Oatmeal Raisin Gems

Since we just moved, we have been in the process of buying new things for our apartment.  We just bought a washer and dryer and my landlord was generous enough to help my boyfriend get them into the basement.  So, I told him, as a thank you, that I would make him his favorite cookies.  His choice was oatmeal raisin.  I found this recipe for a soft cookie that interested me.  Here it is!

Oatmeal Raisin Gems

Yield: 6 dozen

• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Combine raisins and water in small saucepan. Simmer over low heat 20 to 30 minutes, until raisins are plump. Drain liquid from raisins into measuring cup. If necessary, add enough additional water to raisin liquid to measure 1/2 cup. Set drained raisins and 1/2 cup raisin liquid aside to cool.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir in reserved 1/2 cup raisin water.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves into a separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into shortening mixture with a spoon. Stir in oats, nuts and reserved raisins; mix well.
4. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Note: These cookies freeze well.

 These cookies were very easy to make and the base dough before the raisins and oats was delicious!  These cookies are soft and quite an interesting texture after they are baked.  I gave half of them to my landlord and took the rest to work. The ladies loved them! Enjoy!

Comforting Tuna Casserole

My boyfriend has been begging me to make "Tuna Noodle Casserole" for him.  I have never made it before so I started searching for a good recipe.  I have plenty of cookbooks and decided I would find a recipe in my ultimate casserole cookbook.  My mom used to make tuna noodle casserole and I always loved it as a child.  So I found a recipe that sounded good and just made it!  This recipe is amazing!!!  The flavor was wonderful.  This was light but rich and creamy and you will definitely want more after trying it!

Comforting Tuna Casserole

Yield: 2 servings  

1 3/4 Cups cooked wide egg noodles
6 tsp butter, divided
4 tsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
dash of pepper
3/4 Cup 2% milk
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 can (3 oz) solid white tuna, drained
2 Tbsp. diced pimientos
2 tsp minced chives
2 slices Muenster cheese (3/4 oz each)
2 Tbsp. soft bread crumbs

Cook the noodles according to the package directions.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt 5 tsp. butter.  Stir in flour, salt, and pepper until blended; gradually add milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Reduce heat; add the cream cheese, tuna, pimientos and chives.  Cook and stir until cheese is melted.

Drain the noodles.  Spread 1/4 Cup tuna mixture into a 3-Cup baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Layer with half of the noodles, 1/4 Cup tuna mixture and one slice of cheese.  Repeat layers.

In a small microwaveable-safe bowl, melt butter; stir in bread crumbs.  Sprinkle over top of casserole.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

This casserole truly is delicious!  Of course, I did a few things differently to better suite our taste buds.  I did not add the pimientos or chives.  I feel like nothing was taken away from this recipe by taking these 2 ingredients out.  This recipe can stand on its own without these.  I also added a bit more of the Muenster cheese on top.  I baked this in a shallow casserole dish and it came out great! Enjoy! 

Seafood Lasagna

I have been dying to try this recipe so while my sister was here I decided it would be the perfect meal to end the weekend visit on.  This is a rich and satisfying dish that will leave you wanting more.  The ingredients really come together to make a very appetizing meal.  It was simple to make even though there are quite a few ingredients.

Seafood Lasagna

Yield: 12 Servings            Bake Temp: 350 degrees

1 green onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. plus 1/2 Cup butter, divided
1/2 Cup chicken broth
1 bottle (8oz) clam juice
1 lb. bay scallops
1 lb uncooked small shrimp, peeled and deceined
1 package (8oz) imitation crab meat, chopped
1/4 tsp. white pepper, divided
 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1.  In a large skillet, saute onion in oil and 2 Tbsp. butter until tender.  Stir in broth and clam juice; bring to a boil.  Add the scallops, shrimp, crab and 1/8 tsp. pepper; return to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and scallops are firm and opaque, stirring gently.  Drain, reserving cooking liquid; set seafood mixture aside.

2.  In a large saucepan, melt the remaining butter; stir in flour until smooth.  Combine milk and reserved cooking liquid; gradually add to the saucepan.  Add salt and remaining pepper.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from the heat; stir in cream and 1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese.  Stir 3/4 Cup white sauce into the seafood mixture.

