Swiss Oatmeal

This is a great recipe for little kids and Moms alike. And it is a very easy breakfast. It does have honey in it. If you want to omit the honey for smaller children, just use a sweeter yogurt. I usually use Mountain High Yoghurt because they only use natural sweeteners. Store brands are usually a lot sweeter.

32 oz. any flavor yogurt
3- 3 ½ c. oatmeal
1 – 1 ½ c. milk
honey to taste (I usually put about 2 Tbsp. in)
fresh, frozen, or dried fruit

Mix the yogurt, oatmeal, milk and honey together. Refrigerate overnight. Serve topped with fruit or another dollop of yogurt.

**My favorite is vanilla yogurt with fresh peaches. Whenever peaches are not in season, I use Craisins. I have left this in the fridge for up to 5 days and been fine. It usually is gone way faster than that. Heber, Henry and I love it!

Vegetable Lasagne

For my birthday...Ryan got me the Worldwide Ward Cookbook.  I made this today and it is in the oven right now, but if it tastes as good as it smells then we have a weiner!!!! LOL!

Veggies:

2 shallots, minced (these are like onions so if you can't find use an onion)

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 bunch spinach, cleaned and torn to desired size

1 medium zucchini, sliced

2 c. broccoli, chopped

2 c. carrots, thinly sliced

Saute shallots in oil until transparent.  Add remaining vegetables and saute until slightly tender (about 8 minutes).  Note:  You can use almost any vegetable in this dish; choose those that are your family's favorites.  I used mushrooms as well.

Filling:

2-3 lbs. cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, or a combination of the two

1 tsp. parsley

1 egg, beaten

1 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded (can also mix in cheddar cheese)

Combine all ingredients until throughly blended.

Sauce:

5 Tbsp. butter

5 Tbsp. flour

White Pepper

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

4 c. milk

3/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated

Salt to taste (remember that parm cheese is salty)

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour, blend well, and cook until golden.  Add pepper and nutmeg to taste.  Slowly add milk, stirring well, and simmer until thick.  Add cheese.  Season with salt to taste.

Lasagne:

10-12 lasagne noodles, cooked and drained

Assembly:

In a large casserole dish, place a layer of noodles, a layer of veggies, a third of the cheese filling, and a third of the sauce.  Repeat layers until all the ingredients are gone, finishing with sauce.  Top with additional cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until heated through and bubbly.

Potatoe Flake Bake Chicken

I love this receipe because you can make it as large or as small as you need.

Chicken

Melted margarine

Potato Flakes

Garlic or seasoned salt

Dip individual pieces of chicken in melted margarine.  Mix potato flakes, salt together.  ( I also add parmesan cheese and parsley.)  Roll chicken in potato flake mixture.  Place in foil-lined baking pan.  Pour over excess potato flake mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees until done.  Do not turn or cover.  Chicken will be crisp on the outside and moist and tender on the inside.  YUMMY!

Workman's Zucchini Bake

This is my FAVORITE way to eat zucchini.  Jen, I think you'll love this.

Melt butter in pan. (I use Pam)  

slice Green and Yellow Zucchini

slice Yellow Onion

Grill and add tomato wedges, mushrooms (if you like)

Cook on Medium High.

Add Garlic, Italian, and NATURE SEASONING (I've tried it without and it doesn't taste good.)

Stir

Put Mozarella Chesse on top, cover and let melt.

Ready to Serve

Basil-Peanut Butter Chops

This is one of Alice's favorite ways to have Pork Chops. I've only made it once and I forgot the basil, don't ask me how since its in the title I just forgot, but it still turned out really good.

4 boneless pork chops, 1-inch thick

1/2 cup chicken broth

4 inches stick cinnamon

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon grated ginger root

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Vegetable oil

2/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely 

In a medium saucepan combine chicken broth, cinnamon, bay leaves, ginger root and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until evenly browned on both sides. Remove pork chops to a serving platter; keep warm.

Remove bay leaves and cinnamon from chicken broth mixture. Stir in milk, peanut butter and honey until smooth. Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in bell pepper, crushed red pepper, and basil leaves. Continue cooking, uncovered, until sauce thickens slightly. Spoon the sauce over chops. Serves 4  

Beef and Potatoes with Rosemary

This is one of my favorite ways to cook a roast. 

