Hot Pockets

I had posted this recipe several months ago, but since then I have made some changes to it and wanted to post my updated version.

1 c  warm water
1 1/2 tsp yeast
2 Tbs oil, cannola or olive
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
2 1/2 -3 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil. In separate bowl mix salt and sugar and 2 cups of flour. Add yeast mixture. Gradually add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl and forms a ball. I mix this part with a wooden spoon instead of a mixer.

Turn out onto lightly floured counter and knead in remaining flour until it forms a soft and slightly sticky ball. I don't always use all the flour, sometimes I only need 2 cups so try to base it off of the feel of the dough.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Separate dough into 4- portions depending on how big you want them. I usually make 4 big ones for the adults and then 3-4 small ones for the kids. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

Put 1/4- 1/2 cup filling on one side of your circle. Fold over and clamp shut with a fork, or just fold the edge over and pinch closed.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

For the filling you can get pretty creative. Here are a few of the combinations I've done:
Pizza Pockets with pizza sauce, green peppers, pepperoni, cheese and mushrooms.
Cheeseburger Pockets with hamburger, green peppers, cheese and tomato sauce.
Ham and Cheese Pockets for sauce mix 1/2 cup miracle whip or mayo and 2-4 Tbs of dijon mustard. Then add chopped ham, cheese and broccoli. I chop up the broccoli and nuke it in the microwave for about a minute just to get it partially cooked.

Jack 'o Lantern Chicken Pot Pie

I found this recipe on everyday food storage when I had no groceries left and had no idea what to make. I knew when I went to her site that I'd find something I could make because her recipes all revolve around using your food storage...and that was about all I had left! I confess I did run to the store for a pie crust, I'm not that brave yet. It turned out SO yummy, I modified it a bit because I like my food really heavy on the vegetables, but make sure if you do that you beef up the liquids too or it'll end up really dry. I made one in a regular pie plate and I made a few in some little ceramic cups I got from my grandma. No idea what they're called, but they sure are handy! My girls loved having their own personal little jack 'o lantern. Enjoy!

jack 'o lantern chicken pot pie

slightly modified from everydayfoodstorage.net

4 med potatoes, diced

1 med onion, diced (I used dehydrated)

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup carrot, diced

1/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth (i use bullion)

1 cup half and half (I used canned milk)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 8 oz can of corn

4 cups chicken, cooked and chopped (I used canned chicken)

a pie crust

1-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2-If using raw chicken, boil it in water (I boil it in extra chicken broth) for 15 to 20 minutes until white. Let cool, then chop or shred.

3- Meanwhile, saute onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes in butter for 10 minutes.

4- Add flour to sauteed mixture, stirring well. Cook one minute, stirring constantly.

5- combine 2 cups broth and half and half

6- gradually stir into vegetable mixture and add DRAINED can of corn

7- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.

8- Stir in salt and pepper; add chicken and stir well. Pour into shallow 2 quart dish (or divide between personal sized ramekins) and top with pie shell. Cut in slits for the steam to escape, just little lines around the face to make it look like a pumpkin.

9-Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly and cooked through. (the 6 little ones cooked for about 35-40 minutes)

Homemade Oreos

I found this amazing little recipe on wonder mom envy. I think it has become my favorite cookie and I will definitely be making it for the next gathering I attend! I had to cook them a little longer but I'm pretty sure it's due to the humidity here. i have had to relearn how to cook since moving to Texas, I never realized how much the weather affects the way we bake! I found this article, How weather affects cooking, that I thought was pretty helpful without getting to in depth, if your interested you should check it out. Another reason I really like these is because they are so simple Melody can do a lot to help. She loves being in the kitchen, but if you've ever tried baking with a preschooler you know why I don't allow her in very often. With these she can add the ingredients (we just learned how to crack eggs carefully after losing 4 or 5!), she can mix it (with mom's help of course), and she can help roll them into balls and put them on the cookie sheet. Needless to say these are also her favorite cookie!

