A week worth of food

Homer's Hookies

2011-11-13T21:57:00.001-08:00

… You'll get hooked on our cookies!

1/2 c. butter (not margarine!)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1.5 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1.5 c. chocolate chips
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugars very well (until fluffy)
Add egg and vanilla and mix.
Add dry ingredients and mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Shape into 1" balls and place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 mins or until tops are just beginning to turn golden.

James' Fajita Seasoning

2011-09-07T14:03:00.001-07:00

James' Fajita Seasoning

A sweet fajita seasoning

Ingredients

1/3 cup lime juice (or any other citrus juice)
1 T. cumin
2-3 cloves garlic
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 T. coconut oil (or olive, or vegetable, if you must)
1 tsp. salt
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. brown sugar
fresh cilantro to taste (optional)

Directions

Mix all ingredients, pour over chicken and simmer until chicken is cooked.

Notes

You may want to taste it beforehand. "You want it tart enough that your jaw tingles a bit but not so much that you get a sustained pucker. A lot of the tartness goes away with cooking so a bit of a bite is good"
"I would cook the peppers and onions separately from the chicken. Maybe caramalize the onions a bit"
"If you [marinade the chicken] make sure the marinade is strong. The citrus and vinegar help break the meat down but the water in the chicken dilutes it. I usually just cut up the chicken and throw it in the skillet pour the sauce on and cook. You don't want the chicken to be swimming. If possible you want the sauce to cook down and maybe even caramelize a bit on the chicken. That balance is really hard to get just right though. I would prefer a bit too much sauce to not quite enough."
This is enough sauce for 3-4 large chicken breasts cut into small chunks. Perhaps more.
This sauce is also good with chicken and shrimp.
If you don't like spicy sauces, leave out the cayenne and red pepper. You'll get a nice sweet seasoning.

Zucchini Chicken Curry

2011-09-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

Zucchini Chicken Curry

12 cups water
1 tsp. salt
2-3 lbs. chicken breasts
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium Gala apples (or any tart apple), peeled and diced
2 medium zucchini, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp. curry powder (add more only after tasting)
4 Tbsp. butter, divided
1/3 cup raisins (golden or regular)
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup root beer or Coca-cola (no diet)
3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted (or coconut milk)
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white or black pepper
Cooked rice
Condiments: raisins, grated coconut, lime wedges

In a large pot, add water and salt and bring to a boil. Add chicken and sliced celery. (If chicken is frozen, boil for 20 mins before adding celery.) Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 20 mins. Cut up the cooked chicken and set aside. Reserve 1.5 cups of the chicken broth; set aside.

In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbsp. butter; sauté diced onions for 2-3 mins. Move to a separate bowl. Dice apples and zucchini and add to onions. Add curry powder. In the skillet, melt the remaining 3 Tbsp. butter and add the apples/zucchini/onion mixture. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.

In a bowl, combine the raisins, reserved chicken broth, and soda of your choice. Add to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes.

Mix the flour into the evaporated (or coconut) milk, whisking to remove any lumps. Add the salt and pepper. When smooth, add to the skillet and stir. Cook over low heat until mixture is creamy and thick. Season to taste. Add the cooked chicken and celery.

Serve over rice with any of the condiments desired.

Serves 4-6.

Recipe from the book How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini.

Wild Rice Soup

2011-03-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1.5 cups wild rice
3.5 cups water
6 strips bacon
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 cup chopped celery (about 2 medium stalks)
1 cup chopped carrots (about 2 medium)
2 cans (10.75 oz. each) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1.5 cups half-and-half
.5 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Place rice and water in large saucepan. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer until the rice is tender and the water absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp and browned on both sides, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board, leaving the bacon drippings in the skillet. Chop bacon and set aside.
Add onion, celery and carrots to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. About 8-10 minutes.
Put all ingredients in a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on High until heated through, about 2-3 hours.

Notes:

To make it a more filling soup, add 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken to the slow cooker.
Great in soup bowls or with a side of crusty French rolls with butter.

