Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup apple butter
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 5-ounce-can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk
1/3 cup whole milk

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, apple butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon and mix well. Add the eggs and milks, stirring to combine. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center has set. Cool completely before serving or storing in the refrigerator.

Note: This recipe assumes you already have a pie crust, hence the "filling" in the title. Also, if you've never made a pumpkin pie before (as I hadn't until I did this), the batter will be super runny. But it still turned out great. It's a great use of apple butter if you can't find another one for it.

(From the Washington Post)

Bruschetta

2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 T. olive oil

1 T. fresh oregano

1 t. fresh basil

2 t. fresh parsley

1/2 t. sugar

dash salt

1 clove garlic, minced

dash of balsamic vinegar

Mix everything together. Let sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice loaf of french bread and brush the tops with olive oil. Put the bread in the oven for five minutes. Remove bread from oven and top with bruschetta and parmesan cheese. Put back in the oven for another five minutes.

Any leftovers can be refrigerated and then reheated at 350 degrees for about 5-10 minutes.

Notes from e: Although it would probably be much better with fresh herbs, I couldn't justify the cost for something I thought only I would eat. So I used dried herbs. I use 1 t. of the dried oregano, 1/2 t. of dried basil, and 1 t. of the dried parsley. And it still tasted great.

Banana Cream Pies

1 instant vanilla pudding
1 instant banana pudding
2 8-ounce cream cheese (can do light), softened
2 c. milk (I used skim)
4-6 bananas

Beat softened cream cheese, adding half of the milk slowly. Add pudding and rest of milk. Beat till smooth and thick. Line sides and bottoms of TWO graham cracker crusts with bananas. Spoon in filling. Top with whipped cream or cool whip. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Note: I didn't want two pies, so I just halved everything. I used my kitchen scale to halve the puddings. And I hate whipped cream so I left it out. These pies don't need it. I used 2 1/2 bananas for the half recipe.

Pumpkin Waffles/Pancakes

2 1/2 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. ginger

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. cloves

4 eggs

2 c. buttermilk

1 c. pumpkin

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. melted butter

1 t. vanilla

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl.

Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin, sugar, butter, and vanilla in another large bowl until smooth. While whisking, add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.

Cook like regular waffles (which the original recipe said) or pancakes (like I did with happy results). Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, or topping of choice!

Maybe I should have added nuts...Either way, they were great. Using our 1/4 cup measuring cup, we got just over 40 pancakes.

Rich Chocolate and Chocolate Pudding Cake

¾ cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
¼ cup butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup sugar
5 tbs milk
¼ tsp vanilla
heavy cream, for serving

For the Topping
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
½ pint hot water
7 tbs dark brown sugar
5 tbs sugar
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square non stick baking pan.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter, chocolate and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, or in a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat.
4. Add the flour mixture and stir well. Stir in the milk and vanilla extract. Mix with a wooden spoon, then pour the mixture into a prepared baking pan.
5. To make the topping, dissolve the cocoa powder in the water in a bowl. Let cool.
6. Mix the brown sugar, sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the pudding mixture.
7. Pour the water and cocoa powder mixture evenly over the surface. Bake for 40 minutes or until the pudding had puffed up and set on top. The water mixture will have formed a creamy sauce underneath. Serve immediately with whipped cream.

Nacho Cheese Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (I used whole since I wasn't sure how skim would do)
7 slices processed American cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour. Pour in the milk and stir until the mixture thickens. Stirring constantly, mix in cheese and salt. Continue to cook and stir until cheese has melted and all ingredients are well blended, about 15 minutes. If you'd like to add spice, you can add some tabasco sauce as well as chili powder.

(from allrecipes.com)

Eclair Cake

4 large eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups milk
3 (3-ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
16 ounces container whipped topping
Chocolate icing (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9x13 pan. Whisk eggs in a small bowl and set aside. In saucepan, melt butter in water. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and beat in eggs all at one time, continue beating until smooth. Spread in prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, then cool completely.
Combine cream cheese and milk, beating until smooth. Add pudding, one package at a time. Spoon over cooled shell. Spread with whipped topping and drizzle with chocolate icing. Chill at least one hour before serving.

Chocolate Icing

3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon butter, melted
About 2 tablespoons water

In small bowl combine cocoa and powdered sugar, mixing well. Add butter and water and beat until smooth, adding a small amount of water, if needed, until the consistency is right.

