Recipe Share

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Preheat your over to 350 degrees.
Ingredients:

1 box of chocolate cake mix(I love the Triple Chocolate cake Mix)
1 can of pumpkin(the small can)
2 TBSP. of Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips(2 Weight Watchers Points-you can always add more)

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix with the can of pumpkin. Use a fork to mix ingredients. It will seem weird without any water or oil.Keep mixing by hand. Once you have mixed the cake mix and pumpkin, add chocolate chips. Drop mixture into muffin tins( I use liners in mine). Bake for 10-12 minutes. Check center of muffin with a toothpick. When it comes out clean, they are done.

We have been calling these muffins, they are probably considered cupcakes. I think calling them muffins makes me feel better about eating them. Actually, I got this recipe at a Weight Watchers meeting a few years back, minus the added chocolate chips. I need to figure out the new Points Plus value. I thought I would share because we are really enjoying this treat right now. These are wonderful with a little bit of fat free Cool Whip and sliced strawberries plopped on top(once they have cooled off) or enjoy them warm with a glass of cold milk.

p.s. When I share this recipe, the common question is: "Can you taste the pumpkin?" The answer is "no!" My boys love these and they haven't said a word about them tasting funny or like pumpkin. I am happy to be sneaking some extra fiber into their diet! Enjoy!

Recipe Share

This is our new favorite way to grill our chicken. I tried it for the first time on Father's Day. We have made it several times since then. Just so you know, the left overs are perfect,chopped up and thrown in a salad for lunch on the following day. Enjoy!

Spicy Honey Chicken
by Our Best Bites



8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs (you could use breasts as well)
2 tsp vegetable oil

Rub:
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (it's there in the spice aisle...you just have to look hard. I found some at Target.)

Glaze:
1/2 cup Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.

Use kitchen shears to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

I'm gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It's sugar, and it's gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It's totally worth it once you taste this stuff.

If you don't have a bbq, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!

Raimi's Notes:
- I have only used chicken breasts when making this recipe.
- I found the Chipotle Chili powder at Target...I did not know such a spice existed.
- I did not have Cider Vinegar on hand the 1st time we made this. I used regular vinegar and it tasted fine/the same.

colorful yumminess

I have had this image saved/waiting on my computer for over a year now.



















Just dreaming and waiting for the morning when we would have some extra time to make some of our own. My friend, Amy posted this recipe, with her version of these colorful pancakes. We decided to make them for dinner this week.The boys thought they were great and well, I love anything that is colorful.

















Next on our "to make/create" list...















YUM!

Recipe Share

As promised, here is another recipe that I made for John, on Father's Day. These potatoes were a BIG hit with the whole family. We enjoyed them with yummy spicy-honey chicken(I'll share that recipe soon) and a green salad.
The Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes
Recipe found on allrecipes.com















4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour. You can just microwave the potatoes instead because it is way faster and they taste just as good. About three minutes per potato, just check for tenderness. Make sure to poke holes in the potatoes with a fork before microwaving so that they don't explode.

Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh so the potato maintains it's shape; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 the green onions, and milk (start adding 1/2 cup of milk but you may not need to add it all depending on the consistency you want. You don't want them too runny). Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.

Bake for another 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Enjoy!

Raimi's Notes:
* my family does not like green onions but I do. Loved that I could add them to my potato.
* I didn't use the microwave to bake the potatoes. I am kind of old fashion that way. Let me know if you try the microwave method.

Treats

I thought I would post the recipes we made for John on Father's Day. They were all new brand new recipes that I had been collecting from various blogs over the last few months. I was a little nervous trying new dishes for John's big day...but I lucked out and they were all keepers.

Lets start with the treats! Who says you can't have your dessert first?
All I have to say is "Oh my"!!!!!!! These are a little spin off of the traditional Rice Krispie treat and they were tasty! This recipe is a keeper for sure.


Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats
3 tbsp butter
6 cups rice krispies
1/3 cup yellow cake batter dry mix (unprepped)
1 bag – 10 oz mini marshmallows
1 jar (1.75 oz) multicolored sprinkles
In large saucepan, heat butter and marshmallows on low until melted.
Slowly add dry cake mix, one small scoop at a time, to melted marshmallow mixture.
In separate bowl, add 6 cups cereal.
Fold in marshmallow mixture and 1/2 jar of sprinkles
Press into any size baking dish.
Top with the remaining sprinkles.
Let sit for 30 minutes before cutting.

*I can't remember where I found this recipe. I wish I could so I could give credit where credit is due!

Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

Did you know that there was such a holiday? I am pretty sure my boys totally thought I was joking when I exclaimed "Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day". Any excuse to bake cookies is a happy day at our house!

We couldn't let this day slip by without paying tribute to this national holiday. Now, if you really know me, you know that I LOVE chocolate chip cookies. They are my all time favorite cookie/treat. Now, they just can't be any chocolate chip cookie...they have to be homemade. They also need to be warm, right out of the oven(with a glass of ice cold milk). I also like them the day after, after they have been wrapped in saran wrap. Weird , I know!!!

I am always on the hunt for the best recipes for the things our family loves. I have been searching for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe for years. That problem was solved when my darling friend, Patti showed up to a girls weekend with these.

Patti's Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c. shortening
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2tsp. hot water
1tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 c. of flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1tsp. baking soda
1 pkg. chocolate chips
1 c. nuts (optional)

Add all sugar, cream together with shortening. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add hot water and vanilla, then add flour, and soda mixture. Add chips and nuts.

Drop on cookie sheet
Bake at 350* for 8 - 10 minutes.
*Don't triple batch

Raimi's Notes
- I don't ever add nuts...my kids wouldn't eat them :-).
- I always use semi sweet chocolate chips.
- I usually bake mine for 10 minutes. Do a test batch in your oven to gauge baking time.

ENJOY!!!!

Best Banana Bread E-V-E-R

I always feel guilty when I throw semi brown bananas away. I love bananas but in order for me to eat them, they have to be a bright yellow(even slightly green). I am very picky when it comes to my bananas. So back to my feeling guilty. I decided to hunt for the best banana bread recipe so I could put those bananas to good use. This is this one! I found this recipe at ALL RECIPES.COM

Banana Bread
Yield 1 - 9 X 5 inch loaf

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 medium bananas, sliced

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2.In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Finally, fold in the sour cream, walnuts and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!
*note* I used chopped pecans instead of walnuts.

christmas treats

One of our favorite December traditions is to bake treats for our neighbors. We made several different types of treats(I will share those too) this year. One of our favorite treats(super simple and yummy)were the Pretzel Hugs. I am not even sure if that is their official name...but that's what I'm calling them.

Pretzel Hugs
2 bag of Hershey Hugs
1 bag of Pretzels (Butter Snaps)
1 bag of red and green M&M's
(This will make two cookie sheets full)

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Unwrap all of your Hershey Hugs. Place Parchment Paper down on your cookie sheet(this will catch the melted chocolate and save you from a messy pan). Line your cookie sheet with Pretzels topped with Hershey Hugs! Place in the oven for 9 minutes. Once the cookie sheet is out of the oven, Start placing M&M's into the melted hugs. Let cool until until chocolate is set. This takes a while. Do not place in fridge to speed the process up. Your M&M's will get that cracked, old looking vibe to them....yes, I am speaking from experience.

Place them in a clear cello bag and tie off with a fun ribbon. Share them with the people you love!

Recipe share and daily gratitude

My boys look forward to the roasted pumpkins seeds just as much as they look forward to carving their pumpkins. I tried a new recipe this year and the boys gave it two thumbs up!

Pumpkin Seed Recipe
1. Clean off seeds (try to get most of the pumpkin “goop” off.
2. Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter (yep, you guessed it…these pumpkin seeds are going to be super healthy!)
3. Add 3 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce to butter and mix together
4. Pour butter/sauce mixture over seeds, mix well
5. Spread seeds in a baking dish – I like to use my jelly roll pan so there’s plenty of room to spread out the seeds and nothing spills over the edges.
*If you do happen to knock a seed over the edge when you’re stirring, hurry and get it OUT of your oven – trust me!*
6. Sprinkle with salt – I prefer medium-coarse sea salt (I know…again, super healthy).
7. Bake at 250 degrees for about 2 hours – stir often. The actual baking time will vary depending on how many seeds you have, how big the seeds are, and how hot your oven actually bakes – so check and stir them often!
8. After mine are done, I dump them onto a plate covered with a few layers of paper towels…just to get any extra butter off…you know, because they are so healthy… I store them in an air tight container and they last for as long as I want them to. ;)
Enjoy the crispy, salty goodness! :o)

**Raimi's notes:We had a ton of seeds, 6 pumpkins worth. I only used 2 Tablespoons of butter.
I had to cook our seeds for about 40 minutes longer because there were so many.


