee made from a wet process instead of drying. Stay away from decaffeinated coffee. Stick with Arabica coffee made from coffee beans grown in high altitudes such as Central America. Stay away from coffee blends and choose an Americano if all else fails, as steaming will remove the toxins.

Pumpkin Coffee Krups Coffee Maker Parts

2011-11-05T18:12:00.000-04:00

I'm more of a green tea drinker than a coffee drinker. I went through a stage where I drank one cup of coffee per day. I have a one cup coffee maker, which I really like. You just add a tablespoon of coffee grounds and a cup of water. Wait about 5 mintues and you have a nice hot, fresh cup of coffee. Since I only drank a cup of coffee per day, the one cup coffee maker was perfect.
Last winter I stopped drinking coffee because my kindergartener kept bringing home all sorts of colds and flus, so I figured I would switch out the cup of coffee for an extra cup of green tea to help boost my immune system. I recently read that coffee in moderation is good for the immune system though.
All of the caffeine in coffee tended to make me have a nervous feeling. One day I drank a cup of coffee and shortly after I had a bad headache.
I was in Hannaford the other day and saw pumpkin coffee. I haven't bought it yet, but am very tempted to. I love pumpkin and a pumpkin flavored coffee sounds pretty good.
My one cup coffee maker is just sitting abandoned on the counter, so I'm really tempted to start using it again.
My one cup coffee maker is a Black and Decker. Black and Decker has a great service department. I have a Black and Decker blender that I accidentally chopped up the rubber gasket to. I called Black and Decker's customer service number to order another gasket and they gave me a new, complimentary gasket. I was very happy as I thought I was going to have to pay $10 - $15 for a new gasket, which is what the Black and Decker parts website had it priced at. Instead, I ended up getting a new one free, so I highly recommend Black and Decker.
Krups is another brand of coffee maker. They too have a parts website, including krups coffee maker parts. They have a large selection of coffee makers, so an online website is helpful if krups coffee maker parts or accessories are ever needed. Coffee makers usually last quite a while, but you never know when you might need to order krups coffee maker parts or accessories.

Food And Me

2011-11-03T09:46:00.000-04:00

Guest post from: Steve Delaney

I decided to get online and plug into savings at www.texaselectricityproviders.com because lately my energy bill had just been ridiculous. I knew exactly where it was coming from, too…it was from all the cooking I’d been doing that I wasn’t used to. There was a time when a well-balanced meal to me meant opening a can of chicken and mixing it with mayo but nowadays I’ve really gotten the chef bug. I feel the need to prepare gourmet meals for myself at least a couple of times a week and at the end of the day I know the food I’m preparing now is better for me. I love being proficient in the kitchen and learning how to make new things and my boyfriend sure doesn’t mind being my guinea pig, either. I think he was just as sick as I was of eating cold ramen and frozen dinners which is perhaps why I got so inspired to get in the kitchen and cook! I don’t care why at this point!

Apple Pear Crisp Fruit

2011-10-23T21:09:00.000-04:00

This recipe is adapted to use less sugar from the Pear Crisp recipe out of The New American Plate Cookbook
, pg. 248. I added more spices in place of the sugar. The original recipe also calls for 6 pears, which I replaced with 4 pears and 2 apples.
It is delicious!!!

1/4 cup rolled oats
3 tbs whole wheat flour
4 tbs unbleached all purpose flour
1 tbs wheat germ
2 tbs packed dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbs canola oil
4 pears, peeled, if desired, cored and cubed into 1 inch pieces
2 apples, peeled, if desired, cored and cubed into 1 inch pieces
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/16 tsp ground cloves

Preheat oven to 375. Coat an 8 or 9 inch round or square pan with canola oil or non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine pears, apples, lemon juice, 1/2 tbs of the dark brown sugar, 2 tbs of all purpose flour, nutmeg and cloves. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.
In a food processor, pulse the oats for 15 seconds. Add whole wheat flour, 2 tbs of all purpose flour, wheat germ, 1 1/2 tbs of brown sugar, and cinnamon. Process for 15 seconds. Drizzle in canola oil and process for 30 seconds. Cover top of pear mixture with oat mixture, pressing down gently. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the topping is brown and the pears are bubbling. Serve hot.

If you don't have a blood sugar issue, like I do, this would be really good served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

More Fruit Recipes

Roasted Tomatoes

2011-10-21T12:03:00.001-04:00

I normally just eat tomatoes raw in a tossed salad, but tomatoes are really good roasted. They actually contain more lycopene roasted than when eaten raw.

This recipe is a combination of a slow-roasted tomato recipe in Healthy Cooking, August/September 2011, pg. 58 and Food Networks' Ina Garten's Roasted Tomatoes recipe.

4 tomatoes
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 tsp black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese

Cut tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar; sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic, black pepper and Parmesan cheese. Place on a cookie sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray or olive/canola oil.
Bake uncovered at 450 for 25 - 30 minutes.

More Tomato Recipes

Test

2011-10-20T15:48:00.001-04:00

A seed ascends around the turntable.

Having it all

2011-10-18T11:51:00.000-04:00

Contribution by Prince Raymond

Having all the latest gadgets at my house means it’s become the meeting place for my entire family which wouldn’t be such a big deal if I didn’t have such a big family. I’ve got four brothers and sisters alone and man, when they all pile in here it’s like a sitcom or something. I let them watch whatever they want on the cable television and they of course always ask for beer or wine but man, it’s getting really expensive feeding all these people all the time. I love being so close to all my family members but I wish we could go back to the way it was where we’d all convene at mom and dad’s house for dinner on Sundays instead of my house every night of the week so they can watch all my “good” channels. I think I may have to get everyone satellite for Christmas to save myself some money in the end on food and board! I love them all but they’re driving me up the wall.

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Scratch

2011-10-11T11:43:00.001-04:00

Pumpkin Pie! My favorite! It does use canned pumpkin. One of these days, I will try a pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin, but for now here is my new go to recipe for pumpkin pie:

1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin
1/4 cup sneaky chef sweet potato/carrot orange puree #2, optional
1 12 oz. can fat-free evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425.
Combine cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and dark brown sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add pumpkin and orange puree, if using. Slowly stir in evaporated milk.
Pour into prepared pie crust and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325, bake 40 - 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool and serve. Refrigerate any remaining.

My sort of healthy pie crust recipe is the following:

1/2 cup stone ground whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 cup canola oil
2 1/2 tbs water

Mix all ingredients together with a fork and roll out between 2 sheets of waxed paper.
Makes 1 pie crust.

More Pumpkin Pie

Grandma's Healthy Homemade Apple Pie

2011-09-19T15:50:00.001-04:00

Fall + fresh apples = homemade apple pie! YUMMM!
This is my mother's apple pie recipe updated to make it easier on my blood sugar.

2 pie crusts
6 - 8 cups sliced & peeled apples
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbs stone ground whole wheat flour
1 tbs unbleached white flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tbs butter, optional

Mix together brown sugar, flours, cinnamon & nutmeg. Mix through apples. Place apple mixture in crust lined pie pan. Dot with butter, if desired. Put top crust over apples, flute edges & poke vents in crust.
Bake at 425, 50 - 60 minutes. Pie is done when apples are tender when you stick a knife through them.

This was the original recipe, if you don't worry about sugar consumption:

2 pie crusts
6 - 7 cups sliced & peeled apples
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbs flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs butter

Mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Mix through apples. Place apple mixture in crust lined pie pan. Dot with butter. Put top crust over apples, flute edges & poke vents in crust.
Bake at 425, 50 - 60 minutes. Pie is done when apples are tender when you stick a knife through them.

The pie crust recipe I use is:

1/2 cup stone ground whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 cup canola oil
2 1/2 tbs water

Mix together all ingredients with a fork. Roll out between 2 pieces of floured wax paper. Makes one crust.

The original pie crust recipe my pie crust recipe above is adapted from is:

1 cup flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs water

Mix together all ingredients with a fork. Roll out between 2 pieces of floured wax paper. Makes one crust.

More Pie Recipes

Sweet Potato Salad

2011-09-15T14:36:00.000-04:00

I have high blood sugar, so I've sworn off white potatoes. Really miss potato salad though. As a substitute, I made this sweet potato salad one day. It was super good!
The original recipe is at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ginas-sweet-potato-salad-recipe/index.html.
I stuck to the original recipe, so that's what I'm reposting, mainly as a reference for me, so that I will always have it:

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper - I skipped the salt
Directions
Add the sweet potatoes to a large pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool in a colander.

Once the potatoes are cool, transfer to a large serving bowl and add the onion, red pepper, and green onions.

In a separate bowl, add the mayonnaise, orange juice, smoked paprika, cumin and salt and pepper, to taste. Whisk to combine, pour over the potatoes and thoroughly mix. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1 hour for the flavors to meld.

More Salad Recipes

Italian Pasta Salad

2011-08-28T11:41:00.002-04:00

I adapted this recipe from the Taste of Home/Healthy Cooking, August/September 2011 issue, pg. 26.
It called for bottled Italian salad dressing. I didn't have any, so I used an Italian dressing recipe from the Pillsbury Complete Cookbook, pg. 288.
It was super good! Very creamy!

Italian dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbs vinegar
1 tbs pimientos, chopped
1 tsp dried parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp black pepper

Pasta salad:

2 cups spiral pasta
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sliced green olives

In a large jar, combine olive oil, vinegar, pimientos, parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning & black pepper. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Cook pasta & drain. Place in a large bowl; add the tomatoes, cucumber, oil & vinegar dressing, peppers & onion. Cover & refrigerate at least 4 hours.
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise & Parmesan cheese; stir in olives. Gently fold into the pasta mixture. Chill until serving.

More Salads

Iron Chef America

2011-08-25T17:12:00.000-04:00

Guest post from: Constance Rodgers

Have y’all ever watched Iron Chef America? I love that show! I could never get into it before when it was all the Asian chefs because I couldn’t relate to the food they were making but now that some of the Iron Chefs are people like Bobby Flay they’re making stuff I’d actually like to eat. I recently got satellite from www.DIRECT.TV and now I’ve been watching a lot more Tv than I ever did before but watching shows about competition and food make it somehow feel less like I’m wasting time than other reality stuff. Anyway, I really like when the secret ingredient is something absurd like Blue Cheese or something and they all try to make desserts out of it (why do they always make ice creams?) Alton Brown hosts it and I think he’s just hilarious with his dry sense of humor. I could hear him being sarcastic all day and never get tired of it! Keep it up, Alton, you’re doing god work over there at The Food Network!

Crock Pots Casseroles Skillets Stoves

2011-07-07T17:34:00.000-04:00

It's finally summer here in upstate New York. It was a really long winter, so warm weather is a welcome relief.
During the winter, I use my crock pot ALOT! That's what I use to make dinner every Sunday. It's easy, no fuss. Throw the ingredients in in the morning and it's ready at dinner time. The only draw back is I tend to make the same things: mainly variations of vegetable soup, chicken soup and chili. Everything comes out good, but it gets boring after a while.
I should use the crockpot more in the summer than the winter. In the winter, I actually have time to cook. In the summer, I'm busy outside gardening and hate breaking to come in and cook dinner. I don't really use summer vegetables too much in the crock pot though. I mainly use them in casseroles or stir fries. It gives my stove a work out.
My electric stove has been great. It's 8 1/2 years old though. The only drawback is I can't use it when the power goes out. A few weeks ago, the power went out just as I was going to fix dinner. We had sandwiches that night. lol.
These days, stoves are pretty fancy. They have timers, a clock, different cooking settings. Lots of different brands are available too. Stoves are available at many different stores too, so it's a good idea to compare brands and shop around before making a purchase.
I like the smooth top of the electric stoves, compared to the burners that stick up on gas stoves. The cooktops of electric stoves also use special heating systems, so that food cooks evenly. The ovens are even self cleaning. I've never tried using that on my oven. Even though I place a pan on the bottom rack to catch drips, sometimes I forget to center the pan, so the oven floor gets caked with burnt food. I may have to give the self cleaning feature a try one of these days.

My column and the blog

2011-06-23T17:22:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Roman May

I wanted to look up domainnames.com in my area to see if there were any good ones left on the table. My assumption had been that all the best sites had already been scooped up and that my local food blog would have to settle for some generic, non-city specific title. Fortunately for me, though, I found exactly what I was looking for: a name that contained my city and my catchphrase!

I’ve actually got a lot of readers already, mostly because I’ve developed quite a following locally since I started writing my food column for the paper. People seemed to be really excited when I started my blog and comment regularly on my posts. The best thing about the site is that I’ve been treated to more than a few free meals around town from restaurant owners desiring a write-up. It’s a win/win because I get free food and they get a review on my site! I’m so glad it’s working out so well and may even start a web series on the blog teaching my readers cooking techniques soon!

Professional Cleaning Services Steam Team

2011-06-21T17:32:00.001-04:00

Summer time in upstate New York: when all the door to door salesman show up. A couple weeks ago a college kid selling books for southwest advantage suckered me into buying a bunch of educational books for the boys. He was a pretty smooth talker. Before I knew it, I was signing the order form, with the thought running through my head, what am I doing, we don't need any books. lol. Oh well. They are nice books.
Two summers ago, the Kirby vacuum cleaner salesman stopped in. Over $1000 for a Kirby vacuum. Luckily I didn't get suckered into that one. Those machines are very powerful though. I did let him come in and give a demo. He cleaned the couch. There was a stain that didn't come out, but the rest came out pretty good. The he cleaned a rug I have in the kitchen by the sink. The dirt that came out of that was simply amazing. He put a filter on the vacuum, so you could see the amount of dirt being sucked out. He had to use a couple of filters to get the whole thing clean. The crazy thing is, I had actually cleaned that rug several times with a steam cleaner. Apparently, it wasn't doing a very good job.
I'd like to say I wish the Kirby vacuum cleaner salesman would stop again. My couch and the rug really need cleaning again, but it takes about an hour for the demo. I don't really have an hour I can waste these days.
I am thinking about hiring a professional though. A guy I went to high school with runs a professional carpet cleaning business. My couch is so grimy, thanks to my 3 year old, I hate sitting on it. My steam cleaner helps, but I think it really needs some professional help.
The rug in the kitchen really needs help too. It has a couple of nice stains on it. It's in a high traffic area and when I'm cooking, something always gets spilled or dripped on it.
There is a professional company called The Steam Team, http://www.thesteamteam.com/. Unfortunately, they are not in my area, but if you are in Texas, and in need of professional carpet cleaning services austin, they might be worth a try. They have been in business over 25 years and your satisfaction is guaranteed, or your money back.

Bread Machine Pizza Dough

2011-06-18T21:07:00.001-04:00

I gave this pizza recipe a try last week for something different. The dough is made in the bread machine. Normally I make my dough and let it rise in a warm spot. It's usually either too dry or too moist. This recipe came out perfect. If you like a thick crust, use the whole recipe for one pizza. I like a thinner crust, so the next time I make this I'm going to make the whole recipe and split it into 2 pizzas.
The original recipe came from the February/March 2011 issue of Simple & Delicious, pg 42.

