Best-Odds Baby's 1st Birthday Cake

Our baby boy turned one on February 21st. Yay! We didn't want to serve him a sugary cake so we went with this healthy recipe. Makes 1 single-layer 8-inch-square cake.

Ingredients:

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons apple juice concentrate
• 1/2 cup whole raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 4 1/2 teaspoons low-sodium baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat an 8-inch square nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Combine the juice concentrate, dried fruits, butter, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the butter is melted. Remove from the stove and let cool.
3. Combine the flour, wheat germ, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Gradually blend in the fruit mixture, stirring until just mixed. Do not overmix.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake about 30 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry. Cover loosely with foil during baking if the cake starts to brown.
5. To keep cake from becoming dry and too hard for baby to gum, cover with aluminum foil or store in a plastic bag as soon as it has cooled slightly.

Allrecipes Easy Waldorf Fruit Salad

There's a lot of different versions of the Waldorf Salad out there but I chose one that was easy and wasn't expensive to make. When it comes to making a good green salad, it can get really expensive once you started adding in certain types of cheese and fruits. This is a simple recipe that was inexpensive to make. I think it's better if it sits in your fridge for several hours before served. 

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 apples - peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 cup celery, thinly sliced and chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins

Preparations: 

1. In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice and salt. 
2. Add remaining ingredients. Stir really well and store in fridge until ready to be eaten.

Baked Mostaccioli

I made this for my son's birthday party (to feed grown ups) and everyone loved it.  It makes enough to serve seven adults and still have leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 1lb uncooked mostaccioli
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced Hunt's tomatoes with spicy red pepper
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced Hunt's tomatoes with roasted garlic
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook mostaccioli to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, mushrooms, water, salt, sugar, basil, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Hershey's Butter Cream Frosting

We never bought pre-made frosting growing up. We always used Hershey's recipe and made buttercream frosting. It's good and easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup Hershey's baking cocoa 
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparations:

1. Combine all ingredients in mixer and mix well.

Easy Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

This is a really easy soup recipe that's great for a cold winter day and it comes from Food.com.


Ingredients:

• 1 (32 ounce) bag frozen chopped broccoli
• 2 (10 ¾ ounce) cans cheddar cheese soup
• 2 (12 ounce) cans evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash seasoning mix
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ onion , chopped

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and stir together.
2. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.

Velveeta's Cheesy Chicken Rotini

My dad grew up with a working mom and so he knew his way around a kitchen. (Mostly he cooked Hamburger Helper and Tator Tot Casserole.) Often times, we had Velveeta rather than hard cheese. In honor of dear old dad, I found this recipe and thought it looked yummy enough to track down some Velveeta. I found it on the snack aisle which I do not understand....

I ended up using 4 cups of water - not 2 and 1lb of Velveeta. It was really good. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups water
• 3 cups rotini pasta, uncooked (a box of Barilla rotini only cost me $.99)
• 1 pkg. (16 oz) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot blend)
• 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chili, undrained
• 8 oz Velveeta cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Preparations:

1. Cook chicken in cooking oil over medium heat for five minutes or until no longer pink. USE LARGE SKILLET.
2. Stir in water. Bring to boil. Add pasta, stir and cover. Simmer on medium to low heat for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. 
3. Add remaining ingredients; stir. Cook, covered for five to seven minutes or until Velveeta is completely melted and vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir frequently.

Betty Crocker's Bananaberry Bread

I got an email last week from Betty Crocker informing me that they have 30 different recipes for banana bread. I'll be honest whole wheat banana bread doesn't sound good at all! Maybe one month I'll try all 30 recipes and see if they're good.

I dumped 12 ounces of frozen blueberries into the batter and it turned the batter sort of blue-grayish. Thankfully, the loaves didn't turn out that color. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) blueberries 

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of one 9x5-inch or two 8x4-inch loaf pans with shortening.
2. In large bowl, stir sugar, butter, eggs, bananas and buttermilk until mixed. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in blueberries. Pour into pan.
3. Bake 9-inch pan about 1 hour 15 minutes, 8-inch pans 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 
4. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. 
5. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Chicken Enchilada Chili

We had lunch at Cafe Zupa's recently and I had the Chicken Enchilada Chili. It was so good that I searched the web for something close to it. I couldn't find a recipe that matched it so I tweaked one. Sadly, it's not as close as I would have liked but still pretty good.


Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, chopped
• 2 (14 ½ ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
• 1 (10 ounce) can green enchilada sauce 
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
• ½ tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons Chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 sour cream
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preparations:

1. Pour tomatoes, beans, onion, green pepper, sour cream and enchilada sauces into 6 quart crockpot. Stir.
2. Add spices. Stir well. 
3. Pour chicken in and mix well. 
4. Cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is cooked. Add cheese right before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookies made with Crisco

This is a very tasty recipe especially if you are low on butter. The cookie is a littler richer, chewy and softer than ones baked strictly with butter.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• ½ cup real butter, at room temperature 
• ½ cup shortening 
• 1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips  

Preparations:

1. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, beat butter and shortening until creamy.
3. Add sugar and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until well blended.
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well.
5. Add flour mixture, and beat slowly to incorporate, then beat to blend well.
6. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
7. Drop batter in 2-tablespoon portions about 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
8. Bake in a 375°F preheated oven until edges of cookies are brown but an area about 1 inch wide in the center is still pale, about 10 minutes.

Valentine's Day Dinners

Sometimes, the nicest thing you can do for your spouse, partner, significant or whatever - is to make them a great meal (and give them a night off). I do most of the cooking so when my husband cooks for me, it's a really nice break.

If you want to surprise someone on this day, here are the best sites I could find for a wide variety of Valentine's day meals. :)

• The Food Network's Meals for Two
• Delish.com's Valentine's Day Meals
• Allrecipes Romantic Meals for Two
• Taste of Home's Valentine's Day Dinner
• Epicurious Valentine's Day Meals

Easy Slow Cooker Cheesy Ravioli - Budget Meal

This is a great dish for a cold winter's day or a hot summer day when you don't want the oven on. I used to live in a tiny one-bedroom apartment and on a hot summer day, the worst thing in the world was to have my oven on. This is easy and is also a recipe you could get your teenager to make. :)

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon Olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium sized onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 jar (1lb 8 oz) of spaghetti sauce (Cost $1.00)
• 1 - 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 package (24 ounces) Frozen Cheese Ravioli (1 bag cost me $2.00)
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
• salt and pepper

Preparations:

1. Cook onion and garlic in oil until onions are soft. 
2. Pour spaghetti and tomato sauces into 5 - 6 quart slow cooker. Add onions/garlic and Italian seasonings and mix.
3. Add ravioli and stir. 
4. Cook on low for approximately 2 hours. Add cheese right before serving.

Martha Stewart's Valentine's Day Recipes

On behalf of working mothers everywhere, I'd like to point out that there are things that husbands, boyfriends, partners, and significant others can do that are far better than spending money on jewelry that will not get worn or buying lingerie that we don't want to squeeze our butts into.

Here are some ideas:

1. Change the empty toilet paper roll. (Seriously, how hard is that anyway?)
2. Clean up the kitchen without being asked.
3. Scrub the bathroom toilet and don't expect to be praised for being a hero afterward. (No one throws me a ticker tape parade for doing housework and yet, I have to practically give my husband a gold star when he cleans the toilet he refuses to flush - not that I'm bitter or anything. :)
4. Take the kids out for an hour and do something that involves them having fun. 
5. Make a point of SHOWING your children that you love and respect their mother.

Okay, if you don't want to do any of those things then consider making something from Martha Stewart's Valentine's day recipes. She also ideas for how to celebrate the day as well. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars made with Vanilla Wafers

Vanilla wafers were on sale for $1.99 a box and I thought - hey, why not make peanut butter bars with them? (Really, I just wanted to make these things because they are so good that I'd eat salad for a week just so I can afford the calories.:) This recipe comes the website - MyRecipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed (about 45 cookies)
• 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Preparations:

1. Beat butter and peanut butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add powdered sugar and vanilla wafer crumbs; beat until blended. Press mixture evenly into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking pan lined with wax paper.
2. Stir together chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread evenly on top of peanut butter mixture. Chill 1 hour or until firm.
3. Remove from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes or until slightly softened. Cut into 48 bars.

Allrecipes - Liver and Onions

I don't like liver but I'm posting this recipe because my brother-in-law liked it so much that he says he's going to eat liver every week for the rest of his life. (GROSS!) If you like liver and onions, read on. :)

Photo courtesy of Kurtiss Dilley

Preparations:

• 2 pounds sliced beef liver
• 1 1/2 cups milk, or as needed
• 1/4 cup butter, divided
• 2 large Vidalia onions, sliced into rings
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Gently rinse liver slices under cold water, and place in a medium bowl. Pour in enough milk to cover. Let stand while preparing onions. Note: Kurtiss soaked the liver overnight and it took out the bitter taste of the meat. If you don't want to wait, soak for a few hours. 
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Separate onion rings, and saute them in butter until soft. Remove onions, and melt remaining butter in the skillet. Season the flour with salt and pepper, and put it in a shallow dish or on a plate. Drain milk from liver, and coat slices in the flour mixture.
3. When the butter has melted, turn the heat up to medium-high, and place the coated liver slices in the pan. Cook until nice and brown on the bottom. Turn, and cook on the other side until browned. Add onions, and reduce heat to medium. Cook a bit longer to taste.

