Brownie Bites

You can't go wrong here - brownies, chocolate chips, fun paper wrappers, chocolatey deliciousness in every bite - it's a winner all around!

I like the size of these.  Just a couple of bites of chocolate to satisfy a craving but not go overboard.  I like that they're very portable.  You can easily throw them into a lunch.  I like that there's portion control.  We know we've all cut a bigger-than-we-should hunk from a 9x13" pan of brownies...

I've had the best luck with Pillsbury brownie mix or a store-brand mix, interestingly.  The other brands I've tried just haven't come out as well.

I also use the high altitude recipe.  Firstly, because I need to - I live at 3800 ft.  Secondly, because they need the extra flour for texture.  Try it both ways, but I think you'll come back to the high altitude recipe too.

Brownie Bites

1 box brownie mix

Ingredients as directed on the box (water, oil, eggs)

Additional ingredients noted in the "High Altitude Recipe" section, on the box

1/4 cup add-ins - chocolate chips, nuts, etc  (not 1/4 cup each - 1/4 cup TOTAL)

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  (This recipe usually make 20 brownie bites)

Mix brownie batter as directed on box.

Fill each cup just over half-full of brownie batter.

Bake for about 22 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes in pans.  Transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!!

NOTES:

I didn't get a picture of it, but these are SO cute on a plate with a small scoop of ice cream on top!

Top with your favorite toppings - sprinkles, syrups, nuts, etc.

Zucchini Bread (high altitude recipe)

When we moved to Utah from California, I was devastated when most of my baking recipes didn't turn out right - especially my breads!  It took me a bit to figure out the high altitude challenges, make the adjustments & get back to baking zucchini, banana & pumpkin breads again.

This recipe has been my most-successful for zucchini bread.  I made 5 loaves yesterday from ONE zucchini my neighbor brought over - wow!  One and one-half of the loaves are already gone.  Happy, happy family!

I especially like that the outside crust gets slightly crisp.  You can substitute mini-chocolate chips for the raisins in this recipe if you're like me & don't like raisins!

Zucchini Bread - High Altitude Recipe

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil (you can substitute unsweetened applesauce for this but it makes the bread heavier & the crust doesn't crisp up as well)

1 Tblsp vanilla

2 cups shredded or ground zucchini (squeeze out excess liquid before using, but don't worry too much)

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour (I sometimes use 1 cup whole wheat & 2 cups all-purpose)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp double-acting baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Grease 2  9x5x3" loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl, blend eggs, sugars, oil & vanilla.  Add zucchini.  Mix well.
3. Mix and sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg together.  (I usually don't sift anything - I just plunk it all in a bowl & stir it well with a wire whisk.)
4. Combine dry ingredients with liquid mixture.  Mix just until moistened.  Add walnuts & raisins, stirring only until blended.
5. Pour batter into prepared pans.
6. Bake about 50-60mins (depending upon your oven), or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool in pans for 10-15 mins, then remove loaves to a cooling rack.

These loaves freeze really well!  Make a few, wrap extras in wax paper & place in ziplock bag.  They defrost moist & delicious, but without the slight crisp on the crust.  They keep well up to 3 months.

You can substitute mini-chocolate chips or the raisins, if you like.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Pepper Jack Stuffed Chicken Breasts

**I really enjoyed this recipe.  My family is out of  town this week and I didn't make it for my youngest daughter, so I don't know how friendly it will be to the entire family, but if you like spinach and pepper jack cheese, you will enjoy this. This recipe came from Food, Friends and Fun**

1 9oz pkg fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - pounded to 1/2 inch thickness.
1 pinch ground black pepper
8 slices bacon (optional)  *I did not use**

Place spinach in a large glass bowl and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring every minute or so, or until wilted.  Stir in the sour cream, pepper jack cheese, and garlic.

Lay chicken breasts out on a clean surface, and spoon some of the spinach mixture onto each one.  Sprinkle with pepper.  Roll up the chicken to enclose the spinach, then wrap each chicken breast with two slices of bacon.  Secure with a toothpick or 2 and place in a 9x13 baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 35 minutes, then increase the heat to 500 degrees and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes to brown the bacon.

