Apple Crisp

Topping

1 cup butter, cold
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
¼ tsp baking powder
In a large bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, and baking powder just until butter is broken up and ingredients are mixed. Mixture should be crumbly. Set aside.

Filling
6 cups canned apples or 6 to 8 fresh apples, peeled and sliced *
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Place apples in 9 x 13-inch pan. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Crumble crisp topping on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.(If fresh or rehydrated apples are used, bake 45 minutes.)Serve warm or cold, with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 12 to 15 servings.

Source: Lion House cookbook

Cooks notes:
*You can use rehydrated apples in this recipe.
How do I rehydrate apples for this recipe?
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Pour water over 8 cups dry apple slices in a large mixing bowl. Stir apples after 5 minutes and let stand for an additional 10 minutes. Drain excess water from apples and use in recipe.

Chicken Potpie

This recipe is made to fit into a 2.5 qt pan. Mine is a deeper dish, and is approximately 3.5in. tall.

2 cup warm water
2 tsp chicken base
4 tsp chicken bouillon granules (or 4 cubes granules)
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onions, diced
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken
1 jar (4 1/2 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained

Pastry for a single-crust pie (bought or your recipe of choice) *see below recipe for doing a top and bottom crust

Preheat oven to 450. Grease 2.5 qt baking dish.
Combine water, chicken base, and chicken bouillon in small bowl.
Preheat small pan over med-low heat with olive oil; saute onions until clear.
In a 2 qt saucepan, melt butter. Slowly stir in flour and thyme to avoid lumps, whisk until smooth (I love to use my Ikea sauce whisk here). Stir in bouillon mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Add mixed vegetables, chicken, onion, and mushrooms into gravy like mixture and stir well. Pour into baking dish.
Roll out pastry to fit top of dish. Place over filling; trim and press edges to baking dish to seal. Cut ~1in slits in top. Bake at 450 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.


If you are planning to do pie crust for the top and bottom of the potpie, please see following directions:
No need to grease baking dish.

Flaky Pastry Dough for 2 crust 10-Inch Pie (or to line top and bottom of potpie)
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt (I usually make this a heaping scoop)
About 1 1/2 Tbs butter (not margarine)
1 cup combined butter and shortening (please read full directions so you will better understand this)
6 to 8 Tbs cold water

Sift flour into medium mixing bowl; blend with salt. Place butter in 1 cup measuring cup; fill remainder of cup with shortening (basically you want 1 cup minus 1 1/2 tsp in shortening... but who wants to measure that out?). Add butter and shortening to flour; cut in using pastry cutter or fork. Add water, 1 Tbs at a time, tossing after each addition; form into 1 large ball and cut into half, but with slightly more in one half than the other. Roll out the larger half first, so trimmings can be combined into smaller half. As you roll out dough, turn over the dough frequently, to be sure it is not sticking.

After adding filling, roll out smaller half and cover pot pie. Pinch edges together, and cut slits in top. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cook's notes: I love that this freezes beautifully. I like to put 1 serving quantities in my small microwavable plastic dishes, so it can be warmed easily at a later time. The Flaky Pastry Dough recipe can be used for pies as well.

Sources:
The recipe is a variation from Taste of Home's Chicken Potpie

The Flaky Pie Dough recipe was taken from The Everything Cookbook copyright 1970 by Betty Wason

The Granary Stir Fry

This is another guideline that I got at Enrichment in February. I REALLY liked this one. My husband felt that 1/2 sweet potato was too much (and he really likes sweet potatoes), so you may want to use 1/2 small sweet potato.

The Granary Stir Fry

This is a hot dish that is quick to make and can vary each time with what you find in your cupboard and fridge. This is a great way to add a variety of vegetables and grains into your diet.

Sauté chopped onion in a small amount of olive oil. Add minced garlic and vegetables in order of length of time required to cook to crisp-tender stage. Add a little vegetable or chicken broth. Season with herbs and spices of your choice. Plate dish by placing half a roasted sweet potato on serving plate. Add a serving of grain. Top with sautéed vegetables and add toasted pine nuts and a grating of Parmesan cheese. Ingredient suggestions follow.

