Chocolate Chip Cookies

Most people have their favorite go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies, and this is mine. These are chewy and soft and delicious. Sadly, these AREN'T the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had, but any time I get a recipe from someone else because I'm dying over their delicious chocolate chip cookies, it never seems to turn out as well as when they made them. I don't really understand that.... am I THAT bad at following a recipe!? Ugh! Anyway, here's the recipe:

Ingredients: 

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened 

3/4 c. brown sugar 

1/4 c. granulated sugar 

1 egg 

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

2 c. all purpose flour 

2 tsp. cornstarch 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. salt 

1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.

3.  Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.

4.  Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges.  (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)

5.  Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes.  Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely.  Makes approximately 3 dozen.  Try not to eat them all.

This recipe is straightforward and they always turn out well, which I love. I also love that it's not super complicated and doesn't require refrigeration. Definitely a keeper!

Loaded Broccoli and Cheese Soup

I am a sucker for a good broccoli and cheese soup, and this is one of my favorites. So hearty and so so delicious! Here's the recipe:

Loaded Broccoli and Cheese Soup

 

Ingredients

• 2 - 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth
• 2-3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into small pieces
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 small heads broccoli (washed and diced small)
• 3 TB butter
• ⅓ cup flour
• 3½ cups milk
• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. garlic pepper
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

Instructions

1. In a large pot combine chicken broth, carrots potatoes and onion powder.
2. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Add broccoli, cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
4. While simmering, melt butter in a large sauce pan. Whisk in the flour and cook for another minute (or until golden brown). Whisk in milk and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
5. Add cheese and stir until it is all melted. Add salt and garlic pepper.
6. Pour cheese sauce into the large pot and stir until well combined.
7. Add more milk for a thinner consistency and add any additional salt and pepper needed. Top with bacon pieces.
8. Serve warm.

This really is one of my favorite soups. Easy and delicious. Don't forget the bacon on top! 

The Best Green Salsa

This is one of the tastiest green salsas I've ever had! I can be a bit of a salsa snob with both taste and texture, so this one really is good. :-) It's pretty spicy, so don't make it if you're not a spicy fan! Here's the recipe:


The Best Green Salsa

1.5 lbs tomatillos
2 bushels cilantro (I used about 1 1/2) (also, cut off the stems!)
2 avocados
1 small white onion
2 cloves of garlic
3 serrano peppers (I removed the seeds)
3 jalapenos (again, I got rid of the seeds)
juice of 4-6 limes (I used 4)
2 TB cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp lime salt 
1/4 cup water

Blend to desired consistency


My favorite part of it is the creaminess that the avocados add. I usually prefer red salsa to green salsa for chips, but this recipe can compete with a lot of red salsas for me. Yum!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice

So this isn't the most amazing recipe ever, but I wanted to include it because it's decent and SO easy. It's not realistic for me to have a 10/10 dinner on the table every night... sometimes I just need something quick that is "good enough." And this is one of those recipes. :-)

Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts (Can use fewer, can use bone-in or boneless)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 box Long Grain and Wild Rice with Seasonings (I use Uncle Ben's)

Instructions

1. Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Sprinkle chopped onion over top. Top with cream soup. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours. Cook rice according to package directions*. Before serving, stir rice in. Serve hot.
2. *Can cook rice the night before and place in refrigerator. Before serving, stir cold rice in and let cook for another ten minutes or until rice is heated through.

I love that this includes just a few ingredients. We actually like it with hot sauce to give it a little more flavor and kick, but it's decent just how it is as well. And make sure you use the suggested rice - Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice. It adds a lot!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

While I wouldn't consider myself obsessed with pumpkin flavored stuff, there are a few pumpkin things that I love.... and this is one of them. My friend made them for girls night and I loved them so much that I demanded the recipe right then and there. :-) They are relatively cake-y and light, and oh so delicious.

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1 2/3  c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 16 oz. can pumpkin

2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves

Beat together first 4 ingredients until fluffy.  Stir together dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mix and mix.  Put in ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Test with toothpick.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar

Slowly add powdered sugar and mix well.

