Apple Butter Pork Loin

Fall is here on the coast of North Carolina and we just got back from a wonderful, refreshing trip to the North Carolina mountains. Nothing like cool, crisp air with fall colors all around to get you into a Fall-ish mood. I tried this recipe tonight and I found it Fall-tastic! Homey, Warm, and perfect for a fall dinner with your family. I served it with Kale and boiled potatoes. YUMMY! It was easy but it did take 3 hours of cooking in the oven. But let me tell you, the 3 hours were worth it. It was falling apart when I took it out. I didn't even need to slice it. It was such a cozy dinner to eat on this chilly evening.

Apple Butter Pork Loin
2 lb pork loin
seasoning salt (to taste)
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup apple butter ( I used Peach Butter I made, Recipe below)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Season the pork loin with seasoning salt and place pork loin in a baking dish or roasting pan. Pour apple juice over pork loin. Cover dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. While pork is cooking, mix together apple butter, brown sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves.
Remove pork from oven. Spread apple butter mixture over pork. Cover and return to oven for 2 hours till fork tender.


 ~If you need a recipe for apple butter I posted it a while back in the Slow cooker section. Here is the link to it.
 Crock Pot Apple Butter/ Peach butter
 It was so easy and turned out delicious!

Pumpkin Torte

Have you ever had a recipe in your collection that you have never tried and it just sits there because you are not brave enough to attempt it? I have! This recipe has been in my collection since I was in college. Even though I would love to say that was "last year" I will be honest and say it was more then 5 years ago..... maybe even more but I can't be THAT honest with you! hahaha. But I have had this recipe for a while with out making it. Not because it sounded gross but I was a bit intimidated by it's beauty. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, you scan the magazines and recipe books and see those pretty cakes and their beauty makes it seem impossible to recreate. Well I guess this one has been one of those. I think cream and fluffiness is what made me not make this cake. I made it this last weekend for a party and now I regret not making it for so long. It was DELICIOUS! AND it was actually very easy to make! Even Keith has asked me with each bite "why have you not made this before?" It really is good!

I normally don't post recipes that are not from scratch and this one does use a cake mix. I'm sorry I don't have a tested recipe for just the cake mix. I am sure I can find one for you if you need it, just send me a message. But if you do have a vanilla cake mix on hand this is a wonderful recipe! Perfect for the Autumn Season... I have posted before that pumpkin is one of my favorite things to cook with and this one is going in the list of FAVORITES right their beside Pumpkin Rolls!

Pumpkin Torte
1 vanilla Cake mix( I used French Vanilla)
1 Can solid pack pumpkin divided
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice (divided)
1 package Cream Cheese softened
1 cup powder sugar
1 carton frozen whipped topping( I just whipped cream with a bit of sugar into a Cool whip consistancy)
Carmel Ice cream topping
Toasted pecans

Mix cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, eggs, oil and 1 tsp pumpkin spice together. Beat on low for 30 seconds and then on Medium for 2 minutes. Pour into 2 greased 9-in round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes then remove from pans. Cool completely. 

In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese till light and fluffy. Add powder sugar, remaining pumpkin and pumpkin spice. Mix well till smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

Cut each cake horizontally in two layers. Place one layer on plate. Layer 1/4 of the whipped topping and spread over the layer. Then repeat with remaining layers. Sprinkle toasted pecans and then drizzle Carmel sauce over top of cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Slow Cooker Peach Butter

What do you do with a whole case of peaches that are getting smooshy and soft? Make peach butter! I have always been intimidated by the phrase "butter". Apple Butter, Peach butter, Pumpkin butter. Which is kind of silly since real butter is really easy to make! Especially if, like me, you leave the heavy whipping cream to long in the mixer. There is a fine line between thick cream and butter and I seem to cross it.... A LOT! Probably because I try to do to many things at one time. But in the past I have always thought fruit butters are hard to make. I mean the Amish make them and sell them so in my mind that means it must be difficult. But today I am glad to prove my thought wrong!

The other day Keith came home with a crate full of peaches. Sadly we didn't realize that if you have them in a fridge and then take them out and leave them they get soft. What a waste, I thought.  But I decided to slice and freeze them for smoothies which my boys love, so I did. While scanning some recipes on Pintrest, where now days everything is getting you in the mood for Fall, I saw a few for Slow Cooker Apple butter. I am a sucker for Slow Cooker recipes so I read it. Then I read all the comments. People raved about how easy it was and how delicious it came out. One comment caught my eye. It asked "Can you use this recipe with Peaches?" There was no reply but it got me curious. I started to research peach butter recipes for the crock pot and HAPPY was I to see that there were several..... Hundred. But I went with the one with 5 stars. How can you go wrong with that? Thankfully this recipe was worth ever star it got. It was easy and DELICIOUS! I am now interested in making my own and trying all the butters! Pumpkin, Apple and whatever other kinds I can find! Seriously this was so delicious! So easy! I am not intimidated any more! So I am now going to share this amazing recipe so you can save money and make your own peach butter! When I try the other fruit butter recipes I will post those too.

Peach Butter
5 lbs Peaches (fresh, frozen or it said you could use canned)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp all spice (this was NOT in the original recipe but I like this flavor)

Peel the peaches( I didn't because my peaches were frozen and it still turn out nice) Core and chop them. Put them in a food processor or blender. Puree till smooth. Add to crock pot and add all ingredients. Mix well. Cook on low 6 hours or till it is thick and brown. I stirred it a few times during the time. I also cooked it about 2 hours more because it was kind of runny. Probably due to them being frozen. Let cool and place in the jars. If you want to seal them, process in a water bath for 15 minutes. With this recipe I got a little more then 2 pint jars. I sealed to and left the rest in my fridge for Breakfast.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It was delicious!