Base Grains (choose one)

Brown Rice , Wild Rice, Bulgur (cracked wheat), Quinoa, Whole wheat couscous

Base Vegetable (optional but tasty and nutritious)

Roasted Sweet Potato or Roasted Cubes of Butternut Squash

Sauté Vegetables (choose four or more) (listed in general order you would add to sauté pan)

Sweet onion, Garlic, Carrots, Broccoli Florets, Cauliflower Florets

Celery, Fennel, Red Peppers, Green Peppers, Sugar Snap Peas, Chinese Pea Pods

Asparagus, Mushrooms, Bok Choy (sliced), Bean Sprouts

Steamed Edamame (baby soy beans), Sliced Sun-dried Tomatoes, Fresh Spinach leaves

Vegetable Protein (choose one) (canned, drained and rinsed)

Cannellini Beans, Black Beans, Tofu, Red Kidney Beans, Great Northern Beans

Animal Protein (totally optional, choose one)

Chicken, Pork, Beef, Shrimp Scallops

Liquid

Vegetable Broth or Chicken Broth

Seasoning

Sea Salt/Freshly Ground Pepper/Herbs

Finish

Toasted Pine Nuts/Toasted Almonds, Shaved Parmesan Cheese/Crumbled Feta Cheese

Alternative: Oriental Stir Fry. Sauté onion in small amount of oil. Add and stir fry animal protein. Add selected vegetables in order. Add pineapple, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. Toss with bottled Teriyaki stir fry sauce or bottled Thai peanut sauce. Serve over rice (or not).

Tasty Salad

I got this guideline at Enrichment a few weeks ago (thanks Jenn!), and I LOVE this salad. The dressing is perfect! Here's all that I add (and it's approx 200 calories with the dressing): Spinach, Green Leaf Lettuce, Iceberg Lettuce, Green beans (fresh; cut unto 1in. pieces), mandarin oranges (6-8 slices; broken up), almond slivers, broccoli (fresh; broken up to be really small), sauteed mushrooms, a couple small strips of sauteed chicken (sauteed in olive oil, Italian seasoning, & a little rosemary; I break up the chicken into little pieces when I make the salad), a handful of grape tomatoes.

Doesn't this look tempting??

The Awesome Everything Salad:

This salad can be a little bit different every day, but in order to really be satisfying it needs certain core ingredients. Every salad must have a vegetable base, with a source of proteins and fats, something sweet, and something crunchy. There is overlap in these categories, but I will give you some ideas of what you can throw in below

The Green Base (choose one or more)

Mix of dark leafy greens

Baby Spinach

Thinly chopped Kale

Any favorite lettuce

Green Interest (choose one or more)

Chopped celery

Scallions/Green onions

Parsley or cilantro, chopped

Sprouts

Vegetables (choose 3-4)

(part of crunchy category)

Carrots

Tomatoes

Green Peas

Butternut Squash (microwave)

Red/Yellow Peppers (Fresh or sautéed)

Asparagus (Sautéed)

Mushrooms (Sautéed)

Protein/Fat Source (choose 1-3)

Meat Strips

Marinated Tofu (Refrigerated produce section)

Nuts (cashews, walnuts, pine nuts, pecans)

Fresh Avocado

Something Sweet

Fresh Blackberries, blueberries or strawberries

Canned mandarin oranges

Dried cranberries, blueberries or cherries

Raisins

Other Additions

Kalamatta Olives (Can buy in quantity at Costco)

Goat cheese, Feta,

Back-to-Basics Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 C. balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp pure maple syrup or agave nectar (we just threw in some Mrs. Butterworth's)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp sea salt (or regular... sea salt is just healthier)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 small clove garlic (optional)

4 tbsp walnut oil...... (I usually use olive oil). (we go with olive oil, I'm sure it's far cheaper)

Combine all ingredients except oil and puree. Continue blending while slowly adding oil...

