success

Cooking for my kids is not fun. They are very picky and it seems that all three never agree on what's good. If I can get 2 out of the 3 of them to like something, then it's a success.

I tried this crock pot recipe about a month ago and Joshua and Braeden loved it. Kate not so much, but it wouldn't be a normal Jones dinner if somebody didn't like it. Anyway, I made it again this past week and the boys gobbled it up. It is super easy and quite yummy.

2 lbs. boneless, chicken breasts
1/2c. Italian dressing
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkt ranch dressing mix
1/2 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin

Place chicken in crock pot. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on high 5 to 6 hours or on low 8 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Place shredded chicken back in to the crock pot and combine with liquid. Serve in tacos, burritos, salad, quesadillas, etc.

Joshua likes to eat it on flour tortillas. Braeden and I like it on white corn tortillas that have been charred just a bit. We also like to serve with black beans and I love it with homemade guacamole.

Lemon Delight Trifle

mmmm....so yummy. We had this dessert yesterday as part of our 4th of July celebrations.

3 1/2 c. cold milk

2 pkg. (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding

1 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. powder sugar

1 12oz. tub of cool whip..I actually used more than this

1 pkg (12 to 14oz) lemon cream-filled sandwich cookies, crushed

In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding for 2 minutes or until thickened.  In another bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and powder sugar together.  Gradually stir in pudding until blended.  Set aside 1/4c. whipped topping and crushed cookies for garnish.  Fold remaining cool whip into pudding mixture.  Place half of the remaining cookies in a trifle bowl; top with half of pudding mixture.  Repeat layers.  Garnish with with reserved cool whip and crushed cookies.  Refrigerate until serving.

Kids Fave

One of our favorite summer time beverages is an Orange Julius. They are tangy, yet sweet and they totally remind me of an Orange Dreamsicle frozen ice cream pop. They are soooo good and perfect for the summer time heat.



6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 c. water
1 c. milk (to make even creamier substitute half of milk with heavy cream)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
ice cubes (enough to fill to the top of the blender)

Add all ingredients in order into a blender. Blend until smooth. Top with whip cream for an extra special treat!

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

This may be the best banana bread I have ever had.

3/4c. butter, softened
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2c. sugar
2 eggs
3c. flour
1/2t. baking powder
1/2t. baking soda
1/2t. salt
3 ripe bananas
1c. chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
1/2t. vanilla

Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Add sugar, beat until fluffy. Add eggs. Combine flour and next 3 ing. just until blended. Stir in mashed bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8x4in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour; shielding with foil last 15 minutes.

Fat Dog Brownies

Just in case you didn't get enough treats this past weekend, here is a very yummy brownie recipe. It was in our Relief Society newsletter last month so I don't know who to give credit for it, but it is sooooo good!

1 box German chocolate cake mix
3/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 c. chocolate chips
1 bag individually wrapped caramels ( about 50)
1/3 c. evaporated milk

Mix together cake mix, melted butter and 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Mix until well incorporated - it will be thick. Press half of batter into greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, melt caramels and 1/3 c. evaporated milk in saucepan (I just used the microwave) until creamy. When brownie is done, pour caramel on top. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of caramel. Dot remaining brownie mix on top of chips and caramel. Return to oven and bake for another 11 minutes. Let cool for an hour.

* I used a plain chocolate cake mix and less then half a cup of chocolate chips...and it was delicious!

Cold Weather Food

I was really in the mood last night for some yummy soup and homemade bread. The cold weather does that to me. So I went to allrecipes and once again found this very delicious potato soup. It was so easy to make and done in 30 minutes.

3 bacon strips, diced

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbs. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 c. chicken broth

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 c. half and half

1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

cheddar cheese

In large sauce pan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 Tbs. of bacon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil, and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, half and half and Tabasco sauce; heat through but do no boil. Garnish with bacon and cheddar cheese.

I made a few changes to the recipe...I used turkey bacon instead of "real" bacon. I also did not have any half and half so I used a small amount of heavy cream and just mixed it with regular milk. I also just mixed the bacon into the pot of soup and did not garnish with cheddar cheese. It was sooooo good and definitely a soup I will make again.

Mrs. Sigg's Snickerdoodles

I don't know who Mrs. Sigg is, but her recipe for snickerdoodles is soooo yummy! I have tried lots of snickerdoodle recipes, but they never turn out right. They are usually two hard and crunchy or they never spread out right when baking. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It was rated by 2,078 people and the average rating is 4 1/2 stars out of 5. So, I figured I would give it a try. This has become one of my kids and Cary's favorite cookie. I have made them several times now and they turn out perfect every time.

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 3/4 c. flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 Tbs. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Blend in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into balls and roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Just Call Me Holly Homemaker

A little while back we had an Enrichment Night where we were taught how to make homemade laundry detergent....I didn't go. My friend, Marisa, did though and she made some and she loves it! So I thought I would give it a try. It was super easy to make and way, way, way cheaper then laundry detergent from the store. This is the recipe from the Enrichment....

1 Fels Naptha soap bar
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda (not baking soda)
Grate soap bar into a fine powder. Heat one gallon of water in large pot. Add in soap powder. Mix with whisk slightly to break up any lumps. When soap is mostly melted, add in soda and borax. Stir. Take off heat and add 10 gallons of hot water. Stir. Let cool. Pour soap into containers to store. Use 1 cup soap per load of laundry.