My friend, Morgan is taking time each day during the month of November to record what she is grateful for. She is challenging others to do the same. I thought it would be fun to play along. There is so much much to be grateful for in my life and I am looking forward to really thinking about the things that matter most...big and small.

Today I am grateful for children who wake up with cheerful attitudes...even if they are up at the crack of dawn. They have always been early risers & we rarely have any trouble getting any of them out of bed. Those cheerful attitudes allow our day to start with a nice feeling in our home.

What are your grateful for today?

Quick Scones and Buttermilk syrup

I have had several requests for this recipe and thought it might be a good one to share on the blog. My Mom has been making these scones for years. It is a Christmas morning tradition. I started making a batch of scones yesterday morning before General Conference started. Tanner woke up and said "It smells like Grandma Sandy's house on Christmas morning". They are every ones favorite. My Mom received this yummy recipe from our talented friend, Marilynn Stringham.

QUICK SCONES
Large batch - Serves 16
3 yeast cakes
4 cups warm water
4 T. sugar
Let stand 5 minutes, then add:
1 T. salt
3 T. oil
8-9 cups flour
Mix to a bread dough. Let stand for 30 minutes. Roll out and cut into pieces. Let sit for 5 minutes before frying in deep oil. Use electric fry pan at about 30 degrees. They should be a light golden brown on each side.

BUTTERMILK SCONE SYRUP
2 cups of sugar
2 cubes of butter
1 cup buttermilk
2t. white Karo
1 t. baking soda
2 t. vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan, except vanilla. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes(use large pan). Remove from heat and add vanilla. This amount will be enough for the full recipe of scones. This is also great on waffles, pancakes or carrot cake.

This is a horrible photo(trying to do too many things at once) but I wanted you to be able to see the shape of the dough when placed in the hot oil.

*Raimi's tips* If you don't have time to make the dough. Bel Air/Raley's sells loaves(3 to a pkg.) of Bridgeford dough in the freezer section. Place frozen dough in your fridge overnight. It will defrost and rise slightly. Slice pieces of dough about 1/2 inch think. Gently stretch and place in oil.

I don't have an electric fry pan. I use a fry pan on the stove.

General Conference was wonderful. It was so nice to have the whole family in one place. Some of us even stayed in our jammies...we just soaked in the lazy morning. The boys enjoyed Conference BINGO and their packets filled with word searches and other fun activities to do while while watching conference.

General Conference is a weekend that happens twice a year for the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. Once in April and then again in October. It is a time that we are able to hear from our Prophet and other General Authorities from our church. They give us counsel and direction. It is a weekend filled with outstanding talks/messages and beautiful music. I am so thankful for a modern day prophet and his counsel.


And who doesn't love Skittles? This is what the boys used for BINGO markers this year.

Recipe Share

aaahhhhhhhh...I love Sundays! We had a great day! We started our day off with church. Then we came home and had lunch...grilled cheese sandwiches and fresh strawberries. It has become a Sunday tradition. After lunch, we took naps...my favorite part of the day! It was a nice, calm, relaxing day!

After naps, I started to make dinner while the boys turned the water on while they jumped on the trampoline. It was very Hot today. They needed to get some energy out and wanted cool off.



I tried a new recipe this evening. It's a keeper. It was very yummy and perfect for a warm summer evening.

Here is what I made.
Almond Crusted Chicken Nectarine Salad with Buttermilk-chive dressing.(This recipe is from the July Relief Society newsletter)

The Dressing
1/4 c. buttermilk
1 Tbs. sour cream
1 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. of honey
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar, and honey. Slowly whisk the oil to blend. Stir in the chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.

The Chicken
2 large eggs
1 3/4 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenderloins, pounded 1/4 in. thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 Tbs. vegetable oil

Lightly beat the eggs in a wide, shallow dish. Pulse the almonds and flour together in a food processor until the almonds are chopped; transfer the almond mixture to another wide, shallow dish. Season the chicken on all sides with 1 tsp. salt and 3/4 tsp. pepper. Dip one piece of chicken at a time in the eggs. Shake off excess and dredge in the almond mixture, pressing lightly t help it adhere. Set aside on a wire rack.
Heat 2 - 3 TBS in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot. Working in batches, cook the chicken until light golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate when done. Between batches, remove any stray almonds from the pan and add more oil if necessary.

The Salad

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce,arugula,or both and the nectarines with about half of the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among 4 dinner plates. Divide the chicken among the plates, overlapping the pieces on top of the salad Drizzle additional dressing over the chicken and serve.