1 cup plus 2 tbs water
2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 cup + 1 tbs whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 jar meatless sauce, I use Classico fire roasted tomato & garlic
2 dozen pepperoni slices
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 package mushrooms, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese

In bread machine pan, place the first eight ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting.
When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a circle. Sprinkle pizza pan with 1 tbs whole wheat flour. Transfer to prepared pan.
Spread sauce over dough. Top with pepperoni, tomatoes, mushrooms and cheeses.
Bake at 400 for 30 - 35 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Very Veggie Chicken Soup

2011-04-11T16:45:00.003-04:00

Now that my oldest is in school, we are sick pretty much non stop from September to June with colds/flus. I make A LOT of chicken soup, at least once a month. I finally made a batch that will be my go to chicken soup recipe. The original came from the Rachael Ray show website.
Here is my adapted version:

1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into pieces
4 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 package mushrooms, chopped
1 cup frozen peas & carrots
32 oz. chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried parsley
shredded mozzarella cheese, optional

Combine all ingredients except parsley and mozzarella cheese in a slow cooker. Cook on low 6 - 8 hours.
Just before serving, add dried parsley and stir. Add a handful of mozzarella cheese to each serving if desired.

More Soup Recipes

Blue Sky Scrubs

2011-04-10T21:01:00.001-04:00

It seems like you can buy everything online these days, even medical scrubs. Buying online makes it very convenient for those time pressed professionals in the medical field, such as doctors, nurses, etc. Along with saving time, you can do price comparisons, so that you get the best deal on discount scrubs. You also have a much better selection of designs to choose from.
I always thought doctors and nurses clothes all came in standard colors like blue or white. All the doctors I've ever seen in hospitals wear those long, white medical lab coats. They all seemed to be the same style and design too. These days, that's not true. Medical uniforms come in different colors, styles and designs.
You can buy scrub hats in a variety of colors and very cool patterns.
There are even special medical scrub collections depending on the season.
You can also customize your own scrubs. For scrub tops, you can choose style, color, length, pocket placement and even stitching design. For scrub pants, you can choose style, length, color and design.
Accessories such as earrings and lanyards are also available to match your medical scrubs. New items are always being added, so your medical outfits can stay fresh and up to date.
Gone is the day of standard medical uniforms.

Romance over guacamole

2011-04-04T12:41:00.000-04:00

Guest post written by Dan Black

One thing that I'm really great at is making guacamole. A girl that I dated back in college taught me back when we were dating and I've actually used it as a move since then. But now that I'm happily married for five years now, I just make my guacamole for my wife and special occasions.

But we're having some people over this weekend for dinner and drinks and my wife told me that I should fix my guacamole as an appetizer. I agreed and went online just out of curiosity to see how my recipe compares to other recipes online. While I was online I ran across the site WWW.CLEARTVBUNDLE.COM and after I looked through it a little bit, I decided to switch ove! r our home internet service to it.

Well, out of the ones that I found online, I didn't see any recipes that included the secret ingredient that I always put in my guacamole. I wouldn’t want to give away what that secret ingredient is either because I don’t want anyone to ace that guac recipe like me.

Chunky Veggie Alfredo

2011-03-28T17:24:00.000-04:00

I was hungry for chicken, broccoli alfredo over the weekend, but really just needed a side dish for turkey, so I threw together this veggie noodle dish instead. Super good! (and I didn't even miss the chicken).
I cheat and use a jar of Ragu alfredo sauce just because I've never found a from scratch alfredo sauce recipe that I like better.

4 cups noodles, I used penne
1 tbs olive oil
1 package mushrooms, cut up
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar Ragu light alfredo sauce
4 heads broccoli, cut up
1 1/2 cups frozen peas & carrots
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp parsley

Cook and drain noodles according to package.
In a large skillet, add olive oil. When heated, add mushrooms and garlic and cook 3 - 5 minutes.
Add sauce, peas & carrots, parmesan cheese, black pepper, paprika and parsley. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, steam broccoli in microwave 5 - 6 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine noodles, veggie sauce mixture and broccoli. Mix well and serve.

More Skillet Recipes

Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuits

2011-03-14T11:42:00.000-04:00

For dinner yesterday: Chicken and Biscuits in the slow cooker. Not really one of my favorite meals, but I was looking for something a little different that I don't normally make. Came across a recipe for slow cooker chicken and biscuits on the Rachael Ray show website and gave it a try. It wasn't too bad.

Here's the recipe variation I came up with:

1 lb. boneless chicken, cubed
2 cups yellow squash, cubed
3 ribs celery, chopped,
4 carrots, chopped
1 package mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 1/2 tbs all-purpose unbleached flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbs Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp dried savory, or sage
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried cilantro
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
mozzarella cheese, optional

Add all ingredients to slow cooker except peas and parsley. Cook on low for 6 hours. About a half hour before serving, add peas and parsley.

The biscuits were homemade using a recipe from Food.com. I stuck to the recipe, except for cutting it down and using less salt.

Homemade Biscuit Recipe:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 + 1/8 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in honey and yogurt with a fork. Add milk. On a greased cookie sheet, divide dough up into balls, shape and pat into 1/2 - 1 inch biscuits. Bake 10 - 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

To serve, spoon chicken and vegetables over a biscuit. Top with a handful of mozzarella cheese, if desired.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Baked Mostaccioli

2011-03-08T12:22:00.002-05:00

This casserole dish recipe is adapated from a recipe in the Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine, December/January 2011 issue. Very good!

8 oz uncooked mostaccioli, or other noodle of your choice
1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 package mushrooms, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar tomato sauce of your choice
1/3 cup water
1 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 cups fat free cottage cheese
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook noodles according to package, and brown ground turkey & onion. Stir in garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, oregano & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese and marjoram.
In a large casserole dish, add 1/2 cup of meat sauce. Layer with half of the noodles, meat sauce, & mozzarella cheese. Top with cottage cheese mixture. Layer with the rest of the noodles, meat sauce & mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes until bubbly.

More Casserole Recipes

Black Bean Chili

2011-03-08T12:04:00.002-05:00

I came across a recipe in the Taste of Home Healthy Cookingmagazine for a black bean skillet recipe. I decided to make it in the slow cooker and added a few extra ingredients. It ended up like a chili only with black beans. It was really good.

1 lb ground turkey
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 package mushrooms, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar of sauce of your choice, I use Classico fire roasted tomato & garlic sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder

Brown the ground turkey and add to slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients in order to the slow cooker. Cook on low 6 - 8 hours.

More Chili Recipes

Aunt Sherry's Strawberry Apple Pear Pie

2011-01-07T15:06:00.001-05:00

Bottom Crust with Filling

My little 6 year old is sick with the flu, so last night I made this pie he's been asking for in the hopes it would taste good to him. It did.:)
He was actually asking for strawberry rhubarb pie, which he called Aunt Sherry's pie because his Aunt Sherry loves it too. I didn't have any rhubarb though, so I substituted the apple and pears for the rhubarb because that was what I had on hand. The strawberries made it look like the strawberry rhubarb pie, so he didn't know the difference. lol.
It's super easy and tastes great!

Makes 1 Pie Crust:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup canola oil
2 1/2 tbs water

Filling:

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, diced
2 pears, peeled and diced
1 apple, cored, peeled, and diced
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/6 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
squirt of honey

Preheat oven to 375.
Combine all ingredients for the pie crust. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of wax paper and put bottom pie crust in a glass pie pan.
Combine all filling ingredients and put in glass pie pan on top of the pie crust.
Combine all ingredients for the pie crust. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of wax paper and put top pie crust on top of the filling in the glass pie pan.
Pinch the edges of the top and bottom pie crusts together. Poke a few holes in the top crust using a fork.
Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.

More Pie Recipes

Ultimate Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-01-03T12:02:00.001-05:00

These chocolate chip cookies are a combination of chocolate chip cookie recipes from the Nestle Toll House chocolate chip package, Subway Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from the Fast Food Fix, and Sneaky Chef Flour Blend recipe.
They are so good, I have a hard time not eating them. Even my picky eater likes them.