Vegetable Pizza Appetizer

**I had to come up with some kind of vegetable dish to take to a funeral yesterday.  I decided to do this recipe since it has so many fresh cut vegetables.  This was a recipe I remember from a Pampered Chef party years ago, but they always use dill to make theirs.  I'm not a lover of dill, so I use ranch.  I made  a second one for our family also, but added some grilled chicken as well.  It was DE-Lish!**




Vegetable Pizza Appetizer
1 Pkg.  Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1 8oz cream cheese
1 packet Ranch Dressing powder
3 cups of your favorite vegetables chopped up  (I use broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and red peppers)
**As an option, I had some grilled chicken in the freezer that I heated up, cut into cubes and added to the vegetables as well**

Press the pkg of crescent rolls into the botton of a 9x13 baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Let cool.

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and ranch packet.  Stir until it is all mixed in well.  Spread this over top of the cooked and cooled crescent rolls.

Chop your vegetables up into small pieces.  Put them all into a bowl to mix them together well.  If you are adding chicken, do so at this point too, so it is all evenly mixed together.

Pour this vegetable mixture over top of the cream cheese.  You can then serve immediately just like this, OR I added about 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese that was evenly distributed over top of the vegetables, and then I baked it in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.  I only did this because I thought it would help keep it all together better.

It really was DELISH.  Enjoy.

Cinnamon Roll Loaf

Doesn't this look YUMMMMY?!?  It literally took 5 minutes to make, 40 minutes to bake & about 10 seconds to drizzle.  Then I ran it over to a neighbor as a thank you gift.

My kids were not happy it wasn't staying home.

This couldn't be easier so get baking & ENJOY!!  :)

Cinnamon Roll Loaf

2 canisters of cinnamon rolls - choose your favorite or make your own recipe from scratch

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Butter the inside of a standard loaf pan.

Place the cinnamon rolls, one by one, in the dish vertically (standing on their side).  Overlap the rolls slightly at the middle and continue until the loaf pan is filled.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown & cooked through.  (Make sure it's not still gooey/uncooked inside!)

Drizzle with included frosting.

Serve warm or let cool and enjoy later.

Marshmallow & Chocolate Chip Topped Brownies

Ooey-gooey marshmallow & chocolate chip topped brownies?!? Yes, please!!  :)

This is a quick-n-easy upgrade for your favorite brownie recipe.  To be totally honest, I'm a brownies-from-a-box kinda girl.  Not that I can't make from-scratch brownies!  But usually, I'm wanting a treat in a hurry & the box is only $1 minus my coupon & I just don't have the patience... Sound familiar?

Anyway - quick & easy, delicious, ooey AND gooey!  YUMMM!!

Marshmallow & Chocolate Chip Topped Brownies

Makes 1 9x13" pan

1 recipe of your favorite brownies

2 cups mini-marshmallows

1/2 cup chocolate chips

NOTE:  I would recommend lining your pan with non-stick foil or buttered parchment paper so the marshmallows don't stick to the pan.  I didn't remember this step in the photos.  I regretted it.

Bake your favorite recipe for brownies.

5 minutes before they're done, remove them from the oven.  Sprinkle marshmallows & chocolate chips on top.  Add extra if you want.  :)  Try not to eat any...

Put pan back in oven for 5-10 minutes or until the marshmallows have puffed up & turned golden brown.

Allow to cool slightly, cut & serve.

Accept compliments graciously.  ;)



NOTE:  These are hard to cut!  Use a heated, sharp knife (heat by holding the blade under hot running water) and wipe the blade between cuts.  Pretty much plan on losing your first one... but you can eat it to save everyone else from the pitiful crumbliness of it.  You're a giver, right?

ENJOY!!

Inside Out Jalapeno Stuffed Cheeseburger

**This recipe comes from The Dashing Dish. It was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!! It had so much flavor. YUM. You've got to try it. Oh, and the picture I took for this dinner was so terrible that it did it no justice. So, this is just a random picture from a Google search that shows more what the burger looks like. When I make it again, I will take another picture and repost a new one. :)**

ALSO...go check out this link for another variation that looks like it would be good too.

http://www.mommyhatescooking.com/2011/06/mexi-burgers-with-corn-salsa.html

Inside Out Jalapeno Stuffed Cheeseburger

1 1/2 lbs Lean ground turkey

2TB Dry Fiesta ranch dip mix

1/4 cup Salsa

4oz Jalapeno or Pepper Jack Cheese. (1 oz per burger. You could cut up a jalapeno cheese stick or just cut the blocked cheese into cubes)

Lettuce to wrap your burger in or you can use hamburger buns.

