Cabin Treat Recipes

Okay, here are the recipes I collected from the cabin. Sorry it took a few days to get them posted. I know there were some other really great treats that were served (like Aunt KD's brownies, or maybe they were Tasha's). If you have more recipes, email them to me and I'll get them up ASAP!
Thanks for all the yummy food that ruined my diet!

Chocolate Brownie Trifle from Amy

Ingredients:
1 package brownie mix for 9x13 pan
1 large pkg. (6 oz.) chocolate instant pudding
1 12 oz. tub of Cool Whip
Heath chocolate covered toffee bits (found by chocolate chips in baking aisle)

Make brownies according to package instructions. Cool slightly. Divide brownies in half. While still warm, crumble in bottom of trifle dish or small glass punch bowl. Make pudding according to instructions. Divide pudding in half. Pour ½ over brownies. Spread ½ Cool Whip over pudding. Repeat last three layers. Sprinkle toffee bits over the top for garnish. May also garnish with raspberries or strawberries to add "holiday color!" Set in refrigerator overnight.
To reduce fat and calories, use Fat Free Brownies, Sugar Free Pudding, Skim Milk and Lite Cool Whip. Tastes just as good!!

Hot Fudge Ice Cream Bar Dessert from Magen

20 ice cream sandwiches
1 16oz. jar of Hot Fudge topping
3/4 cup Peanut Butter
12 oz. Cool Whip
1 cup Peanuts

Microwave the Hot Fudge syrup for about 2 minutes (do not allow to boil).
Stir in Peanut Butter until smooth. Set aside to cool.
In a 13x9 pan, line bottom with 10 ice cream sandwiches. Spoon 1/2 of the Hot Fudge/Peanut Butter mixture on top, then half of the cool whip and top with 1/2 cup peanuts. Repeat to make second layer. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Scotch-a-Roos from Kory

1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Peanut Butter
Rice Krispies
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1 cup Butterscotch Chips

Mix Karo syrup and sugar and bring to a boil.
Take off heat and add peanut butter. Mix until smooth.
Add enough Rice Krispies to desired gooeyness.
Press into a large, butter cookie sheet.
Melt together chocolate and butterscotch chips. Smooth over rice krispie mixture.
Let set before cutting.

Fudge from Amanie

1 pint heavy whipping cream
4 cups sugar (no wonder it's so sweet)
1 cup butter (and rich!)
3 large chocolate bars (Symphony*)

Using a large pan, mix together cream and sugar. Heat. DO NOT STIR while cooking. Cook until mixture is at a "soft ball" stage (225-235 degrees).
Remove from heat and add butter (cut into small pieces). Do NOT STIR!
Once butter has melted, pour mixture over the chocolate bars in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until smooth. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan and chill until set.

*We also discussed using chocolate bars with nuts or toffee chips in it as well.

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Brownie Base

1 pkg. Brownie mix (make sure it's the family size, 13x9 pan); including the oil, water and egg(s) required to make it. The actually recipe calls for Betty Crocker Original Supreme brownie mix with the pouch of chocolate syrup, but I just used a mix I already had and it was still yummy.

Filling

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. milk

Topping

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 butter

* Make brownie mix according to package directions. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.

* In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.

* In small microwavable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on High 30 to 60 (30 was enough for me) seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. Store covered in refrigerator.

Cranberry Spinach from Amy

Prep/Total Time: 20 min.
Ingredients:
8 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup dried cranberries
2 medium pears, chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cranberries and pears. In a blender, combine the vinegar, sugar, onion, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and paprika; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Add sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with pecans. Yield: 8 servings.

Mexican Lasagna from Amy

TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (16 ounces) fat-free refried beans
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
2 cups water
2 cups (16 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
Directions:
In a nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the refried beans, oregano, cumin and garlic powder; heat through. Place three noodles in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; cover with half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles. Combine salsa and water; pour over noodles. Cover and bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until noodles are tender. Spread with sour cream. Sprinkle with olives, cheese and onions. Yield: 9 servings.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2 c. peanut butter, divided
3/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar, divided
3 c. graham cracker crumbs
2 c. (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels, divided
*Grease 13x9-inch baking pan. Beat 1 1/4 c. peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 c. powdered sugar. With hands or wooden spoon (my kitchen aid worked just fine for this next part) work in remaining powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 c. mini morsels. Press evenly into prepared pan. Smooth top with spatula. Melt remaining peanut butter and remaining mini morsels in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until smooth (use microwave 30 seconds at a time and stir until smooth). Spread over graham cracker crust in pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm; cut into bars, store in refrigerator.

