Creamy Lemon Pasta

1 Lemon - to get 3 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb fresh fettuccine or dried pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt
pepper

Grate lemon peal(2 tsp zest) and squeeze lemon (3 tbsp juice). On low heat melt the butter in a deep, heavy 12 inch skillet. Stir in the cream and heat gently. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Remove the skillet from the heat and keep it warm and covered. Boil the pasta and set aside 1.2 cup of the hot pasta water and drain the pasta. Place the hot drained pasta in a large serving bowl, add the lemon cream sauce and toss. Add some of the reserved hot watter if more liquid is needed. Toss in the grated parmesan cheese.

Ritzy Chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups crushed club or ritz crackers (we prefer club)
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup butter, melted
season-all and pepper to sprinkle

Cut chicken into strips and dredge in sour cream and sprinle with season all and pepper. Coat with crushed crackers. Place on pam sprayed cookie sheet. Drizzle melted butter over each piece. Bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes or until done and cracker topping is golden brown.

Bacon Chicken Bake

1/2 lb bacon, finely chopped and fried crips
3 Tbsp dried minced onion
Ranch dressing
salt and pepper and garlic to taste
1 Cup seasoned bread crumbs
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix bacon, breadcrumbs and dried onion flakes in a large bowl. Season chicken breasts with salt pepper and garlic powder then brush with ranch dressing. Coad chicken liberally with bread crumb mixture and place on a foil lined pan thats been lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Drizzle melted butter and bake for 30 minutes. Place under broiler for a few minutes to get a nice golden brown crust.

Creamy Chicken

1/2 cup of mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. chopped green onions
4-6 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
sprinkle of paprika

Mix the ingredients together; place chicken in the sauce. Cover with foil and bake on 325 for 1 1/2 hr. Sauce is great on rice!

Southwest Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1/2 package taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup sour cream

Add everything except sour cream to crock pot and cool for 6 hrs on low. About 30 min from being done add sour cream. Shred and serve over rice, make tacos, enchiladas or taco salad.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup buttermilk
1/2 Cup butter
1/2 tsp baking soda

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, butter and buttermilk. Bring to a boil. Cool slightly then add baking soda. Serve Warm. This syrup is great for pancakes, brownies, ice cream etc.

Pasta Carbonera

1 tbsp salt
1 bag bow tie pasta
1/2 lb bacon
1 yellow onion
2 cans mushrooms
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 oz blue cheese
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen peas
2 egg yolks
salt
pepper

Boil pasta. Cook bacon and chop. In bacon grease cook onion and mushrooms 4 minutes. Add whipping cream. Simmer until thick. Add blue cheese and parmesan and peas. Remove from heat. Add egg yolks in center and stir rapidly. Pour sauce over pasta, toss. Add salt, and pepper and parmesan to taste.

Garlic Chicken Pasta (YUMMMY!!!)

16 oz farfalle pasta
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp pepper
1/2 cup butter
1 lb bacon (baked in oven at 400) crumble
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 12 oz bottle of lawry's mesquite marinade with lime
(its by the steak sauce etc at the grocery store)

Cook chicken and bottle of marinade in crock pot on low for 6 hrs. Boil pasta. Cut up chicken into pieces. Melt butter; add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In large bowl pour over pasta and chicken and stir together.

Grandma's Juicy Chicken

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pkg good seasons italian dressing
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
6 chicken breasts

Mix cheese, dressing and garlic together. Coat chicken, bake 25 min at 400

Broccoli Casserole

By Jennette T.

3 C. Chicken or Turkey
2 Cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cup mayo
1 1/2 tsp curry
1 pkg frozen veggies
Noodles (as desired)
2 tsp. lemon juice

Boil veggies until tender, cook noodles
Layer veggies and noodles. Mix remaining ing. together for top layer.
Cover and cook 350 for 30 min

Southwest Chicken Casserole

By Jennette T.

1 lb boneless chicken
1 10 oz can of cream of chicken soup
1 10 oz diced tomatoes
2 tbsp onion
8 oz. shredded cheese
1 tbsp taco seasoning
1 4 0z diced green chilies
10 corn tortillas

Cook chicken and shred, and place in a casserole dish. Tear tortillas into strips and add to the casserole. Mix 1 cup of cheese, soup, tomatoes, chilies, onion and seasoning. Mix well and add to casserole and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 350 for 25-30 min.

Surprise Cupcakes

By Jakell M.
1 package Chocolate cake mix. Mix as directed on package. Fill cupcake cups 2/3 full.

Filling: cream 1/3 cup sugar, 4 oz cream cheese, 1 egg and a dash of salt.
Fold in 1 (6oz) package semi-sweet choc chips. Drop by spoonfulls into cupcakes
Bake as directed on package.

