June 9- Hot buttery soft pretzels

16 Pretzels
For the dough:
5 cups flour
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp sugar
4 1/2 tsp yeast
2 c warm water

For the Topping:
1 c warm water
2 TB baking soda
vegetable oil for greasing the sheet pan
coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
3 TB butter, melted

1. Combine all the dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix with the paddle attachment until somewhat combined (or just mix by hand with a wooden spoon). Change to the dough hook and knead on medium low for 5 minutes. The dough should feel soft and smooth, not sticky to the touch.
2. Lightly dust the dough with flour, then place in a ziploc bag and let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, and lightly grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil. You could also do parchment paper if you can find one that's rated high enough (most parchment papers I've seen only go up to 420 degrees F).
4. Remove the dough from the bag and place onto a lightly oiled countertop. Divide the dough into 8 pieces (just cut it with a knife).
5. Whisk to combine the warm water and baking soda and cook in the microwave for 1 minute. FYI it's not going to dissolve completely, and that's okay.
6. Roll each of the eight pieces into a long rope, and shape each one into a pretzel.
7. Dip each pretzel into the soda wash and place onto the greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, then let them rest for 10 minutes.
8. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until the pretzels are golden brown. Brush the pretzels with the melted butter while they are hot out of the oven, so the bread can soak up all the buttery goodness. Mmm.

June 8- Honey Roasted Potatoes

1 lb red potatoes, quartered
2 TB diced onion
2 TB butter, melted
1 TB honey
1 tsp dry mustard
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly coat an 11x7 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place potatoes in a single layer in prepared dish, and top with onion. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, honey, mustard, salt and pepper, drizzle over potatoes and onion.Bake for 35 minutes or until tender, stirring halfway through the cooking time. 

Note: I double the sauce

June 7: Chocolate Dream Cookies

Thank you Kaytlin for this great recipe.  This is a delicious chocolate cookie. 

2 cups flour
3/4 c cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, or 
1/2 c butter and 1/2 c shortening, softened
2/3 c packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time.Mix. Add dry ingredients. Mix. Add options. Drop on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 11 minutes. 

Options to add to dough:

marshmallows
chopped pecans, almonds, walnuts
m&m's
chocolate chips
chopped peanut butter cups
white chocolate
chopped oreo cookies

June 6: Hungry Man Steak Sandwich

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cooking shows "Pioneer Woman". We tried this tonight and it got  thumbs up. It is so simple and fast and delicious. 

1 large onion
About 2 cubes butter
2 lbs cube steak
Seasoned Salt
1/2 c Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco Sauce, to taste
4 whole French/deli rolls
Opt- Mozz cheese, tomato, lettuce

Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside. Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with seasoned salt. Heat 2 TB butter over high heat in the same skillet until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook other side until brown. About 1 minute on each side. Add 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and 2 TB butter. Add cooked onions.  Stir to combine. Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet. To assemble: lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half. Add Mozz cheese, tomato and lettuce if desired. 

June 6: Egg Salad

I just made myself an egg salad sandwich today for lunch and realized that I have not posted this recipe. I make it quite often. It is so simple and delicious. My kids seem to like it too. 

Eggs, boiled, chopped
(see my instructions to boil the perfect egg)
miracle whip and/or mayo
Salt and Spice
(see my recipe for this, you can no longer find it in the store)

Mix the three ingredients together to your taste.
Serve on your favorite bread.
Garnish with lettuce, opt.

June 5: Tuscan Chicken Sandwich

I ate this sandwich at Einstein's the other day and loved it so I came home and made it for me and Ian's dinner tonight. It is so delish!

Plain bagel, regular or thin
chicken breast
1 slice muenster cheese
1 slice tomato
Balsamic vinegar
olive oil
dried basil

Pour a little olive oil in a bowl. Sprinkle the oil with dried basil. Let it sit for a minute or two. Pound chicken breast so that it is uniform in size. Spread basil olive oil over chicken breast. Grill chicken breast until done. Salt and pepper the chicken breast as you cook it. (You can also George Foreman the chicken breasts.) Slice chicken in strips. 

Brush the insides of a sliced bagel with a small amount of olive oil. Broil bagel halves until light brown. Sprinkle the top half of bagel with balsamic vinegar.

Assemble sandwich:
Bagel bottom
sliced chicken
slice of Muenster cheese 
(now place it under broiler to melt cheese)
tomato
Top of bagel

Slice the bagel in half and enjoy!

June 4: Cafe Rio Pork

This is definitely a family favorite. The pork is what my family orders every time we go to Cafe Rio. This is a great copy.

2 lbs pork roast
2 cans Coke or Root beer, not diet
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 c water
1 can diced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce
1 c brown sugar

Put pork in a reclosable bag to marinate, pour in one can of Coke and 1/2 c brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can Coke, water and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours. 

Remove pork from crock pot, drain off liquid, shred pork.

Mix together, in bowl or blender, other 1/2 can Coke, can of chilies, enchilada sauce and 1 c brown sugar. 

Put shredded pork back in the crock pot, cover with sauce, heat just until warmed through. 

June 3: Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

Happy Birthday Richie.  I know you like Chinese food. This is a delicious and easy salad to make.

12 3 inch wonton skins, sliced into 1/4" strips
1/4 c oil
4 c chopped romaine lettuce
1 chicken breast, shredded
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 c sliced almonds, toasted lightly
1 TB sesame seeds
2 c cooked spiral pasta noodles, cooled

dressing:
1/2 c oil
2 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 TB seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry wonton skins in batches of 5-7 strips for 30 seconds each side or until lightly browned, working quickly so they don't burn. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels until cooled.

