Austin's Chicken Noodle Soup

It takes a half-day of crock-pot and then normal dinner prep time. And it's soooo good. :)

Preheat: --
Category: Chicken

Crock Pot Chicken:
1 whole Fryer chicken
Water
Salt and Pepper

1. Put chicken into crock pot and add water until it's up about two inches. Season with pepper and liberal salt.

2. Turn crockpot onto Low and let the chicken cook until thermometer reads at least 165* when inserted. If the chicken was frozen when you put it into the crock pot, it'll take about five hours; if the chicken was thawed, it'll be more like three. I start my chicken first thing in the morning. I'm not kidding about liberal salt... it acts as a tenderizer for the chicken. Finally, the thermometer reading is right if you're reading from deep within the thigh. If you don't have a thermometer you can be sure the chicken is done if you pull gently on a wing or a thigh and the bone slides out. ;)

3. Carefully remove cooked meat. Save the liquid! I try to take the chicken out of the crock pot and let it cool for a little bit before attempting to remove the meat.

Soup:
3 cups Spiral noodles, uncooked
Chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Liquid from crock pot, strained
3 Tablepoons Chicken stock
5 Potatoes, unpeeled and washed, cubed
3 Carrots, unpeeled and washed, sliced
3 stalks of Celery, washed and diced
1/4 cup Flour
3 Tablespoons Onion powder
3 Tablespoons Garlic powder
2 Tablespoons Oregano
1/4 cup Chicken stock
1/4 cup Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Strain and set aside. I like to make extra noodles when having pasta, then I refrigerate until I need them so I can skip this step! :)

2. Strain the liquid (again) into the stock pot. Add chicken stock, potatoes, carrots, celery and salt & pepper. Stir until the chicken stock is dissolved.

3. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer. Add Oregano.

4. In a small dish, stir together the flour, onion powder and garlic powder

5. Pull out about 2 cups of broth from the stock pot. Gradually add the flour mixture, whisking rapidly. We don't want lumps here! :)

6. Pour the flour into the stock pot and stir in. Bring to a rolling boil so soup will thicken. Boil two minutes and then lower to a simmer. Stir in chicken stock and butter while waiting for the soup to boil.

7. Soup is ready when the potatoes are finished--easily pierceable by a fork. Add cooked pasta and chicken at this stage and serve while hot. I like the soup best after it's had an overnight in the fridge and is reheated. Mmmm. :)

Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

We like quick and easy! :)

Preheat: --
Category: Chicken

1 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 cup Onion
1/2 cup Celery
4 14.5-ounce cans Chicken broth
1 14.5-ounce can Vegetable broth
1/2 pound Chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 cup Carrots, sliced
1/2 teaspoon Basil
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
2-3 cups Noodles, cooked
Salt & Pepper

1. Sauté the onion and celery in butter until tender.

2. Put everything into a pot and bring to a boil.

3. Simmer 20 minutes and serve while hot.

Amy's Mom's Chicken Quesidillas

This is a yummy (and quick, if your chicken's cooked and cubed ahead of time!) twist to quesidillas. I run out if I don't make a double batch. :)

1 cup Chicken, cooked and cubed
1 cup Mozzarella
1 cup Sour cream
1/2 cup Salsa
Tortillas

1. Mix chicken, mozzarella, sour cream and salsa together.

2. Butter the outside of the tortillas and fill with mix.

3. Fry tortilla in a pan until a dark golden brown on each side. Serve hot.

Potato Romanoff

Thanks, Heather J., for your contribution! This looks fantastic!

Preheat: 350

Category: Potatoes

6 medium Potatoes

2 cups Sour cream

1 bunch Green onions, chopped

1 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

1/2 teaspoons Pepper

Paprika

1. Cook unpeeled potatoes until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Cool and peel.

2. Grate potatoes into large bowl. Add remaining ingredients except paprika. Mix well.

Potato Romanoff6 medium potatoes2 cups dairy sour cream1 bunch green onions chopped about 1 cup1-1/2 c grated cheddar cheese1-1/2 teaspoons salt1/2 teaspoon pepperPaprikaCook unpeeled potatoes until tender, about 20- 25 minutes. Cool; peel. Grate into large bowl; add remaining ingredients, except paprika. Mix well. Spoon into 13- x 9-in. baking dish. Refrigerate 3-4 hours, covered, or overnight. Bake at 350 for 40- 50 minutes. Sprinkel with paprika. Yeild: 8-10 servingsI love this recipe! I have been making it since college. I have never used the paprika. oops. If you like it use it.

