Shrimp Etouffee and Bake Sale Items

This recipe got a smiley face.

Shrimp Etouffee

by a magazine that I can't remember

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped bell pepper

3/4 cup chopped celery

3 garlic cloves, minced

1.1 ounces all purpose flour about 1/4 cup

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

2 8 ounce bottles calm juice

(we omitted this and used 16 ounces of water instead)

3/4 cup chopped tomato

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 2/3 cups hot cooked long grain rice

     1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes or until very tender and onion begins to brown, stirring frequently.  Place onion mixture in a bowl.  Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in pan.  Stir in Cajun seasoning, thyme and clam juice; cook for 1 minute.  Stir in onion mixture, tomato and Worcestershire sauce; simmer for 15 minutes or until thick.  Add green onions, salt, and shrimp; cook for 6 minutes or until shrimp is done, stirring occasionally.  Serve over hot cooked rice.

Bake Sale Items

Chocolate Silk Pie



This recipe came from my mom and I'm not sure where it came from originally.

 3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 tsp. instant coffee

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup almonds

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 unbaked pie shell

     In a mixing bowl beat brown sugar and butter until fluffy.  Beat in 1 egg at a time.  Mix in chocolate, coffee and add flour my mom omitted the almonds and decorated the top instead.  Mix well pour into shell.  Bake on lower rack at 375 degrees ( it didn't give how long to bake it.  I baked mine for 25 minutes).  The top is just cool whip!

My Fancy Cupcakes

Creole Shrimp and Sausage Stew and Dark Chocolate Cookies

Tonight's dinner was great!  We all loved the stew and the cookies are for me to take to church to add to the dessert table.  I personally don't like cream cheese and kinda turn up my nose after finding out that it's in certain things; but the cookies are good.  They taste like one of the chocolate pastries from Pop Tarts. 

Creole Shrimp and Sausage Stew

This recipe came from a magazine and again I don't remember which one.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 10ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
8 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add bell pepper, garlic and sausage to pan; saute 3 minutes or until bell pepper is tender, stirring occasionally.  Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Stir in shrimp and beans; cover , reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until shrimp are done.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Yield: 4 servings.

     Dark Chocolate (Heart) Cookies
This recipe is by: pillsbury
     COOKIES:
1/4 cup butter softened
3oz cream cheese
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 egg
1 box devil's food cake mix
FROSTING:
1/2 cup Pillsbury creamy supreme strawberry frosting
     1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In medium bowl combine butter and cream cheese, beat until smooth.  Add melted chocolate and egg, beat until well blended.  Add cake mix, beat until well mixed.
     2. On lightly floured surface, roll half of dough at a time until 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut with floured 3-inch heart shaped cookie cutter ( we used different ones since it isn't Valentine's Day).  Place 1/2 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.                                                        
     3.  Bake at 375 degrees 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are set.  Cool 2 minutes remove from cookie sheet.  Cool ten minutes or completely cooled.
    4. Place frosting in small microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on HIGH for 15 seconds, stir frosting until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled cookies.

Thanks for reading God Bless!

Let's Get Caught Up Again...

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter.  We were very blessed to spend Easter with family.  Ok, I  have a lot of catching up to do.  Here are the recipes and/or ideas for you guys.
1. Tim's Tailgate Chili
2. Pork Tenderloin in Peaches and Pecan Sauce
3. Mexican Pork Quesadilas
4. Penne with Sage and Mushrooms
5. Southwest White Chicken Chili
6. Chinese Chews
7. A Digging Bunny Cake
8. Cincinnati Turkey Chili
     Alright, Let's get started:

Tim's Tailgate Chili
 This recipe is by French's
  Makes 8 Servings
   2 lbs ground beef (we used ground turkey)
   1 cup chopped onions
   28oz can crushed tomatoes in puree
   15oz can red kidney beans undrained
   1/2 cup of worcheshire sauce
   2 packages of chili seasoning mix (we used one and it still   was good)
    COOK meat and onion in a non stick pot until meat is browned.  Drain.
    STIR in remaining ingredients.  Heat to boiling.  Simmer for 15 minutes.
This recipe was rewarded a smiley face!

