BBQ Chicken

I don't have a picture of this (or really much of a recipe), so I'll just tell you how I do BBQ chicken. And maybe this is a well known way of preparing BBQ chicken and I just found out.

First, I get bone-in thighs and legs (they don't dry out). I've found that Tyson chicken is the largest and most juicy. So, you take a ton of mustard (which I hate-mustard in general) and rub it ALL over the chicken. Make sure you get under the skin and everything. Let this sit for an hour or two. Then bake the chicken for ten minutes at 300. Take it out and pour BBQ sauce all over it (I usually skip the pre-baking step...don't tell Brian). Now, we use the best BBQ sauce EVER! Head Country. Only made in OK. In fact, if we ever move, I'll be buying tons of it before we go (now that I think about it, it might be available in some parts of the west). After slathering the chicken with sauce, you can either continue baking in the oven (I don't know how long, an hour maybe?) or you can grill it-I'm not the griller in the family, so I don't know how long that takes.

Anyway, this chicken is great and really quite easy!! Serve it with whatever. Leftovers are quite good in bbq chicken salad. Or just plain salad with some ranch.

Peanut Butter Cookies

My absolute FAVORITE cookie is the peanut butter cookie!! And the perfect way to have them is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside (although I prefer every cookie that way, so...). I made them tonight because Brian isn't home and he dislikes them. All the more for me, yay!!

This recipe makes the best peanut butter cookie I've had. And of course, I got it from my mom. Somehow, she can always make the cookie look perfect-I have yet to perfect that...I'll get there though, even if it takes me 20" (on my waist....or thighs I suppose, but most likely waist). And I have no idea of the caloric intake of each cookie, because while I am relishing every single crumb, the thought is far from my mind (until I look at the scale the next day).

Peanut Butter Cookies

½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup peanut butter
1 egg
½ tsp. Vanilla
1¼-cup flour
¾ tsp. Baking soda
¼ tsp. Salt

Thoroughly cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients; blend into creamed mixture. Shape in 1-inch balls; Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press gently with floured fork tines to make a crisscross on the top of each cookie. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pan. Makes 4 dozen. I usually cook them for only ten minutes. That makes a perfect crunchy outside and chewy inside.

They look a little pale, but that was the flash on the camera.

On a side note, I found this interesting website on peanuts and...did you know that you press the crisscross pattern into the cookies because it more evenly distributes the dense dough? I always wondered that. And now I know.

http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/recipes/peanutrecipes.html

Let me know if you decide to make any of the peanut recipes in the above link (it's the "105 Ways to Use the Peanut" section. I'm curious to try a few, but don't have the guts.

Homemade Baked Beans

These are REALLY good baked beans!! In fact, we had these for Memorial Day and my friend's husband ate all the leftovers by himself! I got the recipe from my Mom when I first got married and she's been making it since she got married, but where it originally came from, I don't know.

Baked Beans

2 large cans Pork-n-Beans
1 green pepper
1 chopped onion
1 lb. Hamburger
7-8 slices bacon
2/3 cup ketchup
½ cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. molasses
¼ cup chili sauce

Brown hamburger, add pepper, onion and pork-n-beans and cook. Fry bacon and cut up. Combine all ingredients and bake at 325 for 1½-2 hours. Make sure you DO NOT over bake or they will be dry. It's definitely worth the frying of the bacon and browning of the meat!!

Pasta Bake

This is great when I need something fast with minimal preparation. It's very kid-friendly and adult pleasing.

16 oz. box of chunky pasta
28 oz. jar pasta sauce
1/2 lb. brown & serve sausage, crumbled (I use the cooked sausage links and slice them)
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

In a 13x9 pan mix the pasta, sauce, one jar full of water and the sausage. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Stir well, recover and bake another 10 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese is melted.

Cheesy Chili

I serve this when the missionaries come over because it makes a ton. I also like to take it to ward chili dinners. My kids think it's great that you eat it with a chip instead of a spoon.

