Apple Oatmeal Muffins

I just tried this recipe recently and it is super easy! Plus it made my apartment smell so good!

Ingredients:

1 package (18.25oz) white cake mix
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 ¾ cups chopped peeled apple (2 large apples)
1 1/3 cups milk
½ cup melted butter

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
*Grease or line muffin tin with paper cups
*In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oats, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir to blend. In another large bowl whisk together eggs, apples, milk and melted butter. Add dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared muffins tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until set and golden.
*For a different flavor, add raisins or dried cranberries to batter.

**In University Village oven cook at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

Anniversary Chicken

This is such an easy recipe, it takes only about 5 to 10 minutes to prepare and then you just let it cook away. It's one of our favorite meals, especially when we are short on time to prepare things. It taste's like you spent all day in the kitchen making it, I make it for special occasions as well as for every day meals.

add equal parts of: ranch dressing from a bottle (not the dry mix)

Yoshida’s Teriyaki Sauce (you can get this at costco)

pour this mixture over boneless skinless chicken breasts in a baking dish (like a 9×13)

then top with

minced onions either green or white

crumbled bacon (the costco pre-cooked crumbled bacon works great)

then cover with Cheese.

Cover the baking pan with tin-foil

Bake at 350 for 1 hour (the last 30 minutes take the tinfoil off)

* just make sure that your chicken is cooked all the way thru before you eat it, if it’s thick frozen chicken you will need to adjust the cooking time to closer to 2 hours.

Sugar Cookies & Buttercream Frosting

Love these sugar cookies...and this is my mom's special buttercream frosting recipe.

1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. sour cream
1/2 tsp almond or lemon extract (I use almond)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 1/4 c. flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream, almond or lemon extract and vanilla. Mix well. Add soda, salt and flour and mix on low just until combined. Roll dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours. Roll out on floured surface and cut into shapes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 degrees fr 6 to 8minutes. Watch so they don't brown. Coll on racks, then frost and decorate.

Frosting

The thick but creamy texture of this flavorful frosting makes it ideal for decorating. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
3 Tbsp. milk

Cream butter and shortening in electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all the sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until you're ready to decorate.

Something healthy coming next...

Rice and Beans

It is as simple as it sounds, I just cook up some brown rice, ( white rice works, but brown tastes better). Usally the 6 people amount, then add a can of beans, ie, pinto, Kidney, red, and there we go, it is done. each person then adds thier own amount of salsa, chedar cheese, and sour cream, either in a bowl or toco shell. It is one of Williams favorite.

Lion House Pumpkin Bread

You definitely wouldn't be able to add this recipe to any holiday diet menu :), but it's fantastic!

1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
5 eggs
1 16-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground nutmeg
1 t. baking soda
2 3-ounce packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil, eggs, and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl and beat well. In a separate bowl sift together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix until blended. Stir in pudding mix and choco chips or nuts. Pour into a greased 4 ½ x 8 inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour. Makes 2 loaves. Or you can make 8 mini loaves and just decrease cooking time to about 35 minutes.

Easy Sunday Morning Pancakes

1 c flour
2 TB sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together.

1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 c milk
3 TB butter, melted

Mix together.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients. Stir until combined. Cook pancakes by 1/4 cup-full over medium heat. Makes about 8-10 pancakes.

Tortellini

2- Frozen packages Tortellini
4 Lg cans Petite Diced Tomatoes
2 Lbs Steak- Cut into 1/2 inch strips (I buy the cheapest I can find)
Garlic
Oregano
Basil
Salt
Black Pepper
Minced Onions (you can use fresh)

In a skillet on the stove brown Steak strips with Onions, olive oil and Garlic. In the Crockpot combine Tomatoes, Oregano, Basil, Salt and Pepper. When meat is browned add it to the Crockpot. Let simmer on high for 6 hours. (I use about 2 Tbs of all the spices, minus the pepper. I only use about 1 tsp) You can add more or less depending on your taste buds
About 10 minutes before serving cook the Pasta in boiling water and add to sauce

Mexican Haystacks

1 lb Chicken – cooked and shredded
4 cans Petite Diced Tomatoes
2 cans Black Beans
1 sm can Green Chilies
1 Package Taco Seasoning
2 Tbs minced Garlic
2 Tbs Dehydrated Onions

Add all ingredients (except Chicken) to a Crockpot and cook on High 4 Hours/ Low 6 Hours. Add Shredded Chicken the last Hour of cooking.

Serve over Rice. I like to add the Rice and Sauce to a taco shell and add shredded cheese and black olives. My kids love to eat it with Scoop Fritos

(This recipe makes a Ton! If stored in Freezer Ziplock; it stores really well!)

Cheesy Smashed Potatoes

1 lb red potatoes, cut into small chunks
1 c bite-size cauliflower florets
1/2 c light sour cream
1 c shredded cheddar

Place potatoes and califlower in large saucepan. Add water to cover.
Bring to a boil on high. Reduce heat to medium, simmer for 20 minutes.
Drain, return to pan.

Add sour cream; mash until mixture is fluffy. Add cheese. Add 1-2 TBS milk, if necessary.

These potatoes taste GREAT with meatloaf. And extra healthy too, great way to sneak veggies into your kid's meals!

PB/Oatmeal/Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c white sugar

Cream together.

1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Add to mixture.

1 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Combine and add to mixture, beat just until blended.

1/2 c oats (I usually add a tad more)
1 c chocolate chips (I usually add a tad less)

Bake at 350 degrees for exactly 10 minutes.

YUM!!! This recipe doesn't make a ton of cookies, so I double it most of the time. Enjoy!!