Mulberry Girl's Recipes

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

2011-08-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to be more organized this school year and planning out weekly dinner menus. I tried this recipe for the first time last week and it was SO GOOD! I will for sure be making this again!

(I know, this picture isn't the greatest, snapped in a hurry before pack meeting!)

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
from Our Best Bites Cookbook

makes 14-16 corn tortillas or 10-12 flour tortillas

total time: about 45 minutes

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
6-inch corn or flour tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, optional
nonstick cooking spray
kosher salt
Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro, green onions, chicken and pepper jack cheese.

Wrap 3-4 tortillas at a time in damp paper towels and microwave for 20-30 seconds so they are soft and pliable. If you find your tortillas are cracking when rolled, use damper paper towels and increase the microwave time.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of each tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges, and then roll up.

Place seam-side down on the baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt on top. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Cool for 5-10 minutes and then serve with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing
from Our Best Bites Cookbook

makes 2 cups

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons lime juice)
1 package dry Ranch dressing mix
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup green salsa
hot sauce, to taste

Combine mayonnaise, milk, lime juice and the contents of the ranch dressing in a blender or food processor. Add garlic, cilantro, and green salsa and blend to thoroughly mix all the ingredients. Season with hot sauce, if desired. If possible, refrigerate for several hours to allow the dressing to thicken and the flavors to meld.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

2011-04-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

I made these for our little Royal Wedding Celebration and they were so yummy! Perfect for summer parties and bridal showers!

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches Recipe

Photo by: Taste of Home Cucumber Tea Sandwiches Re

IngredientsCucumber Tea Sandwiche

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 large cucumbers, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed olives, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
12 slices whole wheat bread
Cucumber slices and fresh dill sprigs, optional

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the first eight ingredients; beat until blended. Stir in the cucumbers, red pepper, onion, olives and parsley. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
Remove crusts from bread; cut each slice into four triangles. Spread with cream cheese mixture. Garnish with cucumber slices and dill sprigs if desired. Yield: 4 dozen.

Roasted Sesame Pork Tenderloin with Asian Slaw

2011-04-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

I founds this recipe in the March issue of Southern Living magazine and gave it a try for Sunday dinner. It was really good!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup sesame-ginger dressing, divided
1 (1-lb.) pork tenderloin
1 head napa cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
4 green onions, sliced
2 large carrots, grated
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I used 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped wasabi-and-soy sauce-flavored almonds (spicy peanuts would have also been good!)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Whisk together soy sauce and 1/4 cup dressing in a large shallow dish or zip-top plastic freezer bag; add pork, turning to coat. Cover or seal, and chill 15-20 minutes, turning once.
2. Meanwhile, combine cabbage, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/4 cup dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
3. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade. Place pork on a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
4. Bake at 450° for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove from oven, and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
5. Toss slaw with almonds; serve with pork.

White Chocolate Popcorn

2010-12-19T19:07:00.000-08:00

White Chocolate Popcorn is just heaven to eat and a fun treat to have on hand for a holiday snack.

You will die when you see how easy this is to make!

You will need:

popcorn kernels

marshmallows

M&M's

white chocolate

Pop about 1/2 cup kernels of popcorn. Use your amazing popcorn popper that your cousin bought you for your wedding gift. This Sunbeam appliance will.not.die. We use this at least 3-4 times weekly for 9 years now and it just keeps popping!

Dump all the popcorn into a large pan and look for any un popped kernels.

Sneaky three right here.

In a large bowl - mix 1/2 bag of mar mars (as we call them around here) and a 1/2 bag of M&M's
Add popcorn and mix together....

In a microwavable dish, melt 1/2 bag of white chocolate chips or white almond bark. Stir every 30 seconds until melted.

I like Nestle...but the almond bark is good also.

When chocolate is melted - pour over popcorn mixture, stir well and make sure everything is evenly coated with chocolate. Put into parchment paper covered cookie sheet to set. About 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!
Linking up to Coastal Charm

Candy Cane Puffs

2010-12-10T09:10:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

package white chips

1/2 cup peppermint candies, crushed

Combine flour and salt; set aside.

Blend together butter and sugar; beat in egg and extracts. Mix into flour mixture using low speed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate for one hour.Or more if you are like me and had things to do and forgot about it for two.

Shape dough into walnut-size balls; place on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes; cool.

