Danielle's Cookbook

Seafood Pasta

2011-08-24T23:57:00.000-06:00

As much as I love the seafood stuffed Portobella mushrooms.. not everyone likes mushrooms, so this is definitely a really good substitute for it... and my husband and his friend ate the whole batch at one sitting!!! Really really easy and super tasty!!!

Ingredients:

1 lb. bow tie pasta

1 can Large baby shrimp

1 can whole baby clams

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tbl basil

2 tbl butter / margarine

1 tbl olive oil

1 whole head of garlic

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Dash of pepper

Dash of cajun seasoning

Prep:

~Boil bow tie noodles

~Add drained shrimp and drained clams to the pan, mince half head of garlic, add 1/2 cup whipping cream along with pepper and cajun seasoning. Mix and sautee up in pan till it becomes a thick mixture.

~In a pot, add remaining cream, butter, grated Parmesan cheese, mince the rest of the garlic and add basil, stir constantly on a med-low heat until butter and cheese is melted and sauce is hot

~Drain noodles and add seafood mixture along with sauce

Seafood Stuffed Portobella Mushrooms

2011-08-24T23:49:00.000-06:00

I had something like this at the last restaurant I used to work at and I don't have the recipe for it but I decided to make my own version of it. It was amazingly good!! This is also super great with bow-tie pasta to make a seafood pasta as well...

Ingredients:

4 Portobella mushrooms

1 can Large baby shrimp

1 can whole baby clams

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tbl basil

2 tbl butter / margarine

1 tbl olive oil

1 whole head of garlic

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Dash of pepper

Dash of cajun seasoning

Prep:

~In skillet pan, heat up olive oil and grill mushrooms (both sides)

~Add 2 tbl butter and cover to cook for a few minutes

~Remove mushrooms and pat dry with paper towel

~In a pot, add remaining cream, butter, grated Parmesan cheese, mince the rest of the garlic and add basil, stir constantly on a med-low heat until butter and cheese is melted and sauce is hot

~Then take seafood mixture and pack into the bottom of mushrooms. Pour sauce over top.

Curry Stuffed Chicken with Orange Marmalade Sauce

2011-08-24T23:26:00.002-06:00

This recipe is another one my Dad gave me that they make at the fire station quite a bit. Him and his friend Craig.. my "Uncle Mac" made up this recipe and he mentioned it to me on the phone and I decided to make it. It was super super good!! However... this recipe was definitely enough for 4 chicken breasts and I only made two... so next time I'll make four so we have leftovers the next day. Also I made another note to myself that I should definitely not put so much sauce on each breast because then it became too sweet. So keep that in mind... use about half the sauce on each breast that what I have in the picture.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 cup plain low fat yogurt

1 cup orange marmalade jelly

1/2 cup grated carrot

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 tbl curry powder

2 tbl butter

1/4 cup water

Prep:

~Add yogurt and jelly in a bowl, mix it well and put it in the fridge till ready to use

~Filet breasts in half

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees

~Grate carrot and chop onion

~Add veggies and curry powder to melted butter in skillet and cook for several minutes

~Add bread crumbs, veggie mixture and water to a mixing bowl and mix until crumbly

~Add mixture to one half on chicken and simply fold over the other half

~Put in oven for 30 minutes

~When ready to serve, take out sauce and serve over chicken (don't really need a lot as stated above... you can always add more if you want)

Use about half of the sauce that I used in this picture*

Meatball Subs

2011-08-24T23:07:00.001-06:00

So I drove by Subway and was considering going in and grabbing subs for dinner one night.. but as usual.. I decided to cook at home instead. But unfortunately I didn't have sub buns so next time I ran to the store I grabbed some. When I decided to make subs... I ended up craving some Italian. So I decided to whip up some meatballs and have meatball subs! Never made meatballs in my life... I'm used to eating the frozen ones that are premade already- haha. So I started throwing some stuff in a bowl and the husband LOVED this meal. I did have some of my spaghetti sauce already made and frozen, so I thawed that out and that's what I used for the sauce.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (or more if you feel that they meat isn't sticking together well enough)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp minced onions
1 1/2 tbl italian seasoning
1/2 tsp oregano
6 cloves of freshly minced garlic
Dash of salt
2-3 tbl olive oil
1/2 tbl parsley
2 cups Dee's spaghetti sauce** (on blog)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2- 12" submarine buns

Prep:
~Add meat and all spices and mixture (minus cheese and sauce)
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees
~Take a half of a handful of meat and flatten, take some cheese and place in center, roll into ball making a stuffed meatball
~In a large skillet pan add olive oil, turn on medium heat
~Brown meatballs
~Put in a pan and cook in oven for 45 minutes
~Cut sub buns and place on baking sheet, after meatballs are done, turn oven on to the broiler and slightly brown buns
~Meanwhile, heat up sauce in a small pot
~Put meatballs on sub with some more cheese on them and then poor sauce over them
~Sprinkle parsley over top
~ENJOY!!

