Pasta Carbonera

From owlhaven.net

One pound of spaghetti, cooked al dente.
1/2 pound of bacon
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic
2 T. fresh basil or sage leaves, chopped fine (I used sage last night. You could substitute dried seasonings in smaller amounts)
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, draining and setting it aside when done. While spaghetti cooks, chop bacon into 1/2 inch chunks and cook in a heavy skillet until nicely crispy. As you are waiting for the bacon to cook, mince the onion very finely, chop the sage or basil, and peel the garlic. Once bacon is crispy, remove it from the pan and set aside in a small bowl.

Do NOT dump out the bacon drippings, because that’s where this recipe gets its flavor. In the bacon drippings in the same pan, cook the minced onion, sage or basil, and garlic over medium heat until the onion is soft. By now your pasta is probably done. Pour the onion, garlic, and bacon drippings over the hot pasta and toss well.

Crack the two eggs into a small bowl and whisk well. Now you are going to pour those eggs over your still-hot pasta, stirring the pasta quickly so that the eggs coat the pasta as evenly as possible. It is important that the pasta still be steaming hot for this step, since it is the heat from the pasta that will cook the eggs. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper to taste.

Crockpot Leg of Lamb

(From Crockpot365.blogspot.com)

Make a dry rub with lots of black pepper, rosemary, garlic, and kosher salt. Rub dry rub mix over leg of lamb. Plop it into your crock pot. Add 1/2 cup of water. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours, or low overnight.

Quick Cinnamon Rolls

From eatbetteramerica.com

1 package (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 teaspoons orange juice or milk

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch round baking pan; set aside. Unroll dough (do not separate); press perforations to seal. Brush dough with melted butter. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Starting from a long side, roll up dough. Using a sharp knife, slice dough into eight pieces. Arrange rolls, cut sides up, in prepared pan, flattening each slightly.

2. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden. Cool rolls slightly in pan on a wire rack. Remove rolls from pan. In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough orange juice or milk to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over warm rolls. Serve warm.

Spinich and Cheese Quiche

From eatbetteramerica.com (I merged the Healthified recipe with the original)

1 9-inch prepared crust
3 ounces Gruyere or Swiss cheese
10 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped fresh spinach or 1 package (9 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 Preheat oven to 350ºF. Shred cheese; you should have 3/4 cup. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the cheese.

2 In a large bowl, beat together remaining cheese, eggs, spinach, milk, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture into pie shell.

3 Bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with the reserved 2 tablespoons cheese. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover edge of quiche with foil. Bake about 10 minutes more or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Nuggets w/ Peach Sauce

From onceamonthmom.com

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon thyme
3 teaspoons basil
1/2 cup butter

Peach Sauce:
1/2 cup water
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons corn starch
1 cup frozen peaches
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. In a bowl, mix together bread crumbs, cheese, salt, thyme, and basil. Mix until blended. Place melted butter in separate bowl. Dip chicken in butter, then coat with bread crumb mixture. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 20 mins.

To make sauce: Bring water, nutmeg, sugar, and corn starch to a boil. Boil for 1 min. Add peaches. Boil another 2 mins. Cool & serve.

Baked Ravioli "Lasagna"

From onceamonthmom.com

12-14 oz. frozen cheese ravioli
16 oz. spaghetti sauce
1 c or so shredded mozzarella cheese

Spread a little bit of sauce on the bottom of 8- or 9-in square pan. Put a layer of ravioli down. Cover with some sauce and cheese. Repeat until you use all of the ravioli. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.

Carnitas

(From crockpot365.blogspot.com)

2 pounds pork shoulder or beef roast (I'm thinking a Pike's Peak Roast)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 large orange)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 large lime)
7 cloves garlic (whole intact)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 cup beef broth
corn tortillas
sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado, cheese, etc for toppings.

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the salt and cumin. Rub mixture all over the pork, then plop into the slow cooker. Add whole garlic cloves. Squeeze on the citrus, and pour the beef broth evenly over the top.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the pork shreds quite easily with a fork. If your meat is still fully intact after 8 hours, remove and cut into chunks, then return to the crock and flip to high for about an hour or two.
Shred meat fully and serve on warmed corn tortillas with desired toppings.