Mmmm, these are awesome. Definitely a Fall favorite around here! In my opinion, this was just barely enough frosting, (but I really love cream cheese frosting!) so feel free to add just a bit more to it if you want. These are delicious and it makes a lot so bring some to friends!

Potato Knot Rolls

I looooove good rolls. This is one of my favorite roll recipes. It is relatively easy and also makes good dough for cinnamon rolls. (I often use half of it for rolls and the other half for cinnamon rolls.) Here's the recipe:

POTATO KNOT ROLLS

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ Tablespoon yeast (If using SAF brand only 1 T.)
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cube butter (1/2 cup)
• ¼ cup shortening
• 1 cup instant potato flakes
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 8 cups flour*

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat milk in microwave or on the stove. You want it warm but not so hot it will burn your finger. Remove from heat. Add the butter and shortening. Then add the potato flakes, sugar and salt and let it sit.
2. *If you are using SAF brand yeast, skip this step: Prepare your yeast by adding ¼ cup warm water and ½ tsp. sugar to the yeast and let it sit until it bubbles.
3. Beat 4 eggs in your mixer and add the above milk mixture. (Make sure the milk mixture is not too hot. You may add 2 cups of flour to cook it down.
4. Add yeast (If you use SAF brand yeast you can put it right in. Otherwise you need to prepare the yeast like explained above)
5. Mix the eggs and milk on low speed and slowly add the flour. Keep one cup out and let the mixer run for about 5 minutes and then add the last cup very slowly until the sides of the mixer are clean. If mixing by hand, knead until smooth and not too sticky. It may take all 8 cups or a little more or less.
6. Put the dough in a greased bowl or let rise in the mixer bowl for an hour covered with a clean dish towel. Divide the dough in half and roll into a large rectangle. Take soft butter and spread all over the rectangle. Then take the top of the rectangle and fold to the middle of the rectangle. Next take the bottom of the rectangle and fold on top so that you have a long rectangle, about 5-6" wide. (It will be 3 layers if you do it correctly)
7. Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into one inch strips and tie them in a knot. (I usually pull on the strip a little then tie the knot) Don't worry about them being perfect :)
8. Put the rolls onto a greased pan or parchment lined cookie sheets is what I use. Let the rolls rise for 2 to 3 hours depending on the temperature in your home. Just watch them, when they have gotten nice and puffy, they are ready to bake. Don't let them rise too long or they will deflate.
9. Bake at 375 for 11 to 12 minutes.

NOTES

* If you want to use 4 cups all purpose flour and 4 cups better for bread flour that is ideal. I have made it both ways. If I have the bread flour I use 4 cups, if I don't I use all purpose flour.

For cinnamon rolls: combine 3/4 c. sugar, 3/4 c. brown sugar, and 2 T cinnamon and mix. Sprinkle on each circle. Follow the same procedure for rolling out as the basic roll recipe. You may put icing on the rolls right after you take them out of the oven.

Use butter flavored shortening if possible! I also like to rub butter on the top of the rolls once they come out of the oven. Clearly, I like butter. ;-) This makes plenty of rolls, so if you're not serving a lot of people, I recommend doing what I do and turning half of them into cinnamon rolls. Delicious!

No-Fail Cauli-tatoes (Blended Cauliflower)

I actually really like cauliflower prepared almost any way, but my family is not the same. :-) That's why this recipe is so useful - not only do I love it, but my husband and even my kids do as well. It has so much flavor and is so easy! Here it is:

Ingredients

• 1 large head fresh cauliflower, stems trimmed and florets roughly chopped
• filtered water
• 3 tablespoons pastured butter or ghee (or other fat of choice, such astallow or lard)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper (omit for AIP)
• fresh herbs of your choice, such as parsley or chives

Instructions

1. Makes approximately 3 cups.
2. Begin by cutting up the head of cauliflower. Remove as much of the stems from the florets as possible. Too much stem in your cauli-tatoes can give them a funky taste.
3. Then rough-chop the florets to be pea-size or smaller. You could also pulse them a few times in a food processor, but chopping them does the trick and gives you fewer dishes to wash later.
4. Next, steam the cauliflower. I don’t have a steamer basket, so I use a stock pot with a lid and a stainless steel colander. I put an inch of water in the bottom of my stock pot, place the colander inside the pot, add the cauliflower to the colander, then cover with the lid.
5. On medium-high heat, steam the cauliflower for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring twice during steaming. The cauliflower pieces should be just fork tender, but not mushy at all.
6. Transfer the steamed cauliflower to a high-speed blender.
7. Quickly add butter or ghee, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
8. Pulse a couple of times to get the blender going, then blend on low speed for 20 to 30 seconds, until smooth. Don’t over-blend or the cauli-tatoes will be too runny.
9. If desired, sprinkle with your favorite chopped herbs.
10. Serve immediately.