Strawberry Mango Salsa....

2011-08-18T12:10:00.000-06:00

Made this for a party and my girlfriend wanted to charge people for it!! Apparently she liked it!!

Ingredients:
2 tbl balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbl lime juice
2 diced fresh mango
2 cups diced strawberries

Prep:
~Mix balsamic vinegar, lemon, orange and lime juice in large container or bowl
~Dice strawberries and add to bowl and gently stir
~Dice mango (as shown below) and add and mix gently
~Allow mixture to rest at least 20 minutes and refrigerate before serving

(I didn't have orange juice, but I had some clementines, so I made my own juice... also I would like to try this recipe with PINEAPPLES instead of mango next time!!)

Dee's already famous....Veggie Pitas!!!

2011-08-18T11:48:00.001-06:00

I've made these several times now, and they are a huge hit!!

Ingredients:

8 Oroweat Multigrain Sandwich Thins

1 cup chopped broccoli

1 cup chopped cauliflower

1/4 cup chopped carrots

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup ranch

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar shredded cheese

Prep:

~Chop and grate all veggies

~Spread cream cheese in between sandwich sides

~Spread ranch on the top of the bread

~Sprinkle veggies on top

~Add cheese on top

~Broil till cheese is melted in oven

~Cut in 4 quarters

(I'd definitely recommend doing all the veggies ahead of time, especially if you are making these for company.. otherwise you'll be spending the whole time in your kitchen!)

At home... Fish 'N' Chips!

2011-08-18T11:34:00.000-06:00

I love fish and chips... and I wanted to make them at home! So naturally... I did!!

Ingredients:

3 fresh Cod filets

1 box beer batter

2 cups frying oil for pot (or use your deep fryer if you have one)

Prep:

~Dry cod filets with paper towel

~Cut them into smaller pieces

~Follow directions on Beer Batter box

~Get oil hot on stove or in fryer to approx 375 degrees

~Fry fish once, remove and put on plate with paper towel

~Then fry AGAIN, and repeat the paper towel step

~Serve with Danielle's Tartar Sauce (under April 2011 with Catfish)

Who needs Taco Bell??

2011-08-18T11:08:00.000-06:00

Ok let's face it, Taco Bell has the best 30 second quesadilla you can possibly buy. But I don't believe in going out to eat anymore... and I was craving me some TACO BELL. So I decided to bring it home... or should I say... make it at home!! This is how I did it... and ever since... my husband has been begging for me to make them again!!!!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, boiled & shredded

1/4 cup taco seasoning

1 green pepper

1 onion

2 green onion stalks

1 tomato (optional for garnish)

Shredded lettuce (optional for garnish)

Sour cream / Salsa (for dipping)

4 ten inch soft taco shells

2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese

Prep:

~Chop veggies

~Boil chicken, then chop finely or shred (be careful not to cut yourself)

~In a skillet, fry up onion, green onion, and green pepper

~Add the chicken to the skillet along with the taco seasoning

~Add 1/4 cup water and mix it all together and cook for several minutes

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees

~On a cookie sheet, add mixture to one side of the tortilla shell and add cheese, fold shell over and sprinkle some cheese on top

~Bake for 10 minutes

~Serve with salsa and sour cream, tomatoes and lettuce if needed

~I found the quesadilla sauce recipe from Taco Bell, if you'd like to spread that on the tortillas before adding the chicken mixture and baking (See below)

Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce:

1/4 cup mayo

2 tsp minced jalapenos

2 tsp jalapeno juice (From minced jalapenos)

3/4 sugar

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp garlic powder

dash of salt

Party Cheeseball!!!!!!!!!!

2011-08-18T10:47:00.000-06:00

Easy. Tasty. Big hit.

Those are the best three words I can use to describe this recipe. I love these for when we have company over. They are not the time consuming and I've never EVER ran out of it. They truly do make a lot.