3.  Spread 1/2 Cup white sauce in a greased 13-inch X 9-inch baking dish.  Top with three noodles; spread with half of the seafood mixture and 1 1/4 Cups sauce.  Repeat layers.  Top with remaining noodles, sauce and Parmesan.

4.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

I did a few things differently with this recipe and there are a few things I will do differently when I make this again.

• I did not use green onion.  I minced up half of a regular white onion.  I do not particularly like green onions and I had a white onion already.  I added the onion like the recipe called for.  I could taste the onion in the recipe and I enjoyed the flavor it gave.
• I would not add the scallops right away when I add the shrimp and crab meat.  I thought the scallops were a bit over-cooked by the time the lasagna was done.  Bay scallops are small and cook very quickly.  Add them last and under-cook them.
• Next time I make this I will add garlic!  I thought the sauce was missing something...it needed more flavor.  After eating this lasagna I decided that garlic would be a must next time.  Also, I thought the sauce needed more salt.  Salt is a tricky thing nowadays because some people are salt conscious.  You don't want to add too much salt.
• Lastly, I added extra shredded Parmesan cheese in every layer of the lasagna.  In my life, you can never have enough Parmesan cheese!

I hope you enjoy this lasagna as much as my family and I did!  Enjoy!

Heavenly Angel Food Cake

My sister just recently celebrated her 25th birthday!  In order to celebrate, I decided to make her favorite cake, angel food cake!  I have never made an angel food cake from scratch and the task was a little daunting.  I read the directions quite thoroughly before I started.

Heavenly Angel Food Cake

12 eggs
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar

Directions 

Separate eggs; discard yolks or refrigerate for another use. Measure egg whites, adding or removing whites as needed to equal 1-1/2 cups. Place in a mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift confectioners' sugar and flour together three times; set aside. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely before removing cake from pan.

 All in all, this recipe was easier than I thought it was going to be.  I didn't get my peaks to be as stiff as I would have liked them but the cake seemed to be the correct consistency when it was finished.  I served it with Cool Whip and caramel topping.  The cake turned out really delicious and my sister was very surprised!  Enjoy

Pizza Roll-Ups

My boyfriend and I went to a birthday party and I decided to bring an appetizer.  I wanted a finger food that people could just grab and eat.  My boyfriend decided on this recipe to try.  They were good even though they did not taste like pizza.  Consensus from the group that was eating them said they tasted more like cheeseburgers.  If I were to make these again, I would change them up a little bit.

Pizza Roll-Ups

Yield: 2 Dozen

1/2 lb. ground beef
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1/2 Cup. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tubs (8oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls

1.  In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Remove from heat.  Add the tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and oregano.
2.  Separate crescent dough into eight rectangles, pinching seams together.  Place about 3 Tbsp. of meat mixture along one long side.  Cut each roll into three pieces.  Place seam down 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

To make these more like pizza, I would add pepperoni!  I might take out the ground beef altogether.  I would add other pizza ingredients such as mushrooms, onions, or black olives.  If you want more of a cheeseburger taste, make this recipe as is.  I would also bake these for only about 12 minutes.  You don't want to burn the dough.  These still tasted really delicious and everyone really seemed to like them.  Enjoy!

Spinach Artichoke Dip (Slow Cooker)

We had a food day at work for St. Patty's day and I needed to make a food that was green.  I decided to make a slow cooker appetizer for everyone to enjoy.  My boyfriend helped me out by finding this recipe to try!  It was amazingly delicious!  I doubled the recipe for the food day and almost the whole thing got eaten.  This dip is really cheesy and full of flavor.  Once you had a little bit, you just wanted to keep eating more and more!

