Fruit Cobbler - easy and so good!

6 peaches or apples peeled or sliced
5 sliced white bread crusts removed
1 to 1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg
1/2 cup butter melted

Place fruit in square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cut each slice of bread into 5 long strips and place evenly over fruit. In bowl combine sugar, flour, egg, and butter. Pour over fruit and bread. Bake at 350 for 35 mintues until golden brown!

Bruschetta Chicken

1/4 cup Italian dressing
4 small ]chicken breast
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup KRAFT Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Place large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat. Pour 2 Tbsp. of the dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with the dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.
Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, cheese, basil and remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing.
Turn chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil on grill. Top evenly with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill an additional 8 min.

From Kraft

Grilled sausage, green beans and potatoes - a great new way to cook beans and potatoes

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
1/2 lb red potatoes
1/2 onion sliced
1 lb somked sausage, sliced
s and p
1 teaspoon veg oil
1 tablespoon butter

preheat grill to high. Toss first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Place on a large sheet of foil. Dot with butter. Add 1/3 cup water. Wrap tightly, and grill for 10 to 12 minutes on each side.

From Allrecipies.com

Not your average chocolate chip cookies- 2 of the best cookie recipes

2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 package instant jello cheesecake pudding
2 sticks of butter, softened
4 cups: butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chips, milk chocolate chips

Preheat 375. Mix everything together. Spoon on cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes.

Monster Cookies-easy cookies with no flour :)

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored m and ms
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

From Paula Deen!

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

6 boneless chicken breasts
Chicken stock
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of celery soup
s and p
1 (12 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough


Combine the chicken with enough stock to cover, and poach for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain some of the liquid from the pot, reserving 3 cups in the pot. Remove chicken and allow it to cool, then pull it apart into bite size pieces; return to pot.
Reduce heat to medium, and add the cans of condensed soup. Season with salt and pepper. Pull the biscuit dough into pieces, and add to the soup. Simmer over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through.

Stuffed Peppers

1 pound ground beef
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 cup water
4 green bell peppers
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup moz cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.
Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, onion and garlic until evenly browned.
Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)
In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers. Cover with foil.
Bake 50 minutes in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender. Sprinkle cheese on peppers and bake until melted.

Taco Soup

2 pounds ground beef
2 diced onions
1/2 green bell pepper
1 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Lots of shredded cheese
Corn chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapeños.

recipe adapted from Paula Deen

Cabbage Role Casserole - my hubby loves cabbage and this is great!

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried tyme
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cooked rice
4 strips of bacon, crumbled
1 head of cabbage shredded
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Brown beef, onion and garlic...drain fat. Stir is one can tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer. Stir in rice and bacon. Layer third cabbage in 9 by 13 pan. Top with half of meat mixture. Repeat layers; top with remaining cabbage. Pour remaining tomato sauce over top.

Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese is melted.

Black Bean Soup - great as a main course or as a side with tacos

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 cup salsa
1 teaspoon cumin
4 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons green onion

In an food processor, combine beans, broth, salsa, and cumin. Blend until fairly smooth. Heat the bean mixture in a saucepan over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Ladle soup into 4 individual bowls, and top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of the sour cream and 1/2 tablespoon green onion. Takes no time at all!

Greek tuna pasta sald

It's tuna Monday! Two tuna recipes that are so easy.

1 lb penne or any short pasta
1/4 red onion
2 tomatoes
1/4 cucumber
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 EVOO
1 can tuna in water, drained
dried parsley
s and p
feta cheese

cook pasta. wisk together evoo and vinegar. Add the veggies. Toss the pasta (make sure to cool it off). Top with tuna and feta.

Recipe comes from Rachel Ray!

Tuna Spaghetti

2 tablespoons butter
2 cans tuna in oil, undrained
chicken stock
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 green onions
2 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper
Freshly cooked spaghetti
lots of cheese

Saute all ingredients and serve over pasta. Top with cheese.

Marinated Tomatoes

Everyone loves this! Every year, we grow so many tomatoes; so this is a great easy salad.
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
green onions or chives
4 to 6 tomatoes cut into wedges

Combine all ingredients (except tomatoes) into large measuring cup. Pour into large plastic bag over tomatoes. Marinade for 2 hours.

