Stir-Fried Beef and Peppers

I found this recipe when I was first married and still love to make it. It is healthy and delicious!

1 pound lean beef, cut in paper-think strips (I buy the pre-cut beef for stir fry at Safeway in the meat section)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 pound mushrooms sliced

1 medium onion sliced

2 green peppers cut in strips

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine meat strips with soy sauce, lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar, and ginger. Let stand while preparing veggies.

Heat oil in a large frying pan or Dutchoven.

Stir fry mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and salt until veggies are tender-crisp (i like mine a little softer)

Remove veggies from pan and reserve oil

Stir fry meat in the hot oil until done

Add veggies and stir until hot

Serve with cooked rice

*We don't eat it with rice to lower the carbs.

*I use about 1.5 lbs meat and I double the meat mixture ingredients because we like our's a little more saucey.

Jenny's Cheese Ball

My sister Jen has a cheese ball that is to die for! She makes it for pretty much every family Christmas party and I had my first attempt at making it last week. It turned out pretty well, but somehow I think Jen's just has the perfect touch!

2 pkgs cream cheese (8oz each)-softened

2-4 green onions chopped
1 cup finely shredded mild cheddar

1 cup coconut

1 cup craisins

1-2 cups walnuts

coarsely chip 3/4 cup and put rest on outside of ball

mix all ingredients (except for the leftover walnuts) in a mixer until well mixed

form into a ball with your hands

put the rest of the chopped walnuts on the outside of the ball

wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refridgerate until firm - place on plate

Pour 1 jar of Mango Chutney over top of ball right before you serve it

serve with ritz crackers

*Mango Chutney can be found at Safeway by the salad dressing.

Chili's Salsa

Chips and salsa is pretty much my weakness! Chili's restaurant chips and salsa is pretty much my fave. Here is the recipe to make Chili's salsa...yum!

1 (15 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes

1/2 medium onion

1-3 tablespoons canned diced jalapenos

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend till consistency you like.

I like my salsa very spicy, so I use 2 tablespoons of the jalepenos and 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin. If you want it more mild, go on the easy side of those ingredients.

Chicken Parmesan

This is the best chicken parmesan recipe I have ever had. I got the recipe from my trusty cookbook from Aunt Cheri. Make it tonight....it's yummy!

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts( I only make 4)
2 cups cornflakes crumbs
2 cups parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cube butter
2 eggs beaten

Mix cornflake crumbs and all seasonings together
Dip chicken in beaten eggs then roll in cornflake crumbs and parmesan cheese mixture
Place in a 9x13 pan greased with some butter
Melt 1 cube of butter in a bowl in the microwave and pour butter over chicken and sprinkle any remaining cornflake mixture over chicken
Cover and bake 375 degrees for 1 hour - uncover and bake till coating is crispy, 20-30 minutes

I make spagetti to serve along with this. I use the Prego Marinara sauce in a jar and put in on the spagetti and some on the chicken parmesan....tastes very similar to Olive Garden's chicken parmesan this way. Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

I found a great recipe for Sugar Cookies. These are just like the delicious soft, fluffy ones you can buy in the store with the pink frosting. I am not kidding, they are so delish!

Cream: 1 cup butter

Work in: 1 cup sugar

Add: 2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk in a bowl: 3 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Add alternatley with the dry mixture in thirds to the butter/sugar mix: 1/2 cup sour cream

Chill: 2-3 hours

Roll out and cut into shapes

Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes

Frosting: My Grandma Dever is known for her great sugar cookie frosting. Of course it's one of those recipes where there really isn't a set recipe...she just kind of makes it by heart. Well, I finally got the basic recipe from her and her extra tips to make it extra special.

4 tablespoons butter

2 1/3 cup powdered sugar (more or less to taste)

milk (1 tbsp for thicker frosting, add more milk to thin it out if you want to make it like Grandma's)

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Beat butter with electric mixer until fluffy. Then add about half the powdered sugar. Beat in 1 tablespoon milk and vanilla. Slowly add in the rest of the powdered sugar. Add more milk if needed. Add food coloring. One recipe makes about enough to frost half a cake so you may need to double it.