Salsa for garnish

Directions:

**I cooked mine on the stove in a skillet. If you BBQ them or do them over the stove, you don't need to turn on the oven.**

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Place the ground turkey into a medium sized bowl with dip mix and salsa. Mix until well combined. The mixture should be pretty moist.

Form into 8 equal sized patties.

Place 4 of the patties on the foil lined baking sheet and place the cheese in the middle of the patty. Then place the other patty over top of that and seal the sides together.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Turn the burgers over and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Top the burger with salsa and wrap in a lettuce leaf.

For a LEAN AND GREEN meal with Medifast

This is Cindy, the Registered dietetic Technician on the Nutrition Support Team here at Medifast. This recipe makes 4 servings and is:

1 lean protein

2 1/4 condiments

Taco Egg Rolls

**This recipe was inspired from a recipe I found for Taco Wontons. I didn't have wonton wrappers, but I did have egg roll wrappers. My family LOVED these. I didn't think they would be as popular as they were.**

Taco Egg Roll

1 lb ground beef

1 taco seasoning packet

1 can refried beans

12 egg roll wrappers

Grated cheddar cheese

Serve with:

Sour cream

Salsa

In a skillet, brown the ground beef and drain all the fat. Add the seasoning packet with the called for water on the back of the package. Cook until the sauce thickens. Add the can of refried beans and heat until it is heated through.

Take a scoop of meat mixture and place it in the middle of an egg roll wrapper. Add about 2TB cheese and then fold up the egg roll however you normally make them. I usually make mine more like rectangles, but this time I tried to make it like a puff, and brought it all to the center and sealed the edges. I seal my wrappers with some milk.

Cook each egg roll in hot oil until golden brown.

Serve with sour cream and salsa if desired.

Lemon Meringue Pie

This pie has been a tradition in my family for as long as I can remember. My mom doesn't even remember where she got the recipe. It's not your traditional lemon meringue pie - it has graham cracker crust and the lemon filling is more like pudding or custard. But it's still tangy & lemony & delicious!

It's a HUGE success everywhere I take it and comes out perfectly every time I make it. That's my favorite kind of recipe!

Its fancy enough for a holiday meal and easy enough for an any-day treat.

Enjoy!

Lemon Meringue Pie

Makes 1 9" pie

Graham cracker crust:

18 graham cracker squares (or 9 of the tall double-squares)

3 Tblsp white sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

Mix together with a fork in an ungreased pie plate. Press graham cracker mixture into bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Bake at 350*F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven to cooling rack.

Lemon filling:

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 egg yolks

Blend all thoroughly and pour into baked graham cracker pie crust. Leave on cooling rack.

Meringue:

4 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup white sugar

Beat egg whites & cream of tartar on HIGH until egg whites are completely shiny-white and beginning to get firm.

While still beating, slowly add white sugar, a bit at a time, to the egg whites. Continue until all the white sugar is incorporated and the egg whites are firm, shiny & totally white.

Using a spatula or spoon, gently place the whipped egg whites on top of the lemon filling in the graham cracker crust. Make sure to fully enclose the lemon filling by touching the meringue to the edges of the pie crust (not to the pie plate though). Smooth the meringue all over the pie.

Put the pie back into the 350*F oven and bake until the meringue is golden - about 15 mins.

To create the standing loops, place your spatula/spoon, flat-side down, gently against the meringue & lift up.

When the meringue is golden, remove pie from oven to a cooling rack. Cool completely before cutting.

Store pie, well-sealed, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can cover it with plastic wrap or place it in a tupperware. A ziplock bag is possible is you're making an 8" pie.

NOTE:

For an 8" pie crust - use 15 graham cracker squares, 2 Tblsp white sugar, and 1/4 cup melted butter for the crust. The lemon filling & meringue recipes stay the same. An 8" pie will be much taller than a 9".

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

This side-dish was super easy & extra delicious! I will definitely be making this again & again & again...

We paired this with chicken sausages, but you could absolutely use this side dish with almost anything! I had it the next day with some broccoli & it was delish.

Enjoy!

