Jolene's Recipe Journal

(originally made 12/2009)

MIL called with a last minute request for me to make fruitcake for FIL.  There could not be any alcohol or nuts.     I got some great ideas from the TOHbb, but I had the ingredients on hand for this one I got from myrecipes.com.

I was also make him a pumpkin pie  & Pink Elephant popcorn, so I wanted him to be able to reserve some of the goodies.   I baked this in my mini loaf pan rack, it made 5 mini loaves... Sort of.    I obviously overfilled them and it crawled all over the oven floor!  Had a little difficulty getting them out of the pan, but once I did they cooled and wrapped very nicely.  FIL kept one out and stuck the rest in the freezer, and said it's delicious.


* Exported from MasterCook *

                              Fruitcake Loaf


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1                cup  all-purpose flour -- divided
  2               cups  Dried fruit m…

I found these on the Martha Website, gave them a try for our family Christmas party. Thumbs up, there's room for a few tweaks though.

It makes a VERY large cookie using size she gave. Made them with smallest cookie scoop (about the size of a dime), and they turned out bite size. Cookies themselves are good, even without frosting.

I was up to my neck in baking orders, and couldn't do the from scratch frosting. I subbed whipped canned frosting, piped it through a pastry bag with an open tip to make filling go quicker :)


Martha's Carrot Cake Sandwich CookiesPrint
With ImageWithout Image Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal ingredients:1 cup light-brown sugar1 cup sugar2 sticks unsalted butter -- room temperature2 large eggs -- room temperature1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract2 cups flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/2 teaspoon ground ginger2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats -- (used quic…

(originally made 10/21/2013)

Getting cooler here in New England and I've started looking for heartier, comfort food-type recipes.    I had a few roma tomatoes left from a trip to the farm, and some gnocchi in the freezer, so thought that I'd make this recipe up for dinner tonight.  

I only used about 10 slices of bacon, the remainder of a package.   The canned tomatoes and fresh tomatoes I ran through the food processor, along with the paste and sugar.     Neither of my guys like chunks of tomato.   It looked a little skimpy, since I was doubling the gnocchi, so I added about 1/4c of tomato sauce.   Got distracted and forgot to add the cream/yogurt, we didn't miss it.  Next time I might stir in a little ricotta. 

I baked this in a 13x9, for 10 mins at 400, then flipped the broiler on to brown up the cheese on top.   Thank you Alida, this recipe certainly is "Simply Delicious"!



* Exported from MasterCook *

             Baked gnocchi with bacon, tomato and mozzar…

I've been making this recipe for over 5 years now.  My guys saw an advertisement from a pizza chain for a Mega Chocolate Chip Cookie and they asked if I could make one. Since I didn't have an ovenproof skillet or pizza pan at the time, I searched the web for one I could do in a cake pan.    I found this recipe on That's So Yummy and it was perfect since I only had 1 egg.

This is a great fix for a chocolate chip cookie craving without making a huge batch, scooping dough and then babysitting cookie sheets! Most often I make it with semisweet chocolate chips, but sometimes I switch it up and and use some of the speciality ones that I can't seem to resist buying, like Sea Salt Caramel.

Though the directions say to cool it completely, we like ours warm, topped with a scoop of ice cream, sometimes a drizzle of hot fudge sauce.  



Yield: 8Author: Jolene's Recipe JournalPrint Recipe
With ImageWithout Image Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake ingredients1 stick butter -- unsalted1 1/4…

(originally made 5/30/2008)

I wanted to surprise Tim with some hot from the oven popovers when he got home from work at 1am.   I needed a recipe that was simple and foolproof because I'm not exactly at my sharpest at that time of night   :)       I've never made popovers before, and I had to improvise using a muffin tin since I didn't have the specialty pan.     These were sooo good!      I filled all 12 muffin cups, and the popovers were huge and puffy.     Definitely will make these again!

The directions were a little vague, I used the 1/3c of softened butter to grease the tins and put the 4T melted in the batter.        :)


* Exported from MasterCook *

                             Popovers-Emeril

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
     1/3      cup + 4T  melted unsalted butter
  6               eggs 
  2               cups  milk
  2               cups  flour
  1           teaspoon  sa…

Made this last night on 2 friends recommendations.   I have zero luck with coating sticking to baked marinated chicken.  I had 4 decent sized boneless skinless chicken breasts, so I increased the amount of cornflakes to 4c.   I used 9oz of Ken's Light Options with Romano & Red pepper.  Instead of the garlic salt, I used garlic powder and onion powder.