Poppy-seed Chicken

You ever have those days where you are so busy doing something you don't realize dinner time has approached and you haven't done anything that was planned, so then you deviate from that plan and throw something together and it turns out to be a EPIC FAIL?  Husband doesn't really like it, Kids gag and whine about eating it, and you honestly didn't like it either, so then you just skip right to the ice cream? Ever have those days? yeah well today was one of those and we did just jump to the ice cream.

Well instead of giving a recipe that ended in disaster, I will give you one that I made a few nights ago that was a BIG hit! My husband actually asked why I have never made this before? And honestly I don't really know why I haven't but it will now go into the list of "favorites" and what I like about it is it is super easy and uses very few ingredients!

Poppy-Seed Chicken
4-5 chicken breast
1 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 roll(about 2 cups) of Ritz Crackers or Saltine crumbled
1 TBSP Poppy Seeds
1 stick margarine( I used 1/2 a stick)

Place chicken in a casserole dish or pan. Mix Soup and yogurt together, pour over chicken. Crush crackers and mix in seeds and then spread over soup mixture. Melt butter and pour over top the crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes till chicken is done.  This is good served with rice to soak up all the yummy sauce.

Creamy Tomato Parmesan Pasta with Chicken

This is one of my Go To recipes when I need a quick lunch or dinner for my family and friends. It is not fancy but it is tasty!

Creamy Tomato Parmesan Pasta with Chicken

1 box Farfalle Pasta( I have used Rotini and Penne pasta for this too)
2 TBSP Olive oil(divided)
1 lb ground chicken (I normally DO NOT HAVE ground chicken so I just use chicken breast, cook it  and chop it)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 TBSP dried Oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 TBSP tomato paste
1 1/2 cup half & half (I use evaporate milk if I don't have this)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
1 cup fresh or 1 can rinsed and drained diced tomatoes
Fresh Spinach

Cook pasta according to box
Heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet. Add ground chicken, salt, oregano, pepper. Cook till chicken is browned. Move to a plate and set aside.
In same skillet add 1 TBSP olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and salt. Saute 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, stir, and then add half and half slowly. Stir really well. Turn heat to low. Add Parmesan cheese and stir till melted and smooth. In a bowl add pasta, chicken, tomatoes, and spinach. Pour sauce over and stir. The heat will cook the spinach. Serve.   

Chili Corn

At the moment we are in the Land of CORN! The farms around our house grow 3 different crops throughout the year. Wheat, Soybeans and Corn. At the moment the corn is drying on the stalks and about ready to be harvested.  Sweet corn has already been harvested and honestly I have never tasted corn as sweet as the stuff grown here in Hyde county. We don't really need a new way to eat it because right off the cob is the best. My son Isaiah eats it raw right off the cob and before we moved here he HATED corn. That should tell you how delicious it really is! Here is a recipe I love to make with corn if you don't like it on the cob, or you need a yummy side dish to take to a potluck. It is delicious!

~Chili Corn~
-Get your grill going.
-Shuck you corn, I did 6 corn on the cobs and the butter was JUST enough so if you do more you will need to use more butter.
-Melt about half  a stick of butter and add in 1TBSP chilli powder
 -Brush on the chilli butter on to Cob and sprinkle with Kosher salt and place on the grill.
-Roast each side of the corn. When done take off the grill. Cut off the Cob into a bowl
Add:
 -half an onion diced
 -one diced red bell pepper
 -juice of one lime
-fresh cilantro
-Cayenne pepper (Optional but I would add a little to give a little more spice)

Mix well and enjoy. It really is delicious!

Pagoda's Honey Walnut Shrimp(or Chicken)

Well, I must say it is about time I started blogging yummy recipes again. We have made a giant move from Galena Alaska to Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina. Our house is some what set up and I have my computer back up and running. We are out in the country and loving it, so I figure it is a good thing to start off our new adventure with a BANG! And man is this recipe a bang!!! If you have ever been to Pagoda's in North Pole, Alaska you will know what this is! This is the appetizer EVERYONE orders! I even order it for my main meal. It is AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! If the capitalization does not give you a hint this stuff is awesome! Unless you are allergic to shrimp, like Keith, then I would suggest you NOT eat this.... BUT WAIT! I made this recipe with chicken and it was just as amazing as the shrimp! And what is even more awesome is the simpleness to this recipe. So I will not keep you from the deliciousness anymore and will get right to the recipe

Honey Walnut Shrimp(or Chicken)
1 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup walnut halves
3 TBSP Mayonaise
1 1/2 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp sweetened condensed milk
1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined(or I used about 4 chicken breasts cut in 1 inch cubes)
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1 large egg beaten
1/2 - 1 cup corn starch

Heat 1/2 cup water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Add sugar and stir constantly, until golden and thickened. Add Walnuts and sir to combine. Transfer to parchment paper lined plate. Let cool and break apart.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.

 In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, honey and condensed milk. set aside

Season shrimp with salt and pepper to taste

Working one at a time dip shrimp in egg, then dredge in the cornstarch, pressing to coat.
Working in batches, add shrimp to the skillet 8-10 at a time. Fry until golden brown and crispy. About 2 mintues on each side. Transfer to paper towel lined plate.

