Sour Cream Lemon Pie Filling

I wish I didn't know how to make this. It would be better for my fitness goals.

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

2 cups sugar
7 T cornstarch (I put in a 1/2 cup because I am lazy.)
1 cup lemon juice
6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sour cream
1 baked and cooled 9 inch pie shell
whipped cream or cool whip

Combine sugar, cornstarch, juice, egg yolks, and milk in large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbling, whisking constantly to avoid scorching. Stir in butter, stirring until completely melted. Cool mixture to room temperature. Pour half of the mixture into the pie shell. Stir sour cream into remaining lemon mixture and pour on top of filling in pie shell. Cover and refrigerate overnight, then top with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Livin' La Vida Lard-a

I was reading online about lard. Don't even ask about the convoluted chain of events that resulted in such a thing, but hey, want the link? I took myself to Walmart. To say I felt stigmatized by the purchase would be an understatement: I hid that blue box beneath a box of Depends, my prescription butt acne medication, and my least recent divorce papers.

Then I brought it home and hid it in the basement for a few weeks.
But I decided today was "lard day." I have a hankering for pie anyway.

I'll give you the pie crust recipe in a minute. Here's the straight dope on lard: The article was very clear that lard doesn't taste like pork, but what they failed so mention was that it sure SMELLS like pork. That's pretty much a nightmare for the home cook, because who wants people thinking you've spent your morning frying bacon when really you've just pulled an apple pie out of the oven? Nevertheless, I soldiered on and made my porky pie crust. I cooked some of the little leftover bits sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and my full report is:
THAT WAS THE LIGHTEST AND FLAKIEST PIE CRUST I HAVE EVER EATEN IN MY WHOLE LIFE.
AND IT DID NOT TASTE LIKE BACON.

Lard, we will meet again. I have just enough left over for a round of Angel Biscuits.

Every Time Pie Crust (from Janet)

3 cups flour (here's how you will measure it: Stir your flour. Lightly spoon into measuring cup. Level without packing or tapping.)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 cup shortening (Or lard...I think next time I will do half and half.)
1 egg, slightly beaten
4-5 T water (4 if you use a large egg, 5 if you use a small egg)
1 T white vinegar

Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the size of small peas. In a small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix lightly with fork. Be gentle with your pie crust- don't overmix, but don't be afraid to stick your hands in there to combine it all together. I find that if I let the dough rest for about 15 or 30 minutes at this point, it becomes very easy to roll out and work with. Roll out on a floured board. Yield: 2 thick crusts or 3 thin ones.

When you roll out pie dough, be gentle. Don't press super hard- be light and take your time getting it to the size you want. (Gentlemen: This applies to the ladies as well.) (Sorry about that, I just couldn't help myself.) Then, roll your dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over your pie dish. Or, you might try folding it into quarters, and then unfolding in the pie dish. Whatever your tactic, don't just "Pick it up and pray" because that always ends bad. Then use scissors to trim around the edges: give yourself about a 3/4 inch overhang.

Here is an easy way to get a pretty edge. You can choose from a clear picture that doesn't necessarily show what's going on, or a blurry picture that's a slightly better representation.

I'm not Pioneer Woman. Kate was mad I dragged her away from a playdate to be my photographer so I guess it shows.

Obviously, this is a single crust pie. For prebaked crusts, 20 minutes at 350 should do it.
For double crust pies, seal the edges together with a little milk between them (just rub in on with your finger and lightly press the crusts together), then finish the edges the same way. Cook according to that specific recipe's directions.

A Few Pointers on Pre-baked Crusts:
A: Do not stretch the crust to fit your pie dish. It will shrink back, and that's a promise. Roll it out the the right size and then nestle it into the dish.
B: Before baking, either pierce the crust all over with a fork or use pie weights. I'll be honest, every time I take the fork-piercing route versus the weights route, I'm a little disappointed in the result. That said, I suggest a sheet of parchment over your raw crust gently filled with rice or beans (not refried, folks, dry ones. If you use rice, you can't cook it to eat later, so save it to be your "pie weight" rice.)

Alfredo for the Other 364 Days of the Year

This recipe is from Rocco Dispirito and was published in the April 2010 issue of Runner's World. We had it for dinner tonight, and I was pleasantly surprised by its level of tastiness. So, I share.