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Hands-on time: 10 mins - Total time: 1 hour
Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1" chunks
3 Tblsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup (4 oz) grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 8 fresh sprigs)

Preheat oven to 400*F.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to a lightly greased (or foil-lined & lightly greased) 9x13" baking dish.

Roast, stirring once, until golden brown & crisp - about 50 minutes.

Can be served hot or at room temperature.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

**This recipe is adapted from a recipe from my friend Nancy. I will leave you her recipe too, and you can decide how you would like to make it. I ended up just using canned diced tomatoes because her recipe called for salsa and chopped tomatoes. I was just too lazy to chop a tomato. :) Then, I wanted to cut back on some of the calories and see what it would taste like without the sour cream. My family thought it was good. I always liked this recipe growing up. My mom would make one that was very similar, but I never had the recipe. Thanks Nancy for having one!**

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

2 cups cubed or shredded chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 10oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1/4 cup milk

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Tortilla Chips or Dorito chips

**Adding some chopped onion and bell pepper to the soup mix could be an option too, I just didn't have any.

In a small bowl, add the soup, tomatoes and milk.

In an 8x8 baking dish, place about 1 1/2 cups of very lightly crushed tortilla chips (They should still be decent sized pieces, just not as large as right out of the bag)

Then layer 1 cup of chicken over the chips. Pour 1/2 of the soup mixture over the chicken. Layer again 1 1/2 cups lightly crushed tortilla chips, chicken and soup mixture.

Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the 1 cup of cheese and about 1/2 cup of crushed tortilla chips over top. Place back in oven for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Nancy's Recipe

1 can cream of mushroom

3/4 cup pace picante salsa

3/4 cup sour cream

1TB chili powder

2 medium tomatoes chopped

3 cups cooked and cubed chicken

12 corn tortillas cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix soup, salsa, sour cream, chili powder, tomatoes, and chicken.

In a shallow 2 qt casserole dish, layer half the tortilla pieces, then top with 1/2 the chicken mixture. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Saucy Italian Burgers

I saw this recipe on the Rachel Ray show the other day. I literally said "YUM!" while she was making it!

I printed hers out, made some adjustments for me, and served my family that night with my fingers crossed...

... They literally groaned with yummmm's!

This recipe was super-duper easy, took less than 20 minutes, and thoroughly yummified my whole family. It will be a regular on our meal plan from now on.

I used my favorite recipe for meatballs for the burger portion of this dish. If you have a favorite meatballs recipe, by all means use it.

Italian Burgers

1 pound ground meat - I use ground turkey but you can use ground beef, if you prefer
1/3 cup Italian spiced bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 garlic clove minced OR 1 tsp prepared minced garlic
1/8-1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried parsley)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1 16oz ball of fresh mozzarella
6 ciabatta rolls, halved
Fresh arugula, if desired

Preheat your broiler to LOW or preheat your oven to 450*F. Also preheat a pan to cook your burgers - I used my stove-top grill.

Mix by hand ground meat, bread crumbs, Parmesan, milk, egg, garlic, parsley, salt & pepper in a large bowl.

Use your hand to separate the mixture into 2 equal-ish halves. Then use your hand again to separate each half into 3 piece-of-pie-shaped wedges. You should end up with 6 fairly equal portions.

Shape each portion into a burger patty, slightly indenting the very center. Place on a preheated grill (or in a skillet) and cook. Mine took about 7 minutes on each side.

While the burgers are cooking, heat your favorite spaghetti sauce in a large skillet (not a saucepan!).

On a baking sheet, lay out your ciabatta rolls, halved. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. You can sprinkle them with garlic salt & Parmesan cheese, if desired. Place in the oven & bake until lightly toasted along the edges. Don't overcook!!

Remove ciabatta rolls from oven. Set the tops aside. Leave the bottoms on the baking pan, next to the skillet with the spaghetti sauce in it.

When the burgers are done, move them directly from the grill/pan to the spaghetti sauce in the skillet. Turn them over & over a few times in the spaghetti sauce, until well-coated. Place one sauced burger patty on each ciabatta roll bottom.

Slice the mozzarella ball & place slices on top of the sauced burger patties.

Return them to the oven until the cheese has melted.

Top with arugula, if desired.

Top with the ciabatta roll tops and serve!

These were perfect with a salad. Enjoy!!

