Crock Pot Italian Chicken

This is a really good, really easy recipe. I have seen this recipe on numerous food blogs, in cookbooks and originally was given this recipe from my mom. The Italian seasoning mix gives the creamy sauce a nice flavor from all the spices. Try this out on your family. I have done this over noodles but I think rice might be even better (brown rice especially). I also used fat free cream cheese and the recipe turned out great.

Italian Crock Pot Chicken
*I used frozen chicken and omitted the water, just added the seasoning packet and a few dollops of butter over the chicken.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 package (8oz.) cream cheese softened

Place chicken in crock pot, add enough water to just cover chicken and sprinkle packet of Italian dressing mix on top. Cook for several hours until chicken is cooked through. (about four hours on high). Shred chicken. Mix together cream of chicken soup and cream cheese and then stir into chicken mixture in crock pot and allow to heat through another half hour. You may want to  add milk or cream if the sauce is too thick. Serve over noodles or rice.

Bunny Buns

These cute little bunnies are fun to look at and fun to eat. They are very light and the orange juice in them adds a nice flavor.The glaze is so yummy and not too sugary.  My little girl loved helping me make them. Such a fun idea. Thanks to the Friend magazine for this fun recipe. I couldn't stop eating them. Yum yum

Bunny Buns

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk, warmed not quite to boiling

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

5 1/2 cups flour, sifted

Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon butter

1. Sprinkle yeast in the warm water and set aside.
   
2. In another bowl, blend milk, sugar, shortening, and salt. Cool until lukewarm, then add eggs, water with yeast,
3. Stir in flour a few cups at a time to make a soft dough. Let stand for 10 minutes.
   
4. Knead dough 5–10 minutes on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover bowl with a clean towel and put it in a warm place. Let dough rise for 2 hours, or until double in size. Punch dough down and let stand for 10 minutes.
   
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into strips 1/2 inch wide and 14 inches long. Roll between hands into rounded snake shapes. Cut one strip into pieces 1/2 inch long, and roll into balls.
   
6. Place one long piece of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Place one end of the strip over the other to make a loop; bring the end that is underneath up and cross it over the other end. Place a ball of dough on top of the bottom loop.
   
7. Cover bunnies and let rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until nearly double in size. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 12–15 minutes.
   
8. For the glaze, stir powdered sugar, water, and butter together. Frost bunnies with the glaze while they are still warm.
   

Blender Whole Wheat Pancakes

These pancakes are super easy, just throw everything in the blender and presto, pancakes. These pancakes probably get you your whole grain allotment for the day or even week. The texture is a lot more gritty than i thought it would be but they are still very good when you want to change up the morning pancake routine a little bit. Try them out for the sake of your family's health if nothing else. :) But really they are good....

See, even this picky eater likes them, so trust me, if she will eat them, your kids will too.

Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes
 Blend in blender until like mush:
1 c. milk
3/4 c. raw whole wheat
Turn off.
Add:
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Blend well and cook on hot griddle. Yield 14 pancakes.

Baked Italian Sausage Rotini

I found this dish as well as the bread stick recipe included from the Favorite Family Recipes blog and it truly has become a family favorite. It is not too spicy and it comes together really fast. The breadsticks, my husband declared, were the best I have ever made so far...that really says something people. In other words...they are so good that you won't be able to find anyone who doesn't like them because he is Mr. Picky himself. If you think your little ones might be turned off by the spice in the Rotini dish you could just do a tsp. of red pepper flakes or leave them out entirely. We like a little spice in my family. Also, my husband doesn't love sausage so I usually just use ground beef and fry it or make tiny meatballs, this dish is very versatile.

Baked Italian Sausage Rotini
from Favorite Family Recipes
1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 pkg. uncooked ground Italian sausage

1 pkg. curly, bowtie, or wagonwheel noodles - cooked
1 bottle 4 cheese spaghetti sauce
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 cups mozzarella cheese (divided)

Roll the ground Italian sausage into small balls.  In a large fry pan, brown the garlic in olive oil.  Then add sausage balls and cook until browned.
In a large bowl toss together the sausage with all the other ingredients reserving 1 cup of cheese.
Pour pasta mixture into a 9x13 inch pan lined with cooking spray.  Bake at 375 for 25 min.  Top with remaining cheese and bake 5 more minutes.

Best Breadsticks Ever

1½ cups warm water

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. yeast

Let that sit for 5 minutes. Then add:

3½ cups flour

1 tsp Salt

Mix until smooth then let raise for 10 minutes. Roll out dough into a large square on a floured surface. Brush with melted (real) butter mixed with garlic and then sprinkle with kosher salt. Fold in half and cut into 1 inch strips. Twist and place on a cooking sheet. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to raise. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately after baking, brush with more garlic butter and sprinkle with kosher salt and grated Parmesan cheese.

*Dough also makes a great pizza dough, just roll out into a large circle, add your favorite toppings, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Orange Toast

This takes french toast to a whole new level. The flavor of the orange zest and the orange juice totally brightens up this dish. It is fresh, sweet and super yummy. My kids inhaled this.

 

If you have more than three people for breakfast, definitely double this recipe. I think that Texas Toast or french bread would be best for this recipe but you can use whatever bread you have on hand. Also, to totally take this to another level you could make homemade syrup and substitute orange extract for the maple flavoring or make the coconut syrup from The Sisters Cafe.  Add fresh fruit and powdered sugar and you could be as regal as a Bed and Breakfast. :) Enjoy!! Let me know what you think!

Orange Toast
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. milk
1 T. sugar
1 T. grated orange peel
1/4 c. orange juice
6 slices bread

Mix ingredients and dip 6 slices bread, coating both sides. Heat skillet or griddle and grease. Brown dipped bread on both sides. Serve at once with honey, syrup or place fresh fruit between two layers of toast, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chicken Stroganoff

This is the yummiest, easiest meal ever! Just throw all the ingredients in the crock pot and five hours later you have tender flaky chicken in a creamy, flavorful gravy.  Your house will smell so good while this cooks, your mouth will be watering. My husband is not the biggest fan of crock pot meals and he loved this, so feed this to your picky eaters! Yum Yum Yummy is all I have to say.

Chicken Stroganoff
courtesy of Macey's Crock Talk Family Meals

4-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts
12 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
* if you are using six chicken breasts I would suggest doubling the sauce. I used four chicken breasts and found that there was almost not enough gravy.

Place chicken breasts in greased crock pot. Mix sour cream, cream of mushroom soup and 1 pkg. of dry onion soup mix. Pour mixture over chicken.
Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours until chicken is tender.
Serve over cooked rice or egg noodles.

Best Ham Fried Rice

Our Family loves ham fried rice; we are huge fans. For this reason, I have tried just about every recipe out there for ham fried rice. Some were too sweet, some too dry, etc. etc.; but this one is just right. :) I love the peas and carrots in this recipe, it adds a great fresh taste to the dish. The chicken bouillon gives it a lot of flavor. I love how fast it comes together. This is a great go-to when you are short on time and need a quick meal.

Best Ham Fried Rice
adapted from family dinner cookbook
*(rice must be day old, it is not as good with fresh rice, the rice needs to be dried)
2 cups cooked rice (day old)
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 c. ham, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. frozen peas and carrots
1 tsp. chicken bouillon
3 tsp, soy sauce

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a large skillet. Scramble eggs. Remove eggs from skillet and heat remaining oil. Stir-fry ham and rice until ham starts to brown. Add green onions, peas, carrots, and stir-fry until vegetables are cooked through. Sprinkle with bouillon and soy sauce. Return scrambled eggs to skillet and mix well. Heat through then serve.