Simple Crepes

Crepes are one of those things that I always thought you had to go to a fancy restaurant and you could only eat for dessert. WRONG! I was wrong. They are so simple to make. Just as easy as making pancakes and waffles. You can put anything on the inside. We made some with Nutella and bananas, and strawberries and cream. They are so delicious. A few weeks ago we put ham and an egg in them fold up the sides and baked them. You really can put anything in them and they are always delicious.

Simple Crepes

Recipe Source: Martha Stewart Food Mag

1 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 cups Whole Milk

4 large Eggs

3 Tablespoons Butter, melted

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree until mixture is smooth and bubble form on top, about 30 seconds. Let batter sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, you can also refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 day, whisk before using.

2. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Lightly coat with butter. Add 1/3 cup batter and swirl to cover the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the underside of crepe is golden brown, about 2 minutes. 

3. Loosen edge of the crepe with a rubber spatula, then use your fingertips and quickly flip. Cook for 1 more minute. Slide crepe out of the skillet and repeat with remaining batter. Re coat pan with butter if needed.

Special K Treat

I found this recipe on 'Or so she says...' and it was originally called Death By Special K. There is a reason, they have A LOT of butter. They are very very sweet. But they are really good. I renamed them because I don't want to feel guilty while I eat them. Special K treat is like a rice krispie treat and those make me happy.

Special K Treat

Recipe Source: oneshetwoshe.com

2 cups Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 cup Granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 bag Mini Marshmallows
12 cups Special K Cereal

Melt your butter in a large stockpot. Add the brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add the marshmallows and continually stir over medium/low heat until melted completely. Remove from heat and add the cereal. Mix well. Drop in handful size clumps onto wax paper to cool. Store leftovers in a Ziploc bag.

Cherry Cobbler

Its the middle of winter but today felt like an early spring day, so I am feeling like a dessert that reminds me of how I feel in spring. This is one of my favorite desserts and its best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Cherry Cobbler
Recipe Source: allrecipes.com

1/4 cup Butter
1 cup Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 cup Milk
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/2 (21oz) cans Cherry Pie Filling 

Heat oven to 275 F. Place butter in 8x8 baking dish and place in oven to melt butter. In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add milk and vanilla, stir. Remove baking dish from the oven as soon as the butter is melted. Pour flour mixture into the dish. DO NOT STIR. Pour fruit evenly over and DO NOT STIR. Raise oven temperature to 350 F and bake for 55 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Why is it so cold! I am so tired of the winter. Its cold and snowy and rainy. But nothing warms you like a delicious hot bowl of soup. This is my take on chicken noodle soup. Its more like a stew and it hits the spot on a cold night.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 -3 Chicken Breasts

4 cups Chicken Broth

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Onion, minced

2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

3 Celery Ribs, Chopped

5 Carrots, Chopped

1 can Corn

3 cups Farfalle

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cover chicken with broth and cook until done. Take chicken out of pan and shred. Put back in pan. Add soup and to the broth. Add 3 cups water. Add veggies and spices and simmer for about 1 hour. Add noodles and cook until tender.

Banana Bread

Do you have a recipe that your mom makes that you love and always want. For my husband this is that recipe. He likes to eat it with butter and cheese on it. I dont really understand it. Its really good on its own. It is light and airy, moist and delicious.

Banana Bread

Recipe Source: Sandy Bishop

1/2 cup Shortening

3/4 cup Mashed Bananas (2 med)

1 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour, Sifted

3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a bread pan with cooking spray. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and blend until fluffy, about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl sift remaining dry ingredients together several times. Add dry ingredients and bananas into the sugar/egg mixture while mixing. Bake 1 hour for one large loaf or 25 minutes for a small loaf.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

It was snowing outside and freezing cold and we had gone to the grocery store and couldn't get up our driveway(its really steep) when we got home so we had to pack the kids and the groceries up from the street. It seemed like it took a month and by the time we got in the house we were freezing and ready for something warm and delicious and this is what I decided to make. It totally hit the spot.

 

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Recipe Source: Hersheys.com

1-1/4 cups Granulated Sugar, divided
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Cocoa, divided
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Milk
1/3 cup Butter, melted
1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
1-1/4 cups Hot Water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla; beat until smooth.

 

2. Pour batter into ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Stir together remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa; sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top; do not stir.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes. Serve in dessert dishes, spooning sauce from bottom of pan over top. Perfect with vanilla ice cream.

Chicken Mozzarella

I found this recipe on my sister-in-laws blog. I was looking for something easy and fast. I was a bit hesitant because it uses condensed tomato soup. But oh my heck, this is so delicious. Please make this.

Chicken Mozzarella

Recipe Adapted From: menumanaged.blogspot.com

2 Chicken Breasts

2 cans Condensed Tomato Soup

1 tsp. Dried Oregano

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

2/3 c. shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 tsp. Dried Basil

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl combine tomato soup, oregano and garlic powder. Pour a little to coat bottom of 2-quart baking dish. Salt and pepper chicken, and place in the baking dish. Pour remainder of soup mixture over chicken. Bake for 45 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle cheese and dried basil over chicken and cook until cheese is melted. Serve over noodles.

Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies

These are my new favorite brownies. I dont know what I will do when the pan is empty, they are that good. The brownie is rich, gooey and oh so chocolaty. The chocolate chip cookie dough is the perfect frosting for this delicious brownie. You need to make these, they are so good.

Cookie Dough Brownies

Recipe Source: melskitchencafe.com

Brownie Layer:
1-12 oz bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup Butter
1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 large Eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups Flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly and remove from heat when chips are fully melted. In the same pot, blend in the sugar. Then add eggs, blending fully one at a time. Add flour and salt and beat until air bubbles form in the batter.

3. Pour into a greased 9 X 13-inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn heat down to 325 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes.

Cool completely and then top with the cookie dough layer.

Cookie Dough Layer:
1/2 cup Butter, softened
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
3 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/8 tsp Salt
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1. In a small bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Drop by tablespoonfuls over cooled brownies; carefully spread over top (if you use your fingers and wet them a little it helps a lot). Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Ingredient Substitution List

This list is for all of those times you start making a recipe and are missing something.

A

All Spice: 1 tsp - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, & 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Apple Pie Spice: 1 tsp - 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, & 1/8 tsp cardamom

B

Baking Powder: 1 tsp - 1/4 tsp baking soda & 1/2 tsp cream of tarter

Bread Crumbs: 1 cup - 1 cup cracker crumbs or 1 cup ground oats

Broth, Beef or Chicken: 1 cup - 1 bullion cube & 1 cup boiling water or 1 Tbsp soy sauce & enough Water for 1 cup.

Brown Sugar: 1 cup, packed: 1 cup granulated sugar & 1/4 cup molasses. Decrease liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup.

Butter, Salted: 1 cup - 1 cup margarine or 1 cup shortening

Butter, Unsalted: 1 cup - 1 cup margarine or 7/8 cup vegetable oil

Buttermilk: 1 cup - 1 Tbsp lemon juice & enough milk to make 1 cup, let stand 15 minutes.

C

Cocoa: 1/4 cup - 1 oz chocolate. Decrease fat in recipe by 1/2 Tbsp.

Cornstarch: 1 Tbsp - 2 Tbsp flour

Corn Syrup: 1 cup - 1 cup sugar & 1/4 cup water heated until syrupy

Cream, Heavy: 1 cup - 3/4 cup milk & 3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter

Cream of Tarter: 1 tsp - 2 tsp lemon juice

F

Flour, Bread: 1 cup - 1 cup flour & 1 tsp wheat gluten

Flour, Cake: 1 cup - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour & 1/4 cup cornstarch, sifted together.

Flour, Self-rising: 1 cup - 7/8 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder & 1/2 tsp salt

G

Garlic: 1 clove - 1/8 tsp garlic powder or 1/2 tsp garlic salt.

