Apple Enchiladas

**Delicious and VERY easy**

10-12 flour tortillas
2 cans apple pie filling
Cinnamon
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup water

Fill each tortilla with a good size scoop of apple pie filling. Sprinkle with cinnamon and roll up, placing into a 9 x 13 pan. Boil sugar, brown sugar, butter and water in a pan for 2-3 minutes. Pour over tortillas and allow to set on the counter for 25 minutes. Bake at 350* for another 25 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Shared by: Sarah Ehlers, Kansas City, MO Recipe Source: too frazzled to remember

Monkey Muffins

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Mash 4 bananas.
3.) Put 2 cups of flour (I use whole wheat flour) and 1 tsp baking soda in a small bowl.
4.) Put ½ cup butter (softened) and 1 cup sugar in large bowl. Beat until creamy.
5.) Add 2 large eggs. Mix.
6.) Add bananas, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla. Mix well.
7.) Add flour mixture and ½ cup sour cream. Mix well.
8.) Fill muffin cups ½ full and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Shared by: Jennifer Wayer, Lenexa, KS
Recipe Source: A parenting Magazine

meatloaf

Ingredients

· 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
· 1 small yellow onion, chopped
· 1/2 cup bread crumbs
· 1 egg, beaten
· 1 cup grated Parmesan
· 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
· 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
· 1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
· kosher salt and pepper

Directions

· Heat oven to 400° F.
·
· Combine the turkey, onion, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the mustard, the parsley, red peppers, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
· Shape the meat into an 8-inch loaf and place in a baking dish. (See Tip, below.)
· Bake until no trace of pink remains (internal temperature should be 165° F), about 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
· Quick Tip: A loaf pan isn't the best choice for meat loaf. Use a large pan with 1 1/2- to 2-inch sides, or a 7-by-11-inch baking dish instead.

Shared by: Amy Hollander, Frisco, TX
Recipe Source: too frazzled to remember

Eggplant dish from Azam’s kitchen

Ingredients:
Fresh eggplant, one to two lbs
Onion (yellow), ¼ lb, cut into thin slices
Garlic, one big bulb
Olive oil
ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon or to taste
salt to taste (may add a dash or two of curry)
Fresh red tomatoes, ¼ to ½ lb

Procedure:
Wash the egg plant surface under running water. Put it in a microwave safe dish and cover. Cook it 5 to 6 minutes in microwave oven. In a nonstick two quart pot begin to warm, add three or four tablespoons full of olive oil. Add thinly sliced onion to warm olive oil in pot. Raise temperature to medium heat.
Remove skin from cloves and cut them into small pieces, add to already cooking onions and stir until onion and garlic are lightly browned. Add ground pepper to onion/garlic mixture. Salt to taste. Add cut tomatoes and cover with lid. Cook until tomatoes are broken and tender.
Take the cooked egg plant out of microwave. With knife chop the eggplant into small pieces. Add chopped eggplant into tomato/onion mixture. Stir well and cook on slow heat for half hour. Make sure that the excess water in eggplant is evaporated. Oil begins to appear on side of pot.
Delicious eggplant is ready to eat with rice or pita. Bon Appetite.

Shared by: Amy Hyken-Lande, Overland Park, KS
Recipe Source: a friend in Houston

pork tenderloin

--2-5 lb pork tenderloin (the closer to 5, the more you can freeze) (but buy it on sale or at Costco/Sam’s)
--Regular A&W root beer
--Jack Daniels bbq sauce, “Hickory Brown Sugar”

Put the pork in the crock pot and add enough root beer to get to the top of the pork. Turn it on low and cook for 3-4 hours. Drain off the liquid, shred the pork (I wait until it cools off some, cutting it up a little to speed up the cooling process) and put the shredded pork back in the crock pot. Add some of the bbq sauce (to your liking). Stir and let it cook on low for 30 min or so.