Rocco's Fettuccine Alfredo

8 oz. whole wheat fettuccine
1 T butter
3 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch of nutmeg
3/4 cup low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup 5 percent Greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Combine cornstarch and nutmeg in a small bowl, whisk in chicken broth until smooth. Pour into saute pan and bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally. When sauce is thick and simmering, whisk in 1/2 cup of cheese until melted. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in yogurt until smooth. Toss fettuccine with Alfredo sauce, season with salt and pepper, and top pasta with remaining cheese. Serves 4 (at under 350 calories a serving. Nice.)

I added 2 cups of cooked peas to my pasta, mainly because I'm always trying to add vegetables to my food. It was good!

Alfredo Sauce

I love a good Alfredo sauce! I know how terrible they are for me, but sometimes I just can't resist. I rationalize when eating out and just order a side of Alfredo that I can dip my bread in, and then I tell myself, "It wasn't nearly as much as you would have consumed if you'd ordered pasta with Alfredo sauce on it." And, about once a year, I make homemade Alfredo sauce. Then I run, run, run like hell for the next week to compensate.

Alfredo Sauce

3 Tablespoons butter
8 ounces heavy whipping cream
salt to taste
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (the real stuff. Not the crap in the green can.)
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 egg yolk
additional grated cheese for garnish

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add heavy cream, stirring constantly. Stir in salt, nutmeg, and grated cheeses. Stir constantly until melted. Add a little hot liquid to egg yolk, whisking constantly, then add egg yolk mixture back into cream mixture, again whisking constantly. (This is called "tempering" and it allows you to add eggs to hot sauces by first bringing the eggs up in temperature with the addition of just a little hot liquid so that you can add them to sauces without having little bits of egg in there.) Simmer over medium low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta and garnish with additional cheese if desired.

Then call your cardiologist and sincerely apologize.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

It's cold here today. Even though the weatherman said it would be 78 degrees, it sure isn't. And a chill in the air makes me think about soup. This soup is kind of like the chicken enchilada soup at Chili's, only made fresh in your own kitchen instead of in a factory somewhere then shipped in a 5 gallon bucket to your neighborhood restaurant (total conjecture on my part, but it seems logical.).

Chicken Enchilada Soup
From Liza.

1/2 cup canola oil (or a little less)
1/4 cup chicken base/bouillon
2 cups onions, diced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic (powdered or fresh)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups masa flour (in the Mexican Foods aisle)
4 quarts water
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 lb (16 oz.) Velveeta, cubed
2 or 3 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded
1 small can tomato sauce

In a large pot saute onions in oil, chicken base, and spices. Cook until onions are soft. In another bowl combine masa with 1 quart water. Whisk out lumps. Add to onion mixture and bring to boil. Mixture will be thick. Cook and stir three minutes to rid masa of raw taste. Add remaining water and whisk out lumps. Bring to boil. Add remaining ingredients and heat until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and crushed corn chips on top.

This makes a very large batch, so plan on halving the recipe, freezing some (it freezes great!), or inviting over the missionaries.

Lydia's Favorite Bread Recipe

Lydia is my neighbor, and her sister owns a bakery in Ohio. This is her recipe. I have been on the search for an easy wheat bread recipe that is reliable and moist and I think this one fits the bill. Disclaimer: Do not attempt this recipe in anything but a Bosch mixer. If you are using anything else, cut the recipe in half or you will be in the market for a new mixer, catch my drift?

Favorite Bread
6 cups hot water
3/4 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 T salt
3 T yeast (again, buy SAF yeast. That is all.)
12-15 cups flour, wheat or white (High gluten "Better for Bread" flours are your best bet. For those in the Utah county area: Lehi Roller Mills Turkey Flour. You can get it at the Mill or Costco.)

Combine water, oil, brown sugar, salt, and 6 cups of flour, mixing well. Add yeast then the remaining 6-9 cups of flour. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, letting each one fully incorporate before adding the next. Add flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl but still sticks to the bottom. Let mixer run for an additional 8-10 minutes (if you are kneading by hand, knead for 16-20 minutes and then send me a picture of your super buff arms.) Shape into loaves, let rise for 30 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 4-5 loaves.