Taco Soup

2010-05-14T15:10:00.001-07:00

Taco Soup

Ingredients

2 cans black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can evaporated milk
4 cups chicken broth (low sodium, if possible)
1 packet taco seasoning* (or 3.5 Tbsp.)
1 packet ranch mix*
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 can of chicken (optional) (CostCo's is best)
Tortilla chips

Directions

Put everything except tortilla chips in a pot and let simmr until the rice is done, about 20 minutes.
Top with tortilla chips and serve.

*If you don't want to use packets, I believe (but have not tried) the following spices will work for the taco and ranch mixes:

5 tsp minced onion
1.5 tsp parsley
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp garlic powder
2.5 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 heaping tsp onion powder
tiny pinch of cayenne

2 week menu #1

2010-02-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

I've started doing two-week menus. I go shopping the day after payday, enough for two weeks. I end up making a much smaller shopping trip halfway through to stock up on milk, etc. Here is the menu we just finished.

French Onion Soup

Honey Glazed Pork Chops with Rice

Cincinnati Stlye Chili and brownies

Biscuits and gravy

Mushroom chicken with rice

Egg, bacon, and bagel sandwiches

Garlic, Chicken, Bacon, Ranch pizza

Shepherd's Pie

Israeli dinner (including falafel, latkes, israeli salad, and khada'if)

Garlic Roasted Chicken

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Hawaiian pizza

That doesn't quite equal 14 days, but a few of them we had leftovers, or ate at someone else's house.

Parmesan Mushroom Pasta

2010-01-06T22:40:00.001-08:00

Parmesan Mushroom Pasta

Dinner

Ingredients

16 oz. fettuccine
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 c. frozen chopped onion
12 oz. fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 T. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. half-and-half
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Drain pasta. Drizzle with olive oil and toss, then place in a large serving dish. Set aside.
While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over low heat.
Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 4 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 4 minutes.
Add the broth and salt to the mushroom mixture; increase heat to medium-high.
Stir frequently until the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
Reduce heat to low.
Add the half-and-half and pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently, until just heated through, about 1 minute longer.
Spoon the mushroom mixture over the pasta.
Toss to coat.
Sprinkle with the Parmesan and parsley.
Serve immediately.

Rustic Panzanella Salad

2010-01-06T22:25:00.001-08:00

Rustic Panzanella Salad

Ingredients

1 loaf (16 oz.) Italian bread
2/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tsp. garlic salt, divided
1 tsp. coars ground black pepper, divided
1/4 c. red-wine vinegar
1 T. country-style Dijon-style mustard
6 cups baby spinach leaves
1 can (19 oz.) fava beans, rinsed and drained
8 oz. cherry tomatoes
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium red onion, sliced1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.
Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and put in large bowl.
Combine 3 T. oil, 1/2 tsp. garlic salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a small bowl and mix well.
Drizzle oil mixture over bread cubes and toss to coat.
Spread the coated bread cubes in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake until the bread is lightly toasted and golden, about 9-15 mins.
Combine the remaining oil, garlic salt and pepper, the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Mix well.
Place the bread cubes, spinach, beans, tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, onion and mint in a large serving bowl.
Add the dressing and toss to coat.
Let stand for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Spinach/Carrot Brownies

2009-10-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Spinach and carrots in brownies? Sounds gross, but is remarkably good!

Ingredients

3 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 c. carrot puree
1/2 c. spinach puree
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T. trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
2 tsp. vanilla
2 large egg whites
3/4 c. oat flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350
Spray an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray
Melt the chocolate in double boiler, over low flame, or in microwave (according to package directions)
In a large (deep) bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa, margarine and vanilla. Whisk 1-2 mins, or until smooth and creamy.
Whisk in egg whites
Stir in flour, baking powder and salt with a wooden spoon.
Pour batter into pan.
Bake 35-40 mins, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cook completely before cutting.

French Toast Sticks

2009-10-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

We made this for a freezer meal and BJ and I fell in love with the recipe. It is SO GOOD. We've made it several times since then and it rarely makes it into the freezer.

