Tortellini Alfredo

I made this recipe with egg noodles for this picture. It was good but tortellini is much better! Cheese filled tortellini is great for this recipe. This is super yummy and the picture does not do it justice.

Tortellini Alfredo

• 1 pkg frozen tortellini (cheese or meat filled)
• 1/2 slice ham, 3/4 inch thick
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  
• 1/2 pint whipping cream
• 3/4 cup fresh Parmesan
• dash of pepper

Melt butter in pan, dice ham and fry in butter and garlic powder. Add cream and simmer 5-10 minutes stirring constantly. Add pepper and 3/4 cup cheese. Pour over cooked tortellini, sprinkle with more cheese.

Garlic Crab Wraps

I whipped these together on a whim last week. They were very satisfying and delicious!

Garlic Crab Wraps

• 1 pkg tortillas
• 1 pkg flaked imitation crab meat
• 2 cups of spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• cracked pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil

Whip together mayo, sour cream, pepper, salt, lemon juice, garlic and basil. Stir in crab meat and completely coat. Put 1/2 cup of spinach leaves and 1 cup of crab mixture on tortilla and roll up. Enjoy!

The Best Strawberry Lemonade Ever!

In our house, food is what brings us together as a family. This is the perfect recipe to involve the whole family. My kids loved helping me make this!

My mom gave me a bag full of lemons and strawberries and told me to make strawberry lemonade. I found a recipe off of the Food Network and with a few minor changes I made to it, I have to say this is the best strawberry lemonade I have ever had! My kids couldn't stop drinking it. The recipe calls for mint and we happen to grow mint in our garden. The kids helped me snip some fresh sprigs and I taught them about mint leaves and what mint is used for. I find that when I cook with my kids they learn so much about science, chemistry, nature, nutrition, etc. It's fun! My son said, "Mom you are the best cook! You need to start a cooking school and teach kids how to cook"

The Best Strawberry Lemonade Ever!

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 2 cups cold sparkling water or club soda (optional)
• Ice
• Mint sprigs, garnish
• Whole strawberries, garnish

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Mince up a few mint leaves and add to liquid. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher (use a colander spoon to scoop out seeds and mint leaves on surface. Try to leave all other things like pulp and lemon peel in the drink).The lemon peel will turn into a delicious candy flavored ingredient.

In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries with a cup of the cooked mixture. Add to the pitcher with the lemon juice mixture. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.It will separate into three beautiful layers.

(I didn't use sparkling water and it tasted great!) Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with mint and strawberries.

Fiesta Burger

I got my inspiration for this from a recent Red Robin commercial. I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since. This is now my favorite burger in the whole world! My husband grills the patties on mesquite flavor charcoals and that's the real secret to this bad boy burger! Not to mention my love for jalapenos and guacamole. My kids loved this too. I just kept off the hot peppers.

Fiesta Burger

• 2 lbs ground beef, thawed
  
• 1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp garlic powder
  
• 2 cups homemade guacamole (avocados, salt, garlic, lemon juice)
• 1 jar of jalapeno sliced peppers
• 2 cups fresh salsa (we used mango peach salsa to give it some sweetness)
• 12 slices of pepper jack or chipotle cheddar cheese
• 1 head of Romain lettuce

In a large bowl mix beef, BBQ sauce, bread crumbs, garlic and eggs together. Shape into patties (makes about 12). Grill patties until brown in the center. Baste tops with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. Cover and set aside. Make guacamole (I blend in my Magic Bullet and it turns to butter. It make a nice, silky, thick spread).

Build burger in order of (I use Nature's Own buns, they have no corn syrup or preservatives and are yummy!) bun, mayo, patty, cheese, lettuce, guacamole, jalapenos, salsa, and optional condiments (mustard, ketchup, etc.) and top bun. You won't be able to wrap both hands around it without a little sliding off. It's a beast of a burger and feels like a party in your mouth! I serve with Kettle cooked Buffalo chips. So yummy!!!

Berry Best Ice Cream

I first tried this recipe at a church activity about 3-4 years ago courtesy of Stacie Hardy. It is the next best thing to homemade ice cream and super easy to prepare. It reminds me of the berry shakes and malts up at Bear Lake. I made it for a family party last weekend and the bowl was clicked clean by the end of the night. It makes a lot.

Berry Best Ice Cream

• 1 tub of pineapple sherbet, softened
• 1 tub vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 bag of frozen mixed berries, thawed

Fold all ingredients together into a large metal bowl or sealed container. Mix well. Freeze for about 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve soft.

