Peanut butter bon-bons

2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Melt butter and peanut butter (in microwave 1 min), stir into sugar. Make round balls out of dough. Melt chips in microwave, heat for 30seconds then stir until melted through. Dip balls into melted chocolate and place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate to cool. Or if you can't wait, freeze for 10 min.

Greek Chicken

5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup kalamata olives
3/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
salt & pepper

Place frozen chicken in casserole dish with broth. Season chicken with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic. Spread tomatoes on top and around chicken. Bake at 350 for about 40-45 min. The last 15 minutes of baking time top the chicken with the olives and feta. Serve over white rice with a green salad.
adapted from Racheal Ray's "Praise the Braise Chicken with feta and Tomato"

Peanut butter chocolate rice krispies

1/4 cup butter
1 bag large marshmallows
3/4 cup peanut butter
5-6 cups rice crispies
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Put cereal in large bowl. Grease 9x13 pan

melt butter in sauce pan on low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.
Add peanut butter stir until combined then remove from heat
Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal and quickly stir until coated.
Spray wax paper with cooking spray and press mixture into 9x13 pan.
Pour chips into microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, stir, heat for 30 seconds, stir, repeat until melted through then spread on top of rice krispies. Put pan in fridge until chocolate has cooled. Cut into squares, enjoy!

Suzanne's Meatballs

These are so yummy, my kids love them. One of the fabulous recipes from a great friend. I also use this recipe for meatloaf (but add mushrooms, celery, and other herbs) or for hamburgers.

2 lbs ground beef
2 Tbs minced dry onion
1 cup oatmeal (or bread crumbs but I like it with oatmeal)
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp worcestershire sauce (I omit this)
2 eggs
1/2 cup rice milk (you can use milk)
Mix all ingredients together. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on jelly roll pan and bake at 400 for 12-14 minutes. Cool. Rinse under running water (when I'm hurrying I don't rinse)

We eat these with spaghetti (bertolli sauce only:) or with a white sauce on egg noodles, or you can make meatball subs on miniature french bread loaves.

corn bread

1 cup flour
1 cup corn meal
2/3 cup sugar (I will probably use 1/2 next time)
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup rice milk
1/3 cup oil

Mix and bake in 9 inch round at 400 for 20 minutes

Cinnamon muffins

sift following into bowl:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder


Combine in separate bowl:
1 egg
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup rice milk

Mix dry and wet mixtures. Spray muffin pans and bake muffins at 400 for 12-18 minutes

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

In kitchenaid mixer bowl Mix:
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups hot tap water

In small bowl mix and let rise 5 minutes:
1/4 cup warm water
1 tbs. yeast
1 tsp sugar

In another small bowl mix:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1 tbs salt


Add the honey mixture to the flour mixture in the kitchenaid bowl. Add the yeast mixture and mix well. Add 3-4 cups more flour and knead for 10 minutes with dough hook. Split into 2 sections. Flatten each section and roll into loaves. Let rise 1 hour then bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Homemade tortillas

These were so easy to make and so tasty!

Tortillas
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup water

1. Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the oil and water.

2. On a floured surface, knead the dough for 1 minute. Let the dough rest in a bowl covered with a dishtowel for 20 minutes. Knead again, and form 8 to 10 balls. Roll them out until they are as thin as possible.

3. Preheat an ungreased griddle. Cook the tortillas on each side on medium-high heat for less than a minute until lightly browned
"Kitchen Krafts,” Friend, May 2007, 21

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies

I promised my kids and their friends that I would make them chocolate chip cookies today and then realized I was all out of eggs!:( I found this recipe and I am so excited because they are surprisingly great!

3/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. butter, softened (I used palm oil shortening from Whole Foods)
1/2 C. oil (I used grape seed oil)
3 Tbs. water
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1-1 1/2 C. chocolate chips

preheat oven to 375.
stir together 1st 5 ingredients,mix well
Add flour,baking soda,salt& chips
bake 8 to 10 minutes or until brown along the edges

(I didn't even feel guilty letting them eat the dough!!)

