Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken

from allrecipes.com, adapted from the recipe submitted by KAREN

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons olive oil 2 tsp garlic, minced 1 cup dry bread crumbs 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2.	In a large bag, blend the olive oil and garlic. In an 8 x 8 dish mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and pepper. Put each chicken breast in the oil mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish, and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture, if desired.
3.	Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

I love this recipe.  I just want a nice sauce to put over it or dip it in because it feels a little dry to me.  

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Clam Chowder

from allrecipes.com, submitted by PIONEERGIRL

INGREDIENTS:

3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams 1 cup minced onion 1 cup diced celery 2 cups cubed potatoes 1 cup diced carrots 3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 quart half-and-half cream 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.
2.	Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.
3.	Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

In case it helps, when it says to add water to cover I added one cup of water.  I also added 6 slices of bacon chopped up to the cream before I added the veggies.  I also sprinkled paprika on the top.

This was another recipe request from a son.  I have to say, the best clam chowder is at Mo's on the Oregon Coast.  If you're in the northwest make sure you stop by there and get some chowder!

Husband rating:  3.5 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Easy Meatloaf

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Janet Caldwell

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 egg 1 onion, chopped 1 cup milk 1 cup dried bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons prepared mustard 1/3 cup ketchup

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk and bread OR cracker crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan, OR form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3.	In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and pour over the meatloaf.
4.	Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour. I would double the sauce next time. My son was asking for meatloaf for days.  I think he heard about it on a show and was curious what it was!  So, we had a meatloaf night! Husband rating:  He wasn't home but I'd say 3 stars Boys say:  thumbs up

Lemon Herb Chicken

from Campbellskitchen.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 chicken breast halves, skin removed

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Stir the stock, lemon juice, basil, thyme and black pepper in a small bowl.
2.	Lightly oil the grill rack and heat the grill to medium. Grill the chicken for 35 minutes or until it's cooked through, turning the chicken over halfway through cooking and brushing often with the stock mixture. Discard the remaining stock mixture.

I  substituted rosemary for basil because I couldn't find my basil.  I also added 1 tsp minced garlic.  I doubled the sauce and used 6 chicken breast halves.   I baked the chicken with all the sauce.  I think it was at 350 or 375 for 35 minutes or so.

Husband Rating:  3.5 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Better Books

Check out the Better Books tab for a great Thanksgiving book to read with your family.

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole

from SixSisters' Stuff

Ingredients:
10 eggs, lightly beaten (or 20 egg whites if you don't want to use the yolks)
3 cups milk (I use skim)
1 tsp salt
1 loaf of crusty French bread (day-old bread works great!)*, cubed/torn into small pieces
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cups cheese (we love Colby Jack or Cheddar, but any kind works)
1/2 pound sausage, cooked and crumbled

*You could really use any kind of crusty bread . . . you just need about 6 cups worth.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F). Combine the eggs, milk, and salt in a bowl. Distribute half of the bread evenly in a 9x13" glass baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle on half of the green pepper, half of the red pepper, half of the onion, half of the cheese, and half of the sausage. Repeat the layering again with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle black pepper on top. Pour the egg mixture over the casserole and bake for 60 minutes. Refrigerate any leftovers. Serves 8-10.

I wanted to try something new for our Sunday morning brunch.  This casserole seemed easy enough.  Although I like most of the recipes from my Sis Sisters' Stuff Cook Book this is not one of my favorites.  

Husband rating:  2 stars

Boys say thumbs down except for one son who ate everyone else's!

Baked Pork Chops

(slightly modified) from allrecipes.com, submitted by bdld

INGREDIENTS:

6 pork chops 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon seasoning salt 2 egg, beaten 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups Italian-style seasoned bread

crumbs 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup white wine

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with garlic powder and seasoning salt to taste. Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. Dredge the pork chops lightly in flour, dip in the egg, and coat liberally with bread crumbs.
3.	Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pork chops 5 minutes per side, or until the breading appears well browned. Transfer the chops to a 9x13 inch baking dish, and cover with foil.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. While baking, combine the cream of mushroom soup, milk and white wine in a medium bowl. After the pork chops have baked for an hour, cover them with the soup mixture. Replace foil, and bake for another 30 minutes.

