Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies

1/3 Cup softened Butter
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar (I use a Splenda blend)
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Applesauce
1 1/4 Cup Flour
1 1/4 Cup Oats

Mix everything together and bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
DRY
1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Cups Oatmeal
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
as many chocolate chips as you want!

WET
1 Cup softened Butter
1 EGG
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Directions
Mix all dry ingredients and wet ingredients in seperate bowls. Slowly stir wet ingredients into dry ingredient. Roll dough into balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

Chicken Curry

Recipe from Tristen

Ingredients
Canola oil- ¼ cup
Yellow onions- 2 chopped
Garlic- 4-6 cloves, minced
Ground Coriander, 1 ½ teaspoons
Ground Turmeric, 1 ½ teaspoons
Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon
Cauliflower, 1 head, cut into bite size florets
Green Beans, 1 pound, trimmed and coarsely chopped
Salt to taste
Fresh cilantro

Directions
1. Brown the chicken: In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm a few tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken pieces, and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 4-5 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.

2. Saute the vegetables and spices: In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add onions and garlic, sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add coriander, turmeric, cumin seeds, and sauté until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add about a cup of hot water and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. When it starts boiling, remove the pan.

3. Add the cauliflower and green beans to the cooker. Pour the seasoned liquid over them. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt (Himalayan pink salt is especially yummy) and stir to combine. Cover and cook on the high heat setting for 4 hours, or the low heat setting for 8 hours.

Serve over steamed basmati rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Note: If I'm being really lazy, I'll skip the green beans, and just toss in a bag of frozen peas about 30 minutes before serving...

Sneaky Spinach Pesto

Recipe from Tristen

Ingredients
1 bag of organic spinach leaves, cleaned
2-3 handfuls of fresh basil (we grow it on the patio and I basically pick both plants clean every time we make this)
3-8 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
Small handful of toasted pine nuts
Salt to taste
Pecorino Romano cheese to taste (optional)

Directions
Puree everything in the food processor until smooth. Toss it with fresh pasta, use it as a dip for bread, drip it over a Caprese salad, bake it over polenta... or, like we did on Friday, make an easy party food: slice mini red bell peppers in half, fill with a spoonful of goat cheese, and top with a dollop of pesto. Bake at 350 for fifteen minutes or until the cheese bubbles slightly.

Stinky Spaghetti

Recipe from Jo.

One box of whole-wheat thin spaghetti, boiled for 8 minutes and drained

Garlic-oil sauce:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I use enough oil so that the garlic and parsley are submerged)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I use an entire medium sized bushel)
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (I use an entire clove)
3/4 teaspoon salt (I never use salt)
Cook sauce in a pan on medium-high heat until it sizzles. Be careful not to brown the garlic or wilt the parsley too much. Once you have returned the drained pasta to the pot, pour the sauce over and toss. Plate and top with grated parmesan or romano cheese.

Taco Soup

Recipe from Jo.

Ingredients
2 cans chicken broth
1 can chili beans
1 can black beans
1 can Mexican corn
1 jar medium salsa (I use Pace)
1 small bushel of cilantro
4 chicken breasts, diced
1 tbs butter
2 tbs garlic chili sauce (can be found in the international foods section)
Cheese
Sour cream
Avocado

Directions
Warm the butter and garlic chili sauce in a saute pan on medium heat. Then, add chicken. Saute for 6-7 minutes.

Drain the corn, then drain and wash the black beans. Do not drain the chili beans. Add all three into a pot. Pour in the chicken broth and the salsa. Once chicken is cooked, add in the chicken. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer on medium/low heat for 30 minutes. When done, toss in the cilantro and stir.

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with cheese, avocado, and sour cream.

I like to warm up some flour tortillas in the oven to dip in the broth. You could also stir in tortilla strips or crumbled tortilla chips.

Turkey Chili

Recipe from Jo.
NOTE: "This recipe is not recommended for the early stages of a relationship when he still thinks you don't fart or poop."

Ingredients
2 cans chili beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (I get the ones seasoned with garlic and oregano)
1 medium sized onion
4 cloves fresh garlic
Package of Jennie-O Turkey Breast
1 packet chili seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper

Directions
Drain and wash the kidney and black beans, then put them in a pot with the chili beans, tomato sauce, and diced tomato. Set the burner to medium-high heat and place pot on the stove. Dice the onion and garlic and put in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until softened and slightly browned. Crumble in the turkey breast and cook thoroughly, then add mixture to the pot. Add in the garlic powder, black pepper, and chili seasoning. Stir and simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low heat.

I usually put tortilla chips at the bottom of my bowl, then pile on the chili and garnish with grated jack and cheddar cheeses, avocado, and sour cream. Sometimes I even serve Marie Calendar's Cornbread smeared with honey butter.

Challah Bread- So Yummy!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons instant active dry yeast*
5 cups flour, plus additional flour (may take 8 or 9 cups of flour total)

Directions
1. Combine ingredients in a large bowl in order listed. Add enough flour and knead to make a smooth dough. Knead for approximately 10 minutes.
2. Oil top of bread and cover. Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down.
3. **Divide dough into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 14-15" long and an inch in diameter.
4.Take 3 pieces and braid it and set aside. Grab the other 3 pieces and braid them.
5. Place braids on greased baking sheets and cover. Let rise in a warm place for 25-30 minutes.
6. Brush with beaten eggs and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until done. (If loaves are on two separate sheets, rotate halfway through baking time for even baking.) If loaves start to brown too quickly, loosely lay a piece of foil on top. Cool on wire racks, covered.
NOTE: I spread melted butter and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top once it comes out of the oven.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients
1/2 cup (55 grams) toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (30 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar (I use Splenda)
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (85 grams) white or dark chocolate chips
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ripe bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick and chunky. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top of the bread with coarse brown sugar (optional). Bake until bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Wont Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Crusty bread, for passing

Directions
Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread.

"Healthified" Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients
8 oz uncooked multigrain angel hair (capellini) pasta or spaghetti
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 lb fresh medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail shells removed
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine or Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/4 cup Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
1. In 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, cook pasta as directed on package. Drain; return to saucepan. Stir in spinach, tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Cover to keep warm.
2. While pasta is cooking, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 1 minute. Add shrimp, garlic and pepper flakes; cook and stir 2 minutes.
3. Stir in wine, broth, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and butter until butter is melted. Add shrimp mixture to pasta mixture in saucepan; toss to mix.

Capellini Caprese

Ingredients
1/2 lb. capellini or spaghetti, uncooked
1/2 cup KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/3 cup fresh basil, finely sliced

Directions
COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 min. Add tomatoes; cook 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

DRAIN pasta. Add to tomato mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Note: Sometimes I'll add different types of veggies

Honey Garlic Pork Chops

No picture but take my word for it, ITS DELICIOUS!

Ingredients
1/4 + 1/8 cup honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 pork loin chops, boneless, trimmed of excess fat

Directions
In a shallow dish, whisk together honey, soy sauce and garlic.
Coat chops in mixture.
Reserve left over honey mixture for basting.
Place chops on greased grill over med high heat, close lid and cook. basting 2 times.

Crazy fun dinner

www.filthwizardry.com/2009/06/hotdog-and-spaghetti-culinary-terror.html

I got this recipe from a friend and I'm dying to try it. Would be great dinner for kids to help with