Melt white chocolate chips in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.

Dip tops of cooled cookies into melted chocolate. Sprinkle on crushed peppermints; set on wax paper or parchment paper until hardened. Makes about 3 dozen.

These were SO SO easy to make and they were yummy!!
Linking up to the cookie party at Pleasant Home and the party at No Minimalist Here!

I got this recipe from cute Julie over at A Vintage Chic!

Creamy Pesto Chicken and Pasta

2010-11-16T17:48:00.000-08:00

I made this tonight for dinner on a whim - it's been cold and windy here all day and something nice and warm sounded so good!

You will need:

2 tsp butter (I used just a drizzle of olive oil)

4 skinless, bonelkess chicken breasts, cut into cubes (about 2 cups worth)

1 can Condensed Cream of Chicken soup

1/2 cup pesto

1/2 cup milk

3 cups pasta, cooked and drained (you can use bow tie pasta, I used penne since I had that on hand)

Fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat butter or oil in large skillet, over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.

Stir soup, pesto sauce and milk in skillet. Heat to a low boil. Reduce heat to low or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in pasta and cook until mixture is hot.

To serve sprinkle with teaspoon full of fresh Parmesan cheese.

Pineapple Pear Syrup

2010-10-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

I had some pears on hand so I decided to try a new recipe yesterday called Pear Honey.

It was a fairly simple recipe for canning (love that!) calling for only three ingredients.

It took me about 20 minutes with the food processor to get everything together and then 3 hours later I was canning and done.

You will need:

8 cups pears, peeled and grated (in food processor)

4 cups sugar

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained.

Mix together in large stockpot and let simmer for several hours.

Mixture will become syrup like and golden colored.

It looked more like syrup than honey - so I renamed it. It is very sweet and delicious!! Perfect for a special breakfast topping over french toast, pancakes or waffles.

When ready pour into warm pint jars, seal tightly and place them in a water bath canner with boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. You can have these on your pantry shelf for up to one year if they have sealed properly.

They most likely won't last that long in your home though - look at that beautiful golden color!

I thought that some of these would make perfect little "Hello Fall!" gifts to friends.

Add a bit of twine and a tag and it couldn't be cuter!

Linking Up to Show and Share at JAG

Chopped Tomato and Basil Sauce

2010-10-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

We still have quite a few tomatoes coming into our garden. The basil is on its way out so I thought I would take what was left and make my house smell yummy today.

This was about half of the tomatoes we had!

4 medium sized, ripe tomatoes (about 1.5 pounds - I used a lot of smaller Romas from the garden)

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/3 chopped fresh basil

1/2 tsp salt (I used course sea salt for no special reason)

salt and pepper to taste

Remove and discard the cores of the tomatoes and then coarsely chop them and put them in a large saucepan.
Add the olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and salt and pepper to the tomatoes. Stir well.
Cover and set aside a few hours to release the tomato juices and let the flavors combine.

Pour over pasta and enjoy!
This tomato sauce will keep for one week in the refrigerator.

Isn't that just gorgeous! I wish you could smell it - it's that good!
Linking up to Show and Share Day at Just a Girl.

Witch Finger Cookies

2010-10-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

Witch Finger Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole almonds
1 (.75 ounce) tube red decorating gel

Directions

Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer; gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating; refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.
Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper. Use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance. Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the almond from the end of each cookie; squeeze a small amount of red decorating gel into the cavity; replace the almond to cause the gel to ooze out around the tip of the cookie.

These are so realistic looking they are a little awkward to eat. Until you taste one - then my boys couldn't stop. They are yummy but you might have to close your eyes to get over the fact they are SO realistic looking!

I made these for several Halloween parties last year - easy and so much fun to bring!
Linking to Show and Tell Saturday!

Raspberry Peach Freezer Jam

2010-09-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

Raspberry Peach Freezer Jam

Dan and I made 36 jars of this last night (some are those tiny, cute jars for gift giving) and oh my goodness I think this recipe makes the most beautiful colored jam I have ever seen in my life!

Gorgeous!

We just followed the recipe in the SureJell box using the instant pectin (it's a silver and blue box you can pick up at Wal-Mart)

No cooking on the stove, just sugar, lemon juice, pectin and berries!

Delish!

Linking up to Black Cat's Cheap Thrills Thursday!