Homemade Oreos

from wonder mom envy

1 box devil's food cake
3/4 cup shortening
*2 eggs
1 tub of cream cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Stir dry cake mix, shortening, and eggs until well moistened. Drop small spoon sized balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 9 minutes. (I bake mine for about 12-13 at about 70% humidity)

They don't look completely done when you pull them out. I just watch for the little cracks to appear on top. Then after I pull them out I let them set on the cookie sheet until cooled, otherwise your going to have a hard time getting them off the cookie sheet in one piece!

Also I frost these the night before and let them set. I think they taste better after the cookies have hardened a little and the frosting's not soft and gooey anymore.

*I didn't have any eggs the night I wanted to make these so I did some research and discovered that you can replace 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of applesauce. In baking eggs act as a binding agent and the apple sauce did the trick. They tasted exactly the same with the eggs as they did with the applesauce.

Blueberry Tart

I found this in the Real Simple magazine. They have a great mix of super healthy, but kinda fancy recipes. Keep in mind I eat a lot of toddler friendly food, so it really doesn't take much to be fancy in my book! The store I buy all my produce at recently had a really good sale on their blueberries, $0.99/lb, so I bought 6 lbs and froze them. (for more on how to freeze berries see end of post.) I was excited to come across this recipe because I had been looking for a way to use them besides the general smoothies and cereal toppings.

Blueberry Tart

1 8 oz sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 lg egg, beaten

1 T granulated sugar

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 C heavy cream*

1/2 t grated lemon zest

3 T powdered sugar

2 C blueberries

1. Heat oven to 350 F. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the sheet of pastry and roll it into a 10x12 rectangle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. (I just greased mine with Pam and it was fine, but it did stick a little. if your doing this for guests or if the presentation is important to you definitely use the parchment paper)
2. Using the tip f a knife, score a 1 inch border around the pastry without cutting all the way through. Brush the border with the egg and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Bake until golden and puffed, 18-22 minutes.
3. Using tip of knife, rescore the border of the cooked pastry without cutting all the way through. Gently press down on the center of the pastry to flatten it. Let cool to room temperature, 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cream, lemon zest, and 2 T of powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly within the borders of the pastry.
5. Arrange the blueberries in a single layer over the filling and sprinkle with remaining powdered sugar.

*I used real heavy cream for this but I don't usually have it on hand so when a recipe calls for it I usually use this recipe to make a substitute. It won't whip like the real stuff, but as an ingredient it works great!

3/4 C Milk

1/3 C Butter

1 T flour

Melt butter. Pour into milk and stir. Once combined add flour.

Freezing Berries

If you want to freeze berries, but don't want them to end up the clumpy mess you get when buy them at the store try this. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread berries evenly. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a sturdy freezer bag. Because you froze the individual berry they won't stick together, thus allowing you to pull out exactly the amount you need.

ugh there is a difference!

Recently my local grocery store had pork roasts on sale for $1.50/lb. I usually use pork tenderloins but figured there couldn't be too much of a difference right? Wrong! I even asked the butcher, briefly described the recipe I planned to use and asked him if it would work out, he said and I quote; "Oh definitely! That will be really good!" I should fire him! It turned out horrible! Next time I'll find a recipe meant just for that cut of meat! If any of you have a good pork roast recipe PLEASE feel free to share!

Dangerous Chocolate Cake

My mom e-emailed this to me today. Apparently it's been hanging around her inbox for a while and she finally decided to share the wealth. I really didn't think it was going to work, but it turned out so yummy! I added my favorite chocolate chip mint ice cream and I couldn't think of a better way to end the day!

Here we see what it looks like right out of the microwave.

And here it is all yummied up with my ice cream!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

A small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.

Add the egg and mix thoroughly..

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again..

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. (I just put mine on highest power)

The cake may rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Hot Hoagies

This is another from My Kitchen Cafe. I love that she has a balance of in depth and super simple recipes. This one was a last minute thing. When ever I don't know what to make I always head to her blog and look around for a minute. Inevitably I always find something that I can throw together. This one is so yummy and I may use this as a relief society dinner, you know the ones you take to people who are sick or just had a baby. Throw it together and all they have to do is pop it in the oven for a few minutes!

