French Fries

We were on the way home from out of town tonight when we passed a Wendy's. Stephen commented how good some hot, steaming, fresh Wendy's french fries would be. I ignored him because eating out is not a necessity for us, and we really can't afford to eat out every time we have the urge. But after thinking about it a second, I said, "I bet I can make those." As soon as the words came out of my mouth I thought, "Uhhhhhhh..... why did I say that?"

Behold, the best homemade french fries you will ever have. I made up this recipe which is why there are no measurements and everything is guesswork. But trust me. So good and so much cheaper than fast food.

Ingredients:
potatoes
oil (I used veggie because it was open already)
pepper
garlic powder
salt (I used both sea salt and kosher salt; couldn't tell the difference between them; it was an experiment)

Slice up the potatoes. See on the left side of the picture? I sliced some of mine in wedges and some in "french-fry" style just to have a variety. Just remember, the thicker they are, the longer they will take to cook.

I made two bowls to dip the potatoes in. I covered just the bottom of the small bowl (these were custard dishes) with oil, sprinkled (pretty moderately) with salt (again, one bowl was sea salt, one was kosher salt), and just a dash of garlic powder (it can be pretty overwhelming). Any fries that were small enough to dip, I thoroughly dipped in the bowls. Any that were too large I slathered with the mixture with a brush.

Into the frying pan! I put about 1/2-inch of oil in the skillet and warmed it while I was chopping the potatoes. You want to hear that sizzle when you throw the fries in!

Just fry and flip a few times! Should take around 4-5 minutes for one batch. Serve fresh!

Verdict:
Thumbs UP! Stephen said these were some of the best fries he's ever had and definitely compared to restaurants. It's much cheaper to make your own, although it is time consuming. But trust me, these are WORTH IT!

Basil Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients:
8 oz rotini
4 chicken breasts
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 Tbsp olive oil
26 oz pasta sauce
1/4 cup basil
1 cup mozzarella
2 Tbsp parsley

Prepare pasta. Drain and keep warm. Cut chicken in 2 pieces. Place each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap; flatten. Combine 2/3 cup breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Dip chicken in egg and then breadcrumb mixture. Brown chicken in oil in skillet.

Stir pasta sauce and basil together, spoon half of that into an 11x7 dish. Put chicken in pan; pour sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve over warm pasta.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used ziti because that's what I had in the pantry, used an egg instead of an egg substitute, and I forgot to put the parsley on at the end!!

What I'll do differently next time:
Same stuff. BUT I will also use MUCH less pasta. Stephen wasn't a huge fan of the pasta (loved the chicken though) so although Brianna and I ate a lot of the pasta there was a ton left over. Next time I will probably make about a cup of pasta and split it between myself and Brianna, and just let Stephen have the chicken and sauce.

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! We love chicken parmigiana and this recipe was awesome and super easy! I wasn't sure how I was going to like it, frankly, because I'm not a huge basil fan. But the taste was definitely not overpowering and I loved this recipe.

Ingredients:
8 oz rotini
4 chicken breasts
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 Tbsp olive oil
26 oz pasta sauce
1/4 cup basil
1 cup mozzarella
2 Tbsp parsley

Prepare pasta. Drain and keep warm. Cut chicken in 2 pieces. Place each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap; flatten. Combine 2/3 cup breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Dip chicken in egg and then breadcrumb mixture. Brown chicken in oil in skillet. Stir pasta sauce and basil together, spoon half of that into an 11x7 dish. Put chicken in pan; pour sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve over warm pasta.

Cranberry Cookies

From: Betty Crocker recipe card

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp soda
1 cup chopped nuts
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped frozen cranberries

Heat oven to 375. Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.

Stir in milk, orange juice and egg. Mix in remaining ingredients.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes. Makes 11 dozen cookies.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Halved it! Did you see that it makes eleven dozen cookies!?!? Holy cow! I also made my cookies about thirty times bigger than you're supposed to. I left out the nuts and used Craisins instead of frozen cranberries - it's what I had in the pantry.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! A little sweet but maybe because I used Craisins? I can see these cookies being great with pretty much any fruit!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp soda
1 cup chopped nuts
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped frozen cranberries

Heat oven to 375. Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Stir in milk, orange juice and egg. Mix in remaining ingredients. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes. Makes 11 dozen cookies.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked tube or spiral pasta
1 lb ground beef
6 bacon strips, diced
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. In skillet, cook beef over medium heat until done; drain and set aside.

In same skillet, cook bacon till crisp; remove. Pour out drippings. Drain pasta; add to skillet. Add soup, beef and bacon, heat through.