Lava cakes

Yes... this is COMPLETELY bad for you... but it tastes ohhh so very good. Before you check out the recipe... I feel the duty to tell you it is 621 Calories for one of these babies! (don't say I didn't warn you). This is definitely something that I will make if we have friends over for dinner. The recipe makes 6 lava cakes. I went ahead and took 3 of them upstairs to our neighbors so I wouldn't feel tempted to munch them. They said they tasted gourmet, and I agree. I don't feel it had anything to do with my abilities.. so go ahead and give it a try if you want to do something special when you have friends over (or if you have a big family). We served them still warm as the recipe suggests. I may warm the last one up in the microwave to see if leftovers work, and I'll let you know how that panned out.

Basic Vegetable Soup

This is a recipe that has evolved over the last couple of months. There is always a great flexibility in vegetable soups, so feel free to personalize this to the tastes of your family. My husband really likes carrots in soups, and likes a little less potato, so we've tailored this to his preferences.

Ingredients:
8 cups water
2 Tbs chicken base
4 medium carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 small or medium potatoes, chopped into bite size cubes
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 can green beans (can substitute 7 oz frozen, thawed)
1/2 can peas (can substitute 7 oz frozen, thawed)

In 5 qt stock pot, add 8 cups water and 2 Tbs chicken base.
Add vegetables in following order: carrots, celery, potatoes, and onion.
Cover with lid, and bring soup to boil, then turn down to a low simmer. Let simmer for 45 minutes.
Add green beans and peas, and let cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve; salt and pepper to taste.

Yields appx. 10 cups.


Cook's notes: I tend to add the vegetables as I'm cutting them. For time purposes, the most important thing is to get the water heating first, then start the rest of your preparations.
I love using chicken base in my soups. I feel that with bouillion cubes you are always trying to do a balancing act with the salt. I purchase the chicken base from Sam's for about $3.50. Generally, you use 1 tsp for each cup of water that is used. This is such an inexpensive alternative to buying chicken broth! Especially since each container (remember... $3.50) will make about 76 cups of broth. I also appreciate that it is a paste rather than a powder. I don't particularly like the powders because they sometimes make the broth slightly granular.

Sour Milk?!??

So I know that I've mentioned using sour milk in some posts, and it probably doesn't sound good at all. Well, if you've ever had any of our homemade batter breads or anything batter based that calls for milk... then you've had it. When my husband and I were first married, he introduced me to this concept which I nearly dismissed upon hearing. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that I wouldn't get some type of awful food poisoning from this. Hesitantly, I tried my first pancake... and it was actually tasty! Now we use it in pancakes & waffles, batter breads, and muffins. In all of these recipes you can use regular milk, buttermilk, yogurt, or sour milk. Of course with each you have a slightly different flavor, and to be honest, the sour milk hands down tastes best.
If there isn't much milk left that is going bad, typically I will transfer it to a quart jar so that it will not take up much space in the fridge (do be sure to label the jar so no one takes a swig of what's being cultured in the jar). If you leave it on the counter for a while, then it will sour faster. The longest I will typically leave it out at a time is about 6 hours. When you go to use your sour milk, if there are chunks (eww right ? :) then I will use an electric hand blender to break them up, otherwise you will get a burst of sour in your final baked good... which really doesn't taste good.
So... next time you notice that the milk taste is altering... go ahead and use it.

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Here is the double of the original recipe:

• 3 cups all purpose flour (we used wheat and it tasted so good!)
• 2/3 cup wheat germ
• 2/3 cup quick cooking oats (I used just regular oats)
• 2 T. baking powder
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (the original recipe would have you add more, just go with what your family likes on this one)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups milk (sour milk worked wonderfully too... if it's got clumps in the milk, make sure to break up the clumps with an electric blender first)
• 2 ripe banana, peeled and mashed
• 6 T. Maple syrup (a little over 1/3 C if you're not into measuring out syrup... yeah... that would be me!)
• 2 T. canola oil, plus more for skillet

In a large bowl, stir flour, wheat germ, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add milk, mashed banana, maple syrup, and 2 T canola oil and whisk thoroughly.

