Oreo Cheesecake

From: 100 Best Favorite Brand Name Recipes

Ingredients:
1 (20-oz) package Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies, divided
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Finely roll 30 cookies; coarsely chop 20 cookies. Mix finely rolled cookie crumbs and margarine or butter in medium bowl. Press on bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Blend in eggs, sour cream and vanilla, fold in chopped cookies. Spread mixture into prepared crust.

Bake at 350 for 60 minutes or until set.

Cool on wire rack at room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Halve remaining cookies; remove side of pan. To serve, garnish with whipped cream and cookie halves.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I didn't use a springform pan. I used a 2" deep cake plate instead.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Neutral. I didn't think this was that great, but I had three other people taste it and claim they liked it. I'm not a huge fan of Oreos so maybe that was the problem. It was still really easy to make and I like that.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 (20-oz) package Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies, divided
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Finely roll 30 cookies; coarsely chop 20 cookies. Mix finely rolled cookie crumbs and margarine or butter in medium bowl. Press on bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Blend in eggs, sour cream and vanilla, fold in chopped cookies. Spread mixture into prepared crust. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes or until set.

Cool on wire rack at room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Halve remaining cookies; remove side of pan. To serve, garnish with whipped cream and cookie halves.

Beef and Potato Soup

From: Busy People's Slow Cooker Cookbook

Ingredients:
4 cups water
1 (16-oz) bag frozen, Southern style hash browns
1 cup frozen chopped onion or 1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 (4-oz) cans mushroom stems and pieces, not drained
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 16-oz jar chunky salsa

Spray a slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray. Put into the slow cooker the water, hash browns, onion, beef, mushrooms, onion soup mix and salsa and stir until well mixed. Cover and cook in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.

What I did differently from the recipe:
The mushrooms I used were some I had frozen a month or so ago, so there was no juice to them and I chopped them into small pieces. Other than that, nothing.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Meh. Neutral. It wasn't my favorite, I'll say that. I didn't have high hopes for this soup, but it was actually better than I expected. And I think we all know the picture leaves a lot to be desired. I actually forgot to take that picture until today and had to get the soup out of the freezer to snap it, which is why it looks slightly terrifying. It didn't look near as bad when it was fresh on the stove... promise. I definitely liked the kick from the salsa!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
4 cups water
1 (16-oz) bag frozen, Southern style hash browns
1 cup frozen chopped onion or 1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 (4-oz) cans mushroom stems and pieces, not drained
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 16-oz jar chunky salsa

Spray a slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray. Put into the slow cooker the water, hash browns, onion, beef, mushrooms, onion soup mix and salsa and stir until well mixed. Cover and cook in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.

Honey Vanilla Pound Cake

From: Barefoot Contessa in Home Beautiful magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter at cool room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 325. Grease and flour a loaf pan (I used an 8x4x2). Line the bottom with parchment paper (I didn't do this.) Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light (I did this by hand). Meanwhile, put the eggs, honey, vanilla, and lemon zest in a glass measuring cup. With the mixer (hand) on medium-low speed, add the egg mixture, one egg at a time, scraping down the bowl and allowing each egg to become incorporated before adding the next egg.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. With the mixer (hand) on low speed, add it very slowly to the butter and egg mixture until just combined.

Finish mixing the batter with a rubber (wooden) spatula and pour it into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 15 minutes, turn out on a baking rack, and cool completely.

I made this just because I was in the mood to bake, not because I wanted pound cake. So mine is going in the freezer. Best way to freeze pound cake - wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap it again in aluminum foil. Mark the date on it and serve it within six months. Serve at room temperature.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Okay, besides everything in purple, you mean? First of all, I didn't have cake flour. And I wasn't about to buy any. So how do you substitute cake flour in a recipe? One of two ways. Supposedly, you can use all-purpose flour and remove 2 Tbsp per cup of flour which will equal 1 cup cake flour. In other words, if you need 2 cups of cake flour, you measure out 2 cups of all-purpose and remove 4 Tbsp. That's not what I did though. I put 2 Tbsp of cornstarch in a 1 cup measuring cup and filled it the rest of the way. Then I put one Tbsp of cornstarch in a 1 cup measuring cup and filled it about 3/4 of the way. Voila - my 1 3/4 cups of cake flour!!

