Mac 'n Cheese

Growing up we occasionally had boxed Macaroni and cheese because it was quick to make and cheap for our big family of 8. I actually really liked it and still to this day I do but there is just something about homemade that is just out of this world. I absolutely love homemade mac n cheese and pretty much that is the only kind we eat around here. I have been searching for just the right recipe for it and I have finally found one I like. You see because I like mine to taste more like just melted cheese over noodles than noodles with a melted velveeta cheese sauce. Mine also has to be baked in the oven with a little extra cheese and bread crumbs(preferably from homemade bread)on top. So if you love HOmemade Mac N cheese you better go give this recipe a try you family will thank you for it!!! Oh and one more thing don't try to skinny this recipe with skim milk and such it just won't be as good. It is mac n cheese for goodnesssake just enjoy it! YOu have to be able to indulge sometimes just run and extra mile in your workout the day you make it if that makes you feel better!!!


Macaroni and Cheese
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
5 cups whole milk
2 lbs grated cheddar cheese or half cheddar half pepperjack
4 tsp (heaping) dry ground mustard(found in spice isle)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 - 1 1/2 lb of favorite shaped pasta(we like elbows or bowties but use what you like)
1-2 cups bread crumbs

Cook pasta until al dente according to pkg directions. Meanwhile melt the butter in a large pot. Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute stirring so it doesn't burn. Whisk in the milk, mustard, salt, season salt, and pepper and continue stirring and cooking for five to ten minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low and add in the grated cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Dump in the cooked pasta and stir well. Pour into a 9x13 inch pan or large casserole dish. Top with a little extra cheese and sprinkle with as much bread crumb as you like. I tend to go closer to 2 cups but do what you and your family likes. Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Yum!!!!

Note: if you like the gooey cheesy kind of mac n cheese than don't bake it just eat it right away!!

Honey Sesame Chicken

Like I have mentioned a time or two before on this blog we love love Chinese food. I find it hard to find chinese recipes that turn out the way that I want them to. So when I do I must share them. NOw I still like the Sweet and sour chicken recipe better but this chicken was good and my family liked it so it will reappear at our dinner table. If you love chinese food give this chicken a try it is worth the effort!!

Honey Sesame Chicken
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts(cut into 1 inch cubes)
oil(for deep frying)
Batter:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 egg white
Sauce:
4 T. oil
2 tsp ground ginger
1 T minced garlic
2 tsp salt
9 T. honey
1 T. rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
3 tsp cornstarch mixed with 3tsp water
Sesame seeds (for garnish)

In a large bowl mix all the batteringredients until smooth. Cover and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. Add chicken to the batter tossing to coat. Heat a deap fryer to 350 degrees. Fry chicken in batches for 2 minutes or until batter becomes firm. Drain on paper towels and place in a glass 9x13 inch pan. Set aside

Heat the oil in your wok. add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add salt, honey, vinegar, and water. Mix well. Combine the water and cornstarch and add to the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour over the chickn in pan and place in a 350 degree oven till bubbly and chicken is well glazed with sauce, about 30 minutes. Serve with rice and sesame seeds as garnish.

Homemade Snickers Bars

Let me tell you these bars are fabulous. I mean who doesn't like chocolate peanut butter and caramel. The do taste very similar to a Snickers candy bar. Now these have a few steps since you have to let each layer set but they are easy to make. Don't be discouraged by the steps go make these today you won't be disappointed!!!

Snickers Bars

First Layer:
1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave, in 30 second increments stirring until melted and smooth. Spread into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Put in fridge until set.

Second layer:
4 T. butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup marshmallow creme
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup chopped peanuts

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add in the sugar and milk and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the marshmallow creme, peanut butter, and vanilla. Stir in the peanuts. Pour over the chocolate layer and spread evenly. Place in fridg until set.

Third Layer:
14 oz bag caramels or 11 oz bag caramel bits(but caramel bits are way more expensive so I buy the caramels instead but do what you like)
2 T evaporated milk

Place in a microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave(30 second increments, stirring)until melted and smooth. Spread over marshmallow creme layer. and PLace in frige until set.

Fourth layer:
1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Melt in microwave like the first layer and spread over top of the caramel. Plave in fridge till set. Cut into squares and enjoy!!

Note: best served cold. so they aren't a complete sticky mess.Store leftovers in fridge if there are any!!!

Flour Tortillas

Let me start by saying there is nothing like a homemade tortilla. Once you start making and eating them you can hardly choke down a store bought one. Now these babies take practice. I have been making them for a couple years now and can finally say that they are nearly as good as the ones my hubby grew up eating.(from little mexican ladies across the border)I have even been given the thumbs up from the hubs on these. He won't even touch a burritos unless I make these. Now these aren't hard to mix up but they are hard to get rolled out and take a while to make becaue you have to roll one out cook it and then do another. YOu can't roll all the dough and then cook it all it just doesn't work. It goes faster if you have one rolling and one cooking but that doesn't happen to often around here. I still cannot make mine perfectly round but I am still working on it and hey they still taste wonderful even if not completely round and don't even get me started on the quesadillas with these babies. they are out of this world.