1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt, if desired
1/4 cup butter, unsalted, softened
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.
In a small bowl, combine whole wheat flour, unbleached all-purpose flour, wheat germ, oatmeal, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter, applesauce, granulated sugar and brown sugar for 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix on medium speed until well blended.
Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until well blended. Add chocolate chips and stir.
Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 8 - 12 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen.

More Cookie Recipes

Slow Cooker Cheesy Spinach

2010-12-31T21:53:00.001-05:00

I made this Cheesy Spinach recipe for Thanksgiving. Pretty good! The original recipe is from Taste of Home's Best of Country Slow Cooker Recipes, pg 90.

2 packages (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach
2 cups (16 oz.) small-curd cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups Velveeta cheese, cubed
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/8 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 tsp black pepper

Add all ingredients in order to a slow cooker. Stir and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook an additional 4 - 5 hours, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow Cooker Cheesy Broccoli

2010-12-26T15:42:00.000-05:00

This is a broccoli slow cooker recipe adapted from the original recipe in the Taste of Home Best of Slow Cooker Recipes book, pg 99. I made if for Christmas yesterday. It was very good!

2 packages(10 oz each) frozen chopped broccoli, I used broccoli & cauliflower
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs olive oil

Add all ingredients in order to a greased slow cooker. Cook on low 4 hours or low 2 - 3 hours.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Homemade Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

2010-12-23T17:45:00.003-05:00

I was craving chocolate yesterday, so I made some homemade chocolate chip granola bars. YUMMMM! They were super good!
I modified the Chewy Peanut Bars from the book Living the GI Diet by Rick Gallop.
Here's the homemade chocolate chip granola bar recipe I came up with:

1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 wheat germ
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 - 3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
squirt of honey
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, oat bran, wheat germ, flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
In another large bowl, combine the egg, brown sugar, vanilla and honey. Add the oat mixture and stir. Add the chocolate chips and stir.
Spray an 8 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and add the dough. Pat and spread the dough evenly.
Bake 12 - 15 minutes until firm to the touch.
Cool and cut into bars.

More Cookie Bar Recipes

Gingerbread Men Cookie Recipe Healthy

2010-12-19T16:26:00.000-05:00

Just made the AWESOMEST gingerbread men cookies ever this afternoon! At least that's according to my 6 year old. lol

The original recipe is located here, but I modified it by adding extra flour. The dough in the original recipe is very sticky and impossible to work with.

My Gingerbread Men Recipe:

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, I used my homemade canned applesauce
1 egg
1/3 cup dark molasses
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and applesauce until smooth. Add egg and molasses. In another large bowl, combine flours, baking soda and spices. Add to sugar and molasses mixture, stirring well. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough to 1/4 or 1/8-inch thickness. I roll out the dough between two heavily floured pieces of wax paper to help cut down on sticking. Cut gingerbread men, or other shapes, with a cookie cutter. Place on baking sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 8 - 10 minutes. Decorate as desired when cool.

I used this buttercream frosting:

1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbs half n half, or milk

Beat butter until creamy. Mix in 1 cup of sugar, vanilla, and half n half until smooth. Add the rest of the sugar and continue mixing until smooth.

These are really good!!! The original recipe says they are lowfat. It was the healthiest gingerbread men recipe I found. Next time I make them, I'm going to substitute more whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour. I would like to substitute something healthier for the molasses, but I have a feeling they just wouldn't be the same.

More Healthy Cookie Recipes

Crockpot Chicken Riggies

2010-11-25T20:24:00.001-05:00

Where I live in upstate NY, chicken riggies are a very popular recipe. A local paper had a crockpot version. I made it the other night. Great tasting and very easy!!

1 - 2 lbs boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 - 5 cherry peppers, diced
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can black olives, sliced
1 jar tomato sauce, I use Classico Fire Roasted Tomato & Garlic since it does not contain sugar
1 jar Alfredo Sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb Rigatoni pasta, or any other shape if you want
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Add chicken, green/red/cherry peppers, onion, garlic, black olives, tomato sauce, Alfredo sauce, oregano, basil and black pepper to crock pot.
Cook on low 6 - 8 hours. Just before serving add parmesan cheese.
Cook pasta according to package.
Combine pasta and chicken/sauce mixture. Stir and serve.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Super Moist Banana Cake

2010-11-10T17:14:00.001-05:00

For my oldest's birthday last week, I made a banana cake. Found a recipe at Allrecipes.com and tweaked it a bit.

Here's what I came up with:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup + 2/3 cup plain low fat yogurt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup plain low fat yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter, 1/4 cup yogurt, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the bananas. Add flour mixture alternately with the 2/3 cup yogurt to the creamed mixture. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and place on a damp tea towel to cool.
I used the cream cheese frosting I previously posted.

More Cake Recipes

Moist Red Velvet Cupcakes, Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-10-24T17:36:00.000-04:00

My soon to be 6 year old's birthday party with his friends was yesterday. He wanted a Toy Story themed party. I really thought about buying a Toy Story cake from a bakery. They're expensive and I can't eat it. I read an interview in Soap Opera Digest about what stars favorite kind of cupcake is. Lots of them said red velvet cupcakes. I don't think I've ever had them. I googled for a recipe and found one at Nutrition to Kitchen. The reviews were all good, so I took a chance and made them. They were very good! Very moist, rose really well, great tasting.

Here's the original red velvet cupcake recipe which makes 16 recipe. I made a full recipe and a half recipe for a total of 33 cupcakes.

2 1/4 cup granulated sugar (next time I'm trying 2 cups)
9 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
3 eggs, room temperature
3 1/3 cups + 1/6 cake flour
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 Tbsp plain, lowfat yogurt
2 1 /4 Tbsp red food coloring
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350º F.
In a medium bowl, combine cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In another medium bowl, combine yogurt, red food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well-beaten.
Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Beat on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then increase to medium speed until all ingredients are combined. Add 1/3 of the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Continue the same process with the dry ingredients, alternating with the wet ingredients, and completing the mixing process with the dry ingredients until smooth.
Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Add 1/4 cup of batter to each cupcake liner. Bake 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

I used a cream cheese frosting from my Pillsbury cookbook. The cream cheese frosting is as follows:

1 package(8-oz) 1/3-less-fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese, room temperature
2 tbs butter, melted
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add all ingredients to a large bowl, beat until smooth and desired consistency is reached.

To decorate the cupcakes, I used the pre-made sugar Happy Birthday letters you can get in Walmart, Toy Story cupcake rings and colored sprinkles. They came out very cute!

More Cupcake Recipes
More Frosting Recipes

Easy Apple Jelly

2010-10-17T17:23:00.003-04:00

Now that it's apple season in upstate New York, I've been canning a bunch of applesauce. Really easy, tastes better and is much healthier than store bought applesauce. There's also no fructose corn syrup.
I always have a ton of peels left though, so I went poking around the internet to see if I could make anything out of them. Turns out there is. You can sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon and dry them, but I don't have a dehydrator. I tried the oven, but they just take too long.
Then I stumbled across this recipe for apple peel jelly. I gave it a try and it is AWESOME!!! Super easy too.
Here's what I did:

Put cores and peels from 12 apples in a pot and add 1 cup of water. Boil for 15 minutes. Drain liquid and pour back into pot. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and bring to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, boil until the temperature reaches 220F, continuously stirring. Pour into an empty glass jar.
This recipe makes just enough to enjoy without going through the whole process of canning jelly.

More Jelly Recipes

Homemade Tortilla Burritos

2010-10-04T11:27:00.001-04:00

My oldest has discovered frozen pre-packaged burritos, which I hate buying. One time I found a hair in a package of taquitos. Yuck. In the Taste of Home June/July 2010 issue I came across a homemade tortilla recipe, so I decided to see if homemade burritos would satisfy him. The original tortilla recipe called for all-purpose flour, but I modified it a bit.