Oven Taco's

**The family loved these. It is a nice spin on the normal taco. This recipe comes from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures **

**This is a huge recipe. If you have a smaller family, I would suggest to 1/2 the recipe and you could probably freeze the filling to use at a later date. I used 1/2lb meat, 1/4 can of beans and 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and I made 6 tacos. **

Oven Taco's

2 lbs ground beef

1 can refried beans

8 oz tomato sauce

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

18-20 hard taco shells

garnish - lettuce, sour cream, salsa, etc..

Brown the ground beef and drain off any fat. Add the refried beans, tomato sauce, and seasoning.

Spoon mixture into taco shells.

Place filled taco shells in a 9x13 baking dish, standing up. Sprinkle each taco with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Garlic Pull Apart Bread Recipe

**This is the 2nd recipe like this I have added. This one is cooked differently than the other one here on the blog. You can use regular roll dough, or you can use the refrigerated biscuits from the store.

Garlic Pull Apart Bread

1 16oz can buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup melted butter

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp garlic salt

In a small bowl, melt butter. Add garlic, parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Pour into a round cake pan or an 8x8 baking dish.

Open the biscuits and cut each one into quarters. Place them in the pan over the butter mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. ( I wish I would have baked the ones in the picture a little longer or used a dark dish verses a clear one)

When you take them out of the oven, flip the biscuits onto a large plate and serve.

**I used my dinner roll recipe, found here, and put then in the dish during the last 15 minutes of rising. I also used the refrigerator biscuits. They were popular both ways.

Chili Cheese Tater Tot Casserole

**This recipe comes from Mommy Hates Cooking It is a quick, easy meal.**

Chili Cheese Tater Tot Casserole

2 cans of chili

Frozen tater tots (we used about 1/3 of a 28oz bag)

1 cup cheese, divided

In an 8x8 baking dish, empty out the 2 cans of chicken. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese over top. Place the tater tots over top of cheese and sprinkle more cheese on top of the tater tots.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.

Super-Quick Chicken-Broccoli Stir Fry

This recipe was a selfish one. I made it because I thought it looked SO yummy! I didn't make it because I thought my family would like it or because it looked healthy or even because I thought it would look good on our blog. I just thought "YUM!" and that was that.

Turns out, I was totally right! My family LOVED this. And it was so easy!

The only ingredient I had to buy was the salad dressing - I had everything else in my pantry or fridge. After making this dinner I bought 3 more bottles of the salad dressing so I could make it anytime I had a craving.

Good stuff, my friends!




Super-Quick Chicken-Broccoli Stir Fry
Prep time: 10 mins Total time: 25 mins Serves: 4

1/2 lb angel hair pasta (capellini), uncooked
2 cups fresh broccoli florets, uncooked
1/2 - 1 cup fresh shredded carrot, uncooked
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into bite-sized pieces (or thin strips, if you prefer)
1/2 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp each: ground ginger & garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (if you like - we didn't & it was fine without)
1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

• Cook pasta in large pot as directed on package. Add broccoli to boiling water for the last 3 mins.



• Meanwhile, spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces; cook 6-8 mins, or until done, stirring occasionally.



• Stir dressing, soy sauce and seasonings into chicken; cook 1 min, stirring occasionally.



• Drain pasta/broccoli; place in large bowl.



• Add chicken/sauce mixture; mix lightly (tongs are the easiest way to mix this).



• Serve - you can serve it in the mixing bowl with the peanuts on the side (like we did) or evenly distribute the finished dish into single-serving bowls & sprinkle with peanuts & serve.

NOTE: Add in whatever vegetables you have on hand such as snow peas, sliced bell peppers, chopped red or green onions, etc. You can substitute them for the broccoli & carrots or just add them in.

Enjoy!!

Chicken and Rice

This is what it will look like when it is ready to go into the oven.

**This was one of my favorite dinners growing up. I think it is funny that I have been married for 22 years and can't even count on one hand how many times I have made this. I seem to keep forgetting about it. Well, now that I am making it, it is going into the compilation of recipes I am doing, so I will be sure to see it and make it more frequently. I hope your family will enjoy it. **

Chicken and Rice

8x8 recipe

2 chicken breasts cooked and diced up

1 box Chicken and Mushroom Rice A Roni

1 can Cream of Mushroom and Chicken (Yes, it is all mixed together already)

1 1/3 cup water

**Brown the rice mixture in a skillet over medium heat. I don't add the butter to do this. I just spray the pan with some Pam. When the mixture is light brown, pour into an 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle half the seasoning packet over top of rice. Place the chicken over top of the rice mixture. Sprinkle with remaining seasoning packet. Open the can of soup, and place dollops of the soup evenly over top of the chicken. Slowly pour in the water so that it is evenly distributed through the baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.