1 lb. medium red potatoes, cut into fourths

1 cup baby-cut carrots

3-pound boneless beef chuck roast (or any 3 lb roast)

3 T. Dijon mustard

1 1/2-2 T rosemary

1/2-1 t. thyme

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups beef broth

Arrange potatoes and carrots in 3 1/2-6 quart slow cooker.

Trim excess fat from beef. Mix mustard, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper; spread evenly over beef. Place beef in slow cooker. Sprinkle onion over beef. Pour broth evenly over beef and veggies.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours (or high for 3-4 hours).

Remove beef and veggies from cooker and serve.

Grilled Salmon and Candied Carrots

Just another reason you should all move to the Pacific Northwest...Salmon! Here is an amazing recipe I found today. I think it would be good if you used the salmon fillet's from Costco. I used the fresh stuff cause, well, I live where it is available.

Grilled Salmon

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
lemon juice to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
1 - Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper and garlic powder.
2 - In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, lemon juice and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but the longer the better.
3 - Preheat grill for medium heat.
4 - Lightly oil grill grate by putting olive oil on a paper towel and using tongs to rub the paper towel over grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, flesh side down first. Discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

I love my fish with something carb filled on the side. Due to the heat wave we have experienced, I didn't want to heat up the house. I opted for this glazed carrot recipe. Heber would not eat it, claiming he did not like cooked carrots. Once I told him it was actually candied carrots, he decided to give it a try.

Candied Carrots

baby carrots or regular carrots, peeled and cut into baby size
water
brown sugar/honey
butter

1 - Prepare and steam carrots over water. Once carrots have reached the consistency where there is still a little resistance when you push a fork through, remove from steamer. Drain off as much water as possible.
2 - Melt butter in the microwave. Mix melted butter with brown sugar or honey.
3 - Pour sugar sauce over carrots. Mix. Serve warm.

Chicken Rice-a-Roni Salad

This salad may sound really gross, but it is so good.  I didn't think that I would like it, but it is now a favorite.  What I love about it...It makes so much that I can take it to lunch with me for 2-3 more days.  Ryan likes it a little warm, but I like it cold.  You can serve either way.

4 cooked chicken breasts, cubed

2 boxes chicken flavored Rice-a-Roni

4 diced green onions

1 small can sliced black olives

1 small can marinated artichokes

1/2 slivered almonds

1 small jar pimentos (I don't use these unless I have them, they just add color!)

1 c. mayonnaise (you CANNOT use miracle whip...it doesn't taste right!)

Cook rice-a-roni according to box directions, then mix everything together.  Good if made the night before serving.

Oriental Chicken Salad

Dressing

2 packets Oriental ramen falvoring

1/3 c. sugar

1/3 c. canola oil (I use Olive Oil)

1/3 c. apple cider vinegar

Put all ingredients into a jar and shake well.  Put in refrigerator while assembling salad.

Salad

2 bags coleslaw, cabbage

2 pkg. ramen noodles, broken into small pieces

6 oz. candied almonds

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

Put dry ramen noodles into a frying pan on medium heat.  Cook until toasted.  Set aside.  In the same pan, place 6 oz. almonds and about 1/3-1/2 cup sugar.  Stirring constantly, cook until almonds are toasted and sugar has melted.  Do not let sugar and almonds burn.  Remove to waxed paper.  Combine coleslaw, ramen noodles, almonds and chicken in large salad bowl.  Shake dressing well to re-mix and pour evenly over salad, covering completely.

Grandma Workman's Sweet and Sour Chicken

Marinade

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

6 tsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. pepper

Sauce

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. vinegar

1/4 c. ketchup

1 1/4 c. water

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

3-4 lbs chicken (or what ever would feed your family)

Dice the chicken and let it sit in the marinade for 1/2 hour - an hour.  At this point you can dip in flour and fry it.  I don't because it is healthier without doing that!  Make sauce while chicken in marinading and set aside.  Heat the oven to 350.  Cook the chicken and put in a baking dish.  Pour the sauce over chicken.  (I add the cornstarch before dumping the sauce over the chicken so it isn't clumpy!)  Let the chicken bake for 30-45 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Here it is...

So here is the beginning of a recipe blog.  This is a way to put or favorite recipes in one spot and to also share them with everyone.  If you know someone that would like to contribute then let me know and I will add them as an author so they can add there own recipes.  Happy Blogging!!!!