My homemade tortilla recipe:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup water
3 tbs olive oil

In a large bowl, combine both flours and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 5 - 6 times. Divide dough into 8 or more portions, depending on how large you would like to make the tortillas. I made mine small and ended up with about 14. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 5 - 7 inch circle.
In a large nonstick skillet coated with non-stick cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute until lightly browned. The original recipe said to heat each side, but I only did 1 side. Keep them warm.

For the homemade burrito filling I came up with:

1 tbs canola oil
1 lb hamburger, or 1/2 lb hamburger with 1/2 lb ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can refried beans
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, I used colby & monterey jack, cheddar would also work
salsa, if desired

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large skillet, add canola oil and heat for a few minutes. Combine hamburger (and ground turkey if using), onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until hamburger is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.
Stir in beans, chili powder and black pepper; mix well. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes.
Put a spoonful on the center of each tortilla and top with a handful of cheese. Fold bottom 1/3 of each tortilla over filling; fold sides in toward center, leaving top open.
Put all tortillas on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Serve with salsa if desired.

Verdict: These were even better than the frozen burritos.

Healthy Zucchini Bread

2010-09-25T12:02:00.000-04:00

My refrigerator is having issues, so I had to relocate all my food in the fridge and freezer. Luckily I had room for just about everything in the two little mini fridges and mini freezer we have. I had some frozen zucchini I couldn't fit though, so I made this zucchini bread recipe. This one is supposed to be a little healthier than the zucchini bread recipe I previously posted. Taste wise, they are both really good. I'm kind of favoring this one though.

1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup water
3 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 small apples, peeled and diced
2 cups zucchini, diced

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine sugar, eggs, canola oil, water and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine whole wheat flour, all purpose unbleahed flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add to bowl with egg mixture. Add apples and zucchini.
Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 for 45 - 55 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

Homemade Healthy Pizza Crust

2010-09-17T19:24:00.000-04:00

Normally when I make pizza, I just buy the bag of dough, but I've been wanting to try making my own dough for a while. I finally found a couple of good recipes, which I pieced together to make the following recipe:

1 cup warm water
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil

Add yeast to warm water and let sit for 5 minutes. Add whole wheat flour, unbleached white flour, salt and olive oil.
Combine and then knead dough for 5 minutes. Spray a bowl and pizza pan with non stick cooking spray. Add dough to bowl.
Cover bowl and set in a warm place for 15 - 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400. Roll out dough on a pizza pan and bake for 10 minutes.
Add toppings. Bake for an additional 10 - 12 minutes.
The recipes I used to piece this recipe together were:
1. On the bag of Hodgson Mill whole wheat flour.
2. From the website listed on the package of yeast.
This pizza crust recipe was pretty quick and easy. It's much healthier than the bag of dough. Tasted pretty good too. Definitely won't be buying the bag of dough anymore.

The toppings I use are:

1/2 jar Classico fire roasted tomato and garlic sauce
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1/2 package mushrooms, sliced
2 cups shredded mozarella cheese
3 dozen pepperoni slices

First I add the sauce to the crust, then 1 1/2 cups shredded mozarella cheese, green pepper, red pepper,
mushrooms, pepperoni and the rest of the cheese.

Zucchini Bread

2010-09-06T18:01:00.003-04:00

We have an ton of zucchini in the garden, one of my favorite summertime vegetables. Last weekend I made this zucchini bread recipe, adapted to be somewhat healthier from my mother's original recipe. It makes 2 loaves, so cut everything in half if you just want one loaf. DELICIOUS!!! Really miss the days when I used to cover a slice in butter though.

1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
2 cups grated or small diced zucchini
1 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 tbs all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 tbs whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt, if desired
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 2 bread pans with non sticking cooking spray.
Mix ingredients in order in a large bowl.
Bake at 350 for 50 - 60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely.

More Bread Recipes

Kitchen Renovation

2010-08-28T14:35:00.001-04:00

On my birthday, my fiance decided to gift me with a remodeled kitchen. He's a carpenter, so he's going to do all the work himself. Can't wait. It's going to look really great. The counter top is going to be a whitish colored stone tile. The counter top I currently have is a cheap, blue swirled laminate. I really like the color, but it hasn't held up very well. It scratches easily and is showing wear in the dishdrainer area where it's always exposed to water. Switching to a lighter color counter top will be pretty sharp looking against the light hickory cabinets I have.
I currently have a very deep stainless steel kitchen sink. I'm debating as to whether we should replace it or try to revive it a little. It's 8 years old, but is scratched and has a few stains. Become.com looks like it might be a good place to start pricing a new sink. Looks like they have a good variety of varying prices.
I have a pretty decent sized kitchen, but I can always use more cabinet space. They fill up very quickly. A huge kitchen pantry cabinet would be great!
The kitchen has an island in the middle. It's great for extra counter and cupboard space and is the main focal point of the kitchen. For sitting at it, I just have a couple of barstools. Not the most comfortable things, but ok if you're just grabbing a quick bite. Maybe kitchen chair pads would help a bit, but what I really want is a nice padded chair with a back. Something nice and comfortable.
Anyways, I can't wait for the remodeling to be complete. I'll try to post a few pics when it's done.

Pumpkin Spice Cookie Bars

2010-02-10T15:56:00.005-05:00

I made these cookie bars for Thanksgiving. Quick, easy and delicious! Also contains lots of Vitamin A thanks to the pumpkin puree.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt, I didn't add this
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can pumpkin puree
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9x2 pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, with an electric mixer on medium speed, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add pumpkin, stir until well combined. Gradually add flour mixture, beating just until blended. Optionally, fold in pecans with a spatula.
Spread batter in a 13x9 pan and bake 15 - 20 minutes or until edges start to turn lightly golden.

Icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 to 2 tbs half and half or milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
In a small bowl, combine confectioner's sugar, 1 tbs of the cream or milk, and vanilla extract. With a small fork or whisk, blend until icing is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Add more cream or milk as needed to achieve the right consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookie bars.

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Healthy Cupcake Recipe

2010-01-31T16:08:00.007-05:00

I just made these and I can't believe how good they are. I modified the Choc-ful Cupcakes recipe in The Sneaky Chef cookbook. DELICIOUS!!! and fairly healthy. Next time, I'm going to take out the sugar and substitute 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce to make this even healthier. Also, 1/4 cup of oatmeal or oat bran could probably be added for more fiber. This is a great recipe to trick kids into eating something good for them.

4 tbs. unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1 banana, beaten with a fork
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup wheat germ
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, add butter, egg, vanilla, and sugar. Mix well. In a separate bowl, add all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, baking powder, cinnamon. Mix well and add to the large bowl containing the butter and sugar mixture. Mix well and spoon into cupcake pan.
Makes 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes.
You can frosten or glaze these with the recipe of your choice. They are so good, you probably don't even really need to frosten them.

Health Benefits:

Eggs: are a great source of protein, choline, Vitamin D. They are good for the eyes as they lower the risk of developing cataracts.
Whole wheat flour: Whole grains are useful for lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of cancer.
Wheat germ: is a great source of Vitamin E. It helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure and is a great source of fiber. Tip: I always add a scoopful when I make tuna fish.
Cinnamon: is a great spice to add in place of salt and sugar. It is thought to help lower blood sugar. It is a good source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.
Bananas: are a superfood. I eat 1/4 banana everyday. They are full of sugar and high glycemic, so watch your portion size if you have blood sugar problems, as I do. Bananas are also full of potassium, good source of fiber, help with diarrhea and improve mood.

More Healthy Cupcake Recipes

Stacy Haiduk's Grandmother's Ginger Snaps

2009-12-29T16:07:00.003-05:00

I was hungry for ginger cookies and came across this recipe in the 12/22/09 issue of Soap Opera Digest, so I gave it a try. They were delicious!!!! I couldn't stop eating them.