My friend, Laurie turned me onto these crash hot potatoes that can be found on the Pioneer Woman's blog
They were the perfect addition to our meal. Thanks, Laurie!

Here are a few of my notes/adjustments for the chicken/salad.

* I did not have white balsamic vinegar on hand. I had balsamic vinegar and it still tasted great.
* I love chives...my family, not so much. I used 1/2 Tbs. of chives in the dressing and it was perfect.
* I made the salad dressing the night before.
*I pulsed the flour and almonds the night before and just put it in a Zip Lock bag till I was ready to use it. Loved getting that prep work out of the way.

Let me know if you try this. I think we will be having this again, next Sunday!
Enjoy!!!

recipe share

this is one of our all time favorite recipes. i think i say that about all of the recipes i post :-). i guess i just post our favorites.

chicken fajitas
3-4 boneless/skinless chicken breast
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
1/2 of an onion
3 zucchinis sliced
1 pkg. of taco seasoning
2 tablespoons of oil
1/2 c. water
1 can of corn (drained)
1 can of black beans (drained)
1 tsp. on chili powder
1 c. salsa
flour tortillas

marinade
3-4 chicken breast cut into bite size chunks
1 pkg. of taco seasoning
2 tablespoons. of oil
1/2 c. water

place chicken, seasoning, oil and water in a zip-loc bag & marinate for at least 2-3 hours.

In a skillet that has been sprayed with pam, place all vegetables together & cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes(until tender)
remove from stove & place in another bowl.
spray your skillet again & place your chicken in & cook until no longer pink.
once your chicken is cooked, put the veggies back into the skillet with the chicken.
add chili powder & salsa. stir.
add corn & black beans. stir.

serve on warm flour tortillas & garnish with cheese, sour cream & guacamole.
enjoy!

**raimi's notes:
- i cut the chicken & veggies into chunks/wedges, bit sized pieces.
- i always marinate the chicken the night before.
- i use lawry's fajita seasoning. i don't like the mccormick brand(tastes funny).
- our family loves the uncooked (we cook them) tortillas from costco -yum.
- the fajitas are even better the next day for lunch...i'm just saying.

play date & cookies...

does it get any better than that? i don't think so. today was a wonderful day. we didn't have any sporting events to attend to today. i am not sure how that happened but it was heavenly. we all got our chores done early & played today. We had our super cute friend, dylan over for the day. we love when she gets to play at our house. garrett did not know she was coming till this morning. you should have seen him making his own bed & cleaning his room. play dates = one little boy willing to do his chores with a smile :-). you should have seen brody, yelling dylan's name while tackling her as she walked in the door. he was just as excited to see her as garrett was.














we decided to make sugar cookies today. they had so much fun cutting the heart shapes & of course, decorating them. we sure enjoyed having little miss d here.
























hands down, these are the best sugar cookies ever. this recipe came from my aunt carla. then they became my mom's cookies....and now we all claim it as our own :-). our family has been making these cookies for years.

aunt carla's sugar cookies

1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
1 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

cream shortening, sugar, eggs, and milk. add vanilla after creaming ingredients. Add flour, b.p., and salt. refrigerate dough for at least one hour. bake on greased cookie sheets at 350 for 8 minutes. remove cookies to cooling rack asap.

*raimi's notes:
i always double the batch...gotta share with my neighbors. I usually make the dough the night before. **Don't over bake these. They are so yummy when they are soft & not crispy...i'm just saying.

sugar cookie frosting
16 oz. box of powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. of milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. butter
food coloring

cream all ingredients together. add food coloring to desired color.
frost cookies & enjoy!

special delivery

I love delivering handmade treats to friends & family. Years ago, all of the women in my family who were over the age of 18, would get together & have a candy making/baking day. I loved this tradition. My Grandma Shore would make lunch for us & even had cute Christmas aprons for each of us to wear (I am going to have to find those photos). Each of us would make a different treat & enough of it that each one us would go home with a plate of it. Think cookie exchange, times 10 people. This saved me from days of baking/cooking. One day in the kitchen & I had an assortment of goodies to pass out to neighbors & friends. As some of us have moved away & some of us have gotten older, the tradition has died.

My Aunt Carla would make her yummy fudge each year. It is divine. As December approaches each year, I crave her fudge & can actaully smell it. As I have shared it with friends over the years, I always get requests for the recipe. I thought I would share it on my blog for all of you to enjoy! This year, I cut my fudge into big slabs & placed them in cellophane bags with peppermints sticks. Tied it all up with a cute bow & a photo gift tag. All set to make our special deliveries.