Lentils and Rice, or Rice and Lentils

olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 c rice
1 c lentils, picked over
4 c water or broth
salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion in olive oil until translucent; add remaining ingredients. Bring to simmer and cover, cooking 25-30 minutes or until moisture is absorbed and rice is tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Chicken and Veggies with Dumplings

This is from allrecipes.com with a few of my own modifications

Mix
1 can cream of chicken (can be reduced fat)
1 can chicken broth (can be low fat, low sodium)
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp oil
1/4 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped celery (I omit this because I HATE celery)
3 chicken breasts cut into strips
1 tsp celery seed
1 c corn
1 c green beans (or omit the corn and beans and use a can of mixed veggies)

Dumplings
1 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
2 tbsp oil

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, stir together the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, and milk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken strips, onion and celery. Sautee until chicken is cooked through, and onions are tender. Transfer the chicken mixture to the soup pot, and mix well. Add corn, green beans, or veggies of choice. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30-45 miniutes. Season with celery seed and black pepper.

3. Make dumplings: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 c of milk and 2 tbsp of oil. Pour into the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.

4. Drop tablespoonfuls of the dumpling mixture into simmering chicken stew. Cover pot tightly, and bring to a boil. Simmer for another 12 - 15 minutes without peeking. Ready to serve.

***You may want to add a little extra cream of chicken or chicken broth as I found this not quite soupy enough for my tastes. Regardless, it's a great way to sneak veggies in on the kids!

Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo

This is from the Great American Recipes cookbook

Serves 4 -6 depending on serving size

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (I use the fresh kind in the cold section of the store)
1 box fettuccine
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil to taste

1. Place the butter in a large heatproof bowl. Using a wooden spoon or electric mixer set on low, beat until smooth (I always use the mixer because my hand gets way too tired!). Add the cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well blended. Set aside.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well and immediately add the hot pasta to the butter mixture in the large bowl. Using two forks or a large noodle serving spoon, toss the fettuccine in the butter mixture to coat well. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Sometimes I'm not fast enough and the cheese will clump or not quite melt. I pop the bowl in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to heat it back up and stir some more. Because of my turtle speed, I mix my pasta and butter in a 13x9 glass baking dish, not a bowl).

3. Sliced basil can be added to the top according to taste.

***This is so yummy! We usually add seasoned cooked chicken strips and/or broccoli to this. Leftovers are great too. I won't tell you the calories because then you won't make this, but we all know 2 sticks of butter and heavy cream aren't the best if you are on a diet. :)

Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 c. shortening

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 t. soda

1 t. salt

1 c. flour

1 c. raisins

1 c. chopped dates (optional)

1 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts)

4 c. oatmeal

Cream sugars and shortening. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix soda, salt, and flour. Add to creamed sugar/shortening mix. Then add oatmeal, dates, raisins, and nuts. Mix well. Put on greased baking sheets. Flatten lightly. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Note: I really like these with dates, but made them without because husband said he might eat more if they didn't have dates. I totally chose poorly on that one. Regardless, they're still tasty.

Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

from Cooking Light

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
3 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Combine butter, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir just until moist.

Place 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, granulated sugar, and next four ingredients (through cream cheese) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy.

Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil that extends 1 inch beyond sides; coat foil with cooking spray. Spread half of batter into pan. Pour cream cheese mixture over batter in pan, and spread evenly over batter. Sprinkle with raspberries. Drop remaining batter by tablespoonfuls over everything. Swirl batter, cream cheese mixture, and raspberries together with a knife. (Note: I struggled with knowing what this meant so Chuck did it for me. In his words he, "put a knife in and did little twirls to mix it together, but not stirring, just twirling.")

Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Remove foil; cut into 30 bar cookies.

Note: I put these under healthy because while they're certainly not steamed broccoli, for desserts, they're a good option. If you get 30 bars (I got 32 small ones), then they have 111 calories and 4 grams of fat per bar. And although I made these tonight, they are apparently better the next day.

Pesto Burgers

1 1/2 lbs. ground meat

3/4 c. grated sharp Cheddar or 1/2 c. grated Parmesan

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/3 c. mayo

2 T. pesto (store bought or your own)

6 burger rolls

toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

For the Pesto Mayo:

1/2 c. mayo

2 T. pesto

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and set it aside. In bowl, combine meat, cheese, salt 'n pepper, gently tossing the mix with your hands or a large fork, until evenly blended.

In smaller bowl, mix the mayo and pesto, then add it to the ground meat mix and blend all together. Shape the meat into 6 1/2 inch thick patties, placing each one on the baking sheet when done and refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes to firm them (Note: the patties will be softer than traditional hamburgers).

