Chicken Rolls

Happy Thanksgiving!! (Butternut Squash Soup)

We had such an awesome Thanksgiving once again! The Stephens really out did themseleves this year. Casey was quite the chef as well! It was hard to choose just one recipe but decided to post Casey's butternut squash soup recipe. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of it but it's in this big picture in the glasses next to our drinks!

1 tsp. margarine or butter
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cans (about 14 ounces each) chicken broth, divided
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Plain, nonfat yogurt and chives for garnish (optional)

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes.

Add squash and 1 can chicken broth; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until squash is tender.

Process squash mixture, in 2 batches, in food processor (or blender) until smooth. Return soup to saucepan; add remaining can of broth, coconut milk, nutmeg and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ladle soup into bowls. Place yogurt in pastry bag fitted with round decorating tip. Pipe onto soup in decorative design. Garnish with chives, if desired.

Beef Stew

Fall is the time for soups and stews...my favorite. This is my mom's recipe and is one of our favorites. Casey likes it because of the meat! The bonus is it's a crock pot recipe so it cooks itself and just waits for you to eat it.

2 lbs. beef chuck, cubed (pre-cubed stew meat is awesome!)

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4-1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 cups beef broth

half garlic clove, minced

1 bay leaf

4 carrots, sliced

2 onions, chopped

1 rib celery, sliced

3 potatoes, diced

1-2 cans tomato soup

1-2 cans cream of chicken

Place meat in slow cooker. Combine flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir into meat until coated thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Cover. Cook on low 10-12 hours or high 4-6 hours. Stir before serving.

Award-winning Pumpkin Bars

I made these pumpkin bars for an Apple vs. Pumpkin contest they had at our ward Halloween party. The recipe was in my brother's family cookbook but I had never made them before and had never even tasted them before this night. We were late for the party and Michelle and Cathy rushed them in as a last minute entry, and they ended up winning the best pumpkin prize. Hence, the "award-winning" title. They are pretty good and are a fun fall treat.

BARS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin, canned or fresh
4 eggs

FROSTING
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350. Grease 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, blend all bar ingredents (through and including eggs) at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Pour into greased pan. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

In small bowl, combine all frosting ingredients; beat until smooth. Spread over cooled bars. Store in refrigerator.

Happy Halloween from our little M&Ms!!!

Peach Pie

Yum... This picture is actually a fruit pie I adapted from the peach pie recipe. You see, I was so excited for peach harvest time so we could make this pie. It's Casey's favorite and we made it a lot in Utah. However, Texas peaches are NOT Utah peaches and I will never buy another one as long as I live--they are really that bad. Anyway, since the peaches were so gross I just threw in some strawberries and pears and raspberries and it was still good, even though it was not the peach pie I was looking forward to.

1 refrigerated pie crust

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

4 Tbsp. corn starch

2 Tbsp. peach OR orange jello

Peach slices

Prepare refrigerated pie crust as directed on box. Fill baked crust with sliced peaches. Combine other ingredients in small to medium sauce pan. Heat and stir until boiling and thick. Place saucepan in other cake pan or something similar and surround with ice cubes to cool. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes then pour over peaches in the pie crust. Cool in the fridge for 30 minutes. Serve with whipped cream on top.

Chicken Artichoke Hearts & Rice Casserole

This recipe is from my home ward's cookbook and was actually submitted by one of my cousins, Stacy. We love it!!

6.2 oz. rice (weird measurement but it's about 2 1/2 to 3 cups when cooked)
1 medium bell pepper
1 can artichoke hearts
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped (canned chicken is really good in this and fast too)
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 jar chicken gravy
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare rice. Slice bell pepper to make 3 rings for garnish; set aside. Chop remaining bell pepper. Drain artichokes and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add chopped bell pepper, artichokes, chicken and green onions to rice. Mix well. Spoon into 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Mix gravy and sour cream until blended. Add cheese and mix well. Spread gravy mixture over rice mixture. Bake 25-27 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish with bell pepper rings.

Sorry....

So I see that Kristi has been brave in keeping this blog alive. I'm officially apologizing for not posting in forever. We finally got new internet that is super fast so I'm back at it! Mondays are officially my day again!

Michelle

Caramel Popcorn

After 36 long days of "no treats allowed," I have started allowing Sundays to be treat day. Caramel popcorn was the first to come back on the scene. It is a family favorite of ours but can be quite addictive. This is the gooey, sticky type of caramel popcorn. Maybe Susan will post her yummy recipe for the non-gooey style popcorn!


Combine in saucepan:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cube butter

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook to "softball" stage (This is the point at which if you put a little of the mixture into a cup of cold water, it will form a soft ball. If it spreads out, it needs more time. If it makes a hard ball, you cooked it too long.)
Drizzle over popcorn. I don't know how much popcorn. I usually pop 4 bags of microwave popcorn but it just depends on how gooey you like it. I also usually spread the popcorn over jelly roll pans for easy mixing or on waxed paper for easy cleaning. Enjoy!!

Ashlynn loves treat day. Of course she prefers her Heads or Tails Double Stuf Oreos, but she'll take whatever she can get!

Beef Enchiladas

I'm not sure why I haven't posted this recipe yet since I have been making it forever. I think it was the real recipe I ever really learned back when I was in high school, and the first thing I ever really made for Casey. My family really likes them and they are very mild for all you weaklings who don't like spicy stuff!

2 lb. hamburger

2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 t. chili powder

1/4 c. diced onion

2 c. water

2 T. brown sugar

1/2 t. garlic powder

Grated cheese

Flour tortillas

Brown the hamburger and drain off excess fat. Keep in pan and bring to a boil with the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 10 min. Spoon a little of the hamburger onto a tortilla, put some cheese with it and roll it up. Place in greased baking dish (or you can line the pan with a little of the liquid instead of greasing it). Repeat until the hamburger is used up. Pour the remaining liquid over the tops of the enchiladas and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Scones

Ashlynn had a lot of fun helping me make these. She loved playing with the flour and wiping it on her face. A true cook!!

This recipe came from my Grandma Arbuckle. Somehow this was the first time I've made them. These little ditties are quite versatile. I made the original recipe to eat with butter and honey, more as a dessert. We also used them to make Navajo tacos. If you don't know what Navajo tacos are then you are missing out! All they are is a scone layered with chili, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, and whatever else you like. Try them both ways--they're delicious!

3/4 cup milk

1 T. sugar

2 T. shortening

3 cups sifted flour

1/2 t. salt

2 pkgs. or 2 T. yeast in 1/3 cup warm water
1 egg beaten whole

Heat milk to scalding. Add shortening to melt. Mix all ingredients together. Let rise to double. Pinch off a piece the size of a large egg and roll into a snake with oil on your hands. Tie in a knot (or roll out if using for Navajo tacos). Let stand 20 minutes or until light. Fry until golden brown at about 365-375 degrees.

Navajo taco style scone

Butter and honey style scone

Onion-roasted Potatoes

I've been trying to make more of an effort to prepare side dishes with my meals rather than just the main dish. This recipe was one of those experiments. It's not very complicated since I got the recipe off of the Lipton dry onion soup mix box but they were still pretty good.

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix

4 medium potatoes, cut into large chunks (about 2 lbs.)

1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. Combine all ingredients in a 9 x 13-inch baking or roasting pan.

Bake, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender golden brown.

Nilla Wafer Yogurt Freeze

So technically it is not Friday for another hour and a half. I have to do a lot of hair tomorrow and know that I will not have time so I am posting now. I found this recipe on the nilla wafer box and thought it would be a fun one to make for the girls.

Nilla Wafer Yogurt Freeze

Ingredients
FOR 1 SERVING

2 nilla wafers
2 T thawed cool whip
2 T Strawberry yogurt

Directions
-Combine the yogurt and cool whip

-Place one of the nilla wafers on the bottom of one paper-lined medium muffin cup ( a paper cup cake wrapper); top wafer with combined yogurt and cool whip mixture; cover with remaining wafer and freeze for at least 1 hour until firm

Eat and enjoy.

Chinese Egg Drop Soup

I know Summertime isn't necessarily the best time for soup but for some reason this sounded really good the other day so I made it and ate most of it before Casey even got home. Needless to say, I really liked it. It tasted quite salty so next time I think I will get the unsalted chicken stock.

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock

2 large sliced fresh ginger (I just used a chunk of ginger root)

2 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

3 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1 large egg

1 tsp. vegetable oil

2 scallions, diagonally sliced

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine chicken stock, ginger, and garlic in a large saucepan and simmer, partially covered, for 15 min. Discard the ginger and garlic. Stir cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Bring the soup to a low simmer and add the cornstarch mixture. Stir until the soup is slightly thickened. Stir in salt and pepper. Whisk egg and vegetable oil thoroughly in a small bowl. Bring the soup to a very low simmer and pour the egg mixture in a large circle on the surface of the soup. Once the egg sets, stir gently. Stir in scallions and cilantro and serve.

Saucy Parmesan Chicken

I got this recipe from kraftrecipes.com (yes I did copy and paste but at least I told where it is from)

prep time: 10 min
total time: 1 hr 10 min

makes 4 servings

What You Need
1/4 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
4 small Boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

Make It
MIX dressing and cheese; pour over chicken in shallow dish. Turn chicken over to evenly coat both sides of each breast.

REFRIGERATE 30 min. to marinate, turning chicken over after 15 min.

HEAT oven to 425ºF. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken on foil-covered baking sheet. Bake 20 min. or until done (165ºF).