All these ingredients are found at Kroger and this recipe makes a ton...more then two 5 gallon buckets worth. I did not want that much laundry detergent sitting in my small laundry room so Cary did some research and found a different recipe that uses the same ingredients but doesn't make nearly as much. Click here to view it. I used one five gallon bucket and it fits perfectly between my washer and dryer. It only took me about 20 minutes to make start to finish, but it does need to sit for 24 hours or at least over night. It is suppose to make about 312 loads of laundry for about $6.97. That's including the cost of the water it takes to wash the clothes.......not bad, right??

Childhood Favorite

When I was little my mom would make me and my sisters German Pancakes for breakfast on occasion. We loved them so much! I had completely forgotten about them after I got married. I didn't have the recipe and my mom wasn't around to make them for me anymore.

While my sister, Tara, was here over the summer she wanted to make us some breakfast. She asked if my kids liked German Pancakes and, of course, they had never tried them because I had forgotten about them. So she whipped us up a batch. They brought back so many good memories. (It is funny how food a can do that) They have now become one of Joshua and Braeden's favorite.

Here is the recipe if any of you want to try:
6 eggs
1 c. milk
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 T. butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. While oven is preheating put butter in a 9x13 inch pan and place in oven to melt. Beat eggs and milk together. Whisk in flour and salt. Pour batter in pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The pancakes will get really big and puffy, especially around the edges. Serve with powder sugar or maple syrup.

Pumpkin Cookies

My friend Sarah gave me this recipe last year and it is the best pumpkin cookie I have ever had. It is so soft and moist and absolutley delicious!

2 c. sugar
1 c. shortening
1 c. margarine
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 pkg. mini chocolate chips

Cream sugar, shortening, and butter. Add eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients to mixture and mix well. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Let cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting. This recipes makes a lot of cookies.

Cary's Favorite

I found this recipe several months ago in a Kraft Food and Family magazine that I get every few months. I made this Speedy Chicken Stir Fry and it has become one of our favorites, especially Cary's. It is so easy and quick and soooooo delicious!

8 oz. angel hair pasta
2 c. broccoli florets (I have also used carrots...and I think snow peas would be delicious as well)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 c. Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1/3 c. chopped, dry roasted peanuts

Cook pasta as directed on pkg., adding broccoli to boiling water for the last 3 minutes of pasta cooking time. Meanwhile, brown chicken in nonstick skillet on medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, and seasonings. Cook 1 minute. Drain pasta and veggies and add to chicken mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts and...... ENJOY!

Delicious

My mom made this pound cake while I was in Missouri. It comes from a Paula Dean cook book. We made strawberry shortcake out of it and it was sooooooo good. I made it yesterday to take over to a friends house and it got rave reviews.

WARNING: It is very fattening....if you are even wondering how many calories are in this cake....turn away now!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
1 1/2 c. butter, soft....the real stuff, NOT MARGARINE
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, soft
3 c. sugar
6 eggs
3 c. flour
pinch of salt
1 t. vanilla
1 t. almond extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 in. bundt pan. Cream butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each one. Gradually add flour, until all is added. Add salt, vanilla, and almond extract. (I didn't have any almond extract so I used 2 t. of vanilla) Pour into bundt pan. Bake for 90 minutes. The cakes is done when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert cake on to wire rack and let cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake-Off

My friend Jeni is doing a bake-off to find the best Chocolate Chip Cookies. I don't know if mine are the best but we sure do like them!! Happy Baking, Jeni!!

4 1/2 c. flour

2 t. baking soda

2 t. salt

1 c. shortening

1 c. margarine or butter

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

4 eggs

1 t. vanilla

12 oz. chocolate chips

Mix together flour, baking soda , and salt. In large mixing bowl cream together shortening and butter. Add sugars, then the vanilla and eggs. Add flour mixture. Blend in chocolate chips. Drop unto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.

This makes a lot of cookies. The recipe can be divided in half....but what I do is make the whole thing and then divide the dough in half. I bake up half of the cookies and freeze the rest of the cookie dough for another time. Delicious! :)

Cinnamon Streusel Orange Muffins

I was craving muffins this morning and found this recipe on allrecipes.com. They are delicious......very moist with a hint of orange flavor. YUM!!

2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. veg. oil
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. buttermilk (I used regular milk)
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs

3 T. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
2 T. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Pour veg. oil, orange juice, milk, vanilla, and eggs into well. Slightly beat. Mix dry and wet ingredients together. It may be slightly lumpy. Fill muffin tins half way. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over muffin batter. Spoon remaining muffin batter over brown sugar mixture. Mix together remaining flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter to make a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle this evenly over tops of muffin batter. Bake for 20 minutes.

Yummy!!!!!

Layered Pumpkin Bread

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup plus 1/4c. granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 egg whites, divided
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, softened

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Grease a nonstick 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Mix pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 3 of the egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, pie spice and salt; stir just until moistened. Set aside. Beat Neufchatel cheese, remaining 1/4 c. granulated sugar and the remaining egg white with wire whisk until well blended.

SPOON half of the pumpkin batter into prepared pan; spoon Neufchatel cheese mixture evenly over the batter. Cover with remaining pumpkin batter.

BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen bread; cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

I made this for the first time this morning to share with the women in my YW presidency. It was so delicious and very easy to make. YUM!