Luscious Banana Pudding

This is Paula Deen's "Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding." It's awesome.

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 - 5 oz box french vanilla pudding
1 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz container cool whip, thawed

Directions:Line bottom of 13x9x2" baking dish with 1 bag of cookies and put bananas on top. Blend milk with pudding mix well with a handheld electric mixer. Beat cream cheese and condensed milk together in a bowl until smooth; fold in whipped topping. Add to pudding mixture, stirring until well blended. Pour mixture over cookies and bananas; cover with remaining cookies. Refrigerate.

Carne Asada - like you were in mexico....

Carne Asada Recipe

Ingredients:
2 pounds flank or skirt steak

Marinade:

4 garlic cloves-minced

1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 limes, juiced

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

Method

1 Lay the flank steak in a large non-reactive bowl or baking dish. Combine marinade ingredients and pour the marinade over the steak. Make sure each piece is well coated. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.

2 Preheat your grill over medium-high flame (you can also use a cast iron grill pan on high heat for stove-top cooking). Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Remove the steak from the marinade. If you are cooking indoors, you may want to brush off excess marinade as the bits may burn and smoke on the hot pan. Season both sides of the steak pieces with salt and pepper. Grill the pieces for a few minutes only, on each side, depending on how thin they are, until medium rare to well done, to your preference. You may need to work in batches. Remove the steak pieces to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal.
(Optional) Serve with warm tortillas (flour or corn) and pico de gallo

Southern Style Biscuits

GREEN BEANS

Jumbo Molasses Cookies

Cream:

3 c. butter-flavored shortening
4 sugar
Add and mix well:
1 c. molasses
4 eggs
Combine and gradually Add:
8 c. flour
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ginger
Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours.
Shape ¼ c. dough into balls. Roll in sugar.
Four cookies per sheet.
Bake 350* for 18-20 min or until edges are set.
*Can do “normal size” cookies and reduce baking time.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

In a Large Dutch oven..or pot
BROWN:
1 lb mild sausage
ADD: 2 tsp garlic
1 small onion, chopped
ADD:
6 c. water
5 tsp beef granules
1 c. chopped carrots
½ tsp basil
½ tsp oregano
3 Tbsp parsley
28 oz canned tomatoes (diced)
1- 8 oz can tomato sauce
Cook until carrots are tender.
Meanwhile…
COOK SEPARTELY:
1 bag frozen tortellini
Bow tie pasta (optional)

Bran Flax Muffins

(these are my absolutely favorite muffins! Actually the only ones I’ll eat!)
Mix together in a large bowl:
1 c. flour
½ c. whole wheat flour
¾ c. flaxseed meal (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
¾ c. oatbran
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
Stir in:
2 tart apples, peeled and shredded
1 ½ c. carrots, shredded
½ c. raisins (opt)
1 c. nuts, chopped (opt)
Combine and Pour into dry ingredients:
¾ c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Stir just until ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix!
Fill muffin cups ¾ full. Bake 350* for 15-20 min.

Salsa Verda Burgers

This a fun twist on a hamburger. I saw it on Rachel Ray!
Mash with a fork:
1 avocado
½ c. mayo
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
In a medium bowl, Combine:
1 lb hamburger
½ c. salsa verde
Form patties, but don’t squeeze too hard.
In large skillet over med-high heat. Cook patties for 4 min. on one side.
Flip and top with a slice of pepper jack cheese, cover and cook 4 more minutes.
Spread the avocado mayo on side of Kaiser roll (toasted) and sprinkle with cilantro (opt). Top with a patty and 2 tomato slices. Put on tops on serve.

Easy Chicken Bake

(This is a great Sunday dinner meal and the gravy is awesome over mashed potatoes.)

INGREDIENTS
· Salt
· Paprika
· Garlic salt
· Parsley
· 6 good sized pieces of bone-in chicken (I use 10 drumsticks)
· 1 can cream of mushroom soup
· 1 c. cream or ¾ c. evaporated milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix salt, garlic salt and paprika. Sprinkle and rub into chicken pieces. Layer chicken in shallow pan. Dilute soup with cream and pour over chicken and sprinkle with parsley. Bake uncovered for 1 ½ hours.

Pork Cafe Rio Salad

(This is a knock-off of the pork Cafe Rio salad. Frankly, it doesn't taste like it to me, but it's still SO good and the best thing to serve to company...yummy and people can leave off what they don't want. I know it's not simple, but I think it's worth it.)

You start with the Pork

3-4 lbs. Pork Loin
1 c. brown sugar
1 bottle red taco sauce
1 T. Cumin
1 Can Coke

Cook pork on low in crock pot with water covering ½ the pork for 6 hours or until able to shred. Three hours before serving, drain liquid off pork and add coke, taco sauce, brown sugar and cumin. Continue to cook for approximately 3 more hours.

Then you make the Rice

White rice
Chicken broth
Chopped Cilantro
Chopped white Onions
lime juice

You get to experiment on the portion sizes. Cook the rice in chicken broth instead of water with cilantro, onions, & lime juice.

Then you make the Tomatillo Dressing

1 pkg. Dry buttermilk Dressing (ranch)
3 Tomatillos
1 C. Mayonnaise
1 C. Buttermilk
1 C. Cilantro (chopped)
1 Garlic Clove
1/4 to ½ t. Cayenne Pepper

Put all ingredients in blender. Dressing will be runny at first, but thickens gradually.

This is the order I do this “salad”

Tortillas (how it’s served at the restaurant)***
Cheese (Monterey Jack or Cheddar)
Rice
Black Beans (warmed)
Pork
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Green Onions
Cilantro, Sour Cream, Salsa
Tomatillo Dressing
Crushed chips on top
*** You can buy uncooked tortillas at Costco that you cook fresh yourself. They are fabulous!!!