In a Large bowl combine Shrimp and honey mixture, Serve immediately topped with walnuts. And if you want to be just like Pagodas add some fresh steamed broccoli to the plate.  I like to eat this with rice as well.

Being in North Carolina, Pagoda's is a LONG ways away but thankfully I can make this dish and enjoy some of their delicious food!

I make a lot of cakes for birthdays and I have an amazing chocolate cake recipe that I usually use, mostly because it is firm enough to stack and create fun cakes with, but sometimes I get tired of chocolate cake for everything. I have not found a white cake that is anything but blaaaa, so I have been on the hunt for another kind of cake that is firm but still delicious in a different flavor than chocolate. I think I found it! This cake is amazing! Flavor and texture and healthiness. OK I am not sure on exactly how healthy this cake is but it makes me feel better eating it with all the vegetables and fruit in it. I used this for a baby shower cake that I stacked and decorated and it turned out great! I did a test run BEFORE the shower and had a few people tell me if they liked it or not. So I took their thoughts and applied them to my cakes and it worked.  My husband was even bummed that he was not invited to the baby shower. It tasted great and so this cake recipe is going into my recipe book of Favorites.

Pineapple Zucchini Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (I used White Flour)
• 1-¼ cup Granulated Sugar
• ½ cups Sweetened, Flaked Coconut
• 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Freshly Grated Nutmeg, Or More To To Taste (optional)
• 1 pinch Ginger (optional)
• 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 cups Grated (unpeeled) Zucchini (Or you can use shredded Carrots instead or you can use 1 cup zucchini and 1 cup carrots)
• 1 can (20 Oz. Size) Crushed Pineapple In Juice, Drained (Reserve Juice In Case You Need It For The Cake Batter Or The Frosting)

 Preheat oven to 350°F.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
 Combine flours, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk.
 Combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated zucchini, and pineapple into the flour mixture. Batter will be stiff and dry but keep folding it and it will all come together. If it still seems too dry, just add a little splash of the pineapple juice.
 Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for about 33–35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs and cake is pulling away from sides of pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes : If your zucchini are huge, scrape the seeds out of the center before you shred it so it’s not too watery. Also, I spread it all out on layers of paper towel to drain it and dry it off a bit. I squeezed most of the juice out of mine by hand. Then I measure out 2 cups.  Nuts can also be added to the cake batter if desired.

• FOR THE FROSTING:
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
• 1 package (8 Oz. Size) Low-fat Cream Cheese, Softened (You Can Use Full-fat Cream Cheese)
• 2 cups Powdered Sugar, More Or Less As Needed
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• Splash Of Milk Or Pineapple Juice, If Necessary
• Chopped Walnuts Or Pecans (optional)

 To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Add a splash of milk or pineapple juice if necessary. Spread frosting over top of cake. You can garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired. This recipe makes a very generous amount of frosting.


 

Texas Road House Rolls

OK It has been a few years since I have been to Texas Road House, but I still know the reason why many of us go there.... for the rolls. They are hot, fluffy, melt in you mouth with a hint of honey, when you take a bite Last night for dinner we had over a group of Texas guys that are here helping rebuild a house that was destroyed last year in the flood. We had my Pecan Crusted Salmon, Keith made some Puerto Rican rice with beans, and I tried these rolls. I was afraid I messed up the recipe at first but they turned out GREAT and everyone loved them! My only addition to the recipe would be instead of just spreading butter on top make a mixture of honey butter and you have a roll pretty close to the famous Texas Road House ones! I will be making these again! Oh and you want to make sure these have time to rise. I was a bit rushed last night and didn't give them the full time to rise. If I would have I think they would have been even MORE fluffy and delicious. I also halved the recipe because my mixer can not handle 9 cups of flour with out struggling.

Texas Road House Rolls (48 rolls)
4 1/2 tsp yeast
2 1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 cup honey
6 TBSP butter melted
2 eggs
1 TBSP Kosher salt
8-9 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in milk. Add honey and disslove, then let it sit about 10 minutes till frothy.
Add butter, eggs and 4 cup flour. Mix till smooth. Add more flour to gather the dough together. Add salt and knead 7-9 minutes. (I used my mixer) Place in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise for about an hour till doubled. Spray cookie sheet with Pam. Turn dough out on to floured surface. Roll into a rectangle. About 1 inch thick. Cut in 48 pieces. Place on cookie sheet. Let rise till doubled about another hour. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Bake 12-15 minutes. When you take them out of the oven, spread butter on top. I suggest you make a butter honey mixture and top it. It would be delicious!

Chick-fil-a Carrot Salad

I ABSOLUTELY HATE CARROTS! I will avoid them like the plague! I don't like them cooked or fresh! (Besides carrot cake which breaks the rules because it is cake)But besides in Cake I HATE CARROTS!  Growing up I actually believed I was allergic to carrots and often wondered why God would make such a discussing vegetable! But let me tell you a short story. My friend Shell made this salad one time and brought it to dinner one night. I cringed when she put it down on my counter.... carrots! I HATE carrots! But not wanting to be rude I took a microscopic bit of this carrot salad she brought. Taking a bite and thinking I would need to swallow it with a giant gulp of water, I was not prepare for the deliciousness of this salad! I got up and actually got seconds..... And thirds..... And actually I wanted to lick the bowl! This is NOT normal carrot salad. It must be magic because if you can make me want seconds of anything with that disgusting orange vegetable, it must be magic! Did I mention I hate carrots? Anyways, this recipe is amazing! I even did something I have never done before, I asked my husband to bring me a bag of carrots.... Yes I did! And then I made this salad. And then my boys and I ate the bowl of it! It tastes NOTHING like carrots! And if my dad was right about carrots being good for my eyes, then I have no problem eating my share of carrots in this salad. My eyes will be great! So contrary to my former belief that carrots would make my mouth shrivel up and die, I will admit that this and only this salad is the ONLY way  I will eat carrots!  Try it, you won't believe the yumminess of it. It might even change your whole life!!