Pour milk mixture over flour mixture and stir until combined.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease with canola oil. Pour ¼ cup (we do 1/3 cup) batter per pancake. Flip with spatula when tops bubble and edges look slightly dry. Cook until the other side is golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Use a cookie cutter to press out pancakes in any shape your kids like.

Cook's notes: I LOVE to make pancakes in larger batches than what the original recipe would make. A lot of this has to do with saving time in the long run. Honestly, I hate to make pancakes and waffles because they take so long, and typically make a bit of a mess. BUT- when I do have time to make them... I'd rather have a lot leftover.
But what do I DO with the leftover?? The best thing to do is to freeze them so it's a quick fix on the mornings you're wanting pancakes, minus the effort.
This is what works best for us in our home: I place the pancakes that we will not be eating on cooling racks, since this prevents them from getting soggy and flattened. Once they have completely cooled (usually by the end of breakfast), I go ahead and lay them out in a gallon size freezer bag (typically 8 pancakes will fit comfortably in one bag; be sure to get as much air out as possible). I then go ahead and freeze these. So... when you want warm pancakes, just go ahead and thaw them in the microwave. For 2 pancakes, I usually do 30 seconds on high on each side (basically... you just want to make sure that they no longer feel frozen in the middle). Then toast them on your toaster's medium setting (just necessary to crisp it up a little).
This is such a great alternative to buying pancakes in the freezer section because A) it costs so much less! B) it's much more filling and C) you know exactly what's going into your family's body.
Please take note that you can freeze and reheat waffles in the same way, you just may need to adjust the microwave times down a bit.

This recipe yields about 15 pancakes.

I got the original recipe from Healthy Food Ideas for Super Healthy Kids. If you haven't been to this site before, I think it's definitely worth checking out.

Oatmeal/ Granola bars

I tried the following recipe out last night, and got the stamp of approval from the hubby this morning.

GRANOLA BARS
------------

1/2 c. soft butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. corn syrup
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 c. quick oatmeal
1 c. chocolate chips (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Beat
butter, sugar, and syrup until light and fluffy. Blend in
egg and vanilla. Add and mix oats and chips. Press firmly
into pan. Bake 20 to 23 minutes. Cool a couple hours. Cut.

Cooks Notes: I went ahead and individually wrapped the bars (in hopes that this might lead to a little discretion and them lasting a bit longer). After cutting them with my pizza cutter, I packed them down individually so they would hold a little better. I didn't wait for them to cool completely, but I would definitely like to hear from you if that is easier. Here is the link to the originial recipe at Cooks.com . I only used 1/2 the amount of chocolate chips called for, and it still seemed a little too much for me. These are a fantastic alternative to buying the overly priced ones at the store. I imagine you could always add some coconut and/or raisins into the mix to spice things up every once and a while. Also adding some peanut butter to the top would be tasty.

Discontinuing blog... but not really

I'm sorry to say this, but I've decided that I'm not going to be actively working on this blog (as you may have noticed from the past month). This is a hard thing, as I was quite excited to embark on it, however, I do not have the time for it, and it has become quite difficult to find tasty recipes given the dietary restrictions that have been placed on my husband so that he will be able to get past the chronic acid reflux that he has been experiencing. We are doing a "bland diet" now. As you may imagine, from the name of the diet, it's not much to speak of. We have found some somewhat tasty recipes, however, they haven't been anything that I have been horribly excited to share with others. I don't want to be tempting him with still trying out new recipes all the time, and so I've discontinued trying new tasty recipes.

I'm not going to delete the blog though. I still think the concept is great (though I'm sure that it's not original), and so I'd still love to invite any who would like to, to submit recipes to me that you think others would enjoy. They can be main dishes, desserts, appetizers, whatever you would like to share. If you would like to submit recipes on a regular basis, then I will be happy to make you an author on this blog. Please include any tips that you think would be helpful as well (not necessary though).

