Cranberry Blueberry Shortbread Bars

I bought a bag of fresh cranberries fully intending to try some new recipe I saw on Pinterest.  But time was getting away from me and the berries needed to be used.  So I tried a new twist on a favorite.  Introducing the Cranberry Blueberry Shortbread bars!

Cranberry Blueberry Shortbread Bars

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 Cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 3/4 Cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

3 Cup all-purpose flour

• Fruit filling
• 1 bag of fresh cranberries, washed
• 1/3 Cup water
• 3/4 Cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 Cup blueberries

Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat the oven to 325.  Beat the butter, powdered sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla.  Stir in flour until just incorporated.  Press half the dough into the greased pan.  Bake 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

While the crust is cooling prepare the filling.  Combine everything except the blueberries in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened.  Turn off heat and gently fold in blueberries.  

Pour fruit filling over cooled crust.  Crumble remaining dough over the filling.  Return to oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely before cutting.

Fluffy lemon salad

We were having company for dinner and I wanted something sweet but light to serve with dinner.  My family loves jello salads, we don't usually plan ahead enough to have them.  So again I was thinking last minute and no time to run to the store.  This is what I came up with and everyone loved it!  I wanted to write it down before I forgot what I did.

Fluffy Lemon Salad

1 box cooked lemon pudding, cooled

16 oz. cottage cheese

1 large can of crushed pineapple, drained

1 small container whipped topping, thawed

Prepare the cooked lemon pudding as directed for pie.  Cool in the fridge.  Fold in  the remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken Tortellini

Tis' the season to snuggle up and enjoy a steaming bowl of soup.  This is a recipe I have made for years, I got it from the noon news and it was a keeper.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tortellini Soup

(serves 8-10)

6 cups water

3 cups chicken broth

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

2 cups diced chicken

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced carrots

2 tbsp. apple juice concentrate

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. oregano

7 oz. fresh cheese tortellini

9 oz. broccoli

Combine everything but tortellini and broccoli.  Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.  Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer 10-15 minutes.  Serve with parmesan cheese.

Tips:  I used dried pasta and get good results.  Also, check out my chicken soup mix recipe for a healthy, inexpensive substitute for the can of soup.  You can even skip the step of cooking it!  Don't forget some warm french bread too!

Cilantro Lime Chicken

It is the holiday season and life gets insanely busy!  You need to feed your family amid all the chaos.  You also want to eat healthy and not have to fight to get the weight off again.  Here is a simple recipe that be prepared ahead and ready when you are.  Besides it can help use up leftover chicken or turkey.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

(from Emily Laudie)

4 cups shredded chicken, cooked

6 tbsp. plain greek yogurt

1/2 tsp. lime pulp

2 tbsp. lime juice

1 clove minced garlic

1 jalapeno, minced

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Serve cold in a wrap or tortilla.

I've been distracted!

Several months ago my friends started talking about running a half marathon in Oregon.  I had be working hard to improve my health and felt like it was a great goal for me.  Besides it was a bucket list item and I would love a weekend with my girlfriends.  

I started working towards my goal and it was slow going.  I panicked when I realized it was coming really fast and I began to question if I would be able to do it.  Thankfully, my friends stepped up and got me to make a plan.  Most of October was dedicated to running, a lot!  But it paid off.  By race time, I was confident my body was ready and I had finally lost 30 pounds since February.  

I was still smiling at the finish line because I did it!  I have a hard time describing the relief and joy of crossing the finish line and the cheers just for me.  I wished my husband was there to share that moment with me.  The family sacrificed a lot to enable to reach my goal.

The next day I wondered why I waited so long to try it.  My body is not as strong as it used to be but I proved that I can still do whatever I put my mind to, even if I'm the turtle!

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies.

Halloween caught me by surprise this year.  I was really busy and focused on my first half marathon.  I found a few minutes one day to make a Halloween treat, Candy corn cookies.  They were really easy and fun to bake.  The kids loved helping me and making them disappear.  We nicknamed them "Baby Crack", since the baby was addicted!  She would just fall apart if we wouldn't give her another and she ate 10 or more.

It is still fall and in my book it is not too late for candy corn!  Check out this tutorial from Kathie Cooks:Candy Corn Sugar Cookies.  She has great pictures of the steps.  I used my own sugar cookie recipe and it worked great.  My family got this recipe from a dear neighbor, Mary Temple.  She was so sweet and we loved her.

