Frozen Pumpkin Squares

My mom got this recipe from a friend last year and it was so delicious. It's perfect for the holidays coming up.

Frozen Pumpkin Squares

2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
36 crushed gingersnap cookies
whipping cream

Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well and stir in nuts, if desired. Put softened ice cream into a chilled bowl and gently fold pumpkin mixture into ice cream. Line bottom of 9 x 13 glass pan with half of the crushed gingersnaps. Cover with half of the ice cream-pumpkin mixture. Repeat with remaining crushed gingersnaps and ice cream-pumpkin mixture. Freeze overnight. Cut into squares and serve with whipping cream.

When we made this last year my mom made it with "Firestone" brand gingersnaps and we both agreed that those gingersnaps had too strong of a flavor which overpowered everything else. She thought it was much better with the cookies her friend has used, but we don't know what kind those were. So this year we will be making it again, but buying a different brand of gingersnap cookies.

Pork Chops & Apples

I've been making this lately because it makes it feel like fall even though it's still 90 degrees outside. All you need is pork chops, apples, and basic spices.

Salt and pepper both sides of pork chops and sear in a pan until outer skin is just barely white.
Line bottom of baking dish with sliced apples. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over apples.
Place seared pork chops over apples and bake, covered, about 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Ricotta Manicotti

I know it takes extra time, but the sauce is what makes this recipe so fabulous. I recommend this as a first-class company meal. Enjoy :)

Basic Tomato Sauce
1 T olive oil
1 small diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
2 28-oz. cans whole tomatoes in juice
1/4 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook 1 small diced onion and 2 minced garlic cloves, stirring frequently, until translucent (2-4 min).
Add two 28-oz. cans whole tomatoes in juice and 1/4 tsp. oregano. Simmer, stirring occassionally, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon until thickened (20-30 min). Season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 cups.

Ricotta Manicotti
2 pkgs (8 oz) manicotti noodles, cooked, drained, and cooled
2 15-oz containers part-skim ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese
Basic Tomato Sauce (above)

Cook pasta, drain, and cool. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, eggs, thyme, oregano, and 1 c parmesan. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
Coat bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with 2 c tomato sauce. Stuff cooled pasta shells with ricotta filling and place in baking dish. Cover with additional 2 c sauce and sprinkle remaining parmesan over top. Bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Resources

There have been a lot of resources mentioned to me in the last few days, so here are a few of them.
-My sister and I get the DAILY DISH. If you'd like a new recipe emailed to you everyday, then go to allrecipes.com and register, then choose the option to receive email updates of the "daily dish."
-Here's a blog FULL of crockpot recipes. A new crockpot recipe for each day. crockpot365.blogspot.com
- Here is my cousin's recipe blog. She has collected quite a few recipes from various sites and friends. edibleeats.blogspot.com
- Another recipe blog. I thought it was interesting to scroll down her page and click on the link "Food Bloggers in Utah Kitchens." It is under the heading Foodie friend links. Anyway, it sends you to a page with a full list of recipe blogs. kalynskitchen.blogspot.com

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

-Use the same chicken from sesame chicken recipe (see previous recipe)

Sauce:
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
8 Tbsp. sugar
6 Tbsp. vinegar
4 Tbsp. ketchup
Juice of 1 can chunk pineapple (add enough water to make 1 c.)


Cook until thick. Pour over chicken.

Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup cornstarch
Canola oil
1 1/3 cup water
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
½ tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 ½ cups broccoli, cut into small pieces
Sesame seeds

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes. Put ½ cup cornstarch in plastic bag and toss chicken cubes in bag until well coated. Add enough canola oil into your skillet to generously coat bottom. Fry chicken until medium brown. While chicken is frying, prepare sauce by mixing in saucepan water, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic powder and cornstarch. Stir mixture over medium heat until thickened and pour over chicken. Simmer 3 minutes. Add prepared broccoli and steam until desired tenderness. Stir in sesame seeds and serve over rice.

Japanese Gioza's

I'll probably have to have my mom or dad fix this recipe for me, but I always make it with whatever I have on hand, so here is how I made it recently.

Picture of my finished giozas

Japaneze Gioza's

Ingredients:

Won Ton Wraps (they come small, but if using the large squares, just cut into fourths)

1/4 pound of ground hamburger (I used the leanest kind)

1/8 cup Shredded Carrot

1/8 cup Shredded Zuchinni

1 Tbsp Minced GArlic

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp water

2 cups canola oil

Other Veggie ideas:

Celery

Cabbage

Onion

Directions:

Mash together the hamburger, garlic, veggies and Soy Sauce. Have your Wraps ready. Put 1/2-1 Tbsp of mixture in the middle of wrap. Using your finger, (clean hands!) and wipe a small amount of water around the edge of the wrap. Then fold in half and press together the sides. Just like closing an envelope! You will then cook them in hot oil for a few minutes on each side. If you have your skillet at medium heat and the meat will be done by the time the wraps are a golden brown.

The fun thing about these is that you can do whatever you want! You can add more or less mixture to the wraps, you can use circle warps, square wraps, you could make them larger with more veggies and do more of a roll. You can steam them for a more healthy version, ....the possibilites are endless! WE usually serve it with rice and stir fry chicken and veggies, but recently had the chinese chicken salad and these together with a small scoop of rice. It was fabulous. And don't forget to have the soy sauce handy for dipping!

Usually I use the small squares, but this time I got the large ones and cut them down.

Here is my meat mixture. I know my mom loves to use pork instead....again it's all about what you like! Make it vegetarian and steam it for a really healthy option.