Fresh Garden Salsa

2010-08-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

I made this delicious salsa from a recipe I got from my friend Kari. After sampling hers, I knew it was going to be a big hit!

Here is the full recipe, although I made a 1/2 batch to test it out and learn the ropes.

28-30 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

(I used a mixture of Romas, Big Boys and Celebrity. Using a mixture will give you better flavor. If you aren't sure how to peel a tomato, go here. )

4 green peppers, chopped

4 onions, chopped

12-15 Anaheim peppers, seeded and chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

4 big cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

2 tsp dry mustard

1 can chopped and sliced green chilies

1/2 cup sugar

4 cans tomato paste

I chopped everything in my Cuisinart instead of by hand. I hate chunky salsa...so if you want a chunkier consistency, I suggest you chop some things if not all by hand.

Put all together in a large stock pot and mix together well. Let stew on low heat for 21/2 hours.

You will need a canning pot with metal rack and lid as well as canning jars, lids and rims.

While salsa is stewing, make sure jars are washed well. Place on a cookie sheet in an oven at 225 degrees for at least an hour until you are ready to use them. Do not let them cool down before filling.

In a separate pan on the stove, boil water and place lids and rims in to sterilize for about 15 minutes. Take out and dry off. Set aside.

Fill canning pot full of water and start to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat.

Taking one jar out of the oven at a time, fill with salsa leaving about 1/4-1/2 inch head space. Place lid on and then tighten rim. Place in wire rack in hot canning water. Repeat until rack is full.

Lowering rack full of salsa jars into the canning pot, make sure there is at least 2-3 inches of water covering the top of the jars. Cover pot with lid and let gently boil - process time is 15-20 minutes.

When done, take jars out and set aside. Repeat process until all jars have been filled and processed.

Half recipe makes about 7 pint jars of salsa.

Full recipe makes about 14 - 15.

Dan's Favorite Lemonade Cake

2010-07-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

I kid you not...when you take your first bite of this, your taste buds will be very confused. And then they will be sent straight to heaven. Especially if you have it on a hot summer night. The combination of sweet and tart is amazing.

This is a Olsen family favorite!

Dan's Favorite Lemonade Cake

1 1/2 pkgs Keebler Pecan Sandies

1/2 - 1 stick butter

Put cookies and softened butter in KitchenAid mixer. Mix well until cookies are crushed and ingredients are well blended. You don't want this too buttery OR too dry.

Pat into bottom of 9 x 13 pyrex dish. Use fingertips to spread evenly and press down gently.

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

1 can pink lemonade concentrate

Mix together in a KitchenAid Mixer or large bowl by hand. Pour over top of cookie crust mixture and spread evenly.

Freeze to harden, at least one hour.

Set out a few minutes prior to serving so that it's easy to cut.

Serve and enjoy!

Linking to:

Just A Girl

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Somewhat Simple

It's A HodgePodge Life
Big Bear's Wife

Sally's Slaw Salad

2010-07-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I got from my mother-in-law, Sally.

This is Sally...isn't she cute? She is so pretty and sweet.

Anyhow, she planned a girls day for us a few summers ago and made this for lunch.

I make it several times every summer. It's quick, easy, light and yummy!

You will need:

1 package cole slaw

1 package broccoli slaw

In case you have never seen broccoli slaw, you can see what it looks like next to the cole slaw.

1 package chicken Top Ramen noodles, uncooked, crumbled well

1 can cooked chicken (or I like using fresh, grilled chicken breasts)

1/2 to 1 cup slivered almonds

1/2-1 cups chow mien noodles

Toss together.

In a separate bowl, mix together:

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 packet Top Ramen seasoning, chicken flavor

Pour over salad and stir till coated.

Yum!

Linking to:

It's A Hodgepodge Life

Fingerprints on the Fridge
HOH
Somewhat Simple
Show and Share @ JAG

Blueberry Salsa

2010-07-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

I found this fabulous recipe for Blueberry Salsa in Southern Living Magazine and gave it a try for book club tonight. It's so pretty, how could I resist? You can also never go wrong with their recipes. They are fool proof!

It's fairly easy to make, even better if you have a killer Cuisinart like Dan gave me this last Christmas. Otherwise, get to choppin'.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped fresh blueberries (I pulsed it several times in the food processor)
1 cup whole fresh blueberries
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 seeded and minced jalapeño peppers
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1/2 teaspoon course sea salt

Preparation

Aren't these gorgeous?