Flour Tortillas
5 cups flour
2 cups very hot water
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening or lard

With your stand mixer and the paddle attachement, mix the flour and salt. Mix in the shortening or lard until resembles fine crumbs.Add the water a little at a time until reach desired consistency. Should be a firm but soft dough(not too sticky but not too stiff) Mine is always firmer than bread dough if that helps you out. Sometimes I use all the water sometimes I don't. Remove from the mixer and roll into balls. Sprinkle your work surface with a little flour and working one at a time. Roll into a paper thin, and I mean paper thin as in you can almost see through it to the counter. then place in a hot skillet and cook pressing down with a kitchen towel until brown spots dot the surface of tortilla. FLip over and do same to other side. Should only take a few seconds. Do not overcook. Place in between two layers of a kitchen towel. Repeat with the next ball and once cooked stack all of them together on towel. The steam from each one keeps them soft.

Note: I use a piece of pvc pipe to roll them out. It works way better than a rolling pin. Just ask you husband to pick you up a small piece at lowes or home depot if you don't have one laying around the house.

Chocolate Chip Cheescake Bars

As a little kid I love spreading cream cheese over my chocolate chip cookies. So when I came across this ideas for to have cheesecake between two layers of cookie dough I knew that I had to try them out. Oh boy these were so yummy!! The nice thing about them is if you are short on time you can just use store bought premade dough. Now I am not into that nor will I ever be but I will never know of you do so just make it how you want to.If you love chocolate chip cookies and cheesecake give these babies a try you won't regret it.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

1 1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups flour
1-2 packages chocolate chips(depending on how much you like we like a lot)

In a mixer, mix the butter and sugars until light a fluffy. Add the eggs and mix well. Pour in vanilla and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix till well combined.Pour in chocolate chips and stir. Press half of the cookie dough into a 9x13 inch pan(preferably not a glass one)Set aside this and the remaining dough.

For cheesecake layer:
Mix 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla until well combined. Spread over the bottom layer of dough in pan then top with the remaining cookie dough all over the top as evenly as you can.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Notes:
I think they taste best chilled. ALso store in the fridge

I pat the remaining dough into little circles and place them over the cream cheese layer because you can't press it over the cream cheese layer or it will make a mess.

You could also use other flavors of cookie dough if you prefer as well. Make the recipe your own!!!

Flakey Buttermilk Biscuits

I have been searching for years for that one great biscuit recipe and I found it a couple of months ago over at the Recipe Shoebox.Now these biscuits are made with butter and let me tell you they are awesome. None of that shortening flavor you get with ones made with shortening. Now I have tried to make these with shortening just for food storage purposes and they are fine but if you want a real yummy flakey buttery biscuit give this recipe a try and follow the directions to a T. You will not be disappointed I promise!!!

Flakey Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
5 Tbs. chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 Tbs. honey


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and honey, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times. Roll dough into a 1/2-inch thick 9x5-inch rectangle; dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds (as if folding a piece of paper to fit into an envelope). Reroll dough into a 1/2-inch thick 9x5-inch rectangle; dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds again; gently roll or pat to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 1-3/4-inch biscuit cutter to form 10 dough rounds. Place dough rounds, 1 inch apart, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or you can just grease the cookie sheet with Pam. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan; cool 2 minutes on wire racks. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Note:I always double the recipe for my family of 5 I find that it doesn't always make ten biscuits like the recipe says because we like ours a little bit fatter!!!
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Thai Coconut Curry Noodles

If you want something yummy and fast to cook for dinner let me introduce you to these yummy Thai noodles. They came together in less than a half hour from start to finish. My kids as well as my husband and I gobbled these up in a hurry. Once again my picture is less than stellar but I am sure you are use to my bad photography skills by now. One of these days I will be better at it but for now just trust me these noodles are yummy.


Thai Coconut Curry Noodles

1 lb. linguini
1(12oz) package of frozen stir fry veggies or 6 oz broccoli and 6 oz julienned carrots(i had 12 oz of broccoli slaw mix that had julienned carrots, cabbage and broccoli in it so that is what I used)
1/2 c. sliced green onions
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced(I used a handful of mini sweet peppers)
1 tsp dried ginger or 1 T. minced fresh ginger
2 T. minced garlic
3 T. red curry paste
Juice of 1 lime
3 T. olive oil
1 can coconut milk
2 T. soy sauce
4 T. sweet chili sauce(can find at walmart in asian section-i used the Mae Ploy brand)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame Seed for garnish

Cook past according to the package directions. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, curry paste, and lime juice. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and red peppers and cook until veggies are tender and garlic is fragrant. Add the veggies you are using whether frozen or the broccoli and carrrots or the broccoli slaw. Cook until those veggies are heated through and crisp tender. Then add the coconut mixture and cook until it begins to boil. Boil for a few minutes stirring often. Then add cook noodles to sauce and veggies and mix well. Serve with extra limes and sesame seeds if desired.