Chick-fil-a Carrot Raisin Salad 
4 cups shredded carrots(make sure it is small shreds)
1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 cup raisins
Mix all together. ENJOY!

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Well today I tried a new recipe today and it was one of those iffy ones that I didn't really know how it would turn out. Well if an empty crockpot is any indication of how my family liked this, then I am adding this to the book of favorites! I was looking through recipes and saw this one that you put frozen chicken in for 6 hours. If you are like me, I always forget to get the frozen meat out the night before, so when I saw this was a from frozen to cooked, I'm going to try it. It turned out AWESOME!

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

2 chicken breast still frozen
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes(do not drain)
1 can corn(do not drain)
1can black beans(I used half because my boys don't like them much)
1 package ranch dressing powder
1TBSP cumin
1tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1pk(8on) cream cheese
Put chicken crock pot. Top with all ingredients except cream cheese. Mix well. Top with cream cheese. Cook on low 6-8 hours stirring during cooking. Shred chicken when done and add back to chili. Serve with rice or tortilla chips or taco shells. Serves 4

Nutella Cupcakes

Here is a fun and yummy recipe. I mean cupcakes and Nutella, how can you go wrong? Plus you don't need to icing these, unless you really want to. I love Nutella and this is one great way to enjoy it!
 

Nutella Cupcakes
1/4 cup butter at room temperature.
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Nutella at room temp.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a bowl beat butter, oil, and sugar with mixer till light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat till smooth.

In a separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat on low till all combined. Batter will be thick. It needs to be so you can swirl the nutella.

Divide Batter in 12 paper lined muffin cups. Drop a spoonful of Nutella on top and swirl through batter with a Knife or bamboo skewer. Bake 25-30 minutes. Let them cool.... then hide them because they will be gone soon!=)

Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken

I love rotisserie chicken! I love all the flavors, the crunchy skin and I love Stores that have them HOT and ready to go so you don't have to think of something for dinner. But living in the bush there are no stores that have them hot and ready to go and I don't have one of those cool Rotisserie Ovens either. But I found this recipe that says it is JUST like Rotisserie chicken except you cook it in the Crock Pot. So I saved it and save it and saved it. I never tried it. Mostly because Whole chickens are a little hard to come by here. Yes I could use grouse(a small bird) or Ptarmigan (another small bird) but since this winter we have not found many, this was not really an option. But thankfully the last time we were in town shopping, we bought a few whole chickens and brought them out. I kind of forgot we had them till I was re-arranging my freezer. So I pulled one out and planned to try this recipe. Keith was a little skeptical of my seasoning ability. He is usually the one who seasons any meat we are eating. He is also one of those people that don't need a recipe and everything they cook turns out yummy. Unlike me, who has to follow a recipe till I know it well enough to branch out on my own. So despite his weird look that I was going to season it, he let me. Then I prayed that I would not mess this up and that it would taste GREAT. If not my life as a seasoner would be finished! I know that is a lot of pressure on ones shoulders....hehehe. I just hoped my chicken would taste great and I would not have to admit that I can't season meat. But thankfully this recipe worked great! The chicken literally fell off the bone. It was actually really hard to get it out of the crock pot with out it falling to pieces. Though the skin was not crunchy when I took it out, I put it under the broiler to give it a nice crisp.

I am so glad this chicken turned out so yummy and my kids gobbled it up. Plus I set it up in the morning and had a long day at our local Spring Carnival with snow shoe races, ski races and dog sled races. And yes, to us in Galena, that is considered  Spring... anyways. After a long day, it was wonderful to come home to a cooked meat and all I had to do was make up the sides. So if you don't have one of those cool rotisserie cookers, you can make a delicious chicken in your Crock Pot! Try it! Easy and delicious! It is wonderful!

Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken
1 whole chicken
2 TBSP paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
2 TBSP garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix all spices in a small bowl. Add water by the teaspoonful to spices mix till there is a paste. Rub paste all over the chicken. Inside and out. I even did what my husband does and cut a few small slits into the breasts and rubbed spices in that too. That gives more flavor to each bite. Coat chicken well with paste. Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray and place chicken in pot, breast side up. Cover and cook 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

I love this soup! It has so many yummy flavors all incorporated into it!It is really delicious!

Chicken Enchilada Soup
3 cups chicken stock
2 skinless chicken breast
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ancho chilli powder( I don't have this so I used just plain Chili powder)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes( You can use fresh tomatoes too.probably about 2 cups)
4-6 jalapeno peppers minced(I don't have fresh ones so I used canned green chillies)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained (You can use homemade beans too, about 1 cup)
2 cups frozen, canned or fresh corn
1/2 cup tomato paste
8 oz cotija cheese, crumbled(you can use Queso Blanco or just use more Pepper Jack)
8 oz Pepper Jack Cheese
1 cup cilantro chopped
Tortilla Chips

In a large stock pot, add chicken stock and heat over medium heat. Add Chicken breast, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Simmer about 20-25 minutes till chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Add tomatoes, jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to pot. Simmer about 30 minutes, covered until tomatoes have begun to break down. Add black beans, corn tomatoe paste and stir to incorporate. Add cotija cheese and half of Pepper Jack. Stir to melt. Chop chicken and return chicken to pot and cook about 20 more minutes till desired consistency. Serve with corn tortilla chips, sprinkle with cilantro and pepper jack cheese.

