brownies and frosting

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Brownies:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 inch square pan.  In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs and 1 tsp vanilla.  Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder.  Spread batter in prepared pan.  Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Frosting:  Combine 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp cocoa, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup confectioners' sugar.  Frost brownies while they are still warm.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Chicken:

4 large chicken breasts, cut into thirds (or 12 chicken tenders)

2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed into crumbs

1/4 t salt

1/8 t pepper

1/2 C milk

3 C cheddar cheese, grated

1 t dried parsley

Sauce:

1   10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

2 T sour cream

2 T butter

        Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.

        Dip each piece of chicken into the milk, then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Some of it will fall off when you add it to the cracker crumbs, don’t worry about it.  Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. By the time you are coating the last piece of chicken, the dish you are using for the crumbs will be full of cheese. Don’t let it get you down. Once the cheese melts in the oven it will adhere nicely to the crumbs and the crackers.

     Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.  Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy. 

      Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken. 

frozen peaches

Put peeled, sliced peaches (approx 2 lbs) in a large bowl with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 2 tsp fruit fresh. Scoop into 2 gallon ziplocs (should be no more than 1/3 full).  Lay flat and suck the air out with a straw.  Freeze.

Churro Chex Mix

9 cups rice Chex cereal
1 cup cinnamon chips
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a small microwavable bowl, zap cinnamon chips and butter for 1 minute; stir until smooth. Microwave about 30 seconds longer if needed. Drizzle mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Toss the coated Chex cereal into the sugar mixture. Spread on a piece of parchment until cooled.

Microwave Roasted-Style Potatoes

4 medium potatoes
Olive oil
Seasons of your choice (i.e., salt, pepper, parsley, rosemary, thyme, or any other seasonings)

Scrub potatoes and cut into uniform cubes (1 in or smaller). Place into a microwave-safe dish. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over potatoes. Sprinkle with seasonings of your choice. Toss to evenly disperse oil and seasonings. Cover dish and microwave on HIGH for 12-15 minutes, stirring once. Serves 4-6.

Pasta Primavera Salad

1 16 oz package dry pasta

1 16 oz package frozen veggies (california blend and stir fry are the best)

1 cup Italian salad dressing

Grated Parmesan cheese
Cooked chicken (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse in cold water and drain well.  Place drained pasta in a large bowl.  Run cold water over vegetables in a colander to thaw completely; drain well.  Add vegetables, chicken, and salad dressing to pasta and toss lightly.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.  Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.  Serves 8.

Finnish Soft Buttermilk Spice Cake

When Rebecca was in the 6th grade, she did a report on Finland.  

So she got this recipe from Aunt Reina and made it for her class.  It was a hit!

Mix together: 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp clove, 1 tsp ginger.

Add: 1 tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup melted butter.

Mix well.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until golden brown (20 minutes in jellyroll pan.)