Thank you Carol and Linda for the heads up on this one and big thanks to Kelsey at the Naptime Chef for the recipe.


Print
With ImageWithout Image Oven Fried Cornflake ChickenAuthor: Jolene's Recipe Journal Ingredients:4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts9 oz Ken's Light Options Italian Dressing with Romano & Red pepper 1t garlic powder1t onion powder4 cups crushed cornflakes Instructions:Heat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place chicken in a ziptop bag and add dressing. Seal and refrigerate for 30 to 45 mins.In food processor, crush cornflakes and add onion powder and garlic powder, place in a shallow di…

There are so many family favorite recipes that I've been making for 10 years or more!  This is my go-to one for waffles or pancakes.  It can be changed up in so many ways.  I do always add a  teaspoon of vanilla, sometimes also a teaspoon of butter extract.  It's great with fruit mixed in, or on top. It's a filling breakfast that isn't super heavy.

(originally made 11/3/2007)
Jake's been bugging me to see how the waffle iron works, so this morning we made this recipe. It's a great starter recipe, and it would be awesome with some strawberries mixed in, or maybe some mashed banana. Definitely add a splash of vanilla! I topped mine with Blueberry Syrup, Jake had his with real Maple syrup we got during the season. Will definitely make this one again!


Oatmeal Waffles or PancakesPrint
With ImageWithout Image Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal ingredients:Ingredients2 eggs, beaten1t vanilla extract1t butter extract (optional) 2 cups buttermilk1 cup quick cooking oats…

(originally made 1/23/2007)

Wow. When I cut this cake into the size portions they recommended, I thought, I thought I'd be going back for seconds. Wrong! It's a moist, delicious cake. The frosting is more of a glaze, but either way, it's real good. :) Due to nut allergies, I had to skip the pecans, instead I dropped in about 1/4c of chocolate chips.

Forgot to add, I did the 13x9 version, and it baked in about 26 mins.

Texas Sheet Cake

Cooking spray
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter or stick margarine
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Icing:
6 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans -- toasted (subbed choc chips)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare the cake,…

(originally made 1/2006)

I made this one as listed the first time, now it's more improvised.   I use Mild taco seasoning with ground beef and omit the tomatoes.    I've also dropped down to 3 tortillas and build the pie in a springform pan.    This is one of my husband's favorite meals.




Tortilla Pie

1 pound lean ground beef
Taco seasoning (we like Mild)
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley, divided (use dried parsley)
3 burrito size flour tortillas
1/2c Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 400º.

Cook beef in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking up with a spatula.   Drain.   Add taco seasoning and water recommended on the package.   Combine the ricotta, mozzarella cheese and parsley.

Spray springform pan with nonstick spray.   Lay tortilla in the bottom of pan.   Add half of meat mixture.   Sprinkle with 1/4c mexican blend cheese.   Add another tortilla.   Top with ri…

This is another one of my Grandmother's recipes.   She called it "Combination".   Sometimes she'd use creamed corn, I use regular.   It's a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.



Favorite Hamburger Casserole (Gram's Combination)


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2lbs ground beef
1/2t ea garlic powder and onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
15oz can corn, drained
2 cups mashed potatoes (from scratch or instant, prepared as directed)
2T butter, diced
1/2c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef, drain. Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper to taste. Spoon into 2 1/2 quart round casserole dish. Pour the can of corn over the ground beef. Top with mashed potatoes, spreading it to the edges. Dot with butter.Bake for 25 minutes, sprinkle with cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.Yield: serves 6
NOTES…

(originally made 8/2004)

I made this yesterday because my sister requested Toll House pie for her birthday. Definitely a keeper! I used a deep dish pie crust, and the finished pie was a gooey, chocolate-y treat! We served it with a small scoop of Edy's vanilla ice cream. I knew it was a hit when my sister didn't offer to share when company showed up later!