Pancake Mix

I love pancakes!  We like to make them for dinner when I have not really planned dinner in advance. They are quick and easy and who doesn't like a nice stack of pancakes with syrup? You could always use Bisquick to make pancakes but I like to make a pancake mix up from scratch.  It is really simple. You mix up the dry ingredients and then when that is mixed you can take out what you need from the mix and make pancakes. Here is the pancake mix that makes some nice fluffy pancakes.

Pancake Mix
Mix together:
12 cups flour
2 TBSP salt
3/4 cup baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
4 cups powdered milk

Combine well. Store in a airtight container.

To make Pancakes:
1 1/2 cup pancake mix
2 TBSP melted margerine
1 cup water
1 egg
Combine all ingredients and beat till smooth. Cook on hot griddle.

*After evacuating to Puerto Rico for the summer after our major flood here in Galena, I learned to make pancakes like my mother in law did. They are delicious!! You add a little vanilla and some cinnamon to you mix. Cook and top with some blueberries syrup and whipped cream.... May not be really healthy but it is REALLY DELICIOUS!!!

Blueberry Pie

Happy Pi Day!!!! 3.14 deserves to have it's own holiday.... at least in my house it does! So when March 14th comes around on the calender our family gets to eat pie in honor of that weird never ending number. I mean do we really need any excuse to eat pie? Nope. I am NOT an expert on baking pies. I wish it was an easy thing to make pie crust, but they are a bit tricky. I have already blogged the amazing Tomato Pie which my family LOVES. You can find the recipe in the Main meals category. But today we are having Blueberry Pie. The first thing you need is a pie crust. Here is a recipe for my favorite pie crust recipe.

Pie Crust
1 1/2 cup Crisco
3 cups flour
1 egg
 5 TBSP cold water
1 TBSP vinegar
1 tsp salt

Mix Flour and salt. Cut in Crisco till crumbly like corn meal. Beat egg and add to flour mix, Add water and vinegar. Stir till all incorporated. Separate in to 3 parts.( You can put the ones you don't need in a zip lock and roll slightly and freeze them for when you need them.)  Let the dough chill 15 minutes before you use it. It will make it easier to handle.  Flour a surface and roll out to use for  a pie.

For the Pie

Blueberry Pie
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP water
4 cups blueberry
Mix sugar, corn starch, and cinnamon. Add the Vanilla and water. It is a bit clumpy but I mixed it really good. Mix in the blueberries. Put in pie crust. Make a lattice or top crust for top. Brush with a little water and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Spicy Cheeseburger Soup

This is a delicious soup that is a good crowd pleaser. It is rather easy and is a pretty quick recipe to make. You can adjust the spice level to your liking. I actually don't make it spicy just so my boys will eat it.

Spicy Cheeseburger Soup
1 1/2 cup water
2 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
1 small onion chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
 1 TBSP Beef Bouillon powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb ground beef, cooked
2 1/2 cup milk (divided)
3 TBSP flour
8 oz velvetta(you can use cheddar cheese too)
1/4 -1 tsp cayenne pepper(to your taste)
1/2 lb bacon cooked and chopped

In a sauce pan combine water, potatoes, onion, green pepper, jalapeno, garlic, Beef bouillon, salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes till potatoes are tender. Stir in beef and 2 cup milk. Heat thoroughly. Combine flour and remaining milk in a small bowl till smooth. Add the flour mixture to the soup. Bring to a boil, cook and stir about 2 minutes till it starts to thicken. Reduce heat and add cheese and cayenne. Stir till cheese is melted and soup is heated thoroughly. Serve and top with bacon. This serves about 6-8 people.

Cranberry/ Blueberry Nut Bars

I made these the other night for the first time. They were super easy to make and quite delicious. However they were NOT the type of bar I was thinking they would be. They were more like a cake. A delicious cake! I think if I want more of a bar, then I would pour it into a bigger pan to make it more thin, but if you like a berry kind of a coffee cake this is a good one. I used Blueberries instead of the cranberries that the recipe called for and it was so yummy. It would be a good for a breakfast or a dessert. For a dessert it would be good with some Cool Whip.

Cranberry Nut Bars
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup frozen or fresh cranberries
1/2 cup pecans

Grease a 8 in pan. Beat eggs in mixture bowl till thick. Gradually add sugar beat till blended. Stir in flour and melted butter. Blend. Add in Cranberries and nuts. Hand mix softly to avoid smashing the berries. Spread in pan. Bake 40-45 minutes till golden brown. Cool and cut into bars.

Indian/ Eskimo/Puerto Rican/ African........Worldly Fry bread! =)

This meal has become a favorite for our family. I don't know where the recipe is officially from and it changes depending on who you ask. Fry bread is a  flat tortilla like bread that you fry and it gets a bit puff and makes wonderful tacos. I first had Fry bread in New Mexico and they used it for a dessert with cinnamon and sugar on top. Then when we moved here, fry bread tacos were sold at many community events. The Athabaskan people(who mostly live in our village) say they were the ones to invent fry bread. Their people group are distantly related to the Indian people groups of the Lower 48. So I could see how fry bread would have spread to New Mexico as well as interior Alaska. The Eskimos on the coast also claim to have invented Fry Bread. So who know where it REALLY came from but I am glad all the different people groups and tribes eat it, that way we can see different ways to eat it. I was amazed to see how easy they were to make at home! So now a Puerto Rican and a Zambian have adopted it into our house and declared this World bread. No I did not invent it but I have experimented with different ways to use it. Fry Bread can be adapted to what you like. I love it as a taco but also love it as a dessert! Here is the recipe and a few ways we like to eat it!

