Buttermilk Biscuits

Test Kitchen Baking Book strikes again! I wasn't sure how to label this recipe... you can have it for breakfast, snack, dinner, and if you're like me, throw a little honey on and call it dessert. However you have it, just make sure you follow the directions... biscuits can be a little finicky.Ingredients:3 3/4 c. all-purpose flour1/2 c. powdered buttermilk (you can substitute 1 1/4 c. buttermilk for milk and powdered buttermilk if you want, but it won't have as much flavor)2 T. sugar4 tsp. baking powder1 1/2 tsp. salt1 tsp. baking soda3/4 c....

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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

The perfect amount of sweetness and saltiness, these cookies (4 dozen, mind you), were gone in a matter of hours at our friends' house... From allrecipes.comIngredients:1 c. unsalted butter, softened1 1/2 c. white sugar2 tsp. vanilla extract2 eggs2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour1 tsp. salt1 tsp. baking soda1 pkg. white chocolate chips (10-12 oz)1 can macadamia nuts (7-9 oz)Directions:Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Add...

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Apple Dumplings

From the kitchen of Jan EvansAll this was lacking was vanilla ice cream... yum!Ingredients:2 c. sugar2 c. water1/4 tsp. cloves1/4 tsp. cinnamon1/2 c. butter2 c. flour3/4 c. shortening1/2 c. milk1 tsp. salt2 tsp. baking powderabout 4 apples, gratedCinnamon-sugarDirections:Mix the sugar, water, cloves, and cinnamon together in a pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the 1/2 cup of butter, and let cool while preparing...

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Herbed Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough

I make this in the bread machine, but you can also just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, knead for about 5 minutes, then let it rise until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours).For 2 lbs of dough, which makes 2 large pizzas:1 1/3 c. warm water (80-90 degrees)3 T. olive oil1 c. bread flour + 2 c. whole wheat flour (I use 3 c. whole-wheat bread flour which you can get at WinCo in the bulk section)1 T. italian herb seasoning1 t. salt1/2 t. garlic powder1...

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Granola Bars

Ingredients:7 c. old-fashioned rolled oats1/2 c. olive oil1/2 t. salt3/4 c. honey3/4 c. light brown sugar1 T. vanilla extract2 t. ground cinnamon1 1/2 c. whole almonds, pecans, peanuts or walnuts, chopped coarse (I used almonds and walnuts)1 c. dried cranberries1 c. flax seedDirections:Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the oats, oil, and salt together in a medium bowl. Spread the mixture out over a baking...

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Stuffed French Toast

The Test Kitchen Cookbook strikes once again! This brunch is the type of amazing where you want to eat more than one serving, but if you do you'll feel sick, and the idea that you get to eat it again tomorrow is satisfying. I'm always careful to follow exactly what the Test Kitchen says to do the first round, and then I modify to make it healthier/lighter the following times. You can do what you want. Ingredients:6 oz. cream cheese, softened (I...

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Big, Beautiful Muffins

If you happen to read my Words Page, you would have seen that I checked out The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book from the library yesterday. Then, I sat down to determine exactly which recipes I could manage to make in the 3-week checkout time. The conclusion: I need to buy the book.This was the first recipe out of the book, and we couldn't agree on a flavor, so I made a half batch of lemon-berry for Mac and the other half mocha-chip for...

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Chicken & Dumplings

Thank you, Passionate Homemaking, for the foundation of this recipe! We loved this soupy-style chicken and dumplings recipe. So wholesome and filling... Next time, I think I'll add a little more liquid and some corn. Ingredients:2 c. carrots, chopped (about 4)1/2 onion, chopped2 potatoes, chopped2 celery stocks, chopped1 green pepper, chopped2 c. chicken broth2-3 c. cubed cooked chicken1 1/2 tsp garlic salt1 1/2 tsp thyme1 tsp basil1 c. milkDumplings:2...

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Candied Sweet Potatoes

This is a very out of place post; I'll just fore-warn you there. Please note that the unconventional food photo of all my cousins DOES contain the finished dish. It's the one on the hright underneath Kelli's (in the pink) plate. I also made those rolls on the left under Kimo's (beardman) plate, which also contains a little serving of today's dish. Okay, enough with the rambling. Today, we're visiting sweet potatoes. Yup, those orange root things...

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Crockpot Yogurt

There is a sense of great accomplishment in making your own staples, such as yogurt. Keep in mind that this will not have the same consistency as store-bought yogurt. It's a little more soupy. I'm not hardcore enough to eat it plain, so I use it in recipes that call for yogurt, in smoothies, and with things like granola or fruit. Ingredients: 1/2 gallon whole milk 1/4 c. vanilla yogurt 1 pkg. unflavored gelatin (optional) 1/4 c. honey (optional) Directions: Pour...

