Tip on how to store your produce!

I found this page and found it very informative.  It explains a lot of details on how to store all sorts of fruits and vegetables! PRODUCE STORAGE AND HANDLING GUIDE

Chicken Penne Casserole

Creamy, flavorful and so easy to fix, this one dish meal will have family and friends asking for the recipe.  With this dish you make one big batch, eat half and freeze the other half of it for a later date.  You just need two 8X8 in. baking dishes.

Ingredients:

1-pkg. (16oz.) penne pasta

6-8 cups grilled chicken cubed (you can also just fry in a skillet if needed)

2-cups Mexican style cheese

2-cups sharp cheddar cheese

3- cups fresh baby spinach

1-15 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1-jar (10 oz.) prepared pesto

1 ½- cups milk (2% or whole)

½-cup seasoned bread crumbs

½-cup grated Parmesan cheese

1-Tbsp. olive oil

 

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the chicken, cheese blend, spinach, tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, pesto and milk.  Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture; toss to coat.

Transfer to two greased 8-in. square baking dishes.  In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil; sprinkle over casseroles.

Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months.  Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 35 for 40-45min or until bubbly.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator or overnight.  Remove from the refrigerator 30 min. before baking.  Cover and bake at 350 for 50-60 min or until bubbly.

Tansfer to a serving dish if you wish and add some garlic herb french bread and enjoy!

Rocky Road

This dessert reminds me of my Aunt Nancy.  She used to make it every year for our goody baskets for Christmas.  We all looked forward to her peanut butter balls, rocky road and her divinity.  It was all delicious.  This is a simple chocolaty sweet treat I’m sure you will love! This is a great dessert to get the kiddos involved.  They can choose what extra to put in these to maybe get them to try something new.

 



Ingredients:

1-12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1-14 oz. can of Eagle sweetened condensed milk

2- Tbl. Butter or margarine

2- Cups unsalted roasted peanut

1-10 ½ oz bag of miniature marshmallows

Other optional ingredients are: 1-2 cups each of peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips,any dried fruit,carmel squares cut up, coconut just for some ideas.

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan or double broiler melt chocolate chips, margarine and condensed milk on low heat.  In a large bowl mix the marshmallows and peanuts together.  Then fold in melted chocolate mixture.  Put in buttered 9X12 in. pan and chill until firm.  Cut into squares.

Melt the chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and butter in a medium sauce pan.  Or use a double broiler.

Press the goodness in a 9X12 in. buttered pan


Regular Rocky Road



Chill and cut up into bite size squares.

My caramel, dried cherry and banana chip rocky road!

 

You can see the layers of goodness.  With the marshmallows and peanuts in this bite!

This bite has banana chips, dried cherries, Carmel and marshmallows.  These are my favorite!  The banana bites taste like little bites of toffee.  There better when there room temperature.

Tip: All about BUTTER!

Butter:  Make sure your butter is at room temperature, otherwise it won't cream properly with the sugar. The terms "room temperature," "softened" and "soft" mean different things. The temperature of the butter will make a difference in the recipe. Most cookie dough recipes depend on the emulsion that occurs when you cream butter and sugar together. This emulsion will not happen if the butter is too hot or too cold.

Room Temperature Butter: It should be pliable enough that your finger can leave a mark in it, without being soft and greasy. Set the butter out at least one (1) hour in advance.

Softened Butter: Will feel a little warmer to the touch, and it will be much easier to leave a deep indentation, but it should still be firm enough to pick up without falling apart.

Soft Butter: Will be too soft to pick up.

Microwave Butter: Do not try to microwave your butter as it will just end up too soft. If you don't have an hour's lead time, increase the surface area by cutting the butter into small pieces or shredding it on the large holes of a grater. It will then come up to temperature in approximately 10 minutes.

Unsalted Butter: Unsalted butter is generally recommended because some salted butters have more sodium than others.