I put a tsp of garlic powder in with the bread crumbs (I forgot the seasoning salt but I would have tossed that in there too if I'd remembered!).  I skipped the flour and just dipped the pork in the egg and then in the bread crumbs.  I mixed the sauce ingredients and put them in the 9x13 pan with the pork chops and then threw that all in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour.  

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Black Bean Taco Soup

adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package mild taco seasoning mix
1 16 oz can corn or 1.5 cups frozen corn
1 16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (you could use kidney beans or pinto beans)
1 14 oz can stewed tomatoes (I tossed these in the blender and gave them a spin before adding them to the soup because I like them better that way)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 4 oz can diced green chilis
1 cup water

tortilla chips
Optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado

Brown meat with onion. Drain.
Stir in taco seasoning, corn, black beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilis and water. Simmer on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve with tortilla chips and your favorite toppings.

This makes an easy freezer meal too. After cooking, let soup cool down and then dump into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag or other freezer container. When you want to eat it, let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and then simmer on the stove until heated all the way through or microwave until heated all the way through. You could also put it in your crock pot and cook on low for 2-3 hours to re-heat it.

Healthy Snack Ideas

I had the chance to celebrate my grandmother's 95th birthday with her this last weekend!  95!  It was such a treat.  So this week I will give you some great healthy snack ideas instead of meal plans.  All the plans I'd made for the husband and kids ended up being used this week since they decided to let some fast food places cook for them while I was gone!

We have found these Aussie Bites at Costco.  They are all natural and filling.  They were great for a relay I did last year.  We were running off and on all day and these gave me some energy and were easy to toss in the car!

These aren't really healthy, but they are tasty!  Some friends had a long road trip to get to our place and they kept themselves full and awake by munching on these!  

This is a great twist on trail mix.  It's hard to feel good about eating trail mix with chocolate chips!  This one has yogurt chips and they have a great flavor with the dried berries and nuts.

Greek yogurt is popular now.  I like Dannon's light and fit vanilla greek yogurt.  Topped with fresh raspberries or strawberries this is pretty much the perfect snack!  This is also good topped with granola in place of the fruit or with the fruit.  That would make it almost a meal!

I like to mix a carbohydrate like fresh fruit with the protein of something like nuts, yogurt or cheese.  Sometimes I'll have a string cheese and an apple.  Or deli turkey slices and a veggie or fruit is also a good snack.  

Our Family Crescent Roll Recipe

by Melinda

1 c milk

1/2 c butter

1/2 c sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp yeast

3 beaten eggs

4 1/2-5 c flour

Combine milk, butter, sugar and salt in a pan. Heat over medium-low heat until the butter is almost completely melted. Pour into your mixer. Add yeast and stir well. Add eggs; stir. Add flour slowly until dough is soft and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (at least an hour).  

Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. 

Roll each half into a circle. Brush with melted butter. Cut like a pizza. Roll each piece up from the large side. Place on greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until double in size (roughly 30 minutes). 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake about 9-13 minutes (until golden). Brush with more melted butter and let cool on a cooling rack.

These rolls bring back memories of family dinners. I don't think we've had one Thanksgiving dinner without them! My mother loves to bake. We have many good memories cooking together in the kitchen. Maybe that's why these rolls make me happy! And I'm glad I can share them with you to use in your family meals.  