Cosina de Maria Squash Soup from Jeanette

3 cups Butternut squash (or similar) cut into 1 inch cubes
½ cup orange juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup sliced leaks (white part only)
1 medium tart apple peeled and chopped
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup butter cubed
4 cups chicken broth (you can get the organic kind at Costco in a box – or use vegetable broth – both work great!)
½ cup heavy cream (I used fat free and it was still yummy)
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss 3 cups squash with brown sugar, oj and cinnamon stick. Bake at 450 for 30-40 minutes until squash is tender(450 is too hot for my oven, so I do it a little lower.) Toss out cinnamon stick. Cook leeks, onions and apples in butter until tender (I like to brown them a bit.) Put cooked squash, onions, leeks and apples in a pot with the broth. Cook until all is warmed thoroughly. Add cream and salt and pepper to taste. Put batches in the blender.
I don’t try to make it perfectly smooth. Oohhhh….I’m hungry just thinking about this soup! Get a loaf of crusty bread and this is heaven.

Susan's Yummy Cranberry Sauce from Jeanette

**Jeanette said this is the recipe for the sauce she brought to Thanksgiving dinner this past year.
1 12oz pkg cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
- cook over med-med/low until cranberries start popping (15-20 min)
zest and juice
1 orange
1 lemon
1 granny smith apple chopped and peeled
add to cranberries cook another 5 mins or until popped
chill and serve

Buffalo Chicken Dip from Jeanette

2-3 lbs shredded chicken
2 8oz fat free cream cheese
16 oz blue cheese (or ranch) dressing
1 12 oz Frank's hot sauce
1 pkg shredded cheese
- boil chicken for 15 mins then shred, mix with hot sauce
- melt cream cheese and dressing over low heat
- 9x13 pan, put chicken then pour dressing over the top
- bake @ 325 for 20 mins
- put shredded cheese over top and bake for 10 more minutes
- serve with tortilla chips

Santa Fe Chicken Salad from Amanie

*Amanie said this is the same salad you get at The Cheesecake Factory*
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 bunches cilantro, (rinsed well, most of stalky ends trimmed off)finelychopped
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoon wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions: Drop garlic cloves and ginger through the feed tube of food processor while motor is on. Mince well. Add the cilantro and process until finely chopped. Add spices, lime juice, vinegar, honey, and parmesan cheese. Process until well mixed. With motor running slowly pour the oil through the feed tube. Let process one more minute.
Salad Ingredients:To make the salad you will need slivered mixed greens, shredded grilled chicken breast, corn kernals, rinsed black beans, bell pepper, chopped tomato, shredded cheese and toasted tortilla strips.

Special Brunch Eggs from Amy

10 eggs
1 pint cottage cheese
1 pound Jack cheese
1 7 oz. can green chilies
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup melted butter
½ cup flour
1 pound diced ham, linguica sausage or crumbled bacon.

Melt butter in 9x13 pan, set aside. Beat eggs until lemony, add flour, baking powder, salt, cottage cheese, Jack cheese, meat and chilies. Mix together and pour into prepared pan. Chill overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes.

Serves 12

Artichoke Chicken from Amy

1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp minced garlic
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, mix together the artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic pepper. Place chicken in a greased baking dish, and cover evenly with artichoke mixture.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

This is another really quick and east treat to make. I can go for anything with peanut butter and chocolate!

1 cake mix--yellow, white or chocolate
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/2 c. peanut butter (she did crunchy and I liked the little crunchy parts)
1 c. chocolate chips

Mix together the cake mix, eggs and oil. Add in the peanut butter. Mix in chocolate chips.

Pat down into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 12-18 minutes.

Jam Diagonals

These are sooooo quick and easy to make...perfect when you forget to make a treat for FHE or a party.