Greek Potatoes (Roasted)

I ran out of my own potato recipes, so I went rooting around (ha ha) on the Internet. These look GREAT and the comments are all favorable! Prep time is super fast and it's a total of 80 minutes bake time.

Preheat: 440*F
Category: Potatoes

8 large Potatoes, peeled and wedged (6-7 wedges)
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Olive oil
1 cup Water
1 Tablespoon Oregano
1/4 cup Lemon juice
Sea Salt
Fresh coarse ground pepper

Optional
Buillon cube

1. Put potato wedges, garlic, olive oil, water and lemon juice into an appropriate GREASED baking dish. If you add the optional bouillon cube at this point, don't use as much salt.

2. Season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Toss the ingredients in the pan to distribute everything.

4. Bake for 40 minutes.

5. Gently stir the potatoes, putting the golden wedges side of the wedges to the bottom and the white edges to the top.

6. Add a little more salt and pepper; sprinkle on oregano. If the pan looks dry, add another 1/2 cup of water.

7. Bake another 40 minutes. Do not be afraid of overbaking.

Potato Soup

Ruthetta says it looks yummy, and I believe her! It looks like a creamy baked potato in a bowl! Mmmm.

Preheat: --
Category: Potatoes

1/2 lb. Butter
1/2 lb. Onion, minced
1 cup Flour
1 quart Half & Half
4 pounds Baking potatoes, cubed
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Basil
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tobasco sauce
1/2 gallon Chicken stock, hot

Garnish:
Bacon bits
Cheese, shredded
Green onions

1. Sauté onion in butter. Stir in flour to make a paste.

2. Throw the rest of the ingredients (minus garnish) into a stock pot. Stir in the flour/onion mixture.

3. Cook over a low heat, stirring often. 4. Garnish with bacon bits, cheese, and green onions

Roasted Potatoes

This is a favorite at our house. I'm going to tell you what Anne Byrn says about roasted potatoes and seasoning in her What Can I Bring Cookbook, then I'm going to tell you how Jonathan makes his roasted potatoes. Mmm-mmm good. (When I liked the cookbook, I saw they are online used on Amazon for $5.50 apiece. Mine's on loan from the library, but it would be a good book for a collection.)

Preheat: 400*
Category: Potatoes

Potatoes, cubed
Olive oil

1. Toss potatoes with just enough olive oil to coat them.

2. Line a cookie sheet with foil and bake the potatoes at 400* f0r 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are crisp on the edges and soft in the center.

3. Season.

Seasoning Combo List
1. Seasoned Salt
2. Kosher salt, minced garlic & chopped fresh rosemary
3. Chili powder, ground cumin & salt
4. Shredded parmesan cheese & black pepper
5. Lemon juice & dried oregano
6. Jerk seasoning
7. Barbecue seasoning
8. Kosher salt & paprika
9. Asian curry powder & salt
10. Minced fresh or freeze-dried chives & a little onion salt

---

Now! The way Jonathan does it... Our favorite combination is:

Potatoes, cubed
Olive oil
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
Seasoned salt, sprinkled evenly, to taste
Dash of Hot sauce (more if just Jonathan's eating the potatoes)

1. Toss all of the ingredients.
2. Bake in a 400* oven for 20-25 minutes.

Soooooo good. We can easily make a meal out of potatoes and a salad. :)

Au Gratin Potatoes

These are pretty good!

1 1/2 pounds New potatoes, washed
1 Teaspoon Butter
1 Teaspoon Flour
1/4 cup Parsley, fresh
1/2 teaspoon Rosemary
1 clove Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 1/2 cup Fat-free milk
1 medium Onion, minced
2 Tablespoons Cheddar cheese, grated

1. Slice potatoes into 1/4" thick slices. Place in bowl & cover with water.

2. Melt butter in sauce pan. Stir in flour, parsley, rosemary, garlic and pepper. Stir until thickened.

3. Drain and pat potatoes dry. Place half of the potatoes in a square baking dish. Top with the onions, then layer potatoes and onions again.

