Honey Mustard Chicken

Well hello again! My Aunt Toni gave me this recipe a couple of years ago and I had forgotten all about it until she mentioned it the other night. I decided I better blog about it so we don't forget about it again! Please forgive my horrible picture, the camera must have been on a weird setting. Seriously the best recipe because it is so yummy and it only uses 4 ingredients that we all usually have at home! Don't worry, the mustard really isn't overpowering. Lizy, my picky eater, went back for thirds!

4 chicken breasts "butterfly" thick pieces while slightly thawed

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

Oven @ 350 degrees...Place chicken in shallow baking dish. In saucepan combine rest of ingredients and stir til butter is melted. Pour over chicken and bake for 45 to 60 minutes...basting every 15 minutes.

I made another batch of sauce and served that over rice

I doubled this recipe for my family and used chicken tenders instead of breasts. If you use breasts make sure they are thinner so the chicken can really soak up the sauce. Real butter is a must with this recipe people!! Don't forget to baste every 15 minutes! I also made another batch of sauce to serve over the rice. If your family is a saucy family I'd even double the sauce to serve on the side. It is super delish on the rice!!

Thai Chicken Pasta

The Chili-Garlic Sauce looks like this: (I found some at Walmart but it wasn't garlic! Ooops! It was HOT chili sauce. I just added a little extra garlic and used what I bought and it worked.)

What you'll need:

12 oz Linguine

2-3 Cooked Chicken Breasts (cubed or shredded)

Sauce:

1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

1/2 cup Green Onions, chopped

1 C finely shredded Carrots

3 tbsp minced Garlic (yes 3, but it's really not too much, promise)

1/2 tablespoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1/2 cup Honey

1/2 cup creamy Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Soy Sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

Cilantro and additional green onions to garnish. (I left out the cilantro)
Peanuts to taste, chopped

Directions:

Break pasta into thirds and then cook pasta according to box directions. Drain, return to pot, and then set aside.

Heat 1 TBS of sesame oil in heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add green onions, carrots, garlic, and ginger. Saute until vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes.

Combine honey, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili-garlic sauce in a bowl and mix well. Add to vegetables. Add chicken. Simmer sauce for 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce over pasta and toss well with the chopped peanuts.

Notes:

I found this recipe here and here. The ingredients reminded me of my favorite pasta dish at The Cheesecake Factory. I added the chopped peanuts to the recipe. I loved it!! It came together really fast and was surprisingly simple. I think once you've made it the first time you'll have all the liquid ingredients on hand so that will help with future shopping lists:) Also, I don't think you can buy just 12oz of pasta. I only found 16oz boxes so I cooked it all. When it was drained I set aside some plain before I added the sauce. Lizy is a weirdo about new food so she was able to eat the plain noodles tossed with butter and parmesan cheese. You could also half this recipe.

BYU Mint Brownies

BYU mint brownies are one of my favorites! I found this recipe in a Utah Valley magazine a few months ago. It is awesome.

1 box of brownie mix

(I like Betty Crocker Hershey Supreme Brownie Mix w/Frosting Pouch)

Walnuts (optional)

5 tablespoons butter, softened

dash of salt

1 tablespoon of light corn syrup

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon mint extract

food coloring

3 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make brownies according to the box directions. Add 1 cup chopped walnuts if desired. Bake in a 9x13 dish.

To make the mint frosting combine butter, salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar.

Beat until smooth and creamy, but it will look a little crumbly. Add the mint extract and food coloring. Mix in and then add the milk gradually until the frosting is a little more runny than cake frosting.

Spread the mint frosting over the cooled frosting and then place in the freezer for a short period of time to stiffen. Take brownies out of freezer and immediately frost with chocolate frosting.

I like just mint frosting on the top. Most like the chocolate too. If the chocolate frosting is too much just drizzle stripes instead of full on frosting it. So tasty!!

Chicken Broccoli Supreme

I found this recipe on the Get off your Butt and Bake website. Yummy!! You have to make this!

