Garlic Butter and Herb Twists

.

During the holidays our family gathered together for one last meal before everyone parted ways after an amazing weekend. My sister in law made these amazing buttery garlic twists and we all loved them so much, she decided to whip up another batch! I couldn’t believe how fast they came together!

.

•Garlic Twists•

.

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine in mixer:

-2 Cups hot water

-2 Tbsp instant yeast

-2 Tbsp sugar

3. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

4. Add:

-1 tsp salt

-Flour (Mix in flour until dough isn’t sticking to the sides anymore)

5. Let dough sit for 10 minutes to rise. (Put 1/2 stick butter in cookie sheet to melt in oven while dough is rising.)

6.Roll dough out and form (I like to make twists). Lay them out on buttered cookie sheet.

7. Let rise for 10 minutes sitting on the stove.

8. In a small bowl combine:

-1 stick butter

-1 Tbsp garlic powder

-1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

-1 tsp salt

9. Baste risen breadsticks with butter mixture, saving half to baste again after baking.

10. Bake 15-20 minutes.

.

Coat again with remaining garlic butter & ENJOY!

Copy Cat SWIG Cookies

I keep miss-placing this recipe that my sister in law and I came up with, so I thought I’d put it here!! 💗 It is such an easy & yummy recipe!

.

1 cup better softened

1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar

2 Tbsp milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

3/4 cup canola oil 

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cream of tarter 

6 cups flour

.

Cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs, vanilla & almond extract, and canola oil and mix till well incorporated.

In a separated bowl, whisk remaining ingredients then add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Roll dough into 2-3 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.

Dip a flat bottomed glass cup into the dough to grease, then into granulated sugar, then press balls 1/2 inch thick.

Bake 8-10 Mins @ 375* F and let cool on a cooling rack.

Quinoa Turkey Taco Soup

• 
  
  
• Normally I can't get away with cooking ground turkey in place of ground beef but when my sister in law gave me the leftovers to a dip she'd made, I wasn't going to waste it! Knowing that my husband would grumble about eating a dip for dinner, I decided to make it into soup and it was SO good!! Husband didn't even notice it was turkey. That's a major win in this house. Here's the finished recipe:
• 1 lb lean ground turkey (I use 99% lean)
• 1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1- 4 ounce can diced green chiles
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup taco seasoning (homemade or envelope)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2- 14.5 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 can corn
• 1 cup jarred salsa
• 3/4 cup rinsed quinoa
• 5- 6 cups water 
• .
• Suggested Toppings:
• Cilantro 
• Sour cream 
• Shredded cheese
• Avocado 
• Tortilla chips/strips
• .
• Brown turkey, onion, and garlic together in a large pot 3-4 minutes then add: green chilies, chili powder, cumin, taco seasoning, and salt & pepper. Cook till turkey is done. 
• Add beans, tomatoes, corn, salsa, quinoa, and water to everything else and cover with a lid. Simmer 20-25 minutes, until quinoa is done. 
• Top with desired ingredients and enjoy with or without tortilla chips. 

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees F. 

.

1 lb cooked chicken {grilled, sautéed, or baked}

1 bottle of you favorite spaghetti sauce 

1 - 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes 

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 

1 cup motzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs {I like panko for this recipe}

1 lb spaghetti noodles {or any other kind of pasta you'd like.}

.

Dice up the cooked chicken and layer in a small baking dish. 

Pour diced tomatoes and spaghetti sauce over the top and mix with chicken. 

Layer on the cheese. {You can use more or less if you'd like.}

Sprinkle on the bread crumbs. 

.

Bake 15-20 minutes.

Serve over pasta.  

Kid approved :)

Salisbury Meatballs Over Rice

1 lb lean ground beef, defrosted completely

2 eggs 

1/4 cup milk

4 pieces of bread, ripped into tiny pieces

1 envelope onion soup mix

1/2 tsp basil {optional} 

1/4 tsp salt 

1 medium onion, diced

Couple shakes of pepper

.

Mix all ingredients {except onion} in a bowl. 

Pour 2-3 Tbsp Extra light Olive oil in to the bottom of a large frying pan and turn heat to medium-low. 

Shape meat into 1 inch balls and put in oil. 

Brown 4-5 minutes and turn. 

Brown 2-3 minutes and add the onion.  

Keep browning 2-3 minutes longer. 

SAUCE:

1 small can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp beef bullion 

1 1/2 cups milk 

.

Mix all ingredients together and pour over browning meatballs.

Cover and simmer on LOW for 10 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. 

Serve over buttered rice. 

CrockPot Sweet & Sour Chicken

2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

2 cups honey or brown sugar bbq sauce

1 can pineapple tidbits with juice

1/2 green pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 onion, peeled and diced 

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper {optional}

1 tsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar 

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp onion salt

Rice {I like brown} prepared according to directions on package

.

Put all ingredients {except rice} in a crockpot and cook on high for 5-6 hours. 

Shred chicken and serve over rice.

Sea Foam Candy

2 1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cup corn syrup

6 TBSP water

2 tsp vanilla

1 TBSP sifted baking soda {it needs to have NO clumps}

2 lbs Almond Bark

~Grease a cookie pan and set aside. 

~Put sugar, corn syrup, water, and vanilla in a LRG stock pot and mix well. 

~Turn heat to medium and boil to hard crack stage WITHOUT stirring. {About 280* on a candy thermometer} 

~Take off heat immediately and stir in baking soda quickly with a few Stirring as possible. 

~pour across the center {length wise} of prepared cookie pan. {I like to do this over the sink because of all the foaming. It foams over sides of pan easily}

**DO NOT scrape sides of pan. DO NOT spread candy into pan. Doing so will flatten air bubbles in candy.** 

~Let cool till hard {about 30 mins} and break into pieces. 

~Melt 4-5 squares of almond bark in a glass bowl, in the microwave, for 15-30 seconds. Stir then put in microwave again for 15-30 seconds more until chocolate stirs easily. 

~Put a piece of sea foam in the chocolate and stir with a fork to coat. Tap against bowl to "shake off" excess chocolate. 

~Place on wax paper until chocolate around candy is firm.