Lemon-herb pasta

So you want something easy, but you're out of spaghetti sauce. Or maybe you want dinner to seem fancy without putting a lot of work into it. Try this. Super yummy, and so easy.

1 lb. pasta of your choice (we like linguine)
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse so it doesn't stick together. Return to pot (or put in a big bowl) and add olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. (You can adjust spices and lemon juice to taste -- this is just a rough estimate to get you in the right direction.) Toss well to mix everything, and serve hot. Great with garlic bread. You can also add in some crushed red pepper if you like it. If you have premixed Italian Seasoning on hand, you can use that instead of the individual spices and just add it to taste.

This works great as a main dish, or if you use little noodles like penne or something, it's a really nice side. Easy peasy, and a nice change of pace from regular spaghetti. :)

Potatoes, Kraut, & Hot Dogs

cube some potatoes and start them in some oil in a big pan
add onion, seasoned salt, italian seasoning
cook until potatoes are just about soft, but not quite

add saurkraut and a package of hot dogs cut into bite sized pieces.

simmer on low for a while to allow everything to mix up and soften.  the time needed for this step depends on how done your potatoes were when you added the kraut/dogs and turned the heat down.

i made some garlic cheddar biscuits from a mix and it was a very yummy and easy dinner.  and one pot for the meal...the biscuits get their own pan, though.

Fruit & Yogurt Smoothies

Ya' know how Yoplait has their new Frozen smoothies, usually in the juice section of the store...well, they're over $3 for 2 servings...*sigh*

These are a perfect knock off...same consistency and every thing.

Ingredients:

6 oz Frozen yogurt chunks - I use vanilla and freeze them in tablespoons over night.

1 cup frozen fruit - I use strawberries. Tried blueberries once, and it was ok, but I'm not a big blueberry person

1 cup milk

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

I threw this together tonight just to see what happened - and it's a hit!

2 cups bisquick

3 oz pepperoni

1 cup shredded cheese

2/3 c milk

2 Tbsp margarine or butter

1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450.

Mix together bisquick, pepperoni, and shredded cheese. Stir in milk...this will be tough, I had to finish up with my hands. It was very tempting to add a bit more milk, but I'm glad I didn't.

Spray an 8" round pan with cooking spray, then put mixture in it and push around to the edges.

Bake for 20 minutes.

In the last couple minutes, put the margarine/butter in a bowl and microwave 45 seconds to melt. Stir in garlic powder.

When the bread is done, brush the garlic & butter mixture over the top. Cut and serve...eat alone or dip in pizza or alfredo sauce.

Yummy dill potatoes and onions

I don't measure. Consider all of these "suggestions," especially considering that I don't know how many potatoes you need to feed your family, or the size of the onions you like to buy.

1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges
enough potatoes to feed everybody, cut into chunks (about an inch or so)... peel them if you want to, but I generally don't
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. (more or less) dill weed
1 tsp. (more or less) garlic powder
cooking oil

Put some oil in your pan and heat it up. Toss in the onion, and cook and stir it over medium heat just until it starts to get fragrant -- about 2 or 3 minutes. Toss in your potatoes, and add salt and pepper to taste (I like a little salt and lots of pepper) and the garlic powder. (You can use fresh minced too, and it would probably be even better.) Cook and stir for a while. Don't let the onions sit too long without getting scraped up off the bottom, or they'll get burned. They're going to end up kind of caramelized, but you don't want them crispy. A few minutes before the potatoes are done cooking, sprinkle in your dill. Use as much as you like -- I like a lot! I find if you add it earlier in the cooking it still tastes ok, but the dill loses some of its oomph and you have to add more, so I save it until last. And that's it! Yummy with just about everything. You can also add cut up carrots and/or celery for more yummy goodness.

Molten Lava Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

DOVE Promises (I prefer dark chocolate)

1 recipe of chocolate chip cookies (I use an adaptation of the Nestle Tollhouse recipe - I use 1 cup of brown sugar and no nuts)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Make cookie dough as directed by recipe.
2. Spray a cupcake pan. Fill each spot about 1/3 full of dough, put a Promise in the middle, then cover with more dough - the spot should be about 2/3 full.
3. Bake for 20 minutes.

Easy Boneless "Buffalo Wings"

boneless skinless chicken cut into chunks

cornstarch

salt

pepper

onion powder

garlic powder

oil for frying

container with lid big enough for shaking

Preheat oil to 400. I use a deep fryer.

Coat chicken with cornstarch and seasonings by placing all items (chicken first) into the container, then closing the lid and shaking it all around.

Fry chicken a few pieces at a time until about 170* internally - time will vary depending on size but my pieces were about the size of a McDonald's chicken nugget and took 5-7 minutes per batch of 6-10 pieces.

Drain on paper towel.

Coating:

I used three different coatings. The first was straight buffalo sauce, the second was half buffalo sauce and half ranch, and the third was BBQ sauce. Put cooked chicken in a clean container with lid and pour sauce on top; close & shake. They were also good without a coating.