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses - I substitued 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup water
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt - I did not use any salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
sugar for topping - I used cinnamon sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together, then add the molasses(or maple syrup and water) and egg. Mix thoroughly until it forms a dough.
Roll the dough into small balls. Dip the top of each into a little sugar (or cinnamon sugar). Place on a baking sheet, making sure there's enough room between the cookies for them to expand. Flatten out with a fork.
Put in the oven and bake for 8 - 10 minutes.
Enjoy with a cold glass of milk. yummmmm!!!

More Cookie Recipes

Bleu Chicken with Rice and Veggies Casserole

2009-11-05T13:33:00.006-05:00

This chicken, rice and vegetable casserole was the fastest prepping meal I've ever made, and it was delicious.

4 - 6 chicken thighs
1 cup brown rice
1 medium yellow squash, diced
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup water
4 - 6 slices deli ham
4 - 6 slices deli turkey
4 - 6 slices provolone cheese
rotisserie chicken seasoning
cilantro
black pepper

In a casserole dish, add chicken thighs. Around chicken thighs, arrange brown rice, yellow squash, peas and carrots, and garlic. Add water. Cover chicken thighs with rotisserie chicken seasoning to suit your taste. On top of chicken thighs, layer each: a slice of ham, turkey and provolone cheese. Sprinkle entire dish with cilantro and black pepper to taste.
Bake covered at 400 for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes.

More Casserole Recipes

Saucy Spinach Chicken Casserole

2009-10-14T13:33:00.009-04:00

This chicken casserole recipe was absolutely delicious. The chicken was full of flavor!!

2 lbs chicken thighs
1 bag baby spinach
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cilantro
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can mushrooms
1 green pepper, diced
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 jar Ragu mushrooms & green peppers sauce
optional: brown rice or pasta of your choice

Preheat oven to 375. Layer casserole dish with the baby spinach. Top with green pepper, mushrooms, 1/2 of onions and 1/2 of minced garlic. Next, lay chicken thighs on top and drizzle with red wine vinegar. In a small bowl, combine basil, oregano, cilantro and black pepper. Mix and sprinkle on top of chicken thighs. Layer rest of onions and garlic on top of chicken. Pour Ragu sauce on top and sprinkle with a 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 1 hour at 375. Sprinkle with rest of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Check chicken for doneness. If necessary, cover casserole dish with foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 180.
If desired, serve over pasta of your choice, or a bed of brown rice.

More Casserole Recipes

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2009-08-30T10:57:00.012-04:00

These are my favorite cookies. Delicious!!!!

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup(2 sticks) country crock, or unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet, or Hersheys dark, chocolate chips
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine flour, baking soda, oatmeal & cinnamon in a small bowl. Beat country crock or butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar & vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy. Add eggs, beating after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and blueberries.
Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
These are great served with a cold glass of milk.

Health Benefits
Even though these are cookies, they do have a few healthful ingredients.
Cinnamon is great for helping lower cholesterol and blood sugar and reduce arthritis pain.
Oatmeal provides fiber.
I use the Country Crock which contains calcium plus Vitamin D.
Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and helps lower blood pressure.
Blueberries are also full of antioxidants and help improve memory, protect against aging, cancer, heart disease, urinary tract infections, constipation and improve mood.

More Cookie Recipes

Spinach Casserole

2009-08-25T15:16:00.001-04:00

This spinach casserole recipe is great. I'm always getting requests for the recipe, so thought I would share it.Enjoy!:)

2 pkg. (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 container (8 oz) Philadelphia Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
1/2 cup Kraft Ranch Dressing
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups Kraft Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 cup crushed Ritz Crackers, divided

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix spinach, cream cheese spread, dressing, eggs
and 3/4 cup
of cheddar cheese in large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup of crushed crackers.

Spoon spinach mixture evenly into greased 2 qt. ovenproof casserole
dish. Sprinkle with
remaining 1/2 cup crushed crackers and remaining 3/4 cup cheddar cheese.

Bake 20 to 25 min. or until heated through and cheese on top is melted.

Makes 12 servings.

Health Benefits:

Spinach is a superfood. It is full of calcium, folic acid, vitamin K, iron, vitamin C, fiber, carotenoids, lutein and bioflavanoids. It helps protect against cancer and heart disease, memory loss and cataracts.
Chives are great for the circulatory, digestive and respiratory systems.
Onions are also another superfood which help prevent cancer and heart disease.
Eggs provide protein and cheese provides calcium for strong bones and teeth.
Try substituting whole grain crackers for some extra fiber.

More Casserole Recipes

Slow Cooker Meatloaf

2009-08-16T17:16:00.004-04:00

I'm not much of a meatloaf lover, but this Slow Cooker Meatloaf recipe changes my mind every time I make it. It is delicious, and super easy.

1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 slices bread, cubed
2 lbs. hamburger
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cilantro
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
6 red potatoes, quartered
seasoned salt

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat egg and milk. Add bread cubes. Add green pepper, onion, garlic, black pepper, cilantro and cayenne pepper and mix well. Add hamburger and form into a loaf. Add to slow cooker. Layer carrot chunks around edge of meatloaf. Sprinkle potatoes with seasoned salt, as desired, and lay on top of carrots. Cook for 2 hours on high and then 4 - 5 hours on low.

Health Benefits:
Egg provides protein.
Milk provides protein and calcium.
Hamburger provides protein, but make sure it is a lean cut.
Use whole grain bread for fiber.
Green peppers are great for the heart, as are onions, garlic and cayenne pepper.
Cilantro is great for the blood sugar and the heart.
Carrots are good for the eyes.
Red potatoes don't increase the blood sugar as much as white potatoes do. They also provide fiber and potassium.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Cheesy Ham Roll Ups

2009-08-03T09:49:00.009-04:00

I made these Cheesy Ham Roll Ups for dinner the other night and they were great! I was getting tired of bread and rolls, so the flour tortillas were a nice change.

2 1/2 tbs. olive oil
6 flour tortillas
Paramesan cheese
1/2 lb. thinly sliced deli ham
1/4 lb. thinly sliced provolone cheese
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 tsp. cilantro
Shredded mozarella cheese
Marinara sauce, optional

Brush 1 1/2 tbs. of olive oil on one side of tortillas. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, as desired. Layer tortillas with 2 slices of ham, 1 slice provolone cheese, handful red peppers. Sprinkle with mozarella cheese, as desired, and cilantro. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down on a baking sheet sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Brush tortillas with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, as desired. Bake at 425 for 9 - 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce if desired.

I baked these in the toaster oven at 425 for about 5 minutes. If you use the toaster oven, keep a close eye on them as they brown quickly.

Health Benefits:
The deli ham provides protein, sodium too though.
Cheeses provide protein and calcium.
Red pepper contains lycopene which helps lower the risk of cancer. They are also a good source of fiber, Vitamins B6, A, C and folic acid.
Cilantro has many health benefits such as lowering blood sugar and cholesterol.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe in the Taste of Home Simple & Delicious magazine.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

2009-07-27T12:07:00.008-04:00

Slow cooker lemon chicken: very tender and great flavor. I wasn't sure I was in the mood for it, but am glad I made it yesterday. It surprised me as the chicken was very tasty and not dry at all.

2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup water
2 tbs. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. dried cilantro

Sprinkle the chicken with oregano, seasoned salt and black pepper.
Add water, lemon juice, minced garlic and chicken bouillon granules to the slow cooker. Stir and transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Sprinkle with cilantro. Cover and cook 3 - 4 hours on low.
I served this with a side of brown rice, cinnamon Monkey bread, and tossed salad.