Coarsely chop fresh blueberries. Stir together chopped fresh blueberries & whole blueberries.

Looking not so pretty yet.

Add fresh lemon juice, chopped fresh cilantro, jalapeño peppers, red bell pepper, onion, and salt in a large bowl.

Ohhh...looking better!

Gently stir together. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

I know you're thinking I missed my calling as a food stylist. Everyone thought it was going to taste sweet and then POW!

The salsa has a great bite to it. This is my new go to recipe this summer - delish!

Enjoy!

Linking to:

It's A Hodgepodge Life

Fingerprints on the Fridge
HOH
Somewhat Simple

Eclair Cake

2010-06-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

I made this Eclair Cake for my dad and Dan for Father's Day.
It's a fairly simple and inexpensive to make.
I haven't met a boy (young or old) who doesn't love it!

You will need:

31/2 cups milk

2 small packages french vanilla instant pudding

1 (8 oz) container of cool whip

1 box graham crackers (I use HoneyMaid)

1 can chocolate frosting (not the whipped kind)

Mix milk and pudding until thick. Add cool whip and mix well.

Spray 9x13 pan with Pam. Line bottom of pan with graham crackers.

Pour 1/2 of pudding mixture on top of graham crackers and and spread evenly. Then layer again adding 2nd layer of crackers. Pour the remainder of pudding on top and spread evenly. Add 3rd and final layer of graham crackers.

Place in fridge for 2-3 hours to let it all soak together. Then frost cake with chocolate. Let sit for at least another hour in fridge after frosting to let it all soak together again.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Bars

2010-05-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

One of the easiest sweet treats to make is a rice krispy treat. The basic recipe has only three ingredients - marshmallows, rice krispies and butter.

These rice krispies are topped with a layer of peanut butter and a layer of chocolate, giving them a rich peanut butter cup flavor that is a great contrast for the sweet, crunchy base. The peanut butter layer is slightly crumbly, similar to the interior of a peanut butter cup.. The topping is a chocolate ganache, made with semisweet chocolate and butter.

The only time consuming piece of this snack is that you need to let the layers set up one by one. Even so, you can probably get it done start to finish in an hour - and the hands-on time is probably about 5-10 minutes. They’re a great treat to make with kids and are probably just as likely to be a hit with adults. All the men I had try them gobbled them up! (ok, Dan and my dad...but you get the idea...)

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Bars

2 tsp butter

5 oz marshmallows (1/2 large bag)

3 cups Rice Krispies/puffed rice cereal

Peanut Butter Filling
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (natural or regular)
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tbsp milk

Chocolate Topping
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup semisweet/dark chocolate chips

Lightly grease a 9×9-inch pan.
In a large, microwave safe bowl, combine butter and marshmallows. Heat until butter is melted and marshmallows are soft. Stir to combine. Fold in rice cereal with a spatula, then pour mixture into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Allow to cool and set at room temperature.

For the peanut butter layer, combine all filling ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. The consistency should be like frosting. If it is too crumbly (consistency may vary slightly by type of peanut butter used), add an additional tablespoon or two of milk until filling is spreadable. Spread onto cereal layer.

For the chocolate topping, melt chocolate chips and butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Stir until smooth. Pour over peanut butter layer and, using an offset spatula or regular spatula, spread chocolate to cover entire surface. Let chocolate set up at room temperature before slicing.

Makes 20 rectangular candy bars.

Cheesy Rigatoni Bake

2010-04-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

1 (16 ounce) rigatoni noodles

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups milk

1/4 cup water

4 eggs, beaten

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce (I used a jar of marinara)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and salt until smooth, gradually add milk and water. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Add beaten eggs to pasta and mix. Spoon into a greased 9x13 pan. Top with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Spoon white sauce over top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes.

To freeze, slightly under cook pasta. Cover pan with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and label.

Creamy Ham Casserole

2010-04-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

An easy and quick way to use leftover Easter Ham!

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups coarsely chopped ham

2 cups tri color rotini pasta, cooked and drained

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 green or red pepper, chopped

1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots

Seasoned bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients except 1/2 of cheese and crumbs in large bowl

Spoon into casserole dish

Sprinkle with remaining cheese

Cover with bread crumbs

Bake for 30 minutes or until light brown.