Judd Potato Salad

Ask a Judd. There's only ONE way to make potato salad. I'm about to tell you how. The moment you deviate from this recipe in the slightest, whether it's to add a few pickles, or a little mustard, or to use Miracle Whip (Heaven Forbid) instead, it is no longer Judd Potato Salad. That is all.

Judd Potato Salad

13 potatoes (russets are fine)
14 eggs
1 bunch of green onions
about 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Best Foods Mayo (no substitutions. The kind with the blue lid.)

I'm giving these amounts because I just made this tonight and they are fresh in my mind, but the rule of thumb is this: Cook one potato and one egg for every person you are serving, plus one more egg, and eyeball the green onions, salt, and mayo. Also, this potato salad is best when it is made the night before you will serve it.

Cook the potatoes in boiling water (skins on) until soft but not falling apart. Let cool. Peel and finely chop. Hard boil the eggs, peel and finely chop. ("Nobody likes a big bite of egg," says Merrilee.) Chop the green onions and combine with potatoes and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt, and stir in mayo. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the amount of potatoes and eggs listed above, I used most of a 30 oz. bottle of mayo- maybe 3/4 of it. Add the mayo a little at a time because there is no going back. If you get too much, you are in trouble. Also, I find that this salad grows a little more salty as it sits overnight, so go easy. You can always add more before serving.

Gingersnaps Half-Dipped in White Chocolate

Oh, Sandy S., you ruined me for just regular old gingersnaps when you exposed me to these chewy, white chocolaty gems.

Gingersnaps Dipped in White Chocolate

1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cups molasses
4-5 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
20 oz. white chocolate (quality dipping chocolate is best)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in molasses. Mix dry ingredients and add gradually to wet. Start with 4 cups of flour and add additional flour if needed until dough is not sticky. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in additional sugar and place on greased (or parchment paper) cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Leave on baking sheet for 1 minutes and then move cookies to a cooling rack. Melt chocolate on lowest temp. in oven. Dip one half of each baked cookie. Lay dipped cookies on parchment paper after dipping or they will stick. Let cool. Makes 5-6 dozen.

Cornbread

I should have a blog completely dedicated to recipes my friend Janet has given me. On second thought, SHE should write that blog. At any rate, my search for delicious cornbread ended with this recipe from her. P.S. If your comment is going to be something along the lines of "...there's just so many steps..." then you might as well keep making that dry, crusty cornbread you've been eating all your life. The work here is worth it.

Cornbread

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup). Let it cool while you complete the following:

Whisk together in a mixing bowl:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

In a blender or food processor combine:
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
Process about 10 or 20 seconds. There will still be little pieces of corn.

Make a well (a big dent, for the uninitiated) in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Fold together just until combined. Fold in the cooled (but still liquid) butter, just until combined. DO NOT OVERMIX. Pour into 8x8 greased baking dish and bake until golden brown, 25-35 minutes. The cornbread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Chicken Enchiladas

I love ward cookbooks. It seems like they always have tried and true delicious recipes. My next few posts are going to be favorites from ward cookbooks. These chicken enchiladas were brought to me by my neighbor Gloria when I had just given birth to Kiki. I obsessed about them until I finally got the recipe from her. Gloria is from Honduras, so I was darn excited to have an authentic recipe for chicken enchiladas. It was only recently that she informed me that she had gotten the recipe from a cookbook. Shoot. Still, they are my favorite chicken enchiladas ever, and there's nary a can of cream of chicken soup in sight.

Gloria's Chicken Enchiladas

1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped (I use a whole pepper. I'm always looking to sneak more veggies into our diets.)
5 tablespoons butter
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (When I'm feeling really lazy, I just pick up a rotisserie chicken from the deli. Also, I probably use more like 3 or 4 cups of chicken. Bruce is a big eater.)
1 (4 0z) can chopped green chiles
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp ground coriander
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
12- 6 inch tortillas.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, cook onion and green pepper in 2 T of the butter until tender. Combine onion mixture in a bowl with chicken and green chiles. Set aside. For the sauce, in the same sauce pan melt remaining butter. Stir in flour and coriander. Cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly (this will ensure your sauce doesn't have a weird flour-y taste). Whisk in chicken broth and cook until thickened and boiling. Whisk in sour cream and half of the cheese. Stir until melted. Stir 1/2 cup of sauce into chicken mixture. Place about 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill tortillas with chicken, roll up, and place seam side down in dish. Pour remaining sauce over, sprinkle with remaining cheese, bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