Helpful Tips

• ALWAYS use fresh cauliflower — not frozen!
• Don’t be tempted to boil the cauliflower directly in the water. This adds too much moisture and will leave you with runny cauliflower sauce, not caulitatoes. Trust me. 
• Have a hankering for super healthy mashed potatoes and gravy? Substitute these caulitatoes for potatoes and whip up a batch of my Garlic-Tarragon Gravy to smother on top. YUM!
• Use up any leftovers within a day or two. After that, the flavor isn’t as appealing.
• Reheat leftovers in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
• If you don’t have a high-speed blender, try a food processor or regular blender. I can’t promise the same silky-smoothness, but it will still taste amazing. Just don’t use a hand mixer.

It definitely looks like mashed potatoes... but is it as good as mashed potatoes? Well, I guess it depends on how much you like mashed potatoes, but probably not. :-) However, it really is so good and one of my favorite ways to eat a veggie! Try it!

Also, I didn't even add any fresh herbs to it at the end and still loved it. I'll definitely make it again!

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

This meal is soooo easy and actually really good for how few ingredients it requires. I think the rice mix adds a lot to it. (Make sure you get the recommended brand!) Here's the recipe:

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken And Rice

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large onion, chopped (I use Vidalia)
• 1 -8 ounce box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)
• 1 -15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

Instructions

1. Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

I use the yellow onion for this (though maybe only half of it) and it turns out so delicious. Everyone in my family likes it and eats it without complaining which is kind of a big deal around here. ;-) It is definitely a good go-to meal.

Broccoli Raisin Salad

I know, just the title of this one probably makes you want to gag a little. And don't ask me how or why this actually tastes good, but it does! Even my husband admits it, and he hates broccoli! :-) Here's the recipe, which comes from the Taste of Home Magazine:

Broccoli Raisin Salad

4 cups fresh broccoli florets
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 small red onion ringed and chopped
1/2 cup cashews (optional)

Mix and stir into above ingredients:

1/2 cup Miracle Whip or mayonaise
1 T vinegar
2 T sugar

Top with 3 cooked and crumbled strips of bacon


This is one of my favorite side dishes, but I'd totally eat it as a main dish for lunch or something. It really is good! But for the record, I don't use a whole red onion. I use maybe half or even a little less than half. And don't forget about the bacon!

Chicken and Avocado Ranch Burritos

If you are an avocado lover like me, this recipe is a must try! Here it is:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks*
• 1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 burrito-size flour tortillas, 10 inches each
• 2 avocados, halved, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with taco seasoning. Add chicken to the skillet and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes; set aside.
2. Heat tortillas according to package instructions.
3. Working one at a time, place chicken, avocado, cheese, sour cream, Ranch and cilantro in the center of each tortilla. Bring the bottom edge of the tortilla tightly over the filling, folding in the sides. Continue rolling until the top of the tortilla is reached. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
4. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Add burritos and cook, pressing gently with a spatula, about 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and the cheese has melted.*
5. Serve immediately.

These are seriously so yummy. I did make two changes though - first, I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, and second, I baked them at 375 for about 10-15 minutes instead of using a grill pan. Me and my husband both loved them. I will definitely make them again!

Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I love a good homemade chicken noodle soup, and I like an easy one even more, so this is my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe right now. It's made in the crock pot and is so convenient and also delicious! Here's the recipe:

CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup frozen corn or 1 can
• 2 cups frozen peas or 2 cans
• 2 carrots- chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup half & half
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 tsp season salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp minced onions
• ½ tsp dried thyme

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine everything but the egg noodles & half & half in crock pot & cook on high 4 hours or on low 6 hours
2. Add in noodles, cover & cook an additional 30 minutes
3. Remove chicken & shred- return to pot
4. Stir in half & half & serve

I used the frozen peas and corn instead of the canned ones. And I really liked it! Even my husband, who's not a huge "soup guy," ;-) liked it. Enjoy it with some good bread!