Helpful guidelines for submitting your favorite recipes

First of all, I want you to contribute your recipes, so thank you for looking at this section! Please submit your family favorites, as well as recipes that use food storage items. I would like for this to be a great resource for simple (enough) homemade dishes.

Please include any helpful tips that you may have for the recipe.

If you have modified a recipe to where it is no longer recognizable as the original, do not bother citing your source; however, if it is only slightly modified, please note the name of the cookbook, author/editor, and copyright year (this may be a great opportunity to help others to find good cookbooks!).

Please do not submit recipes containing any type of coffee or alcohol.

Thank you so much for your effort and willingness to share with us your family's favorites.

One last thing, please let me know if you wish to be remain anonymous as far as who submitted the recipe, otherwise I will credit you as submitter by putting first name and last initial.

Please submit to alittletasteofhome@gmail.com
I will contact you via email if I have any questions for you. Thank you so much!

Life

I'm so sorry that I haven't posted anything in a couple of weeks. I hope to have a couple recipes posted next week. Life has just been a little hectic with trying to recover from my daughter's birthday bash and having my husband start school back up. I recently realized that I stalled out on unpacking from our move, and have been hitting that hard. Please don't give up on me!!
Check back next week!

Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (7 ounces)
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard (dry)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded or cubed sharp Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

1. Heat oven to 350•
2. Cook macaroni as directed on package.
3. While macaroni is cooking, melt margarine in 3 quart
saucepan over low heat, stir in Worcestershire sauce. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and mustard. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.
4. Drain macaroni. Gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Add extra pep to this favorite recipe by using pizza-flavored or jalapeno pepper cheese.

Cook's notes: I like this twist on mac n' cheese. It's definitely more filling and is a great negotiation with the kids! I combine all the dry ingredients in a small bowl before mixing in to the wet ingredients. Definitely take your time when adding in the milk! I add this a little bit at a time until the mixture becomes more of a liquid- using your sauce whisk at this step works beautifully! We like to eat this with a bit of ketchup on it.

PREP:25 min; BAKE:25 min
Makes 6 servings, about 3/4 cup each

Source of recipe: Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

Chocolate Crackle cookies

1/4 cup shortening, melted
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening, cocoa, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well mixed. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well, then add walnuts and chocolate chips, if desired. (Dough will be very sticky and almost runny.) Refrigerate dough for 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Drop and gently roll dough by tablespoonfuls in powdered sugar, being careful not to overhandle dough. Place on a greased or wax paper-covered cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. The cookie dough may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; baked cookies will store for at least 2 weeks, if well covered and refrigerated. These cookies freeze beautifully. Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies.

Cook's notes: These cookies are like poetry in motion. You will find that these are my most favorite cookies to take to any function. I usually double the recipe because, as the recipe says, they freeze beautifully! (You will end up with 2-3 gallon bags full of cookies if you double to recipe) What's wonderful is that you can literally eat these straight from the freezer. I am all about doing mass baking! Be prepared to have some amazingly messy hands by the time you are done rolling these babies out. The toughest part about this recipe is keeping the dough hard enough to be rolled in the powdered sugar. Here is the technique that I've found works best for me (since the dough gets incredibly sticky by being out of the regrigerator or being handled) : First of all, I do use my tablespoon to scoop the dough; you do not need to be precise about it though (I tend to get way too much dough if I don't do this). Once the first batch is going, roll as many of the dough balls as you can within the first 6-7 minutes of baking your first batch, meanwhile putting them in a bowl or tupperware container (I prefer to use my 1/2 gallon size just because it usually accommodates 15 balls for one layer- which is how many cookies fit on a 16 by 24 in. baking sheets). Put these in the freezer while you prepare the batch that will go in the oven- roll balls and roll in powdered sugar. Once that batch goes into the oven, roll more balls and put them in a second bowl/container. Put these into the freezer, and pull the balls that were initially frozen; roll them in the powdered sugar just a couple minutes before the second batch is done. However you find works best for you, just be sure to keep the dough in the refrigerator or freezer when not being worked with.
Phew!! Yes.. this is a lot of baking at once and a lot of rolling, but the end results are well worth it!
Baking all these cookies works best with using 3 rotating cookie sheets.
These cookies peel off of baking mats so wonderfully! If you do not have a baking mat, then I would suggest using the wax paper (they do sometimes stick excessively to these on occasion, but not as much as to a plain baking sheet)- definitely find out what works best for you. Do take note that you will not get the "crackle" effect if you roll the dough in the powdered sugar too far in advance, that's why I tend to roll them in the powdered sugar no more than a couple minutes before putting them in the oven. Additionally, do not be conservative with the powdered sugar, make sure and coat it when rolling. One final thought- let the cookies cool for a few minutes before removing from the cookie sheet/baking mat/wax paper.

