Granola

3 C quick cook oats
1 C mixed nuts
1/4 C flax seeds
3/4 C unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 C dried fruit (I use a mix of dried bananas, orange flavored cranberries, and dried apples)
8 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
5 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Put dry ingredients, including coconut and cinnamon, but not the dried fruit on a sheet pan. Stir well and smooth out. Drizzle maple syrup and olive oil and stir again. Place pan in oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. While it's toasting, roughly chop up any large dried fruit. When granola is golden remove from oven and stir in dried fruit and let it cool.  Watch closely at the end, it will burn fast.

This recipe is from my good friend Amy, I modified it a bit.

Wheat Bread

I have been searching everywhere for a wheat bread recipe that I liked.  This one is by far my favorite! This recipe comes from my Grandpa Walker's mother.

4 cups scalded milk
2/3 cups honey
2/3 cups oil (I used olive oil)
2 TBSP yeast
2 TBSP salt
6 cups white flour
6 cups wheat flour

Mix together liquid ingredients in mixer, add half of the flour and then add the yeast.  Once everything is incorporated, knead with dough hook for 10 minutes.  Raise until doubled, punch down, separate into pans and allow to rise again until doubled.

This recipe yields 4 loaves, I have to half the recipe because my mixer can't take that much.  (It should because I have the biggest Kitchen Aid, but it can't handle it...so disappointed in it, it dies and I haven't even had it for 6 months! ...don't buy a Kitchen Aid!)

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and then lower the temperature to 300 for 30 minutes (the recipe says 400 for 15 and 300 for 35, but it was too long, so I decreased it.)

Sushi Attempt

I love sushi and I have always thought it would be fun to make, so me and my friend Cole found a sushi kit at Borders for six bucks and decided to try it. It wasn't too hard, and I think the next time it will be a lot better. I had a hard time with the rice, so if any one has suggestions on making sushi rice let me know! The rice was the only bad part...it was so thick it was hard to swallow! We just make California Rolls for starters and then did some teriyaki shrimp, cream cheese and cucumbers.

Spinach Artichoke Dip!

Mmmm...I love this recipe! I don't remember where this recipe is from...sorry!

BEST SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE DIP
 
1 pkg. frozen spinach thawed
1 jar marinated artichokes, chopped
8 oz. Philly cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 stick butter
red pepper flakes to taste

Sauté onions in butter, adding ingredients while mixing and blending well after each addition. Add ingredients in this order: Spinach, Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Parmesan Cheese, Artichoke Hearts, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes.
Remove from heat and put in crocks or microwave dish. Top with Monterey Jack Cheese and melt.
Serve hot with chips or bread.

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

Oh my I just made this and it was so good and sooo easy! I got this recipe from Real Simple online. I know this photo doesn't look that appetizing, but curries usually don't look that great.

Yield: Makes 4 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1  small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2  teaspoons  curry powder
• 1/2  cup  plain yogurt
• 3/4  cup  heavy cream
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained (optional)
• 1  rotisserie chicken
• 2  cups  cooked white rice (optional)
• 1/4  cup  fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes. Sprinkle with the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the yogurt and cream and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, and tomatoes (if using). Remove from heat. 

Slice or shred the chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Divide the rice (if using) and chicken among individual bowls, spoon the sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the cilantro.

My Changes

I didn't use rotisserie chicken, so while I started the onions I just cooked the chicken in another pan with salt, pepper, a dash of the following; turmeric, garam masala, chili powder and cayenne pepper. I just started dumping stuff in. I also added some pablano peppers to the onions while they were cooking. If I would have had a serrano I would have added that because it wasn't very spicy, so in the end I added some chili powder, cayenne pepper and a little nutmeg. I served it over rice and cooked up a pre made tortilla. (The pre-made tortillas are a great substitute for naan.)

