Buttermilk Pancakes

These are simple and yummy. Fluffy and filling. Everyone needs a staple pancake recipe and this is mine. Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs

2 c. buttermilk

4 T. oil

2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp baking soda

Beat eggs. Add milk and oil. Softly mix in all dry ingredients. Mix with an electric mixer until well blended.

Spray griddle or pan with non stick spray or butter. Cook pancakes, flipping only once.

*These are good with blueberries, chocolate chips, etc.

THE BEST Raspberry Cheesecake

This recipe is a bit of a pain, but it's totally worth all the work! So yummy! Everyone that ate it was amazed that it was homemade and not bought from the Cheesecake Factory. You'll make it many times. I usually start making it right after the kids go to bed because it needs to sit in the fridge overnight. Takes a long time, but SO worth it. Here's how...

INGREDIENTS: (Crust)

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)

1 T. sugar

6 T. butter, melted

INGREDIENTS: (Filling)

2 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 c. sugar

5 eggs, at room temperature

2 egg yolks, at room temperature

1/4 c. sour cream

1 T. grated lemon zest (2-3 lemons)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

INGREDIENTS: (Topping)

1 c. red jelly (not jam) such as currant, raspberry or strawberry

3 half-pints fresh raspberries

Crust: Combine all of the ingredients until moistened. Pour into a 9 inch spring form pan. With hands, press crumbs into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Filling: Cream the cream cheese an sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium/high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium an dadd the eggs and egg yolks two at a time. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into cooled crust.

Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 225 and bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn oven off and open the door wide. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Then, take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature another 2-3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate over night.

Remove the cake from the pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the spring board for serving.

Topping: Melt the jelly in a small pan over low heat. In a bowl, toss the raspberries and warm jelly until gently mixed. Arrange the berries on top and put in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

I got this recipe from Barefoot Contessa.

Mexican Chopped Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

One of my best friends made this for me for lunch one day and I fell in love with it! It's so yummy and so good for you! I probably could eat this everyday for lunch. Here's how...

INGREDIENTS: (Salad)

2 ½ c. chopped romaine lettuce

1 can black beans, rinsed

¾ c. chopped tomato, seeded

¾ c. c. peeled, chopped jicama

¾ c. canned corn, rinsed

¾ c. thinly sliced radishes

Half a ripe avocado

1 red bell pepper, chopped

¼ c. crumbled feta cheese

INGREDIENTS: (Dressing)

¼ c. fresh lime juice

¼ c. olive oil

2 T. honey

2 T. finely chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. jalapeno, chopped

Toss all the salad ingredients in a bowl. For the dressing, mix all the ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour dressing over salad mixture and toss again. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

The salad doesn't save great if there are leftovers. If you know you won't eat it all, just toss some of the dressing with some of the salad. It saves much better when stored separate.

I got this recipe from my friend katie. Thanks Katie!

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

My husband loves hot wings! These are great because there aren't any bones in them. If you have kids that don't like the spice, you can easily keep some without sauce so that they can have regular chicken tenders. Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lb. chicken tenders, or chicken breasts cut into slices

1 c. buttermilk

1 c. flour

salt and pepper

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/3 c. hot sauce

2 T. melted butter

Preheat oven to 250. Place wire rack, like a cooling rack, on a rimed baking sheet and place in oven.

Place flour and buttermilk in separate bowls; season flour with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in buttermilk (allowing excess to drip off), then press flour onto the chicken; place on plate. Repeat until all the chicken is breaded.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium/high heat. Working in batches, fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to rack in oven to keep warm.

In a large bowl, stir together hot sauce and melted butter. Add cooked, breaded chicken and toss to coat.

Serve with a side of ranch or blue cheese.

I found this recipe in Everyday Food.

Lemon Shrimp Scampi

This recipe is really good warm, but amazing when you warm it up the next day. It makes a really big batch too. I like to cut the shrimp in half so it seems like there are more shrimp :) Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. vegetable oil

1 1/2 T. salt

2 lbs. uncooked linguine

8 T. butter

7 T. olive oil

4 T. garlic, minced

2 1/2 lb large shrimp, uncooked and peeled

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 c. fresh parsley, chopped

Zest from 1 lemon (a little more if desired)

3/4 c. fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Drizzle the vegetable oil in a large pot of boiling water. Salt the water and add the linguine. Cook according to the package.

Meanwhile, in a large pan, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Be careful. Garlic burns easily. Add the shrimp, salt, pepper and sauté until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 6-7 minutes, stirring often. Remove from head, add the parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is finished, drain the cooked linguine and return back into the same pot it was cooked in. Add the lemon mixture and toss well.

