Danish Rye pretzel cookies

Anyone ever have those Danish cookies in the blue tin?  I always loved the ones in the pretzel shape.  These cookies are like that only better!



Sugared Pretzel Cookies via smitten kitchen1 large egg, hard-boiled and cooled
10 T unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c plus 1 T  sugar
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 c unbleached  flour
1/2 c rye flour (medium or white will work)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten with 1 t water
4 t turbinado or clear sanding sugar

Place butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Crack egg and peel shell. Separate yolk from white; discard or feed to your child who is freaky about hard boiled egg whites. mash yolk with a fork and dump into mixer bowl with other ingredients. Beat on med speed til light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl and beater with spatula as needed. Add vanilla, mix until combined. Add flours and mix at low speed until just combined. Using rubber spatula or your hands, reach into bowl and knead dough a few times into a cohesive mass.

Divide dough in half; place each half on a square of parchment paper. Form each into a log about 6 inches long (it will be about 1 3/4 inches in diameter) and wrap tightly with parchment, twisting ends to seal. Chill logs for 30 minutes, until semi-firm. (If you chill them longer, you’ll want to warm them up a bit or it’s difficult to work them into pretzel shapes.)

Heat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Slice 1/4" off first chilled log and roll slice into a ball in palm of  hands; this softens dough. On a counter, roll ball into a 6" rope. Pick up each end of rope and fold turn it into center, pressing it into a pretzel shape. Transfer to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing cookies 1" apart on prepared sheets.

Brush each pretzel cookie with egg white wash, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake cookies until they have golden brown edges, about 13-15 min. Remove from oven but let firm up on baking sheet for 5 min before transferring cookies to cooling racks.

Cookies stored in an airtight container between sheets of waxed/parchment paper will keep for at least 1 week.

Turkey meatball and orzo soup

Turkey Meatball and orzo soup adapted from Will cook for Smiles
1 lb ground turkey
½ c bread crumbs
1 egg
1 garlic clove
2 tsp fresh minced dill weed (1 t dried)
salt and pepper to taste
2 T veg oil
1 lg yellow onion, diced
2  carrots, shredded
1 garlic clove
2 T vegetable oil
4 c chicken or turkey stock
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 c orzo
1 t minced fresh dill weed (1/2 t dried)

Meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine meat, crushed garlic, bread crumbs, egg,  dill, salt and pepper. Mix until all evenly incorporated. Divide it into sm meatballs and leave on a tray while saute veggies.
Preheat 2 T  oil in asoup pot, over med heat. Add onion and carrots. Raise heat to med-high and saute veggies until they begin to caramelize. Stir often. When golden, add garlic and lower heat to med. Saute til garlic fragrant. remove veggies, set aside. Add 2T oil and meatballs. Cook til mostly done, turning after bottom golden. Once meatballs almost cooked, add  veggies, bay, salt and pepper, and stock to pot.Cook, covered, for about 15 min. Add orzo and dill. cook til orzo done, 10 min. remove bay leaf and serve!

Mushroom Swiss Cheeseburger Mac

Mushroom Swiss Cheeseburger Macaroni via Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
2 T EVOO
1/2 med onion, thinly sliced
8 oz mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb hamburger
3 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
3 c beef stock
8 -12 oz elbow macaroni (or other short cut pasta)
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 c milk, warmed
2 c Swiss cheese, shredded
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

In large skillet, heat olive oil over med heat. Add onions and sautee, stirring occasionally, until they begin to turn golden brown. About 5 min. Add mushrooms to skillet and continue to cook an additional 5 min, then add garlic and cook and another min.Increase heat to med-high and push veggies to sides of pan. Add gr beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring into sauteed veggies. Cook until there is no longer any pink. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, pasta, and beef stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook  10-15 min (til pasta al dente), stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking. Meanwhile, in a med pot, melt butter over med-high heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk for a couple of min. Add warmed milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and add Swiss cheese a little at a time, stirring until it is melted before adding more cheese (mix will be very thick). Stir cheese sauce into hamburger mixture. Garnish with chopped parsley