Roasted Potatoes with North Indian Spices

Because of the turn of cold weather, I try to stay in the house as much as possible. I am a pansy! And I know I have lived in Logan my entire life, I should be use to it by now. I am not, so I hibernate! I was looking online for some recipes and found a lot of fun ones. Here is one that I loved. I was skeptical when it was cooking, but they tasted so good! I got this recipe from Cooking Light online. Sorry no photo!


Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup potato mixture and 1 lime wedge)

Ingredients

• 3 1/2  tablespoons  canola oil, divided
• 3  pounds  small red potatoes, halved (about 8 cups)
• 1 3/4  teaspoons  black mustard seeds
• 6  dried red chiles
• 2  teaspoons  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2  jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  kosher salt
• 1  teaspoon  ground turmeric
• 1/2  teaspoon  Garam Masala
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2  cup  chopped fresh mint
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
• 8  lime wedges

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon oil and potatoes, tossing to coat. Set aside.
3. Heat remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons oil, mustard seeds, and chiles in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until seeds begin to pop. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add ginger, garlic, and jalapeño to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in salt, turmeric, and Garam Masala; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add spice mixture to potatoes, tossing to coat. Arrange potato mixture in a single layer in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned, stirring every 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, mint, and juice. Serve with lime wedges.

My Changes/Additions

I added serrano peppers, pablano peppers, onion, and mushrooms. I like to add whatever is in my fridge that needs to be used. I did this in the first step. I didn't use chili's because I didn't have any. They were very good!

S'more Cupcakes

I have been wanting to try out different cupcakes lately. I just used a milk chocolate cake mix, I filled each cupcake with a little bit of batter and then put a dob of Marshmallow Cream Puff and then topped it with some more batter, don't fill them too full or they explode all over the pan. I made a homemade chocolate frosting, and topped it off with graham cracker crumbs. They were really good, the marshmallow kind of dissolved in the oven, so it just blends into the cake. But they were still delicious. I am going to try it with real marshmallows and see what the difference is.

Chocolate Frosting Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 8 tablespoons milk

Directions:

In a double boiler over hot water melt chocolate with the butter. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. In an electric mixer add chocolate mixture and confectioners' sugar. Beat until mixture resembles chalky beads. Add the vanilla and the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until a spreadable consistency is reached. Beat until fluffy -- adding more milk if necessary.

My Favorite Banana Bread

I love banana bread! I buy extra bananas just so I can make bread!

2 cups of sifted flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (I use 3)
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup copped walnuts

Sift together flour, soda, salt and set aside. Cream butter and gradually add sugar; cream well. Add eggs and bananas; blend thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients alternately with milk to the banana mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in nuts. Pour in greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Or until toothpick comes out clean.

My little tips:
Make sure to cream the butter and the sugar for awhile. I have noticed that this makes a huge difference.
If you have bananas that are ready and you don't have time to make bread, put them in the freezer and you can still use them.
Eat a slice fresh out of the oven and slather the butter on! (This is the only time I let my self use butter in excess!)

Rissa's Birthday Dinner

Eggrolls


Ingredients for Eggrolls




Recipe:

1/2 Package of Vermicelli noodles (if you can't find these, the bean noodles work, they may even be the same thing, I have no idea.)
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 scallions, slice into thin pieces (if you don't have them or can't find them, you can use a yellow onion.)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 bag of match stick carrots
1 Handful of snow peas, thinly sliced length wise
1/2 bag of spinach, chopped
1 handful of bean sprouts
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp of fish sauce
2-3 Tbsp of soy sauce
1 package of spring roll wrappers

Directions:

Start cooking noodles, cook as package directs.

Heat oil in wok, add ginger, scallions, and garlic. Saute for one minute.

Add carrots, and snow peas. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add spinach, sprouts, cilantro, fish sauce and soy sauce.

Cut noodles, about 2 inch pieces. (They won't be easy to cut because they get stuck together, so just chop them up a bit.) Cook 3-4 minutes. Let cool and then put a spoonful in spring roll wrappers. Put the ingredients in diagonal and fold in two diagonal ends and then roll. I dip my fingers in water and rub on the corner to stick it to the roll. You can beat an egg white and coat them, I never do. Fry in wok. Enjoy!