First- This is a dish that I have made ahead with good success. I follow the recipe right up to the end, except for sprinkling the cheese on top. I cover the enchiladas with foil and refrigerate until needed (like later that day, folks, not sometime next week). I then preheat the oven, bake them for 30 minutes with the foil on, then remove the foil, add the cheese, and bake another 30 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

Second- I am really trying to cut most cheese out of my diet. It has a lot of calories. I have left the cheese off of the top of my last 2 batches of these, and no one even noticed. In the same vein, I use reduced fat sour cream almost exclusively, and again, no one notices.

Lastly- if you are not buying raw tortillas to cook at home, you are seriously missing out.

No-Knead Overnight Bread

The thing that makes bread good is glutens. Glutens are developed two ways: by kneading, or with time. This recipe uses the "time" method, meaning that you mix this dough in a large mixing bowl, then walk away. Over time I have eliminated and simplified as I am prone to do, but here is the original recipe if you are curious. I'm giving you the ingredients for a double batch, because this bread is GOOD. It is a crusty, somewhat dense loaf that is great for sandwiches or dipping in oil and vinegar (our favorite).

6 cups bread flour (bread flour is flour that is higher in glutens to start with than all-purpose flour. Do yourself and your bread a favor and buy some. Also, I've used a 50/50 combination of white and wheat flour and still had a good result.)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast (not a typo. One half of one teaspoon yeast.)
3 5/8 cups of water

Mix dry ingredients together with a fork in a large mixing bowl. Add water and mix until blended- I usually wind up just using my hands. The dough will be sticky and rough looking. Cover bowl with saran wrap and let it sit 12-18 hours.

Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray then dust with cornmeal. Place half of dough in each loaf pan. It really doesn't matter what it looks like, plus the dough will still be sticky, so don't stress trying to make it smooth. Re-cover with saran wrap and let rise for 2 or 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 400. Bake loaves for 30 minutes (My whole wheat loaves only took 26 last night.). They should sound hollow when you tap or knock on them. Remove loaves from pans to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chicken Fajitas

This is what we had for dinner tonight- I bought a six pack of peppers from Costco so we needed to up our bell pepper consumption.

2-3 chicken breasts, sliced thin
1 onion, cut into bite sized pieces
2 limes (You will get the most juice if they are room temperature.)
2-3 bell peppers, any color, cut into bite sized pieces

Heat skillet with a little oil in it over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan when hot. Here's a tip on saute-ing: If you like nicely browned meat then: A) don't crowd the pan. B) don't use a non-stick pan. C) don't stir it a whole bunch. Let the chicken cook a few minutes, then squeeze the juice of one lime over the meat. Add the onions. Cook 2 or 3 more minutes, then add the bell peppers and juice of second lime. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring periodically until peppers are crisp-tender. Serve in tortillas with sour cream and salsa. I also occasionally add tomatoes or beans.

Easy BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This hardly counts as a recipe- it's just a super-easy dinner that's fast and a better alternative than frozen pizza. This idea is from my friend Janet- she is a great cook but gets busy like the rest of us.

Rotisserie chicken
BBQ sauce (your favorite)
1 bag of coleslaw mix
blue cheese dressing
hard rolls

Shred the chicken and heat with a little BBQ sauce. Combine the coleslaw mix with the blue cheese dressing- do this just a little at a time because it won't keep if you make too much. Fill the hard rolls with meat mixture and coleslaw mixture. Easy, yes?

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

I'm going to make these for a couple of my neighbors today. I have the NICEST neighbors- always taking my Kate to school and helping me out in lots of different ways, and these cupcakes are so delicious that after they eat them, they will be indebted to ME. And that's how I like it.

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (leave this out if you use salted butter. Which I do, because salted is all I keep on hand.)
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fit muffin tins with about 18 liners. Whisk together flour, powder, soda, and salt.

2. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. One by one, mix in eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing until smooth.

3. Spoon out butter into muffin liners- fill about half full: these should puff up a lot.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes. Cool and top with your favorite frosting.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
I'm forever in the debt of my bonus sister Amber for procuring this recipe from a popular bakery in the town she used to live in. The secret to a good, creamy buttercream is to mix it for a long time. I hate it when I can taste the individual powdered sugar grains in my frosting. So let your mixer run until your frosting is smooth and creamy. You may have to keep tasting it, but someone's got to make the sacrifice.

1/2 cup softened butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 pound strawberries, fresh or frozen, pureed in the food processor or blender. (If you are a Fancy Nancy, run the puree through a strainer to remove the seeds.)

Mix together the butter, sugar, and vanilla. It will look kind of lumpy. With the mixer running, add the strawberry puree until frosting is the correct consistency. I wish I could help you out with the exact measurement, but it varies every time. If you have leftover puree, put it on pancakes or french toast.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Man, do I love Cooking Light. Here's another one.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces, for the paranoid.)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 1/3 cups lowfat buttermilk
cooking spray
2 cups fresh blueberries (I have substituted frozen blueberries that I had thawed and nothing terrible happened to me.)
1 tablespoon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together flour, powder, soda, and salt.
3. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl for about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, egg, and egg white. Mix well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour, mix after each addition.
4. Spoon half of the batter into a 9-inch round baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup blueberries. Spoon remaining batter over the blueberries (Don't just dump remaining batter in or it will push the blueberries all to the edge- take it one big spoonful at a time and spread it gently around). Sprinkle evenly with remaining blueberries and 1 Tablespoon sugar.
5. Bake for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack, remove from pan, then cool completely on wire rack.

***I use a springform pan for easy removal. (Burke, if you don't know what that is, Google it or go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and ask one of the nice ladies for an assist.)***

Cowboy Cookies

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it lends itself so well to substitutions. If you are short on white sugar, just compensate with brown. I've made these cookies with all butter, all shortening, and a mixture of both with good results every time.

Cowboy Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour (Here's a tip: Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Replace anywhere from 50-100% of the flour in any cookie recipe with WWPF and get a nice chewy texture.)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (another tip: I always, and I mean ALWAYS, double the vanilla. In everything.)
2 cups rolled oats
Fruits and chips of your liking: about 1 1/2-2 cups total add-ins. My favorite combinations are: coconut and milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and craisins, cut up dried apple and toffee chips, or just plain semisweets or M&M's.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets or use parchment (that's my preference). Sift together dry ingredients. (I'm not going to lie. I skip this step- I just hate dirtying that many bowls.)
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, shortening, and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, oats, and add-ins of your choice. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared sheets.
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven. As soon as the edges turn light brown, they are done. Take them out and let them cool for 4 or 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack or directly to your stomach.

Linguine Carbonara

This pasta was a hit with my kids and comes from Cooking Light. It's important to temper the eggs as instructed in the recipe- putting a little hot liquid in the egg before adding the egg to the pasta will keep the eggs from curdling. If you just dump the egg straight into the noodles you will have "pasta a la scrambled eggs," which sounds sick.

Linguine Carbonara

4 ounces uncooked linguine
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (I used dried)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/3 cup chopped pancetta (it's a thinly sliced Italian ham. Find it in the deli by the fancy cheeses. Substitute bacon if you want.)
1 finely minced clove of garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 large egg

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
2. Combine milk and next four ingredients (thru pepper) in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Head a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta to pan, saute 3 minutes until lightly browned. Add onion and garlic, saute an additional 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low. Add milk mixture and past to pan and toss gently to coat.
4. Place egg in small bowl, stir with a whisk. Gradually add 1/4 cup reserved HOT cooking liquid, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually edd egg mixture to pan, stirring constantly, cook 4 minutes or until sauce is thick and creamy. 2 servings.

Lemon Blueberry Scones

I need to call my neighbor, Kathleen B, and give her a big hug for this recipe.