Ingredients:
2 bars cream cheese (16 oz)
1 tbl chopped green onion
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbl chopped walnuts
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes (Like the ones you get at Pizza hut for your pizza)
Dash of salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Wax paper

Prep:
~Using a mixer, combine cream cheese, onion, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and pepper flakes
~Mix well, then add cheese and mix together with your hands
~Roll into a ball, and wrap in wax paper
~ Refrigerate for about two hours
~Remove, and roll in sliced almonds
~Serve with crackers!!

Horseradish sauce..... It's a KICKER alright!

2011-08-18T10:37:00.000-06:00

This sauce is spicy!! Like realllly spicy!! I'd imagine for people who like a kick with their food this would be ideal for them!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tbl sour cream

2 1/2 tbl mayo

2 tbl finely chopped walnuts, toasted

1 tbl chopped green onion (Scallion)

2 tsp horseradish

1/4 tsp pepper

Prep:

~Toast the walnuts (or chop them up finely first) under the broiler in an oven

~Chop up green onions

~Add all ingredients to a bowl

~Mix well

Stuffed Burgers... such a great idea!!

2011-08-18T10:25:00.000-06:00

OK I have made this four times now... and apparently people are mad it's not been published yet!! First time I made them it was at our friends' house for a BBQ and the burgers never even made it inside. They were eaten by people standing around the grill. I had only brought four of them (I didn't know how'd they turn out) and people were actually passing them around, "Here try this!!" So needless to say they were liked. I made these with the intention of using only blue cheese, but when my Mom and friend were out visiting my husband and I in Colorado in June, neither one of them liked blue cheese. So I used colby jack instead. They loved them!! So keep that in mind if you don't care for blue cheese... but to be honest, you can't even tell it's blue cheese. It is so yummy!!

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup bread crumbs (you may have to adjust this, the bread crumbs is what holds the meat together so if isn't sticking together add some more)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbl Lawry's seasoning salt

1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

OR 1/2 cup cubed Colby jack cheese

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

Prep:

~Add meat, eggs, onion, bread crumbs, Lawry's & garlic to mixing bowl.

~Mix well

~If you bough a block of the Colby cheese, cube it up nice and small

~Flatten a 1/3 lb of meat

~Place your choice of cheese in the center (Don't be subtle)

~Wrap sides around the cheese

~Roll in a ball in your hand, then gently flatten to make a patty

~While grilling on a BBQ or in my case here, a George Foreman grill, sprinkle Worcestershire sauce on both sides while grilling

~Serve with your choice of condiments, but do me a favor... and try a bite without anything on it!

Homemade Cheese Cake....

2011-08-06T21:56:00.000-06:00

This recipe was given to me by my dad... it is super easy to make!! I've gotten so many compliments on this!! Enjoy!

(Shown with Blueberry pie filling as a topping)

Ingredients:

16 oz Philadelphia cream cheese (or two 8oz. bars)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

9" graham cracker crust (I use pre-made ones)

Prep:

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees

~Mix cream cheese, vanilla and sugar till smooth

~Add eggs, blend well till smooth

~Add mixture to pie crust

~Bake for 40 minutes or until cheesecake is set

~Carefully put in refrigerator, let set and cool for at least three hours before serving

~Serve with any pie topping :)

Dee's Potato Salad...

2011-08-06T21:43:00.000-06:00

I hate potato salad. I had to make something to take to a friend's house for a BBQ and I called my mom and asked her what goes in potato salad. She said, "potatoes and eggs". Ok then... so I just added stuff as I went.. I'll be sure not to cook the potatoes as long next time.. but apparently they were good.. because they were GONE by the end of the party!!!

Ingredients:
10 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed
3 hardboiled eggs
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 tbl parsley

Prep:
~Peel and cube potatoes
~Boil a pot of salted water
~Cook until tender but still firm for about 15 minutes, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl
~Hard boil the eggs, the remove and let cool
~Peel and chop them when they are completely cooled
~Add lemon juice, oil, sugar, seasoning salt, Worcestershire sauce, mustard power and black pepper and mix it well, then blend in the mayo well
~Once potatoes are cooled, pour the dressing over, stir gently to coat
~Mix in celery and onions and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before serving

Tuna Mac... Easiest dish EVER

2011-08-06T21:18:00.001-06:00

Bring this to a party! It's simple and most people like it!!!!

