Sauteed Onion Linguine

Basically everyone this is just a fancy way of saying alfredo. Which for me it was great which explains why I was sitting at the dinner table eating it pretty much alone. Souli and Brev were not big fans, but I throughly enjoyed it. So for those of you who like alfredo this will be good, those of you who don't I suggest stop reading right now. I made this without meat, but I think you could add chicken and it would have been even better more expensive but probably better. Teri and Jenny with your husbands I think that would be a must. So for all of you fettucine alfredo lovers you will love this.

4 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 cups milk
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Hot cooked linguine noodles

Melt butter. Saute onions and celery until onions start to brown. Stir flour into butter and onions until a smooth paste forms. Slowly stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add salt, garlic powder, and cream, and continue cooking and stirring until thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve over hot cooked linguine or fettuccini noodles.

It also said you could make it in a more seafood sauce. Follow the recipe above, but add 4 green onions, chopped. (Do not saute the onions.) Add 1 6 1/2 oz. can minced clams, undrained, to the milk, garlic powder, and salt. Cook as directed. Serve over hot noodles. I think you could also add shrimp too. Enjoy, it was a good really cheap dinner. I enjoyed it, even though no one else did.
By Ashley

Flag Cake

Cake mix
Frosting of your choice
Raspberries and Blueberries

Not only simple and yummy but so feastive!!!

by Tammy

Recipe for Love

Ingredients:

2 Hearts Full of Love
2 Heaping Cups of Kindness
2 Armfuls of Gentleness
2 Cups of Friendship
2 Cups of Joy
2 Big Hearts Full of Forgiveness
1 Lifetime of Togetherness

Method:

Stir daily with Happiness, Humor and Patience. Serve with Warmth and Compassion, Respect and Loyalty.

By Tammy

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Another winner of an ingredient for me is cream cheese, if a recipe calls for it, it's usually guaranteed I will love it. These were delecious really good dipped in sour cream and salsa, and not to spicy that kids won't like them. Does call for chopped cilantro I know a few of you don't like cilantro on your salads at Cafe Rio, though you do like the dressing, go figure! Just kidding Jill and Teri!!

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 T lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
1 green onion, sliced finely
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese

small yellow corn tortillas
salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425, and line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

In a bowl, mix cream cheese, green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Working with a few tortillas at a time, place 3-4 between two damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 secons, until tortillas are soft and pliable and don't crack when rolling. Place 2-3 T (I used a cookie dough scoop) chicken mixture on bottom of tortillas and roll them up as tight as you can.

Place filled taquitos seam side down on the baking sheet, making sure they don't touch. When ready to bake spray tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and edges are turning brown. Serve immediatley!

By Jenny

Gingerbread White Chocolate Blondies

I have one favorite dessert at Applebee's every time I go I get the Maple Butter Blondie, it is to die for I crave it like nothing else. So I think I have died and gone to Jenny heaven with this recipe. It doesn't exactly taste like the blondie at Applebee's but it is just as delecious. Cinnamon, ginger and cloves are just delightful spices so it's a pretty safe bet that if a recipe calls for them I will love it. These little bars would be great for a BBQ or family reunion in the summer, but I think they would make a really spectacular Fall treat as well. Whenever you make them they will be delecious that is for sure!

2 3/4 cup plus 2 T flour
1 1/4 t baking soda
1 1/4 t salt
1 1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground cloves
1 1/4 cups butter, room temp.
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 T sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/4 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Whisk together flour, soda, salt and spices in a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until creamy. Add eggs and yolk one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl with a spatula as needed. Add vanilla and molasses and mix on medium speed until combined.

Add flour mixture on low speed until combined. Stir in white chips.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake until golden around edges and toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes (mine took the full 30). Let cool completely in pan, cut into squares and enjoy!

We put vanilla ice cream and carmel topping on ours and it was wonderful but I would really love some kind of buttery vanilla sauce similar to Applebee's to pour on top. Anyone have a recipe for that sort of thing I would love to hear it.....