Lemon Blueberry Scones

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz. lemon yogurt (or plain yogurt and 1/2 tsp lemon extract)
1 egg
1/4 cup soft butter
1 tsp lemon peel
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in butter (again, with the pastry cutter. Your investment is paying off.). Add yogurt, egg, lemon peel, and blueberries. Mix just until dry ingredients are incorporated. (If you overmix, your scones will be flat and tough. Like me.) Drop by large tablespoons-full onto greased cookie sheet (I used parchment.). Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Drizzle with lemon glaze from below.

Lemon Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon peel
Whisk together and drizzle on scones when cooled.

Chicken Penne in Chili Cream Sauce

This one comes courtesy of Family Circle.

Chicken Penne in Smoky Chili Cream Sauce

12 ounces penne, cooked according to package directions and drained
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/3 cup chopped onion (I used green onions)
1 tsp garlic
2 cups prepared Alfredo Sauce (get the good stuff in the refrigerated section)
1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons maple syrup (I left this out)
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 slices bacon, cooked and diced (use the microwaveable kind)
chopped fresh cilantro

While penne is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and cook chicken for about 4 minutes or until cooked through. Remove to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. (I added a diced red pepper here as well, just because I couldn't think of a reason not to.) Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in Alfredo sauce, chipotle, chili powder, maple syrup, and salt. Cook until bubbly. Drain the cooked pasta, return to pot, and stir in the Alfredo-chicken mixture. Garnish with bacon and cilantro.

***Chipotle in adobo sauce comes in a little can in the Mexican Foods section. It is spicy! For the wimps, cut the amount called for in the recipe in half. Then, of course, there's the question of what to do with the remaining chipotle sauce. Spray an ice cube tray with non-stick cooking spray, and put a tablespoon of chipotle in each little department. Freeze. When your "cubes" are frozen, pop them out of the tray and into a ziploc and keep in the freezer. Next time you need a little, just grab out a cube.***

Beef and Cabbage Wraps

Another one, courtesy of Liza. This is one of Bruce's favorite dinners. Let's agree not to tell him that I don't slave all day to make it for him.

Brown 1 pound of lean hamburger with 1 bunch of sliced green onions in a large skillet. Drain any fat. Add a bag of coleslaw mix (or if you like to work, thinly slice a half head of cabbage. Or, you could try it my easy way.). Put the lid on the skillet and let the cabbage cook down in the steam for 4 or 5 minutes. You can stir it a couple of times if you want. Pour hoisin sauce over the whole mess until it's as saucy as you want, and serve in tortillas or over rice.

Pepperoncini Roast

I got this recipe from my sister, and it is always a hit. It's another one for the crockpot, so if you have five minutes in the morning you will have dinner at night.

2-4 lb roast (I prefer rump, nothing too fatty)
1 sliced onion
3 cubes or teaspoons beef bouillon
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp oregano
2 cloves garlic
1 8 oz jar of pepperoncini peppers, including the juices (this are the little green peppers in brine that are located in the pickle/olive aisle of the grocery store. Save yourself the headache and buy the pre-sliced ones. Also, I generally use the mild ones, but if you like a little heat, use the regular ones)

Toss this all in the crock-pot on low. 8 or so hours later, shred the beef and serve it on hard rolls with sliced provolone cheese.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Don't save this one for Thanksgiving- sweet potatoes are so good for you and are delicious. Of course, the addition of the other ingredients in this casserole may mitigate the nutritional value of the sweet potatoes somewhat.

Bake 3 large or 5 small sweet potatoes in a 350 degree oven until soft (maybe an hour or so). Put them on a foil lined cookie sheet or your oven will be disgusting after. Let cool then scoop out the flesh. You need 4 or 5 cups of mashed sweet potatoes.

Make sure your oven is at 350 degrees.

Combine the mashed sweet potatoes with:
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter (you can probably half that with no issue)
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Spread mixture into baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine flour and sugar. Rinse the dust off that pastry cutter I told you to buy a few posts ago and cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans then sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potatoes.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, uncovered.

Also, my sister-in-law is allergic to nuts, so I have left the pecans out of this recipe and done everything else the same, and it is still delicious.

Greek Salad

I make this a lot in the summer- it's an easy side dish that goes great with grilled chicken or steaks.