Oreo Cookie Lollipops

2010-04-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

OREO COOKIE LOLLIPOPS

I make these now and then for fun treats - they make cute simple gifts.

I seriously love cute and simple!

So we came up with these, too bad I got instructions on HOW to do them after I started, but it turned out to be pretty easy and they looked CUTE if I say so myself!

First you will need Double Stuff Oreos, white chocolate chips, lollipop sticks, cellophane treat bags, sprinkles, tags and ribbons (if gifting them.) I bought everything in one quick trip to Wal-Mart.

HINT! I did this backwards!! Melt your chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds till completely melted. Dab a tip of your lollipop stick into the chocolate before sticking it into the Oreo ever so slowly and gently! The chocolate on the tip acts as a glue to keep the cookie on the stick!

Re-heat your chocolate if necessary for a few seconds. Dip cookie thoroughly in chocolate coating both sides. I used a spoon to help pour extra where the stick meets the cookie. Place to harden on wax or parchment lined cookie sheet. I would do 3-4 cookies, then sprinkle!

To make sure everyone knows I'm a novice baker, here are a few of my rejects before my happy helpers Graham and Greg ate them in the name of "taste testing." Quality assurance working at its best!

Letting the chocolate harden and cool. Took about 30 minutes till I felt I was safe to wrap them.

Ta-DAA!!! I didn't get a shot of the ones we gave L. I had a larger treat bag, stacked 4 (2 sets of 2 side by side) and wrapped multiple ribbons with a tag.

They really turned out darling!

Savory Breakfast Muffins

2010-03-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Savory Breakfast Muffins
makes 10 jumbo or 18 regular muffins

1 lb chorizo sausage or bulk breakfast sausage
2 cups dry Bisquick
1 cup cornmeal
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
1/4 c. chopped green or red bell pepper
1/2 c. finely minced onion
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

To Prepare

1. Line muffin tins with paper liners, and set aside.
2. Fry, crumble and drain sausage. (omit this step if using ham)
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. Mix together bisquick, cornmeal, eggs, garlic powder and milk.
5. Add drained sausage, diced peppers, onions and cheese. Stir well.
6. Ladle the filling into the prepared muffin tins, filling almost to top.
7. Bake for 11-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

To Freeze

Store in freezer in a large airtight container. Or place each in a sandwich bag, and then place a dozen in a large ziploc bag.

To Serve
Remove paper liner. Microwave on high for approx 60 seconds.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Freeze Happy!

Egg and Sausage Breakfast Sandwiches

2010-03-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

Egg and Sausage Breakfast Sandwiches

English muffins, toasted
Eggs (number of eggs depends on number of finished sandwiches desired)
water (1/2 tablespoon per egg)
cheese slices (I used cheddar)
frozen breakfast sausage patties

Decide on the number of sandwiches you'd like; you'll need one egg mixed with 1/2 tablespoon of water for each sandwich. I used this beauty ($3.50 at Wal-Mart) and it made the job SO easy:

To assemble place 1 slice of cheese on half of an English muffin, then egg, sausage patty (or other meat), and top off with other half of English muffin. Wrap each sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and label with heating instructions. Place all your wrapped sandwiches in an extra large ziplock bag and freeze.

Heating Instructions:
Remove plastic wrap. Wrap sandwich in a paper towel. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds on 30% power to defrost. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until hot.

(Don't look at the typo on my labels...I didn't want to waste more by doing it over!)

These were SO quick and easy to assemble. I made 12 of them in about 15- 20 minutes. I got most all the ingredients on sale and when I figured out the cost it came down to about .90 cents per sandwich.

Top photo and recipe from Bear in the Kitchen. Thanks Jenni!

Ham and Cheese Braid

2010-03-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Ham and Cheese Braid

1 loaf Rhodes bread dough

1/2 cup or 1 stick butter

1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (not generic)

3/4 lb. thinly sliced ham

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Assembly:

Roll bread dough out into a rectangular shape so that its approximately 1/2" thick. Combine butter (I melted mine in the microwave for about 20 seconds first) and ranch mix. Spread about 5 tablespoons of mixture on the rectangle. Layer ham and cheese down the center of the rectangle. Use a pizza cutter to cut strips along each side of the dough (even numbers on each side). Starting at bottom, take each piece, cross and twist. Continue cris-crossing until your it is all braided. Brush remaining butter ranch mixture over the top. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Wrap loaf with plastic wrap and then foil. Label with cooking instructions and freeze.

