Banana-Orange Topping

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet!  We use it all the time!  Maybe that's the problem.  We eat it before I can even get a picture.  Even this one was an afterthought right as we were getting ready to dive in.  It is our favorite topping for pancakes and waffles.  I grew up with this topping.  My mom always made it for us.  It's quick and easy and so much better for you than syrup.  It's also a great way to use up ripe bananas instead of making them into banana bread.

Banana-Orange Topping
1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 can water
2 bananas mashed with fork
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat OJ concentrate, water, and bananas in small pan.  Bring to a boil and boil for one minute; stir frequently!  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Serve warm over pancakes or waffles.

White Corn Tortilla Soup

This is a soup like the one they serve at California Pizza Kitchen called Sedona White Corn Tortilla Soup.  I add a can of Great Northern beans to make it a bit more hearty.  They just get blended up with the rest of the soup.  I think this soup is great served with some sweet cornbread crumbled over the top.  Adds a nice contrast to the "kind of" spicy soup.

White Corn Tortilla Soup
3 Tbsp. olive oil
5 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
2 Tbsp. minced white onion
1 1/2 tsp. minced jalapeño pepper, optional
1 pound white corn kernels, divided
1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/2 pounds chipped, ripe red tomatoes
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 cups water
1 quart chicken broth, or vegetable broth
Optional Garnish:  tortilla chips, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, sour cream, etc.

Over medium-high heat, fry tortilla squares in olive oil until they begin to crisp and turn a golden yellow.  Add garlic, onion and jalapeño; cook 1-2 minutes, until onion becomes translucent.  Add half the corn along with all other ingredients (except garnishes), reserving other half of corn to be added at the end.  Bring the soup to a low, even boil.  Boil for 5 minutes.

Remove soup from heat.  Use a hand-held processor, food processor, or blender to process soup in batches to the consistency of a course puree.

Return the soup to the burner and add the reserved corn.  Bring the soup to a boil once again being extremely carful to avoid scorching or burning.  Serve with garnishes.  Makes 6-8 servings.

Double Delicious Cookie Bars

This is a quick and easy bar cookie!  I believe I got this recipe from my sister Amy.  She made them for me when I visited her in California once and yep...they're good!  The original recipe didn't have coconut in it but I like them even better with!  I think they are also often called Magic Bars.

Double Delicious Cookie Bars
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In 9x13, melt butter in oven.  Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter.  Pour milk evenly over crumbs.  Top with chips and coconut.  Press down firmly with spoon.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool.  Cut into bars.  Store covered at room temperature.

Mexican Ravioli

This is another quick meal that's easy to put together and pretty tasty...and sometimes that's a really good combination.  It's also a nice change from the usual spaghetti sauce on ravioli.  I always use cheese ravioli because I really don't care for the beef flavored ravioli but use whatever you like best.

Mexican Ravioli
1 bag frozen ravioli
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheese, optional
Toppings such as:  green onions, sour cream, sliced olives, shredded cheese, etc.

Cook frozen ravioli as directed on package.  In a large skillet combine enchilada sauce and salsa and heat through.  Drain cooked ravioli and add to sauce mixture, stirring gently to avoid breaking open the ravioli.  Stir in cheese if desired.  Top individual servings with your choice of toppings.

My Favorite Cookie

This is by far my most favorite "chocolate chip" type cookie.  I love all the goodies in them.  Oatmeal, coconut, pecans, chocolate...mmm!  Sometimes I substitute M&Ms for some or all of the chocolate chips.  One of my favorite combos is half M&Ms and half semi-sweet chocolate chips.  A little taste of everything that way.  You can also use butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips...whatever makes your mouth water!  Turn them into YOUR favorite cookie!

My Favorite Cookie
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups dry oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups chocolate chips (and/or M&Ms)
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Cream butter and sugars together.  Add vanilla and eggs.  Beat until creamy.  Add dry ingredients; mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Creamed Potatoes and Peas

This dish is great as a main dish or as a side.  The peas and potatoes with the creamy sauce make it very hearty.  Quick to put together and easy to make vegetarian.  I make my white sauce with almond milk.  You can also use regular milk, canned milk, soy milk, or even...cream!  Whatever makes you happy.  The last time I made it I threw in some bacon bits.  Enjoy!

Creamed Potatoes and Peas
10-12 small red skinned potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
2 cups frozen peas
2 Tbsp. diced onion
1 Tbsp. olive oil (or you can use butter)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 T. flour
1/4 tsp. thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. dill
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Wash potatoes.  Skins can be left on.  Cut larger potatoes in half.  Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add frozen peas and continue to cook 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. (Or cook peas separately if you don't have enough room in your pot.)

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan.  Saute onion until tender; add flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk using a whisk to remove any lumps. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Add thyme and dill; cook until thickened and bubbly. Drain potatoes and peas; place in a serving bowl. Pour sauce over and stir to coat. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Mint Marvels

My friend Becca posted this recipe a couple years ago and it quickly became one of our favorite cookie recipes.  I keep going back to her blog to get it so I decided to finally post it here.  I haven't made them in a long time but decided to make them today for a "goodbye to chocolate" party for myself.  My nursing babies don't like it when I eat chocolate and it's the one time I have a good excuse not to eat it.  So here I go.  But YOU don't have to miss out on the yumminess!  I just made half the recipe today and it made 24 very good sized cookies.  It probably would have made more but there was some snitching going on in the kitchen with my two little helpers.  This is the regular recipe amounts (not halved.)