*To make the frosting more like a thin glaze like Grandma's, use more milk and frost the cookies while they are still hot. It keeps the frosting thin. I kind of like mine a little thicker so I waited until they were cooled to frost. Try both and see how you like it best!

**Don't forget to let the kids help! :-)

Crock Pot Chicken

Here is another great recipe from the Schmitz clan...Carrie's in-laws. Glenna has passed on some great recipes to Carrie and she has passed them on to me. Sorry no pics for this one, but trust me it is good...really good!

4 large chicken breasts
2 tbsp melted butter
salt and pepper
2 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 block of cream cheese
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp minced onions

Brush chicken with butter, salt, and pepper. Place in crock pot. Sprinkle with dressing mix. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 6 hours. About 45 minutes before serving, brown onions and mix with cream cheese, soup, and water in saucepan. Cook until smooth (will still be kind of chunky), then pour over chicken and cook for 30 minutes more. Serve with egg noodles or rice ( i like egg noodles)

Cathy's Pasta Salad

My street is having a block party tonight in my cul-de-sac for Halloween. I was asked to bring pasta salad because one of the other girls has had it and loved it. I give all credit to my step-mom Cathy because it's her recipe. This is my favorite thing to make for BBQ's and I can eat way too much of it. This is one dish that if you take to a party, you usually don't go home with any. Happy Halloween!

Cathy's Pasta Salad

multi colored pasta (cook as directed)

sliced carrots
broccoli
cauliflower
celery
cherry tomatoes sliced in half
black olives whole
cucumbers
Bernstein's Italian Dressing

* can add or not include any vegetables you have, don't have or don't like

combine all veggies and pasta and add one bottle of Bernstein's Italian dressing or until covered and moist ( use the Bernstein's Cheese and Garlic Italian...yum!)
you can add a pinch or two of fennel seeds.. I like it when its added, it adds a really good flavor.

Crock Pot Green Chile

When I got married my Aunt Cheri gave me a wonderful cook book that she made, full of her delicious recipes. This cook book has been my #1 cook book for the last 2.5 years. I know I can try just about any recipe out of it and it will be good. Well, there is a recipe in there that is hand-written. It is from Cheri's mother-in-law...Grandma Hall. On the recipe, she wrote "JW likes them". JW is my cousin. I think it is so cool to have recipes handed down that are loved in the family.
I hope you enjoy! Sorry no pic this time.

2 lbs stew meat (fat trimmed away)
1 large onion - shopped
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 large can chopped green chilis
1 large can tomato sauce (the biggest one, not the soup size can)

Layer all ingredients in crock pot with meat on bottom. Turn on low and cook 10 hours or overnight. Stir only after it has cooked for 5 hours. Spoon on large flour tortillas and wrap to form burro. Burro may be deep-fried if desired.

*I have never cooked mine the whole 10 hours and they still turn out great. I usually put it on around 10am and we'll eat around 5 or 6pm.*

*Also, this is great to eat even just in a bowl and not made in a burrito. I had mine in a bowl tonight since I didn't want the carbs and it was still delicious.*

*You can also put some shredded cheese in the burrito to make it even more tasty.*

Foil Dinner

Sorry we haven't posted a recipe in a while. Carrie is busy moving, Jen is busy with her three kids and all the things they have going on and I have just been making dinners that we already have on here. I recently made the Apricot chicken, Mozzarella chicken, and Better than Sex Cake and they were all so good! Oh, I also made Grandma's beef stew and LOVED it! Anyway, I just started a low carb diet to try to lose the rest of this baby weight so I will be posting lots of low-carb meals on here since I will be trying a lot of new dishes. The first one I have for you is the old camping classic Foil Dinner. This is normally something you would make over the fire or grill out in the woods, but I have a recipe for one that you bake in the oven and I thought it would be something different to try. I really liked how it came out.

