The Perfect Brownie Pan

My mom got this pan for me for my anniversary/Mother's Day, and I have to say, when it first came out I wanted it. My sister-in-law got one for Christmas and they said it makes the best brownies.

When I found out I was going to get the pan, I was already planning recipes. Of course the first time I used it wasn't anything spectacular. I just decided to let Betty Crocker do the work. I did add cream cheese icing to the chocolate that came with it though.

Anyway, I love the pan. The brownies were perfectly moist on the inside and a little crunchy on the edges---my favorite type of brownies. The pan stays true its name. I didn't make brownies often because the pan I used was always sticking and the brownies weren't too great. I mean they were edible but the brownie pan makes much better brownies.

I recommend that all my fellow brownie lovers get this pan.

Easy Chicken Strips

Okay, so I've been doing a lot of cooking homemade lately. Everything has to be as close to homemade as possible or I just don't feel adequate.

My kids, and probably most of everyone else's kids, would rather have chicken strips or nuggets these days than a burger in their happy meals. So, I started making chicken strips at home, all by myself.

The easiest way to do this is buy fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It's cheaper than buying chicken that's already cut into strips, and all you have to do is cut them into strips yourself with a sharp knife.

Mix together the following:

2 cups of flour
season salt to taste
pepper to taste
soul seasoning to taste
onion powder to taste
garlic salt to taste
thyme to taste

Dip your chicken in either egg or buttermilk, then into the flour mix. Fry these in crisco on med to med-hi heat. Then, all you have to do is enjoy the chicken...

My Grandma's 83rd Birthday!

Last Sunday, May 23rd, was my Grandma's 83rd birthday and my family decided to throw her a surprise party for the occasion.


I'm usually the one to bake her cake. Well, okay, I have been for the past few years. She expects it of me now! So, as we planned out a menu for the surprise party that was held at Twin Falls State Park, I started cake planning, in my head first, of course.


Church members were all there. Aunts, uncles, cousins...It was nice. However, the nicest part was knowing that she already knew I was baking her a cake. When I asked how she already knew, she said, "Because you always do."


My grandma, Georgie Ellen Sizemore-Shrewsberry, taught me everything I know about working in the kitchen and baking. The least that I can do for her is bake her birthday cake, right?

Anyhow, the party was a hit, and the cake was gone practically before I even sat it on the table.



Moral of this story? Well, when your grandmother teaches you how to be a baking whiz (yes, I'm bragging), you bake her a cake anytime she wants one!

Homemade Blueberry Muffins, Kelly style...

I got a great recipe for blueberry muffins from my grandma and changed it a bit...as I do most recipes that I get my hands on. I change them to suit my own need and make them better, which is the ultimate goal in feeding your family, right?

Anyhow, I fixed a dozen this morning, and here is the recipe:

1 3/4 cup self rising flour
2 eggs
dash salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
About 2 cups of blueberries

Cream butter and sugar with salt until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat together with sugar mixture. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk until it's all mixed thoroughly. Add in berries. Bake in muffin wrappers on 375 degrees until done...

Peanut Butter Cookie Drops

This recipe is one that I made up while rummaging through my cabinets one night in a frantic search for sweets. I didn't have all of the ingredients needed for traditional peanut butter cookies, so I made do. To be quite honest, it's a favorite in my house and I never ever make peanut butter cookies from a regular recipe anymore. These are much better!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. vanilla (although not necessary, but better if you use it)

Start with egg and vanilla. Mix well. Add bits of flour and peanut butter gradually, alternating, until the mix is well blended.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of mixture onto lightly greased or ungreased cookie sheet. Bake on 350 for about ten or twelve minutes or until browned slightly.

*Cookie tip: If you take them out of the oven just a few minutes before they're done and let them sit for a minute, they'll finish baking on their own OUT of the oven. You have to time it right, but it does help to keep them soft. Also, put your cookies in an air tight container or cookie jar and leave one slice of bread in the container with them and the bread will keep them soft over night. The slice of bread will need to be changed out daily and will be nice and crisp, but your cookies will stay soft and moist!

Spring and Summer Pot Luck and Cook Out Fare Fit For a King...on a budget!

Spring and summer are full of cook outs and pot lucks. That in mind, what do you bring to the table? Well, there are simple things you can make without breaking the bank that will have everyone wowed beyond comparison.

Picture this:

You're busy. Your neighbor is on the phone trying to arrange a playdate for your children, your kids are winding toilet paper down the banister, your husband is snoring on the sofa (not helping at all) and you've just been invited to your best friend's house for a cook out the next day. No time to shop? Well, check your cabinets for odds and ends. You'll be surprised at this! Here is a recipe for a side dish and a recipe for a desert made from ingredients that everyone always has...most of the time. Easy, very little prep time, and always a crowd pleaser!

SPAGHETTI SALAD

You need:
16 oz. Italian or Zesty Italian salad dressing
16 oz. spaghetti noodles
chopped or diced green peppers and onions

optional ingredients:
chopped tomato
cheese cubes
pepperoni slices
sliced cucumbers

Directions:
Prepare noodles according to package directions. Once done, rinse with cold water until they're cool. Pour half the contents of the bottle of dressing in, stir, then add the chopped green peppers and onions. Add other optional ingredients. Refrigerate, preferably over night.When you're ready to serve this dish, add the other half bottle of dressing and stir!

QUICKY DONUTS

Ingredients:
Store bought refrigerator biscuit dough
hot hot hot cooking oil
cinnamon
powdered sugar

Directions:
Heat your oil in a saucepan on med-hi heat. When heated, get your biscuits ready by poking holes in the center. Drop biscuits in oil and deep fry until golden brown. Remove from oil with a slatted spoon and let them drain on a paper towel covered plate. When cool enough to touch, toss them in a freezer bag full of powdered sugar and/or cinnamon. Enjoy!

Easy Quesadillas

You will need:
-8-10" round flour tortillas
-boneless skinless chicken breasts (I usually do the 3lb. bags of the frozen kind--thawed of course)
-Your choice of taco sauce (chunky or not)
-Your choice of cheeses


1. Cut up the chicken in small pieces
2. Cook until done with whatever spices you want to use, set aside
3. In a mixing bowl, mix chicken, cheese, and salsa
4. In a non-stick frying pan brown your tortilla
5. Once tortilla is brown spoon filling on to one half, and fold the other side.
6. Keep over heat until cheese is melted.
7. Cut in quarters.
8. Repeat steps # 4-7 until all the mixture or tortillas are used.

*I've tried this in the oven and the tortillas didn't get golden brown. When I make this it last for at least 2 days. You can substitute any meats and add any veggies you want. I just found it's easier to please everyone if I just use chunkless taco sauce and no veggies.

Serve with Spanish Rice or whatever you choose.

**You can also use the frozen grilled chicken strips too. They work and it's easier**

Happy Cooking,
Joanna