Aunt Carla's Fudge














3 c. sugar
3/4 c. (1 1/2sticks) butter
1 small can of evaporated milk (about 2/3 c.)
1 bag of chocolate chips ( I use nestle semi sweet chips)
1 jar of JET PUFFED marshmallow Creme
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla

Line a 9 in square pan with foil, with foil ends extending over the sides of pan; set aside. Place sugar, butter, evaporated milk in a large heavy saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 4 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. remove from heat.

Add chocolate and marshmallow creme, stir until completely melted. Add walnuts and vanilla; mix well.














Pour immediately into prepared pan; spread to form even layer in pan. Let stand at room temperature 4 hours or until completely cooled.
Store in tightly covered container.

*I have never used a candy thermometer. I don't even own one :-). I just carefully time the 4 minutes! Let me know if you have a questions.

Have a Merry Christmas!

recipe share - sweet potato puff

I wanted to make sure I posted this recipe before we totally leave the month of November behind. I have never been a sweet potato fan until I tasted this little dish. This dish screams Fall/Thanksgiving. I made it for the first time, this year to take to Thanksgiving dinner at my in laws. If I am not mistaken, I believe my Mom got this one from one of her best friends, Kathy Clark. Thanks for sharing it, Mom & Kathy!

Sweet Potato Puff

Ingredients:
4-5 Large sweet potatoes (bake them until they are tender)
3 c. mashed sweet potatoes (the ones you have just baked)
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. melted butter
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. coconut

Topping:
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 TBS. melted butter
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. pecans

Bake sweet potatos in oven until tender. Mash/mix as you would regular mashed potatoes.
Mix sweet potatos, sugar, milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in your coconut.
In a buttered casserole dish, pour sweet potato mixture in.

With a fork, stir topping ingredients: brown sugar, melted butter, flour, and pecans. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture & bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
Enjoy!

Recipe Share- French Breakfast Puffs

Okay, these are SO good. I found this recipe on my friend, Amy's Frosted Bake Shop blog. Check her out! Let me just say that if Amy has blogged about it, with yummy pictures and all, it is a recipe you'll want to try. This quickly became an instant favorite at our house.

We enjoyed FHE {family home evening} tonight. Tanner gave the lesson, the whole family tried to sing a Primary song w/out ruining it & I made the treats. You guessed it, we enjoyed these French Breakfast Puffs as our FHE treats. The leftovers are being saved for tomorrow's breakfast. That's how yummy they are.

French Breakfast Puffs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

topping
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 tbls. melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease your muffin pans. I made 24 mini-muffins, but you could make regular muffins instead.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and shortening. Add the egg and mix well. Stir the flour mixture into the shortening mixture alternately with the milk.

Spoon the mixture into your muffin pan. Bake the muffins for approximately 15 minutes, or until they are golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Just watch your oven.

While the muffins are baking, melt the butter in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping. When the muffins are done baking, remove them from the pan and immediately dip them into the butter...
and then into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe Share

Thought I would share another favorite recipe from our kitchen. My boys devour this chicken. Trust me...that says a lot.

Yogurt Chicken
Ingredients needed:




















{chicken and yogurt not pictured - I took photos after I made the recipe}

4-6 chicken breasts
1 1/2 pkgs. of Ritz crackers(crushed)
1 tsp. Garlic salt
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
8 oz. of plain yogurt

Combine Ritz, garlic salt, and Parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl. Place yogurt in a flat dish. Dip chicken breast in yogurt and then in Ritz mixture. Bake @ 350* in a sprayed(with PAM) 9 x 13 pan for 45 minutes.




















The COOK'S notes:
This recipe is so easy & very yummy. I serve a green salad & baked potatoes with the chicken. I made it last week & used chicken tender (sized) pieces instead of the breasts. The boys loved the smaller pieces of chicken. You can also use sour cream if you don't have yogurt on hand.

Recipe share

I am loving the crock pot this week. I have been in a rut lately when it comes to dinners. I blame it on all of the soccer practices...4 nights a week. It is hard to plan dinner & even harder to get it done early the day. Then I worry about keeping it warm until everyone gets home. My friend Jan, is the queen of trying new recipes.


















I am so thankful that she is so good about passing on her latest & greatest finds to me. She has saved dinner at our house this week. Thanks Jan!!
I thought I would share the most recent Crock Pot recipe.

