Blueberry Scones

SOOOO DELICIOUS!

BLUEBERRY SCONES

2 c. flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 c. butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. milk
2/3 c. blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
In a small bowl, stir together butter, eggs and milk. Pour into flour mixture, and mix until ingredients bind together. Stir in blueberries.

Turn dough out on a floured surface. Pat out to a 9 inch circle and cut into 8 wedges. Transfer with a spatula to a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Makes 8.

Sticky Maple Scones

I've always wanted to try making scones. A friend of mine made some delicious cranberry scones the other day which inspired me! These are from a great cookbook that I found at a booksale!


The Cooking Light Cookbook
I belive it's the 2000 version

Sticky Maple Scones

2 cups all purpose Flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
6 tbsps low fat milk
1/3 cup maple syrup, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
cooking spray

1. Preheat Oven to 400
2. Lightly spoon flour mixture into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles course meal.
3. Combine milk, 2 tbsp maple syrup, and egg; stir well with a whisk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky)
4. Pat dough into an 8 inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray using floured hands. Bake at 400 for 18 minutes or until golden.
5. Pierce top with a fork. Place remaining syrup in a glass measure; microwave at HIGH 30 seconds, and drizzle over top. Cut into 12 wedges, and serve warm.

Creamy Alfredo Pasta

This is a delicious pasta dish that is easy to do and is pretty healthy if you choose the right ingredients like I've listed here. It still uses a lot of butter... but that's what makes it good!

1 package whole wheat linguine

2 cups nonfat half and half (Land O' Lakes makes this and I'm not sure how it exists)

1/2 cup butter

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 1/2 oz fresh Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1 cup)

1/4 tsp. salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, cook half-and-half and next 2 ingredients in a large heavy non-aluminum saucepan over medium heat, whisking often, 12 minutes or until reduced by one-third (do not boil or milk will curdle). Remove from heat.

3. Whisk in cheese, next 2 ingredients, and desired amount of pepper until sauce is smooth. Toss sauce with hot cooked pasta. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Carne Asada Tacos

DELICIOUS!! Had these for our anniversary dinner.

Carne Asada Tacos:

Ingredients:
2 pounds flank or skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat
1 recipe Mojo
Olive Oil, for coating gril
Kosher salt and ground pepper
Corn Tortillas
2 limes cut into wedges

Mojo:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

Mojo Directions:
In a mortar and pestle or bowl, mash together the garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt, and pepper to make a paste. Put the paste in a glass jar or plastic container. Add the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, and oil. Shake it up really well to combine.

Yield: approximately 1 1/4 cups

Directions:

Lay the flank steak in a large baking dish and pour the mojo over it. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours, so the flavors can sink into the meat. Don't marinate the steak for more than 8 hours though, or the fibers break down too much and the meat gets mushy.

Preheat an outdoor grill or a ridged grill pan over medium-high flame (you can also use a broiler). Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Pull the steak out of the mojo marinade and season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill (or broil) the steak for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once, until medium-rare. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal.

Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet or on the grill, until toasty and pliable.

To make the tacos, stack up 2 of the warm tortillas, lay about 4 ounces of beef down the center, and sprinkle with extra Mojo and lime juice.

Tortellini & Zucchini Soup

We've made this recipe MANY times. It's very tasty and full of veggies.

Tortellini & Zucchini Soup
Courtesy of EatingWell magazine

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large carrots, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 tbsps minced garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (can use dried instead)
28 oz vegetable broth
2 medium zucchini, diced
9 oz fresh or frozen tortellini
2 cans stewed or diced tomatoes
2 tbsps red-wine vinegar

Optional:
Italian sausage, browned and crumbled.

Directions:

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots and onion; stir, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and just beginning to brown, 6-7 minutes.

Stir in garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Begin browning and crumbling sausage in a small pan.

Stir in broth and zucchini; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add tortellini and tomatoes and simmer until the tortellini are plump and the tomatoes are beginning to break down, 6-10 minutes. Stir in cooked sausage.

Stir vinegar into the hot soup just before serving. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Breakfast Frittata

A great all in one dish meal to use up some left over veggies in the fridge!

Breakfast Frittata
Recipezaar

Ingredients:
2 potatoes, cubed
6 strips bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
4 mushrooms, sliced
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 pinch dill or other herbs
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:
1. Boil potatoes in a small saucepan until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan and fry the onions, mushrooms and bacon until onions are clear and bacon is cooked.
3. Drain potatoes and put into frying pan, cooking for another 2 minutes.
4. Make sure ingredients are spread evenly over the pan and then pour eggs evenly over the base.
5. Season with herbs, salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Let cook for 2 minutes or until eggs start to set.
7. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake under a grill until eggs are cooked and cheese is bubbling and brown (3-5 minutes).

Lemon Breezies

These are a great take on Russian tea cookies.

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar, divided

1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup finely copped slivered almonds

1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, lemon peel, and lemon juice in large bowl 3 minutes

3. Combine flour, almonds, and salt in medium bowl; slowly beat into butter mixture

4. With 1-inch cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets 1 inch apart. Bake 7-9 minutes or until light brown on bottom. Cool 5 minutes.