Cheater Carrot Cake Jam

Quick & Easy Carrot Cake Jam for Baking via Wicked Good Kitchen

1 (12-ounce) jar orange marmalade,
½ to 1 t molasses
½ c  grated peeled carrots, about 1 med
¼ c  crushed pineapple, well drained
¼ c flaked coconut, or unsweetened flaked coconut
½ t cinnamon,
¼ t nutmeg
¼ t cloves
¼ t  vanilla ,
1 T tapioca flour or corn starch

In med pan (not over heat), combine all ingredients except tapioca flour and crystallized ginger; stir until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 5 min to macerate.Sprinkle tapioca starch evenly over mixture and stir well to incorporate. The residual juices in the pineapple and other wet ingredients will help to dissolve the tapioca. Over med-high heat, bring mix to boil while stirring frequently. Reduce heat to med-low and cook stirring frequently until thickened, about 1 to 2 min. Remove from heat and, if desired, stir in crystallized ginger. Cool completely before using in recipes.

Sugared Cranberries

These were also made for Thanksgiving 2014.  I absolutely love them and could not stop eating them!


Sugared Cranberries from Our Best Bites
12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1 c sugar
1 c water
*additional sugar for rolling

Wash cranberries and discard damaged ones. Place in a bowl. Combine sugar and water in a pot and heat until simmering. Stir until sugar is dissolved and let cool for a few minutes until warm (not hot). Pour over cranberries and let sit in fridge, covered, overnight. Use a slotted spoon to remove berries from syrup. Set berries on a cooling rack that is placed over foil to collect drips. Spread berries out so they are not touching each other. Let dry for 1 hour. Roll berries a handful at a time in sugar.  Place sugared berries on a baking sheet, or foil, etc. and let dry for an hour or two.I prefer to store in the fridge in an airtight container.. Try not to stack them too deep, the more they rub against each other long term, the greater chance of  sugar rubbing off.

Bubble Up Pecan Pie

This was made for Thanksgiving dinner 2014

Pecan Pie Bubble Up via Plain Chicken
1 c Karo light Corn syrup
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 c chopped pecans
1 (12oz) can Pillsbury Grands Jr. Biscuits

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray a 9x13"  pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Whisk together corn syrup, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in chopped pecans. Cut biscuits into quarters and toss in pecan mixture. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes.ml#howQqiEQhIh5zC4L.99

Tex Mex Ravioli Casserole

Easy Tex-Mex Ravioli Casserole via The Kitchen is My Playground
1 (24 oz.) jar salsa
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 t cumin
2 (20 oz.) packages frozen cheese ravioli, thawed
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (3 c cooked)
1 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a mixing bowl, combine salsa, tomato sauce, and ground cumin. Pour 1/2 c salsa mixture in bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13"  dish. Place first bag of ravioli evenly over sauce, covering  entire bottom of  baking dish. Top ravioli evenly with  black beans, green onions, cilantro, and 1 c salsa mix. Layer remaining bag of ravioli on top of black bean/cilantro layer. Top with remaining salsa mixture; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350F for 45 min. Let stand 5 min before serving.

Cheater Korean Beef Bowl

Cheater Korean Beef Bowl via Damn Delicious
1/3 c brown sugar, packed
1/4 c soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
1/2 t crushed red-pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/4 t  ground ginger
1 T vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Cooked rice, for serving

In a small bowl, whisk brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and ginger.Heat veg oil in a large skillet over med high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 min. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 min, making sure to crumble beef as it cooks; drain excess fat. Stir in soy sauce mix and green onions until well combined, allowing to simmer until heated through, about 2 min. Serve immediately with rice.

Cinnamon Maple Toffee Monster cookies

Cinnamon Maple Toffee Monster Cookies via Bake your day
4 1/2 c old-fashioned oats
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter, room temp
3 eggs
1 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1 T maple extract
1 c cinnamon chips
1 c toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners.In a large bowl, mix the oats, baking soda, salt, & cinnamon. Set aside. In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream white sugar, brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 min. Add eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add peanut butter, and maple extract and beat for an additional 3 min until combined and smooth. Add oats mix and mix until fully incorporated, then add cinnamon chips and toffee bits, mixing again until distributed.
Use a large cookie scoop (or 1/4 c measuring cup) to scoop dough onto parchment paper or Silpat liners. Bake 8-10 min. Let cookies cool for 1-2 min on cookie sheets, and then transfer to wire racks to cool.

