Category Archives: Recipes &Cooking

Tip for Reheating Frozen Turkey

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Some people do not like to freeze turkey because they don’t like the way it tastes when it’s thawed and reheated.  I have had the experience of turkey being a little on the tough side or a little rubbery in texture even though I freeze turkey in broth so it won’t dry out.   Finally, I found a way to reheat turkey that works great.  Here’s my tip:

Heating slices of thawed turkey in a skillet with extra-virgin olive oil on medium heat for a few minutes until hot results in more tender, delicious tasting turkey.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

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Here’s a quick mix-in-one-bowl recipe for crustless pumpkin pie.  It’s so easy!

  • 1 can pumpkin
  • 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine the above ingredients and mix well.  Spray pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour pumpkin mixture into pie plate.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and then at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

It’s delicious served warm with homestyle vanilla ice cream.

Four Foods On Friday 62

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#1.  Waffles. Do you usually eat frozen or homemade?

Definitely frozen.   (We received a waffle maker for a wedding present, so years and years ago I actually did make homemade waffles.)
#2.  Eggs. Do you buy brown, white, or it doesn’t matter?

White, and whichever brand is on sale.
#3.  Oatmeal. Do you usually make instant or cooked?

Usually instant.  Sometimes I’ll cook steel-cut oats.
#4.  Bacon. Share instructions or a recipe that you use bacon in.

I did a review on a Microwave Bacon Cooker a year ago.  It’s the best way to cook bacon so that it won’t be greasy.  The cooker looks like a pitcher but the inside rack is the key.

Hubby’s “Recipe” for Healthier Snack Crackers

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My husband did so well…he brought home some new Wheat Thins “Fiber Selects” Garden Vegetable Crackers.  They sounded good and healthy with five grams of fiber per serving.  However, we tasted them and they were dry and not near as tasty as the regular vegetable crackers.   So this is what my husband did…here’s his “recipe”:

  • Wheat Thins Fiber Selects Crackers
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt

Dribble a few drops of olive oil on each cracker.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Heat in microwave until warm.

The crackers were delicious after he did that, and they were still healthier than regular crackers because of the fiber and healthy fat.

Four Foods On Friday 61

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#1.  Do you prefer cooking with electric or gas?

Electric because that’s what I’m used to.
#2.  How many times a month do you order out?

Depends how busy we are – might be several times.
#3.  How do you like your ice – cubed or crushed?

We have cubes at home, but I really like crushed.
#4.  Share a Christmas recipe.

Holiday Sweet Potatoes

Pecan Pie Muffins

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Here’s a recipe from a friend of mine that sounds delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 sticks of melted butter (do not use margarine)

Spray the muffin tins with Crisco No-Stick Spray or something similar.  Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.  Fill the muffin tins half full and then bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Enjoy!

Four Foods On Friday 60

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From Val's Kitchen

#1.  What’s your favorite crunchy food?

Hmmm….probably apples or baby carrots.
#2.  How often do you try new recipes?

I try new recipes more often now that I’m blogging.  Before that, every once in a while I would get a new recipe after I had tasted something and liked it.   And sometimes I would try a recipe I hadn’t tasted if I was feeling brave and creative, but not knowing for sure what it tasted like involved a risk that the family might not like it.
#3.  Name a food that you almost always have in the house.

Fresh fruit, raw nuts, vegetables, etc.
#4.  What kind of food do you leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve?

We don’t leave anything out for him.  🙁

Romano’s Macaroni Grill Chicken Alfredo with Linguine – Make at Home – Quick & Easy

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2nd-sd-card-breakfast-basket-touch-of-red-mac-grill-2-17-09-008Do you need a quick and easy meal to make at home in 10-15 minutes, and do you need a meal that’s comfort food at the same time?  Well, Marcaroni Grill has put out four boxed meals that you can make at home that are delicious.  Their Chicken Alfredo with Linguine just happens to be my husband’s favorite, so he is thrilled when I make this at home.  The directions on the box call for fresh chicken breast, but I’ve always been in a hurry and have made it with a large can of chicken breast and it turns out great.  Here’s what you need:

  • 1 box Romano’s Marcaroni Grill Chicken Alfredo with Linguine
  • 1 large can chicken breast (direction on box calls for fresh chicken)
  • butter  (2-3 tablespoons)
  • milk (1 1/4 cup milk)

TIP:  I buy the Macaroni Grill boxed meal and the canned chicken breast at Wal-Mart.  It costs a lot less than at the regular grocery store.

Four Foods On Friday 59

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#1. What’s your favorite kind of roll?

Hmm…I don’t really have a favorite.  I guess anything fresh-baked and warm!
#2. Got a tip for keeping your cabinets or pantry organized?

I have a tiered shelf riser that I got at Target a few years ago that I really like.  It’s inside my kitchen cabinet and raises things up higher that are in the back so they can be seen easily.
#3. What’s your favorite kind of pastry?

Homemade pies and cobblers.  I remember when I was a child, my mother would roll out the pie crust and take the leftover dough and bake it with cinnamon and sugar.  That was so good!   One of my favorite things was my mother’s apricot cobbler.  We had apricot trees in our back yard, so every summer we enjoyed fresh apricot cobbler.  I don’t remember ever getting tired of it.
#4.Share any original recipe. (Why not submit it into my contest too?)

The only one I can think of right now would be one I developed because my kids didn’t like meat in their lasagna:

Meatless 4-Cheese Lasagna

Sausage Rolls

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Do you need a special breakfast recipe for guests during the holidays?  Here’s a great recipe from a friend of mine:

INGREDIENTS:

  • a loaf frozen bread dough, thaw but do not let rise
  • 1 pound sausage
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Brown the sausage and drain well.  Beat the 2 eggs and mix in with the sausage.  Cook until eggs are just barely done.  Add cheese.  Mix all together.  Pat out the bread in a rectangle and spread on the sausage mixture.  Roll up.  Place on a foil lined cookie sheet.  Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from the oven and let cool some before slicing.

Quick Dinner Rolls

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There’s nothing like the smell of dinner rolls baking in the oven.  Here’s a quick recipe for homemade rolls:

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package rapid rise dry yeast
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Combine milk and butter.  Heat to 125-130 degrees.  Mix 3 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast together. Add to milk and butter mixture.  Add eggs.  Knead together with rest of flour and let stand covered with cup towel over bowl for 10 minutes.  Make into rolls and place in greased pan.  Let rise to double in size (keep out of drafty areas).  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Chocolate Kiss – Peanut Butter Cookies

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I wish I could tell you these cookies have no calories or fat, but I can tell you they are delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 2 cups Bisquick baking mix
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • sugar (for rolling the cookies in)
  • 36 milk chocolate Kisses (or milk & white chocolate Kisses), unwrapped

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix milk and peanut butter in large bowl until smooth.  Stir in baking mix and vanilla.  Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Roll in sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.   Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown.  Immediately press chocolate Kiss into the top of each cookie.