           Pork Tenderloin with Peach and Pecan Sauce
                     This recipe is from Campbell's
          Prep: 20 min.  Cook: 20 min.  Makes 4 servings
1 tbsp olive oil
pork tenderloins cut in 3/4 inch thick
2 cloves, garlic minced
2 green onions, sliced
1 can condensed mushroom soup
1 can sliced peaches, reserve juice
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup halved, chopped pecan pieces
hot cooked rice (this was a day I forgot about the rice)
     1. Heat oil in a medium non stick skillet over medium - high heat.  Add pork and cook until well browned on both sides.  Remove pork from skillet.
     2. Add garlic and onions to skillet and cook and stir 1 min.  Stir soup, peach juice, soy sauce and honey to skillet.  Heat to a boil.  Cook 5 minutes or until soup mixture is slightly reduced.
     3. Return pork to skillet.  Stir in peaches.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook until pork is cooked through.  Stir in pecans.  Serve pork and sauce with rice.  Sprinkle with additional green onions if desired.
     One of my kids was not too thrilled by the pecan and she called the peaches slugs, but it still got a smiley face in the cookbook. 

                       Dripping Roast Beef Sandwich
                               Recipe by: Campbell's
         Prep: 5 min.  Cook: 20 mins.  Makes 4 servings
                         1 can french onion soup
                         1 tbsp worceshire sauce
                         3/4 lb. thinly sliced roast beef
                         4 hoagie rolls
                         4 slices of provolone cheese
                         3/4 of mild banana peppers (pickled)
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat soup and worceshire sauce in saucepan over medium - high heat until boiling.  Add beef and heat through.
3. Divide beef mixture among rolls.  Top beef mixture with cheese and place on baking sheet.
4. Bake 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This was another winner of the smiley face award.

Chinese Chews

     This recipe is from mom's kitchen

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 well beaten eggs
Mix all dry ingredients, then dates, walnuts and eggs.  Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Bake in greased and floured pan.

For the Mexican Pork Quesadillas I don't have a picture, but this recipe also earned the smiley face sticker.

Mexican Pork Quesadillas

I am not sure where this recipe is from (I do know that it is from a magazine)

Prep: 30 minutes  Marinate: 20 minutes  Grill:9 minutes

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons of lime juice

1/4 cup fresh snipped cilantro, divided

1 tablespoon honey

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 pound boneless pork loin chops

1 medium red onion sliced about 1/2 inch thick

1 medium sweet pepper seeded and cut length wise into quarters

2 green onions thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

8 ounces of pepper jack cheese, shredded

12 6-inch flour tortillas

sour cream or salsa

ONE combine the 1/2 cup of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, honey and garlic in a large resealable plastic bag set in shallow dish.  Add pork chops.  Seal bag; turn to coat.  Marinate in refrigerator for 20 minutes.  Drain pork chops and discard the bag.

TWO for a charcoal grill place pork chops, onion slices and pepper quarters on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals.  Grill veggies to 5 to 7 minutes or until browned crisp-tender, turning to brown evenly.  Grill pork chops for 7 to 9 minutes or until pork chop is slightly pink in the center turning once halfway through grilling.

THREE meanwhile, combine the 3 tablespoons of lime juice the remaining 2 tablespoons of cilantro, the green onions, salt and black pepper in a large bowl.  Chop grilled pork, onion and pepper and add to the green onion mixture. 

FOUR Sprinkle cheese evenly onto one half of the top of each tortilla.  Top cheese with pork mixture fold plain half of tortillas over filling.  For a charcoal grill place 6 of the filled tortillas on  the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals.  Grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until tortillas are lightly browned.  turning once halfway through grilling. 

FIVE cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve with eithe4r sour cream or salsa or both.

This one got a smiley face too.  Penne with sage and mushrooms.

Penne with Sage and Mushrooms

This recipe is from a magazine I am not sure which one.

1 whole garlic head

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 1/2 cups of boiling water, divided

1/2 oz dried wild mushroom blend

8 oz penne uncooked

1/4 cup fresh sage leaves

2 1/2 cups cremini mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup chicken broth

2 ounces parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees.

2. Cut top off garlic head.  Place in a small baking dish, and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil; cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove dish from oven.  Add 1/2 cup boiling water to dish; cover and let stand for 30 minutes.  Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic, pulp into water.  Discard skins.  Mash garlic pulp mixture with a fork and set aside.

3. Combine remaining 2 cups boiling water and dried mushrooms in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 min; rinse mushrooms and drain well; and roughly chop and set aside.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. 

5. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add sage to pan, saute 1 minute or until crisp and browned.  Remove from pan using a slotted spoon; set aside.  Add cremini mushrooms, salt and pepper to pan; saute 4 minutes.  Add garlic mixture, chopped mushrooms and broth to pan; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by about half.  Grate 1 1/2 ounces of cheese and top each serving evenly.

Southwest White Chicken Chili

This recipe is By: Campbell's

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil ( we used olive oil)

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into cubes

4 teaspoons of chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 large onion chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

2 can white kidney beans rinsed and drained( we used only one and it was enough)

2 tablespoon shredded cheese

1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken, chili powder, cumin, onion and pepper and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender, stirring often.