1 1/2 pounds ground hamburger meat

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 envelope onion soup mix

2 medium carrots-quartered (I just cut up a bag of already peeled baby carrots)

2 stalks celery (i used about 4 so there were more veggies)

3 medium potatoes - pared & quartered (i put these in for my hubby but didn't eat them since they add carbs)

3 tablespoons water

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with foil, leaving edges to bring up and together to seal.

Stir together mushroom soup and onion soup mix, spread over meat. Top with veggies, sprinkle water over veggies. Fold over foil and seal securely. Cook 1 1/2 hours or until tender.

Sprinkle with salt/pepper if desired.

*not the best picture, but mine never are! :-)*

How to eat 200 peaches in a few days!

Yummy Peach Smoothie

1 large peach pitted (or 2 medium)
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup crushed ice
1/4 cup sugar

Blend in blender until smooth.

Mozarella Chicken

Yummy new recipe!! This was super quick and everyone loved it! Not very low cal.. but if your doing low carbs, it is perfect!!

Boneless, skinless chicken breast (as many as you need)

Butter - 1 TBSP per chicken breast

Onion - chopped up

1 PKG. Mushrooms - sliced

Garlic clove -minced

Mozzarella Cheese - shredded

Salt & Pepper

*In a skillet melt butter and saute onions, mushrooms & garlic. Push to the side of the pan. Salt & Pepper both side of the chicken and add to the hot pan. Cook chicken on both sides until done. Top chicken with the onion/mushroom mixture and sprinkle cheese on top. Cover with a lid. Continue cooking with a lid on until cheese is melted.

Apricot Chicken

I get a lot of new recipes from other blogs.. this is one I thought looked good and IT is!! We had for dinner tonight and Janie cleared her whole plate.

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 8oz. bottle of Russian salad dressing
1 cup apricot preserves
1 package dry onion soup mix

*Place thawed chicken in a 9X13 pan. Combine dressing, preserves, and soup mix. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour. Serve over rice.

Grandma Dever's Stew

Growing up Grandma Dever would come stay with Jen and I when our Dad was on business trips. She always asked us "what do you want me to make for dinner?" Our answer was always "stew." So, every time she came we always had a big pot of stew and as soon as our friends knew she was in town they would start coming over to eat Grandma's stew. And then when Jen lived in Texas and would come passing through St David on her way to Phoenix they always stopped and Grandma would have a big pot of stew cooking for them. To this day Jen's kids still call Grandma Dever "making stew Grandma."

I always make a big pot and then freeze it for sick, rainy day or whenever my kids crave it. Just remember to take out the potatoes before you freeze it, they get too mushy.. you can always add more when you heat it up again.

Grandma's Famous Stew

Stew meat (as much or as little as you want) I usually use 2 1lb stew meat trays. Lean and sirloin is best.

Carrots sliced

Celery sliced

Potatoes cubed

Onion chopped large

1 large bottle V-8 juice

1-2 cartons beef broth (I use Lipton's)

salt

pepper

In a large bag or bowl mix flour and salt and pepper together. Coat stew meat with flour mixture. In a large pot (the same one you will use to cook your stew) add a small amount of oil and brown your flour coated stew meat. Cook meat until it is brown on outside. It is ok to still be slightly pink on the inside.. it will finish cooking as your stew boils. Add (to same unrinsed pot) V-8 juice and beef broth ( I use the whole containers of both) until you like the taste of your broth. Then start adding your chopped vegetables as much or as little as you like. Bring to a boil and then simmer until vegetables are cooked. (about 1-1/2 hours) Enjoy!

Then, if your Dad grab a big bowl, some bread and smother your stew with Worceshire sauce. :)

Yellow Chicken - AKA- Honey Mustard Chicken

I can remember the first time I had yellow chicken. I was a teenager and went to my sister Jen's house for dinner. Jen lived in the green house (this is what we called the house we grew up in because, well, it was green). Jen was newly married and would invite Carrie and I over for dinner quite often. She made us this dish and we LOVED it! For years after we would call Jen and ask her to make us "Yellow Chicken". Carrie and I were both young, single, and had no idea about cooking yet so we didn't grasp that it was honey mustard chicken. We just knew it was yellow and REALLY good. Anyway, now, years later I am married and love to make yellow chicken every once in a while. I hope you love it as much as we do!

chicken
1/4 cup mayonaise
6 tbsp. honey (add more according to your taste)
6 tbsp. mustard (add more according to your taste-we usually use about 9 tbsp mustard)
1 can cr. of chicken soup
1/2 can milk
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the chicken in a skillet, then transfer it to a plate
In the same pan you cooked the chicken, put in the rest of the ingredients.
Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about five minutes, stir every now and then to keep it from sticking.
Add the chicken back to the pan and simmer for a few minutes.
Serve over rice.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Tonight I'm going to do the Divas's hair and I thought I'd bring a cake with me to start Mom's birthday celebration. So, I chose this.. my most favorite cake ever! Let me tell you.. it is rough making your favorite cake when your on a diet and a true test of your dedication! I didn't even lick a finger! Janie did all my taste testing. Anyway, this will be the reigning champion of best cakes ever until Big B posts his chocolate cake recipe with homemade frosting! I had all the ingredients already in my pantry (always a plus for me.. because running to the store isn't so easy these days:) except for the buttermilk so i made it.. I filled a measuring cup almost to the 1/2 cup mark and then added just enough vinegar to make it to the 1/2 cup mark and voila.. buttermilk! Trust me, you can eat this whole cake by yourself, it is is THAT yummy!!

Combine in a mixing bowl:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt:

2 sticks butter

Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together.

Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.

Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.

Add:2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture.

Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:

Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.

Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.

Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.

Add:6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups)

Stir together.

Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Shredded Chicken Tacos

I got this recipe from my sister Carrie, who got it from her sister-in-law Carynn. I have made several of Carynn's recipes and they are always delicious. My family loves these tacos and they are SO easy to make. The pictures don't do them justice, trust me...they taste great and give a nice twist to the traditional shredded chicken taco.

3 boneless skinless chicken breats
1 bunch green onions
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 can green chilis
1 tsp. Cumin
Garlic Powder to taste
Salt, Pepper to taste

Boil chicken for 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Shred while still hot.
Brown green onions in a little oil, then add chicken and all other ingredients.

Serve in fried corn tortillas with a little cheese on top and I usually heat them in the microwave to melt the cheese for a few seconds. You can put lettuce and tomatoes, sour cream.. etc. but they are good with just cheese.

Soda Chicken and side-dish rice

I bought these frozen chicken tenders at Costco the other day and I am LOVING them! They are the perfect size to throw a few on the stove and cook for lunch or throw a few on the grill and not have any left overs. I woke up this morning and made this soda marinade and then threw the marinaded chicken on the grill this evening for a few minutes and they were de-lish! It was a really easy dinner and only took a few minutes to put together.. spinning the lettuce was the longest part! Try the chicken tenders and theses recipes... you'll love them! ps. the best part about this meal is that once you buy the ingredients, they will last forever and it is so simple it would make a great "I have no idea what to make for dinner" meal!

Soda Chicken

1 cup 7-up, Sprite or Ginger Ale

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 tsp. horseradish

Mix thoroughly in a blender. Marinate 6-24 hours. Grill and enjoy!!

Side-Dish-Rice

1 cube butter

4 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cups regular rice

3 1/2 cups water

bring to a boil and then simmer on med/low covered until water is gone.

Add:

1 tsp. salt (I leave this out)

3 green onions, chopped

1 small package slivered or sliced almonds

Baked Spaghetti

This is a great alternative to regular spaghetti and my kids loved it! It was super easy and quick too! It is something you could make earlier in the day and put in the fridge until you are ready to cook it. We ate it with a green salad and garlic bread. It was yummy! Enjoy!

8 oz cream cheese softened

1 cup sour cream (8oz)

1 cup cottage cheese (8oz)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

9 oz cooked spaghetti

1 large jar of spaghetti sauce (I always use Newmans Own Sockarooni or Newmans Organic)

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese. Put in bottom of 9x13 in dish. (I sprayed mine with Pam) Top cheese mixture with cooked spaghetti noodles, then the spaghetti sauce and then mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. (cook until cheese on top is melted)

*tonight I halved the cheese mixture and still used 9oz of noodles.. the last time I made it, it was too cheesy for us and this time it was just perfect!)