I found this recipe from Barefoot Contessa.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

This is a fun summer snack. It's sweet enough to get rid of that sweet tooth, but healthy enough that you don't feel guilty eating it. The salsa is really easy to make, but the chips can be a little tricky so read my tips at the bottom of the post. Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

1 apple

3 c. strawberries

2 kiwi

1 orange

1/2 a mango

1-2 spoonfuls of brown sugar

10+ flour tortillas

1 c. cinnamon and sugar

Chop strawberries, apples, kiwi and mango into small pieces. Strawberries about the size of you fingernail, mango a little smaller, apples a little smaller and kiwi smallest of all. Put in a medium bowl. Squeeze half the orange juice on top of the fruit. Stir in brown sugar and mix well. Set in fridge while make chips.

Preheat broiler. Rub a small amount of water on the top of each tortilla. Just enough to make the cinnamon and sugar stick. Generously sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Cut the tortilla like a pizza, making them look like tortilla chips. Repeat with the other tortillas. Place "chips" on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes. Flop and broil again for about 1 minute. Watch these close! They burn easily!!

Let the chips cool and serve with fruit salsa.

Tip#1. You can use soft butter if you want to rub on the tortillas. It tastes a little better, but it also adds calories. I don't think it needs butter, but that's a personal choice.

Tip#2. You can bake the chips slower in the oven on a lower heat. I've never done it, but I've heard it works.

Steamed Carrots with Garlic Ginger Butter

These have an amazing sauce with them! We ate the entire batch of carrots and wanted more. They were so good. They are best if eaten warm. Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. baby carrots with tops, peeled (not the bagged baby carrots)

1 T. butter

1 tsp. ginger, peeled and minced

1 T. fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp. lime zest

1 T. fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp. salt

Steam carrots, covered, 10 minutes or until tender. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger to pan; cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in carrots, cilantro and remaining ingredients.

I found this recipe from Cooking Light magazine

Pot Roast

Amazingly tender pot roast! This is THE BEST recipe for pot roast. The broth that you cook the roast in can be thickened and used for gravy. You don't need to change anything about it! Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

One large beef roast

1 can beef consume

1 can french onion soup

1 c. water

1 T. garlic salt

Worcestershire sauce, 8+ shakes

Red wine vinegar, 6+ shakes

1/4 c. cornstarch

Start by putting the roast in the crockpot. Dump the soups, water and garlic salt over the top. The worcestershire sauce and vinegar are next. You can decide how much you want to use. If you want a stronger gravy, use more. I really like it strong because it seems to flavor the meat really well too.

Let cook on low all day. If I'm in a hurry, but still want a really tender roast, I start it on high and let the pressure build for about 30 minutes. Then I turn it down to low. It still needs a few hours to cook. Do not take the lid off. It will take longer to cook if you take the lid off.

Remove the roast and pour juices in a small pot. Boil and thicken with cornstarch. You can also add carrots or potatoes to the meat for the last hour or so if you want veggies.

Green Beans with Shallots

Crunchy, crisp green beans! Simple recipe too. I love all the flavor the onion and butter adds. Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. french string beans, ends removed

1/2 tsp. salt

2 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

3 large shallots, large-diced

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 cup ice

Blanch the beans in a large pot of boiling water for 1 1/2 minutes only. If using regular beans (they are thicker) blanch for 3 minutes, until they are crisp-tender. Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water.

Heat butter and oil i a large skillet and sauté the shallots on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until light brown. Drain the string beans and add to the shallots with salt and pepper, tossing well. Heat only until the beans are hot.

I found this in Barefoot Contessa.

Orange Pound Cake

Don't get discouraged at how long this post seems. It really isn't too hard. This is a good recipe because it isn't too sweet, but it's sweet enough. You don't feel as guilty eating it as some of my other recipes. Here's how...

INGREDIENTS: (Cake. 2 loaves)

2 sticks butter, softened

2 1/2 c. sugar, divided

4 eggs at room temperature

1/3 c. grated orange zest (6 oranges)

3 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 c. fresh orange juice, divided

3/4 c. buttermilk, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

INGREDIENTS: (Glaze)

2 c. powdered sugar

3 T. fresh orang juice

Cake: Grease and flour two loaf pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. If you don't, they are really hard to get out.

Cream the butter and 2 c. sugar in mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the orange zest.

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine 1/4 c. orange juice, the buttermilk and the vanilla. Add the flour and butter milk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to and hour, until toothpick comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the remaining 1/2 c. sugar with the 1/2 c. orange juice over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes. Take them out of the pans and place them on a baking rack. Spoon the orange syrup over the cakes while hot and then allow the cakes to cool completely.

Glaze: Combine powdered sugar and orange ju . ice in a bowl, mixing with a whisk until smooth. Add a few more drops of juice if necessary, to make it pour easily. Pour equal amounts over the cakes and allow the glaze to dry.

Wrap well, and store in the refrigerator.

I got this from Barefoot Contessa

Muddy Buddies

Who doesn't love this classic? Peanut butter and chocolate! So good! These are a very addicting treat though. It can be hard to share them! Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

9 c. chex mix cereal

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1/4 c. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Put cereal into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, put chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in and microwave for about 1 minute. Stir. Heat another 30 seconds or until the mixture can be stirred smooth. Mix in vanilla.

Pour chocolate mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Divide in two and put in gallon ziploc bags. Add powdered sugar and seal bags. Shake until well coated. Spread onto wax paper to cool.

I got this recipe from Chex.

Brownie

This is a family recipe that I love. I have a hard time finding brownies that I like as much as these and only 5 ingredients! My kids love licking the bowl and spoon after making these. Great memories! Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

2 sticks margarine

4 squares unsweetened chocolate

3 c. sugar

6 eggs

2 c. flour, plus some for pan

2 T. powdered sugar, optional

Melt chocolate and margarine in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Stir in flour.

Grease and flour a baking sheet. If you don't flour it, the brownies will probably stick. Pour chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.

So easy! Love this recipe.

Broccoli Salad

This makes a lot, but is perfect for parties. I always have people ask me for the recipe. It doesn't save great though so when you make it be sure to make it reasonably close to when you'll be serving it. Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. vinegar

2 big bunches of fresh broccoli, chopped

5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4 c. cheese, cubed

1 small red onion, diced

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

1/4 c. rasins or craisins

1/2 c. grapes

1 bag frozen peas, thawed

Beat mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar until sugar dissolves. Combine all other ingredients and chill until ready to serve. Best if served cold. If you don't have all these ingredients, it's still good.

Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

These are my most favorite muffins! I love the simplicity of the blueberry muffin. So good, but so easy too. Mmm. I may have to make these tomorrow! Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 c. flour

1 c. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen

In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, butter and eggs. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a shallow well in the center of the mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture, stirring just until moistened.

Fold in the blueberries. Spoon into liners or greased muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.

It should make around 12-15 muffins.

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Easy, right? That's why I like these. They bake really well and fluff at the top. Enjoy!

Rosemary Onion Potatoes

These are good with almost everything. We usually make them to go with eggs. Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium potatoes

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 T. vegetable oil

2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves

1 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Cut potatoes into 1 inch chunks. You can peel the potatoes, but don't have to. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add potatoes; toss to coat. Spread potatoes in a single layer on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until potatoes are browned and tender when pierced with a fork.

Found in Betty Crocker cookbook

Turkey Meatballs

This recipe has a couple of steps, but they are so worth it. Really. They are good for your too, which I love. I don't feel as guilty eating them as I do other things. They do need to be frozen so make them a head of time. Here's how...

INGREDIENTS:

3 slices whole wheat bread

1/4 c. milk

1 1/2 lbs. ground lean turkey meat

3 scallions

2 small garlic cloves, minced

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 T. olive oil

1/2 c. water

2 c. marinara sauce

Place bread in a food processor (or blender); pulse until fine crumbs form. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs with milk; set aside at least 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, scallions, garlic, parsley, egg, salt, pepper and breadcrumb mixture; gently mix with a fork.

With hands, form mixture into balls, each equal to 2 level tablespoons; arrange in a single layer in a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (See picture)

Place baking sheet with meatballs in the freezer and freeze. Transfer frozen meatballs to an airtight container or resealable plastic bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.

TO COOK: In a skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook frozen meatballs until browned, 5-7 minutes. Add marinara sauce and water; cover and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Serve with spaghetti or other pa

sta.

Makes about 35 meatballs

Homemade Bread

I am not a bread maker, but by these loaves you would never know! I have ruined bread a million times and decided that homemade bread wasn't in my future. I had a friend give me this recipe and I did it right on my first try! I have made this same recipe a few times now and haven't messed it up yet. Here is how...

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. water

1 stick butter, plus some for top

6 c. hot tap water

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. salt

4 T. yeast

1 c. non-dairy creamer or powdered milk

15-17 c. flour

Oil for greasing

In a saucepan, heat 1. c water with 1 stick butter until butter has melted. Set aside until later.

In a large bowl, mix the hot water, sugar, salt and yeast. Let the yeast begin to work for a few minutes, then add the creamer and 5 c. flour. Mix and then pour in the melted butter mixture. Mix again. Now add the rest of the flour, about a cup at a time, until the dough doesn't stick to your hands, about 10-12 cups.

In another large bowl, oil the sides of the bowl. Lift the made dough into the greased bowl and cover. Let rise about an hour in a warm dry place.

Meanwhile, grease and flour bread pans. (Makes 4 loafs)

Punch dough down and form 4 balls. Turn the balls into loaves, place in greased bread pans and let rise about another 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 for around 30 minutes, until golden brown. butter the tops while hot. Then cool on racks.

*If you only want a couple loaves, you can half the recipe or use the extra dough to make cinnamon rolls. I'll post that recipe too.