Health Benefits:
Oregano has strong antibacterial and antioxidant vitamin properties.
Lemon juice is known for helping cool the body, so it's worth a try when you have a fever. Lemon juice is full of Vitamin C. It is known for killing bacteria and will neutralize meningococcus. typhoid, pneumococcus and staphylococcus when vaporized. Lemon juice seems to be useful in treating respiratory infections.
Garlic should be taken everyday. It's good for the heart, helps lower blood pressure and ward off colds.
Cilantro is great for reducing the blood sugar and helping with digestion.

More Slow Cooker Chicken

Chicken Club Sandwich

2009-07-23T16:31:00.006-04:00

I made this Chicken Club Sandwich recipe for dinner last night and it was delicious. Way better than a Chicken Club Sandwich from a fast food restaurant.
It is adapted from a recipe that was in the Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine.

This recipe is full of protein due to the chicken and bacon. Lettuce adds fiber. Tomato adds lycopene. Onions are always healthy since they are a superfood. Cayenne pepper is good for the heart. Cilantro is good for digestion and the blood sugar. You can also substitute wheat rolls for the hamburger rolls.

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into patties
1 tsp. rotisserie chicken seasoning
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. cilantro
1 lb. bacon
pepper Jack cheese
hamburger rolls
lettuce leaves
1/4 onion, separated into rings
1 tomato, cut into slices
Dill pickle slices
Mayonnaise

Sprinkle the rotisserie chicken seasoning, cayenne pepper, and cilantro over the chicken patties.
To cook the chicken and bacon, I used my George Foreman grill. It cooks the bacon very fast and drains the grease away.
I suggest cooking the bacon first and then adding the chicken patties when the bacon is about halfway cooked.
When the bacon and chicken patties are done cooking, split the hamburger rolls and add the desired amount of mayonnaise. Top with a chicken pattie and a few slices of bacon. Add a slice of pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato slice, a couple of onion slices and a few dill pickle slices. Enjoy! I served this with a handful of cheese puffs. A healthier cheese puff alternative would be Harvest Cheddar Sunchips.

More Sandwich Recipes

Slow Cooker Chili

2009-07-21T15:42:00.015-04:00

Slow Cooker Chili, yum! One of my favorites. Chili is actually very healthy for you. Beans are full of fiber and protein.
Celery is a great source of Vitamin C, which helps prevent colds, and helps lower blood pressure and prevent cancer.
Garlic and onions are full of antioxidants and are major super foods which should be eaten every day.
Tomatoes and red peppers are great sources of lycopene which helps prevent some forms of cancer. Peppers are full of Vitamins A, C and K.
Mushrooms are full of potassium which helps lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke. They are also full of riboflavin, niacin, and selenium to protect against breast and prostate cancer.
Cayenne pepper is great for the heart. Here's a story about how a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in hot water can help stop a heart attack. Very interesting.
Cilantro helps with digestion, lowers blood sugar, even combat salmonella poisoning. I sprinkle cilantro over everything I eat. You can even grow your own cilantro, by planting a coriander seed in a pot of soil.
Paprika is full of Vitamin C.
Chili powder is good for relieving joint pain. It is an anti-inflammatory and may help with arthritis.
Parsley is full of Vitamin C, iron and is also a good source of Vitamins K, A and folate.

1 lb. hamburger, or ground turkey, browned
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
at least 3 garlic cloves, minced, more to suit your taste
1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 jar tomato sauce of your choice, I use Classico Fire Roasted Tomato & Garlic since it does not contain any sugar as many jarred sauces do
1/2 cup water
1 8oz. package fresh mushrooms, cut into pieces
2 cans chili beans, undrained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 up to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried cilantro
1/2 tsp dried parsley

Brown the hamburger, or ground turkey, in a tablespoon of olive oil and add to the slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients, in order, to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. Chili is great served with a glass of milk, tossed salad and slice of garlic bread.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

More Healthy Eating

Slow Cooker Ziti

2009-07-08T18:15:00.004-04:00

This slow cooker ziti recipe is super easy and tastes great. It also contains hamburger for protein. You could also substitute ground turkey for the hamburger.

1 lb. hamburger, browned in 1 tbs of olive oil
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 small can mushrooms
1 jar Ragu mushrooms and green peppers sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. cilantro
1/4 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 package ziti
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Add all ingredients except ziti and cheeses in the order given to crock pot. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. Shortly before serving, cook ziti according to package directions. Drain and put ziti in a large bowl or dish and top with sauce mixture from crock pot, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Serve.
This slow cooker ziti recipe is great served with a tossed salad and a slice of garlic bread.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Mushroom and Onion Beef Roast

2009-06-06T10:15:00.003-04:00

This is a super easy slow cooker recipe and tastes pretty good.

2 - 2 1/2 lb roast such as chuck or eye of round steak, cut as desired
4 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, diced1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope dried onion soup mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp cilantro
1/4 tsp black pepper

Add all ingredients, in order, to the slow cooker. Cook on low 7 - 8 hours.
This is good served with a slice of garlic bread.

More Slow Cooker

Meatball sub

2008-09-10T22:41:00.004-04:00

This meatball sub recipe was delicious.
It is my own original recipe too.

1 lb. frozen Italian meatballs
1 jar Ragu mushrooms and green peppers sauce
2 cups water
1/2 onion, diced
1 small can mushrooms
1 small green pepper, diced
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cilantro
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. black pepper
mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese
any type rolls of your choice, ex: hoagie rolls, sub rolls, etc.

Add meatballs, sauce, water, onion, mushrooms, green pepper, basil, oregano, cilantro, garlic powder, and black pepper to crock pot. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 375, slice rolls, add meatballs and sauce. Cover with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake for 5 minutes until cheese is melted and roll is toasted.

More Sub Recipes

Cheesy Kielbasa & Hash Brown Slow Cooker Recipe

2008-05-04T23:18:00.002-04:00

I made this kielbasa slow cooker recipe for dinner tonight. It was quick and easy to put together and very tasty.

1 lb kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into pieces
10 frozen hash browns
2 cups mixed vegetables
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded colby & jack cheese

Add all ingredients in order, except cheese. Cook on low for 6 hours. During the last half hour of cooking, add the shredded colby & jack cheese.

Tuna Vegetable Noodle Casserole

2008-04-20T10:59:00.004-04:00

I made this tuna noodle casserole packed with vegetables the other night and it was delicious. I think it is my favorite tuna noodle casserole recipe that I have tried so far. Since it is cooked in the microwave, it is also very quick to make.

2 cups cooked wide egg noodles
1 can chunk light tuna in water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/4 cups 2% milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups frozem mixed vegatables, thawed
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, spray a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Combine rest of ingredients except cheddar cheese. Add egg noodles and stir. Cook in microwave 10 minutes or until thickened. Add cheddar cheese and stir. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.

More Casserole Recipes

Cheesy chicken rice skillet

2008-04-03T20:30:00.003-04:00

This chicken rice skillet dish was delicious. It's really creamy and more like a soup rather than a skillet dish. If you would like it a bit thicker, you may want to reduce the amount of water used. This chicken rice skillet dish is very quick and easy to make. A dish I will definitely make again.

2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken, cut up and cubed
1 can chicken broth
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
1 pkg (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables
1 pkg Rice-a-Roni Creamy Four Cheese Rice
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Brown the chicken in olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken broth, soups and water; bring to a boil. Add vegetables, rice and garlic powder. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add rice seasoning package during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

More Skillet Recipes

Ground Turkey Skillet Recipe

2008-03-29T20:19:00.003-04:00

Believe it or not I've never cooked or eaten ground turkey before, so this ground turkey skillet recipe is a first for me. It's not bad. Ground turkey is a nice alternative to ground beef.