Preparation time: 15 minutes Active prep/baking time : 2-3 hours (when doubled)
Source of recipe: Lion House Classics

Just a thought... you can google "chocolate crackle cookies" in images if you want to see a picture of these cookies... I plan on eventually posting pictures with the recipes.

Wheat Thins

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, white flour, salt, sugar and garlic powder.
2. In a smaller bowl, mix/beat oil and water together.
3. Add liquid mixture to dry, mixing well, but as little as possible (otherwise the dough becomes too elastic and difficult to work with).
4. Split dough in half and take one half and roll as thin as possible- not more than 1/8” thick, on unoiled cookie sheet . Mark with knife for size crackers desired, but do not cut through. Prick each cracker a few times with fork. Sprinkle lightly with salt or onion salt if desired. Repeat for second half of dough.
5. Bake at 325 until crisp and light brown, about 30 minutes.

Cook's notes: Sugar and garlic are not in original recipe, but original recipe tastes a bit bland without them. I think these are a wonderful alternative to the commercial wheat thins since they are a more sustaining snack. I flip my cookie sheet over to roll the dough out on, as well as to bake them. I prefer to use a pizza cutter rather than a knife to perforate the dough since the knife tends to make the edges more ragged. Just be sure to not cut all the way through, as it causes the edges to burn

Adapted from: Deseret Recipes cookbook.

Italian Dressing

1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground mustard (dry)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon
dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Shake all ingredients in tightly covered container.
Shake before serving.

PREP: 10 min
Makes about 1 1/4 cups dressing

Cook's notes: We always use olive oil in this recipe (instead of the suggested "or vegetable oil"); it makes for a much more satisfying dressing. You will need to pull it out of the refrigerator about 5 minutes before each use, as it becomes pretty solid since the oil is cold. This also works fabulously as a marinade for grilled chicken! I was definitely skeptical the first time I used it, but I cannot express to you enough just how wonderful it tastes! Just let it marinade over night if possible.

Source of recipe: Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

Baked Chicken Supreme

4 whole chicken breasts, halved
1/4 cup shortening
1 small garlic clove
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon oregano (optional)
1/4 cup flour
1 cup tomato juice
1 can (about 10 1/2 ounces) tomato soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Hot cooked rice

Brown chicken breasts in shortening, using more shortening if needed. Remove from frying pan and place in 9x9-inch baking dish. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Add garlic and onion to skillet; cover and cook until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Blend in salt, sugar, oregano, and flour (use a sauce whisk if possible here, as the flour will tend to clump). Add tomato juice and tomato soup; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream. Stir vigorously. Add enough milk to thin sauce a little. Add Parmesan cheese. Pour over chicken in baking dish. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until meat is fork tender. Serve with cooked rice. Makes 8 servings.
Note: Skinned and boned breasts are best, but unskinned, unboned pieces may be used. Or use all pieces from one chicken, or pieces desired from two chickens.

