Banana Chocolate Chip Suprise Muffins

Here's another good recipe we made this week for breakfast...

Ingredients:

2 c. flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3 ripe bananas
1 c. sour cream
1/4 lb. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Directions:

Sift the flour with the baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. Process the bananas with the sour cream until smooth. Set aside.

Beat the butter with the sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until well incorporated. Add the sifted dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternately with the banana mixture in two additions, beating only until blended. Fold in the chocolate morsels.

Line muffin tins with cupcake papers or used greased nonstick muffin tin. Fill each cup about 3/4 of the way with batter and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from tins. Makes 18 muffins. (To make suprise muffins, fill cups 1/3 full with batter, then spoon one tsp of jam onto the batter, then cover with 1/3 more batter. The jam will bake into the middle of the muffin. Yum!)

Baguettes!!

This past week I read a post over at "The Sisters Cafe" that I just HAD to try!! It was a recipe for baguettes. While that sounds very *french*... when I lived in Spain we ate a lot of this type of bread as well. I haven't eaten it since, and I've missed it for sure. The picture below isn't the best, but I can assure you (as can Curt), that this bread is YUMMY!!! It's perfect straight out of the oven... or cooled down and sliced lengthwise for sub sandwiches. MMMM. I will definitely be putting this recipe on the "company" recipe list, and will definitely be making it again.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbs (2 packages) dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
3 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp salt

Directions:

In a small bowl mix the warm water with the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for about 5 mintues - foam should form on the top.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth ball and knead for 5 minutes. Cut in half and then shape into 2 baguettes. To make them smooth and pretty, roll each half of dough into a rectangle and roll up lengthwise. Pinch the edges to seal and place on slightly greased cookie sheet with seam down. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. With a very sharp knife gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. This will give it the authentic look. Pour water in a cookie sheet and place on bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Halfway through, brush the bread with melted butter.

~ In memory of our sweet Tiger Kitty ~

Our Tiger went to kitty heaven recently after 19 years. She came to live with us during the summer in between my 1st and 2nd grade school years... and stayed on for many more. We all miss her, but my sister will miss her the most. They were best friends, especially in the last few years, so I made the following little scrapbook for Marlece to help keep the memories alive... (The pictures are out of order, and I didn't have time to fiddle with it to get them in the right place)

Sleepin' in her box...

Her special blanket and bed...

Me and Tiger Cat...

When we were outside, Tiger was always there...

She loved tid bits from the BBQ!

Getting her nails done...

Fluffy kitty...

Lovin' the attention...

Watchin' Tiger eat...

Cute kitty...

In memory.

Posing...

What you lookin' at?

Best buds...

Cute little tongue...

Blue sky and sunshine quilt

I am very new to quilting and sewing. I think I've mentioned it before, but I've felt the need to learn some of those skills that my grandmothers posess that I have yet to learn. Seems like there are many things that the older generations learned out of necessity that have now fallen by the wayside in my generation, quilting being one of them - at least in my family.

I went to the fabric store intending to find green and pink fabrics for this - I was wanting a spring look. However, I just couldn't make up my mind on the pinks - so many of them were bright pink, and I wanted a softer look. So I changed my mind altogether and went after blues and yellows. I'm calling it the Blue Sky and Sunshine quilt (I'm sure there is an actual technical name for the pattern)... and the name fits with our Montana Spring that is slowly arriving. Can't wait!!

I chose several different prints in both blue and yellow... and I like the small print on the white. I think it will make it a little less plain.

Aren't these pretty? I can't wait to work with them...

Here's the design I have in mind. I'm not using a pattern, but thought that pinwheels in alternating colors would be really cute. This is just a little layout with a few of the prints. The final top will be much more random.

My first little bit of progress...

I'm learning that the quilting process, measuring, cutting, planning, sewing, trimming, etc... takes A LOT of patience. It's a good one for me to learn though!

Angel Chicken

This has become one of our favorite recipes. My family in Oregon LOVED it when I had a chance to cook for them this winter... We usually put it over angel hair pasta, but it's also very good served over rice.

Angel Chicken

Ingredients:

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter (I leave this out, and it's just fine)
1 pkg dry italian salad dressing mix
1 can golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup white wine (cooking wine)
4 oz onion & chive cream cheese
angel hair pasta or rice cooked according to pkg directions.

Directions: (the recipe way)

Place chicken in crock pot. In sauce pan melt butter. Stir in italian salad dressing mix, soup, cream cheese, and wine. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Pour over cooked angel hair pasta or rice.

Directions: (my way)

Leave out the butter. Put italian salad dressing mix, mushroom soup, cream cheese, and wine in crockpot. Turn crockpot on to low. With a wooden spoon, stir/mash the mixture... it will gradually blend together.

Add FRESH MUSHROOMS!! Slice them any way you like...


Then chop chicken into bite sized pieces and add to mixture in crockpot...

Cook on low, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 hours... check to be sure chicken is cooked through. And it ends up looking like this... Yum!

Chicken Dumpling Casserole

Hello again! So we tried another really good recipe. Wanted to share it!

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cups chicken broth (2 8oz cans)
2 cups frozen peas/carrots
1/2 to 2/3 cup frozen southern hashbrowns
1 cup fresh broccoli (if you like)
4 cubs cubed cooked chicken

Dumplings:
2 cups biscuit/baking mix
1 tsp dried basil
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded cheese (can also add cheese to the veggie/chicken mixture if you like)

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute the onion, celery, and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt, and pepper until blended. Gradually add broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute; reduce heat. Add peas/carrots/hashbrown/broccoli and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken. Pour into greased 13x9 baking dish.

For dumplings, in a small bowl, combine baking mix, basil, and cheese. Stir in milk with a fork until moistened. Drop by tablespoonfuls (or bigger) into 12 mounds over chicken mixture.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover and bake 10 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted in the dumpling comes out clean. Yield 6-8 servings.

I was going to title this post SPRING and wish you all happy new beginnings... aren't these tulips so pretty!?!?

And my plants have caught spring fever as well... new buds everywhere...

BUT. This morning we woke up to THIS!! More snow. In March. I'm about over it. yesterday it was near 50 degrees, and today there are a couple inches on the ground. Ah well... still time to cook those warm winter soups and enjoy them I suppose. :-) Smile!

Aloha Pork Chops

Because I'm a full time student and working at the hospital as well, I've been trying to come up with dinners to cook on Sunday and Monday evenings that would work well for leftovers the rest of the week. AND... we've been looking for new recipes to try... rather than making the "same old, same old". Here's one I made last night and LOVED! Try it!!

Aloha Pork Chops (courtesy http://www.kraftfoods.com/)

Ingredients:

2 cups instant white rice (I used instant brown rice)
2 cans (8 oz each) pineapple tidbits in juice, undrained
1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 tsp Ginger (optional) (love it!)
1/2 cup SHAKE'N BAKE Original Pork Seasoned Coating Mix
4 bone-in pork chops (about 5 oz each), 1/2 inch thick (I used boneless pork chops)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Mix rice, pineapple with juice, broth, green pepper, and ginger in 13x9-inch baking dish.

MEASURE 1/2 cup coating mix and place in plastic bag; coat chops as directed on package. Place chops on top of rice mixture.

BAKE 35-40 minutes or until chops are cooked through (165 degrees F).

YUM!!