Mary's Sugar Cookies

 (Makes 3 dozen cookies)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional but recommended)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

2 1/2 cups flour

Cream the sugar and butter together.  Mix the rest of the ingredients in order, incorporating after each addition.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and cut your desired shapes.  Bake at 375 for 5 minutes or edges are just starting to brown.

Roasted Parmesan zucchini

Do you have zucchini coming out of your ears?  We check regularly but it never fails, there is one the size of a small child!  So we're looking for new ways to use them.  I found lots of stuffed zucchini recipes and tried my version, it had potential.  Last night we tried Roasted Parmesan zucchini.  The kids didn't go crazy but they liked and we'll have it again for variety.

Roasted Parmesan Zucchini

zucchini

olive oil

garlic salt

pepper

Parmesan cheese

Slice the zucchini about 1 inch think.  Place on baking sheet and brush with olive oil.  Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.  Finish with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until the zucchini is fork tender. Then broil for just a couple of minutes to brown the cheese.

Notes:  Our zucchini was gigantic, so we cut out the seeds.  How you cut it would depend on how big your zucchini is.  I like the zucchini still firm, it was just right for me.  My hubby would have cooked it longer for his preference.  

French bread

Want yummy, warm french bread to complement that fall soup for dinner?

This is easy and really cheap to make.  I found that it takes a least two hours to finish instead of the 90 minutes promised.  So plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time.

You'll find the recipe at 

Deals to Meals: French bread

Enjoy!

Zuppa Toscana

Back in college I worked in the cafeteria and had many adventures there.  I started off washing dishes, then food runner and finally doing salad prep.  As a part of the salad prep, I washed lots and lots of kale.  It was used as decoration to cover all the ice.  I couldn't imagine ever eating it, just admiring the color on the salad bar.

Imagine my surprise when I tried Zuppa Toscana for the first time and learned that it had kale in it!  I was really yummy and my family loved it.  It is now our favorite cold weather meal.  It is fast and easy.  

Now you can try it too, just in time for the fall weather!

Zuppa Toscana

1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage

1 large onion, diced

2 tsp. minced garlic

12 cups water

6 tsp. chicken bouillon 

1 pound diced potatoes

1 cup milk

1 bunch kale, chopped

Saute sausage, onion and garlic until the sausage cooked and onion is tender.  Drain fat, if any.  Add water and bouillon.  Bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and cook until soft (approximately 30 minutes).  Add milk and heat through.  Add kale just before serving.

Notes:  You can use pork sausage and cream instead of milk for the full fat version.  I also do not peel the potatoes, I like the added color and texture.  Olive Garden serves it with Parmesan cheese, it adds some extra flavor. 

Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake bars

Are you sensing a theme?  I love cookie dough!  I've been making this recipe for a few months and love it.  I finally took a picture to show you how tempting they are.  These are great to take somewhere but be sure to plan ahead, they need several hours in the fridge to reach maximum deliciousness.

I was just going to give a link to the original blog post but it only makes an 8x8 pan, not big enough for my family or to share.  So I basically wrote it out for 1 1/2 times the original, to save you some time.  Or if you just need a little fix, go to the original post.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

From:  My Baking Addiction

Makes a 9x13 pan

Crust:  2 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

7 1/2 tbsp. melted butter

Bake at 325 in greased 9x13 pan for 6 minutes.

Cookie dough layer

7 1/2 tbsp. softened butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

5 1/2 tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix well.  Slowly add 1 1/8 cup flour.  Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips (I prefer the dark.)  It should be really crumbly.  Set aside.

Cheesecake layer

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the cream cheese and sugar.  Mix in egg and vanilla until just incorporated.  Pour over the crust.  Crumble the cookie dough layer over top.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the middle is set and the top is lightly golden brown.  Cool completely, then refrigerate for several hours.  Cut and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Egg Rolls

Yesterday was my birthday and my kids and hubby asked if they could make me a cake.  We've been working on eating healthier and having leftover cake sitting around meant disaster for my waistline.  It is really hard not to pick at it during the day, so it is better not to even have the temptation.  I had a recipe I wanted to try and I could make just enough for everyone to have some.  

I love to bake and snitch the batter.  It was so exciting when the invented cookie dough ice cream, heaven!  Now I'm finding all sorts of cookie dough recipes thanks to pinterest.  Since it was my birthday, I wanted cookie dough egg rolls.  They did not disappoint!  Granted, not everyone loves cookie dough, I don't think my mother-in-law thought it sounded yummy.  They are really rich and the ice cream was a nice balance.  Next I'll make them for my girlfriends!

Check out:  Pennies on a Platter for her easy recipe!