While meat is chilling, prepare the grill and make the Pesto Mayo - by combing mayo and pesto. Grill each side for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Serve the burgers on the rolls, dressed with the lettuce, tomatoes, and Pesto Mayo.

e-note: so we made these tonite and really enjoyed them. there is definitely a pesto flavor. it's not overbearing, but definitely there and tasty - if you like pesto, of course. the uncooked mixture was really wet. my husband told me the ground meat that comes in "tubes" or "rolls" is more wet - and that is what we had used. luckily i was able to flip out the patties onto my spatula and then flip that onto the grill. it worked out okay. yummy.

Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins

3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. quick oats
2/3 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. milk
1 egg
1/4 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. fresh blueberries or thawed frozen berries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.

Mix the flour, oats, sugar, powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl until evenly blended. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, egg, and butter. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, just until all ingredients are moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling to the top.

Bake in preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.

Yield: 12 regular muffins or 24 minis.

Note: I did these in mini-muffin tins for a good snack for my babe. I hope he likes them as much as I did! Also, even though I did them in the mini tins, they still needed nearly 20 minutes.

Curry Couscous

1 1/2 c. couscous
3 c. chicken broth
1 T. curry powder
2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. raisins
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted

Pour couscous into a bowl. Mix chicken stock, curry powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, and raisins in a saucepan and bring to a boil; remove from heat. Pour the boiling liquid over the couscous. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Top with cilantro and almonds.

Note: I like this because it was so easy and I had almost everything on hand. What I didn't (cilantro), I simply omitted, although I think it would be good. My 15-month-old ate this quite readily at first but I think there was just too much pepper (did I not halve it like everything else?!) so when I do it again, I'll certainly reduce the pepper. I think that craisins would be just as good in this as the regular raisins. Also, I just boiled everything in a sauce pan, added the couscous, removed from heat, and put lid on for 10 minutes. No need to dirty two pans.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (with peanut butter)

2 cubes of butter 
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. baking soda 
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. of flour
12-ounce bag milk chocolate chips

Mix the butter and peanut butter together.  Add the sugars and eggs; mix again.  Then add soda, powder, salt, and vanilla; mix again.  Then add flour and mix again.  Finally, add the chocolate chips; mix.
 
Bake at 375 for 8-10 min. (She watched them closely and took them out when the cookies start to crack, usually it's around nine minutes.)

Yield: When my sister did a half batch, she got four dozen.  When I did a half batch, I got three dozen.  Finally, a cookie I make that is normal-sized.

Note: I have not made these but did taste of their beauty last night.  They are the best chocolate chips cookies I've ever had.  And no, they don't taste like peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips.  They're more, "chocolate chip cookies with hint of peanut butter, and a smidgen of heaven."  Soooo good.  (When I make them tomorrow and find out how many they make, I'll edit this post with that information.)

Breaded Pork Chops

1 c crushed butter flavored crackers (Ritz, for example)
1/2 t garlic salt
1/4 t black pepper to taste
1 beaten egg
4 pork chops
1/4 c butter

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine first three ingredients as the coating. Melt butter in shallow casserole dish. Dredge chops in egg, coat with crumbs and place in casserole dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, flip chops, and bake 15 more minutes.

Very easy, very tender, great flavor. We use boneless chops, about 1/2 inch thick. If you use thicker or bone-in chops, I imagine you'll need to increase cooking time a bit.

Peach Blueberry Crisp

(from the Washington Post)

16 ounces frozen peaches, defrosted

16 ounces frozen blueberries, defrosted

1/2 t. almond extract

1/3 c. sugar

1 T. cornstarch

1/4 c. oats (quick or regular, but not instant)

1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

3 T. cold butter, cut into cubes

Combine the fruit and any accumulated juices, almond extract, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl, mixing well.  Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Have ready an 8x11 inch (ungreased) shallow baking dish.  (I used a 9x9.)

Combine the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl.  Add the butter and use your fingers (I used a pastry cutter) to thoroughly work it into the dry ingredients.  The consistency will be crumbly.

Pour the fruit mixture into the baking dish, distributing the berries and peaches evenly.  Scatter the crumb topping over the fruit, covering it as much as possible.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling up the sides of the dish and the crisp topping is starting to brown.

Let it rest for five minutes before serving.  Serve with ice cream, if desired.

Notes: Super yummy for a "healthy" dessert (with 8 servings, 190 calories, 5 grams of fat, 26 grams of sugar).   I left this unattended while we ate dinner and when the 50 minutes beeped, the topping had almost been completely usurped by the fruit, but it still tasted really good.