Mandi Forester’s White Chicken Chili –
Rachel Ray winner 2009

Ingredients
• 1 32-ounce box chicken stock
• 3 cans white beans, left undrained
• 5 cups cooked chicken – (rotisserie or boiled) about 3 - 4 frozen chicken breasts
• 1 16-ounce jar salsa (I also add 2 cups Pico de Gallo)
• 1 small can chopped green chilies
• 1 8-ounce block pepper jack cheese, grated
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Black or white pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup finely crushed corn chips/ tortilla chips
• Sour cream, for garnish
Yields: 6 servings
________________________________________
Preparation
Place all ingredients except the corn chips in a crockpot. Cook on high until the cheese is melted.
Chili may also be cooked on the stove top over medium-high heat until cheese is melted.
When the chili is ready, add the crushed corn chips, if using, and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. Garnish with more chips, cheese and/or sour cream and serve.
Can also do chicken in crockpot – put 5 frozen chicken breasts in crockpot for about 4 hours. Drain and then continue with recipe. I let my cook on low for a couple of hours. Definitely add the crushed corn chips to thicken it.

**I used 3 cans of Navy beans & tortilla chips. Make sure you have plenty of chips on hand for the kids to dip in their chili. This was yummy & perfect for the fall weather we are enjoying. Enjoy!!!

Recipe Share

Time for another recipe. I got this one from my good friend, Jan. She is SO good about trying new recipes. She is even better about sharing them with ME. I made this Lemon Chicken for Father's Day & it was a a hit. I personally LOVE anything with lemon. I served the chicken with Cheesy Potatoes, french bread & a green salad. Enjoy!



















Lemon Herb Chicken

½ cup lemon juice
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 ½ tsp. onion powder or 1 T. dry onion mix
1 ½ tsp. crushed basil
½ tsp. thyme
2 cloves garlic – chopped
¼ to ½ cup olive oil

Mix ingredients together in plastic resalable bag. Place chicken breast in bag. Marinate and turn for 2 hours or overnight. Barbeque.

weekend favorites

I almost forgot to post about the Easter picnic/egg hunt that we enjoyed on Friday night. I was in charge of this activity with the help of my committee...so grateful for those who jumped in & helped out. I was worried that we would not have a good turn out due to the winds that would not stop. We had a GREAT turn out despite the crazy wind. The kids had a great time hunting for eggs, playing games/relays, & enjoying Easter punch(don't ask)& cookies.
























































General Conference traditions are still alive & kicking @ our house. We had the chance to watch/listen to General Conference this weekend. For my friends who have no idea what I am talking about, General Conference happens twice a year, once in the Fall & once in the Spring. It is an opportunity for us to receive counsel from our prophet, Thomas S. Monson & other General Authorities of our church. A family tradition that we enjoy each General Conference weekend are delicious Butterscotch Rolls. Try them, they just might become a tradition in your home too. We actually make these during the holidays too. So yummy & simple to make.

Butterscotch Rolls





















1 bag ( 1 lb. 9 0z) of Bridgeford rolls
1/2- 1 c. brown sugar
1 small box of cook & serve butterscotch pudding
1/2 c. nuts ( I like chopped pecans)
1 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease bundt pan & sprinkle nuts in pan.
Place rolls in pan on top of nuts.
Sprinkle butterscotch pudding over rolls.
On the stove, melt brown sugar & butter.
Bring to a slight boil & remove from heat.
Pour evenly over rolls.
Cover with a dish towel & let rise over night
on your kitchen counter. Bake for 30 minutes
Enjoy!
**I cover mine with foil about 10 minutes before they are done.

Another fun thing the boys enjoyed this year were these great little conference packets. Rhonda sent the file to me a few weeks ago- thank you so much Rhonda! They were a hit! John made a bunch of copies & I had fun creating little packets & treat bags for a few friends & our boys.






















I found simple folders @ Wal*Mart & used my stash of Thickers to put names on each folder. I put crayons & candy in each little bag & tied it off with a simple bow from my ribbon stash. Very fun & "spring-y".
The boys loved their packets(there's were along the lines of the red, blue's & yellows-LOL) as we watched conference today. I think their favorite was the Conference BINGO. I gave them a pkg. of Easter Runts to mark their spots with. They played a few rounds & would eat their candy as they would yell BINGO. I am feeling so very grateful for the chance that I had to watch conference this weekend. Very grateful for a modern day prophet & the opportunity I had to listen to his words & counsel, the things that are important for this day & time. I am off to get dinner going. Have a happy Sunday!