Indian/ Eskimo/Puerto Rican/ African........Worldly Fry bread!  =)
3 cups Flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 cup milk
1/4-1/2 cup water.(enough to make dough come together)
Oil or Crisco for Frying

Stir Flour, Baking Powder, Salt together. Stir in Milk till it comes together as much as possible. Then add water to get it to come together well to form a ball. Cover in a bowl and rest 30-40 minutes. Heat 1-2 inches of oil in skillet over medium high heat. Grab a plumb size ball of dough and press flat with fingers. (what I have found is you press it down and let it rest while you do the other balls and then when you come back to it it will spread better.) Press into about a 8 inch circle. It doesn't have to be perfect. Heat oil in a skillet or pan or even deep fryer.  Then fry it on each side till they are golden brown on both sides. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel. These do not reheat to well. You can but they don't taste as great. So if you are making these, fresh is best!

For Tacos top bread with:
Meat
Beans
sour cream
cheese,
lettuce
tomatoes
salsa
guacamole
ANYTHING you like in a taco!

For Dessert:
~Dust it with Powder sugar
~Drizzle Honey and Cinnamon
~ Or Dust it with Cinnamon, Sugar, Honey and Powder sugar =)
~ Make a Fruit Taco
~ serve with Jam or Nutella!! OH YEAH!!

Buttermilk pie

Today I am thankful for some great memories of Rose and Dudley Johnson and her Buttermilk Pecan Pie! I don't know anyone who can make a buttermilk pecan pie like Rose! I was blessed to live with the Johnson's while I was in college in Lake Jackson Texas. And boy could she cook! She was well known for her sausage balls, bread & butter pickles and pies. I have the EXACT recipes that she used, except for the pickles which are a family secret, and my pies NEVER turn out like hers. I think it was the LOVE she put into it that made it so good. And she loved a lot. There are many fond memories of living with Rose and Dudley! Game nights, watching football with Dudley, dinners, and lots of laughs. I don't know many people that would let a college girl come sleep in their room during a hurricane.  Rose just said I was keeping them young.  She was famous for her Buttermilk Pecan pie and ooohhhhhh is it sooooo good!! It is one of Keith and my favorite. When Keith and I were dating, Rose would make these pies and Keith loved them. One day Keith came over to watch football with Dudley, and Dudley asked Keith if he wanted to have some Buttermilk to drink? Keith thinking that if buttermilk can make a pie soooooo good how could it be bad..... so Dudley poured him a cup and Keith drank it.... and about choked! while Rose and I were laughing so hard in the kitchen. "How can something so bad as buttermilk be made into a pie and taste so good?" I have wondered that myself but whatever magic it is, it works!  I am so thankful for the time and memories I had with Rose and Dudley Johnson! What a sweet couple that loved a missionary college student, that they barely knew enough to let her live with them. Dudley was also the man who led my husband to the Lord.  This couple will always have a sweet spot in my heart. I miss Rose a lot! She died a few years ago unexpectedly but  I am sure she is up in Heaven helping fill the banquet table with pies and all kinds of goodies. I got to see Dudley last month in Texas and we had a good time talking. Love that man and his jokes. He is a GREAT joke teller! I enjoyed living with them so much. So with lots of love and memories I am sharing Rose's recipe for her pie. If you want it to taste like hers make sure you put lots of love into it. This is a delicious pie!

Rose's Buttermilk Pecan Pie
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups sugar( but I use only a 1 1/2 cups cause Keith likes it a little less sweet)
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
3 eggs
3 TBSP flour
1 pie crust

Preheat oven to 300 degree. Bake pie crust about 10 minutes.
Cream butter and sugar together. Add salt and eggs one at a time. Mix well. Add buttermilk, vanilla and flour. Sprinkle pecans in pie crust shell. Gently pour batter over pecans. Bake about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The pecans will float to the top. Bake till golden on top and firm in the middle.  Let cool before cutting.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Back in the good Ole days when Zimbabwe was the vacation spot of Southern Africa, our family would go to Harare and spend our holidays there. While Zambia's economy was not very good, Zimbabwe was 10 steps up. There were shops, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets with actual food on the shelf, putt putt golf and many other neat things to do.  One of my favorite places to eat was a restaurant called Tiffany's. It was a VERY ELEGANT, make reservations, put on your best dress and tie and Jacket kind of a place. Seriously, if you didn't have a tie on they would give you one at the door. It was VERY FANCY. My Mom and Dad would threaten us to behave. We were not allowed to behave badly at this restaurant! But for one night of our lives we got to be like royalty. From the crunchy toast with cold butter to the hot tea served with scones. I remember having to sit still in my pretty dress and my brother had to try NOT to pull at his tie while we got to drink a fancy drink and eat all of our 5 courses. Oh it was so much fun! I could handle being royalty... for a night at least! I don't remember much about the food except I do remember the soup being amazing! Their mushroom soup was so creamy and delicious. This recipe is came from my mom and is pretty close to the restaurants. Who knows it may even be the one they used. I have never asked her where she got it, but trust me if you like Mushroom soup try this!! With hot bread and butter.... YUMMY! I have to make adjustments in Galena. Fresh mushrooms are hard to find except in the summer and I usually don't have whipping cream but even with the adjustments is pretty delicious!