Beer Chicken Tacos

Crockpot Beer Chicken Tacos via Tablespoon
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 beer (use your favorite)

1 red onion, diced

4-5 jalapeno peppers, diced, seeds removed

3 cloves garlic

1 packet  taco seasoning mix or 3T your favorite taco spice blend

1 (4.5-ounce) can  chopped green chiles

taco shells

Shredded cheese

Salsa

Sour cream

Lettuce

Add chicken, beer, onion, jalapeno, garlic, taco seasonings, and green chiles into a slow cooker. Mix well and turn on low for 6 hrs.Once meat fully cooked, shred meat right in slow cooker with a fork.
Serve in either soft or hard taco shells and top with cheese, salsa, sour cream, and lettuce.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

Sloppy Joe Casserole via The baker mama
1-1/2 lb ground beef
1 lg white onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 T brown sugar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 t dry mustard
1 t garlic powder
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
3/4 c ketchup
2 c flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1-1/3 c milk
6 T melted butter
2 large eggs
1-1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.
 In large skillet over med heat, cook beef . Add onion and pepper and sauté 5 min. Stir in brown sugar, Worcestershire, mustard and garlic . Add tomato sauce and ketchup and stir until well combined. Let mixture simmer over low heat while you prepare topping. For topping, add flour, baking powder and salt to a large bowl. Stir in milk, melted butter, and eggs until well combined. Fold in shredded cheese. Pour meat mic into 13x9" dish. Spread topping evenly over meat mix. Bake 25-30 min til crust is light golden brown. Servings: 8

Poppy Seed Chicken

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole via Six Sisters Stuff
2 c chicken, cooked and diced
2 c Ritz crackers, crushed
1 T poppy seeds
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 c sour cream (I've used 3/4c and it's turned out fine)
1/2 c butter, melted
1 t Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 t minced garlic (optional)
1 T lemon juice (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix chicken, soup and sour cream in a large bowl. Add  Worcestershire, garlic, and lemon juice. In another bowl, mix crushed crackers, poppy seeds, and melted butter and stir until butter is completely incorporated.Spray a 9×13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread chicken mix on bottom and top with cracker mixture. Cover pan with foil and bake 15 min. Remove foil and bake 15 min.

Sausage and Pasta Skillet

One pot cheezy sausage and pasta skillet via Yellow Bliss Road
1 T olive oil
1 lb Hillshire Farm Smoked Turkey Sausage, sliced
1 c diced onion
1 T minced garlic (about two fresh cloves)
2 c Chicken Broth
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 c milk or heavy cream
8 oz dry pasta (any small pasta will do) (sometimes i use a whole lb of pasta)
1/2 t salt and pepper, each
1 c shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese
1/3 c chopped scallions, for garnish

Add olive oil to a 4-5 qt pan over med high heat. Add onions and sausage and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for about 30 sec.Add chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, pasta, and seasonings. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 min, or til pasta is tender.
Turn off heat and stir in 1/2 c ofcheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for 5 min to allow cheese to melt. Top with sliced scallions and serve. Makes  4 servings.

French Onion Meatballs

FRENCH ONION STUFFED MEATBALLS via cupcakes and kale chips
For onions:
1 T EVOO
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
½ Tfresh thyme or ½ t dried thyme
1 t salt
½ t pepper
¼ c beef broth
¼ c red wine like pinot noir

For meatballs:
1 ½ lbs ground beef
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 T minced fresh parsley
1 t pepper
1 t kosher salt
1 egg
8 oz mozzarella  (1-2 oz into 16 1/2"cubes, to stuff meatballs,  remainder shredded)
½ T olive oil
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional

For  sauce:
1 ¾ c beef broth
¼ c red wine
2 T cornstarch
salt & pepper, to taste

For onions: Heat oil in a skillet over med, add onions, salt & pepper, cook 15-20 min, stirring frequently or til caramelized.Add thyme, sauté 1-2min, then add wine and broth. Reduce until very little liquid remains.Set aside.

