Sweet Coleslaw

Scott's Great-Grandma Fern recently passed away. She was full of life and love and I am so grateful to have known her. She left some great recipes for us as well. I'm not a huge fan of coleslaw, but when I had this at Sharrie's house I was in love. I promptly asked for the recipe and got it quickly in return. Thank you Grandma Fern (and Sharrie!).

Photo Credit to ReadySetEat

Sweet Coleslaw
1 Head cabbage, shredded (can use bagged pre-shredded cabbage)
2 red apples, chopped
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
Put in lg. bowl.
Add dressing:
3/4 - 1 cup Mayo. (Grandma says ONLY use Best Foods, but...)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp salt

Mix all together well. Put in fridge for a while so sugar dissolves.

Recipe Source: Grandma Fern (via Sharrie)

Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese

This is more of a great idea than a "recipe." Have some leftover guac and bacon you want to cook? Throw it on a grilled cheese. It is amazing and delicious. And ridiculous.

Amazingly delicious photo credit to Denise Griffitts

Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese
Bread
Butter
Bacon, cooked
Cheddar Cheese
Guacamole

Make a grilled cheese, then just add the guacamole and bacon.
Eat and melt from deliciousness.

Recipe Source: Denise Griffitts

Roasted Strawberry Muffins

Awe.Some. I bought a flat of strawberries and decided to make stuff with all of them. Rather than, like, jam. So we had some good and bad things all made with strawberries all within a week. It was actually really fun and I want to try the same thing, but with avocados.
The roasting seemed to really bring out the strawberry flavor and the muffins were delicious! Can't wait to make them again!

Photo credit to Jersey Girl Cooks

Roasted Strawberry Muffins
Makes about 16 muffins
1 lb. strawberries, rinsed, hulled and quartered
1 cup sugar, plus a pinch for roasting
Low-fat milk, if needed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup low-fat greek yogurt
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Coarse sugar, for topping (optional) {I didn't use this}

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spread the berries out on the baking sheet, sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and toss gently to mix. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the berries are tender and have released most of their juices, about 20-22 minutes. Place a colander or strainer over a bowl or liquid measuring cup and strain the berries, reserving the excess juices. You will have approximately 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) of juice. Add just enough milk to make 6 tablespoons total of liquid if you are short on juice.


Lower the oven temperature to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flours, baking powder and salt. Whisk to blend. In a large mixing bowl, combine the reserved strawberry juice/milk, greek yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined and no dry streaks remain. Fold in the strawberries with a spatula.


Divide the batter between the prepared muffin liners. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Recipe Source: Annie's Eats

Fast Awesome Pizza Dough

Every Friday night at the Farrer residence (or at our house, depending on if we invite them to share their tradition at our house), there is a pizza night tradition. Or calzone, depending on the mood we're in. They make this pizza dough every time. Why you ask? It's so fast. Seriously rises in 20-30 minutes. Also, it's like heaven in dough form. I'm actually not sure where they got it, but I fetchin love it (yes I said fetchin).

Photo credit to foodnetwork.com

Fast Awesome Pizza Dough
3 cup warm water
2 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoon powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
6-8 cup flour

Mix water, yeast and sugar. Add 3 cups flour and milk. Add salt and any herbs then 2 cups flour. Add remaining flour until not sticky. Knead 5-10 minutes. Raise 20 minutes.
Flatten {pretty thin, it rises some more while cooking}, top with sauce and toppings.
Bake at 400 degrees for 18 mins.

Photo credit to ducksoven.blogspot.com

Note: If you are doing calzones, only put toppings on half, then fold crust over and pinch sides together. Brush with melted butter and garlic powder mixed {makes it too delicious!}

Recipe Source: Laurel Farrer {No idea who her source is...}

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

I made these babies to share with some people at church. I figured they would be perfect to share. And then I did not want to. That's the problem with being a baker. You make lots of delicious stuff that you plan on sharing, then you eat it all...
Almost.
Now, I didn't really eat them all. But I was fighting my body the whole time.
And I gave some away. And all who received them raved. Yay for awesome recipes.
I love soggy cookie stuff and really moist crust. I love oreos.
So, of course, I love these. {a lot}

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe; Yes, this dessert deserves two pictures

Oreo Cheesecake Bites
36 Oreo Cookies, divided
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
4 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 ounces white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Finely crush 24 Oreo cookies. Melt 1/4 cup butter; mix with crumbs. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each just until blended. Chop remaining cookies. Gently stir into batter; pour over crust.
Bake the cheesecake for about 35-40 minutes or until the sides are set and the center is almost set. Cool completely on a wire rack in the pan.
When the cheesecake is completely cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When chilled, remove the cheesecake using the foil overhang and cut the cheesecake into bite-sized pieces. Place the cheesecake bites on a wax or parchment paper-lined baking tray. Melt the semisweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate bowls (I use the microwave on 50% power, stirring frequently). Pour the melted chocolate into a ziploc bag, one for the semisweet chocolate, one for the white chocolate. Snip a small corner off the corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate over the cheesecake bars. Chill the bars until ready to serve. Alternately, the drizzled bites can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month. Let them defrost in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

Note: Next time I will be doubling the crust and/or adding more chunks of oreo to the bites. {Told you I loved soggy cookie stuff/crust}

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

{Healthy} Curried Noodles & Shrimp

Another awesome recipe from Mom's Who Think. I didn't try a lot in this week of meal planning, but these noodles were yummy, easy, and healthy. What more could you ask for in a weeknight meal?

Photo Credit to Cook Yourself Thin

Curried Noodles & Shrimp
2 Tablespoons canola or grape seed oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 small red bell pepper, sliced
1 pound fresh or thawed frozen small peeled and deveined shrimp
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces cellophane or rice-stick noodles, soaked as package label directs, rinsed and drained
3 cups fresh bean sprouts, root ends trimmed and discarded, rinsed
2 green onions, cut in half lengthwise and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
1 egg, beaten

Grease a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 Tablespoon oil and heat until hot but not smoking, and add the yellow onion and bell pepper and stir fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and stir fry until pink, about 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl.

Heat the remaining Tablespoon of oil in the skillet and add the curry powder and salt. Stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the noodles, bean sprouts, and green onions and toss to coat with the curry oil. Drizzle the egg over the mixture and toss occasionally to spread the egg while it cooks through the mixture. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: Mom's Who Think

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

So you know when you eat something and go "That was delicious, filling, and totally healthy. I know that because I made everything from scratch." This is not one of those. Yes, it is filling, and made from scratch, and to die for delicious, but it is not healthy in any way.
That means I have to limit how I often I make this. Shoot.
Because it is rockin.

Photo Credit to Mel

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)
Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.
Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).
Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

**Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the recipe instructions, letting the sauce cool to warm room temperature before proceeding with filling the enchiladas. Assemble the enchiladas as directed in the recipe with the cooled sauce. Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8-12 hours before baking. Bake according to the recipe, adding an additional 5-10 minutes if needed since the enchiladas were refrigerated. Alternately, after assembling, the baking pan can be covered with a double layer of foil and put in a jumbo-sized resealable bag and frozen for up to two months. Bake from frozen by decreasing the baking temperature to 350 degrees F and baking the enchiladas covered for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour until the dish is hot and bubbly.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe