Pizza Rolls- Yum

It's been a long time since I have posted on the recipe blog. So finally I post...

Pizza Rolls are an easy, yummy dinner for nights that you don't have a lot of time but you want something yummy and easy to eat.

Here's what you need for Pizza Rolls.

1 can Pillsbury pizza dough (I like the thick crust)

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Pepperoni

and any other pizza toppings you like.

Unroll the pizza dough. Pour the sauce on the dough and spread to 3 of the 4 edges. You want to leave some dough clean so that it will seal nicely. Cover with cheese. Line the pepperoni so that the pizza is completely covered. Add any other toppings you might like. Roll the pizza dough like it is a cinnamon roll. Then use a serrated knife to slice it into pieces.

Place in a greased 9x13 pan.

Bake at 425 for 15-17 minutes.

***The first time I made these, I cut the dough in half. They were more work but were still really good. But, I like the bigger ones best.

Coffee Cake Muffins

The other morning I was desperately wanting Bisquick Coffee Cake. BUT we were all out and it wasn't on the shopping list. Sigh. Off to my vast collection of cookbooks I went. I finally found these in the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. Yes, the one with the gingham cover. (Mine is pink though because it has an extra special section about Breast Cancer.) I made a few changes- cause that's what I do. It's not that I don't think other people's recipes are fantastic, I just like to make them a little more my own.

Here's the recipe as I did it...

The Topping

3 TBSP Flour

3 TBSP Brown Sugar

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

2 1/2 TBSP Butter

The Muffins

1 1/2 c Flour

1/2 c Sugar

1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

a little salt (the recipe said 1/4 tsp)

1/4 c butter

1 Egg (beaten)

1/2 c Sour Milk

Mix together the topping ingredients and cut in the butter. I like extra butter because it seeps into the muffins more. Set it aside.

Then combine the dry ingredients and cut in the butter. In another bowl, combine the egg and the milk and beat. Then add it to the dry ingredients.

Spoon into greased or lined muffin cups. Top with the topping.

Bake at 400 (or convect at 375) for 15-18 minutes.

No Bake Chocolate Cookies

Scott's sister, Kristal, brought these over to our house the other night and I've been craving them ever since. So, I went into my family cookbook. A little background on my family cookbook-- Three years ago, I was put on bed rest when I was pregnant with Ivy. In order to keep myself busy, I decided to compile all of our family recipes and put them in a book. I did this the hard way- I wrote everything out in Word and then formatted it and took it to Kinko's. I say it's the hard way because I have since found out that their are businesses that could have done it for cheaper and done all of the compiling and printing etc. -- So, back to my No Bake Cookie story. I went to my family cookbook. NO ONE had submitted a recipe for No Bake Cookies. Not even Kristal- and she's who made them and brought them over. Which now makes me wonder- how many other yummy and easy recipes am I missing? Guess it might be time to do a second version. My plan was always to do another one after 5 years- maybe I'll still wait.

Anyway, I finally found the recipe. Not in any of my cookie cookbooks, or my great big thick everything-is-in-them cookbooks. I found it in the "Fruit Heights Ward Cookbook" that my Aunt JoAnn gave us years and years ago. So, I made them and I'm so glad I did.

6 Tbsp Cocoa

1 tsp Salt

1 c Margarine

4 c Sugar

1 c Milk

1 tsp Vanilla

1 c Peanut Butter (optional)

6 c Oatmeal

Boil cocoa, salt, margarine, sugar and milk for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add peanut butter and vanilla

Add Oatmeal

Drop into bite sized cookies on waxed paper and let set.

Then eat, yummy yummy yummy.

Scott isn't a huge fan of these, because he isn't a huge fan of chocolate. (I know- how is that humanly possible?) Anyway, the girls love them and so do I. Next time I am going to try them without the peanut butter (although I used honey roasted peanut butter and it was really yummy), I'm not a huge fan of peanuts.

Yummy Potato Smashers

Back in June- when I was not hopping along on crutches and my foot elevated, I came across a really yummy recipe. The recipe is from Pioneer Woman Cooks. But, I've made a few adjustments and learned a few lessons making them. Tonight (yes I'm finally upright long enough to cook!) I made them at my parents for Sunday dinner.

First step- Clean lots of little potatoes. You would be surprised at how many little potatoes people will eat. Tonight I made about 48 of them and there were 6 adults and 4 kids- and they are ALL GONE! Each of the kids only ate 1.

Second step- Boil them until they are soft. You want to stick a fork in them easily.
Third step- Place them on a well greased cookie sheet. I used a lot of PAM.