Coconut Shrimp Curry
Recipe from Sunset Magazine February 2010
Serves 4 Time 20 minutes






cumin, turmeric, garam masala, and paprika

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. of each cumin seeds, ground turmeric, garam masala, and paprika
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 lb peeled, deveined medium shrimp
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 cups cooked basmati rice
1/4 cup of cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pac over medium heat. Cook onion until soft, about 2 minutes. Add spices, garlic, and shrimp and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add coconut milk an dsalt, simmer 10 minutes.

2. Spoon curry over rice. Garnish with cilantro.

My additions to the recipe:

I added about a cup of each:
Zucchini
Carrots
Mushrooms
Red Pepper
Because I added so many other veggies, I doubled the spices, and added another can of coconut milk. This fed 6 and then some left overs. Also if you want to give it more spice add some jalepeno pepper or some serranos. I also added some chili powder because I didn't have either of those peppers. This recipe is very tasty and easy! I cooked mine in my tagine (clay pot type thing.) But a wok or big frying pan would work.

Chicken Tikka Masala

I have been trying out a couple of recipes, this one was really good, sorry no photos.
Recipe by Grace Parisi from the foodandwine.com

MASALA MARINADE
. 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
. 2 garlic cloves, minced
. 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
. 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
. 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
. Salt and freshly ground pepper
CHICKEN
. 2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
. Salt and freshly ground pepper
. 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
. 1/4 cup blanched whole almonds
. 1 large onion, finely chopped
. 2 garlic cloves, minced
. 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
. 1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
. 1 1/2 teaspoons pure chile powder
. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
. One 35-ounce can peeled tomatoes, finely chopped, juices reserved
. Pinch of sugar
. 1 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS
. MAKE THE MASALA MARINADE: In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper. 
. PREPARE THE CHICKEN: Using a sharp knife, make a few shallow slashes in each piece of chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade, turn to coat and refrigerate overnight. 
. Preheat the broiler and position a rack about 8 inches from the heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade; scrape off as much of the marinade as possible. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and spread the pieces on a baking sheet. Broil the chicken, turning once or twice, until just cooked through and browned in spots, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut it into 2-inch pieces. 
. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a plate and let cool completely. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground. 
. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garam masala, chile powder and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and ground almonds and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in the chicken; simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, and serve. 
. Variation The marinade and sauce here are also delicious with shrimp, lamb and vegetables.

MAKE AHEAD
. The Chicken Tikka Masala can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.

SERVE WITH
. Steamed basmati rice, rice pilaf or warm nan.

My Changes to the Recipe

The directions say to broil the chicken. I chopped the chicken up to marinate it and then I just cooked it in a separate pan for about 10 minutes and then added it into the tagine, don't add all of the juice.

When sauteing the onions, garlic, and ginger I added mushrooms, pablano and serrano peppers. I only did a half of the serrano, because I had some people over that hadn't tried Indian food before, so I didn't want to add too much of a kick.

I added cilantro in at the end and also some tomato paste, because it was really creamy. I added a dash of nutmeg, cardamon, red pepper flakes, and cumin.

Instead of nan, we used the fresh tortillas that you cook yourself and they were a pretty good substitute!

Chicken Noodle Soup

In Logan it has been so cold, I think we have had 1-2 warm days. I love soup on rainy days!

I have no set recipe, I just kind of throw stuff in.

Boil 1 chicken breast for about 15 minutes. After cooked and cooled
Save water to add in later, I save at least 4 cups and then add 2-3 bouillon cubes after.

Slice a handful of baby carrots
Slice 2-3 celery sticks
Slice a 1/3 yellow onion
Pepper (I use freshly ground) and salt (I usually use Kosher salt) to taste
1-2 tsp Parsley (fresh if you have it, but if not dried works fine.)
1 tsp thyme

Saute these in olive oil for 5 minutes or so.

