7 Up Biscuits

7UP Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-up
1/4 cup melted butter

Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough.
Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and pat dough out. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch square pan. Place cut biscuits in pan and bake at 450 degrees until golden brown.

Homemade Salsa

From the kitchen of Jennifer: (Click on link to check out her awesome blog--and for more recipes, decorating tips, and much encouragement from an awesome lady of God!
Salsa Time

Ingredients:
* 1 small onion


* 1 or 2 cloves garlic


* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (OR MORE - I use MORE)


* 1 jalapeno chili pepper, chopped roughly (or a seeded Serrano pepper)


* zest of 1 lime(optional)


* juice of 1 lime (or just a squeeze :)

* 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes

* 1 dash hot sauce or 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional - I don't use this)

* 1 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt

* 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

Directions:

Peel and slice onion in quarters. Place in the work bowl of a food processor, fitted with a metal blade. Add the garlic cloves. Pulse four to five times, until onion is diced. Be careful not to over-process, or the salsa will end up mushy. Add the cilantro, chili pepper (with or without seeds), lime zest, lime juice, tomatoes and hot sauce. Pulse until the salsa reaches the consistency of a thick puree. Be sure to leave in some chunks, too. It makes it look more homemade. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Homemade Tortillas

From Andrea's Kitchen...

2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, mix in 1/4 veg. oil with a pastry blender add 1/2 cup lukewarm water and a lil more. shape into a ball and keep dividing the balls to make 6 balls or so. use a rolling pin to roll on the counter with no flour underneath them, until they are nearing the size of a dinner plate...they may seem almost transparent. in a frypan... Read More, on med-hi, place one tortilla in the pan turn over after 30 seconds or when brown bake marks appear and flip side for another 15 seconds or so....they may get puffy.Repeat for the remaining dough. this last batch was white flour but whole wheat works well too. they are so yummy fresh! i made enchiladas with mine...mmmm and way cheaper than store bought ones!
first time was a lil scary...but it's my kids favorite fresh bread...just the thinner the tastier!

Lori's Potatoes

Straight from Lori's Kitchen. Thanks for sharing with us this week Lori!!!

And now for the yummy potatoes...

3lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes
3 T butter
3 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
parsley

Place the potatoes in a large, high skillet. Salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken stock about halfway up the sides of potatoes and add butter. With lid on, simmer the potatoes until tender (6-8 minutes). Then, remove the lid and let the stock evaporate (another 5 min. or so). Once the stock is evaporated, push on the potatoes with a spatula or other utensil just until they crack but don't smash. Let them brown on one side and then flip until they brown on the other side. Plate and garnish with parsley.

The butter in the stock browns them and the potatoes are flavored so much w/ the chicken stock.

Simple Potatoes

From Live. Love. Eat--GREAT, GREAT Blog!!!

She didn't have it in "recipe" form....so I am quoting her below on how to make them....You have to go to her blog to see the YUMMY picture!!!


"But these potatoes are so delicious & healthy, cooked over high heat in just 1 tblsp of olive oil. The trick is to not move them around too much & let them get crispy but tender.

I love the tiny potatoes such as fingerling but use what you prefer. Slice 1/8" thick. Heat 1 tblsp olive oil in large pan. Scatter potatoes in even layer & cook over medium high heat. Season with salt, pepper, oregano. I often use a Tuscan seasoning sometimes but you can use whatever spices you want. I cook the potatoes until golden brown, flipping occasionally, about 20 minutes. If your pan is getting dry just add a little Pam or brush on a little oil. Toward the end, I sprinkle with just a little parmesan cheese."

Skinny Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
6 cups potatoes, peeled and cut
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste


Preparation:
1. Boil the potatoes until tender; drain well.
2. In a bowl, combine the potatoes with the broth and mash to the desired consistency.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. For a “buttery” look without the butter, add a few granules of chicken bouillon.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!

Okay, I am the girl who really hates vegetables--basically of all kinds. I am trying really hard to acquire a taste for them. And I have finally learned to eat quite a few--but I have a loooong ways to go.

