All-American Flag Jello Mold

My 14 year old daughter likes to cook too.  She took it upon herself to make a red white and blue jello flag mold.  It had some imperfections, but tasted really yummy.  We especially enjoyed the lemon mixed with cool whip layer.  You can find the recipe here.  We decorated the red stripes with fresh raspberries, but that is the only change we made to the recipe.  We will look forward to making it again.

Strawberries and cream

This festive looking dessert is in the theme of red, white, and blue.

I cut the tops of the strawberries off and used canned whipped cream to decorate the cut tops.  Next, I dotted them with blueberries and carefully arranged them in dessert bowls.  It is a great and easy to make dessert (even kids could make).

Then the kids had a little fun with the remaining strawberries.  They made strawberry creatures… I am not sure if it looks like a dinosaur or not. You decide.  They cut a little mouth in the tip of the strawberry and then made small holes for the eyes and placed blueberries into the holes.  I thought it was cute enough to share!

Simple Vanilla Cupcakes

My 14 year old daughter surprised me for Mother’s Day by making these for me.  She took a lot of time decorating them as well.  She found the recipe at: food.com

They turned out nicely I thought.

Turkey for Dessert!

No, I did not make turkey ice cream — you will need to watch Iron Chef to see that happen!  My kids got crafty and used Fudge covered grahams, shortbread cookies, Reese’s peanut butter cups (mini), Rolo Chocolate Caramel candies and candy corn and melted chocolate to make these cute little creations.  I found the idea in a Pillsbury booklet.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

My kids have been clamoring for freshly baked Chocolate Chip Cookies.  My sweet-tooth of a daughter would settle for the cookie dough that comes ready to bake, but this is my favorite from scratch recipe.  I like to use the Ghirardelli brand semi sweet chocolate chips, because I am a chocolate snob.  Feel free to use any other brand though if you are less picky.

I also use the recipe on the back of the bag of Ghirardelli (link)

Chocolate Chip Cookies – adapted from Ghirardelli

Yield: 4 dozen

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (original 2 tsp)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli brand are a terrific product)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine.  Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Mix the butter, eggs, vanilla, brown and white sugar in a large mixing bowl until well combined and creamy.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture at at time and start to mix on low (or it will coat your kitchen with a nice coating of flour-it may look like snow, but trust me it’s not nearly as pretty as it sounds!)  Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and make sure it is nicely combined, but you don’t need to over-beat it.
3. Add chocolate chips and chopped pecans and mix just until combined.
4. Drop the dough with a teaspoon on a baking sheet.  Depending on the size of the pan, you should fit 12-15 cookies per pan.  Bake at 375 F for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.
5. When the cookies are done, take them from the oven, but do not immediately remove them from the sheet pan.  Let them sit for a few minutes so they firm up a little before you remove them to cool on a wire rack completely.  Store them in an air tight container if they make it to storage at all!   Best served with a tall glass of cold milk.

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Angels on Horseback

My husband grew up with this  sandwich and now it is one of my family’s favorite sandwiches as well.  It consists of toast, topped with American  Cheese slices, sliced tomato, and cooked bacon which is then broiled  for a few minutes until  the  cheese is melted.  We made this while we were vacationing in NJ on the shore and wanted something easy to make that did not take long.  Clean up is easy if you use those convenient (all be it expensive) Microwavable bacon.

Angels on Horseback

Serves 4

• 8 slices white bread, toasted
• 8 slices american  cheese
• 8 slices tomatoes
• 8 slices bacon

Toast the bread and top with American  cheese slices, tomatoes, and bacon.  Broil under a watch full eye.  Once the cheese melts and  bacon bubbles it is ready to eat.

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Homemade Lemonade

Is there anything more refreshing than a glass of fresh Lemonade on a hot summer day?  My children are always asking me to pick up lemons so they can make lemonade.  After seeing what is added to a purchased lemonade in preservatives and flavorings and dyes, I prefer to know what is in this simple enough to make beverage.

Homemade Lemonade

Serves 6

• 6 large fresh lemons, squeezed (yields approximately 1 cup lemon juice)
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 cups water

Squeeze the lemons of their juice to make one cup of lemon juice.  Add 1 cup sugar and 6 cups of water. Stir.  Chill or add ice cubes and enjoy immediately!

