Lemon Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 9x13 buttered pan

Crust Ingredients:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups crushed graham crackers (flour if you want a sugar cookie crust)

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 large lemons)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 large lemons)

1 cup flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add crushed graham crackers with the mixer on low; add to the butter until just mixed. Press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut and dust with confectioners' sugar. I really like the sugar so I dumped more than dusted!

Chunky Monkey Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 to 3 overly ripe bananas, mashed

½ c. peanut butter

2 ½ c. granola or oatmeal of choice 

     *I used an all-natural granola favored with real
      maple syrup.

¼ c. ground flax seed

½ c. unsweetened applesauce

¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ c. honey

1 Tbs. Chia seeds

1 Tbs. baking soda

Directions:

Mix all until well combined. Scoop cookies onto a greased sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool 5 minutes on the pan before transferring to a cookie cooling rack. These freeze really well! 

Vegetable Beef Stew

Serves 6

Cooks in the Crock-pot for 3 hours on high or 6 on low

Beef Roast- cut into one inch pieces (I used the left over roast that I made earlier in the week) OR 1 lb. of beef stew meat

2 carrots-peeled and sliced about ½ inch or one small bag of frozen carrots

2 stalks celery sliced thinly

1 sm. onion diced

1 small bag frozen green beans

1 box frozen sweet corn

6 yellow potatoes cleaned and chucked into bite size pieces (think same size as carrots) if you use brown baking potatoes be sure to peel first

1 container of cherry tomatoes rinsed and sliced in half or 1 can of diced tomatoes (I prefer the cherry tomatoes they stay together nicely)

1 bay leaf

½-1 tsp. kosher salt and more to taste if you need

½-1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

6 cups beef broth (I prefer low sodium and add my own amount of salt)

Directions: Prepare your meat and veggies (cut the potatoes last so they don’t discolor before going in the broth) add broth and spices. Then let the crock-pot work its magic! 

Pork Chop Dinner

* with roasted veggies, mash potatoes, and Italian rolls

Serves 6

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Marinate Pork Chops overnight:

6 chops with bone in placed in a large zip lock

2 cups apple juice

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Roast Veggies

*cut veggies into large chunks into a large mixing bowl:

1 egg plant

·        First cut rounds place on paper towels and salt generally with kosher salt and let sit for 30 minutes then rinse and chunk (this takes out some of the bitter taste it can have otherwise.

1 carrot peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces on the angle

1 onion cut into chunks

1 fennel bulb cut into chunks

4 gray squash or any winter squash cut into chunks

Dressing for veggies:

·        1 Tbs. olive oil

·        ½ tsp. kosher salt

·        ½ tsp. pepper

·        ½ tsp. thyme leaves,

·        1 clove garlic minced

Mix and pour over veggies mixing until all coated. Place on jelly roll sheet lined with foil for easy clean up and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.  Remove and place in serving bowl, cover bowl to keep warm while biscuits bake.

Mash Potatoes:

6-9 yellow potatoes rinsed and chunked into quarters placed in a large pot covered with cold water

Bring potatoes to a boil for 25 minutes then drain and add:

1 block cream cheese

1 stick butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix with hand mixer until fluffy

Italian Pull A Part Rolls:

1 tube of large flaky biscuits

Topping:

     ·         1 Tbs. butter melted

     ·        1 tsp. basil or Italian mix of spices

     ·        1 Tbs. Parmesan cheese grated

Bake biscuits at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Melt butter, stir in spices and brush top of biscuits. Sprinkle on cheese and bake for another 4 minutes.

Directions for putting the meal together day of serving:

     1.   Remove meat from the refrigerator and discard the marinade to take the chill off while you prepare the veggies.

     2.   Prepare veggies and start roasting

     3.   Cut potatoes and start cooking on stove top covered once they come to a boil remove the lid and let simmer for a good 20-25 minutes. They are done when they can easily be cut with a knife.

     4.   Heat up your fry pan (cast iron or non-stick) add 2 Tbs. cooking oil

     5.   Prepare biscuits and topping

     6.   Start frying pork chops (8 minutes per side) don’t mess with them while in the pan. They are ready to flip when they no longer stick and have a nice caramelized brownness to the bottoms.

     7.   Once you have browned both sides remove from the pan and place on serving platter covered with foil.

Finish with a Sauce for Chops:

     1.   Add 2 Tbs. butter to the fry pan and 2 Tbs. flour stir until the flour is cooked out and it has a nice brown color to it (about 2 minutes)

     2.   Add 1 cup of apple juice, pinch of salt, pinch of black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional). Stir until all is bubbly. Pour over chops and potatoes when serving.

Tada! 

A Brownie with a Caramel Center

Makes 12 brownies in a muffin tin pan

Preheat oven to 350

1 box Fudge Brownies (ingredients to make brownies)

12 caramels (unwrapped)

Directions: Mix up your brownies according to package directions and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and place one caramel in the center of each brownie. Continue baking for another 15 minutes. Remove and let cool in the pan. Enjoy yummy goodness! 

Blackberry Pie

1 pie Serves 6

Prep-30 minutes

Bake 350 for 1 hour

6 cups of fresh blackberries

½ c. white sugar

1 Tbs. minute tapioca

1 tsp. vanilla or almond flavoring (I prefer the almond)

3 Tbs. butter cut into pieces

1 egg white

1 Tbs. raw sugar

1 box two prepared pie crusts

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl place rinsed berries and sugar mix until combined and let sit for 20 minutes to juice. Add tapioca and vanilla. Grease pie dish and line with pie crust. Pour berries into the pie crust. Top with butter pieces and a top crust. Crimp the crust to make an pressed edge combining the two crusts. Whip one egg white and brush on the top of the pie crust. Sprinkle pie crust with sugar (raw works well). Make a couple venting slots on the top of the pie. Bake pie in oven with a tray lined with foil underneath to catch any dripping. Let cool for 24 hours and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. 

Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie

This Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie with Progresso Recipe Starters made this meal come together quickly and it was scrumptious as if I cooked over the stove all day.

Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie

1 deep dish pie plate

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Serves 6

1 c. chicken breast diced and poached or shredded rotisserie chicken

1 sm. Bag frozen mixed vegetables (potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas)

2 Tbs. flour

2 Tbs. butter

1 can Progresso Recipe Starter (creamy roasted garlic)

1 box fresh pie dough (2 crusts)

1 egg white, whipped

Directions:

In a sauce pan, melt butter and stir in flour. Let this cook for a couple mix continuing to mix so it cooks and doesn't burn. Next, add the meal starter sauce and bring mixture to a boil. Then add chicken and veggies cooking until thick and bubbly. Line a pie plate with dough. Ladle chicken mixture into pan. Top mixture with the second crust and roll and pinch the dough together to form the crust. Top crust with whipped egg white and slice a few small venting wholes for steam to escape while cooking. Cook for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.