Roasted potatoes

My husband grew up in spud country and loves potatoes.  So I'm always looking for new ways to prepare them, especially healthy ones.  I got this recipe from my Aunt Catherine years ago and changed it up a little and love it.  If you're looking for a healthy was to fix spuds, you're sure to love these!

Catherine's Hot Potatoes

In a gallon zip-lock bag mix:

1 tsp. chili powder

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 tsp. oregano

3/4 tsp. thyme

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Wash and cut 7 medium potatoes into 1 inch chunks.  Place in bag of seasoning and shake to coat.  Place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.  Turn the potatoes and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown.

We like to bake them until crispy but see what you think.  Enjoy!

High Heeled cupcakes!

My daughter wanted a spa themed party this year and so I looked through my pinterest ideas.  I found this great tutorial and she loved them.  These were fun to build and design! The girls loved them.  

If you want try them, this is the best tutorial from How Does She. 

High heeled cupcakes tutorial

Loaded baked potato dip

I was looking for something to serve my friends for girls' night.  It needed to be a little healthy but really yummy!  I found this on Pinterest and it sounded so good.  It was a hit and it was really simple.  Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

from:  Brown Eyed Baker

16 oz. sour cream (I used fat-free.)

8 slices of bacon, crumbled

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Stir ingredients together.  Let stand for one hour.  Serve with potato chips or crackers.

Other ideas:  Use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  I also want to try it on a baked potato.

Canning Peaches

I live in the country which brings lots of adventures.  For example, looking outside and finding 3 cows.  It was pretty funny and reinforced that I really don't want cows.

Around the time of the cow adventure, I decided that I needed to can 2 bushels of peaches.  I do have 6 kids who love canned peaches.  I can't say I love canning but I do love eating yummy food for the next year. So I ended up with 53 quarts of peaches on the shelves.  

As you may notice, the liquid is dark in color.  In our family cookbook, my Auntie Maxine added a recipe for sugar free peaches.  I do like to limit unnecessary refined sugar and this recipe is a lot easier than using simple syurp.  They are not really sugar free but packed in juice, so a bit healthier.

Peaches packed in Juice

Fill clean jars with your peaches.  Add 1/4 cup of juice concentrate.  Fill the remaining space with water, leave 1/2 inch headspace.  Screw on the lid and ring.  Process in a hot water bath.

Note:  We love to try all sorts of juice flavors.  I think apple cherry or apple raspberry is my favorite.  Just make sure it is 100 % juice.

Tired of deodorant stains?

I hope I'm not the only one that finds all my camis end up with deodorant stains.  I thought I was just destined to wear them for a while and toss them when they got gross.  But I found an idea on Pinterest, tells you how to get rid of them.  So I gave it a try.  It didn't completely remove the stains but it did greatly improve them.  These camis are pretty worn out.  I will start treating them earlier and I'm sure they'll look great a lot longer.

This is the link I found:  One Good Thing by Jillee

She has great before and after shots.  I loved seeing all the foaming, it looked like it was really doing something.  One tip:  Only mix what you'll use immediately, it won't keep for later.

Spot Remover

1 part blue Dawn

2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide

Mix together and apply liberally to the stain.  Launder as usual.

Glow in the dark bubbles

Okay, it is finally time to branch out of the kitchen.  A couple of months ago I had wanted to try the glow in the dark bubbles on our Girl Scout campout.  But I had read mostly failures.  So I finally decided to try it on our vacation.  

What I had read said to activate the glowstick and then pour it into the bubbles.  I just had the cheap bubbles from Walmart.  It was difficult to cut open the glowstick without making a mess.  I resorted to using a pocket knife because the scissors were hard to control and were taking a long time.  Once I poured the glowing liquid in, we shook it up to mix it.  We found that it didn't mix in at all.  So the bottom of the bubble container glowed.

I give this idea an F.  I had also tried glow in the dark paint as well and it failed too.  So my advice is save your money for another project.

At least the s'mores were a hit!

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

I went to a local restaurant and ordered their Teriyaki Chicken.  It came with grilled chicken breast and grilled pineapple.  I've tried to replicate it because I loved it .  This recipe is a great dipping sauce or glaze.  I just used dried ginger since that was all I had.  So heat up the grill and make some yummy teriyaki chicken!