2 tbs olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups water
1 10 oz. package of frozen carrots
1 package of Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice Fast Cook Rice

Combine ground turkey, egg and bread crumbs. Make into meatballs and brown in olive oil in a large skillet. Add cream of mushroom soup and water. Bring to a boil. Add carrots and rice. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

More Skillet Recipes

Slow Cooker Cleaning Tip

2008-03-26T20:42:00.002-04:00

Slow Cooker Cleaning Tip: Spraying the inside of the slow cooker with a non stick cooking spray before adding the slow cooker recipe ingredients will make it a little easier to clean the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Stuff

SPAM skillet recipe

2008-03-22T23:15:00.003-04:00

Here's a SPAM skillet recipe which is surprisingly good.

1 tbs olive oil
6 frozen hash browns, thawed & cubed
1 can of SPAM Classic, cubed
1 package (10 oz.) frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add hash browns; cook until lightly browned. Add SPAM, peas & carrots, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Stir. Cook 15 minutes or until heated through.

For a lower sodium version, try making this SPAM skillet recipe using low sodium SPAM.
This recipe is good served with ketchup.

More Skillet Recipes

Beef Au Gratin Potatoes Slow Cooker Recipe

2008-03-11T15:31:00.005-04:00

This was a really good beef slow cooker recipe I made on Sunday:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, browned
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can cream of potato soup
1 4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup sliced green olives with pimientos
1 pkg au gratin potatoes
1 small onion, diced
3 cups water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

Add potatoes, onions, and corn to slow cooker. In a bowl, combine soup, mushrooms, potato seasoning mix, green olives, water, garlic powder and pepper. Add 1/3 of mixture to slow cooker. Add ground beef to slow cooker and pour rest of mixture over the ground beef. Don't stir. Cook on low for 4 hours.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Chicken with green olives and rice skillet recipe

2008-02-29T15:23:00.004-05:00

I'm not much of an olive eater, but this is a good recipe.
The dry sherry in this chicken skillet recipe adds a nice flavor:

Nonstick cooking spray
1 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cubed
3/4 cup dry sherry
3 1/4 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
3/4 cup sliced pimiento stuffed green olives
1 1/2 tsp dried sage
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice

Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add olive oil and chicken over medium high heat. Cook until chicken is browned.
Add sherry, water, chicken bouillon cube, olives and sage; bring to a boil.
Add rice and gently stir to distribute evenly in skillet.
Cover; reduce heat to low, simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender.

More Chicken Skillet Recipes

Beef Stew Slow Cooker Recipe

2008-02-28T15:17:00.003-05:00

A beef slow cooker recipe, which must have been good because it was gone within a few days. Usually I make a slow cooker recipe on Sunday and it lasts me all week. Not this time.

1 boneless beef chuck roast (~2 pounds), cubed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups water
2 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
5 medium carrots, cut into small pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp savory
5 tbs cornstarch
6 tbs cold water

Add all ingredients in order to slow cooker except the last 2. Cover and cook on low for 6 - 7 hours. Add cornstarch and cold water. Cook on high 30 - 45 minutes or until thickened.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Chicken and Savory Rice

2008-02-21T15:37:00.003-05:00

A delicious chicken skillet recipe. Quick, easy and good flavor.

1 tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken, cut up
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pkg chicken flavored rice and vermicelli mix
2 cans sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups water
2 apples, cored, peeled and diced
1 cup apple juice

Brown chicken in olive oil over medium high heat. Add rice mix, mushrooms, thyme, and pepper. Stir in water and apple juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

More Skillet Recipes

Pork, Apple and Noodle Skillet

2008-02-15T20:25:00.003-05:00

This dish I made tonight was a little different. I don't usually cook meat with fruit. It wasn't too bad though.

6 thin sliced boneless pork chops, each cut into 3 pieces
2 apples, peeled, cored & diced
2 tbs, olive oil
2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 cup milk
1 package (about 4 ounces) stroganoff pasta mix
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

In a large skillet cook apples and pork chops in olive oil until browned.
Add water, chicken bouillon cubes and milk. Bring to a boil. Add pasta mix and pepper; mix well. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until noodles are tender and sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in sour cream and serve.

This recipe is slightly modified from the original recipe found in One Dish (Favorite Brand Name), page 74, which is a great cookbook. The recipes are simple, quick & easy to make.

More One Dish Recipes

Apple Harvest Bake

2008-02-11T15:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a delicious apple dessert recipe I made last night:

3/4 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 cup apple juice
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs, butter melted
1 cup brown sugar, divided
2 apples peeled & thinly sliced, about 1 1/2 cups
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
t tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. Combine oats, apple juice, oil. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Pour butter in a 9 inch cake pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar. Arrange apple slices spoke like on top of brown sugar. Combine 3/4 cup brown sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add oat mixture, stir just until moist. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Place a plate upside down on top of cake; invert onto plate. Serve with cool whip or vanilla ice cream if desired. Makes 8 serverings.

I diced the apples using the Vidalia Chop WIzard rather than thinly slicing them to save time and served it with cool whip. My 3 year old loved it.

Kid's Banana Dessert

2008-02-07T11:16:00.000-05:00

Here's a simple kid friendly dessert:

Take 1 banana and slice it lengthwise and then cut it into pieces.
Spread caramel topping over it. I use Smucker's suagar free, fat free caramel topping in the squeeze bottle. It squirts out very smoothly & easily, even after being refrigerated. Then add a dollop of cool whip, if desired, and enjoy.

BTW, bananas are a superfood. Full of potassium, Vitamin C, folate, magnesium and fiber.

More kid friendly desserts

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2008-02-03T18:25:00.000-05:00

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Hot Dog Spaghetti Rings

2008-02-02T07:16:00.000-05:00

Here's a good recipe for the kids. It's actually quite tasty.

Hot Dog Spaghetti Rings

7 ounces ring macaroni
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1 can condensed tomato soup, undiluted
5 hot dogs, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Cook hot dogs; stir in the soups and pasta. Cook until heated through.

This recipe originated from the magazine Simple and Delicious, January - February 2008, pg. 31.

Kielbasa Skillet

2008-01-31T11:26:00.000-05:00

Here's a really good, fast skillet recipe I made last night:

8 oz penne pasta
1 lb fully cooked kielbasa sliced lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs cornstarch
1 1/2 cups milk
1 can peas
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a large skillet saute the sausage and mushrooms in olive oil.
Combine cornstarch and milk until smooth; gradually add to the skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add peas and pepper. Drain pasta; add to sausage mixture. Stir in cheese; cook until cheese is melted.

More Skillet Recipes

Slow Cooker Chicken Dinner

2008-01-29T18:21:00.001-05:00

This recipe was pretty good. It's like a chicken noodle soup without the noodles.

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut up
3 medium white potatoes, cut into small cubes
4 carrots, cut up
2 celery ribs, cut up
2 cups frozen green beans
2 cups hot water
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Layer the first five ingredients in the crock pot in the order shown. Add the last five ingredients to the hot water and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Don't stir. Cook on low 6 - 8 hours.

This recipe would also be good with an onion and garlic clove. I didn't add these only because I'm currently breastfeeding and my son is sensitive to garlic and onions.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Welcome!

2008-01-27T16:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Ice Princess's Recipes blog! I love cooking and baking. Sunday is my baking day and when I cook a big dinner. I don't usually cook the same thing twice. I like to try different recipes. I received a couple of new cookbooks for Christmas, so I have a ton of new recipes I can't wait to try. I just recently had a baby, so right now I really like crock pot and casserole recipes. This blog will be a postings and reviews of the recipes I try.

BTW, I have several other blogs located at the following locations:

Ice Princess's Extra Cash - my online money making adventures

Ice Princess's Parent Talk - random parenting tips, advice and product reviews

Ice Princess's Soap Rant - soap opera news and comments

Ice Princess's Tech Tips - computer software and programming tips