 Creamy Mushroom soup
1 cup sliced chopped mushrooms( I use 2 cans mushrooms)
2 TBSP onions
2 TBSP Butter
2 TBSP flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream(I use evaporated milk)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper

Saute mushrooms and onions in butter about 5 minutes. Stir in Flour. Slowly add broth. Cook and stir 2 minutes more till it bubbles and thickens. Stir in cream, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Heat thoroughly. 

Salmon Tacos

I was never really a fish eater. Don't get me wrong, I eat it but it was never something I ordered when I went to a restaurant unless it was a Fish & Chips kind of a joint. I love fried fish at fish fries and I would eat it if that is what we were having for dinner but I was more of the shrimp kind of a person. But when we moved to Alaska I knew that I would have to learn to love fish. Before we move I copied hundreds of different Salmon recipes and some other fish recipes since I knew Salmon would be a major part of our meal plans here. Many of the recipes we didn't like so I tossed them but this is one that we have kept and made. It is rather quite simple but you have to be careful not to over cook the fish. I use Salmon in this but I am sure any white fish would be good too.

These seriously are easy and delicious! And with winter here, it kind of transported me to the tropics....kind of! I can imagine sitting at a small beach cafe somewhere under the palm trees eating these. Watching the waves crash and drinking a cold Coke. Yep I am transported!

 Salmon Tacos
1 lb salmon (skinned and cut into 1 inch cubes)
1/2 TBSP cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 limes quartered ( I didn't have lime and used lemon juice and it was still delicious but fresh limes would be AMAZING!)
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis, drained, ( I used Rotel and actually didn't drain it)
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Toss cubed salmon in cumin and chili powder. Set aside.
Heat large skillet over medium heat and cook onions for about 2 minutes, till soft
Add Salmon to skillet. Lightly sear salmon on each side. turn them gently so they don't break apart. About 3 minutes. DON'T OVER COOK! The salmon will continue cooking through out the next steps. Add canned tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions. Gently stir and heat throughly. Squeeze Lime juice over salmon, Stir and plate up. Serve with warm tortillas or crunchy taco shells. I recommend the hard shell tacos to give a crunch but I also love these with fresh corn tortillas! Top with cheese, sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado, lettuce, shredded cabbage or any other toppings you like on your taco. 

Homemade Corn Dogs

Since our last trip to Texas allowed us to test my son Kaden for his egg allergy and find out that he finally outgrew the allergy, I finally got to introduce him to corn dogs. It became both of my sons favorite. They ate them EVERYWHERE. Isaiah loved them even more then Kaden but both ate them all around the state. When we got back here, they were sad that we couldn't buy any more. Thankfully I knew I had my moms recipe for homemade corn dogs that she made for us in Zambia. My boys were thrilled. These turn out really good and are really easy to make.

Corn dogs
1lb hotdogs dry off juices
2/3 cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk

Dry off hotdogs really well. Mix all ingredients together. Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep pan. You want the oil to completely cover the corn dogs. Coat the hotdogs with batter. Dip into hot oil. Make sure all side gets touched by oil or the batter will fall off. Cook till golden brown. These cook pretty fast so keep an eye on them.

Chicken Schnitzel with a Mushroom/Cheese Sauce

One of my favorite holidays growing up was our trip to Europe. Because of rules with the Mission Board back then, returning to the USA was not allowed but traveling to other countries was. So our family decided to take a trip to Europe and travel around and see all the places Jesse(my brother) was learning about in his school. It was AWESOME!! We rented a small popup van, where literally the roof popped up and became a sleeping area where Jesse and I slept. Then the bench/ couch in the back became a fold out bed where Mom and Dad slept. The van had a small little kitchen, VERY SMALL but it was perfect. We got to travel through many countries looking at Castles, Cathedrals, Museums, Art, beautiful landscapes and of course the Sound of Music tour. The sites were amazing! Castles filled with treasures that we dreamed about and gardens and flowers that made you think you were a princess. We climbed the mountains like the Von Trapp family did and learned many things about the movie that changed our whole point of view. We got to see the Swiss Alps, the Black Forest, many famous rivers, Windmills,  and so many tulips. It was a trip of a life time.

But along with the sites, we got to try amazing food! Swiss and German chocolate, Crepe houses where every plate was some sort of yummy crepe, German sausages, amazing cheeses and Schnitzel. We would eat breakfast and lunch in the van while traveling to our next destination. Most of the time it was a combination of yummy sausages and yummy bread and cheese. Though my mom might tell you differently but from what I remember there was no complaining with those options! At dinner we would eat at a restaurant. Because none of us spoke German, Dutch or any other European languages, ordering food was quite interesting. With none of the menus in English and very few people speaking English, it was a challenge.  But after a few guesses and learning what certain words meant, Schnitzel and Bratwurst became a constant. We would order at least one of those and then be adventurous and order an "unknown" meal and see what we ended up. Most of the time we got delicious plates of food, unless you count the sauerkraut that Dad always ordered. I don't know how anyone eats that, but for some reason Dad loves it! During that trip Schnitzel became one of my favorites dishes. You could change up the meat between pork and chicken and then the cream sauce on top. Mushroom or cheese or any other sauce that they would make could be switched too. OH SO YUMMY!!