Shared by Amy Hollander, Frisco, TX
Recipe source: too frazzled to remember

southwest chicken pie

1 10 oz pkg pillsbury refrig pie crust (there should be two in there)
about 10 oz cooked chicken breasts, more or less
1/2 cup uncooked instant rice
1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
1 11oz can mexicorn drained
1 21/4 oz can sliced olives drained
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
2 cups colby-jack cheese

1 egg beaten
1 tsp parsley

Prepare pie crust as directed on box for a 9 inch pie pan (don't cook, just set out to get to room temp then line bottom of pan with one crust). In large bowl combine all ingredients except egg and parsley. Mix well. Pour mixture into crust lined pan. Top with 2nd crust, flute, cuts slits in several places. Brush top of crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with parsley.

Bake 400 for 40-50 minutes. Cover edges of crust with foil after about 20 minutes. Serve with chips, guac, sour cream or whatever garnishments you wish
Shared by Kimberly Levitan, Leawood, KS
Recipe Source: my neighbor

Zucchini chocolate muffins

Clearly I am on a zucchini kick these days. I could have eaten this entire batch myself! But instead, I shared one or two...

Preheat oven to 325

2 1/2 c flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
1/4 tsp white vinegar
1/2 c or 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 3/4 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c peeled, finely grated zucchini
1 c (or more for chocolate lovers) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c chopped pecans, optional

Spray or line muffin tins (about 24). Preheat oven to 325

In medium bowl, blend flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Stir together milk and vinegar in small bowl and set aside

in large bowl, beat butter, oil and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy

Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Add milk mixture and beat well

on low speed, gradually add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in zucchini and 1/2 the chocolate chips. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full then sprinkle with remaining chips and nuts if you are using them

bake 20-28 minutes. Cool on wire wrack

recipe shared by: Kimberly Levitan, Leawood, KS
Recipe Source: Family Circle magazine

Zucchini Cheddar Bread

It's not often I can say that I make food that actually looks pretty. But this bread is truly something that was so yummy and pretty. I would serve it for company with a brunch or lunch. Wondering if it could be made as biscuits instead of a loaf...

Position rack in center of the oven. Preheat to 350. Grease 9x5 inch or 8 cup loaf pan.

Whisk together thoroughly in large bowl:
3 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Add and toss to separate and coat with flour mixture (above):
1 cup (or more) coarsely shredded zucchini
3/4 c (or more) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c scallions, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh dill

Whisk together in another bowl:
2 large eggs
1 c buttermilk
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) melted butter

Add to flour mixture and mix with a few light strokes just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix- the batter should not be smooth and will look lumpy. Bake about 55-60 minutes. Let cool before taking out of pan

Next time I would add a bit more zucchini and cheese than called for but this was yummy!

Recipe shared by: Kimberly Levitan, Leawood, KS
Recipe source: Joy of cooking cookbook

Kool-Aid Play Dough

Play dough is always such a hit. Here's a recipe I use to make it from scratch using Kool-Aid!

2 ½ cups flour
1 cup salt
2 packages of unsweetened Kool-Aid
3 tbp. Vegetable oil
2 cups water

Mix all ingredients in large sauce pan on med-low heat. Continually stir until dough forms a ball. (This will take awhile). Remove play dough and place on wax paper. Knead dough for several minutes then store in zip-lock bag in fridge. *The Kool-Aid will naturally color the play dough, but if you want a more vibrant color add food coloring while mixing dough.

shared by: Megan Barron, Alexandria, VA
Recipe source: too frazzled to remember

Chicken Picatta

2 lemons, sliced thin
6 chicken breast ( I had 4 and used the thin sliced boneless, skinless)
1/3 c. flour
1.5 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. margarine
1/4 c. lemon juice
parsley
jar of capers (optional but I like it in there)

Dunk the chicken in the dry mixture and place in a skillet with the melted butter. Cook until ready. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel, keeping chicken warm. Add lemon juice, lemon slices, capers and lemon juice to the skillet. Saute it with the left over chicken bits and butter from cooking the chicken. Heat through. Pour over chicken and serve. I use rice.