Kung Pao Chicken

I am not a huge fan of chinese food, so when I tried this recipe and liked it I thought it was worth sharing. Plus, what better way to close out the Beijing Olympics than with a chinese food dish :-).

3-4 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces (I always use boneless skinless breasts)

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons chopped green onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4-1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes ( i use the most because I like it spicy)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1/3 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts

white rice

Combine chicken and cornstarch in a bowl, toss. Heat oil in large skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add chicken. Stir-fry 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet. Add onions, garlic, peppers, and ginger to skillet. Stir-fry 15 seconds. Remove from heat.

Combine vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in small bowl. Stir well. Add to skillet. Return chicken to skillet. Stir until coated and sauce thickens. Stir in nuts. Heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot rice. *This is a spicier dish, so if you don't like spicy this may not be the meal for you*

Chicken Shepards Pie

This recipe is super easy, yummy and my kids both LOVE it! It is a great solution to those last few carrots and celery that are going to wilt in your fridge if you don't use them. Or, like me tonight, aren't sure what your going to make and haven't gone to the store yet this week!

2 chicken breasts
2 cubes chicken bouillon or use chicken broth and eliminate the water
1 Tbsp. minced onion (I didn't have any so I used onion powder and added a little more and it was good too)
4 cups water
2-3 carrots finely sliced (I usually use more cuz Kelan loves carrots)
1 stalk of celery, chopped (I use more celery too, about 3-4 stalks)
1-2 cups of extra wide egg noodles
salt (I leave salt out because there is plenty in the bouillon cubes)
pepper
dash of season salt (I use more than a dash.. another good reason to leave out the salt!)
mashed potatoes (potato buds work great and are MUCH easier!)

Combine all ingredients except noodles in medium size saucepan. Boil for 20 minutes lowering heat so you don't boil over. Remove chicken and cut into bite size pieces and return back to broth. Add noodles. Simmer 10-12 minutes until done. Add more water if needed. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Beans and Cornbread

My mom used to make these beans all the time. They're great for a busy day because you can throw them in the crock pot in the morning, and when you get home your house smells yummy and your dinner's ready!

Ingredients:
1 pound pinto beans
4-6 pieces of uncooked bacon
cornbread mix - I use the Marie Calendar mix from the store. You just add water and some canned corn if you have it and it's ready to bake.

I quick soak my beans just before I cook them. It's easier for me than trying to remember to soak them overnight. Rinse the beans, put them in a large pot and cover with water. You need enough water for the beans to double in size. Usually about four inches higher than the beans. DO NOT add any salt to the water! It will toughen the skins. Bring them to a boil. Boil them for two minutes, then cover them and move to another burner. Soak them for about an hour.

Once the hour is over, drain the beans and pour them into a crock pot. Add water until it is about two inches higher than the beans. Cut the bacon into pieces and stir into the pot. Cook them on HIGH for at least four hours. Add 1 tbsp. salt and 2 tbsp. pepper to the pot about an hour before you plan to eat them. You can cook them just about as long as you want, so don't worry if you're out and it has been four hours.

I make the cornbread about 30 minutes before we eat.

*save the leftover beans and mash them the next day for tostados or burritos. I add a can of diced tomatoes, a can of diced green chiles and about 1/4 cup dried onion for flavor.

Peanut Butter Smores

These are the perfect mix of sweet and salty! They are a great alternative to the regular chocolate smores and can be made anytime in your oven! I love to make them for Family Home Evening because they are super easy and Janie loves to be my marshmallow helper! Try them, you'll be addicted!

1 package (sleeve) Ritz crackers

1 bag large marshmallows

Peanut Butter

Spread as much peanut butter on each Ritz cracker. Top with a marshmallow. Put in your oven on broil. You can make them as brown, burned or golden as you like! Enjoy!