Here are my Gioza ready for cooking

Chinese Chicken Salad

I was visiting my friend in Idaho Falls and her and her mom made this salad for us. Shalamar was with us and it was absolutely divine! Thanks Shall for having a craving and requesting the Recipe! And the fun part is, other than frying the won tons it's really easy! I'm all about easy.

Okay, so this picture isn't as wonderfull looking as the one I had from online, but this is the real deal that I made. I also took pictures of the process that I'll add below. I also added the recipe for the gioza's that were fabulous to add with the salad.

Mary Lemons's Famous Chinese Chicken Salad

1 lb skinless/boneless chicken breasts
1 head chopped iceberg lettuce
1 bunch chopped green onions
soy sauce
sugar
1 pkg slivered almonds
1/4 C toasted sesame seeds (you will have to toast then at home)

Dressing
2 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp accent
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 C salad oil
3 TBS japanese rice vinegar

Place chicken breasts in a pan, pour soy sauce over the breasts so just the bottom is covered. Sprinkle sugar on the breasts, cover with foil and bake at 350 until done.
Put all of the salad ingredients into a salad bowl, mix dressing really well (sugar must be dissolved) and immediatley pour over the salad and served. ***** we like to buy a package of wonton wraps and cut them into strips. You then warm up oil in a fryer and cook them till brown and crisp.

Stir Fried Veggies

I made this when we had company the other day. I make a variation with different veggies often, but this particular night it was really a it. It's not like we havn't all stir fried veggies, but this version is so dang simple and turned out so dang good!

Ingredients

1 Zuchinni
1/2 Onion chopped
1 Broccoli Crown broken in small pieces
1 Carrot Thin penny slices
1 Yellow Squash (mostly for color!)
1 tsp Garlic Salt
1 Tbsp minced garlic (optional)
1 Tbsp Olive or Canola oil (healthy Oils!)
1 Tbsp parmesean Cheese

Mix all cut vegetables in a bowl. Drizzle oil and mix to lightly coat veggies. Cook in a skillet eventually adding the rest of the ingredients. Cook until tender, but not too soft. You still want them slightly crisp. And that's it! So easy, so yummy and absolutely totally healthy! Add a grilled chicken breast and maybe a roll and you have a very healthy very delicious meal.

Caramel Syrup / Buttermilk syrup

Our family cannot go back to maple syrup after having this on our pancakes, french toast, and waffles.

Caramel Syrup

1 cube of butter
1 cup of sugar
½ cup of buttermilk
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla


Mix in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir regularly until it boils. Scrape bottom to avoid scalding.

Pizza Pockets

This is our favorite and I am sure I make it almost every week. I can't take credit for this recipe, I got it from my sister-in-law Kristin.
Thanks for doing this blog Dixie, I can tell I'm going to love it!!

Pizza Pockets
Basic Dough:
1 T. yeast
1 c. warm water
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 T. oil
Desired toppings:
Cheese
Ham (I use cut up lunch meat)
Pepperoni
Pinneapple
Olives
Sausage
Combine 1 T. of sugar, yeast and warm water in a bowl and let yeast dissolve. In another bowl combine the rest of the sugar, salt, and flour. Mix oil in with yeast mix and then add dry contents. Fold mix and knead dough until ready.
Divide dough into balls depending on how many pockets you want to make. A batch will usually make 6-8. Roll out dough balls into long rectangles. Put in desired toppings and then fold pocket over in half, pinch the edge of dough and bake at 350 for 15 – 20 min. Serve with pizza sauce over the pockets.
-Brook

WELCOME!

If you are like me then you love exchanging recipes. I figure that I'm going to have this blog so that we can share recipes as well as tips and whatever might help us figure out "What's for dinner." My husband gets pretty tired of me asking what he thinks we should have for dinner, because I'm always trying to figure out what to make. So, if you'd like to join... then email me at dixiepacker@gmail.com and then I can add you as an author so that you can post your own recipes to share with everyone. You can post anything you'd like... quick n easy recipes, holiday recipes, family favorites... and we'll try to label them so that they are easily accessible. Label whether it's a main dish or dessert, etc. and also sometimes the main ingredient such as chicken, pork, etc. if it's fitting. You can also request tips and recipes if you're looking for something in particular. It would also be great if any of you have favorite websites that give you yummy recipes or meal plans to share them as well. Anything really that we can all help each other out with. Also, please share any advice of how to make this blog better. I'm still a little new at the blogging thing, so any help is much appreciate. Plus this blog is going to be a work-in-progress. THANKS and Happy Cooking!

Wild Rice Soup

This is one of my absolute favorites! I'm sure quite a few of you have this recipe from me already. Fall is a great time for soups, and especially with THE BREADSTICKS!!!! yum

Wild Rice Soup (minnesotta)

¼ c. butter
¼ c. flour
Med. Onion, chopped
3 c. chicken broth
1 c. white rice cooked
1 c. wild rice cooked
1 c. diced ham
½ - 1 c. shredded carrots
3 Tbsp. sliced almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pint half and half
Parsley, snipped fresh


Sauté onion in butter, blend in flour and mix until smooth.
Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer, stirring. Add rice, ham, carrots, almonds, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes
Add parsley and half & half. Heat to serving temperature.

I have also made this soup ahead of time (like the night before), which I think makes it yummy because then the flavors can blend and come out stronger. You can make it all and then reheat in a crockpot or pot, or you can make it without the half and half and just add it before you serve.