Garlic Salt: 1 tsp - 1/8 tsp garlic powder & 7/8 tsp salt

H

Herbs: 1 Tbsp fresh - 1 tsp dried herbs

Honey: 1 cup - 1 cup corn syrup or molasses

K

Ketchup: 1 cup - 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 tsp vinegar & 1 Tbsp sugar

L

Lemon Juice: 1 tsp - 1/2 tsp vinegar

Lemon Zest: 1 tsp - 1/2 tsp lemon extract or 2 Tbsp lemon juice

M

Marshmallow Creme: 7 oz jar - 16 oz pkg marshmallows, melted, with 3 1/2 Tbsp corn syrup

Marshmallows: 1 cup mini - 10 large

Mayonnaise: 1 cup - 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt 

Molasses: 1 cup - 3/4 cup brown sugar & 1 tsp cream of tarter. Increase liquid by 5 Tbsp.

O

Onion: 1 cup chopped - 1/4 cup dried minced onion or 1/4 cup onion powder

Orange Zest: 1 Tbsp - 1 tsp lemon juice

P

Parsley: 1 Tbsp chopped, fresh - 1 tsp dried parsley

S

Shortening: 1 cup - 1 cup butter

Sour Cream: 1 cup - 1 cup plain yogurt

Soy Sauce: 1/2 cup - 4 Tbsp worcestershire sauce with 1 Tbsp butter melted

Sweetened Condensed Milk: 14 oz - 1/3 cup & 2 Tbsp Evaporated Milk, 1 cup Sugar & 3 Tbsp butter. Heat until sugar dissolves.

V

Vanilla Bean: 1 bean - 2 tsp vanilla extract

Vegetable Oil, for baking: 1 cup - 1 cup applesauce

Vinegar: 1 tsp - 1 tsp lemon juice

W

Wine: 1 cup - 1 cup chicken or beef broth

The Best Cheesecake

Oh cheesecake. I love cheesecake. I love cheesecakes of all different kinds, but plain, regular old cheesecake with that canned cherry topping is my favorite. Simple, simple and delicious. This particular cheesecake is the most moist I have had in a very, very long time. You should definitely make this, even if you only like cheesecake a little. Its totally worth it. I promise.

The Best Cheesecake

Recipe Source: melskitchencafe.com

Crust:
3 cups finely ground Graham Crackers (about 40 squares)
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 cup Butter, melted

Filling:
2 - 8oz blocks Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 cup Sugar
3 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 teaspoons Lemon Juice
1 pint Sour Cream

To prepare crumb crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and 1-inch up the sides on the pan, use your fingers or the smooth bottom of a glass. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

To prepare filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute just until smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to slowly beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice. Blend in the sour cream. The batter should be well mixed but not overbeaten. Overbeating incorporates too much air and will cause the cake to puff when baking, then fall and crack when cooling. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle slightly, it will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook! Do not do a toothpick test in the cake’s center, this will make a crack. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours to set up. Demold and transfer to a cake plate. Slice the cheesecake with a thin, nonserrated knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each cut.

Chicken Tortilla Club

Have you ever been to the California Pizza Kitchen? They have some really great things. Their lettuce wraps are my favorite. We went on a day where the people I was going with all wanted to go there and I was in the mood for a sandwich. Lucky for me they had a pizza that was like a turkey club pizza. The other day I was in the mood for that pizza and so I made my own version of it with what I had and it turned out really good!

Chicken Tortilla Club

2 Tortillas

6 half slices Swiss Cheese

4 oz Deli Sliced Chicken or Turkey

Shredded Lettuce

Mayo or Miracle Whip

Place a tortilla in a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Put swiss cheese on the tortilla. Let the cheese melt. When it is almost completely melted put on the chicken or turkey. Take the tortilla out of the pan onto a plate. Put the lettuce on top of the chicken. On the other tortilla spread some mayo or miracle whip and place it on top.

**You could add bacon and tomatoes, but I was really hungry and I didn't have either of those things on hand.