2. Stir the soup, water, corn and beans in the saucepan and heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with cheese.

This one got a smiley face.

Cincinnati Turkey Chili

The recipe came from a magazine and again I don't know which one.

4 ounces uncooked spaghetti

cooking spray

8 ounces lean ground turkey

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped bell pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 15 ounce can of red kidney beans rinsed and drained

2 1/2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips (YES, that's what I thought too)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package omitting salt.  Drain, and set aside.

2. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add turkey; cook 3 minutes stirring to crumble.  Add 1 cup onion, bell pepper and garlic; saute 3 minutes.  Stir in chili powder and next five ingredients all the way to the allspice.  cook 1 minute.  Add broth, beans and tomatoes; bring to a boiling.  Cover and reduce heat, simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat, stir in chocolate and salt.  Serve chili on top of spaghetti.

This one got a smiley, but this wasn't our favorite.

Now for Easter Sunday I was asked to make a cake.  I found an idea for a digging bunny and thought that it would be really cute.  The bunny in search of more carrots.  Here are the pictures of the cake.



Gingered Spaghetti Salad, Lemon-Herb Roasted Chicken and Old Fashioned Chicken and Noodles

Hello!  There are two recipes that did not earn a smiley face this week.  The first one is:

Gingered Spaghetti Salad

This recipe is by: Cindy Heinbaugh

Prep: 30 min.  Serves: 8

1pkg. 16oz Spaghetti

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

3 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts

1 English cucumber

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

1 small sweet yellow pepper, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

1 tsp. minced ginger root

1 cup reduced fat sesame ginger salad dressing

3 green onions, chopped

     In a dutch oven, cook spaghetti according to package directions, adding the edamame (we used a different veggie.  I like edamame's but not everyone else in this house likes them) during the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  Place in a large bowl.  Stir in the chicken, cucumber, peppers, red onion and ginger.  Sprinkle with green onions (I forgot to do this part).

Lemon-Herb Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy ( a Campbell's recipe).  This one is the second one that didn't earn smiley face.  I think that we will try this recipe again at a later date.  My chicken didn't cook all the way through and usually I do a good job at baking it.  I think maybe on this night I was in a hurry.  The pan gravy was really good!  So this recipe could get a status change!

Lemon-Herb Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy

Prep: 15 min.     Roast: 1 hour and 35 min.     Cook: 10 min.     Makes 6 servings

1 lemon                                                           1tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme

1 can 10 3/4oz Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

1tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves              3 cloves garlic, minced

1 roasting chicken (5 to 7 lbs)                          1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup water

1. Heat the oven to 375F.  Grate 1 1/2tsp. zest and squeeze 1 tbsp juice from the lemon. 

2. Stir the lemon zest, lemon juice, soup, rosemary, thyme, and garlic in a medium bowl.  Reserve 1 cup soup mixture for the gravy.  Place the chicken into a shallow roasting pan.

3. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. 

5.  Spoon off any fat from the pan juices.  Stir the wine in the roasting pan and heat over medium-high heat to a boil, scrapping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the reserved soup mixture and water and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling.  Serve the gravy with the chicken.

Here is the one that got a smiley face this week.  Old-Fashioned Chicken and Noodles, I am not sure where I got this recipe.  I do know that it came out of a magazine, but which one I couldn't possibly remember.

Old-Fashioned Chicken and Noodles

Prep:30min  Cook:20min  Cool:35min

3 medium onions, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

3 Stalks celery, sliced (1 1/2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

3 pounds bone in chicken thighs, skinned

4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth ( about two cans)

1 12-ounce package of frozen egg noodles

1 cup water

4 carrots, sliced (2 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I forgot this step)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 teaspoons cornstarch ( I also forgot this part)

1 1/2 cups of frozen peas ( we used frozen mixed veggies)

2 Tablespoons lemon juice (forgot this one too)

ONE: In a 6 quart pressure cooker cook onion, celery, and garlic in hot oil or butter, stirring often, for 3 minutes.  Add chicken pieces, broth, frozen egg noodles, water, carrots, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.  Lock lid in place.

TWO: Bring to pressure over high heat (20 to 30 minutes); immediately remove cooker from heat.  Set cooker aside until pressure as dropped (about 25 minutes).  Remove chicken; set aside to cool slightly.  Remove meat from bones;discard bones.  Chop the chicken.  Add cooked chicken to the noodle mixture.

THREE: In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water.  Add cornstarch mixture to pan along with peas and lemon until slightly thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Okay, I didn't do it this way at all.  I cut the chicken pieces up before I ever started.  I don't have a pressure cooker either and I missed some steps too, but everyone at the dinner table still liked it.  Well almost everyone, my daughter ate it, but I could tell it was not her favorite dish.