Don't have unsalted Butter? If you use salted butter, only use 1/2 the amount called for in the recipe. Don't skip the salt, as salt brings out flavors and balances the sweetness in a recipe.

Tip: Burnt on food?

Burnt food can be removed from a glass baking dish by spraying it with oven cleaner and letting it soak for 30 minutes. The burnt-on residue will be easier to wipe off.

Iced Coffee

This is a super simple way to make iced coffee at home!  All you need is your favorite coffee, half and half, and sweetened condensed milk.

Super simple directions:  Make a STRONG pot of your favorite coffee the night before.  Let it sit a bit then put it into the refrigerator so it can get chilled by morning.  Tip:  put your coffee into a container so you can use it for two or three days. 

Add some ice cubes.  Then add your coffee.  I usually add it to about a little over half full.

.....add your half and half

Then add to your liking 2-4 Tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk.

My favorite coffee of choice for this drink is "chocolate coffee" yummy!

And ENJOY! In your favorite cup of choice!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This homemade soup reminds me of my Mom!  I was raised on home cooked meals, and she would always make a big pot of soup that would last a few days.  I've added a few things to her original recipe but it's still basically the same.  I love to make my own stock with this recipe and you don't have to use the boxed chicken stock from the store.  

Ingredients

Stock:

• 1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) fryer chicken, cut up
• 3 1/2 quarts water
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
• 1 12 oz bag of egg noodles
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• Seasoning salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Saltine crackers



The Stock



Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

Tip: use a colander and a large bowl and simply pour your broth into it and it will strain all of the onions and bay leaves out. Then just pour your broth back into your pot 

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, parsley,and rosemary. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper.

Here's your bowl of warm slippers, comfy pants, and your grandmas cozy quilt!

I like to use crackers with my soup and crumble them in it.  But if you'd like you can also get some crusty French Bread. 

Chocolate Explosion cheesecake by Paula Dean

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Candy Bar Cheesecake

 This Cheesecake is just like a cheesecake and a candy bar mixed together.  The gooey carmel and cookie dough takes this dessert to a whole new dimension. This dessert can go from a recent break-up your trying to recover from to a summer time party!  Whatever size slice you think you can eat though, cut in half!  This is a very rich cheesecake.  But well worth it!!!!  "Yummo!!"

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Chocolate Layer:

• 6 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cheesecake Layer:

• 1/2 cup caramel syrup
• 1 (16 1/2-ounce) package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Chocolate Ganache:

• 6 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbl. light corn syrup
• !1 Tbl. unsalted butter

For the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter, stirring to combine. Press the crust into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes; let cool.

For the chocolate layer: Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter (or microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes total). Whisk in the sugar, eggs, and flour until just combined. Pour into the bottom of the cooled crust and bake for 15 minutes; let cool.

For the Caramel and Cookie Dough Layer: Spread the caramel topping evenly over the cooled chocolate layer. Cut the cookie dough crosswise into 1-inch slices. Place the slices in an even layer over the caramel, pressing gently together to seal the edges.

For the Cheesecake layer: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and flour until just combined. Stir in the sour cream. Pour the mixture over the cookie dough layer and bake until the cake is cracked and browned around the edge, about 1 1/2 hour. (This is one cheesecake that you want to crack.) Remove from the oven and gently run a knife around the edges to release the crust from the sides of the pan. Let cool completely.

 

For the ganache:  You can use a double broiler and melt everything together.
However I have found its much quicker to do it in a sauce pan. Place chocolate, corn syrup and 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium bowl.  Bring whipping cream to a boil in a small saucepan.  Pour over chocolate mixture, stir until melted and smooth.  Let stand stirring occasionally, until chocolate is cool but still pourable.  Spread over the cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

You can see the carmel and cookie dough oozing out!

 









After refrigerating.  Remove the outer rim.
(To slice use a knife warmed under hot water)

Add some fresh cut strawberries (optional).

Save some room for this dessert its very filling!!!

 You will find your self talking with your mouth full saying yummmmmy!