I went out shopping so I printed this recipe off and handed it to Jeff to make and have ready when I got home:) Bless his heart. He said it went together quickly and was easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh broccoli. Break into pieces and steam for 2 minutes

3 cups cooked chicken breasts broken into small pieces

3 cups grated cheddar cheese divided

2 tubes Ritz Crackers

1 stick melted butter

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Sauce:

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 c COLD water

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups of the above cheddar cheese

Directions:

In greased 13x9 pan layer the broccoli and chicken, then set aside. In saucepan over medium heat combine the melted butter, cornstarch dissolved in water, chicken broth, seasonings, and milk. Stir well, and continue stirring until sauce has thickened. Turn heat down to low and add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. Top with 1 1/2 cups grated cheese.

Melt the butter and add the poppy seeds. Stir well. Crush the Ritz crackers in a large zip-lock bag with a rolling pin. Don't crush too small. Add crumbs to the melted butter. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the grated cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

**This was SO super good! My kids gobbled it up in no time! The sauce is like a cheese sauce but not too liquidy or overwhelming. I left out the poppy seeds because they freak my kids out. I like this recipe because it is a casserole without cream of something soup!! It makes me feel like there is less sodium:) Also, if you used less cornstarch and didn't make the sauce so thick I bet it would make a good cheese sauce for potatoes or veggies.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

(Give your beef a good coating of flour. Make sure your pan & oil are hot and brown those edges good!)

(This is what it looks like after all the ingredients are combined and ready for cooking)

YUM!! If I think back to my favorite dinners as a child my Grandma Liz's beef stew was one of the top five. She would make it on cold snowy days along with cheese biscuits. I remember the smell filling her house. I remember my Grandpa in his hoody sitting in his recliner saying it was a good day for stew and a fire as he would watch the snow falling in the morning. I remember setting the table with the stone colored bowls rimmed with a light brown stripe. I remember us girls fighting over who got the brown cup. I remember my Grandma never sitting down until everyone was served and ready to eat. I remember the feelings of comfort and love, especially on beef stew nights. I have searched high and low for a recipe that could even slightly compare to my Grandma's stew. She never had actual recipes for a lot of her famous dishes. This one was the most similar to the ingredients I remember her using. It's from the Get off your Butt and Bake website. Ingredients: 2 lbs. of stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes 1/2 cup flour 2 tablespoons of oil 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 onion chopped (optional) **I used onion flakes to taste instead so my kids wouldn't freak out. 2 beef bouillon cubes 1/2 tsp pepper 2 tsp salt 2 tsp sugar 6 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 cup celery, sliced (optional) **I love celery but she said you can use 1 tsp of Bon Appetit seasoning instead. 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 4 cups of water Directions: Coat meat with flour; set excess aside. (I didn't have excess. I used 1/2 cup to coat and 3/4 cup later to thicken) In large skillet heat oil. Brown meat on all sides. In crock pot, combine browned beef, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, bouillon cubes, pepper, salt, and vegetables. Pour water over all of it. It will be almost to the top of your crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. After that time turn your crock pot to HIGH. Thicken with flour left over that has been dissolved in a small amount of warm water. (I just took out some of the broth from the crock pot and used that to dissolve the flour before adding it back to the stew) Cover and cook on high for 15-20 more minutes or until slightly thickened. Makes 6-8 servings. Serve with a green salad and bread.....or cheese biscuits! (My Grandma's stew was a little thicker than this recipe makes it. The flavor however was extremely close. YaY!! That is why I used more flour to try for the thicker broth. Next time I will be making it even thicker.)

Granny B Pink Cookies

I roll out the sugar cookies on wax paper with powdered sugar so they don't stick. Yum! Look how puffy they are! Just like good ol' Granny's

I am a Pink Cookie freak. So are many people I know. My friend, Amy (a fellow freak), found this recipe on her sister's blog and gave it to me the other day. I couldn't wait to try it especially for Valentines Day. Today was the test run and they are awesome!!! Sugar Cookies:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sour cream

Cream butter and sugar together. Slowly add eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture along with the sour cream. Mix until smooth.

Chill 2 to 3 hours.

Roll out 1/4-1/3" thick depending on your preference and cut into shapes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown on bottom. Let cool.