Yellow Chics and Cake Pops

Hello everyone,
      These are my yellow chic cupcakes.  The idea is from a book; Hello,Cupcake! Instead of using the entire design like they had I changed my up a little.  I also used cake balls for the heads instead of donut holes.



   I also did some cake pops with the left over cake balls.  I remembered this time to use melted candy on the sticks and then decorate them.  Needless to say they are able to stand up without sliding off. 



Italian Sausage Burgers

Hello everyone.  So far in this new composition cook book I have done really good about the recipes I choose to go in there.  Almost all of them has gotten a smiley face; this recipe got one too.

                                                             Italian Sausage Burgers

                                                         prep: 20 min.     grill: 14 min.

                                                      I think this is another Publix recipe

                                                    1 pound ground beef (we used turkey)

                           4 ounces bulk pork sausage (we used Johnsville's ground Italian)

                                                               1 cup marinara sauce

                           2 Tablespoons snipped fresh basil or teaspoons dried basil, crushed

                                             1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
                                  4 slices Publix Bakery Italian 5-grain bread, toasted
                               1 to 2 ounces provolone or mozzarella cheese shredded
                                                    fresh basil, shredded (optional)
ONE: In a large bowl combine beef, sausage, 2 tablespoons of the marinara sauce, the Parmesan and snipped basil.  Shape into four 3/4 inch thick patties.
TWO: For a charcoal grill place patties on grill rack directly over medium coals.  Grill, uncovered, for 14 to 18 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted in a patty registers 160 degrees, turning once halfway through grilling.  (For gas frill preheat grill.  Reduce heat to medium.  Place patties on grill rack.  Cover and grill as above.)
THREE: Serve each patty on a slice of toasted Publix Bakery Italian 5-Grain bread.  Heat remaining marinara sauce and spoon atop patties.  Sprinkle with cheese and, if desired, top with shredded basil.  Makes 4 servings.



Many dishes and desserts

Herb-topped stuffed tomatoes

     prep: 25 min.   serves:4
This recipe is by: Mary Relyea

1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp butter divided
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
4 large tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley

1.  In a small skillet, saute onion and garlic in 1 tbsp butter until tender.  Melt remaining butter.  In a small bowl, combine the onion mixture, bread crumbs, cheese and melted butter. (With this step I added cooked ground turkey meat so it will be more like a dinner and not an appetizer). Spoon 2 tbsp onto each half.
2.  Place on a baking sheet.  Broil 8 inches from the heat for  4-5 minutes or until lightly browned.  Sprinkle with basil and parsley.  Serve immediately.

Soft Crinkle Molasses Cookies

(I am not sure where this recipe came from)

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup shortening or butter (1/2)

1/4 cup light molasses

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

granulated sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In large bowl, combine sugar, shortening or butter, molasses and egg.  Beat at medium speed until well blended.  Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.  Beat at low speed until soft dough forms in the shape of 1 inch balls, roll in sugar.  Place balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8 to 12 minutes.  Cool completely before serving.  Makes up to 6 dozen.

CAKE BALLS FOR A GA BAKE SALE

It wasn't until recently that I discovered that in order to have cake pops I needed to dip the end of the stick into candy melts or chocolate melts.  Then insert the stick into the ball.  I had to laugh at myself. 

Quick Peanut Butter Blossoms

This recipe came from General Mills

Ingredients: 1 roll refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough

granulated sugar

36 Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped

Instructions:  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees (I followed the cookie dough package on this part).  Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll in sugar; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. 

2. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are browned and cookie is set.  Immediately press a Hershey's Kiss into center of each cookie.  Remove from cookie sheet and place on wire rack.  Cool completely.  Makes about 3 dozen.

Asian Turkey Sliders

I am not sure but I think that this recipe is from Publix

1 egg, lightly beaten

1medium carrot, shredded

1/3 cup panko (Japanese style) bread crumbs

1 tablespoon soy sauce

18 to 20 ounces of uncooked ground turkey

8 publix bakery dinner rolls, split and toasted (i left out the toasted part)

Bottled sweet and sour sauce (we opted out of this step)

3/4 cup shredded napa cabbage or Chinese cabbage (Bok Choy)

One:  In large bowl combine egg, carrot, panko and soy sauce.  Add ground turkey, mix well.  Shape into eight 3/4 inch thick patties.

Two: (I fried these on the stove instead of grilling); For a charcoal grill place patties on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals.  Grill for 14 to 18 minutes or until done turning once halfway through grilling.  For gas grill preheat grill.  Reduce heat to medium.  Place patties on greased grill rack.  Cover and grill as above.