Note:use whatever combination of veggies you like. I chose the broccoli slaw because I had it on hand and knew it would cook up quickly because the veggies were cut small. Next time I am going to try some broccoli flourets and see which I like better. Be creative use what your family will eat!!!YOu don't always have to stick strictly to a recipe change it up to fit your family's likes!!!

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

So the other day I wanted to try something different from the normal parmesan breaded chicken that we usually have with baked potatoes. I found this recipe awhile back and have been meaning to try it out. It was very tasty and was given a thumbs up by my hubby and family. Now I know some of you will freak out to see that you cook the chicken in butter and that you use cream for the sauce but believe me these add to the flavor of the chicken. YOu an substitute olive oil for the butter if you would like but I don't reccomend using anything other than cream for the sauce. And a little bit of sauce so a long way. My belief in food and such is everything in moderation not getting completely rid of everything you just need moderation!!! Anyway, if you need a new way to have chicken give this recipe a try!!! Awesome chicken with pasta as well Just add a little of the cream sauce to the pasta!!!


Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce
2-3 eggs, beaten
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
4 chicken breast cute into halves(8 pieces) and flattened with meat mallet
1/4 cup butter or use olive oil or use half butter half oil(that is what i did)
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Liberally salt and pepper each side of the flatened out chicken.Place eggs in a shallow dish.Mix bread crumbs and 1 cup parm cheese in another shallow dish. Dipe each piece of chicken in the eggs and then the bread crumb mixture and set on a cookie sheet. IN a skillet over medium heat melt the butter or heat the oil and cook chicken in it until browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove from the skillet and keep warm in the oven. I had to do my chicken in batches because all didn't fit in my skillet at once. After you cook the chicken add the chicken broth to the skillet and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen up all the browned bits from the pan. Stir in the cream, basil, and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and whisk in the other cup parmesan cheese. Sauce will be thin. Pour over chicken and serve with pasta, rice or a baked potatoe.

Heath Bar Blondies

If you love blondies then do I have a recipe for you. These blondies were awesome. Loaded with chocolate, tofee, and nuts. I mean what's not to love about that. Just look at the picture!!! If you are craving something sweet go give these babies a try!!!

Heath Bar Blondies (makes a 9x13 and 8x8 inch pan)
3 sticks butter
3 cups packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 T. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cup heath or skor bar crumbles
1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds(I finely chopped mine

Preheat oven to 350 and grease your pans. Brown the butter by melting it over medium heat in a skillt on the stove until it becomes a golden caramel color. Be careful not to burn the butter. You only want to brown it. This will take several minutes and it is easiest to keep swirling the pan with your hand while it browns.

Pour the browned butter into the bowl of your mixer and add the brown sugar. Beat for about 4 minutes, until creamy. Add the eggs and beat again. Then add the flour, salt and vanilla. Beat until combined. Fold in the heath bar bits and chopped nuts. Spread out mixture in your prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until edges begin to pull away from the side of the pan. Let cool before slicing into squarees.

Note: You can easily cut this recipe down. If you want to do a 9x13 pan only than decrease recipe by 1/3 and if you want just a 8x8 pan decrease the recipe by 2/3.

Recipe source:www.eatliverun.com

Bourbon Chicken(no actual bourbon used)

Please disregard the yellow tint of my photo. It was dark already outside and inside lighting in my kitchen is horrible for picture taking. We love anything chinese in this house even my kids go crazy for it. If and when we go out for dinner(occasionally) they always seem to request chinese. So when I saw this recipe over on Jamie Cooks it Up website I knew I had to give this a try. Now for those of you, like me ,who do not drink any kind of alcohol this chicken is great because most bouron chicken has bourbon in it but this does not. I love how quick and easy this meal came together and it was delicious. My hubby and I had to put so Siracha chili sauce on to make it spicy because that is how we roll. I would have put it in the actual sauce but I wanted my little little ones to be able to eat it to. Anyway, if you like chinese food give this chicken try!!!


Bourbon Chicken
5 large chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 T. kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
1-2 T. sesame oil
2 T. olive oil
2 T. garlic, minced
1/2 cup apple or pineapple juice
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 T. ketchup
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes(will not make it too spicy)
2 T. Cornstarch
Siracha Chili Sauce(optional)

Mix your diced chicken with salt, pepper, and sesame oil and refrigerate for 1 hour. Heat up a large skillet over medium high heat. Once it is hot add the olive oil. Add your chicken pieces and let them cook, stirring only occasionally. The chicken will start to get a bit juicy and bubbly. Put the lid on the pan and drain the juice off the chicken and discard. Continue cooking the chicken until the chicken starts to get a nice brown color to some of the pieces. While the chicken is browning, in a medium size bowl combine, the garlic, apple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch. Whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved and all ingredients are well combined. When .your chicken is nice and browned. Pour the sauce over the chicken. stir it around to cover all the chicken pieces. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, coverd with lid vented to let steam escape, for 20 minutes. Stir a couple of time during that period. Serve over white or brown rice with steamed veggies. Also add some Siracha chili sauce if you like it spicy( you can find this in any store in the asian section).