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken breast, green onion, almonds and pasta. 

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well until sugar dissolves. Dress lettuce mixture with dressing and top with sesame seeds and wonton strips and serve. 

June 2: Baked Potato Salad

Pinterest.
I made this for a family gathering.  It was a pleaser.

4 lg Russet potatoes
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c shredded extra sharp cheddar
1/4 c chopped chives (2 TB dried chives)
8 strips thick cut bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream until well mixed. Add 3/4 of the chopped chives along with salt and pepper. Whisk to mix. Fold in the cheese and bacon. Chill while you do the potatoes. 

Scrub potatoes. Boil until barely tender. Peel and cube into 1/2" pieces. Fold the cooked potatoes into the chilled dressing. Garnish with the remaining chives and bacon. 

June 1: Neiman Marcus Brownies

A Pinterest "too die for" recipe.

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c butter, melted
4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 300. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Mix cake mix, melted butter and one egg to a soft dough. Press into  the bottom of the ban. Mix powdered sugar, softened cream cheese and remaining two eggs until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Pour on top of crust. Bake at 300 for 40-50 minutes until top is golden brown.

May 31: Roasted Potato

The most Ah-Mazing Roasted Potatoes! These are so easy to make! Cook a potato in microwave, oven, or pressure cooker until soft all the way thru. Cut in half, then into squares (just down to skin). Season with butter, Parmesan & Lawry's. Place in oven on aluminum foil-lined pan and BROIL for 10-15 mins. Enjoy!!!

April 29: Southwest Chicken Chop Salad

I found this amazing salad while looking through blogs. 

2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup black beans
1 cup sweet yellow corn {canned or frozen and defrosted}
2 roma tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, washed and sliced {white and green parts}
1 large romaine heart, washed and chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped
2 just under ripe avocados, diced
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
for the dressing-
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon ranch seasoning
1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
1/2 tablespoon lime juice {optional}
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir all salad ingredients together, excluding the tortilla chips and avocado. In a small bowl, stir all dressing ingredients together until smooth. When ready to serve, toss salad with dressing then gently stir in avocado and tortilla chips.

February 16: Chili Verde Con Carne

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law.  It is a highly requested meal for family gatherings.

1 lb pork
1/3 c flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c oil
1 tsp cumin
1 28 oz can tomatoes
2 TB lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 beef bouillon
1/2 c boiling water
1 tsp sugar
1 medium onion
1 4 oz can chopped green chilies
1 green pepper, diced

Partially freeze pork and then cut in thin strips. Combine four and salt. Dredge strips and fry in oil, 1/3 at a time. Pour off liquid. Cut tomatoes into pieces and set aside. Add tomato liquid, lemon juice, and garlic to meat. Stir to combine. Dissolve bouillon in boiling water. Add to meat. Also add green pepper, onion and chilies. Cover tightly and cook slowly for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in tomatoes for 15 more minutes. Serve over rice.

January 6: Creamy Chicken Tacos

Great Crock pot recipe from "Jamie Cooks It Up."  This is so easy to put together. 

5 frozen chicken breasts
1 1/2 c salsa
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 TB taco seasoning
1 TB maple syrup
1 tsp lime juice
1 TB butter
1/2 c sour cream

Top with tomatoes, onions, cheddar cheese, lettuce and cilantro.

Spray the inside of crock pot with cooking spray and place the chicken inside. In a mixing bowl stir together all other ingredients except the butter and sour cream. Pour the sauce over the top of the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.  Take the chicken out of the crock and onto a plate. Shred it up and replace in the crock pot. Add the butter and sour cream. Stir it up. Cook for 1 more hour.  This can also be cooked on low for a total of 8 hours. 

May 4: Cheese Pilaf

This is one of my favorite recipes ever!

1/4 c brown rice
1/4 c barley
1/4 c rye
1/4 c millet

½ c butter                                             

2 medium onions, chopped                     

4 beef bouillon cubes                               

¼ c rice 

½ lb sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded                                                          

8 oz can mushrooms and liquid

1 c slivered almonds

Cook grains together as you would cook rice. Melt the butter in a skillet or medium saucepan. Sauté the chopped onions over medium heat. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in some hot water, and add to the chopped onions. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into 2-qt casserole dish, and cover tightly. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Add additional water if necessary. Serves 8

April 20: Funeral Potatoes

I need this recipe in my file for the several times a year I make it.

1 32 oz pkg frozen shredded potatoes
1 c sour
2 1/2 c Cheddar cheese
4 TB melted butter, divided
2 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup
salt and pepper
1 1/2 c corn flakes

Pour bag of potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Thaw in microwave if not already thawed. To the potatoes, add sour cream, cheese, 2 TB melted butter, soup and salt and pepper. Stir with wooden spoon. Pour corn flakes in a food processor and crush into crumbs. Add the other 2 TB melted butter to the corn flakes crumbs and mix. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and spread the potato mixture into it. Cover it with the corn flake crumbs, cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 

April 8: Oven Rice

This was my mother's recipe.

1 medium onion
1 1/2 c uncooked rice, not instant
celery and green pepper, opt
1 cube butter
2 10 oz cans beef bouillon

Brown onion in butter. Stir all ingredients together and cover. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350.