  Hot Hoagies

from my kitchen cafe

1 loaf french bread, cut lengthwise (I get the $1 loaves at Wal-Mart) 

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken* (in a pinch, you can use two large cans chicken breast) 

1/2 cup light mayo (I used miracle whip, it tasted ok, but it was kinda sweet. Next time I'll use the mayo) 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream 

2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts) 

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried) 

2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combo of Monterrey jack and sharp cheddar cheese) 

Olives, chopped (I didn't put these on simply because I hate olives) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place french bread on large baking sheet. Mix all topping ingredients together in a bowl. Spread topping evenly on top of both lengths of french bread. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and edges are lightly browned. Slice into pieces and serve immediately. 

*When I stock up on my chicken, I always boil 3 or 4 breasts, shred it and freeze it in Ziploc bags. Then I have it ready for a meal like this one.

Macaroni that big people can love!

This came in my latest Kraft Food & Family magazine and I loved that it combined Melody's
favorite food with some 'big people' taste. Be forewarned that this recipe makes a TON! Jared usually has two servings, the girls and I will each have one and there is still enough for everyone to have lunch the next day. Good Saturday night meal so that lunch is ready when you get home from church (or before you go ;p) I also like this one because Melody is able to help make it. She adds the noodles, the pizza sauce and the extra cheese (I have to do the cheese sauce, she gets a little crazy!)

Pasta Pronto Italiano

1 pkg. (7-1/4 oz.) KRAFT Macaroni Cheese Dinner
1 lb. lean ground beef 1 jar (15 oz.) pizza sauce
1/2 cup KRAFT Pizzeria Shredded Four Cheese

PREPARE Dinner as on directed on package. Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; drain, if necessary.

ADD Dinner and pizza sauce; mix lightly. Sprinkle with shredded cheese; cover. Reduce heat to low; cook 2 min. or until shredded cheese begins to melt.

See? Easy peasy!

P.S. here's a simple, and so so yummy pizza sauce recipe I got over at the my kitchen cafe blog. In case you hadn't noticed I heart her blog!

Homemade Pizza Sauce

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
Oregano
Garlic powder
Italian seasoning
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender and blend until desired consistency. I leave mine slightly chunky. On the seasonings, I just sprinkle them in to taste. If I use crushed red pepper, I only use a few flakes because my kids don't like spicy things, but it definitely adds a nice kick to the sauce to use it. I also substitute for whatever I don't have: basil leaves for oregano, garlic salt for garlic powder, etc. This recipe is open to interpretation. Use what you like and it will be delicious.

Slow cooker pork tenderloin

I stumbled across this recipe and didn't even save the link so I can't give credit where it is due. I love this one because it's really easy to throw together, but it turns out so tender and moist, I just love it! I usually can find pork tenderloins for a deal, I just watch for them to be near their sale by date and ask for a discount. I got a $12 roast for just under $5 dollars last week!

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 
• 1 pound each salt and pepper 
• 1 small clove garlic, minced ( I usaully ue 2 and press them instead of mincing them) 
• 4 Tbs grainy Dijon mustard 
• 2 Tbs honey 
• 2 Tbs brown sugar 
• 1 Tbs cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar 
• 1/2 tsp dried leaf thyme 
• 1 Tbs cornstarch 
• 1 Tbs cold water

Wash and trim the pork, pat dry; sprinkle with salt and pepper, place pork in slow cooker. Combine garlic, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, and thym; pour over the pork. Turn pork to coat throughly.Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours, or high 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove pork to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm.

Pour the sauces into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 8 to 1 minutes, or until reduced by about 1/3. Combine the cornstarch and cold water; whisk into the reduced sauce and cook for 1 minute longer. Serve pork sliced with thickened juices.

Skillet Tamale Pie

I made this tonight and it was so quick and super yummy! Melody wouldn't eat it, but Katie gobbled it up, and really Melody doesn't eat anything so I guess her opinion shouldn't really count! :) I forgot to drain the tomatoes and it made it way to runny so make sure you drain your beans and tomatoes really well. happy cooking!