By Jenny

Frozen Applesauce

There are new varieties of applesauce cup snacks: Peach - Mango - Berry - Pomergranate - and Mixed Berry. They are delightful. Just put in freezer until frozen and eat...yum!
By Tammy

S'more Shortcut

Melt marshmellows then slap em between 2 of these babies and you're good to go. Less messy. Remember, I posted that to find joy you must laugh everyday, and I'm sure you are all getting a good laugh right about now on my first contribution...thank you, your welcome, my pleasure. Teri you got me in the mood for some good old outdoor food...without actually being outdoors. These are great fun and good. by Tammy

Dutch Oven Chicken

I absolutely LOVE dutch oven cooking. I am obviously not much of a camper so I rarely get to enjoy this kind of food. I saw this recipe and just had to try it out. I was so pleasantly surprised at how much this resembles the "real" thing. Mom, I really felt like I was eating Dean's yummy dutch oven chicken. Sitting around outside on the little tables, sprinkling my cheese on top, getting my plastic silverware out of your little tupperware thing. Only difference was I had just showered and was in the comfort of my own home. Best of both world's!

8 chicken tenders
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3/4 bag baby carrots
4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper
2 cans cream of mushroom
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk

Place chicken in crockpot with 1/4 cup water and chicken bouillon. Add remaining ingredients in order given. Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 7-8 hours.

Tam, goes great with ketchup. Trust me, that is how Carson ate it. Only don't stick your fork in ketchup, then into your milk glass, stir it around and start drink. What a little sicko....milk with chunks of ketchup. I about died.
By Teri

lemon/ garlic pasta

3 T butter
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 T lemon juice
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t fresh thyme, or 1 t dry thyme
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 1/2 c cooked gemeli pasta
2-3 grilled chicken breasts

Melt butter in a small pan. Add garlic and saute. Add lemon, pepper, thyme, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Add sauce to hot pasta and toss gently. Top with remaining cheese and grilled chicken and serve immediately.

Okay two tips for this meal:
1. I used up my precooked chicken from the other's nights faijitas and that worked out so well, made this meal even easier.
2. The sauce literally takes like 5 minutes, so don't make it ahead of time, it gets weird if it's been sitting there for a bit. I made that mistake and actually made it again because I wanted it to be fresh.

REALLY GOOD!

By Jenny

Fast Family Fajitas

One of the Smith's family tried and true recipes, from the archives of our early newlywed years. I discovered this recipe on Pampered Chef's website our very first year of marriage. I do believe this is one of the first meals that Eric raved over and it has been a heavy favorite ever since, try this one I insist, I just can't imagine anyone not loving it like we do!

1 medium green bell pepper
1 medium red bell pepper
fully cooked grilled chicken strips (ready to serve), I have grilled my own chicken and honestly the store bought stuff tastes better to me for this recipe and ten times easier)
2 t vegetable oil, divided
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup salsa
flour tortillas, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, cheese whatever else you desire

1. Cut bell peppers into strips.
2. Heat skilled over medium-high heat. Add 1 t oil and chicken. Stir fry 3-4 minutes until chicken is warmed, add remaining oil, bell peppers, and garlic stir fry 1-2 minutes until vegetables are crisp/tender.
3. Add soup mix, water and salsa to mixture, cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
4. Place chicken in tortillas and serve with toppings.

This is a great one!

By Jenny

Ham Broccoli Braid

Easy, fun and good!

1 1/2 cups cooked ham, cubed
1 cup fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces
1 T dried parsley
2 T Dijon mustard
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
1 8 oz can refrigerated crescent roll dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, combine ham, brocoli, parsley, mustard and cheese. Stir well.

Unroll crescent dough and arrange flat on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough. Using knife cut 1 inch wide strips in towards center, starting on long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread filling along the center strip. Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side and pressing them into the dough on the opposite side, forming a braid. Pinch or twist to seal.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden brown. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

By Jenny

OH NO....

