Lemon Loaf

1 1/2 cup(s) FLOUR
1/2 teaspoon(s) BAKING SODA
1/2 teaspoon(s) BAKING POWDER
1/2 teaspoon(s) SALT
3 EGGS
1 cup(s) SUGAR
2 tablespoon(s) BUTTER; Softened.
1 teaspoon(s) VANILLA
1 teaspoon(s) LEMON EXTRACT
1/3 cup(s) LEMON JUICE
1/2 cup(s) OIL (recommend coconut oil)
LEMON ICING
1 cup(s) POWDERED SUGAR; Plus 1 Tablespoon.
2 tablespoon(s) WHOLE MILK; I Used 2%.
1/2 teaspoon(s) LEMON EXTRACT

Instructions
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Use a mixer to blend together the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
Pour wet ingredient into the dry ingredients and blend until smooth.
Add oil and mix well.
Pour batter into a well greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into center of the cake comes out clean.
Make the lemon icing by combining all the icing ingredients in a small bowl with an electric mixer on low speed.
When the loaf is cool, remove it from pan and frost the top with the icing.
Let the icing set up before slicing.

STRAWBERRY BANANA CHEESECAKE SALAD

STRAWBERRY BANANA CHEESECAKE SALAD

Stir together:

1 bag of miniature marshmallows
16 oz of vanilla yogurt
1 regular size tub of cool whip
1 (3 1/2 ounce) box/pkg of no bake cheese cake filling (just add in and mix with rest of ingredients…do not actually make the mix)

Stir in
1-2 containers of sliced up strawberries
3-4 sliced up bananas

Other fruits can be substituted or added as desired.

Best served chilled and same day due to banana discoloration.

Chipotle Shredded Beef

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon canola oil

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce plus 2 teaspoons sauce

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 2 bay leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 boneless beef chuck roast (2-1/2 pounds)

• 5 cups cooked brown rice

• Shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese and reduced-fat sour cream, optional

Directions

1. In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, vinegar, peppers with sauce, garlic, brown sugar, bay leaves and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-6 minutes or until thickened.
2. Place roast in a 5-qt. slow cooker; add tomato mixture. Cook, covered, on low 8-10 hours or until meat is tender.
3. Discard bay leaves. Remove roast; cool slightly. Skim fat from cooking juices. Shred beef with two forks. Return beef and cooking juices to slow cooker; heat through. Serve with rice. If desired, top with cheese and sour cream. Yield: 10 servings.

Freeze option: Freeze cooled meat mixture and juices in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary.

Healthy Dog Treats

Reprint from:  backtoherroots.com

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, and flax seed. Set aside.
3. In another mixing bowl, combing honey, eggs, oil, water, applesauce and pumpkin puree until well combined. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until well-mixed.
4. Form into a disc and roll out on a well-floured surface until about 1/4″ thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut out shapes and place on prepared baking sheet about 1″ apart.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until treats are very brown and very hard.
6. Let cool completely before giving them to your pooch to try out. Store in an airtight container out-of-reach of your puppy.

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

Here is a Pumpkin Recipe that is healthy for them - Pumpkin Dog Biscuits
* Brown rice flour giv...es the biscuits crunch and promotes better dog digestion. Many dogs have touchy stomachs or allergies, and do not, like many people I know, tolerate wheat.

2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons dry milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups brown rice flour *
1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)
Preheat oven to 350.
In large bowl, whisk together eggs and pumpkin to smooth. Stir in dry milk, sea salt, and dried parsley (if using, optional). Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface (can use the brown rice flour) and if dough is still rough, briefly knead and press to combine.
Roll dough between 1/4 – 1/2″ – depending on your dog’s chew preferences, – and use biscuit or other shape cutter to punch shapes, gathering and re-rolling scraps as you go. Place shapes on cookie sheet, no greasing or paper necessary. If desired, press fork pattern on biscuits before baking, a quick up-and-down movement with fork, lightly pressing down halfway through dough. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on rack before feeding to dog.

Makes up to 75 small (1″) biscuits or 50 medium biscuits

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake (Can it get any better than that?)

 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 8 oz. package Cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar...

6 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Add vanilla mixing well. Combine flour and salt, gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Fill a 2-cup, ovenproof measuring cup with water; place in oven with tube pan. This will help keep the cake moist. Bake at 300°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Glaze-
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 T. milk, to consistency

Mix together till desired consistency is reached, but should be thin. Add more milk one teaspoon at a time to get the thinness you want. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Unstuffed Cabbage

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small cabbage, chopped
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

Heat the Olive oil in a Big Skillet (use medium heat) Saute the onions until tender, and then add the ground beef (or turkey) until the meat is browned.

Add the garlic, cook an additional minute before adding the remaining ingredients. (This is the point you would add the rice Bring them to a boil, Cover, reduce the heat and simmer about 25 minutes (or until the cabbage is quite fork tender)

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Oven Baked S'Mores

I don't know about you but these look so good.  Enjoy!

 The joy and decadence of Smores indoors!...