1/2 C butter, softened
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 C flour
1/3 C raspberry jam (or any other jam)
3/4 C powdered sugar
4 tsp lemon juice*

Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until creamy and fluffy. Gradually stir in flour until blended. Divide dough into fourths. On lightly floured surface, with hands, roll each fourth into a 9″ rope. Place 3″ apart on greased cookie sheet. With finger make 1/2″ depression down center of each rope. (Ropes will flatten to about 1″ wide strips). Fill depressions with jam, using a small spoon. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Cool on cookie sheet. For frosting, blend powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and carefully spread over jam. As soon as frosting is set, cut diagonally.

*The lemon juice makes the frosting very tart. I would use 2 tsp. lemon juice and 2 tsp. milk so that it's less tart.

Cobbler Recipes

I just posted to yummy and very easy cobbler recipes. The one from Jenni is made in a smaller pan, so it's perfect for a small family or when you want a yummy treat with not much left over. Plus, most of the ingredients are things you already have on hand. The one from Amanie is made in a larger pan, so it's perfect for a larger group and maybe slightly easier to make. But really, how much simpler can you get? Seriously, they are both yummy!

Cake Cobbler from Amanie

1 can Cherry Pie filling**
1 White or Yellow cake mix**
1 1/2 cubes butter or margarine

Spread pie filling in bottom of a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the pie filling. Thinly slice the butter or margarine (or melt and pour over) and spread evenly over the cake mix. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

**We have also tried this with Raspberry pie filling and a chocoalte cake mix. Yummy! There are a lot of combiniations for this.

Easy Cobbler from Jenni

1/2 cup Butter or Margarine
1 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Milk
1 cup Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 can Any Fruit Pie Filling

* Melt the butter in a square baking dish. Mix all ingredients (except pie filling) with butter in the dish. Pour pie filling of this mixture. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Manicotti with Cheese

14 pieces (8 oz) Manicotti pasta
1 3/4 cups Ricotta Cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped Parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1 28oz. jar Spaghetti Sauce (with meat or sausage)**

* Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Cool in a single layer on foil. Heat oven to 350. In large bowl, stir together cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper. Spoon (or pipe, using a plastic bag and cut one corner off) into cooled pasta tubes. Spread a thick layer of sauce on bottom of baking dish. Arrange filled pasta in single layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over pasta. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 min. longer.

**I have also substituted Alfredo sauce (or another jarred white Italian type sauce) and added cubed or shredded chicken instead of the spaghetti sauce.

Frozen Lemon Squares from Jeanette

1 1/4 cup graham crackers, crushed
1/3 cup margarine
1 quart frozen vanilla yogurt, slightly softened
1 can (6oz) of lemon concentrate (I really like the raspberry lemonade but it gets too sweet so I do half lemon and half raspberry)

Mix grahams and margarine and press on bottom of 9" square pan. Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes to set.
Blend frozen yogurt and lemonade in lg bowl on medium speed.
Spread mixture on crust.
Freeze 4 hours until firm, garnish with cool whip.

Chicken with Peach Stuffing from Jeanette

1 can (15.24 ounces) sliced peaches or if in season 4 fresh peaches
4 boneless chickenbreast
2 tbls canola oil
2 tbls butter
1 tbls brown sugar
1 tbls cider vinegar
1/8 teasp. ground allspice
1 pkg (6 ounce) chicken stuffing mix

Drain peaches, keep syrup. Dice peaches. Add enough water to the syrup to measure 1 cup.. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil 4-5 minutes on each side or until done. Add the butter, brown sugar, vinegar, allspice and reserved syrup.

Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add dry stuffing mix and diced peached. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

This one is also yummy with apples (use half - 3/4 cup apple juice for syrup). My favorite though is with fresh, juicy peaches.

Easy Cheese Garlic Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup Milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheese (I usually do a blend)
1/4 cup Margarine or butter, melted
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

Heat oven to 450. Stir Bisquick, milk and cheese until a soft dough forms; beat vigorously 30 strokes.
Drop dough by spoonfuls (10-12) onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Mix margarine and garlic powder; brush on warm biscuit before removing from cookie sheet.