For  meatballs:Combine all ingredients except cheese in large bowl, and gently combine with hands.
Divide meat mix into 16 equal pieces. Take one piece of meat mix and flatten slightly into patty. Place about 1/2T onions and one cube of cheese in center of patty and wrap meatball around onions and cheese, sealing as best you can. Mine didn't want to stay sealed as they cooked Repeat with the remaining meat, onions, and cheese cubes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in skillet over med high . Add meatballs and brown on all sides.
Whisk sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs. Place in oven and bake 15-20 min. If you are not using an oven-safe skillet, transfer to a casserole dish before pouring over the sauce. Sprinkle shredded cheese over meatballs and return to oven for 15-20 min, til cooked through, then place under the broiler 2-3 min, til cheese browned and bubbly. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Sausage and Grits Chowder

This dinner was so simple, Blockette, who is 9, prepared it for us with only minor supervision.

Sausage and Grits Chowder via Plain Chicken
1 lb bulk  breakfast sausage
2 cans Cream of Potato soup
1 (14.75 oz) can cream corn
3 c milk
1 Tbsp cajun seasoning (This was a bit spicy so reduce according to your tastebuds)
1/2 c quick grits (I only had regular grits, but they cooked in the same amt of time.)
1 1/2 cu water


In a small pan boil 1 1/2 c water. Stir in grits. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 5 min, til grits done, stirring often.Brown sausage over med-high heat in a 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot. Stir in Cream of Potato soup, cream corn, 2 1/2 c milk and cajun seasoning. Stir in cooked grits. If soup is too thick, add more milk. Simmer over low heat until heated through, approximately 10 min.

Pumpkin Lentil Chili

Pumpkin lentil chili via Healthy Delicious
1 can (15.9 ounce) Black Beans, rinsed and drained (1 1/2 c cooked)
1 can (15.9 ounce) Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained (1 1/2 c cooked)
1 can (15.9 ounce) Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles
1 can (15.9 ounce) Pumpkin
2 c Water
1 c Lentils
1 Onion, minced
1 Green Bell Pepper, finely diced
1 Carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 T Chili Powder
1 T Ground Chipotle Chile Pepper

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on High 4 hrs or Low 8 hrs.

This is another dish that tastes great served over a baked potato!

Chipotle Peach Chicken Tacos

Chipotle Peach Chicken Tacos via Sugar Dish Me
 Chicken:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 c peach preserves
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (be sure to scrape the seeds out to avoid TOO much heat)
½ c orange juice
1½ T chili powder
½ t cumin
½ t paprika
salt to taste
½ c chicken broth or water, as needed

Rice (optional):
1 c jasmine rice
½ c chopped cilantro
juice of ½ a lime

 Peach Salsa:
1 c ripe but still slightly firm peaches, coarsely chopped (I used chopped frozen peaches)
¼ c red onion, finely diced
2 T sweet red bell peppers
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 T  chopped fresh cilantro
1 T rice wine vinegar (optional)

 Tacos:
8-10 flour tortillas (taco-size)
1 c shredded white cheddar or mex blend cheese

Place chicken breasts in bottom of med saucepan and cover them plus 1" water. Bring to boil and  reduce heat to simmer at med high for 10 min (longer if you have thicker pieces of meat). Turn off burner and let  chicken sit in water 5 min. Cut to be sure no pink remains in the middle, drain water, and shred chicken with forks. Place it back in the saucepan.Add peach preserves, chipotle peppers, orange juice, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and salt (if needed). Stir to coat chicken. Bring it to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, while prepare rice and salsa. Add broth or water as needed. Cook rice according to package instructions. Stir cilantro and lime juice into  cooked rice
To make salsa toss peaches, onion, red bell peppers, jalapeno, and rice wine vinegar.To serve tacos add rice to each tortilla, Top with chicken, salsa, and a little shredded cheese. I like to add more chopped cilantro.