 Ingredients:
2 pkgs. Crescent rolls
Large Hershey bar (or other milk chocolate bar)
Bag of large marshmallows
8 squares of graham crackers, crushed
2 Tbsp. melted butter
Cupcake liners
Directions:
Heat oven to 375
Put cupcake liners in muffin pan.
Crush graham crackers ahead of time and place in a shallow bowl or dish.
Melt butter, and set aside. Open up each crescent roll and place a piece of chocolate and a marshmallow at the large end. Roll up carefully, making sure
that all of the edges are pinched shut, and that no chocolate or marshmallow
is showing through. Brush rolls with melted butter, then roll into the graham
cracker crumbs. Cover completely. Place in individual cupcake liners. Bake for
10 minutes. Cool completely before serving!! Inside is very hot.
These can also be cooked on a covered outdoor grill for about 10 to 12 minutes!

Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 small white onion chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed.
• 1 glove garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce (optional)
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons green onions

Directions

1. Heat up a skillet or wok until hot. Add the sesame oil, followed by the onions and carrots. Fry until tender.
2. Push the peas and carrots to the side, then pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Scramble the eggs, then once cooked mix the eggs with the vegetables.
3. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the egg mixture, mix, then pour the soy sauce and optionally the oyster sauce on top. Stir and fry the rice and veggies until heated through. Finish by topping with green onions.
4. Enjoy!

Banana Bread

I may have already posted this bread but it's good enough to post again. Enjoy!

You've GOT to try this banana bread recipe! It uses honey and applesauce instead of sugar and oil.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 3/4 cup honey 2 eggs, beaten 3 mashed overripe bananas

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together applesauce and honey. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

 

 

 

2 pound Pork Tenderloin

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 TBS Yellow Mustard

2-3 TBS maple syrup

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS Diced dried onions 

1-1/2 TSP Garlic Salt or Powder

Mix ingredients above. Pour over Tenderloin in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours.

Roasted Ranch Potatoes

 2 pounds potatoes (unpeeled, washed and cut into chunks)
1/2 cup ranch dressing (bottled, not packet)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus 1/4 cup more for topping
1/4 cup crumbled, cooked bacon or real bacon pieces... from jar
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
3 scallions, washed and chopped
Salt
Pepper
Sour Cream (optional)
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add (in a large bowl) the ranch dressing, dill, cheese and bacon. Add in the potatoes. Sprinkle in a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat potatoes.

Spoon into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with foil.

Bake for 60 minutes. Stir gently halfway through to get the bottom potatoes rotated so they don't become burnt and to ensure that the middle and top potatoes get a chance to brown.

Remove foil. Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Gently stir again, as necessary.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes, then sprinkle with additional cheese. Bake a few more minutes or until everything is gooey, browned and bubbly on top.

Serve with scallions sprinkled on top for garnish.

Great with a dollop of sour cream.See More

 

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

!!! Christmas morning ~ LOVE this kind of breakfast! ~ !!! Breakfast casserole in the crock pot! Cooks while you sleep! *To SAVE this recipe, be sure to cl...ick SHARE so it will store on your personal page.* Ingredients: 1 bag 26 oz. frozen hash browns 12 eggs 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon ground mustard 1 16 oz. roll sausage maple, sage or regular sausage. Salt and pepper 16 oz. bag shredded cheddar cheese Directions: 1. Spray crock pot and evenly spread hash browns at the bottom. 2. Crack 12 eggs in a large bowl. 3. Mix well (and slowly) using a whisk. 4. Add the milk. 5. Go ahead and sprinkle in the ground mustard. This might sound like a weird ingredient, but I've come to love (and use) this in most of my recipes. 6. Add plenty of salt.... ...and lots of fresh pepper. Mix well and set aside. 7. Cook the sausage on high heat, drain and set aside. 8. Add sausage on top of hash browns. 9. Is this enough cheese? Maybe? Probably. Throw the whole big bag in there. 10. Mix it up well. Or good, depending on where you're from. 11. Pour the egg mixture over everything in the crock pot. Using a wood spoon, even everything out so it's spread evenly. 12. Turn the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Some fun variations of this recipe. Before cooking (during prep) you can add: chunks of sourdough bread diced chiles salsa diced green onions

Card Making Ideas

Some more great card creating ideas can be found here:


http://scrappincookie.blogspot.com/2012/09/whimsie-doodles-dt-post-halloween.html

One pot Tortellini dinner

Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen tortellini
1 lb. Italian sausage (fried and crumbled)
 1 small bag of fresh spinach
2 cans of Italian style diced tomatoes
1 box (4 cups) chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz. cream cheese softened and diced
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with parmesan or asiago cheese if desired.

This recipe was re-printed and originally said to put all ingredients in a crockpot for 5 hours on low.
I'm pretty sure some of the ingredients wouldn't hold up well in the crockpot for that long so I have revised it as follows:

In a large pan fry the Italian sausage. Drain all grease. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic and cream cheese. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add tortellini and spinach. Cover and cook on low for another 10 minutes or so.