Also, I didn't have any lemon zest on hand (oddly....). I substituted 2 Tbsp lemon juice instead.

What I'll do differently next time:
Same as above, probably.

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! This was so thick and reaaaaally good. I ate one piece to test it and then popped it in the freezer. Great for a quick nibble or when you forgot you have snack duty at Bible study!!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter at cool room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 325. Grease and flour a loaf pan (I used an 8x4x2). Line the bottom with parchment paper (I didn't do this.) Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light (I did this by hand). Meanwhile, put the eggs, honey, vanilla, and lemon zest in a glass measuring cup. With the mixer (hand) on medium-low speed, add the egg mixture, one egg at a time, scraping down the bowl and allowing each egg to become incorporated before adding the next egg. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. With the mixer (hand) on low speed, add it very slowly to the butter and egg mixture until just combined. Finish mixing the batter with a rubber (wooden) spatula and pour it into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, turn out on a baking rack, and cool completely.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

From: Busy People's Slow Cooker Cookbook.

Ingredients:
1 (6 1/2-oz) blueberry muffin mix, dry.
1/4 cup milk
1 egg white
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat a slow cooker by turning it on high. Let it preheat for 10 minutes. Spray the cooker with nonfat cooking spray and cover. Set aside 1/4 cup of the dry muffin mix. Reserve for later.

In a medium bowl, stir together the muffin mix (not the 1/4 cup), milk and egg white until well mixed. The batter will be lumpy. Spread it into the prepared cooker. Stir together the 1/4 cup reserved dry muffin mix with the cinnamon until well mixed. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the batter in the slow cooker. Place a paper towel over the slow cooker and cover with the lid. Cook on high 1 hour.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it. Place a plate on top of the cooker and turn it upside down to remove the cake. Put another plate on top of the upside down cake and flip it right side up.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Well, the first time, I forgot to spray the cooker with cooking spray. BIG no-no. I used raspberry muffin mix because the blueberry muffin mix stuck to the slow cooker... because I had forgotten to spray the cooker with cooking spray. Go figure. Also, what's the deal with the paper towel? I did it but all it did was smell like it was about to burn after 1 hour.

What I'll do differently next time:
Get it right the first time.

Verdict:
Thumbs up. Nothing special though. It tasted just like muffins. Although when I went back and read the cookbook, this recipe is really for convenience, like if your oven is being used for another recipe, you can still cook this. Which makes sense. Otherwise I'd say you might as well just make muffins. You could still make the crumb mixture for the topping.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 (6 1/2-oz) blueberry muffin mix, dry.
1/4 cup milk
1 egg white
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat a slow cooker by turning it on high. Let it preheat for 10 minutes. Spray the cooker with nonfat cooking spray and cover. Set aside 1/4 cup of the dry muffin mix. Reserve for later.

In a medium bowl, stir together the muffin mix (not the 1/4 cup), milk and egg white until well mixed. The batter will be lumpy. Spread it into the prepared cooker. Stir together the 1/4 cup reserved dry muffin mix with the cinnamon until well mixed. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the batter in the slow cooker. Place a paper towel over the slow cooker and cover with the lid. Cook on high 1 hour.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it. Place a plate on top of the cooker and turn it upside down to remove the cake. Put another plate on top of the upside down cake and flip it right side up.

Outback Cheese Fries

From: LB

Ingredients:

Frozen seasoned french fries
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon pieces

Dressing:

1 Tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch powdered dressing mix
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix it all together and chill.