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Olive-Oil Crackers

Request for crackers recipe! I feel like such a "professional blogger" with all these requests and comments. Thanks, guys!I've made this recipe 3 times, and added various toppings each time. You can add whatever you want to them, but I found my favorite to be just lightly salted. I got this recipe from 101Cookbooks... love it!Ingredients:3 c. whole-wheat flour (or combo of any flour except bread)1 tsp. sea salt1/3 c. olive oil1 c. warm watervarious...

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Shrimp Linguine

We like this for dinner last night. We think we would've liked it better had I followed the recipe. Here's the actual recipe with all my improvs in parenthesis:Ingredients:3/4 pound uncooked shell-on medium shrimp (about 20-30), peeled, deveined and tails removed (I used frozen, pre-cooked shrimp that was already peeled and deveined)3/4 c. coarsely chopped carrots2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (didn't have any because they're not fresh...

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Baked Chimichangas

We love this dish! From the Quick & Healthy Cookbook, it is again - quick and healthy! I really like to use my homemade yogurt recipe in this, which I'm really surprised I don't have posted on here already... that will be my weekend task - look for it!Ingredients:8- 6" flour tortillas (we use whole wheat)1 1/2 c. cooked and cubed chicken2 oz. grated low-fat cheese (we use cheddar)3/4 c. salsa, thick and chunky (best when it's fresh, but your...

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Dinner Rolls

Hop on over to The Pioneer Womantoday and check out these incredible pull-apart rolls!*The only change I make is to replace 1/2 of the flour with whole whe...

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Pork, Mushroom, Snow-pea Stir Fry

The problem with a genre request is that I don't necessarily make all the recipes at the time that I post them. Thus, the lack of photos. Also, the distinguished excitement for each dish. Don't let that take away from how yummy, easy, and quick these dinners are! The good thing about a genre request is I suddenly am aware of so many more meals that we can put on the menu for next month! Thanks, Krissa!And on that note, here's the recipe for this stir-fry. Just FYI - when it comes to stir fries, I tend to chop up a little of this veggie, throw...

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Chicken Chili

From the Quick & Healthy cookbook this chili is, well... quick and healthy! We love it. It's a nice alternative to heavy beef chili when you still want something warm and filling.1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts1 medium onion, chopped2 tsp. chopped garlic2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans, drained1 can (16 oz) diced tomatoes1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles1/2 c. water1 Tbl. dried cilantro2 tsp. chili powder1/2 tsp. cuminDirections:Cut chicken...

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Easy Chicken Enchiladas

This is from my favorite cookbook: America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. Serves 4-6 or 8 in our house...Ingredients:3 c. shredded, cooked chicken (about 1 1/2 pounds)3 c. sharp cheddar cheese (12 ounces, and regular cheddar works too)2 1/2 c. enchilada sauce (20 oz. or can make your own - recipe to follow)1-2 cans (4 oz) chopped green chiles1/2 c. minced fresh cilantroSalt and Pepper12 soft corn tortillasLime wedges, sour cream, avocado, lettuce for servingDirections:Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chicken, 2 cups of cheese, 1/2 cup of...

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Easy Dinners

I had a request (YES, a REAL request!!) to post some easy dinner options. Soooo this is my attempt to comply with that request. The next handful of posts will all be some of our favorite, easy dinners. Also, quite a few of my previous posts fall into the easy dinner category: not-yo-mamas-nachos, Bow tie Pasta and Brussels Sprouts, One-Pot Spaghetti, Slow Cooker Lentils and Chicken, Paprika Chicken, Tomato Mozzarella Casserole, Beef Stroganoff, Pasta Seashell Casserole, and Chicken Curry.Here are some keys to EASY dinners:* a 9"x13" pan. ...

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Dutch Baby Pancakes

I love Chama. And I love her Dutch Baby Pancakes. Eating them without her is just not quite the same, but still dericious! Ingredients: 3 eggs 3/4 c. milk 3/4 c. flour 1/4 c. butter (I recommend salted, sweet cream butter) 2 tsp. cinnamon 2 tbsp. white sugar Whipped cream (or whatever other topping you want) Directions: Put a 2-3 qt. pan in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. It's best to put the rack on the lower part of the oven. Using...

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Minestrone Soup with Quinoa

If you look back over all the recipes I've posted, generally every post includes words like "amazing, heaven, delicious, etc., etc." This post is different. Mac loved this soup. I, on the other hand, felt like I was eating something that belonged in a detox diet. But, I also thought that this soup had a lot of potential. Next time, I'll just add more seasoning and that should do it. If you're in the mood for something wholesome and healthy,...

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Not-Yo-Mamas-Nachos

Yes, this is really what they're called. And, I can't believe I didn't post them the first time we made them about 8 months ago! These nachos are delicious, and in my opinion, a future family staple. They get you the protein and veggies you need in all of about 15 minutes! INGREDIENTS:Eight 6-inch corn tortillas 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 1/4-pound bunch broccoli,...

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