Chocolate Mint Marvels

¾ cup butter
1 ½ cups brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips
2 ½ cups flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
3 or 4 packages of Andes mints

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter and brown sugar in saucepan over low heat.  Add chocolate chips and stir to melt; put mixture into a bowl and let cool.  Add eggs, and then mix in flour and baking soda.  Chill dough for 1 hour.  Roll into balls and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 9 minutes.  Remove cookies from oven and place an Andes mint on each one.  As the candy melts, spread it across the top of the cookie with a butter knife.  Makes 3 dozen.

The chocolate on top does set up nice and hard if you leave them long enough! :)

Enchilada Soup

OK.  I finally have another soup recipe.  You know we love soup around here.  This one tastes a lot like enchiladas and has some good vegetables in there as well.  Serve with a nice green salad and you're set!  You can add chicken if you want, too.  This soup comes together very fast!

Enchilada Soup

1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce + 1 can milk (more if desired), I used almond milk
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can tomatoes, I used roasted garlic and onion flavored
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 red (or green) pepper, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 cup frozen corn
Canned or shredded chicken, if desired
Sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped black olives, crushed tortilla chips, optional

In a large pot saute onion, pepper, and squash until soft.  Add enchilada sauce, milk, black beans, tomatoes, soup, and chicken, if desired.  Heat until warm and bubbly.  Serve with your choice of toppings.

Banana Split Dessert

Creamy, yummy, easy.  Just a few ways to describe this dessert.  It makes a 9x13 but I usually make half the recipe for an 8x8 pan unless I'm feeding a crowd.

Banana Split Dessert

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 c. sugar, divided
1/3 c. butter, melted
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, room temp
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drain
4-6 bananas
2 c. milk
2 (4 serving size) boxes vanilla pudding
2 c. Cool Whip, thawed, divided
1 c. chopped pecans or toffee pieces (found in baking aisle)

-Mix crumbs, 1/4 c. sugar and butter.  Press into 9x13 pan.  Freeze 10 minutes.
-Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar.  Spread over crust.
-Top with pineapple.
-Slice 4 bananas-arrange over pineapple.
-Pour milk into bowl.  Add pudding mix.  Mix well.  Gently stir in 1 cup Cool Whip.  Spread over banana layer.  Top with remaining Cool Whip.  Sprinkle nuts and/or toffee pieces if desired.

Kikki's Cordon Bleu

This is another recipe from my sister Amy.  It's an easier version of Chicken Cordon Bleu.  Very good!  We like to save it for special occasions.

Kikki's Cordon Bleu

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 egg
1 c. crushed Ritz crackers
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
4 slices ham
4 slices Swiss cheese

Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thick.  Beat egg.  Combine crumbs and salt on plate.  Saute mushrooms in butter, set aside.  Dip chicken in egg then crumbs.  Brown in butter in skillet.  Put chicken on a jelly roll pan or baking dish.  **Layer with ham, mushrooms, cheese.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

**( I usually cook chicken first and then layer with ham, mushrooms, and cheese and bake again until cheese is melted...just to make sure the chicken gets cooked and everything else doesn't get too cooked!)

Amy's Teriyaki Meatballs

This is a recipe I got from my sister Amy.  It's cooked in a crockpot and only has 3 ingredients.  Can't get much easier than that!  It also serves a lot.  We like to serve it over brown rice.  Makes about 80 meatballs.  (Depending on what size of package your frozen meatballs come in.)  I think this would be even better with homemade meatballs!

Amy's Teriyaki Meatballs
1 package Frozen Homestyle Meatballs
1 can crushed pineapple + juice
1 bottle Teriyaki Sauce (Pineapple, honeyglazed if available)

Throw in a crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours.  Serve over brown rice.

Fresh Collard Breakfast Burritos

Here's a little recipe I invented this week.  I've been trying to decide what to call these but I can't seem to come up with anything except yummy.  Tory's main word he kept using to describe them was "fresh".  We had them for dinner so I don't know if "breakfast" is the right word either.  But...they DO have collard greens in them!  Ha!  Call them what you want.  They are tasty and my whole family gobbled them up.  You could easily make this vegetarian by leaving out the eggs and adding white, pinto, or black beans or scrambled tofu instead.  I think some mushrooms and/or peppers would have been good in here, too.  Whatever you do, don't scrimp on the collards!  So delicious and very "fresh".

Fresh Collard Breakfast Burritos
1/2 onion, diced
8 large collard leaves (at least!)
2 cups leftover brown rice, or cook up some fresh
3 eggs, beaten
1-2 avocados
lime juice
salsa
tortillas

Cut out tough center stems in each collard leaf and discard.  Stack leaf pieces together and roll tightly lengthwise (like a cinnamon roll).  Slice into thin pieces and then slice through each of those to make small pieces of the collard leaves.  Set aside.

In large skillet, saute onion in a little olive oil.  Add collards.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Add brown rice and heat through.  Push contents over to one side of the skillet and add beaten eggs.  Scramble eggs until about half-way cooked and then mix with rice and greens.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.  I, of course, used my favorite Mrs. Dash-garlic and herb.

In a small bowl mash avocados and a few squirts of lime juice (and salt if desired).  To assemble burritos I like to spread the avocado mixture on the tortilla first (helps hold it all together).  Then put egg/rice/greens mixture on top.  Top with salsa! 
This recipe made 8 burritos.