4. Pour on sauce and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir potatoes gently and bake another 30 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Bake another 10-15 minutes, uncovered.

Quick Potato Salad

IS there any such thing as quick? :) :)

3-4 Baking potatoes
1/2 cup Dill pickes, minced
3 Eggs, hard-boiled, chopped
1 cup Mayonaisse
Salt & Pepper

1. Bake potatoes. When cooled, peel and cut into 1-inch cubes. If you missed last week's baked potato tip, I microwave mine using my quick cook feature. Works like a charm!

2. Place potatoes in a large bowl; mix in everything except for mayonaisse.

3. Add mayonaisse.

4. Serve chilled.

Sour Cream Potato Salad

Mmmmm. Potato salad. It's actually getting warm enough to start thinking about potato salad--gotta love Georgia! :)

Preheat: --
Category: potatoes, salad, side dish

12 medium Red potatoes, unpeeled
1 1/2 cups Mayonaisse
1 cup Sour cream
1 cup Fresh green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon Salt

1. Boil potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Combine mayo, sour cream, green onions and salt

3. When potatoes are cool, toss.

Cheddar Potato Casserole

Here's another one! Hope you're enjoying potato week!

Preheat: 350*
Category: Potatoes

4 large Baking potatoes, peeled
1 1/2 ounce Cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Onion salt
1/2 teaspoon Garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons Chives, fresh & chopped

1. Coarsely chop potatoes. Boil until tender.

2. Drain and mash the potatoes. Add cream cheese and sour cream. Whip until well-mixed.

3. Mix in onion salt, garlic salt and pepper.

4. Move mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350* for 20 minutes.

5. Use chives as a garnish.

Austin's Basic Twice-Baked Potatoes

This is how we make 'em at my house. I'll confess now that I've never made them with bacon, but it sure sounds good. :)

Preheat: 350*
Category: Potatoes

4 Baking potatoes, baked
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Sour cream
1 teaspoon Hot sauce (more or less, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 Tablepoons Chives

(optional)
4 Tablespoons Bacon, cooked, crumbled

1. Slice soft, warm potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop the potato pulp into a bowl, and set the skins aside. If you haven't scooped potato pulp out before, just be careful--it's okay to leave a little layer in the potato so you don't break the potato peel!

2. To the pulp, add butter, hot sauce, sour cream, salt and pepper. Whip well!

3. Stir in cheese. If you are scooping the mixture back into the shell, go ahead and stir in the chives and optional bacon now. If piping with a small tip opening, leave the bacon bits for garnish.

4. Spoon the potato mixture evenly back into the potato skins.

5. Bake at 350 until the tops of the potato are a dark brown.

Funeral Potatoes

Welcome to Potato week! Break out your favorite recipes and share them with the group! :)

These potatoes are yummy, but pretty high in fat... My Gram tells me that the reason they're called funeral potatoes is because if you eat too many of them you'll hasten the day of your funeral. :)

Preheat: 350*
Category: Potatoes

2 pounds Frozen hashbrowns, thawed
1 pint Sour cream
1/2 cup Butter, melted
2 cans Cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup Onion, chopped & sautéed
2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated

1. Mix everything together. If you don't sauté the onion, by the way, it's still crunchy when time to eat. It softens by day #3 of leftovers... if the casserole lasts that long. :)

2. Throw it into a 9x13 pan.

3. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.

Spinach Quiche

Here's that quiche I teased you with on Friday. :) It takes about one good multitasking hour and a half if you get a premade pie crust.

Preheat: 450*, 325*
Category: Eggs

1 Deep pie crust
1/2 cups Onion, chopped & sautéed (1 med. onion)
6 slices Bacon, cooked
8 Eggs
1/2 cup Sour cream
1/2 cup Light cream
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
3 cups Spinach, lightly packed
2/3 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

1. Prepare pie crust; poke holes all over and bake at 450* for 8 minutes. Cover baking crust with a double layer of foil. Bake crust an additional 4 minutes without foil.

2. Mix everything else together, in the above order.

3. Pour into cooled pastry shell.

4. Bake at 325* for 45 min. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. I experienced a longer bake time... Like 15 minutes extra Also, I like a lighter crust (my mom's pie crusts always turned black!), so I reuse that foil from step #1 to cover the edges. Then I covered the whole quiche when I realized I didn't want the top to brown any more and the insides to cook!