Frosting: beat together 3 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 4 tsp butter, 2/3 box powder sugar.
Frost cooled cupcakes and watch as everyone enjoys their suprise!

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Salad

1 Pkg Spinach
Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Dressing (enough to coat spinach to your liking)
Frigo 3 cheese Italian cheese (parmesan, asiago, and romano)
2 Chicken Breasts

Cook chicken any way you like and shred or chunk.
Toss spinach with dressing, cheese and chicken.

*it tastes great with just parmesan cheese.. but the mixture is great!

Hot Artichoke Dip

by Ann B.

1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
4 cloves garlic
1 can marinated artichokes, chopped

mix together and put in a baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake @ 325 for 20-25 min

serve with celery, tortilla chips, bagle chips.

Extremely LOW fat ;)

German Pancakes

3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp. butter

Mix all together.. except the butter.
Set empty pan in hot oven and leave a few min. Take out and add butter and let melt. Add mixture to hot pan. Cook at 350 until golden brown.
Serve with hot syrup and/or powdered sugar

Homeade Soup Noodles

3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup flour

Mix together and roll out on counter with LOTS of flour.
(Be careful with the meaning of LOTS because.. I use what I thought was a lot.. and it was WAY to much! Just use enough that the dough is NOT STICKY and kind of firm.)
Cut into strips and boil for 1/2 hr.

*This is a practice makes perfect thing I guess. Good thing its NOT hard to make.

Super QUICK and EASY biscuits

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk

Mix all together. Knead 10-12 strokes. Drop on greased cookie sheet. Can also roll dough out and cut into rounds. Bake at 450 for 10-12 min.

Crock pot chicken and mashed potatoes

4 Chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 package lipton onion soup mix

Whisk together ingredients with 1/2 cup water.
Pour mixture over chicken in crock pot and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Rigatoni Salad

By Racquel D.

Mix in a bowl:

1 16 oz pkg rigatoni pasta (cooked)
2 chopped cucumbers
1 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp accent
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
stir and let marinate

Shepherds pie

1 lb browned hamburger
1 can tomato soup
1 can green beans
Mashed potato's

Add tomato soup to browned hamburger
Layer in casserole dish starting with hamburger/tomato soup mixture, then green beans, then mashed potato's . Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30 min.

Sweet Pork (just like Cafe Rio)

By Ann B.

1 Large pork roast (3 lbs or so)
Salt and pepper
2 cans of pepsi
3/4 cup catsup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder (or more if you think it needs it)
1 tsp. chili powder
5 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Lowery's season salt

Put the ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hrs. As the pork gets done, shred it with a fork. Serve in a burrito, taco, salad or chips.

Cafe Rio Salad

By Charise V.
It seems like a lot of work, but it really wasnt too bad! It is so worth it!

Café Rio Dressing
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy. You could substitute a few drops of green tobasco for the jalapeno.)

Mix your Ranch Dressing. Use a food processor to chop all other the ingredients add to the ranch shake well. Refrigerate.

Cafe Rio Chicken
1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic—minced
5 lbs chicken breast

Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

Café Rio Rice
3 c water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic –minced
½ bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles—or equivalent fresh
¾ t salt
1 T butter
½ onion
3 c rice (*see note)

*Blend cilantro, green chiles and onion together in food processor. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes.

Start with a tortilla, then layer on romane lettuce (chopped) cooked beans (I just get a bag of uncooked black beans and follow the instructions), rice, lettuce, specially seasoned chicken, cheese and a cilantro ranch dressing that is delicious.

I build my salad in a big tortilla that is placed in a aluminum cake tin (disposable) just like Cafe Rio!

Lemony Chicken Breasts with Rice

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and Pepper
4 Cups canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Cups long-grain rice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Scrape into slow cooker. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter in skillet over medium high heat until foaming. Add chicken breast halves and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker. Add 1 cup broth and lemon juice to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan. Add to the slow cooker, along with remaining broth, rice and 1 tsp salt. Stir, cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, 2 to 3 hrs. Remove chicken, stir parsley into rice and season with salt and pepper.

Ham and Cheddar Waffles **Perfect for after school snack**

**Picture to come**

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 oz thinly sliced ham, chopped
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Heat waffle iron. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir milk, egg and butter into flour mixture until just combined. Fold in ham and cheese. Mist waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Pour about 3/4 cup batter onto iron and spread to edges with spatula. Cook until waffles are golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Strawberry Mousse

From the "All You" Magazine

2 Cups hulled strawberries
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 packet plain gelatin (about 1 Tbsp)
1 Cup heavy cream

Combine strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in gelatin. Beat cream until it holds soft peaks. Fold 1/4 of cream into strawberry mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in remaining cream. Chill at least 4 hrs before serving.

Peach-Bananna Smoothie

From the "All You" Magazine

Peach-Banana Smoothie

Serves 4

Place 2 peeled, sliced peaches, 2 bananas, 27 oz. orange juice and 12 ice cubes in a blender and mix until smooth. Serve in tall glasses.

Choose the best fruit. Pick the ripest peaches you can find for the sweetest flavor.

Our Favorite Chicken Salad

Dressing:
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 cup canola or sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 Tbsp Sugar
*I like to use just a little bit extra of each ingredient just to coat the salad a little more.

3-4 Chicken Breasts-boiled or oven baked. Shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.
12 oz spiral cork screw pasta (the multi colored pasta looks great) cooked according to package directions.
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 pkg spinach
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3-4 green onions, chopped

Mix all together!
Tastes lots better when it sits all together in the fridge for a few hrs.
*Don't add cashews until you are ready to serve. They will get a little soft.
*The best way I have found to do it is to mix the dressing in a large plastic zip lock. Add the shredded chicken and cooked pasta in the zip lock and let it marinate with the dressing. Put it in the fridge for a couple hrs.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco's

4 Chicken Breasts
2 Cups Salsa (any kind)
1 Cup Sour Cream
Cheese
Tortilla's

Place chicken and salsa in crock pot for 4-6 hrs. Once done shread and add sour cream.
Spoon onto tortilla's and add a little shredded cheese.

**Also works great on the stove top for an emergency meal**

Ogre Pie

By Jeri H.
A good-for-you breakfast casserole that Darcy named "Ogre Pie" because of the green spinach.

8 eggs

1 onion, diced

1 green or red pepper, diced

3 cups fresh spinach, chopped

2 cups shredded potatoes

1 cup cooked bacon, sausage or ham

3/4 cup milk

2 cups shredded cheese

salt and pepper

Beat eggs until fluffy, whisk in milk. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until center is set (you should be able to jiggle the pan and not have the center wiggle or appear liquid).

Best-Ever Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler

By Jeri H.

We like this a lot more than the regular "cake mix and can of Sprite" campfire cobbler. I put all the dry ingredients together in a plastic bag before we leave for our camping trip to make it that much easier!

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches* (or 2 big cans)

1 cup sugar

8 tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups flour

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups milk

*If using fresh peaches, combine fruit with 1/2 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Boil gently for 10 minutes. You'll have your fresh fruit and the syrup that you need.

Prepare your dutch oven with 8-10 briquettes on the bottom, and 14-16 on the lid. Melt butter in bottom of dutch oven. Add milk to dry ingredients and mix slowly to prevent clumps. Pour mixture over melted butter, do NOT stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in about 3/4 cup syrup. Batter will rise to the top during baking. Cover dutch oven and let bake for about 60 minutes or until top of cake springs back when you touch it.

Lemon Delight Pound Cake

By Jeri H.
The perfect cake for summer - try serving with fresh strawberries on the side

Cake

2 1/2 cups white flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup apricot nectar or orange juice

3/4 cup oil

2 tsp lemon extract

4 eggs

Glaze

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

Heat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Combine all cake ingredients, beat at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 325 for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven. With long-tined fork, poke deep holes in cake every inch. Blend glaze ingredients until smooth. Spoon half of glaze over hot cake in pan. Let cake stand upright in pan for 10 minutes.

Invert cake onto serving plate. Drizzle remaining glaze over cooled cake.

Applesauce Snack Cake (from my Mom's kitchen)

By Jeri H.
Moist and delicious - your kids won't even know it's good for them!

Cake

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup white flour

3/4 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped dates

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup applesauce

1 egg

Melt butter in saucepan. Beat the egg into the applesauce, slowly add into melted butter. Add the rest of ingredients, stir well. Pour into a greased 8x8" pan.

Topping

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup finely chopped nuts

1/4 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup softened butter

Cut together, sprinkle on top of cake. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. You can add different things into the batter as you make it - grated carrots or zucchini, crushed pineapple, etc.

Easy Peasy Wild Rice

By Jeri H.

1 1/2 cup wild rice mix

2 1/2 cups boiling water

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

Add everything to an 8x8" pan. Cover tightly with foil. Place in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour. This makes the wild rice much more tender and yummy than trying to boil it in a saucepan like regular white rice.

Dice one onion and sauté in a bit of olive oil (add some garlic if you like it). Add the onion to the rice right as it comes out of the oven. Toss in a handful of frozen peas (the heat from the other things will warm the peas). Stir it all together and serve immediately

Alfredo

By Brittney D.

2 cups of cream

1 cube of butter

1 ½ cup of parmesan

Melt cube of butter – not to warm. Put 2 cups of cream in – get hot, don’t boil. Add parm – should thicken. Add salt and pepper and whatever seasoning you want. If not thick enough, put 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour