Crockpot Pineapple Chicken

Posted by Lori:
This is a simple make-ahead meal. We like it because it goes great with brown rice and broccoli. It's healthy, too - an added plus!

CROCKPOT PINEAPPLE CHICKEN
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Dash of pepper
Dash of paprika
1- 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced

Arrange chicken in bottom of Crock Pot. In a small bowl, combine drained pineapple tidbits, mustard, soy sauce, garlic, pepper, and paprika. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours (cooking times may vary, depending on size/thickness of chicken breasts).
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Fried Apples

Posted by Donna:

Last year I had lunch with two of my aunts at Cracker Barrel. They both ordered fried apples. They wanted me to taste them since I had never eaten them there. I just loved them. Ever since then, I've wanted to make them for myself. I finally got around to doing that the other night. Since I'm trying to stay off chocolate for a while, these sounded like they might hit the spot. Of course, I had to figure out how to make them. After looking up some recipes on line, I decided to just experiment and do my own thing. The only thing, I sure wished I had some ice cream on hand.

This is a recipe for one Granny Smith Apple:

Peel the apple and cut into slices or rings. (Don't make the apples slices too thin.)

In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and 4 very small pinches of cinnamon. Add the sliced apples to the skillet. Stir the apples in order to coat them on both sides with the mixture. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the skillet and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the apples slices are tender. Be sure and turn the slices frequently.

They're great by themselves, but serving them with ice cream would be a treat, too.





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Brownie Caramel Pie

Posted by Kimberly:

The only thing that I like better than chocolate is chocolate with caramel! So, when my mother-in-law made this pie for us one weekend when we were visiting, I instantly fell in love.

Brownie Caramel Pie

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I omit this. I don't like to ruin my chocolate with nuts!)

20 caramels

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Sprinkle nuts into unbaked pie crust. In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt caramels with 2/3 cup condensed milk. Spoon over walnuts. In a mixing bowl, combine egg, butter, and remaining condensed milk. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour chocolate mixture over caramel layer. Bake for 35 minutes until center is set. Cool. Serve warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers.

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Peanut Butter Puppy Dog Pancakes

Posted by Lori:
This is a Rachael Ray recipe and is so much fun for kids to eat!  I like the idea of added protein in the pancakes with the addition of the peanut butter.  The peanut butter isn't too overwhelming, though.  I think a cute variation would be to make regular pancakes and add chocolate chips and make a spotted puppy dog.  Of course the chocolate chips could be added to these, as well. 

Peanut Butter Pancakes
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Whipped cream
12 chocolate chips
Strawberry Fruit Roll-Up, cut into 4 thin strips (I used a red gummy snack and cut it thinly into four pieces) 

In a large bowl, whicsk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a small bowl, beat together the milk, egg, peanut butter and butter until smooth.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.  Heat a nonstick griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Drop 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake and cook until it begins to puff and the bottom is golden, about 2 minutes.  Flip and cook until golden on the other side.  Repeat with the remaining batter; you will need 10 pancakes.  Place 1 pancake each on 4 plates.  Cut out 4 ovals from 2 more pancakes.  Cut the remaining 4 pancakes in half.  Top each whole pancake with 2 pancake halves for the ears, 1 oval for the muzzle, whipped cream for the fur, chocolate chips for the eyes and nose and a strip of Fruit Roll-Up for the tongue.

When I made this early this morning I had no idea that it was IHOP's National Pancake Day.  Found that out later on in the day.  IHOP donates part of the money raised to Shriner's Hospital for Children.  What a great cause!

Ruff!! (That's dog-talk for "enjoy"!)
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Sour Cream Sauce for Enchiladas

Posted by Lori:
Last week I made beef enchiladas using left over Tex-Mex Roast. The beef mixture was rolled in flour tortillas, along with some cheddar cheese. This sauce was poured over the top. My husband was at a meeting that evening, so I didn't get his input on the meal, but all four children gave it a "thumbs up". I liked it, too, but think I might prefer it over chicken enchiladas or in beef that didn't contain beans.

The sauce is very good, rich, and authentic-tasting. I would share where I found it, but I can't remember - somewhere online!

SOUR CREAM SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 - 4 ounce can diced green chilies

In saucepan, melt butter, blend in flour, add chicken broth, and cook until mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in sour cream and green chilies. Cook until heated through, but DO NOT BOIL. Pour sauce over enchiladas and bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve piping hot.

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Pea Salad

Posted by Donna:

When I was very young and I decided to get into the kitchen and do some serious cooking, my mother and daddy could always count on one staple being part of the menu----pea salad. To this day, I still love it and fix it as often as I can. It's nothing you would find on the Food Network more than likely, but it is something that's simple when you want to do something different than a lettuce salad. At our funeral meals, this is the one salad that will always go first---no matter who brings it. I thinks it's one of those that's been around for "eons." My mother always fixed it;so, I learned to follow suit.

Pea Salad

1 can English Peas (drained)
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish or chopped sweet gherkins
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 small jar pimentos (drained and chopped)
2 T. chopped purple onion (optional)
1/4 cup Miracle Whip

Mix all ingredients. Store in the refrigerator.


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Cream of Coconut Cake

Posted by Lori:
I had heard of this cake for years, but never made it before until last week. It's a very good cake, even though I don't like actual coconut myself (except in a coconut pie). It's a pretty cake, being all snowy white.

My husband went to the store to buy the cream of coconut for me. A worker went and got the first can for him because he couldn't find it. When he got home we noticed it had an alcoholic drink pictured on the front, but didn't know why. Later I sent him back to get another can (decided to double the cake) and they told him it was in the alcohol section. We had no idea and never would have looked there. My husband said that there is a coconut milk that's kept by the canned milk, so if you make the cake, be sure to get the cream and not the milk.

CREAM OF COCONUT CAKE
1 package white cake mix
3 egg whites
1/3 cup oil
1 1/3 cups milk
1 cup coconut - divided
1 large carton whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, egg whites, oil, milk and 1/2 cup coconut. Bake in greased sheet cake pan for 20-25 minutes. Make holes in warm cake with fork. Pour cream of coconut over cake (one can I bought was creamy, the other was seperated. I recommend stirring it in the can first.) When cool, combine 1/2 cup of coconut with whipped topping and frost cake still in pan. Chill several hours or overnight.
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