No Bake Cheesecake

You need:

a graham cracker crust (if you homemake it, it's, like, 10 times better)
8 oz of cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 t. vanilla
berries

If you've baked your crust, make sure you've let it cool. Mix the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Keep in freezer till 30 minutes before serving. Top with any kind of berries.

Homemade Raspberry Ice Cream

I know there are homemade ice cream recipes all over the place, but I combined a few that I couldn't decide between, and we had a tasty result! It was so flavorful and creamy. This recipe takes a little extra work, but it's worth it! This is for a 4 quart ice cream maker.

4 cups half & half
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 (24 oz.) container plain yogurt (I like Activa by Dannon because it's so smooth and creamy)
4 (6 oz.) containers fresh raspberries
1 (12 oz.) package frozen red raspberries

In a large bowl, mix half & half, cream, sugar, and vanilla with a wire whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Rinse the fresh raspberries and put in the blender with 1 cup of the cream mixture. Blend for 1 minute or until the raspberries are pulverized. Pour the raspberry mixture through a fine sieve with a bowl underneath to remove the raspberry seeds (be patient, it will be very thick and might need some stirring to get it through, but you'll be so glad to get rid of all those nasty seeds). Stir the raspberry juice/cream in with the remaining cream and add the yogurt. Stir in the frozen raspberries and pour the entire mixture into the ice cream maker tub. Follow your ice cream maker's directions for layering rock salt and ice and churn until it's thick and creamy.

"Worm" Casserole

1 onion
1 pound hamburger
4 cups rice
4 cups water
1 can cream of chicken soup
¾ soup can of milk
Chow mein noodles

Brown and drain hamburger. Add milk and soup together until smooth. Place 1 cup rice in bottom of casserole dish. Put some hamburger on top of rice. Add some soup mixture over that. Put chow mein noodles on top and start layers over again. Bake in microwave for 8-10 minutes. You could put in a layer of cheese or green beans or both.

Italian Breaded Chicken

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 packet of dry Italian seasoning mix
¾ c parmesan cheese (the powdered stuff)
1 cup bread crumbs or seasoned croutons, crushed
1 cube butter
1 jar spaghetti sauce, your choice of flavor
8 provolone cheese slices

Combine in large bowl, Italian seasoning packet, parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. In separate bowl, melt 1 cube butter. Roll the chicken in the melted butter then in the bread crumb mixture. Put in a foil lined 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. At 45 minutes, take the chicken out and spoon the spaghetti sauce on top of the chicken. Then add 1 slice of provolone cheese. Put back in the oven until the cheese is melted! Enjoy! I usually serve with breaded or stuffed mushrooms, Pillsbury cheddar garlic biscuits, and Pasta Roni Angel Hair Pasta Parmesan flavored.

Chicken Alabam

Another favorite. This sounds gross, but I promise it's great. You can use Pepsi or Coke product. It makes a runny, mild BBQ sauce. I usually serve it with corn or over mashed potatoes.

1-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup ketchup
1 can of Pepsi (Wild Cherry or Diet works too!)
1 teaspoon mustard
Onion flakes
Garlic salt

Season chicken breast with garlic salt. Combine ketchup, pop, mustard, and onion flakes. Mix well with whisk. Pour over chicken in 9 x 13 baking dish, usually lined with foil. Bake 1 hour on 350. It will sort of taste like BBQ Chicken. I love it!

Applesauce Muffins

These are a family favorite. They are VERY easy to make and taste really good. You can freeze them, too. They are best warm, then make a little "hole" in the middle and add some butter. Happy eating!

Combine and mix well:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Add:
1 stick of margarine or butter
1 ½ cups sugar
Blend mixture well.

Add:
2 eggs
Blend mixture well.

Add:
1 cup applesauce
Blend mixture well. It will be similar to the consistency of oatmeal, pretty thick.
Put approximately ¼ cup of mixture into baking cups and bake on 350 for 19 minutes only! Enjoy!

Grilled Asparagus

Asparagus
Butter
Lemon Pepper
Parmesan cheese

Tear off a piece of heavy duty foil (or two pieces of normal foil). Spread butter on bottom. Place asparagus on top, add a bit more butter on top, add lemon pepper and parmesan cheese. Cover and grill about 15-20 minutes or until desired tenderness.

Grilled Baby Carrots and Green Beans

1 cup baby carrots, cut length wise
8 oz green beans
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp dried marjoram leaves
1/2 tsp garlic pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 in wedges

Heat grill on medium. Toss all ingredients except onion in a large bowl. Place in a grill basket. Cook in covered grill for 10 minutes. Add onion to oil in bowl, toss to coat, add to grill basket. Cook an additional 10 minutes shaking and turing the veges until all veges are crisp tender.

If you like to grill you have to get a grill basket, we use it all the time for potatoes or really any combination of veges and spices.

Morning Glory Muffins

This is a yummy muffin recipe that when adapted is also healthy. It may be a bit of work up front (not much really), but I double the recipe, then put the dough in seperate baggies and stick them in the freezer, then pull them out whenever, stick them in the oven and you have fresh muffins. Gabe LOVES them!

2 cups flour (I usually do at least half whole wheat flour)
1 1/4 cups sugar (I usually do about half of this)
2 tsp. baking soda (I add more if freezing)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated carrot (easy if you have a food processor)
1/2 cup raisins (or craisins ar fun too)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 apple, peeled, cored, grated (use food processor)
3 eggs
1 cup olive oil (i usually use half applesauce and half oil)
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in carrot, raisins, walnuts, coconut and apple. In seperate bowl beat eggs, oil, vanilla. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture just until combined. Spoon into well greased muffin cups. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Makes ~16 muffins.