Raspberry Muffins

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 1/8 cups sugar

2 eggs

3 cups flour, divided

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch baking soda

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups fresh raspberries

sugar (opt.)

Cream the butter with sugar and add eggs.  Reserve 3 Tblsp. of flour and combine remaining flour with baking powder, salt & soda.  Combine milk and vanilla.  Alternately add the milk and flour mixture to the creamed butter and egg mixture.  Sprinkle reserved flour over berries and gently fold into the creamed mixture.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

One of the things I LOVE about Facebook is whenever friends post about a yummy recipe that they've just tried.  I got this from Rochelle Bartschi, who was a friend of mine in my previous ward.  She had just made these for her sons for breakfast & she even let them spread homemade raspberry jam on their muffins!  To me that sounds divine!  Still, these muffins taste just as good plain or with butter.  Tyler came home from work with a raspberry bush only a couple of weeks after we first moved into our house because he's wanted to grow our own raspberries for as long as he can remember.  Now I'll know what to do with any extras if they become too numerous!  :)

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 1/2 cubes butter

2-3 bunches broccoli, chopped (I used a full 16 oz. bag of frozen broccoli & just defrosted in the microwave).

1/2 cup flour

3 14-oz. cans chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

8 oz. Velveeta

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

Melt butter in saucepan and add chopped broccoli.  Heat on high for 3-5 minutes, then stir in flour.  Gradually add chicken broth while stirring.  Cover & simmer 10 minutes.  Stir in heavy cream.  Heat & add Velveeta.  Add salt & pepper & serve.  

I apologize for the picture.  I know it's bad & my camera isn't the greatest!  Whenever it starts to get a little nippy outside I start making homemade soups at least once a week, sometimes more because they taste SO GOOD in the cold weather!  I've been looking for a really good broccoli/cheese soup recipe & I finally decided to try this one, which was found on a blog called Eighteen 25.  

Everyone in my family LOVED this soup & the next time I make it I'll definitely put it into bread bowls instead when it's time to serve it.  Yum yum YUMMY!  :)

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 Tblsp. vegetable oil (I used canola)

2 Tblsp. vinegar

2 cups flour

3 Tblsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground allspice (I didn't add this)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

chocolate chips (opt.)

whipped cream (opt.)

Mix together milk, pumpkin, oil & vinegar.  Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl.  Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.  Add chocolate chips last, if desired.  Pour or scoop onto hot griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake.  Top with cream or syrup.

My friend Michelle posted this on her Facebook page.  I'm SO glad she did, because these things are so, SO YUMMY!!!  The best thing about them is that they aren't just a breakfast food.  We've had these for dinner a couple of times since I got the recipe & it's almost like having dessert for dinner.  ;)  I never add allspice or anything else that gives sweet food any kind of a spice flavor (except the cinnamon, of course), but believe me, these taste just fine without it.  These things are just the thing I need to help satisfy the pumpkin cravings I end up getting every year around this time.  :)  Enjoy!  :D

Hearty Chicken Noodle Casserole

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I know I say this a lot, but I HATE mushrooms so I used cream of chicken)

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp. ground pepper (I used 1/2 tsp.)

1//4 cup Parmesan cheese (I've used both freshly-grated & the powdered kind & both taste good)

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (no need to thaw)

2 cups cooked cubed chicken

2 cups cooked egg noodles

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Stir soup, milk, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, vegetables, chicken & noodles in a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole dish.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot.  Stir & then top with cheese.

I found this recipe on Sister's Stuff.  This is one of those super easy & quick dishes to just hurry & throw together when I don't know what else to make for dinner.  Both of my kids love this & Tyler loves anything with egg noodles, so this is great for our family.

Hawaiian Haystacks

Sauce:

1/4 cup poultry gravy

1 1/4 cups water

3 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cups chicken broth

2 Tblsp. soy sauce; the first time I tried this it was way too salty for my taste, so next time I'll only use 1

4 Tblsp. cornstarch

chicken

Topping Choices:

shredded cheese of choice

pineapple

chow mein noodles

slivered almonds

celery

coconut

mandarin oranges

tomatoes

broccoli

other toppings of choice

Mix first two ingredients over low-medium heat.  Add next three. Then slowly stir in cornstarch.  *If your cornstarch looks too lumpy & looks like it isn't mixing in very well, don't panic like I did.  If you keep stirring, it will all work out.  :)  After you've added the cornstarch, turn up the heat and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat back down and simmer for a few minutes & then it'll be ready to serve.  * The sauce will be really watery until it boils & until the cornstarch kicks in, so again, don't freak out the way I did.  :)  I added the chicken right in with the sauce, but this is entirely optional.  Serve over rice & then assemble your haystack to your liking.  

I found this recipe on a blog called My Girl's Kitchen.  One of the best things about this dinner is that it has the potential of being an entire, food storage-based meal if you use canned chicken.  After having this sauce I don't think I can ever go back to using just plain cream of chicken soup again.  My whole family loved this & it both my kids LOVED putting their very own haystacks together.  :)

Mexican Torte

1/2 lb. - 1 lb. ground beef

dash of minced onion

2 cloves minced garlic or garlic salt

1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies, drained

6 tortillas

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend

1 16-oz. can refried beans, heated up

salsa, sour cream, guacamole; opt.

Brown ground beef with minced onion, garlic salt & pepper.  If you use fresh garlic then use plain salt instead of garlic salt.  Stir in chilies with meat.  Spray round casserole dish with Pam.  Put in 2 tortillas.  Spread 1/2 of meat mixture on the tortillas.  Sprinkle with one cup of the cheese.  Put 2 more tortillas on top of the cheese layer.  Spread the can of heated refried beans on top of the tortillas.  Place 2 tortillas on top of beans.  Add the rest of the meat mixture and top with the rest of the cheese.  Cover & bake 40 minutes, uncover & bake additional 15 minutes if center isn't hot enough.  * When it's time to serve, remove torte from the bowl completely, place on a cutting board & cut into wedges like a pie.  Serve with salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole on top if you'd like.

My sister Elena gave me a cookbook as a present the Christmas before Tyler & I were married.  Not only was it full of great recipes, but it also had some great tips on how much certain types of meals cost when you go grocery shopping.  It's been extremely helpful, especially during the first year that I was a newlywed.  I made this for Tyler for the first time 8 1/2 years ago & he's loved it ever since.  This is such an easy meal & even both of our kids love this.  :)

Pistachio Pineapple Salad

2 20 oz. cans crushed pineapple, in juice, not drained

2 3.4 oz. pkgs. pistachio instant pudding

2 cups mini multi-colored marshmallows

1 16 oz. container Cool Whip

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I didn't add these)

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.  Easy-peasy!  :)

I had this salad at Tyler's Grandma Andersen's funeral luncheon.  Funerals aren't usually the most opportune times to find a great-tasting recipe that you love, but this salad tasted SO GOOD to me that day that I just had to have the recipe for it.  I emailed Tyler's aunt about it to see if she could get it for me somehow, but I really wanted to make this for Memorial Day.  I knew that it had to have pistachio pudding in it because I could taste the little bits of pistachio as I was eating it.  So when I went grocery shopping I put two boxes in, along w/ the multi-colored marshmallows, the pineapple & the Cool Whip.  When I got everything out to make the salad the night before, I found the actual recipe, staring me right in the face on the side of the pudding box!!!  Clearly it was meant to be.  :)  The original name for this salad is "Watergate Salad", but I decided to change it because that way I'll always be able to find this when I'm looking for it.  This salad will be GREAT when it gets really hot outside because it's so refreshing!  :)