Easy Chicken Cutlets with Apples

from allrecipes.com, submitted by DEUXMAC

INGREDIENTS:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/4 teaspoon salt, or as needed 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 pinch white sugar

2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup medium sherry 1 cup chicken broth 1 Granny Smith apple - cored, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges 1/3 cup light brown sugar 1 tablespoon butter 1 dash Marsala wine

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Sprinkle chicken breasts with 1/4 teaspoon salt, or as needed, on both sides. Place onto a rack, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, and cut in half lengthwise on a slight diagonal to make 4 equal-size pieces. Place the chicken pieces between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to make 4 cutlets about 1/4 inch thick.
2.	Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
3.	Mix together flour, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and sugar in a shallow bowl. Place each cutlet into the flour mixture to coat; shake off excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat until foam disappears, and gently lay the coated cutlets into the butter. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken, and set aside on an oven-proof plate in the preheated oven to stay warm.
4.	Pour the sherry into the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping and dissolving all the brown flavor bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the sherry is reduced to half its volume, about 5 minutes, and stir in the chicken broth; add the apple slices to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and the sherry mixture is reduced by half. Stir in the brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of butter, and the Marsala wine until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is thick.
5.	Return the chicken cutlets to the sauce, together with any juice from the plate, and turn to cover cutlets with sauce. Simmer about 2 minutes per side, and serve 2 cutlets per serving, topped with apple slices and sauce.

You may have noticed I used pork chops instead of chicken.  My husband thinks this would be as good or better with the chicken so we'll try that next time.  

Talk about a fun meal to make!  Pounding that meat is so therapeutic!  I skipped the salt the meat and wait 30 minutes part.  That's the only change I made besides using a different meat.  

We had this with a salad and homemade rolls.  This is my mother's recipe.  Check it out here.

Husband rating:  5 stars!!!  

Boys say:  thumbs up

Hawaiin-Style Sloppy Joes

from ourbestbites.com

1 pound extra-lean ground turkey or beef (93% lean)
6 ounces center-cut bacon (about 1/2 package)
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
3/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hickory-flavored liquid smoke
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3-1/2 cup pineapple juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425. Lay each slice of bacon flat on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the oven and drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.

Place the bacon drippings in a large skillet and heat the skillet to medium heat. Add the ground turkey or beef, onion, and pepper and cook until the meat is about halfway cooked. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until the meat is completely cooked.

While the meat is cooking, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, liquid smoke, and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Add the sauce to the browned meat and add the pineapple juice to the mixture, keeping in mind that the sauce will thicken. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the mixture is done simmering, crumble the cooked bacon and add it to the sloppy joe mixture. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve on sweet Hawaiian rolls with a slice of pineapple, a slice of red onion, and, if desired, a few banana pepper rings. Makes 6 servings.

Slow Cooker Instructions: 

Brown the ground turkey or beef with the onion, green pepper, garlic, and ginger. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the sauce and combine well. Before serving, add the bacon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve as directed.

I have never liked ground turkey.  I thought maybe this would change my mind.  It really didn't.  I still don't really like it!  But my seven-year-old ate three sloppy joes so I guess he liked it!  

Husband rating:  2 stars

Boys said:  thumbs up

Parmesan Chicken Bake

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Chef John

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 cups prepared marinara sauce 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided 1 (5 ounce) package garlic croutons

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic and hot red pepper flakes.
3.	Arrange the chicken breasts in bottom of the dish, and pour marinara sauce over chicken. Sprinkle basil over marinara sauce, and top with half the mozzarella cheese, followed by half the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on the croutons, then top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese.
4.	Bake in preheated oven until cheese and croutons are golden brown and the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 35 minutes to an hour, depending on the shape and thickness of your chicken breasts. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chicken breast should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

The only change I made was to use a little less oil and cheese.  

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Pumpkin Drop Cookies

adapted from Betty Crocker's recipe

1/2 c butter (salted)

3/4 c granulated sugar

3/4 c packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 c semi sweet chocolate chips

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Mix butter and sugars in a large bowl. Beat in eggs. Stir in pumpkin. Stir in remaining ingredients.

