These are the chocolate chip cookies my roommate in college made to attract all the young men to our apartment. They are so divine ... even if they are simple.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
What you need:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups flour
1 pkg. milk chocolate chips
How you do it:
Cream together sugars, butter, and shortening. Add vanilla (I sometimes add extra vanilla, depending on my mood) and eggs. Blend well. In medium-sized bowl, stir together rest of ingredients. Mix the flour mixure into the sugar mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Roll into 2-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 9-13 minutes.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Creamy Crock-Pot Italian Chicken
My sister-in-law first introduced this to me served over baked potatoes. Over the years I've tweaked it (of course), but we still love it best over baked potatoes!
CREAMY CROCK-POT ITALIAN CHICKEN
What you need:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 pkgs. Italian dressing mix
2-3 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2-1 cup sour cream
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2-1 cup whipping cream
1/2-1 cup chicken broth
How you do it:
Place chicken in crock-pot, or slow cooker. (I always either par boil my chicken or cook it completely before placing it in the crock-pot. I don't like the fat floating around in my gravy. I know, laugh if you want, I'm okay with being weird.) Mix remaining ingredients together, adjusting measurements according to desired taste, consistency, and yield. Pour gravy over chicken. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours. Can also be baked in a 9x13 casserole dish for 1 hour at 350°. One hour before serving, take chicken out and shred; return to crock-pot/slow cooker for remaining cook time. Serve over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, etc.
How you freeze it:
Place chicken in a ziploc bag instead of the crock-pot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour into bag. Lay bag flat in freezer until frozen, then stand up to conserve space. When ready to use: take out of freezer, allow to thaw in fridge overnight. Place in crock-pot and follow above cooking directions.
CREAMY CROCK-POT ITALIAN CHICKEN
What you need:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 pkgs. Italian dressing mix
2-3 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2-1 cup sour cream
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2-1 cup whipping cream
1/2-1 cup chicken broth
How you do it:
Place chicken in crock-pot, or slow cooker. (I always either par boil my chicken or cook it completely before placing it in the crock-pot. I don't like the fat floating around in my gravy. I know, laugh if you want, I'm okay with being weird.) Mix remaining ingredients together, adjusting measurements according to desired taste, consistency, and yield. Pour gravy over chicken. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours. Can also be baked in a 9x13 casserole dish for 1 hour at 350°. One hour before serving, take chicken out and shred; return to crock-pot/slow cooker for remaining cook time. Serve over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, etc.
How you freeze it:
Place chicken in a ziploc bag instead of the crock-pot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour into bag. Lay bag flat in freezer until frozen, then stand up to conserve space. When ready to use: take out of freezer, allow to thaw in fridge overnight. Place in crock-pot and follow above cooking directions.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Swedish Meatballs
My mom made these meatballs while I was growing up. Over time, I've played with the basic recipe and made alterations to it to make it something that we really enjoy. This last time I made it, my husband thanked me no less than twice for the meal, and said that it was really, really good. Just hit the spot, I guess.
So, since my goal is to print all these recipes for my daughters when they go to college, or get married, I am going to include my mom's original recipe (because my eldest daughter loves the meatballs made her way), and my altered recipe.
MOM'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS
What you need:
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup minute rice, or cooked long-grain rice
1/4 cup milk
1 slice bread, torn into little pieces;
or 1/3 cup oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk (not evaporated, just fill one of the empty soup cans with milk)
How you do it:
Combine ground beef, rice, milk, bread, salt, baking powder, and egg in a bowl; use your hands to mix well. Form meat into balls and brown in skillet on all sides. Pour in soups and can of milk. Mix well. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.
MARISA'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS
What you need:
1-1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2/3 cups bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 small onion, chopped finely
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 small can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 large can evaporated milk, or one cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
small splash Worcestershire sauce
How to do it:
Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and small can of evaporated milk; mix with hands. Roll into balls. Warm olive oil in large skillet. Place meatballs in oil and brown on all sides. (These can also be baked in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes, then turn and continue baking for 10-15 minutes.) Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Wipe remaining oil out of skillet. Pour soups and large can of evaporated milk into skillet. Add salt and pepper (I usually add at least 1/4 tsp. pepper), and splash of Worcestershire sauce. Whisk together until combined. Place meatballs in sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.
How to freeze it:
Cook meatballs as described above. Combine soups, milk, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Pour sauce into Ziploc bag; add meatballs. Lay flat and freeze. Or, double meatballs and lay on a cookie sheet to flash freeze. Place in freezer for 25 minutes or until hard to the touch. Divide them up and place in two to three freezer-safe bags. Return to freezer until ready for use. (Use the meatballs in spaghetti, barbecue, or Swedish cream sauces.) Place sauce in a separate bag, lay flat and freeze until use.
When ready to cook, let thaw and pour meatballs and sauce into crock-pot, or skillet. Cover and cook in crock-pot for four hours, or in skillet for 40-60 minutes (better, and more tender if longer). Serve as described above.
So, since my goal is to print all these recipes for my daughters when they go to college, or get married, I am going to include my mom's original recipe (because my eldest daughter loves the meatballs made her way), and my altered recipe.
MOM'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS
What you need:
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup minute rice, or cooked long-grain rice
1/4 cup milk
1 slice bread, torn into little pieces;
or 1/3 cup oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk (not evaporated, just fill one of the empty soup cans with milk)
How you do it:
Combine ground beef, rice, milk, bread, salt, baking powder, and egg in a bowl; use your hands to mix well. Form meat into balls and brown in skillet on all sides. Pour in soups and can of milk. Mix well. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.
MARISA'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS
What you need:
1-1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2/3 cups bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 small onion, chopped finely
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 small can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 large can evaporated milk, or one cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
small splash Worcestershire sauce
How to do it:
Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and small can of evaporated milk; mix with hands. Roll into balls. Warm olive oil in large skillet. Place meatballs in oil and brown on all sides. (These can also be baked in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes, then turn and continue baking for 10-15 minutes.) Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Wipe remaining oil out of skillet. Pour soups and large can of evaporated milk into skillet. Add salt and pepper (I usually add at least 1/4 tsp. pepper), and splash of Worcestershire sauce. Whisk together until combined. Place meatballs in sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.
How to freeze it:
Cook meatballs as described above. Combine soups, milk, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Pour sauce into Ziploc bag; add meatballs. Lay flat and freeze. Or, double meatballs and lay on a cookie sheet to flash freeze. Place in freezer for 25 minutes or until hard to the touch. Divide them up and place in two to three freezer-safe bags. Return to freezer until ready for use. (Use the meatballs in spaghetti, barbecue, or Swedish cream sauces.) Place sauce in a separate bag, lay flat and freeze until use.
When ready to cook, let thaw and pour meatballs and sauce into crock-pot, or skillet. Cover and cook in crock-pot for four hours, or in skillet for 40-60 minutes (better, and more tender if longer). Serve as described above.
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