Cooking Instructions Unwrap from foil and plastic wrap and set on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap. Let thaw overnight in refrigerator. A couple hours before you are ready to bake place on counter to let rise. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

I used about 1/2 of that amount of butter - it was plenty. Rhodes Rolls come in packages of three, I made all three at the same time; we ate one last night and I froze two for later. Is it good? Let's just say both Graham and Greg helped themselves to seconds! They rarely do that!

Recipe and photo from Ducks in a Row. Thanks Laurel!

Macaroni and Cheese

2010-03-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

Macaroni and Cheese

1 stick butter

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups milk (2% or whole)

1 tablespoon grated onion

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder (optional)

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water

In large stock pot melt butter and add onion. Stir until onion is cooked but not browned. Remove from heat and add flour and salt and stir until smooth. Over medium heat add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. It will talk a while for it to come to a slow boil and thicken, but keep stirring. Add cheese and blend well. Pour cooked and drained macaroni into pot and mix it all together. Remove from heat. This makes 2, 8x8 inch foil pans or 1, 9x13 inch pan. Pour into foil pans. Cover with plastic wrap, then foil (at least 2 layers), and label with cooking instructions. Freeze.

Cooking Instructions: Thaw for 24 hours in refrigerator. Bake uncovered at 375 for 30-40 minutes or until its hot and bubbly and cheese on edge is browned. If it is partially frozen it will take longer to bake through.

This recipe was originally doubled but I cut it in half to the written ingredient amounts. One 8x8 pan feeds our family of 5 just fine and I don't like to make too much too far ahead. But it's a great one to double easily if needed!

Recipe and photo from Ducks in a Row. Thanks Laurel!

Party Girl Punch

2010-02-16T20:55:00.000-08:00

I served this at Lauren's birthday Friday night and it was SO good! I think it would taste even better on a hot summer evening...I'll have to make it again then to test that theory!

Ingredients

1 pkg Strawberry or Raspberry Kool-Aid

6 ounces frozen lemonade

6 ounces frozen orange juice

6 ounces pineapple juice

2 (20 ounce) bottles 7-Up

Directions

Mix Kool-Aid according to package directions

Add the frozen juices.

Refrigerate.

When ready to serve add 7-Up!

Cheese Please

2010-01-29T14:35:00.000-08:00

So remember this gorgeous girl that I got for Christmas? I decided to try her out the other day.

(Week? Time is flying this month!)

I was able to pick up 4 lbs of cheese at Albertson's for $6.00 total. I love combining a good coupon with a good sale!
Last time I did this I had to hand grate 6 blocks of this cheese by HAND. Seriously, it took forever and my hand hurt that day!

My life is so hard! Ha!

Would you lookie there? So easy.

And within 15 minutes I had 8 bags of cheese with 2 cups each in them to put in the freezer.

Love it!

Peppermint Trifle

2009-12-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix

1 Large Package Instant Chocolate Fudge pudding

2 small containers whipped cream

Red food coloring

1 cup powdered sugar

1 package crushed candy canes

Make cake according to directions on the box. Let cool completely and cut into 1" squares. Make pudding by adding 1/2 cup more milk than package calls for. You want it to be a little bit thinner and more of it. Mix powdered sugar and whipping cream until thick. Add food coloring until you get your desired color. (*You could use cool whip instead for a lighter version!)

In a trifle dish or punch bowl, cover the bottom evenly with 1/3 of the cake squares. Cover the cake with 1/3 of the pudding. Next add the whipping cream and then a thin layer of crushed candy canes! Repeat! In my dish I could only layer everything twice. You want to make sure you end up with a pretty layer of crushed candy canes on top!

Served chilled - it looks so pretty and tastes yummy!

Linking up to Somewhat Simple and Crazy Domestic and No Minimalist Here!!

The Great Freezer Fill Up!

2009-10-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

I got a GREAT deal on ground beef at Albertson's last week. It was on sale $1.58 per lb and then I had a 50 cents off coupon making it $1.38 per lb! Cheap! I bought 20 lbs and got to work.

Browned the meat with a bit of salt....

