Tomato, Garlic & Basil Chicken Alfredo

Made this one up one night using leftover chicken...delightful!

• 4 chicken breasts
• Grill Mates Tomato, Garlic & Basil Marinade Package
• 2 TBS butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup milk
• Noodles (linguine, fettuccine, wide egg noodles...), cooked and drained

Place chicken in crock pot.  Mix marinade package according to directions. Pour over chicken and cook on low for 4 hours.  Dice up chicken.  Melt butter in a medium sauce pan.  Whisk in flour garlic and salt.  Gradually add milk.  Whisk in cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese.  Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly.  Add diced chicken and juices. Cook over low for 5 minutes.  Serve over hot, cooked noodles. 

If you make the Tomato, Garlic & Basil Chicken before, just use the leftovers and add to the Alfredo sauce...from leftover to gourmet!

Rice & Ham Casserole

This is a wonderful meal my mom use to make us.  Great way to use leftover rice or ham!

• 1 cup regular rice
• 1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
• 1/2 lb. Shredded cheese
• Diced Ham
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream (thin with 1/4 cup milk)
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice according to directions.  Combine all ingredients, leaving some cheese to sprinkle on top. Mix lightly.  Place in casserole dish.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F. for about 30 minutes.

Twice Baked Potato

My husband doesn't like baked potatoes very well, but he loves these.

4 large baking potatoes

8 slices bacon

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

4 TBSP butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Scrub potatoes, pat dry and wrap in foil.  Bake for an hour or so until soft when squeezed.  While potatoes are cooking, fry your bacon until crispy.  Drain and crumble.  Once potatoes are done, slice in half long ways.  Scoop out most of the inside.  It's okay to leave a little, you just don't want the skins to tear.  Mash and then add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, garlic, pepper and 1 1/2 cups cheese.  When pretty smooth, spoon back into potato skins.  Place in baking dish and pour chicken broth around and under potatoes.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove and sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon pieces.  Bake for another 5 min or until cheese is melted.

Easy Grilled Pizza

Fun family night idea...my children love when we do this!

• 4 small Boboli pizza crusts
• Olive oil
• Marinara Sauce
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Pizza Toppings (pepperoni, olives, ham, sausage, green chilies, onions...)

Brush both sides of pizza crust with olive oil.  Turn the grill on as low as it will go.  Grill the crust 2–4 minutes per side. Remove from grill. Add toppings, including any precooked meats and vegetables, and return to grill for 8–10 minutes checking often. Grill until the cheese is melted and/or the crust is golden. Remove from heat, let cool for 2 minutes, and enjoy! We let everyone make their own.

Tomato, Garlic & Basil Chicken

This is simply wonderful!

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 Grill Mates Tomato, Garlic & Basil Marinate packages

Place chicken in crock pot.  Mix Grill Mates package according to directions and pour over chicken.  Stir chicken around making sure evenly coated.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours. 

I added a few more chicken breasts and cut them up with all the extra juices and stored in the fridge for another great meal...from leftover to gourmet!

Creamy Steak Over Rice

We get a lot of round steak and so I'm always trying to make meals with it.  This one was a success!

• 1 lb. round steak
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 TBS paprika
• Steak Seasoning
• 1 (8 oz) container sour cream
• 2 cups Rice
• shredded cheese

Trim any fat off the round steak.  Rub generously with steak seasoning and put in crock pot.  In a skillet, saute onions, bell pepper, and paprika until onions are lightly brown.  Pour over steak.  Pour tomatoes over onions.  Add  broth to skillet and boil for a few minutes, then pour over everything.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.  Take steak out and dice.  Mix sour cream in crock pot, then put meat back in; cover and cook 20-30 minutes.  Serve over cooked rice; sprinkle with cheese.

I double my rice so I can use it for another quick meal...from leftover to gourmet!

Fruit Leather

My husband convinced me to make fruit leather.  I didn't want to because I thought it would be so hard.  I was so wrong, it was pretty easy and so good.  We ate the first pan right up!

APPLE-PEAR:

• 4 cups apples
• 4 cups pears
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup raspberry jam

I cored and then boiled my apples until soft.   I used pears that I had canned last year, but if you use fresh, you need to slice in half and core.  Add everything to the blender and blend until smooth. 

APPLE-STRAWBERRY:

• 4 cups apples
• 4 cups strawberries
• 7 TBS honey

Saute apples and strawberries in a little butter until soft.  Add everything to a blender and blend until smooth.

Preheat oven to 160 degrees F. Cover baking sheets with plastic wrap.  Spread puree evenly, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.  Bake for about 10 hours.  I started checking it after 6 hours.  It is done when the surface is no longer tacky and you can tear it like leather.  Cool and then roll up.  Cut in pieces and seal securely in plastic wrap. Store in an airtight container.

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Snacks

We all love these!  They are a great healthy snack everyone will enjoy.