Ingredients:

10 slices thick-cut bread
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Cut the thick bread slices into thirds.
Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, beat well to combine.
Dip bread sticks into the egg mixture one at a time, and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake in a 350º oven for about 30 minutes.
Flip the sticks over halfway through baking time to crisp both sides.
To freeze, allow to cool completely before wrapping well in a freezer bag.
To serve: pop in a 350 oven for about 8 minutes to refresh. Alternatively, they can be reheated in a microwave for a minute or two, but they will lose their crispness.

Recipe courtesy of Once a Month Mom and Erika at tummytreasure.com

Mozzarella Stuffed Red Peppers

2009-10-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is one of BJ's favorite dishes. On a scale of 1-10, he once ranked it as a 9.5. That's equivalent to Cafe Rio, folks. (I'm not quite as of fond of it, though, so it doesn't get made often. But it's still good.)

Ingredients:

4 red bell peppers
3 T. olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/4 c. cherry tomatoes* (from a 1-pint container)
4 1/2 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed*
1/4 c. finely shredded fresh basil
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup prepared pesto sauce (if you can't find it prepared, look for a mix in with the gravy mixes)

1 T. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 475.
Spray a small roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. (A 9x9 or smaller. You'll want your peppers to be able to stand up in it. You don't want it too big else they fall over.)
Slice the tops off the peppers (keep these!) and deseed. Stand them upright in the prepared pan. If needed, trim the bottom of the peppers so that they sit flat.
Bake 20 minutes, or until softened.
Meanwhile, place bell pepper tops on a baking sheet.
Combine garlic and 1 T. oil in a medium bowl.
Toss the tomatoes in the garlic mixture and place on baking sheet with the pepper tops.
Bake next to the pepper bases for the last 10 minutes of their baking time.
Take peppers and tomatoes out of oven. (Do not turn off oven!)
Put tomatoes in a large bowl with the mozzarella cubes, basil, salt and pepper.
Stir until combined.
Spoon tomato mixture into peppers and replace tops.
Put peppers back into oven until the cheese has just melted, about 5 minutes. (You can turn off the oven after this.)
Meanwhile, combine the pesto sauce, lemon juice and 2 T. olive oil in a small bowl.
Transfer peppers to a serving platter.
Drizzle with pesto sauce.
Serve hot and enjoy.

*I find these measurements to be an estimate. If you have larger peppers, you'll need a bit more to fill them up. If you want to add more, go for it.

Recipe based off Great American Recipes: Easy Everyday Cooking

Yellow Squash Mac 'n Cheese

2009-09-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

This is a great way to sneak veggies into your kids' dinner.

Ingredients:

2 c. macaroni
1/3 c. magic mix
1/2 c. water
1 c. yellow squash puree*
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika

Boil macaroni according to package directions. Drain.
Meanwhile, combine magic mix and water in saucepan. Whisk rapidly over medium heat until it starts to bubble and thicken. (If you don't keep whisking, your flour will start to cook and you'll get chunks.)
Add squash puree, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and seasonings.
Stir until the sauce is smooth and cheeses are melted.
Stir in macaroni and serve warm. (You could also stir in diced tomatoes.)

*Yellow squash is, as my aunt calls, yellow zucchini. To puree it, cook it by either steaming it (healthier) or boiling it. When it's tender, stick it in a blender and puree it.

In other funtimes, if you serve with beets, you can write your name on your plate with the corner of it.

Recipe from Everyday Food Storage.

Magic Mix

2009-09-24T19:37:00.001-07:00

This recipe is a base for many other recipes. I found it on the blog Everyday Food Storage and she uses it in many of her other recipes that I'm trying out. So you'll probably see it in some of the recipes I post on here.

Ingredients:

2 1/3 c. powdered milk*
1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. (2 sticks) room-temperature butter or margarine (not spread!)

Combine powdered milk, flour and butter in a large bowl. (I highly recommend a KitchenAid or the like. Use the beater attachment. Looks like a giant whisk.)
Mix until it has the same texture as cornmeal. (Start slow and build up speed lest you end up with powder all over your kitchen.)
Keep mix tightly covered in the fridge.