This is one of those recipes you can doctor to your own taste. I would be including some fresh basil, red pepper flakes and asiago cheese to add a little zip or changing the cheese to shredded Swiss cheese.  Let me know how it turns out for you.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or 2 forks) until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

Streusel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. I like to really combine it by using my clean hands to thoroughly combine the butter into the mixture.

How to clean your cookie sheets--Kitchen "Miracle" Cleaner! You put about 1/4 cup of baking soda in a small glass bowl and squirt in hydrogen peroxide until it makes a nice paste.
Then you rub it on the offending dirt/stain/grease...whatever! You can usually just use your fingers...but you can also use a small sponge as well.
Let it sit for a couple of hours or even overnight to work.

Outbacks Bloomin' Onion & Sauce

 Batter:
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
24 ounces beer
4 vidalia onions

Seasoned flour:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Outback Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons creamed horseradish
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 dash black pepper
1 dash cayenne

Directions:
1. for the seasoned flour-combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, pepper and cayenne-mix well.
2. For the Dipping sauce - Blend everything together well and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
3. For the batter -Mix cornstarch, flour and seasonings until well blended.
4. Add beer and mix well.
5. Cut about 3/4 inch off top of onion and peel.
6. Cut into onion 12-16 vertical wedges but do not cut through bottom root end.
7. Remove about 1 inch of petals from center of onion (You can place the cut onions in cold water for a few hours to help "open" them up -- just make sure that you drain them well).
8. Dip in seasoned flour and gently shake to remove excess.
9. Separate petals to coat thoroughly with batter.
10. Gently place in a fryer basket and deep fry at 375-400 for 1 1/2 minutes.
11. Turn over and fry 1 1/2 minutes more or until golden brown.
12. Drain on paper towels.
13. Place onion upright in a shallow bowl and remove center core with a circular cutter or apple corer.
14. Serve hot with dipping sauce.

Old Fashioned Custard Pie

Old Fashioned Custard Pie

Pie Crust:
1-1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. shortening
5 to 7 tbs. cold water

Mix together flour sand salt. Cut in shortening and mix until crumbly. Add cold water until dough forms and holds a ball shape. Roll out to 1/4". Pinch crust around rim (or use fork).

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

Filling:

3 large eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
2-2/3 cups of milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Beat eggs slightly, add sugar, salt, nutmeg, and milk. Beat well and poor into the unbaked pie shell. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Sprinkle the top of pie with fresh ground nutmeg and serve.

Rainbow Cheesecake

Ingredients
Crust
2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Filling
4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pinch salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 each of liquid food colors (blue, yellow, green, red)


Directions
1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Before you get started with the crust, make sure your 9 inch spring-form pan is water tight. I do this by carefully wrapping a few layers of foil on the outside of the pan, so water cannot get into the pan. Be careful not to rip the foil or water will get into your cake and ruin it!
2. Mix crushed crackers, 2 tablespoons sugar, the cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Then mix in butter with your clean fingers, until crumbs are pea sized.
3. Press all of the graham cracker mixture into the prepared spring-form pan. Press it down firmly in the pan. I like to use a measuring cup for this, which makes it easy to get around the edges. You should have an even, flat crust.
4. Bake the crust for 10 minutes on a low oven rack. Remove from the oven, and cool completely before continuing. Turn oven temperature down to 325 degrees.
5. To make filling, cut cream cheese into pieces and add to a mixing bowl. Whip until smooth, maybe 4 minutes. Then add 1-1/3 cups sugar, and continue to beat until smooth again, another 4-5 minutes. Next, add vanilla, salt, sour cream and heavy cream; beat until smooth. Add in 1 egg at a time, beating briefly between each egg.
6. Once the mixture is well combined and very smooth, divide evenly into 6 dishes. Add food color to each dish to get the desired colors. (Red = 25 drops of red, Orange = 18 drops yellow + 6 drops red, Yellow = 18 drops yellow, Green = 18 drops green, Blue = 18 drops blue, Violet = 18 drops red + 12 drops blue)
7. Pour colored mixtures into cooled crust. Start with red filling, and slowly pour it right in the center of the crust. Continue to build the rainbow by pouring the fillings directly in the center. This will create layers so that each slice has some of each color.
8. Place cheesecake into a baking dish on oven rack, and fill baking dish with boiling water about 1 inch up the side of the spring-form pan.
9. Bake at 325 degrees in the water bath for 1 hour and 40 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes or until set but still jiggles slightly 2 inches from the edge. If cheesecake begins to brown on top, cover loosely with foil during last 5 minutes of baking.
10. Turn off the oven, open the oven door a crack, and let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour. The slow cooling will help it not crack.
11. Then loosely wrap the dish in foil so the foil isn't touching the top of the cake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
12. When ready to remove cake, run a clean narrow knife around the edge of the dish, remove the foil, unlock the spring, and carefully lift off the outer ring.
13. Serve either alone or with a cherry/raspberry sauce. It's so rich and creamy that it really doesn't need a topping.