Fourth step- Mash them down with a potato masher. You want them to stay about 1/3 of an inch thick.
Fifth step- Generously sprinkle olive oil on you smashed potatoes. (PW uses a brush- but not me- I prefer to pour).
Sixth step- Sprinkle with a lot of kosher salt. I've tried it with both kosher and regular. The kosher tastes better and gives a better texture.
Seventh step- Chop and season with your fresh herbs. I like rosemary and thyme. I was tempted to add parsley but then I would have wanted to add sage as well, and I just wasn't sure I wanted that much flavor. So, I stuck to rosemary and thyme. I used three good sized sprigs of each. Keep in mind though, I was making 48 of these little smashers.

Eighth step- Cook 'em. If you are convecting, put your oven at 425- otherwise 450. You will want to cook them for about 20 minutes. They should be a crispy and browned.
Ninth step- Stack 'em on a pretty platter
Tenth step- Garnish them with more sprigs of rosemary and thyme.

Here are a few things that I learned from making them several times.

1. Find as small of red potatoes as possible. I mean small. Not medium, not kind of small, really really small. Lets say the size of a ping pong ball or smaller. Golf ball size is too big.
2. Use lots of kosher salt. The flavor is stronger and it adds to the texture.
3. Oh, and really boil them until they are soft.

Everyone loves these. They are really easy to make. I won't say they are quick, because they aren't. Boiling them and really getting them soft is going to take a while. But not as long if you use little tiny potatoes. Plus the 20 minutes in the oven.

They also make really good left overs or munchies later on in the evening. That is assuming there are any left.

This week....

Hi friends- I will not be cooking much this week as I am going in for surgery on my foot tomorrow. I'm really bummed that I won't be posting. But, we are going to Bear Lake during "Raspberry Days" so I will bring home a bunch of raspberries and see what I can do the first part of next week. I'm thinking raspberry bread pudding, raspberry jam and who knows what else I'll come up with.

The Poor Man's Stroganoff

First off, sorry it's been a week since I have posted. I've been traveling for work and forgot to put the pictures on my laptop before I left. Now onto the feature meal.

Before I went back to work, I used to cook pretty meals every single night. They weren't hard to make nor were the expensive. I have to admit they fit more in the "semi-homemade" category. Which from what I'm starting to understand, offends some. But guess what? I'm a working mother of two girls and need to make healthy and yummy meals that my whole family will eat.

Here's the recipe...

1 lb of ground beef (I always go as lean as I can find)
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic

Strain the beef grease before you add...

2 cups sliced mushrooms (I didn't have any)

Saute until the onions are clear and then add

1/3 c red wine
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Continue cooking until the meat is cooked throughout.


Then add...

1/2 c sour cream
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook until heated throughout. Serve on noodles or rice.

I served this with green beans and both girls cleared their plates. When Hottie got home he ate the remainder of the pan and said, "Why don't you cook this more often? We really need to shop better so that you have things like this on hand." He is so funny.

Anyway, it's super easy and always yummy. It's not pretty for sure. So you have to serve it with something of color- sliced tomatoes, green beans, steamed zucchini.

PS if you don't cook with wine, use 1/3 of a cup of beef bouillon.

Zucchini and Chicken Kabobs

My family is so busy. I'm not sure how we're ever going to sit down for dinner once the girls are in school and after-school activities. Thursday Bug and Dives ate at my parents. Friday Hottie had gone 4-wheeling and Bug went to the show (again with my parents). Today was still a tough day, because Hottie had gone 4-wheeling again and he didn't feel like a real dinner. But, after two days of the chicken being marinated, I thought I'd better cook it. The flavor wasn't over bearing at all and the girls really enjoyed it. They weren't overly fond of the zucchini, but I don't think that was because of the preparation. Zucchini is maybe not the veggie of choice for a 5 year old nor a 2 year old. Bug said she liked the chicken "a lot" and that was all thought Dives would eat.

So, here's how I prepared it.

Cut the zucchini in half long ways, and then in half again, (so that you have 4 spears). Then slice into chunks. Put the zucchini in a bowl and drizzle about 2 tablespoons (depending on the size of the zucchini) of Olive Oil over the zucchini. I seasoned it with steak seasoning and All Season. Then mixed it up with my hands- making sure the zucchini is all coated with the oil.

I alternated chicken chunks and zucchini on the kabobs. Then I grilled it for 4-5 minutes on each side (with the lid closed).

My review of them is this... SUPER easy, quick and yummy. For me my only challenge was grill issues. But Hottie got it working and all was well.

Total preparation time was about 15 minutes. I served it with mashed potatoes topped with grilled onion.

Amy's Teriyaki Sauce...

I love marinating meats in Teriyaki Sauce. I do love the Kikkoman's Teriyaki, but I like to doctor it up. So, here is my recipe...