Jon's Quesadillas

I was lucky enough to marry a man that likes to cook. In fact, he even went to culinary school back when we were dating. The fact that he is a great cook can be intimidating at times, but mostly it is a benefit, especially when he decides to grace me with a delicious dish. I can't remember when or why he made these quesadillas when my sister Carrie was over, but he did and she loved them. She told me recently that when she was going to give herself a "cheat meal" on her diet, the one thing she wanted was for Jon to make her his quesadillas. So, here is the recipe...I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb cooked chicken (about 1 cup cut up) - optional, these can be made without meat and still just as good!

4 flour tortillas (8-10 inches)

1/4 cup soft cream cheese - stir in 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (2 ounces)

chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, if desired

sliced jalepeno chili, if desired

salsa, if desired

*Heat the oven to 450 degrees
Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch pieces
Place 2 tortillas on the ungreased cookie sheet. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese over each tortilla. Top with the chicken, mozz cheese and feta cheese. Top with the 2 remaining tortillas.
Bake about 5 mins or just until cheese is melted.
To serve, cut each quesadilla into 8 wedges. Sprinkle with cilantro. Garnish each wedge with jalepeno chili, using a toothpick to hold in place. Serve with salsa.

Tuxedo Salad

This recipe came from a friend of mine. I made it for the first time for a baby shower and have made it for almost every big event since. Everyone always loves it and it makes SO much that is is a great salad to make for a large group of people. It is super easy and not expensive to make. So, if your looking for a great salad to make for an upcoming event look no more.. this salad is the one!!

Tuxedo Salad

Ingredients:
16 oz Bow Tie Pasta

The Marinade:
1 cup oil
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
6 Tbsp. Sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Cook the pasta the night before your going to serve it and add cooked pasta to marinade. I use a large scent free trash bag to mix everything together.

The Salad
10 oz baby spinach (spring greens works great too)
6 oz craisons
2 can mandarin oranges
3 chopped green onions
1/4 cup sesame seeds
6 oz honey roasted peanuts
Teriyaki chicken (you can find this at Costco) *warm following directions on bag and slice

Add pasta to salad right before serving.
Enjoy! Serves about 25 people

Heath Bar Cake

Or better know as... "Better Than Sex Cake". When I was newly married I was working in a dental office and they would do recipe exchanges. They would all bring in their wonderful recipe's along with the food to try. It was very intimidating. I hated recipe exchange day. I hated the ladies. I quit pretty soon after. I didn't have very many recipes and poor Ryan would suffer through the stuff I tried to make. Mostly Costco frozen dinners or take-out. It was one of the best times of my life but I was young and not a very good cook. So, I moved on to beauty school and the only thing I took with me from the experience of working in that dental office was this recipe. I only knew it as "Heath Bar Cake". I would make it and people would say oh this tastes like "Better Than Sex"! I would think "Oh, that's a nice compliment!" It wasn't until just yesterday that my sister Jen asked me for the "Better Than Sex Cake" recipe that it occurred to me. It wasn't people giving me a compliment, this is what the Heath Bar Cake is nicknamed! I'm a little slow and it usually takes one of my sisters to help me sink things in but I finally put two and two together! So thanks Jen and here you go..

Better Than Sex Cake

German Chocolate Cake Mix

small can sweetened condensed milk

carmel topping

cool whip

2 Heath Bars

Bake cake as directed in 9x13 pan. While cake is still warm poke holes in it with a wooden spoon. Pour over cake sweetened milk. Warm in microwave carmel topping and pour over cake. Chill and top with Cool Whip and crushed Heath Bars.

3 sisters recipe blog

Almost every day I start making phone calls to my sisters.. what are you cooking for dinner? We each have a completely different cooking style but are all three pretty good at following a recipe. So, I thought I'd start this recipe blog so we could more easily share our favorite recipes. I hate thumbing through cookbooks trying to figure out what to make and then trying something new and it being gross. So, my hope is that with this blog anyone reading can trust that the recipes posted are tried and yummy!