Bake fries at 450 for 15 minutes or so. Salt and pepper. Add as much cheese as you like. Top with bacon. Put back in the oven for about 5 minutes.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Well, I had leftover fries from Ruby Tuesday, so I thought - what better way to put them to use?? I used Colby-Jack and Cheddar cheese because that's what I had on hand.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! You'll never need to leave your french fries at the restaurant again. Bag them up and take them home, then give them a makeover! They weren't soggy or anything. It was delicious! Also, I didn't make the dressing but I've had it and it's wonderful.

Printable version:

Ingredients:

Frozen seasoned french fries
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon pieces

Dressing:

1 Tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch powdered dressing mix
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix it all together and chill.

Bake fries at 450 for 15 minutes or so. Salt and pepper. Add as much cheese as you like. Top with bacon. Put back in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Ingredients:
6 oz uncooked fettuccine
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
2 Tbsp butter
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/4 tsp pepper

Prepare fettuccine. Add broccoli for last 4 minutes. Drain. Heat butter in a skillet. Add chicken till brown. Add soup, milk, cheese, pepper and fettuccine mixture. Cook until heated through.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Instead of fettuccine, I used whole wheat pasta, which I already had on hand. I used Steamfresh broccoli instead of fresh, so I just cooked it and threw it in in the end. And I only used 1 large chicken breast - it was left over from a previous recipe and I was just trying to get rid of it! This whole recipe was centered around that 1 chicken breast. Therefore, I cut everything in half except the cream of mushroom soup, because - yum!

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up. At first it seemed like something was missing, but I think it just took a couple of bites to get used to the whole wheat pasta. It was actually very good and such a simple recipe!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
6 oz uncooked fettuccine
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
2 Tbsp butter
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/4 tsp pepper

Prepare fettuccine. Add broccoli for last 4 minutes. Drain. Heat butter in a skillet. Add chicken till brown. Add soup, milk, cheese, pepper and fettuccine mixture. Cook until heated through.

Working Mom's Stew

From Food Writers Favorites: Soups, Stews and Casseroles

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 frying chicken (3 pounds), cut up
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 can (2 1/2 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 can (16 oz) tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup chicken broth or water
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives
4 anchovies, chopped

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken, a portion at a time, without crowding. Cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is lightly browned on all sides. Set chicken aside.
Discard all but a tiny bit of pan drippings. Add garlic, onion and bell pepper to pot; saute briefly. Add mushrooms, oregano, tomatoes with their liquid, chicken broth, olives and reserved chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, turning chicken pieces once. Add anchovies. Cook 10 minutes longer or until chicken is tender.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Instead of a frying chicken, I used chicken breasts and I only needed about 1 1/2 pounds. I used fresh mushrooms because I had some frozen already. I didn't know what kind of tomatoes to use so I ended up using a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes with sweet onion flavor. I left out the olives and anchovies because I don't like either!

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Neutral. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't my favorite (as dad would say!) I would describe this as a Mexican stew. For some reason it reminded me of Mexican food because it was a bit spicy and... I don't know - the tomato flavor too, I guess.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 frying chicken (3 pounds), cut up
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 can (2 1/2 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 can (16 oz) tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup chicken broth or water
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives
4 anchovies, chopped

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken, a portion at a time, without crowding. Cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is lightly browned on all sides. Set chicken aside. Discard all but a tiny bit of pan drippings. Add garlic, onion and bell pepper to pot; saute briefly. Add mushrooms, oregano, tomatoes with their liquid, chicken broth, olives and reserved chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, turning chicken pieces once. Add anchovies. Cook 10 minutes longer or until chicken is tender.

Cookbooks

I forgot to mention this...

People are always asking where I get my recipes from and I can never remember which cookbook I got it from. So my "resolution" in 2010 is to write on my blog post where the recipe came from. I'm not even sure if anyone truly cares but it may assist me in weeding out crummy cookbooks at least!!

Smoky BBQ Pork Sandwiches

From Pillsbury: Annual Recipes

Ingredients:
1 boneless pork shoulder roast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp liquid smoke

Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle pork roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to skillet; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until browned on all sides. Place roast in 4-5 quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on low heat setting 8-10 hours. About 40 minutes before serving, remove roast from slow cooker and place on cutting board; discard liquid in slow cooker.

