Chia oat yogurt

This recipe came from my brother-in-law's brother. It's one of our very favorites! Thanks Andrew!

When I make this, I don't measure. (but I put measurements if you want to use them). Honey vanilla yogurt is our favorite to use, but other flavors will work--even plain if you add some honey to sweeten.

2 cups Greek yogurt, honey vanilla
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup frozen berries (our favorite is blueberries)

Mix all ingredients together and set in the refrigerator overnight. This is a great way to get fruit in the winter by using the frozen berries. However, in the summer, I will mix up a big batch of the yogurt, oat and chia mixture, then spoon fresh blueberries, strawberries, etc. over the top just before serving.

You can add other healthy additions, such as ground flax seed, but the above combination is the best. Enjoy!

Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake

For the Cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (fresh is SO much better!)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 T heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
8 T unsalted butter (1 stick or 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten

For the Glaze:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour loaf pan; tap out excess flour.

To make the cake, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves; set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, cream and vanilla; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the pumpkin mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, water and lemon juice and bring just to a simmer, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Tap the loaf pan gently on a work surface to loosen the cake. Set the rack over the pan, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Place the rack over a sheet of waxed paper. Using a pastry brush, brush the warm cake with the glaze. let the cake cool completely, at least 2 hours, before serving.

Serves 8-10.

*Can also make in lined muffin pan, but reduce baking time. (around 25 minutes for 6 jumbo muffins)
Also, it is ok to not sift the dry ingredients, but do mix them together before adding to creamed mixture.

CANDIED PECANS OR WALNUTS

Great on the Buca Salad, or alone as a snack!

Ingredients:

1 C. sugar

1/2 C. cold water

3/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 lb. shelled pecan or walnut halves

Directions:

Combine 1^st 5 ingredients in a skillet on medium high heat; simmer until mixture spins small thread from spoon (will bubble, separate & expose skillet bottom when scrape a wooden spoon across it). Remove from heat and stir in pecans. Continue stirring until syrup coats pecans. Pour on waxed paper and gently separate nuts while cooling. (If they don’t seem to harden, put back in skillet and heat a little more).

BUCA SALAD

Created this salad after eating Buca di Beppo's version. One of my very favorites!

spring green lettuce mix (or spinach mix)

dried cranberries

diced apple (Granny Smith, Fuji or Honeycrisp)

gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (feta or shredded parmesan work too)

candied walnuts

Dressing:

1/2 C. grape seed oil (or canola)

2 T. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 T. sugar

1 tsp. red onion, chopped fine

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

For salad:

Layer ingredients in large salad bowl. Candied nuts recipe is listed in misc. section.

For dressing:

Place items, except sugar, in blender and mix. Slowly add sugar until dressing is mixed. A hand (immersion) blender works great for this!

Rachel Stacy makes a very similar salad...the dressing recipe is from her (and is much better than my hodge-podge of non-measured ingredients.)

TORTILLAS

I like this recipe because it does not use traditional lard, but still tastes great!

2 C. all-purpose flour (can substitute 1 C. for whole wheat flour)

1 1/2 T. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vegetable oil

3/4 C. warm milk

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and oil. Slowly add the warm milk and stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed. Knead for two minutes on floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft. Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes. After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands and place on a plate (make sure they aren't touching). Cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes.

After dough has rested, place one ball at a time on a floured surface and pat out into a four-inch circle. Roll with a rolling pin from the center until it's thin and about eight inches in diameter. Don't overwork dough or will be too stiff. Keep tortillas covered until ready to cook.

In a dry skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. it should start to puff a bit when it's done. Serve warm. (Can store in fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so, just reheat in dry pan).

Makes 8 tortillas.

from the Homesick Texan blog

SWEET POTATO HASH

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 red or russet potatoes, peeled or cleaned and chopped

1 red onion, chopped

2 cups corn, fresh off cob or frozen & thawed

2 jalapeno peppers, diced (opt.)

sea salt to taste

pepper to taste

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Place aprx. 1 T. oil in saute pan on medium-high heat (enough oil to cover bottom). Put potatoes, rosemary and onion in pan. Let potatoes start to crisp before stirring. Season to taste and add more oil or butter if needed. After 5 minutes (or when potatoes are about half-cooked), add corn and peppers (if don't want the heat of jalapenos, can add a diced green bell pepper). Saute until potatoes and corn are cooked and starting brown. Garnish with fresh parmesan cheese.

CREAM CHICKEN

This is very quick and very good!