1/3 c Kikkoman's Teriyaki Sauce

2 T Kikkoman's Soy Sauce

3 T Red Wine

2 T Brown Sugar

1 tsp crushed Garlic Cloves

This is enough to cover two chicken breasts, one pork loin or two petite steaks.

If you are going to use the chicken in a stir fry, you will want to cut the chicken breast or beef into bite size pieces before you marinate. Keep the sauce and boil it if you would like to use it over your stir fry and rice.

My family always loves this flavoring. Scott thinks it's a little sweet, but the girls eat it up.

Grandma's Picnic Cake

My family grew up eating this cake many times each summer. As soon as someone would suggest the canyon, my mom would whip up this cake. It is super easy and always a hit. Okay, not always. Hottie doesn't like coconut, so he doesn't like this cake. Dives ate her piece and the rest of Ash's piece. (Ash is my niece that is the same age as Bug). Bug couldn't eat her piece fast enough. Me, I always love this cake. I've only recently started forking the cake to get the frosting to seep into it. An excellent addition as far as I'm concerned. Another thing that I've changed from when my mom used to make it, is the frosting. I've doubled the recipe she used to use. I never felt like there was quite enough. The frosting is really my favorite part of the whole cake. Ash agrees with Hottie, she didn't eat the top.

Now for the recipe...

Pour 1 ½ c hot water over 1 c oats

½ c oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ c flour

Mix all ingredients and then add the oats. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes

Frosting:
¾ c brown sugar
½ c coconut
2 T milk
¾ cube margarine
Boil, remove from heat. Add ½ c nuts (optional)

Punch a bunch of holes in the cake with a fork. Pour frosting over cake.

It will look really runny at first. Then it will seep into the cake and it will cool.

Puffed Pancakes

I absolutely love these Puffed Pancakes. If I wasn't on crutches right now, I would have made these with apples. This breakfast is always a success with the family. Dives will always eat a whole piece, and by the time we sit down for breakfast, Bug has already finished hers. Nanny really likes these too. Not only are they a sure thing, they are super easy to make.


6 eggs
1 ½ c milk
1 c flour
3 T sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ t salt
¼ t cinnamon
¼ lb of butter
2 apples, sliced and peeled (Optional)
2-3 T brown sugar

Melt butter in a 9x13 pan
(If making it with apples)- Add apples to melted butter. Return to oven until the butter sizzles

Mix remaining ingredients, except brown sugar, in a blender. Pour over melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes

Variations:
Serve with syrup, sour cream, lemon juice, or powdered sugar.

PS- If you want to make a square pan (which is what I usually do- a 9x13 is just so much food!) here is the recipe...
4 eggs
1 c milk
2/3 c flour
2T sugar
2/3 tsp vanilla
dash of cinnamon
2/3 of a cube of butter
1-2 T brown sugar

Dive's response was "yup, I like those." Bug prefers them with just powdered sugar. My mom puts sour cream, lemon juice and powdered sugar on hers. Me, give me syrup and powdered sugar.

Banana Bars

Can you guess we had several black bananas? This Banana Bar recipe is really good and adapted from the Lion House Lite Recipe book. The bars are the actual recipe but the frosting I made a few changes to. When making these, use a 9x9 pan. If you have a Pyrex 8x8 they turn out a little too thick and take longer to bake. I'm certain Hottie will prefer the bread to the bars. The bars are a touch more dense than the bread but the flavor is a little richer to go with the denseness.

2/3 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Sour Cream
2 T. Butter, softened
2 egg whites
3/4 C. mashed banana (about 2 normal sized)
1 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 375°F . Spray 9x9" pan. Beat sugar, sour cream, butter, and egg whites in large bowl 1 minute on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in bananas and vanilla on low speed 30 seconds. Beat in flour, salt, and baking soda 1 min. Spread in pan. Bake 20-25 minutes til light brown.

I like to frost them while they are still fairly warm. That way the frosting seeps in to the bars. (Adding to the density).

Frosting
1 1/4 C. powdered sugar
1 1/2 T. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 T. sour cream

Dives did not like this recipe either. She did like the frosting. Bug loved it and quickly devoured it. Nanny loved them and I really like them.

Banana Bread

This is not a recipe I make nearly often enough. It is super easy and both of the girls really like it. Okay, I take that back. Bug really likes the bread and Dives only liked the batter- she wouldn't try the bread. Don't worry, I recognize raw eggs are not good for them so she was limited to one taste.

1 ¾ c flour
2/3 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp soda
¼ tsp salt
2 large bananas, mashed
1/3 c butter
2 T milk
2 large eggs

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Add bananas, butter and milk, beat. Add eggs and beat.

Pour into a greased bread pan.

Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes

Of course this bread is best warm. If you aren't fortunate enough to get to eat it straight from the oven, you can pop it into the microwave for 10- 15 seconds. Be careful not to do it too long, or it will get tough.