Rainbow Veggie Chili

We're nearing the end of the week, and thus nearing the best of the meatless recipes! I have NOT tried this recipe yet! It looked so good that I copied it down... And I have to say... I'd probably put meat in this anyway. :) TOMORROW'S recipe is a spinach quiche that I HAVE made, and it's amazing. Just a little something to look forward to.

Preheat: --
Group: Chilis & Soups

2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Zucchini, sliced
1 Yellow squash, sliced
1 Red bell pepper, diced
1 Green bell pepper, diced
1 Jalapeno, diced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Onion, chopped
1 can Crushed tomatoes, with liquid
1 6-ounce Tomato paste
1 15-ounce Black beans, drained
1 15-ounce Whole kernal corn, drained
1 15-ounce Chili beans in a spicy sauce
1 Tablespoon Chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1. In oil, sauté the zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, jalapeno, garlic & onion.

2. Mix tomatoes with liquid, tomato paste, black beans, corn, chili beans into pot. Add seasonings.

3. Simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.

The Perfect Potato

Sometimes I think we can overthink our dinners. I know I do! Our favorite recent dinner is to put out a bed of lettuce, top it with tuna salad, sprinkle a little mozzarella cheese on top. The kids devour the tuna salad, tuck in a few vegetables, and I sit back marveling that I don't serve that kind of dinner more often. With simplicity in mind! Today's recipe!

Preheat: 400*
Category: Potatoes

4 large baked potatoes, baked*
4 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Sour cream
10 ounces Broccoli florets, frozen, coarsely chopped
1 cup Cheese, shredded

Optional:
1 cup Ham, chopped finely

* I like to microwave my potatoes--mmm. My microwave even has a setting for baking potatoes, so I wash 'em, poke 'em and press a few buttons.

1. Slit potatoes down the center, but not through to bottom.

2. With a fork, work in even portions of remaining ingredients.

3. Before serving, bake potatoes for 10 minutes at 400*.

Jana Glass' Marinara Sauce

I got this from my friend's blog--the marinara she made looked so fabulous, we all demanded the recipe!

2 Tablespoons Oil
3/4 Cup Onion, minced (1 med. onion)
1 Tablespoon Parsley
1 Large Clove Garlic, minced
4 Cups Tomato Purée, fresh
1-2 Tablespoons Basil
1 teaspoon Salt

1. Sauté onions until transluscent over medium heat.

2. Add parsley, garlic and cook about one minute.

3. Add tomatoes, basil and salt

4. Simmer until you have a sauce-like consistency. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick.

Tips from Jana:

• 20 Roma tomatoes is about 8 Cups Tomato Purée
• Adding celery is good
• Experiment to your own taste with levels of onion, garlic & sugar
• Romas make for a good sauce because they're not as runny as other tomatoes.

Wonderful Fettucine Alfredo

This is sooooooo easy and good. Watch out for the calories though.....

Preheat: --
Group: Pasta

16 ounces Fettucine noodles
2 Tablespoons Butter
3/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, fresh
1/4 Cup Heavy cream

1. Cook fettucine noodles and set aside.

2. Combine butter, cheese and cream on a medium heat until thoroughly hot. I sometimes will do a variation of this based on what is in my pantry. Instead of heavy cream, I'll do milk and thicken it a little with flour... then I add the cheese and butter. It's not as good, but it's a decent substitute. OR, if you don't have fresh Parmesan, use the stuff you put on your spaghetti!

3. Toss noodles and sauce; serve hot.

Allie's Delicious Mac'n'Cheese

You need to start early--here's the breakdown of the time I spent on this dish!
* 20 multitasking minutes: Boiling water, macaroni noodles, greasing 8x13 pan, measuring & shredding cheeses and dicing ham.

* 2 minutes accepting a care package from my mom (from the post man!)

* about 5 minutes chasing my kids away from the cheese

* about 15 minutes thickening up the milk, flour and butter mixture

* about 5 minutes answering the phone.