World's Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

*note start your raisins ahead of time, you need to soak them for an hour in the egg and vanilla mixture

3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup raisins (soak for 1 hour in the vanilla and egg—very important!)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter (I use olive or grapeseed or canola oil)
2 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups oats
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Beat eggs and vanilla; add raisins. Blend sugars and butter, then mix in rest of ingredients. Combine all ingredients. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees

Chicken Cavatini

1 package pasta cooked and drained (spiral, bowtie or penne)
1 jar Bertolli Tomatoe Basil spagetti sauce
2-3 cups cooked and chopped chicken
1 fresh diced tomatoes
some fresh broccoli
1/4 cup chopped onion
some fresh mushrooms diced
garlic (2-3 tsp)
Half package pepporoni cut up into fourths

Heat up some olive oil and garlic, add onions and sautee. Add cut up chicken, then mushrooms, broccoli, diced tomatoes, add pepporoni, add spagetti sauce, when heated through stir in cooked pasta. Serve with french bread and salad.

Black Bean Chicken burritos

3 cups cooked chicken
4 cans black beans rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa*
In skillet heat chicken and salsa, add beans. Simmer and stir occasionally until heated through. Serve on tortillas, with fresh tomatoes, shredded lettuce and tortilla chips.

*check ingredients to make sure there is no citric acid

Word’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup olive oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 Large Almond toffe Symphony bar crushed (optional)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 325, spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In bowl cream olive oil, brown and white sugar until blended. Beat in vanilla, egg and 3gg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in sifted ingredients just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and bar, and nuts by hand. Drop by tablespoon onto cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes.

Variation: Drop dough ¼ cup at a time onto cookie sheets (cookies should be 3 inches apart)Bake for 15-17 minutes.

Wheat Bread

Mix in bowl:
1 cup white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbs flax seed (optional)
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs yeast
1 tbs salt
Add 2 ½ cups Hot tap water mix well.
Add 1/3 cup olive oil mix well.
Add 1 cup white flour and 2 cups wheat flour, do not stir or mix.
Cover, stir every 10 minutes for 2 minutes for the duration of 50 minutes.
Pinch into 2 loaves and let rise for 30 minutes in two greased bread pans. Bake 30 minutes at 350.

Friday Night Pizza Night

Pizza dough from pizza dough recipe (If frozen I set it out on the counter or you can de-thaw in microwave)
Bertolli Tomato Basil spaghetti sauce
Mozarella cheese
Sliced mushrooms
Sliced olives
Package pepperoni
Chopped frozen bell peppers
Heat oven to 450. Spread dough onto sprayed cookie sheet. Spread sauce onto dough, top with cheese and then preferred toppings. (I usually make 2 large pizzas on the one for the kids I put very light cheese on one half for Sam and Sara)
Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Variation 1 : Personal Pan: Make small round personal pizzas or miniature pizzas as an appetizer Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes.

Variation 2: Calzones: Spread dough into medium round circles, put sauce and toppings on ½ of circle, fold in half and pinch edges closed. Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes.

French Bread

Mix in bowl:
3 cups flour
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs yeast
1 tbs salt
Add 2 ½ cups Hot tap water and mix well.
Add 1/3 cup olive oil and mix well.
Add 3 more cups flour-- do not stir or mix.
Cover, stir every 10 minutes for 2 minutes for the duration of 50 minutes. Roll out and let rise 30 minutes. Bake loafs on cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 350.

Pizza Dough

4 ½ tsp yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tsp salt
4 teaspoons olive oil
5-7 cups flour
Dissolve yeast in warm mixer bowl. Add salt, olive oil and 2 ½ cups flour. Attach dough hook to mixer and mix 1 minute. Continue on speed 2, add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time and mix about 2 minutes, or until dough clings to hook and cleans side of the bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 2 more minutes. Heat oven to 250 and turn off. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover, let rise in oven for 1 hour. Punch the dough down. Preheat oven to 450. Prepare cookie sheets by spraying with non-stick spray. Divide dough into fourths and spread ¼ dough onto cookie sheet. Add sauce cheese and toppings and bake for 15-20 minutes. I like to freeze the extra dough in Ziploc bags to use later.

The World’s Best Brownies

½ cup olive oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
½ cup flour
1/3 cup Hershey’s cocoa
¼ tsp salt
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Heat oven to 350. Grease square pan, 9x9x2n inches. Blend olive oil, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs, beat well. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients and then gradually blend into egg mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts and spread into pan and bake 20-25 minutes. Yield 16 brownies.

Variation: Omit chocolate chips and instead layer pan with half brownie mix, lay 2 almond toffee symphony bars on mix and then pour remaining brownie batter on top, bake 20-25 minutes.

Recipes