Lime Pear Delight

My sister in law Stacey introduced this to our family years ago and it is a favorite! I make it as a desert because my husband finds it strange how Americans have jello salads as "salads" then still provide desert. He thinks all sweet dishes should be deserts and not on the same plate with your dinner entree. He does have a good point.

I did make a change to the original recipe by adding the sugar. It was delicious! This is very creamy and satisfying and one of my top three favorite jello salads!

Lime Pear Delight

• 1 large pkg lime jello
• 1 qt of pears (or 2 medium sized cans)
• 1 quart of whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 8 0z cream cheese

Boil 2 cups of drained pear juice. Add jello powder to the juice, stir well and then remove from stove. Puree the pears and cream cheese together in a blender. Whip the whipping cream and sugar together until stiff peaks form. Fold the cooled jello into the whipping cream. Fold in pear and cream cheese puree. Pour into a 13 X 9 inch casserole dish. Refrigerate 2-4 hours.

Manuel's Curry Chicken

This is the only recipe my husband has ever really invented (besides potato chips on sandwiches) and it's absolutely delicious! So in his honor, it is named after him. Its a chicken meets schnitzel masterpiece! Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.















Manuel's Curry Chicken

• 4-6 chicken breasts, thawed
• 1 tsp yellow curry powder
• dash of salt
• dash of pepper
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup oil

Cut chicken into long strips. Take two soup plates and add flour to one and eggs in the other. Add salt and pepper to eggs. Put bread crumbs into a tupperware container with lid. Add curry to bread crumbs.

Roll chicken in flour and coat on all sides. Dip into egg mixture then place in sealed bread crumb container and shake well. Place oil in skillet (on medium heat) and fry chicken until white in the center about 2-3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to increase temperature of oil or you'll burn the outer part of the chicken and the inside will still be pink. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Garden Harvest Squares

This is in my Pilsbury Cookbook and I have been making it for 10 years now. It makes a great party appetizer. Creamy dill spread with crisp fresh veggies on a flaky dough crust - yes, it just melts in your mouth!

Garden Harvest Squares

• 2 (8 oz) can crescent rolls
• 8 oz pkg cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 20 small broccoli florets
• 20 cucumber or zucchini slices
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• fresh parsley or basil for garnish

Heat oven to 375 degrees.Unroll dough into 4 long
rectangles. Place crosswise in ungreased jelly roll
pan; press over bottom and 1 inch up sides to form
crust. Firmly press perforations to seal. Bake at
375 for 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool
completely. In small bowl, combine cream cheese, sour
cream, dill and garlic powder; blend until smooth.
Spread evenly over cooled crust. Cover; refrigerate
1 to 2 hours. Just before serving, cut into 1 inch
squares. Garnish as desired with broccoli,cucumber,
tomatoes and parsley/basil.

Side Note: I cut mine very large in photo above. I always drizzle a sweet
balsamic syrup over them right before I serve.

Baked Crab/Bacon Rangoon

This is the perfect party appetizer. Its warm, creamy and crispy! If you are not a fan of crab then substitute it with real crumbled bacon bits. If you do use the crab do not use immitation, it's just not the same.This is always a hit!

Baked Crab/Bacon Rangoon

• 1 can (6 oz) white crab meat drained and flaked or (1/2 cup real bacon bits)
• 1 block cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 12 Wonton wrappers

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix crab meat/bacon, cream cheese spread, onions, lemon juice and mayo. Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Gently place 1 won ton wrapper in each cup, allowing edges of wrappers to extend above sides of cups. Fill evenly with crabmeat mixture. Bake 18 to 20 min. or until edges are golden brown and filling is heated through. Serve warm. Garnish with chopped green onions or crumbled bacon if desired.

Red, White and Blue Slaw

I think I found this on the Kraft Foods website a few years ago and it is so yummy. If you are not a fan of blue cheese you can use Fetta as it is not as strong. This is so yummy!

Red, White and Blue Slaw

• 6 cups green cabbage chopped
• 6 slices bacon, cooked
• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (or Fetta)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes quartered
• 3/4 cup Kraft coleslaw dressing (I make mine from scratch)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.

Zucchini Crusted Pizza

This is so delicious and can be so much more healthier than regular pizza depending on the toppings you use. It's a great way to use zucchini and it is super delicious! I love that it is not as filling as regular pizza so you don't feel stuffed after one slice. This is another recipe from my mom's ward cookbook. This one was contributed by Jerilyn Hoist. I added a lot more to it to make it super yummy.

Heart Healthy Tip: Replace eggs with 1/2 cup of egg whites. Omit cheese.

Zucchini Crusted Pizza

• 3 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 small zucchinis)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 tsp Basil, Italian herbs, onion powder and garlic powder

After you shred zucchini in food processor, place in a strainer and sprinkle salt over it. Let it sit in the sink or 15 minutes until water is drained and absorbed.

Combine all ingredients together including zucchini. Grease a 13X9 inch pan or use a pizza pan or stoneware. Spread ingredients over and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Spread spaghetti sauce on crust. Top with artichoke hearts, sliced onions, spinach leaves, sliced tomatoes, shredded Mozzarella and whatever else you'd like. Bake for another 20 minutes. Serve!

Chicken Juarez

This is super easy to make and very tasty. It reminds me of the sour cream enchiladas recipes but with a salsa flair and corn tortillas which gives it a whole new taste! Anything with cheese is always a hit at our house. I found this recipe in my mom's ward cookbook which is what I have been reading on my spare time. This recipe is from Marilee Funkhouser.

Chicken Juarez

• 1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups of cubed chicken, cooked
• 12 corn tortillas cut into 1 inch strips

Sauce:

• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 6 oz medium heat salsa

Grease 9X13 inch pan. Mix sauce in a medium bowl. Layer tortilla strips, chicken, sauce, then cheese - alternately. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Artichoke Rice Salad

This is so delicious! It makes a great side dish with any meat entree. It's like Mediterranean meets Indian food. So much flavor! Yes, another recipe from my mom's ward cookbook - contributed by Rosalie Grip. I'm so glad I tried it. It's such a creative way to do rice. I did make a few additions that I felt made it even better!

Artichoke Rice Salad

• 1 pkg chicken flavored rice mix
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, minced
• 12 green olives, sliced
• 2 (6 oz) jars marinated artichoke hearts
• 1/4 tsp Curry Powder
• 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Cook rice according to package, omitting butter. Cool. Add onions, green pepper and olives. Drain artichoke hearts, save liquid. Mix curry, mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, artichoke liquid and add to rice. Add artichoke hearts. Refrigerate until serving time. Garnish with red tomato wedge.

Asian Beef & Broccoli

Another delicious recipe from my mom's ward cookbook. I have made similar recipes before but this had just the right flavor. I added my own little contribution to the noodles. I like mine flavored! I also made some changes to the original recipe.

This is a recipe from Linda Lee Parsons.

Asian Broccoli & Beef

Noodles:

• 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti noodles
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp soy sauce

Sauce:

• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 4 Tbsp soy sauce

Meat:

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 3/4 lb thin cut steak sliced into thin strips
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

Veggies:

• 1 tsp oil
• 1 bag frozen broccoli florets
• 2 cups of whole mushrooms, quartered
• 8 oz sliced water chestnuts
• pinch of salt

Boil noodles according to package. Heat a skillet and coat with noodle ingredients. Fry until completely coated and tender. Set aside covered.

Mix sauce ingredients together. Bring to a boil in a small saucepan. As soon as it reaches a rapid boil remove from heat and stir for one minute. Set aside.

Heat skillet and fry steak in steak ingredients for 3-4 minutes on high heat. Remove from skillet. Add vegetable ingredients and cook until tender. Add steak back into pan and toss with veggies. Pour sauce over and stir on low heat until everything is coated in sauce. Serve over noodles.

Dipped Fruit Kabobs

This is what I made all the moms in my life for Mother's Day. I didn't follow a recipe just came up with how to do it and ingredients myself. It was very simple. You can make mini kabobs and stack more fruit of each skewer and arrange beautifully on a platter or arrange them like this in a bouquet. I used my favorite chocolate which I just bought on the gourmet candy isle at Walmart. It melts and stays in a liquid form much longer than cheap chocolate. The cheaper the chocolate the waxier it is and the faster it hardens. If you have to keep reheating your chocolate to melt it in the microwave then it changes the chemistry of the chocolate and it becomes lumpy. My microwave has a special feature on it just for melting chocolate. Another option is using a double broiler which always works well or a fondue pot. Never melt your chocolate directly on the stove - it will burn.

Dipped Fruit Kabobs

• 1 fresh pineapple, cored and sliced into large chunks
• 1 container of fresh strawberries
• 1 bag toasted coconut marshmallows
• 1 bag of wooden skewers
• 1-2 bags of Dove Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate Promises
• 1-2 Lindt white chocolate bars
• 1 bag of crush walnuts or chocolate sprinkles

Place fruit and marshmallows on skewers. Melt milk and white chocolate in separate bowls. Begin dipping fruit in whatever combination you like. Double dipped, milk drizzled over white or white drizzled over milk, then sprinkle nuts or sprinkles on. Place in tall mason jars or vases and place in fridge to solidify. If you lay them down on counter it will mess up the backside. You'll want to keep them in large air tight containers until ready to serve to keep them fresh and avoid the marshmallows from drying out.