Drained the fat...

Put 2 cups each in freezer bags for future meals. I made a few batches of taco seasoned meat and a batch of sloppy joe seasoned meat.

MMM!! I love having things like this ready to go for dinner on busy nights!

I also scored 4 blocks of 2 lb Tillamook Cheese for $2.99 each on sale WITH a coupon. I grated all of that and bagged it the same way.

Chicken Pot Pie

2009-03-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

Not sure where I even got this recipe, but it is now a family favorite and my go-to recipe for when I need to take in dinner to someone. It's EASY!! And it tastes so good for being semi-homemade.

You will need:
1 cup pre-cooked, diced chicken
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 1/2 cup frozen hashbrowns
(I like using the southern style, but shredded will work also)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup white flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 9" pie crust
(I buy the Wal-Mart brand pre rolled crust that come 2 per pkg for about $1.50 Saves time and it tastes homemade. )

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a saucepan, over medium heat, cook onions in butter till soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk.
(I use this Chicken Base that I get at CostCo. It stores well in the refrigerator and is inexpensive.)

Simmer everything over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Put one of the pie crust into the pan. In a bowl, mix chicken, veggies and hash browns together.

Dump into pie pan.

Pour hot mixture over the chicken, veggies and hash browns. Spread evenly.

Put second pie crust on top and pinch edges together. Slit at least 4 holes on top. I use a fork to make decorations with.

Here is the fun part. If you want to, you can freeze this at this point! So often times when I make this, I make two pies at once...one to eat or give away, and then one to freeze and eat later on a busy night!

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 425 degrees if the pie is not frozen. If frozen, let the pie stand for one hour before baking, then bake at 425 degreees for 55-60 minutes or until center is bubbly through the slits. Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serves 6-8 people

Christmas Salad

2009-03-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

I know it's too early to think about Christmas but whenever I make this salad the colors remind me of that time of year. (And it is a fancier salad that I bring to a lot of holiday parties!) It is SO good!!

You will need:
1 bundle fresh spinach leaves (I remove the stems, yuck)
1 head of iceberg lettuce
1 bundle of romaine lettuce
1 small cont. plain feta cheese
1 cup craisins
1 cup chopped glazed (candied) walnuts
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 bottle Brianna's poppy seed dressing

Wash all lettuce and dry. Chop into bites sizes pieces and toss together in large bowl. Crumble feta cheese onto salad. Add craisins, walnuts and onions. Toss together. Add a bit more of everything to decorate the top of salad. Serve with poppy seed dressing.

It feed a crowd and it's delicious! Enjoy!

M&M Cookies

2009-03-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

OH!! These are so good that I stole the recipe for them. Which is funny to me because I have since seen this recipe word for word a few other places.

So the "big family secret recipe" that was not to be shared with others? Not so secret after all.

Why do people recipe horde like that? So weird. Anywho...here is the yummy recipe free for the taking!

Ingredients:
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Mix together.

Add 2 1/4 cup white sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Mix together.

Add 1 cup M&M's.
Mix.

Drop 1 spoonful size cookie dough onto ungreased cookie sheet spacing them about 1" apart.
Decorate with more M&M's pressing them slightly into the dough so they won't fall off.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Lemon Chicken with Green Beans and Red Potatoes

2009-02-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe (and lots of other great ones!) from Kelly over at Kelly's Recipes. We loved it so much that I have now made it three times and I kid you not, it's delicious! We eat a lot of chicken around here so I was thrilled to get another recipe to "mix it up" a bit and that is also healthy!

You will need:

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic (I used 1 heaping tsp from jarred garlic, it was all I had and we are not huge garlic fans)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 lb green beans (I used frozen string French kind, but you can use canned or regular ones also)
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange lemon slices from 1 lemon in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. In large bowl combine remaining olive oil, lemon juice of 2nd lemon (I cut this to half the 2nd time around as the kids didn't like it as lemony as Dan and I had,) garlic, salt and pepper. Add green beans and toss to coat. Using tongs, remove green beans and arrange them on top of lemon slices. Add potatoes to same olive oil mixture and coat. Arrange on inside edge of dish on top of the beans. Place chicken in olive oil mixture and coat. Place chicken in dish. Roast for 50 minutes. Remove chicken and continue roasting potatoes/beans if necessary.