Layer in a bowl (a clear one if you want people to notice how fancy you are):

3 cucumbers (spring for the English cucumbers that are wrapped in plastic. The skin is thinner than a regular cucumber so you won't need to peel them, and they are never bitter.)
3 cups diced tomatoes
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1 cup black olives, sliced
1/3 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes (don't bother draining them too much, the oil will run down to the other ingredients and then you can skip adding olive oil)
1 cup crumbled feta

Before serving, pour about 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar over the salad, or serve with the vinegar on the side so everyone can dress it how they want.

If you want to turn this into a main dish, add some cooked chicken and couscous to these ingredients. This is one of my favorite lunches.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

If you throw a lot of parties, this is a good one. You can assemble it hours before your party, and then bake it in time for your guests to arrive. It's delicious with tortilla chips, crackers, or little slices of bread.

1 can or jar of artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 cup mayo
1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese (you can buy it pre-grated, but do NOT use the powdered stuff in a green can. Use real shredded parmesan.)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 packages frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup sour cream
1 bunch of green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients and transfer to oven safe casserole dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes- until edges are bubbling and top is golden brown.

Mexican Chicken and Tomatillo Stew

This is one of those super-easy recipes that only requires a little chopping and a crock-pot. Don't be scared about the sweet potatoes- they are really tasty in this healthy soup.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon cumin
4 cups chicken broth
2 or 3 chicken breasts
2 cups diced tomatilloes (peel husks and rinse, then treat it like a tomato)

Put this all in the crock pot- high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours. Shred chicken then stir in 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro. Top soup with sour cream, diced avocado, and crushed tortilla chips.

Grandma Barratt's Frozen Strawberry Dessert

In a 9x13 pan combine:
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup melted butter
Spread evenly in pan and bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Let cool completely, remove 1/3 of the mixture, then press remaining mixture into bottom of the pan.

Combine (use a mixer or hand mixer):
2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 lb frozen strawberries, thawed with juices
2 T lemon juice
Beat at high speed until stiff peaks are formed- it will take 5 or 6 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup whipping cream until fluffy, then fold into strawberry mixture. Spread over crust, then sprinkle with reserved crust mixture. Cover and freeze several hours or overnight.

My Favorite Sister-In-Law Cheryl's Honey Butter

Because you can't enjoy biscuits without honey butter. The simplest recipe ever: equal parts honey, softened butter, and powdered sugar. Mix well and then call and thank me.

Angel Biscuits

I got this one from Cooking Light, September 2007. They are so light and fluffy, and the best part is that you can make the dough hours before you want the biscuits and then just roll them out when you are ready for them.

ANGEL BISCUITS:
2 1/4 tsp yeast (I won't lie, I round up to 1 Tablespoon. Laziness, I guess.)
1/2 cup warm water
5 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups lowfat buttermilk
1 tablespoon butter, divided

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups; level with a knife (don't pack it in or you will be sorry.)
3. Combine flour, sugar, powder, soda, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles a course meal. (Burke- go buy a pastry cutter/blender. They are anywhere that sells housewares, even Walmart. It should only set you back 5 or 6 bucks and you'll be using it again later when I tell you how to make pie crust.) Add yeast mixture and buttermilk to flour mixture- stir just until moist. (Seriously. Just until moist. Do not overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough. It will look a little lumpy, and that's okay.)
4. Cover and chill anywhere from 4-24 hours.

When you are ready for some hot and tasty rolls, preheat the oven to 450. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface, knead it just a couple of times, then roll it out to about a 1" thickness. It doesn't need to be exact- leave your measuring tape in the garage. Cut with a round cookie cutter or drinking glass and place on cookie sheet. Brush tops with melted better, bake for 12 or 13 minutes. Yields about 2 dozen biscuits.

A word about yeast: Save yourself some stress and buy SAF instant yeast. It comes in a red, white, and blue vacuum packed bag. Store it in a tupperware in the freezer. SAF yeast is more tolerant to heat, so you don't need to worry about "killing" the yeast with water that is too hot.

And now a word about buttermilk: Just go ahead and buy a quart of it. It lasts forever and I use it all the time.

Burke, I do this for you.

Where does one start when beginning a recipe blog? I have hundreds of recipes that I use and enjoy. So, this may take some time. I'm starting with a few recipes that I have promised to give.