4 frozen chicken breasts

1/4 C. cooking sherry or wine

1 clove garlic, crushed (or 1/4 tsp. powder)

1 tsp. Italian seasoning or herbs

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1/4 C. butter

1/4 C. cream or half-and half (opt.)

1 8oz. block cream cheese

steamed white rice

Place chicken in crock pot, then put seasonings, butter and wine over top. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (until chicken is tender and shreds). About 10 minutes before serving, place block of cream cheese in pot along with a splash of cream or half-and-half if desired. Cover until cheese melts, then stir mixture and serve over rice.

thanks Traca Miller!

BANANA BREAD

This is our current favorite recipe for banana bread. It makes great "cupcakes" (muffins) too!

Ingredients:

3-4 whole ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 C butter, melted

3/4 C white sugar

1/4 C Turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking soda

1 pinch salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 C flour (all-purpose or white wheat)

1 T. milled flax seed (opt.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 4" x8" bread pan with butter and set aside. Mash bananas in large mixing bowl with wooden spoon. Add butter and stir to combine. Add sugars, egg and vanilla and mix. Fold in flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until just combined. Pour into bread loaf pan. Bake for one hour. Cool completely before serving. (I use white wheat flour and add the flax seed...and it is really good...doesn't taste "healthy").

FLAT ENCHILADAS

This can be cooked in the crock pot, making it a great busy-night meal!

Ingredients:

3 lbs. lean roast (beef or pork)

garlic powder to taste

salt to taste

pepper to taste

dash cumin

1/8 C. cilantro, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

2-4 (7 oz.) cans chopped green chiles

2 (10 oz.) cans green enchilada sauce (Hatch if available)

corn or flour tortillas

shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese

lettuce, opt.

chopped tomatoes, opt.

Directions:

Place roast, seasonings, onion, cilantro, green chiles and enchilada sauce in crock pot and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, until meat is cooked and shreds. (Mixture should be very soupy; add 1/4 cup of water if necessary). Dip corn tortilla in green chile mixture and then place on plate. Add a spoonful of the sauce over the tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Continue layering tortillas and sauce, then cheese for 2 to 4 layers (depending on how hungry you are!). Garnish with lettuce, tomatoes and extra cilantro. This sauce also makes good burritos (just use same ingredients to stuff flour tortillas). For leftovers, add some diced potatoes to make a good soup.

Thanks Aunt Joy for this great recipe!

MALTED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

This is a great Pioneer Woman recipe! The cookies stay moist and chewy.

Ingredients:

1 C butter, softened (2 sticks)

3/4 C. light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 C. malted milk powder

2 C all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1 bag (12 oz.) milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars, then add eggs, vanilla and malted milk until combined. Sift or mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to mixture, stirring with wooden spoon until just combined. Add chocolate chips and stir in gently.

Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes (these will flatten out, so give them plenty of room).

TYLER TACOS

We had these tacos while visiting our friends in Tyler, Texas and loved them! (Our friends and the tacos :) )

Ingredients:

corn tortillas

grilled chicken breast, sliced

cabbage, shredded

cilantro, chopped

avocado slices (or guacamole)

queso fresco

sour cream

salsa

lime wedges

Directions:

Grill chicken (with favorite seasoning such as salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and chili powder). Let meat rest, then slice fajita-style. Warm tortillas on griddle (can form taco shells by using a little cooking oil and heat until tortilla just starts to get crunchy, then form into taco shell shape before hardens). Layer chicken, cabbage, cilantro, avocado, sour cream and queso fresco in tortilla. Squeeze fresh lime juice over top. Serve with favorite salsa (tomatillo salsa is very good with this), rice and beans. This is especially good in summer. We also like to mix the cabbage and cilantro, then squeeze lime juice over the top and sprinkle with sea salt. It's a good side salad to Mexican dishes.

CHEF SALAD

This is an easy summer salad...and by serving it buffet-style, the kids love helping "make" their own!

Ingredients:

(adjust amounts depending on number of people feeding)

spring lettuce and spinach mix

cubed turkey

cubed colby jack and / or swiss cheese

hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced

kernel (cooked) corn (either cut off cob or frozen/canned)

sugar snap peas, cut in half

cherry or grape tomatoes

sliced carrots

diced cucumbers

avocado chunks

black / Spanish green olives

Directions:

Prepare ingredients and place everything but the lettuce in separate piles on a large platter. Give each person a bowl of lettuce and let them create their own chef salad. Serve with your favorite dressing, such as ranch, Italian or honey mustard. Be creative with the ingredients...other options could be: leftover lunch meat, sliced; cooked and crumbled bacon; croutons; black bean salsa (see recipe under appetizers).