BUT this recipe was NOT hard at all -- I AM IN LOVE WITH IT. It became a favorite of mine tonight!!! Hubby, guests, and baby loved it too.

Probably not new to most....but I am passing it on just in case you have never tried it.

I found it at one of the BEST blogs for recipes that I have found -- Check it out!



Mimi gives more details and TONS of pictures.

Mashed Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower
3-4 Tablespoons butter
3-4 Tablespoons half and half
Salt
Pepper


Remove all leaves and the stem on the head of cauliflower. (I knock the stem part on the divider in my double sink and the entire stem will come off of the head.)

Cut cauliflower into florets.

Place florets in salted boiling water and cook until fork tender; about 10 minutes. (I think it took a little longer than 10 min--we just kept testing with fork)

Remove from burner and drain cauliflower in colander until well-drained.

Pour cauliflower florets into bowl of food processor.
Pulse and grind cauliflower until all pieces are mashed well; stopping to scrape down sides as needed.

Gradually add butter and half and half to mashed cauliflower while pulsing -- until mixture is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour mashed cauliflower back into your pan. Keep warm on Low heat until ready to
serve

Report on Pork Loin---Served on Hoagies with Sweet Potato Fries

Wow!!!! So I cooked Amy's Pork Loin tonight --- rubbed it down with seasoning, poured water and 1/2 Lipton package over it --and turned it on in crock pot--and walked away.

We pulled it apart-added our favorite BBQ sauce-we love Jack Daniel's sauce-and served it on Hoagie Buns!

YUM! I have to say it was the best sandwich I have had in a long time!!!


We served the Hoagies with SWEET POTATO FRIES--My favorite side dish!!!

Never had Homemade Sweet Potato Fries?

So easy--cut in fry size, place in ziplock with 2 Tbsp Olive Oil and seasoning....shake it up....place on sprayed non-stick pan lined with foil---bake until desired crispness.

I think cutting a sweet potato is hard work--remember I don't do cooking well....so this time I found them in precut packages at the supermarket --- woohoo!!! The potatoes came in a cooking bag--pierce hole, microwave for 7 minutes, and then finish the cooking process in the oven for desired crispness.

Even my newly 1 year old LOVED this meal!!!

Dani's Kitchen

What was for Dinner at Dani's last night?

I marinated chicken in the refrigerator in barbeque marinade...matt grilled it today and it was VERY yummy!

I made macaroni and cheese from scratch-recipe below...sort of! It's not very precise, but the ingredients are things we always have on hand. It is quick and easy also, so it works great for a last minute meal idea! In Oregon, we eat this as the main entree!

Sophie ate frozen peas straight from the freezer, because she prefers that to salad.

I also served it with salad (ania ate along with frozen peas) spinach, romaine, cherry tomatoes, cheese and olive oil vinegarette. (I try not to offer the creamy dressings at home.)

RECIPE:

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
2 cups of uncooked elbow macaroni
3 cups milk
1-2 regular sized bag of your favorite cheddar or mixed cheese (depending on how generous you are with your cheese layering! I use a lot of cheese!)
Seasoned Salt
Lemon Pepper
Flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Boil 2 cups of elbow macaroni for 10 minutes
Scald (heat on low/med. being careful not to burn) 3 cups of milk

Spray deep square casserole dish with non-stick spray

Layer:
1/2 macaroni
Cover macaroni with flour...not a super thick layer, just enough to cover the macaroni
Sprinkle with seasoning salt and lemon pepper...you'll have to experiment with this based on how seasoned you and your family like it! I probably use 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. lemon pepper on
each layer
1/2 cheese
Layer again with the macaroni ending with the cheese on top

Pour the scalded milk over the entire dish (it should cover well and less milk needed for whole wheat pasta)
Bake on 400 for 30 minutes!

After eating this kind of heavy lunch, we did fruit and celery boats (celery with peanut butter) for dinner. You can even make a little sail on the boats with a toothpick and a little cheese on the end of it! Makes eating a veggie dinner more fun! :)

Visit Dani for some daily encouragement at her blog!