Abc muffins (apple, banana, carrot)

I grew up on these muffins. So yummy and healthy too.

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup bran
2 beaten eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil (I use 1/4 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup oil)
1 cup grated apple ( 1 apple)
1 cup mashed banana
1 1/2 cup grated carrots

Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl mix eggs, sugar, and oil. Stir into dry ingredients. Add apple, banana, and carrots. Stir well. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

MIA

sorry gang, i've been MIA from this blog for awhile. mainly because i haven't made anything noteworthy is sometime to be honest. but i have a gooder for you tonite! i actually can't believe i haven't posted this yet because it is my go-to recipe this winter, it's super easy, i make it once every 2 weeks at least, and if i ever ask Dick what he wants me to make for dinner he says...stroganoff :) So here you go, it's from the best bites cookbook, but not on their blog. i make it basically true-to recipe except for the sour cream, i only use about a 1/4 C not 1/2 C...but thats just to my liking. anyways, its a good one to try in this deep freeze, warm, and garlicy, and delish!

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound top sirloin or tenderloin steak (About 2 or 3 good sized steaks)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

6 Tbsp butter, divided

1 reg. pkg mushrooms sliced(It calls for cremini mushrooms which I like, but reg. ones are fine)

3/4 C diced onion(1 small onion)

4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 C warm water

1tsp beef bouillon, or 1 cube

2 Tbsp flour

2 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1/2 C of sour cream ( i use 1/4 C or so)

1 Pkg Egg noodles

1. Slice steak into thin strips about 1/4 inch think. sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and set aside

2. Melt 2 T butter in a large skillet over med. heat and add onions and garlic. sautee for a couple min, then throw another 2 T of butter and sliced mushrooms. continue to saute for 3 or 4 min until mushrooms and onions are tender. Remove everything from the pan, and set aside.

3. Slightly increase heat and melt 2 T butter in the pan. add beef and saute, stirring, for 3-5 min, or until no longer pink

4. While beef is cooking, whisk water, bouillon, flour and worchestershire sauce together until smooth. add this mixture to the beef and return mushroom mixture to the pan as well. bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 1-2 min to thicken. Remove pan from heat and stir in sour cream. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve over egg noodles, or white rice.( We do egg noddles for sure)

hope that makes up for my lack of contribution:)

Smoothies Rock!

I LOVE a good smoothie. Any time of the day, and any day of the year. Truth: I make them... a lot. Maybe too much. Here are two of my FAVORITE recipes.

a classic..
Orange Julius

• ¾ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 2 cups milk
• ½ cup sugar or splenda
• 1 tsp vanilla (make sure it's the real good stuff from Mexico... cue mouth watering... AHHH I LOVE IT!)
• 1 whole tray of icecubes

Put all ingredients into blender, and blend until all icecubes are completely crushed. Then.. gulp it like crazy! It totally tastes like orange creamsicles. YUM!

Makes 6 cups!

Berry-Orange Smoothie
(This is just a "berrified" version of the beloved orange julius. I kind of just throw it together, so I don't really have measurements. Adjust to your liking!)

• 2-ish cups frozen mixed berries (or frozen raspberries and blueberries- whatevs)
• 1 - 2 cups milk (depending on how thick you like it- start out with less, and add more if needed)
• ⅛ - ¼ cup sugar or splenda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 - 3 spoonfulls frozen orange juice concentrate!!!! Yum...

Put all ingredients into blender, and blend until smooth. Then, once again.. gulp it like crazy! The hint of orange makes my taste buds smile.

Makes 2-ish cups!
 

Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats

These are awesome, easy and tasty! I made these for our Family Christmas Party and they were gone in a flash. From, of course, Our Best Bites.

Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1 10.5 ounce bag peppermint mini marshmallows*
4 tablespoons real butter, plus extra to butter pan
5-6 cups rice krispie style cereal (I like mine a little more marshmallowy)
3 tablespoons semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
a few drops (about 1/8 teaspoon) peppermint extract
2-3 medium sized candycanes, crushed

*In place of the peppermint marshmallows, use regular marshmallows and add about 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract to melted marshmallow mixture. Or more to taste, I’m guessing on the amount.

Instructions:
Line a 9×13 pan with foil and lightly butter bottom and about 1 inch up sides.

Melt butter in a very large bowl in the microwave. Add marshmallows and stir to coat. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. (You can do that whole process on the stovetop as well.) Add rice krispie cereal and stir to evenly combine. With buttered hands, press mixture into prepared pan.

Place white chocolate chips and 1/4 teaspoon oil in a small bowl. Heat in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Repeat same process with semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips and add a few drops of peppermint extract. Drizzle both chocolates on top of rice krispie treats and sprinkle candy canes on top. Let sit until chocolate is set, place pan in fridge to speed process along. Cut into squares and eat up.

How to Cook a Large Roast

I had to make a roast for our family Christmas party, which fed about 35 people. This is an awesome way to cook your roast if you are cooking for a large crowd. (I need to post this so that I remember how to do it again next year for our Taylor Family Christmas Party).

1. Rub meat with meat tenderizer
2. Rub in kosher salt
3. Mix a packet of French's Marinade with a little water and pour over roast
4. Place in a large pan and tin foil 3 or 4 times, enough so that no steam with escape and change where the fold is.
5. Cook at 450 for 4 hours (not frozen)
6. Stick meat thermometer in to see if it is done. Cover the hole with a rock if you need to put the roast back in the over for longer.

And the roast comes out delicious and moist. I go this recipe from Cindy, who got this recipe from a caterer.

If have any questions while you are cooking, just post a comment or call me.

Turkey Brine

With the help of my husband, who is so awesome in the kitchen, I made my first turkey dinner this Christmas. I brined the turkey the night before and honestly it made the turkey to DIE for. It was the best turkey I have tasted. It made the meat so moist and the gravy so tasty.


Turkey Brine (From allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 gallon vegetable broth
• 1 cup sea salt
• 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried savory
• 1 gallon ice water

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable broth, sea salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
2. When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5 gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water.
3. Wash and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator overnight.
4. Remove the turkey carefully draining off the excess brine and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
5. Cook the turkey as desired reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster so watch the temperature gauge.

Chicken noodle soup

Like taco soup, I'm sure there are a million and one chicken noodle soup recipes. Well I'm here to tell you that this one tops them all for taste and ease. I found this recipe in a old random recipe book my mom had from my great- aunts relief society or something like that and I probably make it at least twice a month. Especially in the winter. I usually make some baking powder biscuits to go with it. I buy a rotisserie chicken and boil the bones and skin to get yummy flavorful broth but if your not into that kind of thing used the canned stuff. Sorry for no picture but I'm lame like that.

Chicken Noodle Soup

4 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cooked chicken breasts, cut in pieces (I use the rotisserie chicken)
3 cups cut raw carrot (however big you want the pieces)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp basil
1/2 soup can water
2 cups raw noodles (I break up spaghetti or linguine noodles in thirds)

Place all ingredients in crockpot. Mix and cook on low setting for 4-5 hours. *Unless you want soggy noodles, don't add noodles until about the last 1-2 hours). You can also make this on the stove. Just put it all into a big pot and let boil until the veggies and noodles are cooked. DELISH!