Spinach Artichoke Dip (Slow Cooker)

• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts , Drained & Chopped
• 1 lb frozen spinach, Thawed & Chopped (or 2 bunches of fresh spinach can be used)
• 16 ounces cream cheese , Cubbed (2 - 8oz bricks)
• 2 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese , Cubed (1 small Cheese brick)
• 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese , Cubed (1 small Cheese brick)
• 3 garlic cloves , Minced (add more garlic depending on how much you like)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (this can be adjusted to taste)

1. Cube Cheese and add to Slow Cooker.
2. Chop Artichoke Hearts and Spinach and add to Cheese.
3. Place in a slow cooker on High setting.
4. Add Garlic and Pepper.
5. Heat until melted, stirring occasionally.
6. Takes about 1-2 hours
   
   

   
    I put all the ingredients together before work and took them in the slow cooker.  When I got to work I just plugged the crock-pot in and let the ingredients simmer.  The women at work loved this!  I served this with chips and crackers depending on people's preference.  If you are looking for a quick crowd-pleaser, this is it! Enjoy!

Grilled Shrimp Salad with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette

Here is another great salad recipe!  This one sounds like the dressing would be gross but it is absolutely delicious!  My boyfriend really does not like to try new things sometimes but he tried this and loved it!  I will let the recipe speak for itself on this one and just encourage you to try it!

Grilled Shrimp Salad with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette

Yield: 4 servings

4 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 Cup prepared Italian or vinaigrette salad dressing
1/3 Cup Honey Dijon Mustard of Honey Mustard
2 Tbsp. water
8 Cups mixed salad greens
1 Cup diced yellow bell peppers
1 Cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 Cup pine nuts
1 lb. jumbo or extra large shrimp, shelled, with tails left on

1.  Cook bacon until crisp in medium skillet.  Whisk in salad dressing, mustard and water; keep warm over very low heat.
2.  Place salad greens, bell peppers, tomatoes and pine nuts in large bowl; toss.  Arrange on salad plates.
3.  Cook shrimp in an electric grill pan or bar-b-que grill 3 minutes or until pink.  Arrange on salads, dividing evenly.  Serve with dressing.

I did a few things differently with this recipe.  I did not add the yellow peppers or pine nuts.  I did add walnuts though.  I did not have tomatoes in mine, but my boyfriend did.  I also used baby spinach for the salad aspect.  This dressing is amazing and I would make it and use it on other salads as well.  If you are not serving this to other people, you can take the tails off beforehand so they are not in the way later!  Enjoy! 

Bleu Cheese Chicken Tenders

I got this recipe out of my 300 Calorie cookbook.  Although the name of the recipe sounds unhealthy, it is only 230 calories!  I absolutely love the ingredients in here and the flavor was amazing!  You would think this is too much blue cheese but the way it is made almost leaves you wanting more.  I enjoyed making this and will make it again in the future!

Bleu Cheese Chicken Tenders

Yield: 4 Servings

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. uncooked chicken breast tenders (not breaded)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/3 Cup bleu cheese dressing
      Crumbled bleu cheese, if desired
      Toasted walnuts, if desired

1.  In a 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken, lemon juice and garlic in oil 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center.
2.  Stir in dressing. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until hot.  Sprinkle with bleu cheese and walnuts, if desired.

• To toast walnuts, heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread walnuts in ungreased shallow pan.  Bake uncovered 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until light brown.  

I did not add the lemon juice because I did not have any.  I did however, add a bit of orange juice.  I really liked the flavoring.  I would recommend sticking to the recipe though and trying the lemon juice.  I would definitely add the bleu cheese crumbles and walnuts.  The extra bleu cheese crumbles added so much flavor and the walnuts added a great crunch!  Enjoy!

Spinach Salad wih Bacon and Gorgonzola

We have been trying to eat a little more healthy, and, in an attempt to do so, I have been making a lot of salads.  I have recently found out that I really enjoy baby spinach!  I was sick of regular bagged lettuce and I feel that one cannot always eat romaine lettuce or a head of lettuce.  I made up this salad to try and it was awesome!  It was full of flavor and fun to make.  You can add whatever ingredients you want to add more or less flavor.  Each bite was a different taste that was quite enjoyable!

Spinach Salad with Bacon and Gorgonzola

1 package (10 oz) baby spinach or baby arugula (4 oz)
1 package (4 oz) Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
1/4 Cup walnuts, baked
Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette dressing


1.  Cook bacon until crisp, crumble.
2.  Bake walnuts in a shallow dish for 10-12 minutes.
3.  Toss all ingredients together.