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Make Ahead

Pour dressing mixture over chicken in resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Freeze up to 3 months. (Chicken will marinate in freezer.) Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and marinade. Place frozen chicken on foil-covered baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF for 1 hour or until chicken is done (165ºF). Or to cut the baking time in half, thaw the bagged chicken in the refrigerator before baking.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with buttered hot cooked egg noodles and your family's favorite green vegetable.

Asian Sesame Chicken

Prepare as directed, using KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing and substituting 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seed for the Parmesan cheese.

Teeny Zucchini Bread

Teeny Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups coarsely shredded unpeeled zucchini (1 medium)
1/2 canola oil (I will use applesauce)

Directions

1 Heat oven to 350. Mix flour,baking powder, cinnamon,and salt in a bowl

2 Use another bowl to mix the rest of the ingredients. Stir into flour mixture
Spoon the batter into 25" mini loaf pans (prepare pane with cooking spray)

3 Bake bread for 35 to 40 minutes; check doneness with a toothpick. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove and slice.



I will not be posting a recipe tomorrow because I will be out of town. Have a great weekend!!!!

Trail mix popcorn

Right now it seems like everyone is in camping and hiking mode.....well atleast Sarah and Michelle are. I thought this looked like a fun twist on trail mix

Ingredients

1 2.9 oz bag microwave popcorn, cooked according to directions
1 c of raisins
1/2 C dried apricots, chopped
1/2 C dried cranberries and or cherries
1/2 C honey or agave nectar
2 T butter
1/4 c finely chopped pecans,walnuts and or peanuts
1/4 C raw sunflower seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon


1- Oil hands to keep popcorn from sticking
2-In a large bowl combine popcorn with dried fruits and set aside
3- In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir honey with butter,nuts,sunflower seeds and cinnamon. Mix until well combined
4-Carefully drizzle mixture over popcorn and fruit stirring constantly,until everything is well coated. Let sit overnight.

Famous BYU mint brownies

Here is one for all you BYU graduates in the fam!!! At the Holtz house we will be calling them Yankee Brownies :)

BYU Famous Mint Brownies

1 (20 oz.)Box Brownie Mix
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
12 oz. chocolate frosting

Mint Frosting

5 T butter,softened
Dash of salt
1 T light corn syrup
2 1/3 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp mint extract
blue food coloring
3 T of milk

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, prepare the brownie mix according to the package directions. Once mix is combined thoroughly add the walnuts and then spread batter in a 9x13 pan. Bake according to package directions

To make the mint frosting combine the butter, salt, corn syrup and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add the mint extract and food coloring. Mix in and then add the milk gradually until the frosting is a little more runny than cake frosting .

Spread the mint frosting over the cooled brownies and then place in the freezer for a short time to stiffen. Take brownies out of the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate frosting over top.

"Milk" Shakes

I was going through my recipes and ran across this one from way back. We made these when we were kids. Probably because we couldn't actually cook but we still liked to make things. Anyway, I tried them again just for fun and they're actually pretty good. It's a nice cool treat anyway while it's so hot. Plus, I figure I can use skim milk or Splenda or something to make them healthy and fight the urge for a real ice cream shake.

Milk Shake

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tray milk cubes (milk frozen in ice cube trays)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

flavor (I usually use a little cocoa but I've also used fruit)

You can also stay cool at the beach!!!

Bbq Chicken Stromboli

Sorry about the lack of posting lately. I think about it all day and all of a sudden it is Wednesday. Where did my Tuesday go? Anyway I will try to be better at posting on my day.

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie-roasted chicken (2-2 1/2 lbs)
1/2 C barbecue sauce
1 package (about 14 oz) refrigerated pizza dough (or make your own)
1 C shredded cheese
1/2 C sliced green onions, divided

Directions:
*Remove and discard skin from chicken. Shred chicken with forks, discard the bones. (You should have about 4 C shredded chicken.) Combine 2 C chicken with barbecue sauce in medium bowl until well blended. Cover and refrigerate or freeze remaining chicken to use another time.
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Unroll pizza dough on baking pan. Pat or stretch dough into 12x9 in rectangle.
*Spread chicken mixture lengthwise down the center of dough, leaving 2 1/2 in on each side. Sprinkle cheese and 1/4 C green onion. Fold long sides of dough over filling, press edges to seal.
*Sprinkle with remaining green onion. Bake 19-22 min or until golden brown. Let stand 10 min before slicing.
(Makes 6 servings)

Candy Corn Snack Mix

Candy Corn Snack Mix

So I know that Halloween is still a few months away but I am already excited for it. Here is one of my favorite Halloween snacks and it is super easy to take to a Halloween Party

Mix 1 Cup of each candy corn, milk chocolate m&m's, and salted peanuts.

Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

I think I am going to add little pretzels to my mix this year.