Getting ready to go in the oven...And ready to eat!! This feeds our family of five PLUS there is enough left over for Dan's lunch and for mine and Lauren's lunch the next day. For something so easy, tastes so good AND I get an extra meal out of it? YES!! Love it!
Thanks Kelly for passing this along!

Luscious Lemonade Tarts

2009-02-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

Yes I did walk right up to the frozen food section in Wal-mart on a Saturday and take a picture of the shells. I have no shame. And I now seem to carry my camera everywhere which makes me want a smaller and lighter one!

So here is what you will need to do to make these lovelies...

Pour 1 3/4 cups cold milk into a bowl.
Stir in two small packages vanilla instant pudding
Mix.
Add 6 oz frozen concentrate lemonade. (A lot of other flavors might be tasty too!)
Mix.
Add one regular sized tub of Cool Whip, thawed.
Mix together and let set in fridge for at least 20-30 minutes.

Buy 2 pkgs pre made pre cooked phyllo dough mini shells. (In the pastry section of frozen foods)
Spoon lemonade mixture in till full.

With canned whipped cream, add a dollop to the top and then if you are feeling fancy, add some lemon zest or a raspberry on top as well.

They are seriously so delicious and I've never had leftovers. Ever. So that says something right there, right?

(You can get another package out of this mix - I usually have enough left over that I could've made more. But I know Dan likes to sneak spoonfuls of it from the bowl so I pretend that I have extra when I am really just leaving it in the fridge for him!)

Seven Layer Mexican Dip

2009-02-06T21:22:00.001-08:00

Here's what you'll need:
1 small can refried beans or bean dip
1 (8 oz) sour cream
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 -4 mashed avocados 1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 small can sliced olives
green onions
1 tomato diced (I just used canned and drain them really well)
1 pkg Mexican blend shredded cheese

Spread the beans into the bottom of a round or square serving dish with 2 inch sides, I used an 8 x 8 glass pyrex dish.
Mix the sour cream, taco seasoning and 1/2 c mayonnaise together and spread on top of the bean dip. Refrigerate in between adding each layer.

(I couldn't show a picture of the refried beans - I think they are GROSS!!! I had to skip that part for you. Hey, I never said I worked for the Food Network, you aren't getting perfection here!)

Mix the avocados, lemon juice, 1/2 c mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce together and then spread on top of the sour cream mixture.

I use a glass dish because I think the layers look fun from the side.

Sprinkle cheese all over top until well coated. Add olives, chopped green onions, tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Now you are going to think I'm crazy for making this if I a) hate refried beans, or beans of any sort for that matter and b) don't care much for avocados. But this is the YUMMIEST dip and I'm willing to deal with a few beans to make this for my husband, Dan. I make this a lot for family gatherings, pot lucks or for when Dan has his game night with his friends.

New Blog!

2009-02-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

WELCOME!!

Most people know I love to cook and bake. I love trying out new recipes in the kitchen. However, that doesn't mean that they always turn out great or are even edible. Here is my way to document the delicious, the Mmmm Good and the "Honey, let's just go out to eat!"

Mulberry Girl's Recipes

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Directions

Roasted Sesame Pork Tenderloin with Asian Slaw

I founds this recipe in the March issue of Southern Living magazine and gave it a try for Sunday dinner. It was really good!

Preparation

White Chocolate Popcorn

Candy Cane Puffs

Creamy Pesto Chicken and Pasta

Pineapple Pear Syrup

Chopped Tomato and Basil Sauce

Witch Finger Cookies

Witch Finger Cookies

Ingredients

Directions

Raspberry Peach Freezer Jam

Fresh Garden Salsa

Dan's Favorite Lemonade Cake

Sally's Slaw Salad

Blueberry Salsa

Eclair Cake

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Bars

Cheesy Rigatoni Bake

Creamy Ham Casserole

Oreo Cookie Lollipops

Savory Breakfast Muffins

Egg and Sausage Breakfast Sandwiches

Ham and Cheese Braid

Macaroni and Cheese

Party Girl Punch

Write a Review! (optional)

Cheese Please

Peppermint Trifle

The Great Freezer Fill Up!

Chicken Pot Pie

Christmas Salad

M&M Cookies

Lemon Chicken with Green Beans and Red Potatoes

Luscious Lemonade Tarts

Seven Layer Mexican Dip

New Blog!