5. Roll in 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar while still warm; cool completely

6. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar before serving

7. Enjoy!

Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy

Pecans go in everything in the South! This combination of sweet and salty reminded me of the sea-salt caramels that Fran's makes in Seattle. This is a much easier and cheaper version.

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

3 (4-oz) bars bittersweet chocolate baking bars

3 (4-oz) bars white chocolate baking bars

1 tsp coarse sea salt

1. Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until toasted

2. Line a 17x12-inch cookie sheet with parchment paper. Break each chocolate bar into 8 equal pieces. Arrange in a checkerboard pattern on baking sheet, alternating white and dark chocolate. (Pieces should touch)

3. Bake at 225 for 5 minutes or just until chocolate is melted. Remove pan to a wire rack. Swirl chocolates into a marble pattern using a wooden pick. Sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans and salt.

5. Chill 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces.

6. Enjoy!

Raspberry-Lemonade Pie

This is a great cool treat for the summer time! It's super easy to make, but takes a night in the freezer to prepare. Make sure and serve it directly out of the freezer so it doesn't have much time to melt. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure you could put all sorts of flavors of preserves in this one.

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (6-oz) can frozen lemonade concentrate, partially thawed

3 Tbsp. seedless raspberry preserves

1 (8-oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (6-oz) ready-made prepared graham cracker crust

1. Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

2. Pour into crust; freeze 4 hours or until firm.

3. Enjoy!

Fancy Tomato Soup

Yet another recipe from Southern Living (a pattern is emerging). This one is Jason's favorite.

1 (28-oz) can Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes

1 (26-oz) can tomato soup

1 (32-oz) can chicken broth

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Pulse Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes in food processor 3 to 4 times or until finely diced.

2. Stir together tomatoes, tomato soup, chicken broth, and pepper in large pot; cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Enjoy!

Makes 11 cups

Smokin' Macaroni and Cheese

Another recipe from Southern Living which has gone over well at multiple cookouts we've been to. It's by no means healthy, but it's something good to have a little bit of every now and then.

1 lb uncooked cellentani pasta

2 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 cup milk

1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk

2 cups (8-oz) shredded smoked Gouda cheese

1 (3-oz) package cream cheese, softened

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne pepper), divided

1 (8-oz) package chopped cooked, smoked ham

2 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Prepare pasta and transfer to large bowl

3. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and evaporated milk. Cook, whisking constantly, 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in Gouda, cream cheese, salt, and 1/4 tsp ground red pepper until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in chopped ham.

4. Combine pasta and cheese mixture and pour into lightly greased 13x19-inch baking dish.

5. Stir together 2 cups crushed cereal, 2 Tbsp melted butter, and remaining 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper. Sprinkle over pasta mixture.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

7. Enjoy!

Slow-cooker Turkey Chili

This is a recipe I got from Southern Living and Jason and I have modified it a little bit to add more vegetables. When you're making something like chili and it requires two peppers but you bought three... just throw the extra one in there!

1 1/4 lb. lean ground turkey

1 large onion, chopped

1 (1.25-oz) envelope chili seasoning mix

1 (12-oz) can beer (we used blue moon)

2 cups frozen corn kernels

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 orange bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

3/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1. Cook first 4 ingredients in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8 minutes or until turkey crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in beer and cook for 2 minutes. Put mixture into slow cooker.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients.

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.

4. Top with cheese and onions.

5. Enjoy!

Snickerpoodles - Dog Treats

To show a little love to the canine community, here are some doggie treats I made for our dog friends around Christmas time. The feedback was positive, all dogs LOVED the cookies. These are great because they are made with foods you already have in your pantry!

Snickerpoodles Dog Cookies
Bullwrinkle.com

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup honey
2 eggs
3 ¾ cups white flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix vegetable oil, shortening , honey with eggs. Beat well.
2. Add flour, soda and cream of tartar.
3. Knead dough until mixed well. Shape dough by rounded teaspoons into balls.
4. Mix the cornmeal and cinnamon together in a bowl and roll balls in mixture.
5. Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet . Press with a fork.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 400F. Cool on a rack. Store in airtight container.

Blueberry Waffles

Here is a recipe for classic blueberry waffles. I have never been great at making waffles. Inevitably, the waffles stick to the waffle maker and everything ends up making a mess. This recipe was FANTASTIC! They cooked perfectly using my waffle maker. I used the highest setting to get them as dark as possible, this prevented them from getting soggy.

Blueberry Waffles
Recipezaar

1 Cup blueberries
3 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, seperated
1 tbsp sugar
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup soy milk (recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups milk, but we ran out!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup melted butter

1. Preheat the waffle iron.
2. Beat egg whites until stiff and set aside.
3. Sift together dry ingredients.
4. Slowly stir in milk, beaten egg yolks, and melted butter.
5. Fold in blueberries
6. Fold in egg whites which were stiffly beaten.
7. Bake in hot waffle iron.