Zupa's Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

This soup is one of Trevor's favorites from the restaurant Zupas. I have never had the soup until I made it at home. It's simple and a great way to use cauliflower. The recipe is adapted from peachtreecooking.blogspot.com.

2 Tbl. butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups milk

1 14.05 oz can of chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

1 head (2.5 lbs) cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tsp. mustard (Dijon or regular)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup pepper jack cheese

bacon bits for garnish

In a 4 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. Add flour, and salt and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add milk slowly, then chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water. Make sure you continue stirring then add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let simmer until cauliflower is tender (about ten minutes). In blender, blend cauliflower until smooth and return to saucepan. Heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add mustard, and 1 1/2 cups cheese until smooth. Serve with remaining cheese and bacon bits.

Cupcakes!

I baked and decorated 101 cupcakes for our Relief Society Meeting in November. I have never made this many in my life. It took a lot of time. Not only because I'm a mother of three, a homemaker, cook, wife, shopper, planner, etc., but because they just took time. I had fun doing it though and was so happy how they turned out. In the corner you can see my daughter trying to decorate a mini cake. They see me having so much fun that they like to play with frosting too!

Holiday Cookies

I finally made some Christmas cookies that are worth sharing. I've always dreamed of making cute cookies but never could quite get them to turn out how I wanted. Now these cookies aren't perfect but they are sure cute! My inspiration, along with the recipe came from Bakerella. Of course hers are so much cuter but she's a professional :)

Happy Birthday Trevor!

I have a confession. I've never made my husband a birthday cake. I just assume he will love me even if I never made him one. Well this year, I decided to make him one, and then I sent him out the door with it to take to work. I wanted all the people he works with to know it was his birthday and to tell him Happy Birthday. It worked and turned out great. These pictures of the cake do not do the cake justice at all. The cake looked amazing. The chocolate ganache was shiny and it was amazing if I say so myself.

Pie Crust

This pie crust will blow your mind. Okay, not really but I tried it and it worked! I've tried so many different pie crusts recipes and yes, I have had them turn out as hard as rocks. I remember using ice water, refrigerating the dough, and barely touching it with my fingers. I went to a cooking class in my neighborhood and this lady shared her recipe. The mind-blowing part is that she used WARM water. I also loved how she rolled the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and easily transferred the dough to her pie plate. The recipe makes one pie crust. You'll need to double it for a top layer.

1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
3 Tbsp. WARM water

In a bowl, mix the flour salt and sugar together. Then add the shortening. Mix with a fork until well distributed throughout the flour. It should look like little beads. Add water and mix just long enough that it holds together, then form a ball with your hands. Roll out between lightly floured (barely any) plastic wrap the size of your pie pan and add filling or cook. The cooking time varies if you have a filled pie or are doing just one layer pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees or until lightly browned.

Cake Love

Ice Cream and Chocolate Oreo Cake

Yellow Cake with Mango Mousse. This cake is a 6", 3 layer cake.

Beautiful Roses!

This is a yellow cake with mango mousse, lemon filling, with whipped cream, fruit and almond decorations. This cake was made for the more "healthy minded" folk.

Ice Cream and Chocolate cake with Butterfinger, mini cake

Super mini Oreo Cake

These are some of the latest cakes I've done. I seriously have a passion for decorating cakes. If I had the means, the time, the money, I think I could decorate all day and all night. The passion runs through me like crazy. I seriously find so much love and peace spreading frosting on a cake. The journey in planning and executing excites my soul and the satisfaction is amazing. My cakes start at $40 for anyone interested. Any extras like chocolate wrap, chocolate roses, etc., the price increases. 

Breakfast Frittata

My family loves when I make Frittata. They like it with bacon, sausage, and cheddar cheese. I'll sneak bits of green bell pepper and onion in theirs as well. I like to make a mini one for myself that may include tomatoes, green or red bell pepper with onion, mushroom, basil and some feta cheese.


I use this basic recipe from allrecipes.com and then add whatever I'm in the mood for.

12 eggs
2 c. milk
4 Tbl. butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c. onion
2 c. cheese
Bacon, sausage, tomatoes, green bell peppers, etc.

In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with onions, bacon (or whatever you want). Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Chicken Tikka Masala with Naan Bread

This is an Indian dish. I got the recipe off of a spice packet from Macey's grocery. It's by McCormick so if you don't have the spices, just find it at the grocery store. My family all love this dish and we love it served with Naan Bread.