Chicken maranara-alfreado rigatoni

Chicken maranara-alfreado rigatoni via Gloriously Made
2 boneless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1 T minced garlic
1 T  crushed red pepper flakes
½ t black pepper
3-4 T olive oil
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 jar Marinara sauce
1 lb Rigatoni noodles
Grated Parmesan cheese & red pepper flakes for garnish

Sauté garlic, red pepper flakes, and pepper 2-3 min in EVOO,  right before your garlic turns brown.
Add sliced chicken to the oil, garlic, and peppers and cook over med heat til  strips are no longer pink in middle.While  chicken cooking, cook pasta until al dente. Once chicken is done, add the Alfredo and Marinara sauces and let simmer 10 min. Add cooked pasta to chicken and sauce and mix together. Garnish with Parmesan Cheese and red pepper flakes for garnish.

Jalapeno popper meatballs

Jalapeno popper meatballs via The stay at home chef

1 lb ground beef
1/2 white onion, diced
1 to 2 jalapenos, diced
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup milk
2 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt
4 oz cream cheese
4 to 5 hoagie sandwich buns
barbecue sauce

 Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan or four sided baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a med bowl, combine beef, onion, jalapenos, bread crumbs, cheddar cheese, milk, Worcestershire sauce, basil, and salt. Mix thoroughly until ingredients are evenly distributed. Shape into 15 roughly shaped meatballs. Divide cream cheese into 15 pieces, one for each meatball. Working one at a time, take a meatball and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Place a piece of cream cheese in the center and wrap the meatball around the cheese, sealing it inside the middle. Place the fully shaped meatballs into the prepared baking pan. Cook in the preheated oven for 25-30 min. Serve hot on a toasted hoagie drizzled with your favorite barbecue sauce

Crunchy Baked Tacos

Crunchy Baked Tacos via No.2 Pencil
1 1/4 lb  ground beef
1 5.8 oz box of Yellow Corn Taco Shells (12 shells)
1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of chili powder
2 cups of freshly shredded colby jack cheese
romain lettuce
vine-ripened tomatoes
sour cream
taco sauce

Preheat oven to 400 F and place shells in a 9x13 baking dish. Brown ground beef and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin and chili powder. Sprinkle half of the cheese in the bottom of taco shells. Evenly distribute ground beef in shells. Top ground beef with remaining shredded cheese.Bake 10 min, or until cheese is melted and shells have started to crisp. Remove from oven and top with sour cream, taco sauce, lettuce and tomatoes.

Sweet potato chicken quinoa stew

 SWEET POTATO, CHICKEN, AND QUINOA SOUP via Chelsea's Messy Apron
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c quinoa
2 large sweet potatoes
1 can (1.5 c cooked) black beans
1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes
1 t minced garlic
1 packet (3T) chili seasoning mix
5 c chicken broth
Optional: fresh parsley

Spray slow cooker with nonstick spray. Remove fat from chicken and put into slow cooker along with rinsed quinoa. Remove sweet potato skins and cut into bite size cubes. add to crockpot. Drain and rinse black beans and add. Add undrained petite diced tomatoes, minced garlic, chili seasoning mix, and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3-5 hrs. Shred chicken and stir.  Add salt, pepper and parsley to taste.

Zucchini Cobbler Bars

This is a great way to use up a plethora of zucchini.  Mrblocko said if he hadn't seen me prepare this dish he could have sworn it was made with apples, not zucchini.

Zucchini Cobbler Bars via Taste and Tell
4 c chopped seeded, peeled zucchini
⅓ c lemon juice
½ c sugar
½ t cinnamon
¼ t ground nutmeg
2 c flour
1 c oats
1 c sugar
½ t cinnamon
¾ c cold butter, cubed

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease a 7x11 dish. (I used a 9x9 and had thicker bars.) Combine zucchini and lemon juice in  med pan and cook over med-high heat til  zucchini is soft, 10-15 min. Stir in sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; cook an additional minute then remove from heat.In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, sugar and cinnamon. Cut butter into flour mix til resembles coarse crumbs.Mix ½ c crumb mix into zucchini mix. Press half  remaining crumb mix into bottom of the prepared pan. Pour zucchini mix on top of crust, then sprinkle the remaining crumb mix evenly on top. Bake 35-40 min, til golden brown on top. Let cool before slicing.