Italian Crock Pot Chicken from Adree

1 can cream of chicken soup
2- 8oz pkg cream cheese
2T butter
1 envelope Italian dressing
6-8 chicken breast, cut chicken into cubes.
Place butter in the bottom of crockpot. Place chicken cubes in the crockpot. Sprinkle italian dressing over top and stir. Cook on low for 4hours. Stir every hour. 1/2 hour before chicken is done melt cream cheese and soup together in pan. Pour over chicken. Serve over any type of noodle or rice.
Adree said, "KIDS LOVED IT!"

Eclair Squares from Jami

Jami said, "I just got this recipe from a friend and tried it out last night. It is really easy and tastes JUST like an eclair."

Boil: 1 c. water and 1/2 c. butter
Add: 1 c. flour - remove from heat and beat with a spoon
Add: 4 eggs - beat in one at a time until well mixed
Spray a 15x10 jelly roll pan with Pam and spread mix on top. It will be really thin. Cook at 400 degrees for 23 minutes. Let cool.
Mix: 4 oz. of cream cheese (at room temperature) with 2 tbls milk.
In a separate bowl mix a small vanilla instant pudding with 1 1/2 c. milk with a wire whisk. Combine cream cheese with pudding mixture.
Fold in 8 oz. of whipping cream (NOT cool whip).
Spread on cooled crust and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. Drizzle Magic Shell (ice cream topping) over the top and refrigerate 5 minutes more till set.

Chicken Pot Pie from Jami

6 Tbls. butter
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp thyme
6 Tbls flour
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 C. cooked, chopped chicken
1 large carrot, sliced and cooked
1/2 c. cooked peas
1 double crust pie shell
3-4 red potatoes, chopped and cooked

Cook butter, salt, thyme, flour, and pepper in a large pot until bubbly. Remove from heat and add chicken broth and cream to sauce. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat. Add cooked chicken and vegetables to sauce. Put one crust into a 9 or 10 inch pie plate (deep dish works best). Pour mix into a pastry shell (it will be heaping) and put the second crust on top. Cut top to vent. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 25-40 minutes.
Jami said, "We did this at our wards recipie demonstration night and it was REALLY good! She said it works great to double it and do it as a freezer meal as well. "

Fiesta Salad from Amy

2 lg. heads iceburg lettuce - torn
4-5 plum tomatoes - diced1 can black beans - drained/rinsed
1 can shoepeg corn - drained
1/2 bunch gr. onions - chopped
3-4 avacados - diced
3-4 cups shredded cheeese
4 cups or more blue & regular corn chips broken into pieces
Dressing:
1 pkg. Buttermilk Hidden Valley Ranchdressing - prepared to pkg. instructions
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1/2 to 1 bunch cilantro - chopped in blender or food processor

Then add buttermilk with cilantro in blenderor processor. Blend well. Pour over salad and toss just before serving.

Taco Skillet from Jeanette

1 lb. burger, browned and drained (you can season with taco seasoning if desired)
Add
1 can tomato soup
1 cup salsa
1/2 can water (use the can from the tomato soup)
1/4 cup cheese
Heat until a light boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Add tortilla strips or chips until covered on top. Simmer about 5-10 min. Add 1/4 cup cheese on top and serve.

Fruit Dip

1 medium tub of Cool Whip
1 can sweeten condensed milk
8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

Mix together well and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with fresh fruit.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake from Jenni

½ cup sugar 2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla ½ cup canned pumpkin
½ tsp cinnamon dash of cloves
dash of nutmeg
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 graham cracker crust (6 or 9 in)

Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended. Remove 1 cup of batter into a small bowl and stir in pumpkin and spices; set aside. Pour remaining plain batter into crust. Top with pumpkin batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Fabulous Pasta Salad from Jenni

8 oz bowtie pasta (cooked)
¼ cup cran-raisins
8 oz colored spiral pasta (cooked)
1 cup chopped celery
4 chicken breasts (cooked & diced)
4 green onions (chopped)
1 bottle Kraft coleslaw dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cashew nut halves
1 cup red grapes (halved)
1 large can pineapple tidbits (drained)

Mix pineapple, cran-raisins, grapes, chicken, celery, and onions in a large bowl. Add cooked pasta. Mix together well. In a separate bowl, mix together coleslaw dressing and mayo; pour over salad and mix well. For a better flavor, chill in fridge for several hours before serving. Just before serving, add cashews. Goes well when served with crescent rolls on the side.