Reicpe courtesy of Paula Deen

Peanut butter, chocolate, strawberry and banana sandwich

This is my favorite and so easy :)

bread
peanut butter
sliced strawberries
sliced bananas
mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
butter

Put peanut butter, sliced strawberries, sliced bananas, and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips between bread. Butter bread and grill.

Pizza Pasta

8 ounces ziti
1 pound ground beef
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce
4 ounces sliced pepperoni
2 cups shredded italian blend cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes
Brown beef with onion. Drain. Combine beef with sauce, pepperoni and pasta and pour into a 9x13 inch dish. Top with cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden.

Slow Cooker - Chili & Macaroni

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained 1 cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 cups cooked macaroni

Instructions:
1. Crumble ground beef into slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, except macaroni to slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low 4 hours. Stir in cooked macaroni. Cover and cook on Low 1 additional hour. Enjoy! To cut fat in this recipe, substitute ground turkey for the lean ground beef.

(I brown beef in pan first for a couple minutes. Then I drain fat, and add to slow cooker with onion, garlic and spices).

French Dip Roast Beef

My friend Debbie Driggs gave me this recipe six years ago. It is the best beef sandwhich I've made.

1 boneless chuck roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3 to 4 peppercorns
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
water
crusty rolls
swiss cheese

Place roast in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce and next six ingredients; pour over roast. Add water to slow cooker until roast is almost covered. Cover and cook on low at least 7 hours. Remove roast, reserve broth; shred roast with fork. Serve with reserved broth for dipping.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies - skeptics beware!

These are always the biggest hit at events...even if you think you don't like pumpkin, try them :)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper. Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookies by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

Recipe courtesy George Duran and FoodNetwork

Taco Bake

8 crescent rolls
Tortilla chips
1 lb ground beef
2 cups shredded cheddar/mexican cheese
taco seasoning
2 diced tomatos
1 head of romaine, shredded
sour cream

Put crescent rolls in bottom of 9 by 13 dish. Layer ground beef, crushed tortilla chips and cheddar cheese on top. Bay for 30 minutes at 325. Top with tomatos, lettuce, and sour cream.

Couscous salad with chicken - a great easy lunch....

1 cup of chicken stock
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 can chickpeas
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 oz feta cheese
1/4 cup sliced olives
1/2 red onion
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 tablespoons lemon juice
S and P
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

Cook couscous in boiling stock. Remove from heat and cover. Fluff with fork. Combine couscous with remaining ingredients.

...leave out the chicken and you have a side dish
Partially adapted from Cooking Light :)

Mac and Beef - for the nights you have no energy to cook

This is the easiest thing ever...it literally takes 15 minutes
1/2 cup macaroni
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion
2 gloves garlic
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon oregano
s and p
1 can tomato sauce
1 can italian style diced tomatos
EVOO
parm or cheddar cheese - whichever you like!

Cook mac for 8 to 10 minutes. Brown beef with onion and garlic. Drain off fat. Add tomatos, sauce, and seasonings. Add cooked mac. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes.

For variation, you an also add:

• green peppers
• 1 can corn
• 1 can of kideny beans

Easy entertaining - Spaghetti and meatballs

If you want to have an easy dinner party, pasta and meatballs might be the way to go!
16 0z of vermicilli
3 6 0z cans of tomato paste
2 14 oz cans of crushed tomatos
1/3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
EVOO
fresh basil

Meatballs
1 and 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 parm cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Make sauce by browning onion and garlic in EVOO. Add tomatos, tomato paste, sugar, oregano and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Mix ingredients for meatballs and roll into one inch balls. Drop directly into sauce and simmer for 45 minutes. Finish sauce with fresh basil.

Serve with tossed salad and garlic bread.

Taco skillett - courtesey of Campbells and Liz

1 lb ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1/2 salsa
1/2 cup water
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 chipotle pepper
1/2 cup corn
8 tortillas cut into stripps

Brown beef with onions and peppers. Drain fat. Add soup, salsa, tortillas, and water and bring to boil. Turn down heat and simmer. Add corn. Enjoy

Tollhouse pie - the easiest ever

My first post will be the easist dessert I've ever made:
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 frozen pie crust

Mix everything together and put into pie crust. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes to one hour. Enjoy!