Homemade Pretzels

My kids love these. This is a knock off of Auntie Anne's pretzels you find in the mall.

1 1 /2 cup warm water

1 1/4 tsp. yeast

2 T. brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp. salt

4 cups flour

baking soda bath: 2 cups warm water and 2 T. baking soda

Toppings: melted butter, coarse salt, cinnamon and sugar, and anything else you like.

Mix yeast, warm water, sugar, and salt. Let sit for a few minutes to make sure the yeast is active and working. Add in flour and mix until smooth. Let dough rise until doubled 30-45 minutes and then break off little balls and roll into long ropes (about 1/2 thick, the thinner the better). Shape rope into pretzel shape and dip in baking soda bath. Place on greased baking sheet and allow pretzel's to rise again. Bake in oven at 450 for 10 minutes or until golden.

Remove from oven and dip in melted butter then top as desired. We like dipping in cinnamon and sugar or just sprinkling with coarse salt. These are best to eat warm, straight from the oven.

***For baking soda bath mix hot water with baking soda. Stir this mixture often. I really don't know exactly what this does, but I know that it is considered a critical step for real pretzel making :)

Tangy Grilled Pork Tenderloin

My husband loves pork so I am always looking for new ways to cook it. This is a very simple recipe I found on Allrecipes. Just marinate and grill.

1 pounds pork tenderloin

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Mix last found ingredients together for marinade. Put meat in with marinade and let sit for at least 4 hours. Let meat come to room temperature before grilling (about 20-30 minutes) and pre-heat grill. If using outside grill prepare for indirect heat. I just used my grill pan and cooked over medium-low heat. Lightly oil pan and grill for about 7-10 minutes per side, or until done.

This meat has a nice sweet flavor and a little kick. It was nice for a summer bbq dinner.

Thai Peanut Noodles

Whenever I ask my kids what they want for dinner, they always ask for the "spicy peanut noodles". Seriously, this is a favorite at our house and I know it is similar to a lot of recipes, but I thought I should post it anyway. This recipe comes from www. ourbestbites.com, which is a great food website.

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 T. cream peanut butter

1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite and 2 is hot-I usually do about 1 1/2 tsp.)

1 1/2 T. honey

2 T. soy sauce

1 1/2 T. fresh minced ginger

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small box of linguine noodles ( I also have just used regular spaghetti noodles)

chopped green onions, cilantro, green peppers, cucumber, edamame, carrots, and anything else that sounds good.

limes, cut into quarters

chopped peanuts

Cook noodles in salted water until done. Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey , soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in small pan over low heat. Wisk until smooth and then remove from heat. Toss cooked noodles with peanut sauce and serve buffet style with all the chopped veggies, and peanuts. Squeeze lime juice over the top and eat!!

My kids love to be able to choose what goes on top. You can also make this more heavy by adding meat (chicken or shrimp would be great).

Fiery Pork Skewers

These were yummy. It has been a while since I made kabobs, but they were a hit. The marinade is a little spicy, but we like it that way (so those with tender taste buds you might want to decrease the amount of red pepper flakes).

2 T. teriyaki sauce

1 T. red wine vinegar

1 T. vegetable oil

1 tsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

3/4 pound pork tenderloin, cut into small cubes

In a medium bowl mix first 5 ingredients. Place pork tenderloin cubes in mixture and marinate for a few hours. I marinated these for about 3 hours. Preheat grill on high heat and cook away. You can continue to brush with sauce if you want while cooking. I actually used our indoor grill pan and just cranked the heat up high. Cook about 10-12 minutes or to desired doneness.

*The recipe doesn't call for any vegetables, but I added green peppers, onions, and pineapples. They were delicious and I highly recommend adding them.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

6 servings
prep: 15 minutes
cook time: 6-8 or 3-4

4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, cut and peeled
1 can (28 oz) whole stewed tomatoes
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of parika
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 tsp of cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 fresh basil leaves, chopped


1. Combine all ingredients except for basil and cook in slow cooker for 6-8 hours in high or 2-4 hours on low.

Three Pepper Pasta Sauce

4-6 servings
prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook Time: 7-8 hours (low) 3-4 (high)

1 green bell pepper, cut small
1 red bell pepper, cut small
1 yellow bell peper, cut small
(I just use whatever color I have around)
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes undrained
1 cup chopped onion
1 can tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. combine all incredients and cook in the slow cooker. Makes a really fresh tasting pasta sauce.

Spicy Tex-Mex Bowl

1/3 cup lentils
1 1/3 cups water
5 strips bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 can (16 oz) pinto beans, undrained
1 can (16 oz) red kidney beans, undrained
1 can (15 oz0 diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons ketchup
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes


1. Boil lentils with water for 20 to 30 minutes, drain
2. In small skillet, cook bacon until crips; remove, drain. In same skillet, cook onion in bacon drippings until soft
3. Combine all ingredients in teh crock pot and cook for 5 to 6 hours on high or 3 to 4 on low.
4. Add pay leave before serving.

Everyday Pancakes

So, over at one of my favorite recipe sites (My Kitchen Cafe) she has a recipe for Zephyr Pancakes. These pancakes are delicious. The only drawback to these pancakes are that they use a good amount of heavy cream and egg yolks--definitely not so good for the waistline on a regular basis. So, using her recipe, I've substituted a few things to make them more "everyday" friendly.

2 c. flour
2-1/2 T. sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1-1/4 c. milk
1-1/4 c. buttermilk (or 1 T. + 1 teaspoon vinegar and enough milk to make 1-1/4 c. let it sit for 5 minutes)
2 T. butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cook on a 350 degree griddle.

Homemade Brown Bread

I made this last night to go with our salads and our strawberry freezer jam. It's delicious. I think I'm going to have another piece right now.

1-1/2 cups boiling water
1-cup old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons shortening
2 teaspoons salt
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
3/4-cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1/2-teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4-cup molasses
4-3/4 to 5-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Melted butter or margarine



In a bowl, combine boiling water, oats, shortening and salt. Cool to 110°-115°. In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Sprinkle with sugar. Add oat mixture, brown sugar, molasses and 3 cups of flour; mix well. Add enough remaining flour to form soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1. Hour. Punch dough down. Divide in half and shape into two loaves. Place in greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks. Brush with melted butter. Yield: 2 loaves.

Baked Lemon Pasta

This is such a great recipe for a hot summers day. It tastes so fresh. It is one of the pioneer woman's favorite recipes so if you follow her cooking blog you will like this.

1 pound thin spaghetti (don't substitute for regular, thin makes it seem so light and fresh)

1/2 stick butter (4 T.)

2 T. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

juice of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lemon

2 cups sour cream

1/2 tsp kosher salt (more if desired)

grated parmesan cheese (fresh is best)

flat leaf parsley, chopped

extra lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375. Cooke spaghetti according to package directions until al dente.

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan and turn off the heat.

Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together. Pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes. Don't bake too long or the pasta will drive out. When you remove it from the oven squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley.

Serve with crusty french bread and a simple green salad.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

This recipes is from www.ourbestbites.com, which is a great food website. I usually love most of their recipes. I really liked the creamy chicken mixture.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese

1/4 C green salsa

1T fresh lime juice

1/2 t cumin

1 t chili powder

1/2 t onion powder

1/4 t granulated garlic

3 T chopped cilantro

2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)

1 C grated pepperjack cheese small corn tortillas

kosher salt

cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well. You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing. Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. You can dip them in salsa, guacamole or whatever you like.

Sour Cream Pork Chops

I found this today at allrecipes.com You can visit it here. The majority of the family enjoyed them. I didn't do it in the crock pot, since I didn't have enough time, but frying them in a pan, letting them sit in an oven at 325 while I prepared everything else worked out just fine.

Golden Sweet Cornbread

I'm still here, just haven't been cooking anything interesting lately.  We ate at the cheesecake factory a few weeks ago and I had the best sweet cornbread.  I didn't think I liked cornbread (too dry), but I was wrong.  So, I have been hunting for a nice sweet recipe.  This is another allrecipes recipe...and did I mention it is so simple.

1 cup flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tsp. salt

3 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients together and pour in a greased 9 inch round  baking pan (you could also make muffins) and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.  I took mine out at 20 minutes, but it could have used a minute or two longer.  This is good served with black beans, or just eat it plain or with honey.

*Jenn, I don't know if you already have a cornbread recipe, but this would be great as a side with all your wonderful mexican food!

Panko Chicken Dijon

Panko Chicken Dijon

4 Chicken breast halves, skinned and boned
4 Tablespoons melted butter, divided
1 ½ Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup Panko breading

Wash Chicken and pat dry. Combine 3 tablespoons of the butter with the mustard in a small dish. It may look curdled, but that’s okay.

Combine Parmesan and Panko in a flat dish. Dip chicken in butter mixture, then in crumb mixture, coating both sides. Place on sprayed shallow baking pan. Brush with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked through and golden. Makes 4 servings

I like this recipie because it is simple and full of flavor. My kids loved this. It's has a little twist on a classic recipie.

*Panko is a crunchy Japanese style breading found in the Asian department of most supermarkets.

This is so yummy!!!

Kneaders Rasberry Bread PuddingCream mix:1 1/2 loaves aged, white bread1 qt. heavy cream3 C. sugar1 egg1 tsp. vanillaFruit Filling:5 C. frozen raspberries1 C. sugar1/2 C. apple juiceVanilla Sauce:1 1/3 C. butter5 Tbs. flour3 C. heavy cream2 tsp. vanilla1/3 C. sugarDirections:In large bowl combine cream, sugar, egg and vanilla. Cut bread into 1 1/2" cubes and add to cream mixture, coating bread well. Let stand 30 minutes stirring every 5 minutes to allow cream to absorb completely. For fruit filling, combine raspberries, sugar and apple juice, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Layer a 9x13 dark baking dish 3/4 full with bread mixture, pour fruit filling over bread mixture, spreading evenly, top with remaining bread. Bake 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve warm. Top with vanilla sauce. For vanilla sauce, over medium heat, melt butter, and add flour. Stir 10 minutes until it has a nutty aroma; do not brown. Add salt, cream and sugar and boil til mixture is thick. Remover from heat, adding vanilla. Serve this wonderful sauce cold.