*This is for non-instant powdered milk. It's the stuff you can get at places such as the LDS canneries. If you use instant powdered milk like you get at the grocery store, you'll need to double the amount of powdered milk. You can tell the difference because non-instant has the same texture as flour whereas instant powdered milk are in tiny little balls.

Recipe from Everyday Food Storage

Food Storage

2009-09-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

I've recently started to research food storage. Specific to this blog is my attempt to use food storage in cooking, so that I can a) know how to cook with food storage when the time comes and b) be able to rotate through my food storage. So any recipe that uses at least one food storage item will be tagged with "Food Storage Rotation." Enjoy!

Banana Bread

2009-09-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

1.5 c. flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg (or 2 T. powdered egg + 1/4 c. water)
1 c. mashed bananas (3 medium)
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. cooking oil (or 1/4 c. pureed navy beans)
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel (optional)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. (If using powdered egg, add here.)
3. Make a well in the center. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, combine the egg, bananas, sugar, oil, and lemon peel. (If using powdered egg, add water here.)
5. Add egg mixture to dry mixture.
6. Stir until just moistened. Batter should be lumpy.
7. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips.
8. Spoon into prepared pan.
9. Bake 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack.
11. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. (But I never do.)

Stroganoff Stromboli

2009-08-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

I had made some bread and was in much need of a meal for supper. I was at a loss, until I saw a zucchini on the cupboard and an unmolded loaf of bread dough. My first thought was Stromboli but what to put in it - that was the million dollar question. I didn't have the typical pizza toppings that Stromboli usually calls for so I had to improvise and make up my own recipe.

Stroganoff Stromboli
1 loaf of uncooked bread dough
1 lb hamburger, cooked
1/2-3/4 cup onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups cubed zucchini
2 cloves garlic
1 can cream soup
1/3 - 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 lb grated cheese
lemon pepper to taste
egg white (optional)
sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional)

Roll out dough to fit a cookie sheet, set aside. Cook hamburger, drain grease and add zucchini, onion, garlic, sour cream and lemon pepper. Put half of the grated cheese on rolled out dough, layer with hamburger mixture, then add rest of cheese. Leave enough dough on one side to fold over top, put the mixture to the edge of the other side of the dough. Roll up dough and mixture from the side that has the mixture to the edge. When all rolled up, carefully roll whole loaf over until seam is on the bottom. Make 1/8 inch slits on top. Paint gently whipped egg whites on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds. This last step is optional. I thought of it after it was already in the oven and wished I would have done it.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Makes about 7-8 servings, depending on the thickness of the slice.

Family Ranking: 8.8 (5 people voted) I guess that means we will make it again.

Taco Seasoning

2009-08-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

6 tsp. chili powder
5 tsp. paprika
4 1/2 tsp. cumin
3 tsp. onion powder
2 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix. Season to taste. (I use approximately 3 tsp. per pound of hamburger)

Momma Lovell's homemade bread

2009-06-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

In a microwave-safe bowl combine:

3 c. milk (can be substituted with water for very little flavor/texture difference, as we learned on accident.)
9 T. shortening
4 T. sugar
2 T. salt

Microwave until shortening is melted. Let sit for a few minutes.

In KitchenAid mix:

2 c. water
2 T. yeast
4 T. sugar
4 c. flour

Let sit until mixture starts to grow (about 5ish minutes).

Alternately add shortening mixture and 7 cups flour to the yeast mixture. (Flour measurement is an estimate. Add until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.) Let knead for 5 minutes.

Cover with towel and let rise for 1 hour.

Split into 5 small loaves (if you have small loaf pans. Probably 3ish normal sized pans). Roll into an elongated oval with a rolling pin (to get out air bubbles), then roll up like you would do a cinnamon roll. Pinch the seam together and fold in the ends. Place in a greased loaf pan.

Let raise (covered with a towel) in loaf pan until approx. the size you want. Then place in a preheated oven (350 degrees) and bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Immediately remove from pan and place on a cooling rack or a towel and butter the top of the loaves.