9x13 recipe

4 chicken breasts cooked and diced up

2 boxes Chicken and Mushroom Rice A Roni

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

OR you can just do 2 cans of cream of chicken and mushroom soup

2 2/3 cup water

**Brown the rice mixture in a skillet over medium heat. I don't add the butter to do this. I just spray the pan with some Pam. When the mixture is light brown, pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle 1 seasoning packet over top of rice. Place the chicken over top of the rice mixture. Sprinkle with the 2nd seasoning packet. Open the cans of soup, and place dollops of the soup evenly over top of the chicken. Slowly pour in the water so that it is evenly distributed through the baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.

Mom's Pumpkin Dump and Berry Cobbler Dump

**My Mom always made this and still makes this quite frequently. This recipe follows the ingredients on the back of a Libby's 100% pumpkin 29oz can and then she adds the cake mix to the top.**

Pumpkin Dump

1 29oz can Libby's 100% pumpkin

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2-12oz cans evaporated milk

1 tsp salt

3-4 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon (my mom always uses pumpkin pie spice and never uses cloves like other recipes)

1 box yellow cake mix

1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and spices. Mix well. Pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over top of the pumpkin mixture. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Watch closely after about 45 minutes.

Berry or Cherry Cobbler

2 cans Comstock berry pie filling or cherry pie filling

1 box yellow cake mix

1 stick melted butter

Pour both cans of pie filling into a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle the box of cake mix evenly over top. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top of the cake mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Mom's Fried Rice

**I have such a hard time typing up my moms recipes, because she is such a "dump cook." So, I kind of cook that way too. My measurements are not exact, but they are close.** My mom always made this with the Egg Rolls, or the Sweet n Sour chicken.**

Fried Rice

3 cups cooked rice

1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled. (Reserve bacon grease in skillet)

4-5 eggs

Lawry's Onion Salt

Peas (optional)

Green onion (optional)

Cook the bacon in a skillet. Set aside on paper towel to drain grease. Crumble bacon after it has cooled off. Set aside.

You may remove some of the bacon grease, but then, over medium-high heat, heat the grease and pan drippings back up. Add the rice to the pan drippings. At this point, if you like peas in your fried rice, add them too. Let it cook until heated through.

My mom then used to move all the rice to the outer edges of the skillet and cook the egg in the middle of the skillet and then incorporate it into the rice after they were fully cooked. I'm not very good at this, as my eggs always stick. So, I just scramble my eggs in a seperate smaller skillet and then add them to the rice mixture. Add the bacon also at this time and the optional green onion. Sprinkle Lawry's onion salt until the taste is how you would like it.

Mom's Egg Rolls

**Sorry I don't have a finished picture. These are pictures I took a while ago when we were leaving for a party, and I forgot to get a picture of the final product. This is another recipe my mom used to make growing up. I tried baking them one time, and it just didn't seem like the entire wrapper got cooked and the taste was not as good as being fried. If you have any ideas for baking them, please share your ideas and successes. These were something that we all enjoyed growing up, even with all the vegetables in them.**

Egg Rolls

1 pkg egg roll wrappers

4 chicken breasts cut up in small cubes

1 cup diced celery

1 onion diced

1 pkg mushrooms in carton, diced

Soy sauce

Salt n pepper

Olive or canola oil

Dice up each vegetable. In a skillet, saute each vegetable seperately in a small amount of oil. Add about 1/2-1 TB soy sauce, and salt and pepper. After cooking each vegetable for about 3 mintues, place it in a medium sized bowl. Then saute the diced up chicken in oil, soy sauce, salt and pepper until no longer pink. Place the chicken in the bowl with the vegetables also. Stir until all the ingredients are equally mixed in. Add more soy sauce and salt and pepper as desired for taste.

Place about 1/4 cup of mixture on an egg roll wrapper. Fold up sides, and dip your fingers in some milk to help seal up the seams.

Cook in a skillet with about 1/2 cup oil. Fry each side until light brown. Place on a paper towel to drain grease. Serve.