Zucchini Muffins

My very nice neighbor, Andrea, made these for us over the holiday season and they were so good that I begged for the recipe. This is actually for 2 loaves of bread baked at 325 degrees for one hour.

Ingredients:

• 3 Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 1 Cup Oil
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Cups Grated Zucchini (Peeled)
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3 tsp Cinnamon
• 3 Cups Flour
• 1 Cup Chopped Nuts (Optional)
• 1/2 Cup Raisins (Optional)

Preparations:

1. Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, oil, sugar and zucchini. Add flour with baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix until well blended. 
2. Makes 18 muffins. Bake in greased muffin pan (or use cupcake holders) at 375 for approximately 14 minutes. Check with spaghetti strand if it comes out clean, it's done.

Slow Cooker Enchiladas from Taste of Home

This is a good recipe. I think it could use some jalapenos if you want a little bit of heat. Otherwise, definitely top with guacamole and sour cream. I used a six quart crock pot and only made three layers instead of six.

Preparations:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 can (16 ounces) pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 6 flour tortillas (6 inches)

Preparations:

1. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper until beef is browned and vegetables are tender; drain. Add the next eight ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Combine cheeses.
2. In a 5-qt. slow cooker, layer about 3/4 cup beef mixture, one tortilla and about 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until heated through. 

Makes 4 servings.

Super Bowl Recipes

The Super Bowl is just around the corner. In honor of the annual event, here's a collection of our best recipes for Super Bowl Sunday.

• Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke Quesadillas
• 7 layer Dip
• Skillet Chicken Nachos
• Sweet and Spicy Chili 
• Easy Lasagna
• Chocolate Mousse Oreo Pie
• Double Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Valentine's Day Ideas

Need an idea as to what to get your honey for Valentine's Day? Why not try a wine gift basket? Check out the site below for more interesting ideas.

Brought To By Wine.com, Purveyors of Fine Wine and Champagne

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Frosting

I've seen this recipe posted in multiple places around the web with and without detailed instructions for the chocolate frosting. If you have pre-made stuff on hand, I say go with that and save yourself the time.

On another note, I'd like to add that I'm 35lbs lighter than I was when I went back to work after giving birth to babizilla. Wish I could say that I worked super hard and now I'm completely and totally fit! But alas, it was water. It's taken me 10 months to get rid of 80lbs of water weight. (Yes, it really was water because I was blessed to have one of those rare pregnancies where you're sick all day, every day.) Why am I mentioning this? Because I made up mind to lose another 20 lbs (cause I'm crazy, apparently) and figured the only way to do it was to give up my penchant for desserts and oreos. However, I allowed myself to taste a little bit of this batter and it was heaven. Of course, I'm really hungry. :)

Preparations:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 3 cups quick cooking oatmeal 

Chocolate Frosting

• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preparations:

1. Cream the shortening, butter and sugars. Stir in the eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter. Stir in remaining ingredients. 
2. Put in a greased 9x13 pan. 
3. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool. 
4. Boil the sugar, butter and milk for 30 seconds. Stir in the chocolate chips until smooth. Pour the frosting over the oatmeal bars and allow to cool before cutting.

Ripe Banana Recipe - Betty Crocker's Chocolate Marbled Banana Nut Bars

I've blogged incessantly about my desire to use up ripe bananas. I think it comes from having lived a life where I've been "poor" and unemployed multiple times. There's this underlying need to be conscientious with money and to not waste food. So while it might seem lame that I have tons of ripe banana recipes, maybe they'll help someone out there who feels like I do - it's wrong to let good food go to waste. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup mashed very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, 1/2 cup butter and egg until soft dough forms. Reserve 1 cup of the dough. To the remaining dough, add mashed banana and walnuts; mix well. Spread in bottom of pan.
2. In medium microwaveable bowl, microwave 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter on High about 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Add reserved cookie dough; stir until well blended. Drop chocolate dough by spoonfuls evenly over top of banana mixture; spread gently to almost cover. Swirl chocolate mixture into banana mixture with knife for marbled design.
   
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips on High about 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over bars. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For bars, cut into 5 rows by 4 rows. Store covered at room temperature.