From:  Aunt Peg's Recipe Box

TERIYAKI SAUCE

2 c. cool water

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. white sugar

2/3 c. soy sauce

1 tsp. crushed garlic from a jar (or about 2 tsp. powdered garlic)

1/2 tsp. crushed ginger from a jar

4 Tbsp. corn starch
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)

In a medium size mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and whisk together until sugar is dissolved. Make sure the corn starch has been very well mixed in.  Pour mix into a medium size stock pan, and bring to a boil over medium high heat, whisking constantly.  Allow the sauce to cook on a low boil until thickened.  The sauce naturally darkens as it heats.  Remove from the heat, and use with your favorite dishes, or as a dip for potstickers, eggrolls, and other yummy things. Stir in sesame seeds if desired. You can also add rice vinegar or sesame oil to change the flavors up.

Cream of Chicken Soup mix

How many recipes do you have that uses condensed cream of something soup?  It seems like every casserole uses it and so I bet it is a staple of your pantry.  Shortly after we moved to this house, a sister at church shared this recipe to make your own.  So I tried it the next time I needed some and my family thought it tasted a lot better.  I was sold!  Now we're saving lots of money and eating healthier.

Cream of Chicken Soup Mix (equivalent to 8 cans)

2 cups nonfat dry milk

3/4 cup cornstarch

2 tbsp. dried onion

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 cup chicken bouillon 

Mix thoroughly and store in air tight container.

To use:

Stovetop:  Mix 1/3 cup mix and 1 1/4 cup cold water in small saucepan.  Stir constantly over low heat until thickened.  Use as equivalent to one can of condensed soup.

Microwave:  Mix 1/3 cup mix and 1 1/4 cup cold water in medium bowl.  Heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring several times.  Use as equivalent to one can of condensed soup.

Blueberry Rhubarb Shortbread Bars

I had rhubarb growing like crazy  in my garden.  This is the first year it has been really happy and we could harvest some.  So I had been looking around Pinterest for some recipes.  I made some adjustments, like lots of fruit, and I loved it.  These were a hit with everyone, even my picky teenage boy.

Blueberry Rhubarb Shortbread Bars (adapted from Keep It Sweet Desserts)

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 Cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 3/4 Cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

3 Cup all-purpose flour

• Fruit filling
• 6 Large rhubarb stalks (about 5 cups chopped rhubarb)
• 1/3 Cup water
• 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 Cup blueberries

Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat the oven to 325.  Beat the butter, powdered sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla.  Stir in flour until just incorporated.  Press half the dough into the greased pan.  Bake 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

While the crust is cooling prepare the filling.  Combine everything except the blueberries in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened.  Turn off heat and gently fold in blueberries.  

Pour fruit filling over cooled crust.  Crumble remaining dough over the filling.  Return to oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely before cutting.

We enjoyed them served with vanilla ice cream!

Copycat Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizza

We love making homemade pizza at our house.  Ordering out is just too expensive and I have found some great recipes.  Most of my family likes a thin crust and I love a deep dish!  Making personal pizzas takes a lot of time, so I made a couple of the small ones for the thick crust lovers and a really big one with a think crust for the rest of them.

Overall, I was really pleased with the results and plan to try it again with whole wheat flour.  I like my pizza with some meat and lots of veggies.  I could only eat one piece because it was so filling.  I was very sad when one of the kids snitched my last piece before I could eat it for lunch the next day.

Enjoy!

From:  cdkitchen

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup warm water (105 degrees F)
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for dough)
9 ounces vegetable oil (3 ounce per pan)
butter flavored cooking spray
***Sauce***
1 can (8 ounce size) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

Crust:

Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in a large (2 qt.) bowl.  Add water and stir to mix well.  Allow to sit for two minutes.  Add oil and stir again.  Add flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed. 

Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes.  Divide dough into three balls.  In three 9" cake pans, put 3 Oz. of oil in each making sure it is spread evenly.  Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9" circle.  Place in cake pans. 

Spray the outer edge of dough with cooking spray.  Cover with a plate.   Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 

Sauce: 
Combine ingredients and let sit for 1 hour. 

For Each Nine Inch Pizza:  Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.   Spoon 1/3 cup sauce on dough and spread to within 1" of edge.  Distribute 1 1/2 Oz. shredded mozzarella cheese on sauce.  Place toppings of your choice in this order: Pepperoni or Ham Vegetables Meats (cooked ground sausage or beef).   Top with 3 Oz. mozzarella cheese.   Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown.

Where to begin?

Where to begin?  I'm a stay at home mom to 6 kids busy kids.  My husband finished his PhD three years ago and so our entire marriage has required us to scrimp and save.  I see really cute things but there's no way I could run out and buy them.  So out of necessity, I have found ways to make it myself.  My husband suggested that I share my experiments.  I hope others will find it useful and learn to do things cheaper and enjoy learning new things.

So off we go!