To make the bouquets head over to Hobby Lobby for some cute designs on tissue paper and fun colors for cellophane. You'll want to fasten thick wire or rubber bands around the bottom of your skewers to keep them together then wrap in tissue paper, cellophane and ribbon!

Raspberry & Peach Coconut Cream Pie Squares

So, when I find a good base recipe I can never help but try it several ways. This is the base recipe to my Best Banana Pudding recipe. My husband is
not a fan of
bananas so I made it again with raspberries (his favorite). I also added fresh peaches and coconut and made this fabulous ensemble. It's one of our most favorite deserts. You can substitute the fruit for your favorite pie filling or fruit in this recipe. Try strawberries, lemon pie filling (put lemon zest in the cream base filling), apple pie filling (put cinnamon in the cream base recipe) or whatever your taste buds desire. I think tarts fruits work best to balance out the sweet cream. I'd love to hear what you come up with!!

Raspberry & Peach Coconut Cream Pie Squares

• 2 bags of Pepperidge Farms Chessman cookies
• 1 carton fresh raspberries
• 2 cups fresh peaches, sliced
• 1 cup shredded coconut (divided)
• 1 tsp coconut extract
  
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (5 0z) box instant French vanilla pudding
• 1 (8 oz) pkg of cream cheese softened
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 oz) cool whip or whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13X9 inch pan with one bag of cookies. Layer fruit on top then 1/2 cup of coconut. In a bowl combine milk and pudding. Blend until smooth. In another bowl combine cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture as well as coconut extract. Add this mixture to the pudding and mix stir well. Pour over the cookies and fruit. Top with remaining half cup of coconut. Layer other bag of cookies over the top. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Hot & Cheesy Crab Dip

I've made this a few times and it's delicious, hot and bubbly. It makes a great appetizer or party dish. If you don't like crab then leave it out or substitute it with something else. I use imitation crab because its cheaper though I do believe this dish tastes even better with the real deal. It's great on baguette slices or with wheat thins.

Hot & Cheesy Crab Dip

• 1 (16 oz) pkg Velveeta cheese product
• 1 large package of crab meat (flaked and drained)
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried basil

Mix cheese, crab, onions and peppers in large microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes until completely melted, stirring after 3 minutes. Stir in sour cream and ground red pepper. Serve hot!

Cranberry Orange Pull Apart

So in case you haven't noticed my favorite books to read are cookbooks. Lately I have been reading my mom's ward cookbook and here is recipe that I have deemed as my favorite!! It was submitted by Dina Hinrichsen. This not only makes your house smell delicious and welcoming but it works well as a bribe tool to get your kids to be good! I set it on the table fresh out of the oven (after I have frosted it of course ) and let the family just dig in. The original recipe calls for orange rolls but they didn't have any at my Walmart so I bought cinnamon and then just added orange juice to the frosting. It turned out super yummy and moist! (Just be careful..I forgot to put the tinfoil on at the end of baking time and the tops of my rolls got singed a bit.) Just follow the directions below.

Cranberry Orange Pull Apart

• 12 Rhodes Orange Rolls (or cinnamon), thawed but still cold
• 1 small package of dried instant vanilla pudding
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 orange rind, grated
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1/2 orange, squeezed
• cream cheese frosting is included with the rolls

Cut rolls in half and roll in dried pudding mix. Arrange, alternately with cranberries and orange rind in large Bundt pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Sprinkle remaining pudding over rolls. Pour melted butter over top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. During the last 15 minutes cover with tin foil to avoid burning on the top. Immediately invert into a platter. Add orange juice to cream cheese frosting and drizzle over top.

Crock Pot Cream Chicken

I think this is a recipe that everyone owns in some form or another. I have a few different versions of it myself. It is so delicious.You can serve it on rice or noodles but I prefer serving it over steamed broccoli.

This recipe is perfect for days when you know you have zero time to cook but want a nice dinner. You can throw the chicken breasts in the pot while they are frozen and a few hours later you have a nice meal.

Crock Pot Cream Chicken

• 4-6 chicken breasts
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 packet of dried Italian dressing mix

Place all ingredients in a crock pot and simmer on high for 3-4 hours.

Best Ever Taco Meat

I found this recipe in my mom's ward cookbook. I added 5 additional ingredients and I really do think this is now the best taco meat ever! Put it on tacos, burritos, nachos, enchiladas, or quesadillas.

Best Ever Taco Meat

• 1-2 lbs ground beef or turkey
• 1 bottle La Victoria mild green taco sauce
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar

Brown hamburger and diced onion. Mix in soup, sauce and remaining ingredients. Let simmer until desired
thickness. Enjoy!