Lemon Dream Ice Cream

1/3 of a 1 pound box graham crackers
1/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons melted butter
½ gallon vanilla ice cream
6 oz frozen lemonade concentrate

1. Set the ice cream and lemonade on the counter to soften.
2. Crush the graham crackers into crumbs. In a bowl mix the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into a 9x13 inch pan.
3. Mix the ice cream and lemonade together until combined. Then spread the ice cream mixture over the graham cracker crust.
4. Put it in the freezer for a few hours until set.

Notes: I also sprinkle some graham crackers crumbs on top just as a garnish. I have also tried pink lemonade but I don’t like it as well.

Scalloped Pineapple

8 1-inch slices of French bread, cubed
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter,melted
3 eggs, beaten
2 20-oz cans of pineapple, tidbits or chunks, drained
1/4 c milk

Combine bread cubes, sugar and butter. Combine eggs and milk; mix in pineapple. Combine mixtures in greased 9x13 dish and bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

This makes an excellent side dish for baked ham. I enjoyed it cold with lunch the next day, but I'm weird like that.

Italian Stuffed Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp chopped garlic
½ cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp oil
¼ marsala wine (optional)
½ cup italian seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup blanched chopped spinach, squeezed dry
3 green onions, sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
8 ounces mild italian sausage, casings removed
¼ seasoned flour
¼ light olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice into the side of each chicken breast to create a pocket. Or pound with to a meat cleaver to ¼ inch thick.
2. Sauté garlic and mushrooms in 1 tbsp oil. Add Marsala and simmer until mushrooms have absorbed the wine (this is optional). Set aside to cool.
3. Add bread crumbs, spinach, green onions, basil, parmesan, salt and pepper to the cooled mushrooms. Mix in sausage until everything is incorporated.
4. Open the chicken breast pockets and fill with the stuffing. Or place stuffing mixture on ¼ inch piece of chicken. Roll the mixture in the chicken and secure with toothpicks. Dredge in seasoned flour and sauté in olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned. Finish cooking in the oven for 15 minutes, or until chicken is firm to the touch and has an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
5. Serve with desired sauce. Marinara sauce is recommended. This is also good served without sauce.

Peep Nests

Chocolate
Chow mien or crispy rice noodles
Coconut
Whopper Robin Eggs
Peeps chicks

These fast easy chocolate nests are the perfect sweet treat for Easter. I found these on this blog. Unfortunately there are no measurements so go with what you feel. I used 1 bag of milk chocolate chips. 1 and 1/2 (3 oz.) cans of LaChoy rice noodles. After I had formed my nests and stuck the eggs on I put them in the fridge for an hour to solidify them. You can also sprinkle coconut on top and use colored jelly beans instead of robin eggs. Serve with a side of Peeps chicks. Voila!

English Muffin Bread

I never knew there was even such a thing until my mom came to visit.  Now I'm not sure I'll ever buy English muffins from the store again.

2 c. milk (skim worked fine)
1/2 c. water
2 T. cornmeal (I just guesstimated)
6 c. bread flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1 T. sugar
2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda

Warm the milk and water in a small saucepan until very warm (125 degrees).  Lightly grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans; sprinkle cornmeal inside pans.

In a large bowl, mix together three cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and soda.  Stir milk into the flour mixture; beat well.  Stir in the remaining flour, one cup at a time, until a stiff batter (mine was more doughy) is formed.  Spoon batter into prepared pans.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes (I had to put foil on mine at minute 20 to prevent darkening).  Remove from pans immediately and cool.

Kid-Fare

I think it is so hard coming up with 3 meals a day and 2 snacks a day for kiddos. But there are a few fun things I've done lately that the kids have really enjoyed. These are not necessary "recipes," but rather just some ideas.

Stackers

My kids love these. I buy cheap crackers from Walmart (wheat or veggie ones) and then give the kids 4 crackers, 4 slices of meat, and 4 slices of cheese. They then "make" their own little stackers and eat every bite of them. I love these, too, and often have them for my lunch - adding yummy tomatoes for me.

Muesli

For this I just scoop out a serving of yogurt into a bowl (whatever flavor your kids like - or you for that matter). Then I take an instant oatmeal packet (I buy Walmart's brand that is something like "Fruit and Cream."). I sprinkle a little of this onto the yogurt - I use one packet for my 3 kids. The kids then get to stir it all up and enjoy the added sweetness from the oatmeal packet, as well as the bits of fruit. It's pretty yummy.

