Stuffing

So I know we just had Thanksgiving and that many of you prefer the easy route of making stuffing from a box but we also have stuffing Christmas day so I thought I would post my recipe for stuffing. Now believe me this stuffing is way better than anything you can get from a box and it is all homemade (well except the veggies). Now you can take a short cut and use already made stuffing cubes or day old french bread from the store and it will be great but if you have time use one of your favorite white bread recipes and make bread a few days before and make it with that. I got many rave reviews and even one comment from a friend that he could never eat any other stuffing again. Now I am not trying to toot my own horn I am just trying to get you to go make this stuffing and get you away from the boxed stuff!!!

Stuffing(makes 1-9x13 and 1-8x8pan)
2 loaves french bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes(about 15 cups bread cubes)
1 stick butter, plus more for top when baking
1 T. olive oil
8 stalks celery, diced small
2 onions, diced small
1-2 T. minced garlic(I use a lot because if you haven't already noticed we love garlic)
3-4 cups chicken broth(depending on how moist you like it)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
2 T. dried parsley or 6 T fresh parsley chopped
2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets. Toast in oven until golden about 20 minutes, tossing once during that time. Melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the celery, onions, garlic, pinch of salt and cook until veggies are soft. Mix the toasted bread crumbs with the veggies. Stir in the seasonings and chicken broth. Taste to see if it needs more salt. Then place in greased pans. Put pats of butter over the top of each pan. Cover with foil and bakd for 25 minutes , an uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until your desired crispyness is reached. I like mine crispy but a lot of people like their moist so cook it less if you like it moist. Enjoy!!

Note: you can also stuff a turkey with it. Just stuff it inside the turkey right after you mix everything together instead of baking it.

Cream Cheese Veggie Soup

I have seen this soup on many other cooking blogs and have had it bookmarked to make for awhile and finally did. Now that it is getting cold here. It snowed yesterday(didn't stick)but none the less it cooled it off. There is nothing better than a warm comforting soup on a cold day. This soup was awesome and so easy to make. It came together quickly. Go make this soup you will be thankful you did.

Cream Cheese Veggie Soup
2 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
2-3 stalks, celery chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 T. minced garlic
1-2 lbs. small red potatoes(I left the skins on. if using other potatoes peel and chop)
4 cups or 32 oz box of chicken stock
1 cup milk(any kind skim 1% 2% or whole milk)
4 T. flour
1 (8 oz) pkg. regular or light cream cheese(i used light)needs to be really soft I just microwave mine for about 20-30 seconds
1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded or 1 lb smoked sausage( like hillshire farms cut and fried till brown one each side)I used smoked sausage was yummy!!!or can leave meat out and make it vegetarian if you want.
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. parsley
1 cup frozen corn

In a large pot melt the butter, add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and saute until for about 5 minutes till the veggies start to get tender. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, bring back to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the veggies are tender. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and flour until smooth. While stirring the soup, pour the milk/flour mixture into the soup and cook until soup begins to thicken. Add the salt, pepper,and parsley. Add the very soft cream cheese into pot in little clumps and cook stirring until melted into the soup. Add the chicken or smoked sausage and frozen corn and heat through. Serve warm with rolls or crusty bread.

Caramel Truffles

Well the holiday season is in full swing and we all know what that means. Goodies, goodies, and more goodies. If you are needed a new idea for something to add to your holiday fare or candy/cookie plates you give out to friends and neighbors than look no further. These awesome truffles are easy to make and taste delicious. If you love truffles you must give these babies a try and believe me those you give them to will love you for it!!!

Caramel Truffles

26 caramels(store bought or homemade)

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/3 cups more milk chocolate chips(or if you are a dark chocolate fan use that)

1 T. shortening

Line a 8 inch square pan with plastic wrap, set aside. In a microwave safe bowl combine the caramels, 1 cup chocolate chips, and cream. Microwave on high 1 minute, then stir. Continue microwaving , stirring every 15 seconds until melted and smooth. Spread in the prepared pan and refrigerate until firm. Cut into 30 pieces and roll into 1 inch balls. Refrigerate for 1 hour. (or speed the process up by sticking them in the freezer) Melt the remaining chocolate chips and shortening together until smooth. Dip each ball in the chocolate. place on a cookie sheet or plate and refrigerate until firm. Eat and enjoy!!!