2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper (opt)
2 Tbl butter
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 Tbl lemon juice
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tbl cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt


1. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, onion and lemon juice; cook and stir 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add all of the spices except red pepper; cook and stir one minute.
2. Stir in tomatoes until well mixed. Stir cream inot cornstarch and salt until smooth. Gradually stir into skillet. Stir in red pepper to taste, if desired. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; stirring frequently, simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
3. Serve with cook rice or naan bread, if desired.




Naan Bread (from allrecipes.com)

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water plus a little more
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 
  
• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
• 
  
• Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
• At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Poblano Chile Enchiladas

This is my first Bountiful Basket that I picked up over the weekend. I've heard about these but haven't ever gotten one until now. I was really excited with what I got in my basket for $15! 6 corn on the cob, 8 poblano chiles, 6 tomatoes, 5 apples, 5 mangos, 1 cantaloupe, 1 bunch bananas, 1 bunch swiss chard, one romaine lettuce, one bag carrots, and one package of mushrooms. My biggest concern was how I was going to use poblano chiles. I've never had one and wasn't sure the heat intensity. So on Saturday I sliced off one very small piece. And to my delight it wasn't hot at all. It tasted like a bell pepper. So I decided to eat the rest of it and started eating a bigger bite. To my utter disappointment my tongue was on fire, tears were coming down my face and all I could do was hold milk on my tongue and try and eat something else to alleviate the pain. My kids watched in horror as I'd crouch down as my tongue pulsated from the heat. How in the world was I going to make food from these peppers! Well I found a recipe off of allrecipes.com and made it last night and it was SO YUMMY! Everyone ate it and I can't wait to make it again!

• 2 (8 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
• 4 fresh poblano chilies (or more)
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 large flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded cheese

1. Roast the poblano chiles underneath a broiler until the skin has blackened on all sides. Place the chiles in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, and allow to steam as they cool, about 30 minutes. When cool, peel the blackened skin off of the pepper, and remove the seeds and membrane.
2. Place the chicken breasts, garlic, onion, water, and chicken bouillon into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes. When finished, remove the chicken to a plate to cool. Measure out 1 cup of the chicken broth and discard the rest.
3. Place the reserved chicken broth into a blender along with the roasted poblanos and sour cream. Puree until smooth and set aside.
4. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the tortillas one at a time until softened and beginning to crisp. Place onto a plate and set aside. Pour the pureed poblano mixture into the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, slice the cooled chicken breasts into 1/4 inch strips.
5. Using tongs, dip a tortilla into the sauce, coating both sides. Place some of the chicken in the center of the tortilla, roll tightly, then place on a serving dish with the seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spoon any remaining sauce over top of the enchiladas, then sprinkle with the shredded cheese.

Chickpea and Tomato Soup

This recipe and the picture are copied and pasted from "I'll Have What She's Having." A new food site that I found and am really interested in because of all the healthy recipes and beautiful pictures! I wanted to try making this soup (or stew as she calls it) but I was a little nervous. It has a lot of flavor and mixture of spices to it but it just sounded good. Verdict is - it's yummy! I halved the recipe below and used ground ginger and dry cilantro and it still was very good. Oh, and I used the forbidden sour cream instead of yogurt. 

3 garlic cloves, chopped

one 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 can diced tomatoes

2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed or 3 cups cooked chickpeas

2 cups water

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves 

In a large skillet over high heat, add the oil and onions sauteing until the onions are sizzling.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onions start to brown.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the cumin, coriander, and cayenne; cook for one minute to bring the flavours out of the spices.

Add the tomatoes and simmer until thickened.

Add the chickpeas and simmer for another 10 minutes so that the chickpeas take on the flavours on the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve topped with yogurt and cilantro over a bed of basmitti rice or with naan.

Star Wars Birthday Cake

This is the cake I made for Alex's birthday. I finally got to try one of my signature ice cream cakes and I was very pleased. It's funny because I make all these cakes and never really get to try them so I always hope and pray they taste okay. This one was really yummy. The inside is made with vanilla ice cream, chopped Oreos, and chocolate cake. The outside is frosted with chocolate ice cream and chopped Oreo's. It has chocolate shell as the graph and blue icing rounds with the STAR WARS sign in fondant.

Chocolate Rose Cake

I made this cake over the weekend for a friend. I studied some techniques and was itching to try them. The outside is a chocolate collar and the top is made from modeling chocolate. Yes - I shaped that rose. It was fun because Kayla was helping me hold the rose and she was so impressed. It's not perfect but it gave me an idea of how these techniques work.

JD Chicken and Shrimp Glaze

I got this recipe from food.com. The original recipe calls for one teaspoon of whiskey but I don't have any and the flavors in the recipe are so intense that you really don't need the whiskey. This is another one of Alex's favorite dishes that I didn't know until his birthday yesterday! Prepare to spend about 2 hours preparing this glaze. 