When I have pork or chicken breast available this is one of the dishes I like to make. I made this for Keith a few nights ago and he didn't want to share. I take that as a good sign. Though my boys didn't like the mushrooms in the sauce I made they did like the chicken. Oh how I hope to be able to travel to Europe when my boys are bigger and let them have as much fun there as I did as a child. But until then we will enjoy the Schnitzel at home.


Chicken Schnitzel
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 large breasts)
1 cup flour for dredging
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs, matzo meal, or panko
2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying
Fresh lemon wedges for garnish
 
Pound the Chicken to about 1/4 inch thick.  Set up 3 bowls for the ingredients. In the first add the flour. In the second bowl, beat the eggs. In your third bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, paprika, 1 tsp salt and Sesame seeds(I don't use these) mix well. Pour oil into a skillet deep enough to fry. About 1/2 inch. Heat over medium heat. Dip each chicken breast in Flour, then the egg, then the panko mixture. Place in hot oil. Fry on each side 3-4 minutes till golden. Remove to a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt for flavor and serve warm with a lemon slice.

You can totally eat this all by itself but I like to add a white sauce

 White sauce
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp Flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
Cheese
Sauteed mushrooms

Melt butter in heavy sauce pan. Blend in flour and salt cooking and stirring till bubbly. Using a whisk to prevent lumps, stir in milk. Cook till smooth and thickened. I then add some chopped sauteed mushrooms and some cheese and stir till the cheese is melted.  Serve over Schnitzel.

Skyline Apple Muffins

I LOVE these muffins! Mom used to make these growing up and I remember the crunchy sugary top with the soft, moist muffin. These are some of my favorites to make when company come over or when I have apples that need to be used. They make quite a few muffins that are pretty BIG. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Skyline Apple Muffins
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup sour milk or buttermilk( I use milk with a little vinegar in it)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup grated apples
1/2 cup pecans
Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp butter, melted

Combine brown sugar, oil, egg, milk, baking soda, salt, vanilla, flour. Mix well.  After mixed fold in apples and pecans. Pour into muffin tins or greased muffin pans.  Mix topping ingredients together. Sprinkle muffins with toppings. Bake 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Makes about 15 muffins.

Sweet Cornbread.

I have never been good at making homemade cornbread. Mine always ends up dry, crumbly and not that tasty. But that has changed! The other day we had a dinner with a mission team from Texas. Some of them stayed at our house and some stayed at our pastor Chris' and his families house. For dinner Shell and I decided we would have a get together at my house. Chris made his delicious gumbo and I provided the rice and dessert. But going into the day I decided that we really needed some good cornbread to go with it. I like my cornbread a bit sweet and I love when you actually put real corn and other yummy additions into it. When we lived in Florida, Keith and I loved the sweet cornbread from Sonny's BBQ. It is so good I could eat it for dessert! So in my mind I had this vision of sweet cornbread. As I said before I am NOT a great cornbread maker. Usually I cheat and make a box of Jiffy because it is easy and usually turns out edible. But we are halfway into our year and into our years worth of groceries for the year, which means I have used up my Jiffy boxes up. As I climbed the stairs from my pantry I made a mental note to add more Jiffy boxes to my "To Buy" list for this summers shopping trip. After making that mental note, I decided to try my hand at a new recipe for a sweet cornbread. So to Google I went, researching different recipes and checking out all the reviews for each one. So bravely I decided to try the one with 5 stars and tons of good reviews about it. I am definitely putting this one in my recipe book. It turned out great! Everyone eating it commented on how delicious it was and I was very happy with how it turned out. I won't be cheating anymore with Jiffy but will be making this one. I like how you can add different things to it to change the flavor.

Sweet Cornbread
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup milk ( the recipe called for Half & Half but I didn't have this)
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/3 cup oil
4 TBSP melted butter
1 can corn drained ( I put these in my chopper and chopped them good)

Optional add ins: Any or all can be added to your taste
A pinch of Cayenne Pepper
Grated cheese (cheddar, pepper Jack, Montery Jack)
Green Chillies
Chopped Jalepeno

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Butter an 8X8 pan (I doubled the recipe and made this in a 13X9)
In a large bowl mix together flour sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl whisk together milk, eggs, oil, melted butter. when mixed add to the flour mixture and stir till combined. Mix in corn and any other add-ins. Transfer to greased pan. Bake 35+ minutes till done. (the 13X9 pan took close to 50 minutes.) Stick knife tip in and see if it is done. 

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

Today it is chilly in Texas. Sounds strange for an Alaskan to say that but here you have yo factor in the wind AND humidity. It bites to the core!!  So today we need some nice warm soup to keep us warm. This is the recipe that taste JUST like the soup from Panera Bread. It is one of my favorite items to order from there. I like it in a bread bowl or with some bread on the side to dip in it. Yum! Enjoy!

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP Flour
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup Half & Half( I use evaporated milk)
2 (14.5 oz) cans Chicken Broth
1 (16oz) package frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup Julianne cut carrots or shredded carrots
1 pound loaf Velvetta cheese
8 oz shredded Cheddar Cheese
salt and pepper to taste. ( i didn't add salt because the cheese is already salty)

In a large sauce pan, melt together butter and onions on low to medium heat. cook a few minutes to cook onions a bit. Add flour and mix well. Slowly add Half & Half a little at a time while whisking till thickened and smooth. When incorporated add Velvetta and stir till completely melted. Add broccoli and mix. Add Broth one cup at a time mixing well. When mixed well, add carrots and simmer about 20 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking add the cheddar cheese. Serve when all the cheese is melted completely. Serve with some warm bread.