Oriental Salad from Jenni

1 (16 ounce) package of cole slaw mix
1 bunch green onions
2 packages oriental flavor Ramen Noodles
1/3 cup sunflower seeds (not the ones in shells)
1 cup slivered almonds (optional)

*Chop onions and break apart Ramen noodles and mix in bowl with all the above ingredients.

Dressing: 1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¾ cup oil
2 packets of flavoring from noodle mix

*Mix together and pour over salad . Tastes better if allowed to chill in the fridge for a few hours before eating.
** You can also add some cooked chicken chunks to this!

Zesty Salsa

CHOP: 6-8 Roma tomatoes
1 green pepper
3-4 green onions
2 avocados
ADD: 1 bag frozen white corn
1 small can sliced olives
1 teaspoon garlic salt
¾ bottle of Zesty Italian dressing
Juice of 1 lime
1 can black beans (drained)

Saucy Pork Chops from Jenni

My kids LOVE these… and I’m not a huge fan of pork chop, but I do like these. Easy, easy, easy!!!!

4-6 pork chops
1 can cream of chicken soup
2-3 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup ketchup
Rice

In skillet, brown pork chops on both sides in small amount of oil. Season with salt and pepper, top with onion slices. Combine remaining ingredients, pour over chops. Cover and simmer 45-60 minutes or until done. Serve over rice.

Honey-Orange Chicken from Jenni

4-6 chicken breasts
½ cup OJ concentrate
1 cup dry bread crumbs (Italian Style)
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup butter
½ cup honey

Dip chicken in OJ and roll in bread crumbs. Arrange in a large baking dish. Combine honey, broth, and butter. Heat and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve over rice.

**I got this recipe from Jenni several years ago. It is super easy to make and really delicious. It's definately a favorite in our household.

Strawberry Margarita Pie from Jenni

3 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons honey
1 ½ cups crushed pretzels (unsalted, if possible)
3 cups strawberry frozen yogurt, softened
1 ½ cups thawed frozen cool whip (can use light)
1 package (16 ounces) strawberries in syrup, thawed (or fresh strawberries, sliced)

*Combine margarine and honey in medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on high 30 seconds or until smooth when stirred. Add pretzels; stir until evenly coated. Press into bottom and side of 9-inch pie plate; freeze 30 minutes or until firm.
*Combine frozen yogurt and cool whip in medium bowl; gently fold with rubber spatula. Spoon into pie plate. Freeze 2 hours or until firm.
*Spoon strawberries over each slice of pie and serve.

***Any type of fruit-flavored frozen yogurt with matching fruit can be used.

Crunchy Munchy Lettuce Wraps from Jenni

1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained and minced
1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnut, drained and minced
½ (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms, minced
4 green onions, minced
½ cup frozen sweet peas
Lawry’s sesame ginger 30-minute marinade
12 iceberg lettuce leaves

Cook turkey in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well and set aside. Add oil to pan, and place pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and green onions. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in peas, ½ cup marinade, and cooked turkey. Cook, stirring constantly until thoroughly heated. Spoon about ½ cup turkey mixture onto each lettuce leaf; fold leaves in half. Dip lettuce wrap in marinade, if you’d like. Makes 6 servings.

Pepperoni Pasta Salad from Jenni

8 ounce package of tricolor pasta
2 ½ ounce can of sliced, pitted olives (drained)
Cherry tomotaoes (about 15 cut in half)
1 cup chopped fresh broccoli
Pepperoni slices (about 15)
4 ounces cubed cheddar cheese
1 cup creamy Italian dressing

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Put the pasta in a large bowl and add all the other ingredients. Stir together gently until mixed. Cover and chill for 2 hours before serving. Makes 10-12 servings.

Chicken and Broccoli Layer Dish from Jenni

16 oz frozen broccoli spears or 1 ½-2 bunches fresh broccoli
2 cups chicken, cut up (boiled, with onion and celery if you’d like)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup chicken broth
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
¼ to ½ teaspoon curry
½ cup grated cheese
½ cup bread crumbs, soaked in 2 tablespoons melted butter

Cook and drain broccoli. Lay in bottom of large dish. Place cooked chicken over broccoli. Mix together cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, broth, lemon juice, and curry. Pour sauce mixture over chicken and broccoli and top with cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes covered, then bake an additional 10 minutes uncovered. Serve over rice.