• 3 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Pretreat apples by dipping them in 1 cup lemon juice mixed with 1 quart of water. In a large bowl, combine sugars and cinnamon.  Make sure your apples are patted dry, then toss them in sugar mixture.  You don't want them too coated, just lightly sugared.  Arrange evenly on dehydrator trays. Dry at 130-135 degrees until pliable.  Drying time will vary depending on the moisture content of apples, quality of apples, volume being dried at one time, method of drying and the climate. Refer to your own dehydrator instructions.  If you put them in in the evening and let them go all night and then all morning, they should be done that afternoon.  If you take them off while they are still hot they come off a lot better.  I've also read if you turn them half way through, they won't stick either. 

Grandma Faucette's Applesauce Cake

This is a family favorite...so moist and just wonderful!

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 1/2 cups applesauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs beating well.  In a large bowl, mix flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, & allspice.  In a separate bowl mix applesauce and water.  Add dry ingredients, alternating with apple sauce, to the butter mixture.  Fold in nuts and raisins.  Pour in greased 9x13x2 in. pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes.

CARAMEL SAUCE:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter, sugars, and cream in a medium saucepan over med-high heat.  Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute stirring constantly.  Add vanilla.  Spoon over individual slices of warm cake. 

Caramel Apple Slices

This is a great little treat or wonderful on ice cream or apple cake. We had it on our crepes and it was great!

• 6 large apples
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 TBSP flour

 

Peel, core, and slice apples.  In medium saucepan melt butter.  Add brown sugar and flour.  Add apples and cook over low heat until tender, 15-20 minutes.



Apple Crisp

I love apple crisp, and so does my family!  I like to put this in tin pie plates and give to family and friends. 

• 6 large tart apples
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Peel, core, and slice apples.  Toss with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Arrange in buttered 9x13x2 in. baking dish (or 2 pie plates).  Combine brown sugar and flour.  Cut butter into mixture and stir in rolled oats & nuts.  Spoon topping over apples and lightly press down.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

Apple Pie

Nic's favorite thing...warm apple pie. 

CRUST:

• 1 1/4 cups Crisco shortening
• 3 cups flour
• 1 TBSP vinegar or lemon juice
• 5 TBSP ice cold water
• 1 egg, beaten

In a medium bowl cut shortening into flour, making 1/4 in. bits. Make a well in the center.  Pour vinegar or lemon juice, water, and egg.  Mix from the bottom to the top with a fork until the dough barely sticks together.  Divide into two balls.  Place one ball between two pieces of waxed paper and roll out until the crust is big enough to fit into pie plate. Press into pie plate.

FILLING:

• 5 cups tart apples, about 6-8 larger apples, (The yellow transparents are the best!)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP butter

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Peel, core and slice apples. Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl.  Stir in apples.  Pour into pastry-lined pie plate.  Dot with butter.  Cover with top crust and seal edges.  Cut slits in the top.  Cover edge with 3 inch strip of foil to prevent too much browning.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake 25-30 minutes more, until the filling is bubbly and top is lightly brown.  Remove foil the last 10 minutes. 

Apple Season!!!

YAY, it's apple season!!! My grandpas trees had so many apples this year...so exciting! These yellow transparent apples are the best for:

Apple Pie

Apple Crisp

Apple Cake

Applesauce

Applesauce Cake
Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

Caramel Apple Slices

Apple Nachos

Apple Butter

Cinnamon, Sugar Apple Snacks
Fruit Leather

 

I slice and freeze a lot of these apples, so we can enjoy these recipes year round!  Makes for a quick dessert when you need one!

Strip Rag Blanket

Made this for little Brayton! It was so fast and easy!!

• Cut 14 out of flannel or fleece 6x36 in. strips
• I used 3 different flannels for the front and just 1 matching solid for the back

~Place a front and a back strip together, wrong sides together, and sew down the middle.  I used a decrative stitch. Repeat for each 7 strips.
~Place two strips together, backs facing each other, and sew a 1/2 in seam down one side.  Open up and add another strip.  Repeat until all strips are sewn together. 
~Sew a 1/2 in seam around the blanket.
~Clip edges, wash, and enjoy!

Baby Rag Blanket

This is one of Taysha's favorite blankets I made for her and it was all done out of scrap material I had.

To make an approximate 38x53 in. Blanket:

• cut 36 8x8 in. squares in favorite fabric
• I used 4 different fabrics, so I cut 9 8x8 in. squares out of each
• cut 36 8x8 in squares in flannel or fleece

~Sew a fabric square to a flannel square by stitching an x from one corner to the other (right sides of fabric together). Repeat for all 36 squares.
~Create the pattern you like and sew blocks together.  Place flannel sides together and stitch 1/2 in seam along one side.  Place another block to one of those, flannel sides together, and sew a 1/2 in seam along one side.  Repeat until you have a strip with 5 blocks sewn together. Repeat for next 5 blocks, making sure your pattern is correct, until you have 7 strips of 5 blocks sewn together.
~Line up seams and blocks with flannel sides together and sew your first two strips together using 1/2 in seams.  Open up and then add your third strip by placing flannel sides together, making sure pattern is correct, and sew using 1/2 in. seam. Repeat until all strips are sewn together.
~Sew a 1/2 in. seam around the whole blanket.
~Cut edges to create the rag look.
~Wash and enjoy!