***Note: This recipe did not fit in my KitchenAid. To compensate, we split the recipe in half. While the dough of the first half was kneading, I started the microwaving the stuff for the second half. I let the first half start to raise in a separate bowl and immediately put the stuff in the KitchenAid for the second half. When it was done kneading, I added it to the bowl with the first half in it, and briefly kneaded the two together, then let them rise together.

Recipe courtesy of Mom Lovell

Brownies (with Symphony variation)

2009-06-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

These are my favorite brownies in the world. They're really rich and moist and chocolaty.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
2 T. water
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Baking Cocoa (yes, I got the recipe off the back of the cocoa box)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Combine dry ingredients.
Mix in wet ingredients.
Spread into prepared pan.
Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky.

My favorite variation:

Spread half of batter into pan.
Lay three 1-lb Symphony bars across the top.
Spread rest of batter on top. It will barely be enough to cover.
Sprinkle top with crushed toffee bits.
Bake as directed above. (Note: the toothpick will come out with melted chocolate on it from the candy bar. Only stick in partway to test for doneness.)
Let cool completely, else the melted chocolate may burn your mouth, or at the very least, run all over everything.

Cupcake burger and cookie fries

2009-06-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

I stole this idea from Bakerella, I'll admit. Heck, I'll even give her all the credit. The woman is brilliant. But since I ended up doing half of mine from scratch and she did hers from a mix, I figured I'd put the recipes I used on here, just in case you, like me, want to make these, but don't have all the mixes nor time/resources to go to the store to buy some.

Sugar Cookie Fries. Note: Sugar Cookie dough needs to be refrigerated when not being used. This recipe made 3 cookie sheets worth of fries for me, but you can have one batch out of the fridge at a time, else it gets too soft to work with.

Brownies

Cupcakes:
I used a mix. But was going to use this recipe.

Frosting:
Store-bought. For the record, regular red food coloring (the cheap stuff most people have) doesn't make red frosting. It makes pink frosting. Pretend it's fry-sauce instead?

Lettuce:
Coconut colored with green food coloring.

For full instructions, be sure to visit Bakerella's blog. And make sure to print off the boxes and papers; they just make all the difference in the world.

Pizza Recipes

2009-06-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a very yummy recipe for Garlic Chicken Pizza.

"This is a recipe that is used at the Papa Murphy's take-and-bake pizza chain. This is just like the original and oh so tasty."

Sauce

1 Cup of Ranch dressing
1 Tablespoon of minced garlic (garlic in a jar is perfectly fine)

Toppings and Crust

1 Cup of cooked, diced chicken
1/2 of a red onion (cut in rings)
1/2 of a tomato (chopped)
1/2 a cup of sliced mushrooms
1 cup of mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1 pizza crust (store bought or homemade)

Directions

Mix the ranch and garlic together and put on the crust
Top with chicken, onion, tomato, mushrooms, and cheese
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until crust is done and cheese is melted
Top with Parmesan cheese

My Additional Directions

I put the sauce on the half cooked pizza crust and then topped with cheese. Putting the cheese on first helps keep the toppings all in place as there is liquid in the tomatoes. Otherwise, they would just slide off your pizza when you picked it up to eat.
I decided to put the tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and chicken together in a bowl. I added about 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp Basalmic Vinegar and mixed around. (The approximate on the vinegar because I just dumped some in.) After all was mixed around then I put on top of the cheese, trying to keep as much liquid in the bowl as possible.
Then put back in oven and cooked until crust is brown and cheese is all melted.
These directions were inspired from the recipe below.

The second recipe was a real winner in my book. It is a non-traditional pizza that I fell in love with at Izzy's Restaurant. I wanted to find a recipe to make it and this is what I found. I love it. I was trying to think of a different pizza that I had the stuff for already in the house. I was asked to take a pizza to a funeral dinner. I thought that was kind of weird at first, but it was for a teenager, down-syndrome boy in the ward. His favorite food was pizza and ice cream, so they had pizza and an ice cream bar for the dinner. It was a hit. I heard several people comment that they would like to have pizza for their funeral. I wouldn't mind that at mine either. PS - I was hoping to bring some of the pizza home, but it was gone towards the beginning. It was very popular. DH even had 4 pieces and he doesn't like fresh tomatoes. Sorry - didn't get a picture of this one.

