Cheese Nip Chicken

This is the easiest and yummiest recipe!

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 cups crushed cheese nips (or cheez its)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter

Coat chicken with sour cream. Cover in crushed crackers. Melt butter and place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Place coated chicken on top and place in 350 oven for 40-45 minutes. When chicken is tender and juices run clear it is finished.

I used white cheddar cheez its and it tasted awesome. You could use goldfish crackers or sour cream and onion potatoe chips...the possibilities are endless. The sour cream keeps the chicken moist and the flavor wasn't too powerful or anything. I didn't use a whole cup of sour cream but you may if you make more than 4 chicken breasts. I didn't measure my crackers but just added more once I ran out.

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

I had three black banans lying around and I figured it would be better to make bread than to throw them away. So, I looked through my million church cookbooks and finally settled on this recipe. This was the only one that I found that did not call for buttermilk or nuts. I know the nuts are optional and I know you can make buttermilk with vinegar but I don't have any vinegar on hand right now. I digress. This was a quick and easy recipe and Naomi had a great time helping me. It turned out really yummy and Naomi and I enjoyed a nice warm piece of banana bread right before her nap!

1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas
1 T. lemon juice
2 c flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I added more and still can't really taste it)
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Spray pan with Pam and pour batter in. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Now, this guy assumes that you know something about baking and I do so I was okay. The top got a little dark but it doesn't taste burnt. I actually prefer the edges a little crispy so this was perfect for me! Enjoy!

Recipe taken from St. Mark Lutheran Church (Omaha, NE) 50th Anniversary Cookbook.
Recipe by Steve Barry.

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

We had some friends over last weekend and I decided to try this recipe for Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes. I didn't have any buttermilk but read online how to make my own (add one tablespoon of white vinegar to one cup of milk and let it sit for 10 minutes before using), thanks Erin for the tip! They were obviously a little more involved than the "just add water" pancakes but they were delicious!Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes
makes loads of pancakes, enough for four people
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
heaping 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
healthy pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup golden raisins
oil or cooking spray (for cooking)
Step 1: In a large bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, butter , maple syrup and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth. Fold in raisins and let batter set for a few minutes.Step 2: Heat griddle or pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water, when the drops start to dance its hot enough. Step 3: Pour 2 Tablespoons of batter onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone. Let cooked pancakes rest on a heat proof plate in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve

Fiesta Chicken

I just kinda through this together the other night and Jon loved it!!

Fiesta Chicken

Boneless, skinless, Chicken breasts

Corn (I used canned corn and drained the juices out)

Rotel (don't drain)

Fiesta Blend Shredded Cheese

Tortilla Chips (crushed)

Fiesta Seasoning of any kind (taco, fajita)

Directions:
1. Season chicken and grill until fully cooked. (I used my good ole' Foreman grill)

2. Put chicken in a baking dish.

3. Cover chicken with Rotel (I used hot) and corn.
4. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. (the chicken is already cooked so we're just heating the rotel and corn to blend together). Cover the top with cheese and tortilla bits; bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Some quick and easy apps!

At book club this past week I made some super simple appetizers to share with everyone!

Triscuits

Muenster Cheese Slice

Raspberry Jalapeno Jam (homemade)

Triscuits

Cheddar Cheese Slice

Salsa

Sour Cream

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I came up with this recipe by combining a few and adding some extra stuff to make it more filling!

Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 c. water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 pkg. ( 10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli
1 med. carrot, grated
1 tbsp. minced onion
2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
3 1/2 c. milk
2 garlic cloves minced
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 ½ c. cooked wild rice
1 c. cooked chicken
Pepper to taste
Few dashes of Garlic Tabasco sauce

Heat water and bouillon cube to boiling. Add broccoli and carrot; cook 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, do not drain. In separate saucepan, melt butter and then slowly stir in flour. Gradually add milk. Cook until thickened. Stir in cheese, garlic, and pepper. Add broccoli and carrot mixture. Add rice and chicken. Heat and serve.

Ginger Pea Soup (Indian)

When we were in San Diego, Matt and I went out to our favorite Indian restaurant in San Diego--Bombay in the Hillcrest area. We shared a soup called Ginger Mutter (Pea) Soup. The description on their menu reads:
Creamy pea soup spiced with fresh ginger, roasted cumin and garlic, topped with fresh cilantro.

This soup was SO good that I decided to try to figure out how to make it myself. I combined a few different recipes, the description above, and my own taste and below is what I came up with today. I think it tastes very similar, but we'll see what Matt thinks when he comes home for dinner!

Ginger Mutter (Pea) Soup
3 ½ cups chicken broth or water
2 medium potatoes
2 ½-3 cups frozen peas
½ onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 t. ginger (or to taste)
1 t. cumin
½ t. black pepper
1 t. garam masala
1 t. salt
1 c. plain yogurt
Cilantro (to taste)

Boil all ingredients except for yogurt until vegetables are tender (12-14 minutes). Let partly cool. Blend in parts, adding yogurt and cilantro. Garnish with additional cilantro on top.