Add I-2 cans of Swansons Chicken broth, depending on how much juice you want, add water from chicken and bouillon cubes. Cook for 8 minutes, add noodles. I use probably a cup and a half of homemade style noodles. Cook for another 8 minutes and then add chicken and cook for 5 minutes.

I love making soups, they are so easy to just throw stuff in a pot. It is a good way to use up veggies that are almost going bad.

Fancy Dinner Party!

My friends and I wanted to make a fancy dinner and get all dressed up. After making plans for it we decided to get dates. I was really excited about the date thing, and I think that my friends started to hesitate on the date, but I made them because I already asked mine. I know this sounds way forward, but someone's got to do the asking and the guys aren't. :) I think the guys had fun, although they didn't get into the dressing up like we did. Here are some of the photos of the food ( I just snapped some fast ones), I wanted to get photos of everyone there, but the guys already thought we were weird!

Menu:
Appetizers: Bruschetta
Main Course: Chicken Marsala
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce
Dessert: Fruit Pizza

Chicken Marsala Recipe:

This recipe is from the Food Network chef Tyler Florence. We had 10 people so I had to double the recipe a bit.

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced (We didn't use the prosciutto, but it would have been great!)
8 ounces crimini or porcini mushrooms, stemmed and halved
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them; pound with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Put some flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly.

Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Slip the cutlets into the pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side until golden, turning once – do this in batches if the pieces don't fit comfortably in the pan. Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.

Lower the heat to medium and add the prosciutto to the drippings in the pan, saute for 1 minute to render out some of the fat. Now, add the mushrooms and saute until they are nicely browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Pour the Marsala in the pan and boil down for a few seconds to cook out the alcohol. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in the butter and return the chicken to the pan; simmer gently for 1 minute to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Spinach!

Lately I have been craving spinach, I know that is really weird! I have been putting it in everything. My cousin Crystal gave me a recipe, and it is very interesting, it was definitely a taste that grew on me. When I first tried it I was mad that I had waisted all of the good ingredients. But after a few sips I really enjoyed it!

Shake




Recipe:
1 cup of juice (I did orange juice)
1/4 cup non dairy creamer (I used vanilla yogurt instead)
3-4 baby carrots
2-3 handfuls of spinach
1 heaping tbsp of cottage cheese
1 banana
1 cup mixed fruit (I put pineapple, strawberries and mangoes)
2 cups of ice
To make it sweeter add a little bit of honey (I just realized I didn't read that line, but I just added a ton of sugar!)

Mix it up in the blender and enjoy! Give it a second taste, the first might not be that enjoyable! The texture takes a bit to get use to. My cousin gives this to her kids, I don't know how they drink it (no offense Crystal), it is good, but I can't believe her kids like it. I tried it on my cousin while I was babysitting the other day, and the look on her face was really funny!


I don't know why I am putting these photos on, mainly because I enjoy taking photos of food (not that these look great, but it is fun.) I also am showing how I have been putting spinach on everything!

I used a baguette from Crumb Brothers, thinly sliced. Topped it with some spinach, Myzithra cheese and a poached egg with some Tony's Creole seasoning. It sounds so weird, but I love it!

I have also been making quesadillas with spinach, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Flour or Corn tortillas work great, right now I am really liking corn tortillas.

North Indian-Style Spinach Chicken

The photos do not look the best, and sometimes Indian food doesn't look that appetizing. This recipe is from the March edition of Sunset Magazine. Check out their photo it looks a little more appetizing!

I am in love with Indian flavors and spices, I can't get enough of them. I am loving new recipe right now and especially ethnic foods.

Ingredients:
8 oz. cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 lbs chicken cut into pieces
1 lb baby spinach
3 Tbsp. canola oil (if you don't have that you can use vegetable oil)
1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds (I can not find these, so I left them out. If anyone knows where to buy them let me know!)
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 large onion (I used a yellow one)
4 large garlic cloves minced
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup diced canned tomatoes
1/2 bunch cilantro

Directions:
1. In a 6-8 qt. pot, heat oil, add fenugreek seeds and sizzle for 2 seconds, then stir in onion and mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes stirring often and until lightly brown. (I used a Tagine to cook all of this, it works really well and makes the chicken very tender. I found my Tagine at Sur La Table.)

2. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, cayenne, coriander, cumin, and salt to pot; sizzle for a few seconds. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink on outside. The chicken will continue to cook while it simmers in the sauce. Add tomatoes, simmer covered for 8 minutes. (My brother taught me that the flavors will mix together if you pre mix all of the spices before adding to dish.)

3. Stir in spinach and simmer, covered, until wilted about 3 minutes. Chop cilantro, stir in dish along with lemon juice and serve with rice. (I prefer basmati rice)

It wasn't very spicy, so in the end I added a 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper, it could take a little more. Or at first you could saute a jalepeno pepper in or a serrano pepper.

Serves 4.

Pad Thai

I love to cook, lately I have loved experimenting with other flavors and spices. I have been making some Indian food and Thai food. I first started with pre made mixes and now I am trying to make them from scratch. I found this recipe online and I love it. I think it tasted good, but I no longer have someone to test it on, so if any one wants to sample let me know! :) I can never actually follow recipes, I think I have to add to them or make my own twist to it. I will put the actual recipe and then in parenthesis what I did differently. Sometimes this is bad! Sorry I don't have any photos, because I didn't think I would like it as much; next time I make it there will definitely be some photos.

Pad Thai

Sauce:
1/2 cup of hot water
1 1/2 TBSP Tamarind Paste
(This was way hard to find, I didn't find it in any of the local grocery stores. I went to a Korean market and found it. It looks really gross when you open it, so don't loose your appetite when you look at it)
5 TBSP of fish sauce
(I usually don't like fish sauce as much, so I substituted it for 6 TBSP of soy sauce.)
1 Fresh red chili, minced, or 1 tsp cayenne pepper, or 2-4 tsp chili sauce
(I used the chili sauce and only put 3 tsps in, but you could add more to make it spicier, it didn't end up spicy enough)
5-6 TBSP brown sugar

Directions:
Dissolve tamarind in hot water, stir well to make sure it dissolves. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until it is all mixed in. The mixture lasts for a couple of weeks in the fridge if you don't use it all at once.

Pad Thai Dish
You can use several different things for this, I just kind of added in what I wanted. These directions are from me, so if they don't make sense and the grammar is bad, I am sorry!

Ingredients:
Oil
1 Package of Rice Noodles
1 pound of preferred meat; shrimp, chicken, pork, or tofu.
2 eggs
1-2 Handfuls of Bean Sprouts (cup and a halfish)
10-12 Sprigs of Cilantro
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
Green onions for topping
Lime for Garnish

Directions:
Prepare noodles as directed on the package. There are a lot of different types of rice noodles, if you go to just a general grocery store you won't have as many options. There are Pad Thai noodles, or you can use any rice noodle sticks, they have different thicknesses, but it is just up to you or whatever you can find. The Korean market also had a lot of variety. I bought some really good ones at World Market and Whole Foods. Too bad Logan doesn't have either of those. I used one package, I think it was about 16 oz. That amount will use all of the sauce, but it makes a ton, so if you want to half it that would work. While cooking your noodles start preparing the rest of the dish.

Heat oil in wok (you can use wok oil, sesame oil, or vegetable oil, I used vegetable oil, because that is what I had). Once hot add your meat, you can use shrimp, chicken, pork, tofu, beef or just keep it vegetarian. I used shrimp, I added a little salt and pepper before I began cooking them. I used about 20 shrimp, but for other meats I would do about a pound, but I am not a big meat eater, so add as much or as little as you want. Cook until almost done, they will continue to cook as you add the rest of the ingredients.

Mix 1-2 eggs in side bowl and beat. Once the meat is almost done, mix into the wok. Scramble the egg, separate it as much as possible, because you don't want big chunks of egg in the dish. Add noodles and sauce, simmer until most of the sauce has either thickened or absorbed about 5 minutes. Stir in about a handful and a half of bean sprouts and cook a few more minutes. Add chopped cilantro 10-12 sprigs, just the leaves. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, take off of heat and add 1/3 cup of chopped peanuts. Top with green onions or more cilantro and garnish with a slice of lime.

mmmm... So good. This made a ton! I was kind of just testing out the recipe, so I will now be eating Pad Thai for the next week, but that is okay because it was still great the next day. Following my directions it would probably serve 6-7. So if you are just making it for a few, you could probably half it.

Hope you enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

I got this recipe from my friends mom Bonnie. It tastes kind of like the soup from Olive Garden, I love it!

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion chopped
I carrot, peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 can italian green beens
15 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato sause
6 cups of water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
15 oz can kidney beans
3/4 cup dried small shell pasta
1/2-3/4 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
1-2 tsp soy sauce
chopped spinach leaves
1 tsp season salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp black peper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions: In large stock pot, heat oil and saute the onion, carrot and celery until soft. Add remaining ingredients except past and spinach. Add those in the last 20 minutese. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and toasted bread.

Fall Harvest

My grandpa has this huge garden, which I think he plants especially for me. The salsa that I made was all from his garden. He has a ton of tomatoes. I got all of the other produce from Brigham City. It is such a good feeling to have it all done, but such a long process and huge mess! So far I have canned peaches, canned tomato salsa, canned peach salsa, and froze corn. I still have to finish canning the peaches, can tomatoes, freeze zucchini for zucchini bread.

Frozen Corn

For the corn, while on the cob, dip it in boiling water for 30 seconds and then into cold water. Cut off of the cob and then put into freezer zip lock bag. Press out air and then put into the freezer. I love to put this into soups.

Canning Peaches

I went to my grandmas to learn how to can peaches, I apparently did not choose a good batch of peaches, they looked good to me, but my grandma was appalled that they sold them to me and that I bought them. I got a 1/2 bushel of Angelo peaches from Brigham City, they were $14 for the half bushel.

First, we boiled the peaches for 30 seconds and then put them in the cold water, this made it easier to pull the skins off. We then sliced them and put them into the jars. For the syrup, we put 2 cups of sugar with 8 cups of water. In each jar we put about 3 peaches and then just filled with the syrup. After we put the in a hot water bath, after it comes to a boil leave them in for 40 minutes. After leave them for 24 hours, before moving. Enjoy!

Tomato Salsa

I got this recipe from my friends mom, and I loved it, but mine didn't taste the same. It was still good, but needs some improvement.

1/2 bushel of tomatoes (scald and remove the skin and chop up in chunks)
4 green peppers
3 large onions
10 large jalepeno peppers (add seeds if you want it extra hot)
5 chilli (anaheim) peppers
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of salt
1 tsp crushed basil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano

Cop up all ingredients and combine in a large kettle-simmer to desired consistency (3-4 hours). Be careful- scorches very easy. Stir often!

Process in a water bath for 20 minutes. Makes 20-22 pints.

This makes a huge batch and it takes forever to cut all of the tomatoes. When I did the tomatoes, I tried to get as much of the seeds out, if you cut the core down deep and then turn it upside down and squeeze and shake and they squirt out. It is kind of fun! I added a lot of jalepeno peppers and seeds, next time I will put serrano and habenero peppers. It needed to be spicier. I also put more onions and garlic and spices in. My brothers just suggested to roast the garlic and grill the peppers to enhance the flavors. I only simmered it for 2 hours, because it was 2am, so I was ready to be done. I also added cilantro and lime zest.