Chicken, Spinich, Parm Pitas

(From onceamonthmom.com)
8 pitas
1 pounds cooked, diced chicken breasts
3 cups pasta sauce
1 cups shredded parmesan
1/2 cup spinach

Mix cooked chicken, pasta sauce, spinach, and parmesean. Add to pitas.

Calico Bean Soup

From crockpot365.blogspot.com

1 pound assorted dried beans (I used small red, lima, northern, black-eyed peas, split peas, pinto)
2 cans (25-30 ounces approx) diced tomatoes (whatever you have on hand---flavored, Rotel, etc.)
3 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon celery seed (or chop up a bunch of celery if you already have it in the house)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups broth
4 cups water

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Soak your beans overnight in enough water to cover completely with another 4 inches or so. Drain well and add to pot. If you don't have time to soak the beans for hours and hours, put them in a large stock pot with a bunch of water and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let your beans sit for an hour, then drain and use.

After the beans are in the slow cooker, add all of the spices and canned tomatoes. Pour in broth and water. Cover and cook on low for 10-20 hours, or until the beans have begun to split and thicken the broth. You can also remove about a cup of beans and blend, then stir back in to thicken the broth nicely (or do a few pulses with a hand mixer!)

Add cheese as a topper, optional.

Adorable Cakes!

See the links below for some cute cake ideas!

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chocolate-cakes/peanut-butter-monkey-cake/

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cupcakes/fairy-dust-wands/

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/layer-cakes/sunflower-cake/

"That's the best frosting I've ever had"

(From http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/thate28099s-the-best-frosting-ie28099ve-ever-had/)

1 cup Milk
5 Tablespoons Flour
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Butter
1 cup Granulated Sugar

Bake your favorite cake and let it cool. (Red Velvet and Chocolate are the suggested flavors)

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I’m in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) Stir in vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.

Grab a spoon and taste this wonderful goodness. If there is any left after your taste test, spread it on a cooled chocolate cake. Cut yourself a piece and put it on a pretty plate. Grab a fork and prepare to experience the most divine pairing you can imagine. This frosting on chocolate cake is to die for. Sure, the recipe sounds strange — it has flour in it — but it’s sublime. Try it, you’ll see. You’ll love it so much you won’t go back.

Two-Bean Tamale Pie

(From BHG.com)

1 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 15-ounce can kidney beans or black beans, rinsed, drained, and slightly mashed (2 cups)
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed, drained, and slightly mashed (2 cups)
1 6-ounce can (2/3 cup) vegetable juice
1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers, undrained
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 8-1/2-ounce package corn muffin mix
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro or parsley

1. Grease a 2-quart square baking dish or 10-inch quiche dish; set aside.

2. In a medium skillet cook sweet pepper, onion, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in kidney beans, pinto beans, vegetable juice, chile peppers, chili powder, and cumin; heat through. Spoon bean mixture into the prepared dish.

3. Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions. Add cheese and cilantro to muffin mix, stirring just until combined. Spoon cornbread mixture evenly over top of bean mixture. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until golden. If desired, serve with salsa and sour cream.

4. Makes 6 main-dish servings (I am going to make this for lunch, so I might put the stuff into individual glass serving dishes and bake them separately.)

Homemade Stuff

Homemade Baby Wipes

Take a roll of Bounty or Viva Select-a-size paper towels and cut it in half. Save the other half for another batch.

Mix into a Ziploc or Rubbermaid container:

2 cups of water
2 tablespoons baby wash
2 tablespoons baby oil
1 tablespoon witch hazel

Place the paper towels in the Ziploc or Rubbermaid with the solution and remove cardboard tube (super easy to do once it's wet.) You will start pulling from the center. Flip upside down for about 10 minutes to really soak the paper towels.

Homemade Dryer Sheets

2 cups of water
1 cup of vinegar
2/3 cups of any hair conditioner

Mix in spray bottle and stir. Don’t shake, this will cause foaming. Soak a cloth rag and ring it out until slightly damp. Then throw it into the dryer with your load of clothes.

Black Bean Cakes

(From BHG.com)

1-1/2 cups prepared salsa
1 jalapeño pepper
2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 8.5-oz. pkg. corn muffin mix
2-1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. chili powder

1. In colander, drain 1/2 cup of the salsa. Seed and finely chop half of the jalapeño; thinly slice remaining half. In large bowl mash beans with vegetable masher or fork. Stir in muffin mix, drained salsa, 2-1/2 teaspoons chili powder, and chopped jalapeño.