30 minute Baguette Bread(or a little bit longer)

Wow is about all I can say about this bread. When I saw the recipe and noticed you only had to raise the bread once and for only 30 minutes I was suprised. I have tried breads that don't raise much and they were hard little rocks and I was very disappointed. I decided I had better try this bread out. Let me tell you it was awesome. Not only is it fast but it tasted fantastic as well and don't even get me started on toasting it the next day and slathering it with butter. If you are in need of a quick bread recipe to serve with soup or with pasta and don't have time for a lengthy rising process than give this bread a try. And it is so much cheaper than picking up a loaf at the local super market. Now don't get me wrong I love breads that take hours to make but this is great addition to a fast weeknight meal.And the ingredients everyone should always have on hand in their pantry's.

Baguette Bread(makes 2 loaves)
2 cups very warm water
1 T. yeast
2 T. honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour(may need a little more I always add a little more)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.In the bowl of your mixer combine the water, yeast, and honey. Give it a quick little stir and let set for 10 minutes or until the yeast is bubbly. Turn the mixer on and add the salt and 2 cups flour. Mix for 2 minutes. Add 2 more cups of flour and mix. Kneed the dough in the mixer for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Remove the dough from the mixer and knead by hand a few times, adding a little bit of flour if it is to sticky. The dough should be soft and tacky but not sticky!!! Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each piece into a 12 inch rope. Twist two of the pieces together, pinching the ends to secure. Repeat with remaining two pieces. Place both twists on a large greased cookie sheet. Cover with towel and let raise for 30 minutes. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes(mine takes 20 min) Brush each loaf with butter about 2 minutes before done. Finish baking. The butter helps the top crust turn brown.

Note: you can substitute instant yeast for the active dry yeast just add it in with the flour. I have used both kinds and works great with each

Note: I have also used half white whole wheat flour and all purpose flour and it turned out great!! I haven't tried all wheat yet but if you do I recommend using white whole wheat flour.

Sour Cream Waffles

My kids and hubby could eat waffles everyday and well I could too but we usually only have time for them on the weekend unless we wanted to get up at 5 am and that just isn't going to happen we get up early enough as it is to get my kids on the bus by 6:30. I have a wonderful waffle and pancake recipe already well actually I have two one is here but I am always looking for ways to change it up. When I stumbled across this recipe on a friend Emily's food blog(she has some great recipes go and check them out here) I knew I had to give it a try and man were they good. Not the least fattening but oh so good!! And lets face it once you slather those waffles with butter and syrup they aren't that healthy for you anyway. If you want a new way to fix waffles give these babies a try!!

Sour Cream Waffles
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour(you can use white if you like)
2 T sugar
2 T. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, melted
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
6 large eggs

In a large bowl whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a smaller bowl, mix the butter, buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until mostly smooth, don't overmix. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray(do this for each batch of waffles you put in). Enjoy with butter and your favorite waffle toppings.

Blueberry Muffins

My husband loves and I mean loves blueberry muffins. He has to go to work real early each day so I have to have things on hand that he can just grab and go. I went on the search for a good blueberry muffin recipe. Boy was this recipe tasty. It for now will be my go to blueberry muffin recipe. I found this over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe and adapted it a little to our liking. If you love blueberry muffins you will love this muffin recipe believe me!!!

Blueberry Muffins adapted from Mel's kitchen cafe

12 oz bag frozen blueberries or 2 cups fresh blueberries(I used frozen because they were cheaper at the time)

1 1/8 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

4 T. melted butter

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Toss in the blueberries with the flour mixture. in another bowl whisk the sugar and eggs together until thick, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in melted butter and oil until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla until combined. With a rubber spatula fold in the egg mixture into the flour mixture just until all ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix-the batter will be lumpy with just a few dry spots. this is the key to moist and tender muffins. Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 of the way full with batter. Then sprinkle each muffin with this mixture:

1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

Mix until crumbly with a pastry blender or a knife and fork and sprinkle on top of each muffin-be generous. Bake the muffins at 325 for 20-25 minutes our until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

*makes 12-16 muffins

Falafel

We love all kinds of food from all over the world around our house. My husband had to live over in Egypt for a time for school and ate a lot of falafel over there. It is one of there main staples. They eat it inside pita bread as a sandwich. We love these little fried patties ever since he asked me to make them. We have been making them for years. Even if you think you don't like garbanzo beans you must give these babies a try. Paired with homemade pita bread(recipe here), lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese(or whatever cheese you like for that matter), avocados, and yogurt cucumber sauce make these irresistible!!