Sprinkle with cheese, cover and cook until melted.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used ground venison and turkey bacon, but other than that I did everything the same.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up for me! Stephen wasn't a huge fan but I didn't think he would be. I really liked it, but it definitely did remind me of Hamburger Helper... which is good if you like HH! It was very quick and easy too. And I love one-pot recipes (except the pot to cook the pasta which shouldn't even count.)

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked tube or spiral pasta
1 lb ground beef
6 bacon strips, diced
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. In skillet, cook beef over medium heat until done; drain and set aside. In same skillet, cook bacon till crisp; remove. Pour out drippings. Drain pasta; add to skillet. Add soup, beef and bacon, heat through. Sprinkle with cheese, cover and cook until melted.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

From: Stephen's Nenah's church's cookbook

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp grated onion
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup half and half
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 to 1/4 tsp dried basil
3 cup chopped fresh broccoli

Saute onion in butter in Dutch oven. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Gradually add milk, half and half, and chicken broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and bubbly. Stir in salt, garlic powder and basil. Add broccoli. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

What I did differently:
I had frozen broccoli so I used that. One package was just plain broccoli and one was broccoli in butter sauce. Even better! The recipe never said to blend the soup but the chunks of broccoli were so big that I did anyway.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! We topped it with cheddar cheese and crackers. This soup was super easy and so delicious! Definitely worth making again in the future!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp grated onion
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup half and half
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 to 1/4 tsp dried basil
3 cup chopped fresh broccoli

Saute onion in butter in Dutch oven. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, half and half, and chicken broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and bubbly. Stir in salt, garlic powder and basil. Add broccoli. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter
1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter, remove from heat and add cracker crumbs, peanut butter and powdered sugar. Pat into 9x13 pan.

Melt chips and frost over the top of the first layer. When chocolate is set, cut into squares.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Nothing. Note though - I did use almond butter instead of peanut butter. I didn't have any creamy peanut butter and I wasn't sure how the crunch would affect the recipe!

What I'll do differently next time:
Use less chocolate chips.

Verdict:
Neutral. It was fine for a really fast, easy, everything-on-hand dessert. But I thought there was way too much chocolate on top. It never really got firm until the night after the morning I made it... if that makes sense. I would have preferred it more firm I think, more like Reese's Cups. But it was something I'd make again in a pinch.

Printable version:

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter
1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter, remove from heat and add cracker crumbs, peanut butter and powdered sugar. Pat into 9x13 pan. Melt chips and frost over the top of the first layer. When chocolate is set, cut into squares.

Baked Potato Soup

Looks like I forgot to take pictures for this recipe!

From: Southern Living All-Time Favorites Cookbook

Ingredients:
5 large baking potatoes, baked
1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup flour
1 quart half-and-half
3 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Peel potatoes, and coarsely mash with a fork. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, and saute until tender. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Stir in potatoes, half-and-half, and next 3 ingredients; cook over low heat until thoroughly heated. Top each serving with cheese and bacon.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I didn't have any half-and-half on hand, so instead I just added extra milk and about 12 ounces of condensed milk. I just estimated how much to add but it seemed to work!

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! In my opinion you can't go wrong with potato soup. This was delicious and very simple to make!

Beef Pot Roast

From: Better Homes and Gardens Limited Edition Cookbook (Breast Cancer Awareness)

Ingredients:
1 2 1/2 - 3 pound boneless beef chuck pot roast
2 Tbsp cooking oil
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz tiny new potatoes or 2 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes
1 pound carrots or 6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into pieces
2 small onions, cut into wedges
2 stalks celery, sliced into pieces
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup flour
black pepper

Trim fat from meat. Thinly slice vegetables; place in a cooker. Cut roast to fit: place on top of vegetables. Combine the 3/4 cup water, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon granules, basil and salt. Add to cooker. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I just threw in two beef bouillon cubes instead of the granules. I think that was just right. I left out the onions (Stephen doesn't like them) and celery (didn't have it on hand).

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing!

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Stephen actually looked like he might take my life if I don't make this again. He was drooling at the thought of it and fortunately the taste exceeded his expectations! All my other pot roast recipes are going out the window... this one is the best!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 2 1/2 - 3 pound boneless beef chuck pot roast
2 Tbsp cooking oil
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz tiny new potatoes or 2 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes
1 pound carrots or 6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into pieces
2 small onions, cut into wedges
2 stalks celery, sliced into pieces
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup flour
black pepper

Trim fat from meat. Thinly slice vegetables; place in a cooker. Cut roast to fit: place on top of vegetables. Combine the 3/4 cup water, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon granules, basil and salt. Add to cooker. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours.