Chicken Chowder

Sometimes I get sick of reading about everyone's life online when all I'm looking for is a recipe. No, it's fun, just a time suck. So suffice it to say that Ben hates soup, but he will eat this soup. It's that good.

2 diced chicken breasts
2 c chopped potatoes
1 c carrots, chopped
1/2 c celery, chopped
1/2 c onion, chopped
Cover chicken and vegetables with water and boil until tender. While they are cooking make white sauce.

White sauce:
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 c milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Stir white sauce into vegetables and add:
1/2 lb velveeta (or cheddar into warm, not hot, soup)
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 can (or if you are in our world, ONLY frozen) corn

Serve with breadsticks.

Power Muffins

1 1/2 c wheat flour
3 c oatmeal, ground in blender
1 c flax (or oil)
2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1 1/2 c milk
3 eggs
2/3 c honey
2 t vanilla
2 t cinnamon
2 carrots, grated
2 apples, grated
1 c raising
1 orange (blend in blender)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs, beaten
1 c oil/applesauce
2 c sugar
2 c peeled and grated zucchini
1 t vanilla
3 c flour
1 t salt
1 T cinnamon
1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda

Combine eggs, oil, and sugar, then vanilla and zucchini. Mix dry ingredients together then add. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

German Oven Pancakes

Mix together:
1 c. milk
2/3 c. flour
2 T sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t salt
2-3 eggs
1/2 t. lemon peel or 1 T. lemon juice

Put 1/4 c butter in pie pan (or if it's doubled-the way we make it-add to a 9x13 casserole dish). Place in preheated oven until butter melts; remove and add batter.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until deep brown and puffy. Center will be moist.

Sour Cream French Bread

Sour cream is the secret - not so secret since I added it in the name - of this bread.

6 c. flour
2 T sugar
3 t. salt
1 T yeast
1 1/4 c warm water
1 c sour cream
2 T butter

(add yeast to water, let sit. then add other ingredients and knead.)

Don't double this recipe since it doesn't work out as well. Lay the dough in a big ball on a cookie sheet. You can add egg white and water on top to make the crust crunchy.
Bake at 350 degrees 35-45 minutes.

Crock Pot Peanut Butter Chicken Sate

1 1/2 lb chicken breasts
1/2 to 1 c chopped onion
1 garlic clove
14 oz can light coconut milk
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt

Add together in crock pot and cook for several hours on low.
Then add:
1/4 c lime juice
2 T brown sugar
1/4 t red pepper (optional)

In the last 30 minutes of cooking shred the chicken and add 1/2 c crunchy peanut butter and stir.

Serve over 12 oz spaghetti or linguine noodles.

Granola

Macey and I made granola this morning.

I approach cooking much the way one of the famous inventors (I cannot remember which one it is!) approached inventing. Try everything that doesn't work until you figure out what does work. Was that Edison?

Anyway, this was an incredibly healthy recipe from my mother in law, that I have very slightly tweaked because it was ironically too healthy. Yes, I graduated in fitness and wellness. Why?

Granola

Actual recipe:

2 c. brown sugar

1 c. honey

1/3 c. water

3 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

I substitute half of the water with butter! It makes it taste really good. And after paying an arm and a leg for one cup of honey I had a hard time using it all for granola, so I used half honey and half karo syrup. Now this is sounding like caramel popcorn:) and it is as good.

Microwave in large bowl for 5 minutes.

In a huge bowl combine:

10 c. rolled oats

6 c. nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax, millet, quinoa, wheat germ, etc.)  (I use almonds, walnuts, flax, quinoa, and RICE KRISPIES, again, because they're good)

4 c. shredded coconut

Pour hot caramel mix over and stir. Spread over ungreased cookie sheets and bake 275 degrees for 20 minutes. Don't forget to bake like I have! Store in airtight container in fridge.