2. In 12-inch skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add four 1/2-cup mounds bean mixture to skillet. Flatten mounds with spatula to 3-1/2-inch-round cakes. Cook 3 minutes each side until browned. Remove from skillet. Repeat with remaining oil and bean mixture.

3. In bowl combine sour cream and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder. Top cakes with remaining salsa, sliced jalapeño, and seasoned sour cream. Makes 4 (2-cake) servings.

Make it at home!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen-blog/2010/03/the-theme-is-homemade-ingredients/

Duggar's Tator Tot Casserole

From www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html

1 lb ground beef, cooked & drained
1 2lb bag tater tots
1 can creamy chicken soup
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 can evaporated milk

Brown meat & place in 9x13 casserole dish.
Cover with tater tots.
Mix soups & milk together
Pour over top.
Bake at 350* for an hour.

Creamy Chicken & Tortillas

From www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html

4 c. cooked chicken, diced
1 dozen corn tortillas, each cut into 6-8 triangles
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 8 oz. jar salsa
1 c. sour cream
1/2-1 c. cheddar cheese

Combine the soups, salsa, and sour cream in a bowl and blend well. Grease the crock pot and make 2-3 layers of chicken, tortillas, and sauce. Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours. Add the cheese 15 min. before eating. Serve with salad and warm tortillas. Enjoy!
Serves 8

Southwest Vegetarian Bake

From 5dollardinner.com

3/4 cup uncooked brown rice ($.33)
1 1/2 cup water
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained & rinsed ($.68)
1 can (11 oz) Mexicorn, drainer ($.59)
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies ($.55)
1 cup salsa ($.48)
1 cup sour cream ($.40)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded ($.52)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion (didn’t use)
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained (didn’t use)
1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded ($.52)

In a saucepan, bring rice and water to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until tender

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except onions, olives and Mexican cheese. Transfer to baking dish, sprinkle with onions and olives.

Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Mexican cheese, bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Can eat as a casserole-ish dish or with tortilla chips as a dip.

Baked Sugar Donuts

From grocery cart challenge

2 cans of refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
6 Tablespoons of melted margarine or butter
2/3 cup sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Separate the biscuits, flatten each to a 2 1/2 inch round. With 1 inch round biscuit cutter, cut hole in center of each round. (I just did it by hand with a knife.) Dip all sides of biscuits and centers into butter, then into sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Buttermilk Donuts

From http://www.recipezaar.com/Buttermilk-Doughnuts-Donuts-91792

1 tablespoon dry active yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons shortening, melted (DO NOT use oil)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2-3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Add buttermilk, shortening, sugar and 1 1/2 cup flour, baking powder and salt; mix well.
3. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
4. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead several times.
5. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thick and cut with a 2 1/2 inch doughnut cutter.
6. Place doughnuts on lightly floured surface, cover and let rise 45 minutes or until double in bulk.
7. Heat 2-3 inches of oil to 375°F.
8.(I use my Fry Daddy) Drop in 4 or 5 doughnuts at a time.
9. Cook about 2 minutes or until lightly golden in color, turning once.
10. Drain well on paper towels.
11. Combine 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1/4 cup milk, stir until smooth.
12. Dip each doughnut in glaze while still warm; allow excess glaze to drip off.
13. Cool on wire rack or serve warm.

Slow Cooker Root Beer Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

(From BettyCrocker.com)

1 boneless beef rump roast (4 lb)
2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup root beer
Dash salt and pepper, if desired
16 sandwich buns, split

1. In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, place beef. In 4-cup measuring cup or bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the barbecue sauce and the root beer; pour over beef.
2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 10 to 12 hours.
3. About 20 minutes before serving, remove beef from slow cooker; place on large plate. Pour juices from slow cooker into 12-inch skillet. Cook over medium-high heat about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until juices are thickened and reduced to about 3 cups. Meanwhile, shred beef with 2 forks; return to slow cooker.
4. Stir remaining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce into reduced juices in skillet; pour over shredded beef in slow cooker. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Spoon about 1/2 cup beef mixture into each bun.