Falafel

1 can garbanzo beans(chickpeas)drained and rinsed

1/2 large onion roughly chopped(about 1 cup)

2 T. fresh parsley or you can use 1 T. dried

2 T. fresh cilantro

3/4 tsp salt

1/2-1 tsp. dried hot red pepper(depending on how hot you want it)

4 cloves, or 2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp baking powder

4-6 T. flour (I ended up using almost 10 T.)

Put onion, parsley, cilantro, hot pepper, salt, garlic, and cumin in a food processor or blender and blend till onion is small. Dump in the beans and process until well blended but not totally pureed. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 T. of flour and pulse. YOu want to add enough flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered for several hours. Form the chickpea mixture into little patties about the size of a sausage patty. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees and fry the patties for a few minutes, or until browned, on each side. Drain on paper towels and serve with pita bread(recipe found Here) and any toppings you would like as I mentioned above.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut butter and chocolate. Pure heaven. These cookies are awesome!! I have another recipe for peanut butter cookies but this recipe is way better. It will be my go to recipe for now on. You can not eat just one of these babies believe me!! If you love PB and chocolate as much as I do go make yourself a batch of these!! And just try and not eat the whole plate of them!!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies
1 1/2-2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 butter, softened
1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter(my husband has issues with nuts in his cookies or brownies so I used creamy)
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 T. milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2-1 cup peanut butter chips
1-1/2 cup chocolate chips(whatever kind you like best)
2 T. granulated sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl beat the brown sugar, butter and peanut butter until fluffy. Mix in the egg,vanilla, and milk;mix well. Add the flour, soda, and powder and beat thoroughly. Mix in the chocolate and peanut butter chips.Place the 2 T. sugar on a plate. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of cookie dough onto plate and roll till all coated with sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and gently press the top of each cookie with you thumb to slightly flatten. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake. they may appear underdone but they are not!! Cool on cookie sheets for 4 minutes. Then enjoy!!

Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

As I have said before we love Indian food in our house. This recipe is just awesome. It is not quite as good as regular curry but it is a close second and it is super simple to make. Next Time we will put some potatoes in it, use less chicken and use bigger pieces of onion. We love potatoes and onion chunks in our curry and it will make this meal go further and be cheaper than using so much meat but none the less it was a 5 star meal. If you love curry give this a try. My kids and hubby gobbled this up!!!

Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce(written with the changes I will make to it next time)

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced

2-3 large potatoes (peeled and boiled till almost done they will continue to cook in the curry)

1 large onion, roughly chopped(I used a red one)

2 T. minced garlic

2-3 T. curry powder, Divided

3-4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp chili powder

4 jalapenos, diced(remove the rib and seeds if you want it less spicy but don't worry about it being too spicy I left the ribs and seeds in and my kids still ate it)

2 T. olive oil

3(14 oz) cans coconut milk(may use light if you like)

3 T. cornstarch

2 T. dried basil

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Place diced uncooked chicken in a medium bowl. Stir together 2 T curry powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp pepper, and chili powder. dump over chicken and mix till chicken is well coated. Cover and chill in fridge for 1-2 hours. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add diced chicken, onion, jalapeno, and garlic and cook till meat is cooked and veggies tender. Add in the basil, 1 T. curry powder, the rest of the salt, and ginger, cook stirring for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, Mix the coconut milk and cornstarch till smooth. Pour into the pot over the chicken and veggies and bring to a boil stirring and cooking till thickened and bubbly. Add the potatoes.Turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over hot basmati rice.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Macaroon Granola

Oats, toasted coconut, almonds, chocolate. Nothing could be better than that. This granola is awesome. Reminds me of eating a macaroon or toasted coconut covered in chocolate(which we call haystacks). If you love coconut you will love this granola!!

Macaroon Granola

8 cups rolled oats(not quick cooking)

1 cup wheat germ

1 cup ground flaxseed or whole I used about half and half of each

3 cups shredded coconut

2 cups chopped almonds

1 tsp salt

1 T. Coconut extract

1 T. vanilla

1 1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup coconut milk(unsweetened)

1 cup coconut oil(liquid) You can buy this at any grocery store i got mine in Walmart by all the other cooking oils(mine was solid but I just microwaved it till it was liquid)

1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar

3 cup dark chocolate,chopped or chips

combine all the dry ingredient in a large bowl and mix. in a smaller bowl combine all the liquid ingredients and then dump over the oat mixture. Mix well then spread out on a large greased cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for about 45 minutes. stirring at least twice throughout the cooking process. Take out and let rest on the pan for 30 minutes than transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely then add the dark chocolate and stir. Store in an airtight container.