Secret Recipe

After a day of being snowed in yesterday, I was ready to cook a special treat. I was craving something sweet, so I made my "famous" oatmeal raisin cookies.
There's a secret recipe for these amazing cookies...the secret is that the recipe is on the inside of every Quaker oats container!OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
1/2 lb (2 sticks) margarine or butter (I almost always use butter for baked goods)
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tea. vanilla
1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. oats (I used old-fashioned) 1
c. raisins

Beat together butter & sugars until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

Albondigas

I got this recipe from All You magazine. Albondigas is a traditional Mexican meatball soup that is not very pretty to look at, but tastes pretty good. Stephen was a fan of this meal, but there are some changes I would like to make to it next time.

ALBONDIGAS
1 lb. ground turkey (next time I might use a little less- it was a bit "meaty" for me)
1 large carrot, shredded
2/3 cup uncooked white rice (next time I might add a tad more rice)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 boxes chicken broth (I used unsalted, but will probably use regular next time)
flour or wheat tortillas

Fill a large pot with water and heat to boiling.
Combine turkey, carrot, rice, garlic powder, salt & pepper into a large bowl.
Use your fingers to mix gently but thoroughly.
Form mixture into about 16 balls (I made 16 and threw out 2- didn't have room in my pot!)
Using a spoon, place balls in boiling water.
Return water to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Drain water and return pot to stove.
Pour broth into pot with rice balls and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Spoon into bowls and serve with warmed tortillas on the side.

Spinach & Cheese Pizza

First of all, I need to profess my love for Supercook. It is a website where you can type in the ingredients you have in your house & it lists recipes that you can make with them. It is there that I found this recipe for a Spinach & Cheese Pizza. I don't typically care for pesto sauce, so this is a good alternative to using pesto on pizza.
This is one of the recipes I've tried that was okay, but not amazing. Next time I make this, I will probably use a little less cheese (shock, I know). I will also probably add some tomatoes. I'm thinking with tomatoes added, this would be yummy and the colors would also make it a great Christmas time appetizer- cut into small squares. I actually altered it a bit from its original state, so here is my altered version of the recipe I found on Supercook.

SPINACH & CHEESE PIZZA
3/4 c. EVOO spinach (I eye-balled this- about 1/2 pack of pre-washed spinach)
2/3 c. shredded parmesan cheese
1-2 cloves garlic
1 T fresh basil
salt & pepper
pizza dough (I used Pillsbury, but you could make your own or use a pre-made crust)
1 c. mozzarella cheese (I think I used more than that...part of my problem)

Combine oil, spinach, parmesan, garlic, basil, salt & pepper
Puree these ingredients to make a sauce (I used a processor, but you could use a blender. I've also thought of just putting the ingredients on the pizza without pureeing them.)

Place pizza dough on baking sheet
Form a rim around the dough
Bake dough until lightly browned

Spread dough with spinach mixture and 1 c. mozzarella
Bake at 400 until cheese is melted

Laurie's Poppyseed Chicken

Lots of folks make a version of this casserole, but I got this particular recipe from my friend Laurie Saylor Cutler. It's so delicious & I try to keep these ingredients on hand as well, so I can make it anytime. This is one of Stephen's favorites, and my "go to" casserole when I need to take food to someone.
LAURIE'S POPPYSEED CHICKEN
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream (I use reduced fat)
2 T. poppy seeds
2 T. lemon juice
4-6 boneless chicken breasts (I've also used canned chicken for this)
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter, melted

Boil chicken with cover on pot for 20 minutes
Cut chicken into pieces
Mix chicken with sour cream, seeds & juice
Put into casserole dish
Crush crackers on top
Pour melted butter over casserole
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes

Chicken "TetraJeannie"

This recipe for Chicken Tetrazini is the one my mom has passed on to me. That's why we call it chicken "tetraJeannie".
This is an easy recipe and I typically have all of the ingredients for this in the pantry & fridge so I can make it at a moment's notice.

CHICKEN TETRA-JEANNIE
1 box spaghetti noodles
1 bouillon cube (I don't always add this)
1 can chicken (or you can boil 1lb. chicken breasts & cut into small pieces)
2/3 c. chopped celery
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 and 1/2 cans cream of mushroom soup
salt & pepper
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese

Boil noodles with bouillon cube in water
Drain & rinse noodles
Drain canned chicken
Combine noodles, chicken, celery, pepper, salt & pepper
Cover in cheese
Bake at 350 until bubbly (20-30 minutes)

I Love Food

It's just a matter of fact. I have a deep appreciation for food. I don't need fancy food. I like simple foods. But, I love food nonetheless.
I really enjoy cooking. I'm not the greatest chef in the world, but I can follow a recipe & occasionally make my own creations. Cooking is relaxing & creative to me. I love trying out new recipes.
I found myself often documenting what I cooked on my other blog, and thought that it might be fun to start saving my concoctions here. I might still post about fun foods both places, but this will be a place for me to actually include the recipe & pictures for what I cook.
I have no idea how well I'll keep up with this blog, but I'll try to include what I cook for dinner at night if it's worth noting (mac & cheese doesn't count, obviously). Hopefully, this will keep me from cooking the same thing over & over, and I'll be inspired to find & cook new recipes.
I promise to be honest about what's good & what isn't. Even bad recipes deserve their place here! I'm all for "correcting" a recipe the next time I try it.
I will do my best to let you know where I got each recipe. I want to give credit where it's due. There will probably be few meals that are my own creation, but I'll make a note of it if I do get bold enough to post those here.
So, here we go...
Don't be expecting gourmet meals here. I'm thinking casseroles, pastas and other easy foods will be here.
Bon Appetit!