In slow cooker, stir together all remaining ingredients. With 2 forks, shred pork roast. Return pork to slow cooker; stir gently to mix with sauce. Increase heat setting to high; cover and cook 30 minutes longer or until thoroughly heated. Serve on buns.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Everything. No, just kidding. Leila had gotten a Honeybaked Ham for Christmas (YUM!) and we wanted to make this with the leftovers. Therefore, I didn't have to go to all the hassle of cooking a shoulder roast. All I did was shred the ham that we had, add that and all the other ingredients to the slow cooker, and cook it on high for about 30-40 minutes. SIMPLE! Also, I only used about one cup of barbecue sauce.

What I'll do differently next time:
Same as above, I'm sure.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This was really delicious! The shredding of the ham took some time but it was much easier than cooking the whole shoulder roast, I think. Plus, it only took about 45-60 minutes to make (including the shredding) instead of 11 hours.

P.S.
Yes, that is delicious cucumber salad on my plate. Unfortunately you'll have to get that recipe from Corky. Yum!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 boneless pork shoulder roast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp liquid smoke

Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle pork roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to skillet; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until browned on all sides. Place roast in 4-5 quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on low heat setting 8-10 hours. About 40 minutes before serving, remove roast from slow cooker and place on cutting board; discard liquid in slow cooker. In slow cooker, stir together all remaining ingredients. With 2 forks, shred pork roast. Return pork to slow cooker; stir gently to mix with sauce. Increase heat setting to high; cover and cook 30 minutes longer or until thoroughly heated. Serve on buns.

Turkey Stroganoff Skillet Supper

From Pillsbury: Annual Recipes

Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 jar (12 oz) turkey gravy
2 1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles (4 oz)
1 cup sliced fresh carrots
1 cup frozen sweet peas
1/2 cup sour cream
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups cubed cooked turkey

In 10-inch skillet, mix broth and gravy until well blended. Heat to boiling. Stir in noodles, carrots, peas, sour cream, nutmeg and pepper. Return to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in turkey. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles and vegetables are tender.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I didn't measure anything. I was just dumping stuff in until it looked balanced. I think I used more gravy, carrots, peas and nutmeg than it called for and less sour cream than I was supposed to.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I liked this recipe. It had good flavor and was so simple to make. Leila had turkey left over from Christmas that needed to be used and this was a great excuse to use it and the gravy.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 jar (12 oz) turkey gravy
2 1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles (4 oz)
1 cup sliced fresh carrots
1 cup frozen sweet peas
1/2 cup sour cream
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups cubed cooked turkey

In 10-inch skillet, mix broth and gravy until well blended. Heat to boiling. Stir in noodles, carrots, peas, sour cream, nutmeg and pepper. Return to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in turkey. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles and vegetables are tender.

Spiced Apples

From Busy People's Slow Cooker Cookbook

Ingredients:
4 Jonathan apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 Tbsp Butter Buds Sprinkles
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp water

Spray a slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray. In the slow cooker mix together the apples, Butter Buds, cinnamon, brown sugar and water. Cover and cook on high for 3 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours or on low for 7 to 9 hours.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Am I the only one who doesn't know what Jonathan apples are? No matter. I used Red Delicious which we just happened to have at the house already. I went online to look up a Butter Buds substitution chart. I used 1/2 cup of butter instead of Butter Buds.

What I'll do differently next time:
Same as above.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I didn't get a picture of the end product but they were great. I don't really think they're any different from baked apples (which I've never made) but they were certainly easy to do and a great, light side dish. Yum!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
4 Jonathan apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 Tbsp Butter Buds Sprinkles
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp water

Spray a slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray. In the slow cooker mix together the apples, Butter Buds, cinnamon, brown sugar and water. Cover and cook on high for 3 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours or on low for 7 to 9 hours.