2.  Drop dough (I used my little ice cream scooper) about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet.

3.  Bake 12-13 minutes or until set and golden.  Cool for 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Makes 3-4 dozen

I had to give these away to a friend because I couldn't stop eating them!  And if you haven't noticed I have been a little obsessed with pumpkin everything this fall!  

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  two thumbs up!

Skinny Pumpkin Soup

from Six Sisters' Stuff

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of butter

1 Red Onion, Chopped

2 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 Red Pepper, chopped

4 cups fat-free broth (chicken or vegetable)

1 1/2 cups of skim milk

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

1 cup frozen corn

3 red potatoes, diced

Directions:

Melt Butter in a large pan over medium heat.

Add Onion and Garlic, cook about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Next add your red pepper and cook about minute. Then add broth and bring to a boil.

Stir in Potatoes and corn and reduce heat. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

After it has simmered, mix in the milk and pumpkin and cook until heated through.

I pureed this in the blender once it was done cooking.  It was the texture I was going for that night.  The flavor was good.  I added a little pepper to mine and only used half an onion.

Husband rating:  3 stars

Boys say:  thumbs down

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Dawn Miner

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) can cranberry sauce 1/3 cup French salad dressing

1 onion, sliced 1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin roast

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a medium bowl, stir together the cranberry sauce, salad dressing, and onion. Place pork in a slow cooker, and cover with the sauce mixture.
2.	Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for 8 hours. Pork is done when the internal temperature has reached 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

I guess I can't wait for Thanksgiving!  I made this pork roast with mashed potatoes and stuffing.  Why wait for November when I'm craving it now?!  This is easy, tasty and economical!  

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Marian Collins

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon cold water 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 12 skinless chicken thighs

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.
2.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3.	Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking. I doubled the sauce and used chicken breasts.  I poured all the sauce over the chicken and turned half way through the baking time.  I also cooked them at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Meal in a Pumpkin

from my friend Jen C.

1 basketball-size pumpkin (cleaned out and dried)

1 lb hamburger

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 c soy sauce

1 1/2 c uncooked minute rice

Brown hamburger and onion.  Add soups, soy sauce and rice to beef mixture.  Cover and remove from heat.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Pour into prepared pumpkin.  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Put a small piece of foil over the hole on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-60 minutes, depending on the size.  Cook until pumpkin is soft on outside and serve.

This is a fun recipe in the fall.  The boys thought it was really cool to cook dinner in a pumpkin!  I used brown rice because it was hidden enough with the other ingredients that my family didn't know it!  They always complain if I use brown rice otherwise.  I would add broccoli or some other veggie to this.  

Husband rating:  2.5

Boys say:  thumbs up

Pork Chops with Apple Cider Glaze

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Chef John 

INGREDIENTS:

6 (6 ounce) boneless center-cut pork chops salt and ground black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon butter 3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 cups apple cider 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon minced rosemary 1 pinch red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Season pork chops with salt and black pepper.
2.	Heat oil and butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork chops in the hot oil mixture until browned on both sides and pork is slightly pink in the center, 5 to 7 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Remove pan from the heat; transfer pork chops to a plate.
3.	Stir garlic into the pan and place over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in vinegar and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add apple cider and Dijon mustard, bring mixture to a boil, and cook until sauce is reduced and thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in rosemary and red pepper flakes; season with salt and black pepper to taste.
4.	Return pork chops to the pan to warm slightly, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

The only change I made was to substitute 1 cup applesauce mixed with one cup of water for the 2 cups of apple cider.  I didn't have apple juice or cider on hand and this actually worked out for us!  I love this recipe!  I think it may be in my top 10.  

Husband rating:  4 stars 

Boys say:  thumbs up

Pumpkin Pancakes

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Ruth

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups milk 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 egg 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons vinegar 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2.	Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot. The only change I made was to add 1/2 tsp nutmeg.  Yum! Husband and guest rating:  4.5 stars Boys say:  two thumbs up!