Thai Chicken Wraps

(From a kids recipie book but really yummy- better for a light meal or lunch)

3 skinless chicken breasts
7 tablespoons Lawry’s sesame ginger 30-minute marinade
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/3 cups shredded iceburg lettuce
1 green onion, thinly sliced

*Place chicken in a ziplock bag; add 4 tablespoons marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat chicken. Marinate in fridge for 30 minutes.
*Remove the chicken from the bag, discarding marinade. Cook chicken in hot oil in a big nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from skillet, and let cool slightly. Cut each chicken breast diagonally into ¼-inch thick slices.
*Stir together peanut butter and remaining 3 tbls marinade in a small bowl.
*Spread 2 tablespoons peanut butter mixture evenly over 1 side of each torilla, leaving a ½-inch border. Top each tortilla with chicken, 1/3 cup shredded lettuce, and 2 teaspoons green onions. Roll up tortilla tightly and serve.
*Sometimes it is easier to serve these wraps by placing each rolled tortilla onto a square of parchment or wax paper. Roll them up tightly, and twist the ends to seal. Cut the wraps in half, and peel back the paper as you eat.

Speedy Chicken Stir-Fry

8 oz. angel hair pasta
2 cups broccoli florets (or you can use other veggies on hand)
1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into strips
1/2 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing***
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. each ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper
1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time.
Meanwhile, cook chicken in a nonstick skillet for 6-8 min. or until cooked through. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and red pepper; cook 1 min. stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta mixture; place in a large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly.

Makes 4-2 cup servings.

***In the Sunday paper, there is a coupon for $1.50/1 Kraft dressing. Walmart sells this dressing for $1. 58. So if you use a coupon, you can get it for only $0.08 (not bad for a dressing that you may not use often, or even if you do, still not bad).

Miracle Lasagna

Yep, this is just that...a miracle. Growing up, I always thought that lasagna was hard to make. You know, time consuming with a lot of cooking know-how. Well, this is just the opposite. I just made if for dinner tonight and it took me about 5 minutes to assemble (after I cooked the meat). I love serving this with green beans from Grandma and Grandpa's garden.

1 large jar of Spaghetti Sauce
**1 lb. ground beef, browned (optional), if you add meat, you may want to add a small can of tomato sauce. Add this to the sauce
6 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 15 oz. container of cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1+cup grated Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

In 2 qt baking dish, spread 1 cup sauce. Top with 3 uncooked noodles, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese (1 cup), parmesan cheese and 1 cup sauce (in that order). Top with remaing noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour.
I think this actually took longer to type up than it did to assemble. Enjoy!

Free Soap

Yep, that's right...Free Soap! If you visit the link on the side for Making Life Sweet, there was a post earlier this week for free Johnson's Buddies stuff. You can print off several different coupons for basically $1 off the product. Walmart has the buddy bars for $.97, so you get the soap for FREE (you actually get 3 cents back to take it!). I was able to get 5 bars yesterday (I didn't print off all the coupons, either). Not a bad deal, huh?
Just wanted to pass this along to all the young moms...or at least moms with young kids (like me).

Weight Watchers Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box Spice Cake mix (just the mix, no egg, water, oil, etc.)
1 small can Pumpkin
Chocolate Chips

Combine all 3 ingredients. Bake at 350 for abot 10 minutes.

Easy Swedish Meatballs

30 pre-cooked frozen meatballs
1 pkg. country gravy mix
1 cup sour cream

Prepare gravy according to package directions. In a large saucepan, mix prepared gravy with sour cream. Add frozen meatballs and heat until the meatballs are cooked through and mixture is bubbly. Serve over prepared noodles (or rice).

**This recipe is also a great freezer recipe. Instead of adding meatballs and heating through, combine the gravy mixture and meatballs in a freezer bag. Don't forget to label the bag, including the date...freezer meals are best if used within 3 months.

Shepard's Pie

1 lb. ground beef, browned*
1 can green beans**
1 can tomoato soup
4-5 cups mashed potatoes
1+ cup shredded cheese

Layer, in order, the above ingredients into a casserole dish. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

*Ground Turkey is a great alternative.
**This dish can be a freezer meal if you replace the beans with a can of corn.