Artichoke-Tomato Pizza

From The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 7th Edition

Serves 6

Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
1 refrigerated pizza crust in tube can
4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese or fat-free mozzarella-flavor soy
cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
3 medium Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
8-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained, and chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt-free Italian seasoning, crumbled

Directions
Preheat the oven using the pizza crust package directions. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray the foil with vegetable oil spray. Spread the pizza crust on the foil. Bake for 7 minutes. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan over the crust.

In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients except the Italian seasoning. Arrange the mixture on the cheese. Sprinkle with the herb seasoning. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Nutrition Analysis (per serving)
Calories 227; Protein 12 g; Carbohydrates 30 g; Fiber 4 g; Sugars 5 g; Cholesterol 15 mg; Total Fat 7.0 g; Saturated Fat 3.0 g; Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g; Monounsaturated Fat 0.5 g; Sodium 527 mg

Dietary Exchange
1 1/2 Starch; 1 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Medium-Fat Meat

This recipe is reprinted with permission from The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 7th Edition, Copyright © 2004 by the American Heart Association. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publisher, a division of Random House, Inc. Available at booksellers everywhere.

Homer April 15-22 Menu

2009-04-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

Since lunch is basically leftovers or Pasta Roni every day, I'm gonna stop listing them.

Wednesday: Ward Closing Social - pizza
Thursday: Graduation Celebration - pizza and cheeseburgers
Friday: Fajitas
Saturday: Beef Stew
Sunday: Cousins' dinner
Monday: Pull Apart Pizza
Tuesday: Chicken Alfredo

Cornbread

2009-04-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 cup flour
2 cup cornmeal
2-4 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
¼ cup oil or shortening, melted

Directions

In a mixing bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl beat together eggs, milk, and oil.
Add to flour mixture and stir just till batter is smooth (do not overbeat).
Pour into a greased 9x9x2 inch baking pan.
Bake in a 425 oven for 20-25 minutes or till golden brown.
Makes 8 or 9 servings

Recipe courtesy of Jalin Bingham

Stroganoff

2009-04-17T20:27:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

Hamburger
Onion
Cream of Mushroom soup
Garlic salt
About 1 cup sour cream
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika

Directions

Brown the beef.
Add onions and cook.
Drain.
Add cream of mushroom soup and sour cream.
Heat the mixture.
Add garlic salt, salt, pepper, and paprika

Serve over cooked egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Recipe courtesy of Carol Homer

Strawberry Jam

2009-04-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

I bought a flat of strawberries this week, so I'm doing a bunch of cooking this week with strawberries. Today? Strawberry jam! This recipe doesn't have pectin, so I was a little worried about it setting up, but I think it turned out well. It takes 48 hours to set up properly, so I guess we'll find out.

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled
4 cups white sugar*
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

Blend strawberries. You should get about 4 cups.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
Stir over low until the sugar is dissolved.
Increase to high and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. (Increase temperature a little at a time to prevent it from boiling over.
Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 C). (About 15 minutes. Read below for tips how to tell if it's ready.)
Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace.
Seal. (One person said you could just turn the jars over for 5 minutes, then turning them back right-side up. I put them in a steamer canner for about 5 minutes. You can also use a water bath.)

To test for jelling

Place three plates in a freezer.
After about 10 minutes of boiling place a tsp of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate.
Return to freezer for a minute.
Run your finger through the jam on the plate. If it doesn't try to run back together (if you can make a line through it with your finger) it's ready to be canned.

* For preservation purposes, a 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar is preferable. Less sugar is fine, but it won't last as long. Because it only made two pints, and because I don't like as much sugar, I only put in 3 cups.

Recipe courtesy of All Recipes.