1 head garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

2/3 cup water

1 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup Kikkoman's teriyaki sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar

3 teaspoons lemon juice

3 teaspoons minced white onions

1 teaspoon crushed pineapple

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 To roast garlic: cut the top off  of the garlic bulb. Cut the roots so that the garlic will sit flat. Remove the papery skin from the garlic, but leave enough so that the cloves stay together. Put garlic in a small casserole dish or baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and cover with a lid or foil. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove and let it cool until you can handle it.

For glaze: combine water, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat. Stir occasionally until mixture boils, then reduce heat to simmer. Add remaining ingredients to pan and stir. Squeeze out 2 tsp. of roasted garlic and whisk to combine with pan mixture. Let simmer for 35-45 minutes or until sauce has reduced by 1/2 and is thick and syrupy. To use, grill meat until almost done, then use the glaze otherwise it will burn.

Batman Cake

I know you've been itching to see more cakes. Sorry I haven't posted the ones of late.  Maybe when I find more time in my life, I'll post them. I'm posting them on Facebook so if you want to see them, go there. I should really start a cake blog or something so you don't have to fish through so many great cake pictures!
I wanted to share this picture with you that I just finished today. I had a sweet gal in my neighborhood call me yesterday, wanting a great cake for her son's birthday - which is today! I usually want a few days notice so I have time to study, prepare, and plan for cakes but she was pretty anxious to get a nice cake for her son. I totally understand and was so happy that I could help her out. Her son wanted a Batman cake. It was really great to talk to her and she went and purchased the toys on top so she knew exactly what he wanted. The first two layers of cake have Gotham city all around. The smaller layer on top is the Batman belt. The decorations are made with fondant and the blue is real buttercream. I'm so anxious to know how the inside of the cake will look but I realize I probably won't get to see. So it's chocolate inside with a layer of the bright yellow frosting in the middle - classic! I loved when she thought she had to take the decorations off and I told her it was all edible!

Chicken Salad Sandwich

This is the recipe I got from Trisha. I'm always trying to find a chicken salad recipe and I try various ones and can't pinpoint one. This is really good anyways, so I'm keeping it. Thanks Trisha!

2 c. grapes, sliced
3 c. chicken
1/2 c. celery
2 Tbs. green onion, diced
1 c. mayo
1/4 c. sour cream
2 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste
silvered almonds

Combine mayo, sour cream, honey, lemon juice, ginger, salt and pepper. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Serve on a croissant with a leaf of lettuce.

Creamy Chicken & Vegetable Soup

This is a quick throw-together recipe that I got from my good friend Lorisa. My entire family loves it, especially Kayla. She asks for her favorite soup that has "broccoli" and "carrots" in it.

5 cups water

1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli (fresh works too)

1 medium carrot, shredded (chopped works too)

2 tsp. dried minced onion

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, cubed

1 can of chicken or one large chicken breast cut and cooked.

3/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup water and vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables soften.  While they are simmering combine the chicken soup, cream cheese and water until smooth. (I like to put it in the food processor.) Add cream soup mixture to vegetables and water. Then add chicken. Simmer until heated through and serve.

Sugar Cookie with Cream Cheese Frosting

I like this Sugar Cookie recipe because it makes soft sugar cookies and I don't have to chill the dough. The cookie recipe is from my BYU ward cookbook and the cream cheese frosting recipe is from my Pillsbury cookbook.

Sugar Cookies
3 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg, unbeaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. almond
1/2 c. sour cream

Soft together flour, soda and salt. Combine butter, sugar, egg and flavoring, then beat. Add sour cream, then flour mixture. Roll out, and cut out desired shapes. Cook on greased cookie sheet for 7 minutes at 400 degrees.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbl. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla

In large bowl, combine all ingredients, beat until smooth. Add coloring, frost cookies and add sprinkles if desired.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Chicken Italian Soup with Shirley J

I admit, I was succored into buying this product. I attended the Fall Women's Expo and was so excited to see a booth there for Shirley J products. I've heard about the stuff, have driven by their store but never had a chance to taste the product until the Expo. The soup I tasted was amazing. It was a cream soup and it didn't taste powdered at all. All you do is add water and whatever you want to make wonderful meals. It contains no MSG, it's 1/4th the calories of making your own cream sauce from scratch, no trans fat, no saturated fat, and no hydrogenated oils (shirleyj). And the shelf like is like 20 yrs or something!

Okay, seriously? It sat on my shelf for a while. I tried to find some recipes to try. One was their Divine Alfredo Sauce which I didn't care for, so it sat on my shelf longer. Then I tried the Broccoli Cheddar Soup and it is a keeper, thus posted here!



Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1 c. Shirley J Universal Sauce
4 c. water
3 c. broccoli crowns (blanched)
3 c. cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions

Combine Shirley J Universal Sauce with water; bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat, add broccoli and cheese, stir and simmer for 10 minutes
--------------------------------------
Then I ventured into something more gourmet and tried their Italian Chicken Soup last night (so yummy!) My kids loved it and ate it quicker than my husband and I.

Italian Chicken Soup

1 T. oil
½ c. yellow onions (small diced)
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/3 c. celery (chopped)
¼ t. oregano leaves
2 T. basil leaves (dried)
1 t. thyme
1 ½ t. Shirley J Chicken Bouillon (I used regular bouillon since I don't have ShirleyJ Bouillon yet)
1 lb. chicken breast (uncooked and cut into bite sized pieces)
½ c. fresh Italian parsley (minced)
½ c. sun dried tomatoes (chopped)
4 c. water
1 c. Shirley J Universal Sauce Mix

Directions

In a small stock pot on medium heat, add oil, onions, garlic, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes and then add oregano, basil, and thyme. Stir in the water and Universal Sauce and whisk together until it is smooth. Next add the bouillon, parsley, and tomatoes. Allow the soup to simmer and thicken.

Pretty Penne Ham Skillet

This was a new recipe I found in my Taste of Home Cookbook that I tried and it was a hit at my house! I was really concerned about the flavor of the peppers and how the kids would react. My two-year old had two helpings of the dish! Everyone hungrily finished what was on their plates and thought it was delicious. This is a recipe I'd like to keep around.( I am using the picture from the Taste of Home website.)

1 pkg. (16 oz) Penne Pasta
3 c. fully cooked ham, cubed
1 large Red or Orange Sweet Pepper, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. fresh minced parsley
1 1/2 tsp. fresh minced basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 c. olive oil
3 Tbl. butter

2 garlic cloves minced

14.5 oz chicken broth

1 Tbl. lemon juice

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan Cheese

Cook Pasta according to package directions.

Saute ham, red pepper, onion, parsley, basil, and oregano in oil and butter for 4-6 minutes or until ham is browned and vegetables are tender. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer.

Stir in broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. 

Drain pasta and stir into ham mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 6

Baptism Cake

My niece turned 8 this week and her mom asked me to make a cake for her baptism. I wasn't sure what I was going to do and came up with this idea. I wanted the challenge of making a bow as well. I looked online on how to make the bow and practiced a few days before to make sure I knew how it would go together. I really like this style because it looks like fabric.
The cake is two-tiered cake. The bottom is two layers of 9" chocolate cake and the top is two layers of 6" chocolate cake. It's covered in 100% butter, buttercream frosting. (I'm not a fan of Crisco.) The bow and ribbon are fondant and the polka dots are little candies I found at Walmart. This took some time but I really had fun doing and am so glad Holly asked me to do it.

Flip-Flop Cake

This is a flip-flop cake I made for my niece's birthday. I baked a 9x13 chocolate cake for this one. I made a pattern of a flip flop and cut the cake out from the pattern. The biggest problem I had was with the crumbs mixing into the icing. The cake kept falling apart at the edges and sticking to the icing. So I did a crumb coat which seals in the crumbs and then I added all the colored icing on top of the crumb coat. The sides have candy on them. The flowers are cut out from fondant that I cut out a day or so before and let dry in a teacup to make them curl a little. The straps are licorice Pull-and-Peels. Then I stuck a gummy lobster and shark on the sides. Super cute and super fun to make!

Snickers Cake and Ice Cream Cake

The tricky thing about this cake is what you see is ice cream! So I baked a white cake and used the recipe from the Lemon Cake recipe. I put a thick layer of ice cream in the bottom of a 4 inch deep cake pan, added half a layer of cake and put in the freezer. Then after about 30 minutes I added more softened ice cream and chopped Snickers bar. Then one layer of cake and back in the freezer. Then I added more softened ice cream, this time with Nilla Wafers chopped and Snickers bar chopped and the final half layer of cake. I put the entire thing back in the freezer. Oh, also note: I lined the pan with parchment paper because the first time I made one of these cakes, I didn't, and I had a heck of a time getting the cake out. This time it worked like a charm with the parchment paper. After it was pretty solid, I iced the outer layer with softened ice cream and then back in the freezer for overnight. Next came the decorating! I made Chocolate Shell from the recipe HERE (also known as Magic Shell that you buy for about $3.50 at the store) as the drizzle. Chopped Snickers bar pressed into the ice cream on the bottom and sprinked on top of the buttercream frosting swirls on top. Then I used mini Snickers bars to top it off! Looks yummy!

Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

This is a spin off of pasta and alfredo sauce. It's easier and it's still so yummy! I got this recipe from a ward cookbook back when I was going to BYU.

2 c. pasta - I like to use bowties
1 Tbl. butter
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
3 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 c. milk
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt; cook 2 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Add milk and heat just to boiling; stir in cream cheese and basil. Reduce heat, stirring constantly until cream cheese is completely melted and chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan cheese. Toss hot pasta and sauce; serve immediately.

Thompson Pancakes and Waffles

This recipe is the one that, I think, all the Thompson's use. It was one of the first recipes my husband requested I get from his mom when we were first married. I use it all the time and it's fabulous!

3 c. flour (I use all white sometimes and all wheat sometimes and it works the same)

6 Tbl. sugar

2 Tbl. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. milk

4 eggs separated

6 Tbl. oil in batter (use more if making waffles)

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in one bowl. In another bowl mix milk and egg yolks. Whip egg whites until they form soft peaks and set aside. Mix the milk mixture into the flour mixture and add oil. Fold in egg whites. Cook on hot griddle. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Zucchini Brownies

No one can even tell these brownies are loaded with 2 cups of shredded zucchini! They are a rich, moist, fudgy brownies and 210 calories per serving! Next time I may try substituting applesauce for the oil and adding whole wheat flour as some reviews on allrecipes tried.

1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (opt.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla until well blended. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until well blended. Then stir flour mixture into sugar mixture. It will be super dry and you'll be tempted to add something but don't.
Fold in shredded zucchini and optional nuts. I make sure it's mixed in well so the zucchini is coated. Spread evenly into pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the brownie springs back after you gently touch it.
Add your favorite frosting if desired. I just added semi-sweet chocolate chips after pulling out of the oven and let those melt then spread.
Make sure you let the brownies cool completely before serving.
They also cut better the next day.

Chicken Enchiladas

When someone compliments you on a meal as "gourmet mexican" you had sitting in the fridge overnight, and warmed in the microwave - you know you've got something good.

Start simmering the  enchilada sauce from my site while you arrange the enchiladas.

1 large can of canned chicken
1 onion, chopped
1 can of black or pinto beans
1/2 pint sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese
1 Tbl. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt (opt.)
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 Tbl. chili powder
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Flour Tortillas (approx 8)
3/4 cup cheese
sliced olives (opt.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium, non-stick skillet over medium heat, warm canned chicken. Add onion, sour cream, cheese, parsley, oregano and ground black pepper. Heat until cheese melts. Stir in salt, tomato sauce, water, chili powder, green pepper, garlic and beans.
Roll even amounts of the mixture in the tortillas. Arrange in a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with enchilada sauce and 3/4 cup of cheese and add sliced olives. Bake uncovered in oven for about 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Big Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are made with lemon pudding and white chocolate chips

I really don't want to share this recipe with you. Because if I make them for you, I want you to be so impressed with my skills. But a friend, Linda, shared this with me and Heather made them so I could try them. I was so, so, so impressed! I thought Heather bought these at the store, they were that good. I'm posting this for myself, so I don't lose the recipe. So don't even try to make these or you'll know my secret! :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

(A) In large bowl sift together:
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
set aside.

(B) In separate large mixing bowl, cream together:
2 cups butter softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar

then beat in...
2 (3.4oz) of French Vanilla Pudding Mix*
and beat in...
4 eggs
2 TBS vanilla extract

then add the sifted mixture (Bowl A into bowl B) 1 cup at a time.

Stir in...
4 cups of Chocolate Chips


Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 10-12 minutes (no more than 12 minutes!)
edges should be golden brown.

(or use a wide ice-cream scooper and make bigger wider cookies. Bake at 325 for 9-12 min, just keep an eye on them) *I think I had to cook my huge ones longer.

*You can use different flavors of pudding and chocolate chips! Like chocolate pudding & peanut butter chips or coconut pudding and white chocolate chips with macadamias. Or chocolate chips, with almonds and coconut.

For the Love of the Green Drink!

When I see my children drinking blended spinach with apple juice, and some mint leaves, I feel like a good mom. I made this drink for myself, hoping I would drink it all but my daughter wanted some, and then some more. I couldn't help but take pictures of her love for the Green Drink!

8 oz apple juice

a handful or more of spinach

(opt) half a banana

(opt) some pineapple

(opt) mint leaves

You can add anything else green you'd like to try: kale, celery, cucumber, lettuce. I tried sprouts one time and avocado - I don't recommend those.