Crunchy Coleslaw Salad

From Marie Shipp (my grandmother-in-law, aka. GG)

Crunchy coleslaw salad

1 bag coleslaw
5 green onions chopped
3 oz sunflower seeds
1/4 c slivered almonds
1 pkg. ramen noodles (uncooked - sans seasoning packet)

put almonds and noodles in 250 degree oven for 30 min.

Combine slaw, onions, sunflower seeds in bowl, add almonds and noodles

Dressing

1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 red wine vinegar
3 tsp. soy sauce
salt/pepper
(makes enough for 2 salads)

The Best Meatballs

From Kraft Foods

Ok, these really are the best meat balls. I have searched high and low for a great meat ball recipe and alas, I have found it! It is aptly named, no?

2 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1-1/4 cups water

2 eggs

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

LINE 2 (15x10x1-inch) pans with foil; spray with cooking spray. Mix ingredients until blended; shape into 32 (1-1/2-inch) balls, using 1/4 cup for each.

PLACE 16 meatballs in each prepared pan. Bake 16 to 18 min. or until done (160ºF).

COMBINE half the meatballs with Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce or Creamy Brown Gravy. (See Tips.) Cool remaining meatballs; freeze for later use. (See Tips.)

KRAFT KITCHEN TIPS:

Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce

Mix 1 jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce, 2 oz. cubed PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese and 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil in large skillet; cook on medium-low heat 3 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add 16 hot meatballs; stir to evenly coat. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese before serving. Makes 4 servings, 4 meatballs and 1/3 cup sauce each.

Creamy Brown Gravy

Mix 1 jar (12 oz.) beef gravy, 1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream and 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley in large skillet; cook on medium-low heat 3 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add 16 hot meatballs; stir to evenly coat. Makes 4 servings, 4 meatballs and 1/3 cup sauce each.

How to Freeze Meatballs

Loosely pack cooled meatballs in freezer-weight resealable plastic bags. Lay bags flat in freezer so meatballs freeze individually. Store up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator several hours or overnight before using as desired.

My notes: I made the tomato basil sauce and it was positively scrumptrulescent.

Also, I don't have a lot of baking sheets. In fact, I only have a pizza pan. So I used my pizza pan and a pyrex dish. The meatballs from the pyrex dish were good but they lacked the brown crispy bits the ones from the pizza pan had. I thought it was because I hadn't lined it with foil. My mom thought it was because the sides were taller. Meh. Either way, i will use baking sheets in the future.

Grilled Steak with Onion and Blue Cheese Sauce

From the Pioneer Woman

I can't really do this recipe justice in repeating it back to you (you being me, when i pull up this blog to remember how much of what goes into my favorite recipes).

The Pioneer Woman is the better, more talented, funnier and prettier version of me. She's all about her kids, cooking and photography ... maybe I will be like her when I grow up. She is awesome and amazing, if you haven't heard of her before the above link goes to her site and you can explore all of her domestic spunkiness there.

So, here's what you (me) get.

4 T butter
1 LARGE white onion
3/4 cup heavy cream
blue cheese - 1/4 cup? or MORE!
large, juicy, delicious steaks!

Once again, go to this website for complete instructions. DO.IT.NOW!!!

Bacon & Caramelized-Onion Asparagus

From: Kraft Foods

3 slices OSCAR MAYER Center Cut Bacon

1-1/2 lb. fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

1 Tbsp. water

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup KRAFT Light Ranch Dressing

COOK bacon in nonstick skillet 3 to 5 min. or until crisp, turning frequently. Drain bacon on paper towels. Discard drippings from skillet. (Do not wash skillet.)

PLACE asparagus in microwaveable casserole or 10x4-inch dish. Add water. Microwave on HIGH 4 to 5 min. or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Meanwhile, add onions to skillet; cook and stir 5 min. or until tender. Stir in dressing.

DRAIN asparagus; top with sauce and crumbled bacon.

MY NOTES: Instead of using 3 measly pieces of bacon, I used a whole package. Since using a whole package of bacon produced that much bacon grease to cook the onions, I drained the onions after they were cooked. Why drain the bacon grease before cooking the onions and deprive yourself of all the bacony flavor? I also used a whole onion - albeit a small onion but it certainly yielded more than a half cup.

Angel Chicken

Angel Chicken: from Kraft Foods

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade

1/4 cup dry white wine

1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces(substitute 3 chicken breasts)

1/2 lb. angel hair pasta, uncooked

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

MY NOTE: I made this totally different than the original Kraft Foods recipe, so if you are looking for authenticity, try clicking on the above link. You will be redirected to the Kraft Foods site where you can use or abuse the original recipe.

Combine cream cheese, soup, dressing, and white wine in a sauce pan on the stove. Stir frequently over medium heat.

Meanwhile prepare noodles according to package directions.

Also meanwhile, (is that grammatically correct? hello? is anyone out there?) throw chicken boobs on to the gas grill, straight from the freezer.

Sauce will thicken on the stove and wine will reduce while the water is boiling and the boobs are cooking.

When chicken is cooked all the way through, remove from grill and let sit for a few minutes to let the juices redistribute. Then cut chicken into cubes. For those of us with small children, cubes should be approximately small enough to be chewed by a two year old.

Toss noodles with a little olive oil so they don't stick together.

TO serve: Put noodles in large, shallow bowl. Then top with chicken, then top with sauce, finally garnish with parsley and perhaps, if you feeling it, some quartered cherry tomatoes.

Bon Appetit!

Citrus Rice Salad

From: Giada de Laurentiis

Ingredients

Rice Salad:

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups brown basmati rice, rinsed
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 medium orange, zested
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 cup thinly sliced green onions

Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the Rice Salad:
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely, about 15 minutes
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock, salt and oil to a boil over medium-high heat Stir in the rice. Cover the saucepan, reduce the heat, and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a fork, fluff the rice and place in a large serving bowl. Add the parsley, orange zest, half of the lemon zest, green onions, and 1/4 cup of the almonds. Toss well.
For the Vinaigrette:
In a blender, combine the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, honey, and cumin. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Pour the vinaigrette over the rice mixture and stir well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with the remaining lemon zest and almonds.

Trinidadian Chicken Stew

from: Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, halved
• 4 small skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 4 whole peeled canned tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups water

Directions

In a heavy bottomed 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until very dark, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken pieces, ginger, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the chicken is brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and break up with a wooden spoon. Add the thyme, 2 tablespoons of parsley, carrots, potatoes, and hot water. Cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with the remaining parsley.