Zucchini Pineapple Muffins

Zucchini Pineapple Muffins- makes 24 via Bless This Mess
2 c sugar
1/2 c applesauce
1/2 c oil
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
3 c flour
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t  cinnamon
1 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
2 c shredded zucchini, water squeezed out
One 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, well drained

Preheat oven to 350F. In med bowl add sugar, applesauce, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Sprinkle flour across top of wet ingredients and then sprinkle baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder across top of flour. Stir everything just until combined. Add zucchini and pineapple and stir .
Pour batter into 24 muffin cups and bake until center is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 20 min. (Make sure zucchini and pineapple are drained well or the muffins will be gummy.)

Bubble up BBQ Chicken

Bubble up BBq Chicken adapted from pillsbury 
2 cans grands jr- quartered
2 c cooked chicken - chopped into bite size pieces

1 1/4 c bbq sauce
2 c cheddar cheese - divided
1 red onion, diced and cooked
diced roasted red pepper
green onion
cilantro

preheat oven to 375. combine biscuits through red pepper, using only 1 c cheese.  place in 9x13 pan, that has been sprayed with pam.   top with cilantro, green onion and rest of cheese.  Bake 30-45 min until biscuits are fully cooked.

Crockpot lentil and beef sloppy joes

Because I like to torment my daughter, I told her that I renamed these sloppy joes, Sloppy Johanns, after her teacher,  She loves her teacher and was thus thoroughly offended.

It's the little things!

Lentil and beef sloppy joes via The recipe rebel
1 lb  gr beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small zucchini, shredded (could substitute a carrot, other veg, or just leave out)
¾ c split red lentils, dry (I've used regular lentils)
1½ c water or broth (beef, chicken or veg)
1 c ketchup
1 t salt
4 T apple cider vinegar
½ c BBQ sauce
½ t minced garlic
2 T Worcestershire sauce
⅓ c brown sugar
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes

In large pan, cook ground beef and onion over med heat until browned. While meat's cooking, add remaining ingredients to slow cooker (I used a 6qt, and it was about half full). Add ground beef and stir. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  

The leftovers taste especially good over a baked potato, topped with cheese!

Pizza Boats

Baked Potato Skins a la Pizza adapted from sea salt with food
 Skins
4 Medium Size Russet Potatoes, scrubbed and stabbed with a fork to vent
Olive Oil
Sea Salt

Filling
1 C Pizza Sauce (
2 C Shredded Mozzarella or Italian Blend Cheese
16 Slices of Pepperoni, quartered,
 plus more for garnish
Freshly Ground Black Pepper


Preheat the oven to 400˚F.  Place taters right on the oven rack.  Bake 40-50 min til fork tender.  Let sit until they are cool enough to handle.  Cut spud in 1/2 and scoop out flesh making sure you leave about 1/4" flesh around the actual skin so you have something to put your fillings in.  Brush with evoo and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake 8-10 min on each side until the "boats" are crisp.  Fill with 2 T sauce, as much cheese and pepperoni pieces as you like.  Top with full size pepperoni to make it look more pizza like.  Bake 15-16 min until cheese is melted.  Serve warm.

Buffalo Fries

Buffalo Fries adapted from Tidy Mom
1½ bags seasoned fries
2 T EVOO
1 t garlic powder
1 t cayenne powder
ground pepper to taste
1 c prepared buffalo wing sauce
1½ c cheddar cheese, grated I used a triple cheddar blend
1/2 c blue cheese, crumbled
3 green onions, sliced

1/2 lb crumbled, cooked bacon

ranch dressing to taste

450F  line large sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, add fries and toss with oil. Add garlic, cayenne and pepper and toss to coat. Place in single layer on sheet.  Bake 20-25 min, turning after 10 min. Heat sauce over low heat to warm.  When fries crispy, turn oven to broil,  drizzle with sauce and cheeses.  Melt under broiler 2-3 min.  Cool and top with onions and bacon.  Drizzle with Ranch dressing if desired