So... the prep time is 35 uninterrupted minutes... :)  Don't forget to add in BAKE time, which is at least one hour (that should be plenty to get the mixture hot, bubbly and thickened) AND 20 minutes set time after baking.  That's a grand total of just shy of two hours.  The hour baking time is what I'm using to update this recipe, and it'll be used to get a salad ready, dishes washed and put away. ;)

Preheat: 350*
Group: Pasta

1 8-ounce package Macaroni noodles

5 Tablespoons Butter
5 Tablespoons Flour

1 Quart (4 Cups) Milk, warmed  (warming is important to keep your sauce from clumping!)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 Pinch Cayenne pepper

1/4 pound Ham, cooked & cubed
5 ounces Cheddar cheese, cubed
5 ounces Mozzarella, cubed
5 ounces Monterrey jack, cubed

Paprika, to taste, for garnish

1. Cook pasta to al dente and drain. It's important not to get it too cooked because it'll spend more yummy, sauce-absorbing time in the oven.


2. Melt butter and add flour. Whisk in the warm milk. Simmer until thick (5 minutes on low, gentle boil), then add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper seasonings.


3. Remove from heat and add the cheeses, ham.  If you want it meatless, leave out the ham.  I actually doubled the ham to a full half-pound.


4. Mix in the noodles


5. Pour into a greased baking dish, topping with paprika.


6. Bake at 350* for 45-60 minutes. I think I ended up leaving mine in for the full hour. But I got all of my dishes done, so what do you do. :)

7. Let dish rest for 20 minutes before serving.

Black Bean Soup

Thanks Susan for your contribution to meatless dishes week!

Preheat: --
Group: Soup

1 teaspoon Olive oil
1 pint Salsa
16 ounces Refried beans
15 ounces Black beans
14.5 ounces Chicken broth

Garnish:
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Cilantro

Serve with Tortilla chips

1. Heat oil over a medium heat.

2. Add salsa and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add refried beans, black beans and chicken broth; simmar until warmed (about 5 minutes).

4. Garnish and serve with tortilla chips.

Gramma Hargrove's Taco Dip (not to be confused with layered bean dip!)

It is so good. You have been warned. ;)

Layer #1 (spread):
2 Cans Refried Beans

Layer #2 (mix, spread):
3 Avocados, mashed
2 Tablespoons Lemon juice

Layer #3 (mix, spread):
1/2 Cup Sour cream
1/2 Cup Mayonaisse
1 Package Taco seasoning

Layer #4 (spread):
1 Pound Cheddar cheese, shredded

Layer #5 (spread):
3 Tomatoes, chopped

Layer #6 (spread):
1 Can (small) Olives, chopped

Layer #7 (spread):
3 Bunches Green onions, chopped

1. Spread each layer in order. I only use ONE bunch of green onions. My grandma really likes onions! ;)

2. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

3. Serve with tortilla chips. We always serve flour tortillas, and my mom would often serve this as a meal.

Bread Maker Banana Bread

This is pretty good for being made in a machine! ;)

Preheat: --
Group: Breads

2 Bananas, cut in half length-wise
2 Eggs
3 Tablespoons Vegetable oil
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Baking powder
2 Cups Flour

1. Place ingredients in breadmaker, in the order your machine requires them (probably in the order I listed the ingredients).

2. Select Dough Setting; after 10 minutes, press Stop.

3. Start the Bake Cycle and allow bread to cool for about 50 minutes. Use the toothpick test for this. :)

4. Remove bread and allow it to cool on a wire rack.

Ooooh, does anybody else have a cold?? Oy Vey.

Tabitha's French Bread

This is too much for the bread machine to take care of, unfortunately, but it's so easy maybe you'll feel inspired to make it anyway! It's fantastic for the first day, and makes really good toast and French toast when it dries out a little.

DO NOT PREHEAT
Group: Breads

Starter:
1 Tablespoon (1 pkt) Yeast
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Salt
2 Cups Warm Water

--

5 1/2 - 6 Cups Flour
Boiling Water
Cornmeal

1. Mix Yeast, Sugar, Salt and Water. Let stand until dissolved. Dissolving takes about 10 minutes. Also, I use about half as much salt (Tabitha likes her bread saltier than I do).

2. Add flour and mix. Knead on lightly floured surface. I like putting oil on my hands while I do this. Don't forget to take off your wedding ring! :)

3. Double in bulk. This can take an hour if your house is warm enough. If it's freezing cold (like it is today!) set the bread in front of a warm heater, or on a lightly warm surface (we don't want to bake the bottom!).

4. Knead. Shape into two French-style loaves. This is my favorite part because a lot of bread recipes have to rise one more time. :)

5. Generously sprinkle cookie sheet with cornmeal. Place shaped loaves onto cookie sheet.

6. Lightly slash tops diagonally, three times. Brush with COLD water. I use ice cubes to make my water really cold, and do this right after step #3. But cold tap water will do, or refrigerated water too.

7. Place rack in COLD oven with a roasting pan full of boiling water on bottom rack. You can boil your water now, or set your water to boil after kneading (step #4). Your choice! The boiling water makes the crust soft and chewy.

8. Bake at 400* for 35-45 minutes. And then EAT it! It's so good!

Granola / Trail Mix

This one is for anybody (*ahem* Darla) who found a bunch of oatmeal on sale! :)

Preheat: 250*
Group: Breakfast, Snacks

5 Cups Quick oats
1 Cup Sesame seeds
1 Cup Shredded coconut
2 Cups Sunflower seeds
1 Cup Sliced almonds
1 Cup Wheat flour
3/4 Cup Brown sugar
3/4 Cup Oil
1 Cup Honey
1 Cup Water

--optional--

Raisins
M&Ms

1. Mix dry ingredients together.

2. Mix wet ingredients together.

3. Mix everything together! Then spread over a cookie sheet.

4. Bake at 250* for 45 minutes. If you want to add the optional raisins or M&Ms, add them half-way through the baking process.

Emeril's Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze

Thanks Susan, for the link! This looks fantastic!

Preheat: 350*
Group: Cake

Cake:
1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Butter
1 1/2 Cups Light brown sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Sour cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups Apples, peeled, cored and chopped

Crumble Topping:
1/2 Cup Light brown sugar
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
4 Tablespoons Butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:
1/2 Cup Light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Water

1. Use the 2 T butter to grease a 9x13 pan.

2. Cream together (1 c.) butter and sugar until fluffy and light.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each one.

4. Add the dry ingredients. Emeril says sift them, but since I don't own a sifter... :D

5. Now add the rest of the wet ingredients, the sour cream and vanilla.

6. Fold in apples.

7. Pour and spread out the batter to the edges of your baking pan. Set aside.

8. (Topping) Combine brown sugar, flour cinnamon and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the cake evenly.

9. Bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

10. (Glaze) Combine glaze ingredients and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake and allow the glaze to slightly harden. Susan and her friend have never made the glaze, just so you know. :)

11. Serve warm. And maybe with ice cream. :D

Cinnamon Breakfast Cake

This is one of those recipes we like and make as often as I'm not too lazy. ;) It's yummy and sweet but not too sweet.

Preheat: 400*
Group: Breads, Breakfast

Cake:

1 1/4 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/4 Cup Butter

2/3 Cup Milk

1 Egg

Crumbly Cinnamon Topping:

4 Tablespoons Flour

6 Tablespoons Sugar

3 Tablespoons Butter

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1. Mix together all of the cake ingredients. Don't overmix--just mix it until it's moistened. If you make it a machine, get all of the wet stuff well-blended, then stir it into the dry ingredients.

2. Pour lumpy cake batter into a GREASED 8x8 square pan. I like to double the recipe and get a thicker cake. But that's just me. ;)

3. Combine ingredients for cinnamon topping; sprinkle over batter. Melt your butter down before mixing. It will be a moist crumbly texture.

4. Bake at 400*F for 25 minutes or until done.

You'll want to make this soon, trust me.

Versatile Bread Machine Pizza Dough

It's not gourmet (need some kind of starter for the best kind of crust), but it's easy and healthier than the stuff you pick up in the refrigerated section.

Preheat: Check your pizza recipe, or 400-425* if you're not sure.
Group: Breads

1 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
3 Cups Bread Flour
1 teaspoon Yeast

1. Choose DOUGH setting.

***
1. Divide dough in half. Go ahead with your pizza OR...


...to FREEZE:
1. wrap in plastic.
2. transfer to a plastic baggie.
3. seal, label and freeze for up to three months.
4. thaw 1) room temp for 2 1/2 hours OR overnight in fridge