Skillet Tamale Pie servings: 4-5----time: 25-30 min

Ingredients: 2 Tbs vegetable oil 1 med onion 2 Tbs Chili powder 1 tsp salt 2 cloves garlic 1 lb ground beef 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained 1 pkg corn bread mix 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 2 Tbs cilantro minced Preparation: 1. Heat oil in 12” oven proof skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, chili powder and tsp salt and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 2. Stir in ground beef, beans and tomatoes, and bring to a simmer, breaking up meat with spoon, about 5 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, mix corn-bread batter according to package instructions. 4. Stir cheese and cilantro into filling and season with salt and pepper to taste. Dollop corn bread batter evenly over filling and spread into even layer. 5. Place skillet in oven and bake at 450 until corn bread is cooked through in center, 10-15 minutes. *If you don't have an oven proof skillet, prepare filling and transfer to a 9x9 or 9x13 baking pan. If you use a 9x13 prepare 2 corn bread mixes.

Home Made Hot Pockets

This recipe came from http://everydayfoodstorage.net/. She's all about building and using your food storage on a daily basis so it's being rotated properly and nothing is being wasted. She has some pretty good ideas so if you have some time to kill you should head over and browse her site for a while. This recipe is pretty easy and very versatile. You can make it a family affair and let everyone fill their own, or just try different fillings each time you make them. I had hamburger thawed so I decided to get creative and make cheese burger hot pockets. They turned out really yummy, even Melody ate some!

Hot Pockets

1 C. Luke Warm Water2 T. Olive Oil or Canola Oil 1 t. Sugar 1/2 t. Salt 3 C. Flour (I usually do Half all-purpose and half whole wheat or all whole wheat flour) 1 1/2 t. Yeast

Dough by Hand: Dissolve Yeast in warm water. Add Oil, Sugar, and salt. Slowly mix in flour and knead. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

Dough in Bread Machine: (I imagine this would be a ton easier in a bread machine, but for those of us without one it's still a pretty quick and simple recipe)Add ingredients in order your bread machine specifies You don’t want your dough to raise for more than one hour. Most bread machine dough cycles will “beat” down the dough and you’ll want to take the dough out before it does that. Consult your users manual for timing and instructions on how to put the ingredients in.

1. Pre-heat oven to 375

2. When dough is ready, separate it in to 6 portions. 3. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8" inch thick circles.

4. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.

5. Put 1/4-1/2 cup worth of filling. If you’re making all the same kind of hot pockets mix all your filling items together and use a scoop to fill the pockets.

6. Fold dough in half over the filling and clamp edges with fork or you can roll the edges over (this is what I usually do)

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 on a greased baking sheet.

Cheese Burger Filling

1 lb hamburger

1 bell pepper diced

1 onion diced

1 can diced tomatoes drained ( I drained it because I didn't want it to get too saucy, but you don't have to)

1 can tomato sauce

mushrooms

cheese

Brown hamburger for about 5 minutes with onions, peppers, and mushrooms (use as many or as few mushrooms as you like. I really like them s I added lots). Add diced tomatoes and sauce, allow to simmer until burger is cooked through. Turn off heat and add shredded cheese to taste. You can use any kind of cheese, I used mozzarella, and make sure you start with a small amount because a little goes a long way and you can always add more, but it's tough to take it back out! I let this cool for a few minutes before putting it in the pockets so it would be easier to work with.

She also says that these freeze well so I think I may make a batch just for snacks or quick lunches for Jared. We'll see how well that works out!

EDIT: I made a double batch of these and when they were cool I wrapped them in saran wrap and then again in foil. When I needed to cook them. I took off the foil and zapped it for 1 min. The saran wrap keeps it from getting dry so they turn out moist and yummy! I also made smaller ones for my girls so they wouldn't waste any. It worked out great!

lion house dinner rolls

These are not an easy one to make if you don't have a stand mixer, which I don't! I used my hand mixer until the last two cups of flower and then the dough was too sticky and I had to knead in the last of the flower. It's not easy, but it's possible and so worth it!