Fruit Dip

Anything is more fun to eat if it can be dipped. I like to make this dip up for my kids to dip their apples and bananas. What I do is simple: 1/2 part yogurt (any flavor) and 1/2 part non-fat cool whip. That simple. And totally yummy. The other day I did a concotion of yogurt, cool-whip, sour cream and some brown sugar. That was very, very good too.

Anyways, I would love more ideas on good and fun food for the kiddos if you have any to share.

Dumplings

These taste amazing in homemade chicken soup. Sure you could mix up some Bisquick, but these are more substantial and have a richer taste.

4 T softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 c flour
1/4 c parsley
1/4 c minced onion
salt and pepper to taste

Cream butter with a fork, then beat in the eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients. Add a tablespoon or two of the heated soup stock. Drop the batter into the simmering soup in desired sizes. I prefer mine about the size of tennis balls. Cook until set and cooked through, about ten minutes. Serve immediately.

This recipe is from the go-to cookbook in our home: Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything.”

Whole Roasted Chicken

whole chicken (4-5 pounds)
4 t. salt
2 t. sugar
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground allspice
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. cinnamon
10 cloves garlic, crushed

In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Rub the chicken with the mixture. (If you don't want to eat skin, then make sure you rub under the chicken's skin.)  Cover chicken, and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Stuff the chicken cavity with the garlic. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan.

Roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 450 degrees, and continue roasting 15 minutes. Baste chicken with pan drippings, reduce heat to 425 degrees F, and continue roasting 30 minutes, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Notes: As I was given this chicken and having never before cooked a whole chicken, I turned to allrecipes.com and found this recipe. The spices may seem weird on meat, but it was sooooo tasty. We served it with asparagus (thanks for all these cooking hints!) and had, what was probably, our first carb-free meal.  I didn't realize there was a 24-hour marinating period, so it got only eight.  But I can imagine it would have been that much better given the full 24 hours.

Because our chicken was slightly larger than 4 pounds, it took longer to get to the 180-degree internal temperature, by about 10 minutes.  And I have no roasting pan so used a cooling rack on a cooking sheet which worked fine.

Enchil-agna

Yes, it's enchiladas prepared in classic lasagna style. :) Our kids love this, so we thought we'd share.

12 corn tortillas, quartered
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1/2 c salsa (optional)
2 c red enchilada sauce
2 c shredded cheese
1/2 pound black beans, cooked


Cook beef and onions in a large skillet over medium heat until beef is browned and onions are translucent. Drain off drippings. Stir in salsa or 1/2 c enchilada sauce.
Coat bottom of 9 x 13 pan with a layer of enchilada sauce, reserving about a cup for the top layer. Beginning with a layer of tortilla quarters in the pan, create layers of meat mixture, beans, cheese, and tortillas as you see fit. I like to create 8 individual stacks of layered ingredients to ease serving, and usually end up with 6 layers in each stack. Pour reserved sauce over all, then sprinkle on the last of the cheese. Cover tightly with foil that has been coated with cooking spray. You can make it in advance and store in fridge until it is time to cook. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes until heated through.

You can buy enchilada sauce in a can or buy a seasoning packet to add to tomato sauce. OR you could make your own, with this recipe from allrecipes.com.

If you don't use dried beans, you can substitute two cans of beans, rinsed and drained.

Red Enchilada Sauce

1/4 c oil
2 T flour
1/8 c chili powder
8 oz tomato sauce
1 1/4 c water
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t garlic
1/4 c minced onion

Place first three ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly till slightly browned. Add remaining ingredients. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

This yields about 2 cups of tasty sauce that is healthier than sauce from a can, and more cost-effective than the seasoning packets you can buy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


1. In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter and melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Melt chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Spread melted chocolate over the crumb crust.
3. Chill for about 5 minutes, then cut into bars before the chocolate is completely set, then chill until ready to serve.

Rice and Beans

We found this outstanding recipe combo in "Mice and Beans," a children’s picture book by Pam Muñoz Ryan.


Beans:
16 oz dried pinto beans, washed and picked over
1 large chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
29 oz. chicken broth
29 oz. water

Combine ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 hours, stirring often, until beans are plump and soft.

Rice:
2 T oil
⅓ c minced onion
⅓ c minced pepper
1 ½ c long grain white rice, uncooked
14 oz. chicken broth
¼ c tomato sauce
1 ½ c water

Pour oil in large skillet. Add onion, pepper, rice, and saute over medium heat until rice is lightly toasted. Add broth, sauce, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Do not stir. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Serve rice and beans side-by-side or wrapped in tortillas.