2 1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked (I usually use a pound)
3 cans (15-oz ea.) tomato sauce
2 cans (16-oz ea.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained (I sometimes use more to make up for less meat)
1 can (10-oz.) diced tomatoes & chilies (undrained)
2 envelopes chili seasoning
2 lbs. Velveeta, cubed
1 c. whipping cream
Fritos Scoops chips

Heat all the ingredients together except for the Velveeta cheese and the whipping cream (and obviously the chips!). Once it's heated through add the cheese and stir until melted, then add the whipping cream. Serve with the chips, using them like spoons.

Mexican Stew

I got this recipe from a good friend who is also an excellent cook. This recipe looks weird and the ingredient list looks like it would taste horrible BUT IT DOESN'T. It is really, really yummy. The kids love it because they can 'customize' it.

1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 c. cooked rice
1 can tomato sauce - med. soup size
1 can tomato paste - 7 oz. size
1 small can chopped green chilies
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. mushrooms, sliced (okay, I usually add the whole 8 oz package)
1 c. water
salt and pepper to taste

Cook all the above ingredients together until thoroughly heated through.

Serve on plates with the following toppings:
Fritos corn chips
chopped olives
grated cheese
lettuce
avocados, chopped
Italian dressing
tomatoes, chopped

Wet Burritos

I originally got this recipe from allrecipes.com. These are big and messy, but really yummy. They're also really filling. We usually have leftovers for lunch for several days afterwards. The long list of ingredients makes it look complicated, but it's super easy and fast to put together. The sauce is a bit spicy (not really unless you're a total wimp, like our kids) so we don't put the sauce on theirs.

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 glove garlic, minced or 1 tsp. minced garlic from the jar
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can (4.5 oz) diced green chile peppers
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 can (15 oz) chili without beans
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed tomato soup
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce or the equivalent homemade
tortillas - flour works best
shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese, sour cream, etc

Brown ground beef in a skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent. Drain and season with garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in green chilies and refried beans until well blended. Turn off heat, but keep warm. In a saucepan, combine the chili without beans, tomato soup and enchilada sauce. Mix well and cook until heated through. Turn off heat and keep warm. Spoon a generous amount of ground beef mixture into center of tortilla. Top with cheese if desired. Roll up and spoon generous amount of sauce over the top of the rolled burrito. Top with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, whatever.

Snickerdoodles

I have made these a few times and they are really tasty, if you make sure to soften your butter and don't over bake them, I repeat do not over bake them or they will be really crispy. Recipe found on Stephanie's Kitchen blog.

Snickerdoodles
makes 3 dozen

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt. Set aside.2. Using a mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in eggs. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until well incorporated.3. Mix together the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Shape in to 1 1/2 inch balls and dip in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake or they will be too crispy. Bake just until light and golden.

Chicken Curry

I love curry. Love it. If I see a recipe for curry something I want to make it and eat it. Fortunately my family shares my love for it, or at least they humor me by eating it cheerfully. This has a very straightforward curry taste.

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
2 tsp. curry powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 can (13 1/2 oz) coconut milk
2 tbsp. tomato paste (okay, I leave this out sometimes and it still tastes great)
3 c. fresh baby spinach
hot cooked rice

Throw the chicken and onion in a skillet and sprinkle with curry, salt and pepper. Sauté until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in the coconut milk and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes until spinach is wilted. Serve over rice.

The kids like this a lot, but they tend to push the spinach to the side. I've decided that it's better to not add the spinach to the curry, but to serve it as a side salad. They happily eat the fresh spinach this way. You do what's best for you though!

Crispy Fish Tostadas

These are fabulous. My husband asks for them more than just about any other dish. My fish-hater sister loved these too!

Fish fillets or fish sticks - 2 or so fillets per person
tostada shells
cheese - we grown-ups put sliced pepper jack on ours, the kids use shredded mozzarella
salsa
angel hair cabbage
avocado, sliced

Bake fish according to directions. Put cheese on shells at bake at 475 degrees for 2-3 minutes. Top with fish pieces, salsa, avocados and then cabbage. You can use guacamole instead of the avocado slices. I do that when the avocados are yucky or really expensive. I also cook up tilapia with some salt and butter and use that instead of 'fish fillets'. It just depends on what I have on hand or can find at the store. The kids usually eat 2 each.