Green Chile Burritos

So this is a recipe that not everyone can make because its special ingredient - 505 Green Chile Sauce, apparently isn't sold everywhere in the country. My Walmart sells it in the Hispanic food section, and I've heard it can also be bought at Costco sometimes? (Apparently it's also at Fry's, for those who live in AZ.) Anyway, if you have access to it, make these. SO GOOD! And 505 Green Chile Sauce - oh my goodness YUM. Here's the recipe:

Green Chile Burros Recipe

 

Ingredients

• 1 chuck roast
• 1 TB Italian Dressing Dry Mix
• 1 TB Hidden Valley Dry Mix
• 1 TB Brown Gravy Dry Mix
• ½ cup water
• 1 - 2 cups 505 Green Chile Sauce
• Tortillas (we prefer the uncooked store bought tortillas)

Instructions

1. Mix Brown Gravy Dry Mix, Hidden Valley Dry Mix and Italian Dressing Dry Mix together.
2. Place chuck roast in your crock pot. Pour ⅓ cup water over your roast. Sprinkle Mix all over the top of your roast. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or until tender.
3. Once Roast is slightly warm, shred it.
4. Place meat back in the crock pot or in a pan. Add your green chile sauce and cook until your sauce is warm.
5. Serve on warm tortillas. ENJOY!

I used the uncooked store bought tortillas for these, and holy delicious. I can't believe I've never tried this sauce until now. I'm hooked! Try these for a super easy and tasty meal.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Someone randomly posted a screen shot of this recipe on Facebook so I snatched it up. I love a new enchiladas recipe. This one is super duper basic, but good! It's nice to have a "safe" recipe on hand. Here it is:

I've made these twice. Once I had too much sauce and the other time I didn't have enough. Ha!!! Not sure what happened there. I guess a lot has to do with chicken breast size. I'd recommend adding the chicken to the sauce slowly and maybe not using all the chicken if you run out of enough sauce. It's not super fun making more sauce last minute. :-) Anyway, these are good. I serve mine with rice and sour cream... and sometimes guacamole and salsa too. 

Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs

I love grilling kebabs. They are quick and easy and hard to mess up. This one has a lot of flavor and is one of my favorite recipes for chicken kebabs. Here's the recipe:

Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs

Yield: About 9 - 10 kebabs

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing grill
• 1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (4 tsp)
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into 1 1/4-inch cubes
• 3 cups (heaping) fresh cubed pineapple (about 3/4 of 3 lb pineapple)
• 1 1/2 large green peppers, diced into 1 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 large red onion, diced into 1 1/4-inch pieces

Directions

• In a mixing bowl whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, 2 Tbsp olive oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. Stir in 3/4 tsp pepper and season with salt if desired. Place chicken in a gallon size resealable bag. Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade in refrigerator then pour remaining marinade over chicken. Seal bag and refrigerate 3 hours (meanwhile soak 10 wooden skewer sticks in water for 1 hour).
• Preheat a grill over medium heat to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, drizzle remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil over red onion, bell pepper and pineapple and toss. Season red onion and bell pepper with salt and pepper, then thread red onion, bell pepper, pineapple and chicken onto skewers until all of the chicken has been used. Brush grill grates with olive oil then place skewers on grill. Grill 5 minutes then brush along tops with 1/4 cup of remaining marinade. Rotate to opposite side and brush remaining 1/4 cup of marinade on opposite side and allow to grill about 4 minutes longer, or until chicken registers 165 degrees in center on an instant read thermometer. Serve warm.

I pretty much separated the different foods since I have a family of picky eaters. ;-) Also, I didn't brush the marinade on the kebabs while they were grilling and it turned out just fine. There was plenty of flavor just from marinating for a few hours before I grilled. Oh, and I used regular light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar since I never use dark brown. Still turned out great. I highly recommend this - especially with the pineapple. Mmm!