Lion House Dinner Rolls

2 tablespoons active-dry yeast

2 cups warm water

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter or shortening

1 egg

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk

5-6 cups flour

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar, shortening (or butter), salt, dry milk, 2 cups flour and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add remaining flour gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time) until a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until it is smooth and satiny (Be prepared, if you don't have a mixer to knead for you this will be a workout!). Return dough to an oiled bowl and cover to let rise until doubled. (I think I let mine rise 3-4 hours)

Separate dough into seven or eight pieces. Roll out each portion into a circle (I tried to get mine about 1/8" thick) and cut into 8 pie-shaped pieces. (I used a pizza cutter) Roll up crescent-style and place on baking sheet. Cover with saran wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes - until nicely browned. Makes about 5 dozen rolls.

If you go to the link it'll take you to the my kitchen cafe blog and she has lots of good tips in her comments. People will leave questions in the comments and she always answers them. Usually the questions other people ask are the same ones I have so it works out well for me!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This is the yummiest soup I have ever had! It's all creamy and warm and flavorful, YUM! I made it tonight and easily fed six adults and three small children, plus the men all had seconds! If you don't have that many to feed or don't want it twice in one week you may want to half the recipe. This is another from my kitchen cafe blog. She also lists it with a recipe for bread bowls. I tried them, but didn't have a lot of luck! Tonight I made this with the Lion House rolls recipe, I'll put that one in the next post. I made the mistake the first time I made this of using a 5qt pot, it just barely fit! So I went and bought a 9qt pot. Everyone should have a good big soup pot!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

½ cup butter

1 finely chopped onion

½ - 1 cup frozen corn (or ½ cup chopped celery, if preferred)

½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

½ cup carrots, sliced

¾ cup all-purpose flour

6 ½ cups chicken broth (can use 7 bouillon cubes plus 6 ½ cups water)

2 cups cooked wild rice

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon mustard powder

½ teaspoon dried parsley (I add about 1tsp because it makes it look pretty!)

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup slivered almonds (I didn't add these just because I didn't have them on hand)

2 cups nonfat half-and-half (use normal half-and-half if you prefer, but you won't believe how delicious this is with the nonfat variety!)

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 more minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Transfer mixture to large pot. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until all has been added. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours. Be careful not to let the soup come to a boil or it won't thicken properly - let it simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Yummy Pancakes

I love having breakfast for dinner, but Jared's not a fan. I found this recipe and decided to give it a try. If it makes Jared agree to have them for dinner once in a while I'm all for it! They are really easy, but I don't usually have heavy cream and butter milk on hand so these are kinda a once in a while thing. Once again this came from my kitchen cafe.

Zephyr Pancakes

2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tablespoons (1 3/4 ounces) sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large egg yolks

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) heavy cream

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) buttermilk

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cream, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry, just until combined - it's okay if there are a few lumps.

Preheat and lightly grease (I didn't grease my griddle and they didn't stick) a heavy skillet or griddle. Scoop the batter onto the griddle with a 1/4 cup measure or a large spoon. Make sure the heat is slightly less than medium. The pancakes will puff up very high. When the first side is golden brown and the edges start to look dry, turn the pancakes over to finish cooking the second side. Remove the pancakes from the griddle and keep them in a warm serving dish until you have enough to feed everyone.

These are so thick and fluffy that I made them really big! Mellie thought it was pretty cool.

AMAZING bread sticks!

I found the easiest, most amazing recipe for breadsticks. I've been trying to figure out the whole bread thing without a whole lot of luck, but then I tried these and they turned out great! I found it on the blog my kitchen cafe she has great bread recipes and lots of tips for people like me who are bread retarded!

Divine Breadsticks

1 ½ cup warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

3 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

Butter for the pan

Mix all ingredients (except butter) and knead for three minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt desired amount of butter on baking pan (the original recipe called for 1 entire stick of butter - that was way too much for my taste - I use a couple tablespoons). Roll out dough about 1/8-inch thick and cut into strips. Place in butter and put close together. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

I usually make half with parmesan and garlic and the other half with cinnamon and sugar. So Yummy!