...girls does this mean I might have to start doing a little bit a cooking? By Tammy

Hawaiian Haystacks

This is the first recipe made out of my new cookbook "Family Dinner Cookbook" from the Mormon Pantry. I absolutely love this cookbook. I have read, and re-read it every night this week. Full of simple, fast and not a ton of ingredients meals. Just good old fashioned cooking. Love it.

4 cups cooked rice
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 T chicken bouillon
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 can cream of chicken
2 cups milk
Grated cheddar cheese
Chow mein noodles
Choice of toppings:
onions, celery, tomatoes, olives,
pineapple, mandarin oranges, peas etc.

Boil and cook chicken. Cube and set aside. Bring water and bouillon to boil. Sprinkle with paprika. Add chicken. Stir soup and milk into chicken broth. Constantly stir until warmed through. Layer haystacks with rice, noodles, gravy, cheese and other toppings.
By Teri

Burrito Casserole

We all know the Cano family is big fans of Mexican food. We seriously could eat Mexican every night of our lives, unfortunately Carson not so much. Every time we eat Mexican I make him a little tortilla with cheese. This is a new recipe I tried out tonight, burrito casserole. Yum!

8 flour tortillas
1 can refried beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 4 oz. can green chilies
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 cup milk
1 16 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 can sliced olives

Fill tortillas with beans and cheese. Fold in sides and roll up for burritos. Place burritos in greased 9x13 baking pan. Combine remaining ingredients, reserving 1/2 cup shredded cheese, and pour over burritos. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
By Teri

Chicken Tortellini Bake

I love creamy pasta casseroles, there is not a greater feeling in the world than having dinner in the oven by 5:30 and having that extra hour to fold laundry, play with kids or whatever else needs to be done. I always feel like I am cheating time with that extra hour. This is a definite kid pleasing meal, Lance has become very picky the last few months and I even got the comment "mmm, mommy it's good" from him of course he only ate four bites and then claimed he was full but that besides the point it really was good!

Chicken Tortellini Bake

16 oz fresh or frozen cheese tortellini

1 T oil

2 cups chopped chicken

3 green onions finely chopped

2 T flour

8 oz chicken broth

8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms

3/4 cup sour cream

8 oz shredded cheese, very versatile use whatever you have on hand I used cheddar, Monterrey jack would be great though!

Bring water to a boil and cook tortellini according to package.

Heat oil in large skilled over medium heat and brown chicken 1-2 minutes add mushrooms and onions and cook until chicken is done.

Sprinkle with flour and pour in broth, stirring to combine for 1-2 minutes.

Add sour cream, remove from heat.

Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray, pour tortellini into the bottom, sprinkle with 1 cup cheese, pour chicken sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes until bubbly.

I served with a green salad mixed with shredded cheese and craisins and a poppy seed dressing, loved it!

By Jenny

Apple Fritters

The Maiden Voyage: Our very first post on our new recipe blog, I am so honored---

This weekend was rainy and cold we had visitors (Cano's staying with us). Cold weather, company, Sunday evening it is just screaming bake something to me, so we did. Apple Fritters to be exact, these would be particularly wonderful on an Autumn evening but an early summer evening wasn't too bad either. If you like apple pie, but hate all the work that goes into it, this recipe is a winner, it was so easy but looked so impressive straight from the oven. Enjoy it!!

Apple Fritters

1 sheet puff pastry (thaw for 45 minutes on kitchen counter before using), cut in thirds

3-4 granny smith apples, cored and sliced thinly, don't peel

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

that's it!!

Preheat oven to 415

Place puff pastry rectangles on to a greased cookie sheet.

Place apple slices into a bowl, and toss a little lemon juice in to keep them fresh, add brown sugar and salt and toss to coat. Let them sit a minute to absorb all the gooey goodness.

Arrange apple slices on pasty in a straight line overlapping them a bit, continue with all three pastry rectangles.

Bake 18-20 minutes and remove immediately from cookie sheet onto a serving dish, so the pastry will not get soggy.

I sprinkled mine with powder sugar and served with vanilla ice cream, it was delicious!

by Jenny