Frosting:

4 Tablespoons butter

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

(for chocolate frosting add 3 tablespoons cocoa)

Put butter in bowl and beat with electric mixer until fluffy. Then add about half of the powdered sugar. Beat in 1 tablespoon milk and the vanilla. Slowly add in the rest of the powdered sugar. Add more milk if needed. Add food coloring if desired.

*I cooked mine at 350 for 9 minutes because I'm a dork and thought that is what I read! They turned out just fine so if you do it right at 375 I'd say cook them for 8-ish minutes depending on your oven. Just don't over cook! I let mine chill on the cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to the cooling rack. Also, I used almost twice the milk it called for. I got 24 medium sized heart cookies out of the dough. I doubled the frosting recipe and it was perfect for the 24 cookies. If you are making the cookies larger I'd triple the frosting recipe.

*Update 4/7/11* I added approx. 3-4 tablespoons of cream cheese to a doubled batch of the frosting to make it a little less sugary. It was awesome! I think it's the best frosting I've made so far:)

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

This recipe is one I booked marked forever ago and finally got around to making it. It is from The Recipe Club. It was Casey's 17th birthday yesterday and he loves spice cake and cream cheese frosting. Rather than buy the same old mix from the store I decided to make it all from scratch and remembered I had this recipe. So glad I made it because it is hands down the best cupcake I have ever made!! If you follow the directions exactly they will end up perfect!! Don't be scared of the pumpkin. You can taste it but if you don't like pumpkin it isn't overwhelming. I used 4 tbsp of water in the frosting and I cooked the cupackes for 19 mins. I think the frosting would be awesome on cinnamon rolls!!

{pumpkin spice cupcakes}
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
1- 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
2 1/4 cup flour
1 TBSP cinnamon
2 tsp. all spice
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
In a large bowl, beat together sugars & oil. Add eggs & vanilla. Beat until incorporated. Mix in pumpkin & buttermilk & beat well.
In a small bowl whisk together all dry ingredients until combined. Add to pumpkin mix & beat until combined & creamy.
Grease or line 24 muffin cups & fill 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, top with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

{cinnamon cream cheese frosting}
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1 bag powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2-3 tsp. cinnamon
2-4 TBSP water
Beat together cream cheese & butter. Add half the powdered sugar, salt, cinnamon & vanilla. Beat until incorporated. Add other half of sugar & water. Beat on medium high until light & fluffy. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes & sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Beef & Brown Sugar Enchiladas

This is a recipe from The Recipe Club! Super yummy recipes over there!!

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 can black refried beans
1 can red enchilada sauce, divided
1/3 cup brown sugar-- or to taste
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
10-12 flour tortillas

Brown ground beef in a large pan. Drain off fat & add refried beans, 1/2 of the enchilada sauce, brown sugar & onion powder. Mix well & bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
Fill one tortilla with about 1/4 of a cup of filling & 2 Tbsp. cheese. Roll up & place in a 9x13 pan. Repeat process until pan is full. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over prepared enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, diced onions, shredded lettuce, avocado or guacamole.

Alright, my enchiladas stuck to the bottom of my pan a little so next time I think I'll spray it with pam or put down a little extra sauce. It calls for 1 can of enchilada sauce and I bought 2 of the 12 or 15 ounce size cans. (I already threw them away, sorry!) I used one can in the meat mixture and one can on top of the rolled tortillas. I think it could have used one more can of sauce on top! We like things saucy:) This was really good and it made up really fast! I used the mild enchilada sauce but it could definitely handle the medium if your kids don't mind the spice.

Teriyaki Sauce

Tauna's Teryiaki Sauce

8 oz soy sauce

10 oz water

1 1/2 - 2 c brown sugar

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp garlic salt or powder

1/2 - 1 cube butter

Pour over meat and bake!

I got this recipe from my Sister-in Law, Gina. It can be found on her family's recipe blog.

This sauce is super easy, yummy, and my kids will eat it!!

The recipe is enough sauce for a 13x9 dish. I combined all the ingredients in a sauce pan first and warmed until the sugar dissolved and the butter melted. Then I poured over the chicken. I baked mine with chicken tenders tonight. 375 degrees for an hour-ish. I served over rice (the extra sauce is good on the rice) and broccoli.

I can't wait to try the leftover cold chicken on a salad tomorrow!