*now that I have two guys that are allergic to nuts, I substitute crushed Rice Krispies cereal*




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Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie reviewed by Jolene's Recipe Journal October 13, 2013   9               inch  deep-dish pie shell -- unbaked
  2              large  eggs
     1/2           cup  flour
     1/2           cup  sugar
     1/2           cup  brown sugar
  1 1/2         sticks  butter -- softened
  1                cup  NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels -- (6 oz.)
  1                cup  chopped nuts-- (use crushed Rice Krispies)

PREHEAT oven to 325° F.
BEAT eggs in large mixer bowl on high spee…

I've really been trying to clear out my cabinets the last few months.   I had a partial box of lasagna noodles, and a quick search found me this recipe from the Pink Parsley blog.    I subbed sweet Italian sausage for the ground beef.    My family doesn't like chunks of veg, so I bought crushed tomatoes and used minced dried onion.   I added the onion to the tomatoes and spices and garlic in the food processor and pulsed it to make it smooth.

I was short a few sheets of noodles, but it didn't really make a difference.   I did find that it was hard to get them to cook through in the 20 mins when you had to keep lifting the lid to stir them.    I'd say mine took closer to 25.   I also discovered that what I thought was a 12" skillet was clearly a 10" after adding the tomatoes.   I moved it to a larger pan so I could stir without making a giant mess.  Make sure that the skillet you use has a heat safe handle, you don't want to melt it under the…

(originally made 6/2008)

Jake and I made these for Tim as a surprise for Father's Day.    My friend Debbie provided her favorite Cream Puff recipe, I used Martha's Pastry cream, and dipped them in 1c Ghiradelli semi sweet chips melted with 1 teaspoon canola oil.    I let Jake do the dipping, he did pretty good, I think!



 Cream Puffs

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
     1/2            c.  water
     1/4            C.  margarine or butter  (I used butter)
     1/2            C.  flour
     1/4          tsp.  salt
  2                     eggs
*I added 1T of sugar with the flour/salt

Heat oven to 425
Grease cookie sheet   (I used parchment)

In medium pan combine water and margarine,  bring to a boil over medium heat.  Stir in flour and salt,  cook, stirring vigorously until mixture leaves sides of pan in a smooth ball.  Remove from heat.  (I let it cool about 5 mins in the bowl of KA mixer)

Add egg…

(originally made 3/2013)

Tim and Jake both have issues with eggs, so most eggy dishes are out for us.    I miss French toast and meringue!

Though this recipe is new to me, it’s not new to my family.    My mom makes over 500 of these every December, and until now, I’ve never made them, only eaten them.   Tim bought me my own iron for Christmas, and I’ve been looking forward to trying it out.    I originally doubled the recipe that came with it since Tim can eat a half dozen in a sitting, and then I realized that it was the same as my mom’s recipe EXCEPT that she significantly increased the vanilla.    I tried a few with the lower amount and was unhappy with the taste, so I added the difference.   

The end result?  They were ok, but they were not Mom’s.    Part of the issue is the iron, it seems to produce a thicker pizzelle than what I want.     I like the bigger, thinner pizzelle with the lacy edges.   These were good with some maple honey caramel and I rolled a few to fill…

Tim and I are both big fans of calzones, stromboli, pepperoni pizza.    I found this recipe on the Taste of Home website and decided to give it a try today.    Instead of the frozen bread dough, I made the Soft Garlic Breadstick dough.   I'm low on all things flour, so I ended up using 1 1/2c all purpose and 1 1/2c white whole wheat.   It turned out ok, a little harder to work with, and I'll go back to the all bread flour next time  :) 

Tim won't eat chunks of onion so when I browned the ground beef I added 2T of minced dried onion.  I used 90% lean beef, and since I had bought a package of the thick sliced pepperoni, I quartered the pieces.   I went all mozzarella for the cheese.

Very happy with the final result!  I stashed the second one in the freezer unbaked to have another time.   Very easy to customize this with veggies or whatever you like.


Pepperoni StromboliPrint
With ImageWithout Image Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal Ingredients:2 loaves (1 pound eac…

(originally made 6/2012)

Happened to have some boneless skinless chicken breast on tap for lunch today, so when I looked through the Hunt thread and saw Carol's review of this, I knew it was going on the menu!     Tim does not like spicy food, so I made the mixture and stuffed his first, then added the jalapeno to what was left and did mine.    I used a little less oil, not to be healthy but because I had browned my bacon in a large skillet so I used the drippings combined with the oil to brown the chicken  :)  

Thank you, thank you, thank you Carol!   Yet another winner for my Family Favorites file  :) And go check out her photo of the beautifully sliced finished chicken-  mine were not as pretty   LOL






                     JALAPENO POPPER STUFFED CHICKEN



  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1               pkg.  cream cheese -- (8 oz.) softened
     1/2            c.  shredded cheddar cheese
…