Cheesy Broccoli

1 large bunch broccoli, trimmed into florets

2 eggs, beaten

1 can (10 ½ ounces) Cheddar cheese soup

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat Oven to 350 degrees

Boil Broccoli for 5 minutes, then drain.

Combine eggs, soup, and italian seasoning, and stir in tomatoes, and broccoli.

Place in shallow baking dish, and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350 F, uncovered for 30 minutes.

My kids love this recipe! Have you ever seen 5 kids under the age of 6 who love Broccoli and cheese???

Freezer Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

4 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable oil

16 cups chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dried basil

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Directions:

In a slow cooker sauté` together the onion, garlic, green pepper, and vegetable oil. Cook until onion is transparent.

Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, basil, parsley, sugar, salt, and ground black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 hours on low heat. Stir frequently.

Let sauce cool. Pour sauce into quart size freezer containers. Store in freezer.

When ready to use sauce, stir in can of tomato paste.

Cozy Cottage Beef Stew

Ingredients:

3/4 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large stalk celery, minced

2 carrots, finely chopped

1/4 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

2 (14.5 ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef consommé

Directions:

1. In a slow cooker, combine beef, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, and potatoes. Pour in the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with bay leaf, pepper, thyme, and marjoram. Stir together chicken broth and flour. Pour chicken broth mixture and beef consomme into slow cooker, and stir.

2. Cover, and cook on Low 6 to 10 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Time saving Techniques

I love to have dinner at home around the table with my family. But there are days that there just isn't enough time in the day to cook a full meal, and sit around the table to eat it. So I compiled a few ideas from various sources to give you ideas for time saving techniques in the kitchen, to cut down the time we spend in there.

• Make ahead recipes- recipes that are made ahead of time and warmed up right before the time to eat.
• Freezer meals- meals that are froze and defrosted and cooked before time to eat.
• Slow-Cooker meals- enough said!!! :) LOVE THESE!
• Convenience cooking
• Half hour meals - who needs a large recipe with a complex directions? Pick shorter, easier recipes. Check out some meal planning sites like Cooking by numbers, Six O'clock Scramble, Meal Planning Mommies, or How about 10 minute meals.

This month we will posting recipes from each catagory. Hope you enjoy, and can use them!

Christmas Favorite cookies

Ginger Bread Man cookies

3 Cups of flour

2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

Directions:

MIx flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt ina lage bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with electirc mixer on Medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or over night.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. ROll out douhg to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into ginger bread man shapes witha 5 inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch a apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are et and just begining to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1-2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cookies as desired. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.

Christmas Stars:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons strawberry jam

1/4 cup green decorator sugar (optional)

Directions:

Ina large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Sift togehter flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour mixture into the butter mixtureuntil well blended. Refrigerate dough for three hours.

Prehaet oven to 350 degrees. Grease several cookie sheets. On a floured surface, roll out 1/2 the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thick. Cut dough into star shapes unsing a 3-4 inch star cookie cutter. Using a 1-2 inch star cookie cutter for center of half of the big stars. Sprinkle with colored sugar, put on the prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch a part and bake for 6-8 minutes. After cookies have cooled, spread 1 teaspoonof preserves in the center of each cookie that does not have a star cut out in the center. Place a cookie with the cut out on top of the layer of preserves. Pack cookies in a covered tin to preserve freshness.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats, uncooked
1 teaspoon baking Soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease baking sheets. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mix. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate pieces. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup of dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until firm and lightly browned.

Some of our previous cookie post:

Cowboy Cookies

White Chocolate Chip Cookies (Nestle)

Sugar Cookie Recipe from Allrecipes.com

M&M cookies

These recipes are great for a cookie exchange, or just to pass out to neighbors and friends! Have fun and enjoy!

Christmas Favorites #2

Orchard Punch

1 (32 oz) Bottle of apple juice, chilled

1 (12 oz) Can frozen Cranberry juice concentrate

1 Cup Orange juice

1 1/2 liters of ginger ale

1 apple

Directions

In a large punch bowl, combine apple juice, cranberry juiceconcentrate, and orange juice. Stir until dissolved, then slowly add ginger ale.

Thinly slice the apple vertically, forming whole apple slices. Float the apple slices on top of punch.

Christmas Punch

1/3 Cup white sugar

1 Qt Cranberry juice

2 Cups unsweetened pineapple juice

3 Tablespoons almond extract

1 (2liter) bottle of ginger ale

In a large bowl, mix togehter sugar, juice and extract. Refrigerate 1 day.

To serve, pour mixture into large punch bowl, and stir in ginger ale.

Recipes from Allrecipes.com

Christmas Favroites

Apple Cinnamon Chex Mix:
5 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1 cup lightly salted whole almonds
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dried apples
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt-covered raisins

Directions:

In a large microwavable bowl, mix cereal and almonds

In a 2 cup microwavable cup, microwave butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup and cinnamon on high for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 second intervals. When mixture is boiling, pull out and stir. Pour over cereal mixture until coated.

Microwave on high, uncovered, stirring and acrapping the bowl after every minute.

Stir in apples; microwave on high about 2 minutes of until the edges of the apples begin to brown.

Spread on wax paper or foil to cool for about 15 minutes.

Place in serving bowl, and mix in yogurt covered raisins, and store in an airtight container.

Gluten Free Chex mix:

8 C Chocolate Chex cereal

3/4 C Packed brown sugar

6 TBS margarine or butter

3 TBS light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 Cup white vanilla baking chips

Directions:

In a large microwavable bowl, measure out cereal and put in bowl, set aside.

Line cookie sheet with waxed paper.

In a 2 cup microwavable cup, microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on high 1-2 minutes, stirring after each minute until smooth. Stir in Baking soda, until dissolved. Pour over cereal, stirring unti levenly coated. Microwave in high for 3 minutes, stirring ever minute. Spread on cookie sheet. Cool 10 minutes. Break into bite size peices.

In a small microwaveable bowl, microwave vanilla baking chips uncovered on high about 1 minute 30 minutes or until chips can be stirred smooth (bowl will be hot). Drizzle over snack.

Refrigerate until set.

Store tightly covered.