Tomatillo Ranch Chicken

adapted from life-in-the-lofthouse.com

This sauce makes a regular grilled chicken breast something special.

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 c mayo
1/2 c buttermilk
1 (1 oz.) package ranch dressing/seasoning mix
2 tsp minced garlic
1 c cilantro
2 tomatillos, husked and cleaned
1 tsp lime juice
2 c prepared white or brown rice

In a blender mix the mayo, buttermilk, ranch dressing mix, garlic, cilantro, tomatillos and lime juice. Blend until creamy and combined. Pour 1 cup of dressing into a large ziplock bag. Add chicken breasts. Seal and chill at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat grill. Remove chicken from bag and discard the bag and dressing used for marinating the chicken. Grill chicken until no longer pink in the middle. Serve over cooked rice. Top with additional dressing and serve. Enjoy!

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Super Easy Fruit Salad

The salad doesn't even really require a recipe! Just chop up half a honeydew melon, half a cantaloupe and mix in a bunch of red grapes. It's really that easy. This is a great side dish for a brunch or lunch.

Banana Bread

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by Shelley Albeluhn

Ingredients
2 c all-purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c butter, softened (or coconut oil for dairy free option)

1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten

2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 6 large bananas)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). For muffins, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. For muffins, place baking cups in cupcake tin. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. 

In a separate bowl, cream together butter, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. 

Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. For muffins, bake for 25 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

My rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: more please! thumbs up! "you're the best mom in the whole world" 

Ham and Broccoli Pasta Dinner

heavily adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by mrs.embee

14 ounces whole wheat rotini pasta (or just regular rotini)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups diced fully cooked ham
1 1/2 (15 ounce) jars Alfredo sauce
ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, for four minutes. Add the broccoli and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced ham, onion and garlic to the pan. Cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add the pasta and broccoli to the pan with the ham. Pour in the Alfredo sauce; stir to blend, sprinkle with pepper and stir everything together to coat the pasta with sauce and to heat through.

This was easy! Everyone in the family loved it. Score one for mom! 

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Mint Chocolate Cookies

We LOVE these cookies! One thing to keep in mind is the hour long cooling down of the cookie dough. If you're making this with little helpers they may not be happy about waiting! Also, before you unwrap all 45 mints you might want to get your dough on the trays first. I must have made my cookies a little bigger than they were supposed to be so we only ended up with 36. Which could account for why I needed to cook mine a minute or two longer. Of course, if you and your helpers unwrap too many mints it's a perfect excuse to eat them while you wait for your cookies to bake!

from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (10.5 ounces) packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups (12.5 oz) all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
45-47 Andes Mints, unwrapped

Directions
Combine butter, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted, about 3 minutes. Add chocolate chips and stir constantly until chips are melted. Transfer chocolate mixture to bowl of electric mixer and let cool for 10 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in second bowl. Add eggs to bowl with chocolate mixture and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, and mix until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking seets with parchment paper. Working with 1 heaping tablespoon dough at a time, roll into balls; place balls 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake until just set, 7-9 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Immediately place one mint in center of each cookie; let stand until mint is softened, about 5 minutes, then spread melted mint over tops of cookies. Transfer cookies to wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough and mints. Let cookies cool completely.

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: two thumbs way up!

Overnight Apple Cinnamon French Toast

This recipe is delicious! It is very sweet so be prepared for that. I don't really think it counts as a breakfast/brunch meal. I think it should be served as dessert. With a spoonful of whipped cream on top it's a perfect dessert!

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by CALJAKE

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 (21 ounce) cans apple pie filling
8-9 large slices white bread
6 eggs
1 cup milk

1/2 c cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread the sugar mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the apple pie filling evenly over the sugar mixture. Layer the bread slices on top of the filling, pressing down as you go. 

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla. Slowly pour this mixture over the bread, making sure that it is completely absorbed. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place covered pan into the oven and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 75-90 minutes. When done remove from oven and turn on broiler. Remove foil and drizzle maple syrup on top of the french toast. Broil for 2 minutes, or until the syrup begins to caramelize. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes, then cut into squares. Invert the squares as you serve them so the apple filling is on top. 

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Ginger Sesame Pork

lightly adapted from simplyrecipes.com

• 1 to 1 1/4 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver-skin
• 1 inch piece peeled ginger root, finely grated
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (or 1.5 tsp minced garlic)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce if cooking gluten-free)
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/3 cup minced green onions
• 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 Put the ginger and garlic in a bowl. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, green onions, seasoned rice wine vinegar, olive oil and sesame oil. Stir to combine. 

2 Place pork tenderloin into a marinating bag or bowl and cover with the marinade. Marinate for an hour.

3 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a large oven safe pan. Over medium-high heat heat oil then add the meat (reserve the marinade in the bag or bowl). Brown meat on all sides. Remove the pan from the stove. Pour in the marinade and place the pan in the preheated oven. Cook for 10-40 minutes, depending on the thickness of your meat. Internal temperature should be 140 degrees.  

4 Let rest about 10 minutes before slicing.

The pork I had on hand was a pork sirloin roast. I cut that into smaller pieces and it worked out. But I did need to cook it for longer than a smaller tenderloin. That is why I put the huge 30 minute window for cooking the meat. It really depends on the cut and thickness of the meat you have.

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: thumbs up