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Strawberry Shortcakes

I took advantage of the strawberry stand that is not far from my home again today.  The one that has California grown giant strawberries.  I grabbed my handy dandy bisquick mix and followed the recipe on the box for strawberry shortcakes.  My children were all suspicious by now.  What was Mommy up to?  What was she making?  Soon they also were up to their elbows in rinsing berries and cutting them.  We had them for dinner!!! I think they are ready to crown me Mother of the Year!   Just in time for Mother’s Day too! LOL

Strawberry Shortcakes

Serves 4

• 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/3 cup Original Bisquick Mix
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 Tbsp butter, melted
• cool whip topping (optional) I used Reddi Whip

1. Mix sliced strawberries with sugar and set aside.
2. Stir Bisquick Mix, milk, 3 Tbsp sugar, and butter until a soft dough forms. Drop by 6-8 spoonfuls onto a un-greased baking sheet. (I used parchment paper for even less clean up!)
3. Bake 10-12 minutes at 425F or until golden brown.
4. Split warm shortcakes top with strawberries and place top of shortcakes on top with Whipped Cream.

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Homemade Brownies

I have been laying in my bed recovering from a back injury that I gave myself falling down the stairs in my home.  As a stay at home mom, I would call that a work related injury but it does not work that way!  No workman’s comp for me!

Well, here I was looking at my iPhone to find signs of life beyond the walls of the bedroom I was recovering in.  I found signs of life on facebook and twitter.  I have been following other cooks and foodies on twitter and frankly by now I was downright hungry.  The craving:  brownies!  Did I have a simple mix that I could just have my kids whip up? NO, of course not!  But that’s okay. Child labor (when brownies are involved) make willing hands to help.

I dug out a recipe book that was published by Family Fun Magazine. The Family Fun Cookbook and made their Chocolate-Lover’s Brownies (pg 194).

Here is my adaptation:

Chocolate Lover’s Brownies

Serves 20 small squares

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 8 oz semisweet chocolate
• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups nuts (I used one cup pecans and one cup M&Ms)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Spray a 9x13x2 inch baking pan with pam or a cooking spray
3. In the microwave, melt the butter and chocolate for about 3 minutes or until the mixture is completely melted.  I microwave f or one minute, stir and then heat in 30 second increments until it is melted, stirring after each time to combine.  Allow to cool for about 10 minutes after it is combined and melted.
4. In a bowl, using a mixer on medium high speed combine the eggs and sugar and beat for 3 minutes until the egg mixture is pretty light in color.  After the chocolate mixture has cooled add it to your egg and sugar mixture and combine.
5. Add flour and salt to the mixture and slowly combine.
6. Last minute: throw in your nuts and M&Ms if desired and just stir to combine.
7. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 28-30 minutes.

Allow to cool completely (if they make it that long).  Can be stored in freezer if desired.

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Aunt Nancy’s Chicken Bites

These wonderful little Parmesan and cracker crumb coated bites of chicken never last long around my house!  My husband says they are much better than anything McDonald’s serves up (yeah, of course they are made from scratch and not “pre-chewed” patties of chicken).  I was cleaning out my pantry and fridge today to make lunch.  I served them with couscous.

I got this recipe from one of my aunts.  Thank you Aunt Nancy!  I get my kids involved in the process.  Crushing the cracker crumbs in a bag and adding seasonings and cheese…

Aunt Nancy’s Chicken Bites

Serves 6-8

• 6 large chicken breast halves, cut into one inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups Ritz Crackers, crushed with a rolling pin
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3/4 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400 F
2. Cover two baking sheets with foil. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces.
3. Mix cracker crumbs with cheese, seasoned salt, thyme, basil and pepper. (You can just add them to the bag you used to crush the cracker crumbs)
4. Dip chicken pieces into melted butter and add a few pieces at a time to the bag of crackers.  Close the zip lock and have a child shake the bag to coat the chicken.
5. Place the chicken pieces about 1/2 inch apart from each other on the baking sheets.  Repeat process until all chicken pieces are coated and on the baking sheets.
6. Bake uncovered until golden brown 20-25 minutes.  Yields about 9 dozen pieces.

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