I used Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette dressing on this salad and it complimented the taste of all the other ingredients.  The Gorgonzola added a zip to every bite! After you bake the walnuts, they still have a crunch but are a bit softer.  Add other of your favorite ingredients and Enjoy! 

Sweet and Salty Salmon

Salmon is my favorite fish to eat so I love to find new recipes that include it.  A friend of mine bought me a Bacon Cookbook and I found, within it, this recipe.  I knew I had to try it!  This was an awesome recipe!  It was super quick and very easy to make.  It was done before I knew it and dinner was ready.  I would add this recipe to the staple recipes that I have.

Sweet and Salty Salmon

Yield: 4 Servings

4 skinless salmon fillets (6 oz each)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar, divided
4 slices bacon

1.  Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Place wire rack on top of baking sheet.  Place salmon on wire rack; rub half of brown sugar on tops of salmon.
2.  Cut each slice of bacon, crosswise into 2 pieces.  Lay 2 pieces of bacon over brown sugar, overlapping slightly.  Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar.
3.Bake 15 minutes or until bacon is crisp and salmon begins to flake when tested with a fork.

I did not change anything about this recipe.  The only thing I might do differently is cook the bacon just a bit so that is does get crispy in the oven.  The bacon was cooked but it was not crispy. I really enjoyed this recipe and I will make it again.  It is very lite and a dinner that is different.  Enjoy!

Herb-Stuffed Chops

I really enjoy pork chops, especially moist ones.  I thought this would be a great dinner to make that was hearty and filling as well as quick!  I was able to just make this in the morning before work, throw it all in the crock-pot and it was ready when I got home.  The flavor in the stuffing is great and different than your normal turkey stuffing. 

Herb-Stuffed Chops

Yield: 6 servings

3/4 Cup chopped onion
1/4 Cup chopped celery
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Cups day-old bread cubes
1/2 Cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 Cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. fennel seed, crushed
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper, divided
6 rib or loin pork chops (1 inch think)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 Cup white wine or chicken broth

1.  In a skillet, saute onion and celery in butter until tender.  Add bread cubes, parsley, milk, fennel, 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp pepper; toss to coat.  Cut a pocket in each chop by slicing from the fat side almost to the bone.  Spoon about 1/4 Cup stuffing into each pocket.  Combine the remaining salt and pepper; rub over chops.
2.  In a skillet, brown the chops in oil; transfer to a slow cooker.  Pour wine or broth over the chops.  Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat juices run clear.

I made this recipe as is.  I did not change anything and I had a huge problem!  These pork chops would have been even better if they did not get so dry...They did not need to be cooked for 8-9 hours.  I used the chicken broth and ALL the juice was gone by the time I got home from work.  If you make this recipe I would watch it if you are home while cooking it, make sure you add chicken broth or wine as it cooks.  The flavor of the pork and stuffing was great and I would definitely make this again but be careful on cooking time and broth.  Enjoy!  

Rosemary Cashew Chicken

I love Cashews!  When i saw this slow cooker recipe I could not resist making it.  Even though the ingredients do not sound great together, they all come together to make an amazingly different flavored meal.

Rosemary Cashew Chicken

Yield 4-6 servings

1 broiler/fryer chicken (3-4 lbs.) cut up and skin removed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/3 Cup orange juice concentrate
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. water
1/4 to 1/2 Cup chopped cashews
Hot cooked pasta

1. Place chicken in a slow cooker.  Combine onion, orange juice concentrate, rosemary, salt and cayenne; pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken juices run clear.  remove the chicken and keep warm.

2.  In a saucepan, combine flour and water until smooth.  Stir in cooking juices.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in cashews.  Pour over chicken.  Serve with pasta.

I did this recipe a bit differently in the fact that I just used boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  They worked just fine!  The rosemary is a very strong flavor and a little goes a long way.  The cashews are genius in this recipe.  They add a whole new dimension with crunch.   The orange juice adds so much flavoring and is quite strong!  You can use whatever pasta you like to add a bit of flare to this recipe!  Enjoy!