Ingredients:

1 lb. elbow noodles

3 regular cans of Chunk Light Tuna in Water

2 cups mayonnaise

Green onion (optional)

Prep:

~Boil noodles

~Drain, run under cold water

~Drain and add tuna

~Mix in mayo

~Mix well and refrigerate

~HINT: Have extra mayo handy... sometimes you have to add more before serving because it soaks up really easy! Enjoy!

Pistachio Pineapple Pudding

2011-08-06T21:07:00.000-06:00

One the easiest and best cold summer salads ever!!

Ingredients:

1 large box of Pistachio pudding

22 oz can of crushed or “tidbit” pineapples

½ cup walnuts

8 oz cool whip

Prep:
~Add pudding to bowl

~Add can of pineapples WITH juice (you use the juice instead of water)

~Add cool whip and walnuts
~Mix well

~Put in fridge for 30-60 minutes before serving so it is set and cool

Mom's Fruit Dip...

2011-08-06T20:57:00.000-06:00

This is so heavenly it should be a sin to eat. And it should be a sin for how easy it is to prepare!!!!! If I had known that it was this simple for my mom to make... I would have been making it a longggg time ago!!! I could eat this with a spoon.. however, it wouldn't help the waistline that's for sure!! Please do enjoy this though (especially with strawberries)

Ingredients:
1 (8oz) pkg of Philadelphia cream cheese
7 oz jar of Jet-Puffed Marshmellow Creme
Dash of ginger
Dash of ground orange peel (optional)

Prep:
~Soften cream cheese
~Using a hand mixer, add cream cheese, marshmellow creme, ginger & orange peel to mixing bowl
~Blend till smooth
~Refrigerate before use
~Best with strawberries, apples, grapes, pineapple, & blueberries (but it goes with any fruit!!

Chicken Veggie Casserole

2011-06-03T11:37:00.000-06:00

Well.. most of my dishes are either a recipe given to me by a family member or a friend, however, the rest of them are recipes that I just make up on my own and if my husband or someone else that eats it, actually likes it, I put it on the blog. Trust me, there are PLENTY of things I have made that haven't been deemed "blog worthy". This dish was supposed to be like a shepard's pie. But, it turned out to be something different and that's ok, cause it was good!!

Ingredients:
2 lbs of chicken cut up (I used chicken drumsticks cause I wanted to cook them up but you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs and I'd imagine it would come out just as good)
4 stalks celery, cut down the middle and chopped
2 handfuls of baby carrots, chopped
1 cup peas, frozen (thawed before cooking)
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
2-3 cups of mashed potatoes (I used leftover mashed from the night before)
1/2 tsp garlic pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp parsley

Prep:
~Boil chicken for a few minutes, probably about 4-5 mins
~Remove and cool, then cut up into pieces
~Clean and chop veggies
~In a frying pan, grill up the carrots and celery for about 10 minutes, then add the peas and onion and spices (hold parsley)
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees
~In a oven safe casserole dish (I used my lasagna pan), put chicken on bottom, then top with veggies and spread mashed potatoes over veggies, then sprinkle the parsley on top of potatoes.
~Bake for 30-35 minutes
~Add salt and pepper to taste
~(I didn't use butter for cutting fat purposes, but I'm sure if you add butter to it while baking, it'll taste good, just for an idea)

Dee's Stir Fry

2011-05-21T10:10:00.000-06:00

This recipe could be a lot of fun... because it can satisfy many different types of people. Vegetarians and possibly even vegans could enjoy this meal depending on how you want the finished product to be. I'm going to give a bunch of options for this meal, and of course alter it as you wish!

Stir Fry with Chicken option

Ingredients: (two servings)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup Panda Express Orange Sauce
(above optional)
2 tbl olive oil
small head broccoli - florets only
4 oz bean sprouts
1 carrot, peeled, chopped
2 green onion stalks, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 tbl sesame seed oil
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2-3 handfuls of sliced mushrooms
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
--------------------------------------
Optional: If you decide to not do the chicken, either cook two cups of white rice or throw in about four cubed yellow potatoes... ALSO, IF YOU DECIDE TO GO WITH JUST THE VEGGIES, OR THE VEGGIES WITH RICE OR POTATOES INSTEAD OF CHICKEN, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND STILL THROWING IN THE ORANGE SAUCE WITH THE VEGGIES, IT IS WHAT GAVE THE FLAVOR. SECONDLY, ADD MORE THAN 1/4 CUP OF ORANGE SAUCE FOR ADDITIONAL SPICE.

Prep:
~If you decide to make it with chicken then clean the chicken and cut it down the middle as if you were to filet it.
~In a container with a lid add the chicken along with the teriyaki sauce and put in fridge to marinate until ready to cook
~Clean all the vegetables, chopping/dicing everything listed above.
~Add olive oil to the largest skillet you have and add all veggies, cook on low.
~Add chicken to another skillet and add orange sauce, cover and turn to cook. Cook on medium heat until cooked all the way through.
~If you are NOT cooking the chicken, be sure to add the orange sauce to the veggies.
~Cook until veggies are tender.
~If cooking rice, cook seperately and then put veggies on top and serve
~If making the chicken, when veggies and chicken are done, cut chicken and put on top of veggies (Pictured below)

Dee's Candied Sweet Potatoes

2011-05-20T18:04:00.000-06:00

I had searched for recipes that I thought sounded good to make for Thanksgiving last year... and I totally winged this recipe. I made it again for Easter this year, and this time, I wrote it down. It was a huge hit at both holiday dinners so hopefully other people will enjoy it as well!!

Ingredients: (Makes a 13x9 inch pan)
5 sweet potatoes
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 stick melted butter
2 tbl cinnamon
-----------------------
2 tbl brown sugar
2 cups small marshmellows
4 tbl butter
1 tbl cinnamon

Prep:
~Boil potatoes till skins are falling off in water
~Drain water
~Let potatoes cool till able to be handled with bare hands
~Peel potatoes, add to mixing bowl
~Add first cup of brown sugar, 1/2 stick melted butter, 2 tbl cinnamon, and nutmeg to potatoes and blend with hand mixer, till mashed and mixed thoroughly
~Preheat oven to 375 degrees
~Add potatoes to 13x9 inch casserole/oven safe pan
~Bake for 15 minutes, remove
~Add 2 tbl of brown sugar sprinkled over top of potatoes, along with 1 tbl of cinnamon, cut butter into thin slices and place on top of potatoes, add marshmellows to top
~Put back in oven and cook for 8-10 mins or until marshmellows are lightly browned
~Serve!!!

Sprinkle remaining brown sugar

Remaining 4 tbl of butter place around pan

Spread small marshmellows

Rose's Fruit Dip

2011-05-20T12:59:00.000-06:00

A good friend of mine was out visiting for Easter and I didn't have the right ingredients for making my mom's fruit dip, so my friend Lisa gave me her mom's recipe. It was so simple and I happened to have all of the ingredients handy at my house. This was a huge hit for my fruit tray I had out for Easter... so I hope everyone else enjoys this, compliments of Mrs. Rose Nicolazzo!!

Ingredients:
1 (8oz) bar of Philadephia cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Prep:
~Add all ingredients to mixing bowl
~With a hand mixer, beat until smooth
~Serve with fresh fruit

Homemade Cheese Cake Cupcakes...

2011-05-20T10:36:00.000-06:00

My mom has been making this recipe for years at Christmas time... I decided to make these for a friend's birthday and she loved them!! Typically you would add the topping on right when you make them and then put them in the refrigerator, however, I decided to get a few cans of different fruit toppings and let people put them on themselves, this way they could have whichever flavor they preferred.

Ingredients:
24 cupcake liners
24 vanilla wafers
2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbl lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 can pie feeling (any flavor)

Prep:
~Preheat oven to 375 degrees
~Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners
~Place wafter in each liner
~Beat cream cheese, sugar, 2 eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla until light and fluffy
~Fill cups 2/3 full
~Bake for 15-20 minutes
~Chill in fridge (Repeat until cupcake liners are gone and filling is gone - It may also hold more than 24 so have a few extra liners and wafers ready if there is filling left)
~Once all are baked, set and cooled, keep refrigerated until ready to serve
~Choose type of filling to use as topping, spoon on top of cupcakes

Easy Party Ideas....

2011-05-20T10:19:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite things to have out as an appetizer for a house party is a fruit tray and a cheese and cracker tray. It may be a bit more on the expensive side compared to other ideas, but it is great for everyone. Even vegetarians can enjoy the trays, and this way if someone is a vegan they can enjoy the fruit since they do not consume dairy products. I made this up for a party at my house and they are super easy to make up. I also cut my fruit up ahead of time and just store it in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.

Ingredients for fruit tray:

1/2 Watermelon, cubed

1 lb. strawberries, sliced

1 cantelope, cubed

Grapes are also great for this but are not pictured above

Prep:

~Clean, chop fruit

~Place on tray when ready to serve

~See post called Rose's Fruit Dip* for the fruit dip recipe

Ingredients for cheese/cracker tray:

Box of assorted crackers

1 block of sharp cheddar cheese

1 block of pepper jack cheese

1 block of Monterey jack cheese or Swiss cheese

1 package Hormel original pepperonis

1 block of Philadelphia cream cheese

1/2 cup of cocktail sauce

Prep:

~Slice cheese into bite sized pieces

~Put on tray with crackers and pepperonis when ready to serve

~Pour cocktail sauce over cream cheese and serve as a spread with the crackers

Mom's Butter-Cream Frosting...

2011-05-20T09:57:00.000-06:00

My mom has been making this frosting for cakes in our family for years. I absolutely despise frosting... but this is so yummy. I'm not a fan of sugary frostings, and this one is smooth and light compared the the canned types at the grocery stores. It is extremely simple to make.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup warm milk (must be warmed)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Prep:
~Soften butter
~Add all ingredients to a bowl
~Beat with hand mixer till mixed thoroughly and smooth
~Whatever type of cake you have made, spread over cake while warm still and let cool. Then add another layer of frosting once it is cooled.

Add all ingredients to a bowl

Mix together till smooth

Spread over cake

Dee's Homemade Deep Fried Thin Potatoes....

2011-05-01T13:27:00.000-06:00

Now isn't that a mouthful?? Well I was sitting here the other day deciding what to make for dinner and a T.V. commercial came on for french fries for some restaurant and they just looked delicious. However, I had plenty of potatoes at home that there was no need to go out and buy a bag of pre-made frozen french fries. So I made my own... I decided to coat them in a batter before frying them cause I figured fries at a restaurant probably have the same thing... they turned out pretty good considering I didn't have a recipe to go by. They were crispy, just the way I like my fries. They were pretty easy too!!

Ingredients: (Makes approximately 4 small servings or 2-3 larger servings)
5 yellow potatoes (Cleaned, ends removed)
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
2-3 cups of canola oil for frying (or if you have a deep fryer, whatever yours calls for)

Prep:
~Clean potatoes
~Cut ends off
~Slice in thin slices
~Mix flour and seasonings in small bowl
~If the potatoes aren't moist, dip them in water first
~Coat the potatoes in batter (I placed mine on non-stick sprayed wax paper until ready to fry)
~Heat oil in saucepan (be sure to cover for splattering)
~When oil is around 375 degrees, drop 1/2 potatoes in for about 10-12 minutes depending on how you like your potatoes cooked ...
~Remove potatoes and place on a paper towel on plate to allow extra grease to drain, lightly salt, then cover with another plate to keep warm until second batch cooked.
~Do the same with the second batch, allow them to drain on towel and lightly salt.
~Serve with practically any meal!!!
(For a healthier alternative instead of deep frying...I would imagine that these are good baked... but I haven't made them this way.. perhaps try 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes??? I guess cook them till they are browned and cooked all the way through)

Cut ends off before slicing

Cut approx 1/4" thick or thinner if you want them more like chips

Coat all potatoes and put on non-stick wax paper till ready to cook

Drain grease on paper towel

Shown served with a NY steak with grilled mushrooms and onions with Dee's Style Zip Sauce*

Dee's Style Zip Sauce...

2011-04-26T17:54:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to figure out the best way to make a zip sauce for steaks for a while...and I've also figured out that it must be a Metro Detroit thing to even consider zip sauce, I may be incorrect on this, but everywhere else I've been has never even heard of it!!... I kept trying different mixtures of spices and seasonings trying to get the best tasting sauce. I finally discovered the best combination and I am ready to share it with all of you!! It does have a "bite" to it, but I think it was good, and I hope you all do too!!!

Ingredients:
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp crushed rosemary
1 tsp parsley
1/4 lb melted butter (Melt in saucepan)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbl Dijon mustard (I prefer Jack Daniel's)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tbl Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp cumin

Prep:
~Combine first four ingredients in a mixing bowl
~Melt butter in a SAUCEPAN not in the microwave, be sure that the butter does not brown or burn...
~Add butter to mixing bowl
~Then add rest of ingredients, mix well
~Heat for a couple minutes back in saucepan.
~Pour a little bit over steak, serve hot.

Add to mixing bowl

Melt butter in sauce pan...

Add butter to mixing bowl, then add rest of spices...

Mix well, then put back in sauce pan to heat up for a few minutes

Pour over steak for added flavor