Cook's notes: This is a great recipe for having leftovers! We found that if you individually pack Tupperware containers with the chicken, sauce and rice, that it warms up beautifully in the microwave, and will still taste fresh all week (I guess the sauce works as a preservative) . Do BE CAREFUL while browning the chicken, it has a tendency of spitting hot shortening your way when the pan gets too hot!! On another note... I really like the onion flavor, so sometimes I will add about a cup of onions instead of the amount listed in the recipe. Also, I typically purchase the frozen chicken breasts, and will use 6-8 of them depending on their size.
I always use my 9x13 baking dish instead of the recommended 9x9.

Source of recipe: Lion House Classics

Maple Syrup

3 Cups light corn syrup
1/2 C brown sugar, packed
1/4 C water
1 1/2 tsp maple flavor
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbs butter, optional

Combine corn syrup, brown sugar, and water in 2 qt sauce pan; mix with wooden spoon. Stirring occasionally, bring to rolling boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Turn off/remove from burner and stir in maple flavoring and vanilla extract. Stir in butter.

Cook's notes: Adding the optional butter helps to keep your syrup from developing a film on the surface; the butter will still create a film, but it breaks up more easily. I love this recipe because it is so much more cost effective than buying the syrup sold in the store, and it tastes better! The recipe will yield a little less than 1 qt syrup. It is very easy to reheat when it is stored in a mason jar. You can warm it in the microwave in increments of 30 seconds (on high). It is well worth it to invest in some maple flavoring. Click here for a link to the best deal we found online (at the time- we could NOT find maple flavoring in the stores; additional note, we got the 1 pint size and it has lasted us a couple years).

Adapted from McCormick's Maple Syrup recipe

Picnic Brownies

4 ounces baking chocolate
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
2/3 cup walnuts, pecans, or almonds, chopped (optional as always)
1 cup chocolate chips

Grease two 9-inch round pans. In top of double boiler or microwave-safe bowl melt chocolate and butter. In medium bowl mix sugar, vanilla, and salt; add to melted chocolate mixture and blend well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and mix well. Divide batter equally into prepared pans. Spread evenly and sprinkle top of each with chopped nuts and chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. (Do not overbake.) Allow to cool completely before cutting. Run a thin knife between pan and brownies and turn upside down.
You may need to shake hard to release brownies from pan. With knife that is longer than brownies are wide, cut brownies by pressing knife straight down through brownies; cut into 8 pie-shaped pieces. Makes 16 brownies.

Note: These brownies are named Picnic Brownies because they stack and travel very well.

Cook's notes: This recipe really does do best in round pans. When I do try it in a rectangular
9 x 13, I usually end up under baking the center.

Preparation time: 15 mins
Source of recipe: Lion House Classics

Banana Bread

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup stick margarine or butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk (yogurt or soured milk are great substitutions)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches, with shortening.
2. Mix sugar and margarine in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. [Mix the following ingredients in separate bowl before adding to original mixture, this helps to prevent baking soda pockets from occuring.] Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in the nuts. Pour into pans.
3. Bake 8-inch loaves about [45 mins -]1 hour, 9-inch loaf about [1-] 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans on wire rack. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely before slicing [NOT necessary, but definitely for about 10 mins]. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.
*If using self-rising flour, omit baking soda and salt.

Cook's notes: I have found that the 8-inch loaves cook more evenly than the 9-inch. Additionally, if you can find seamless bread pans, then it is incredibly easy to get the finished loaves out. I frequently replace the buttermilk with yogurt if I have it on hand (since it's abnormal for me to have buttermilk on hand). You can also make "buttermilk" on your own if you do not have any by combining 1 C milk and 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice and letting it sit for about an hour (this will make double what you need for this recipe, but you half that mixture). Also, spoiled milk works wonderfully in substitution for buttermilk! I typically mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl before adding to the recipe, otherwise you risk having pockets of baking soda (yuck!!!!), this frequently happens when I am being lazy.

Prep time:15 min; Bake time:1 hr
Source of recipe: Betty Crocker's New Cookbook