Shared by Megan Barron, Alexandria, VA
Recipe Source: too frazzled to remember

Slow Cooker Tangy Chicken

6-8 chicken leg quarters seasoned with salt and pepper (any parts of chicken can be used but "bone in" really turns out the best)

Sauce:
Combine the following and pour over chicken in a slow cooker

1 onion (or less) chopped
1 can stewed tomatoes
1/2 c. ketchup
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp or 1 cube chicken bullion

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (my slow cooker NEVER takes this long. I only needed 4 hrs)

To thicken sauce: 30 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker to high. Combine 2 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water and add to sauce. Cook until sauce is thickened.

Shared by: Kimberly Levitan, Leawood, KS
Recipe Source: from a co worker back in the day....

oops!

So much for having two blogs - I just posted an entry for our family blog on the recipe site! So if you saw it and were confused...my apologies!

OKLAHOMA SPINACH ROCKEFELLER

1 (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach—cook and squeeze out moisture
½ cup milk
½ cup cubed sharp cheddar cheese
juice of 1 lemon
6 green onions – chopped
2 TBSP butter
1 tsp Tabasco
1 tsp salt
Cook these ingredients until cheese is melted
Cool slightly and add 1 lightly beaten egg.
Put in 4 buttered ramekins (or 8x8 casserole)
Sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Bake 350 for 20 minutes. Shared by Melba Mccaughey, Oklahoma City, OK

Bean Salsa

15 oz. cans del monte fresh cut corn (drained)

1 15 oz. can black beans (rinse and drain)

1 14 oz. can hearts of palm (drain and slice)

1 large tomato chopped

1 avacado

1/2 c. purple onion

1/3 cup minced cilantro

1/4 c. vegetable oil

3 T. lime juice

1 1/2 t. chili powder

1/2 t. cumin

Combine first 7 ingredients in bowl. Mix in next 4. Toss and chill.

Recipe Shared by Jill Kimbrel, Liberty, MO

Recipe Source: too frazzled to remember

Sneaky Smoothy

Take a handful of spinach leaves and put in blender. Add 1 C water and blend on high until no more remnants are left. Then add 1 banana and whatever frozen fruit you want. I use mango, strawberries, whatever! This will make enough for 2 smoothies.

Shared by Molly Reynolds, Lenexa, KS
Recipe Source: too frazzled to remember

Santa Fe Chicken Wraps

Wrap ingredients:
1 lb chicken, cooked and cubed
½ cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cup corn
1 cup chopped lettuce
1 can black beans
1 cup cheddar cheese (I use a cheddar/jack blend)

Sauce:
½ cup BBQ sauce (I use Jack Stack’s original)
½ cup ranch dressing (We love Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch)

Spoon ingredients onto a wrap, drizzle sauce over the top, and roll it up! Yummy warm or cold!

Recipe shared by Jennifer Wayer, Lenexa, KS
Recipe Source: Kraft

Braided Sandwich Loaf

1 loaf frozen bread dough
Sliced deli meats, cheeses, veggies, etc.
1 egg white

Thaw the frozen loaf of bread dough on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Lightly cover the loaf with a piece of saran wrap that has also been sprayed with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking. It took a good 6 hours or so for the dough to thaw and rise. I put it in a warm oven for the final hour.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle. Place the meat, cheese, etc. down the center third of the rectangle. With a small knife, cut horizontal strips along the outside thirds of the bread dough. Braid shut, pulling the strips over the ingredients. Brush with egg white.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for approx. 25 minutes or until golden brown and the dough is fully cooked.
Serves 6

Shared by Jill Kimbrel, Liberty, MO
Recipe Source: too frazzled to remember!

Southern Living Creamy Chicken Casserole

3 cups chopped/cooked chicken (once I just used 2 larger breasts and it was enough - I did season the breasts when I cooked them.
1 - 10 1/2 oz can of cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 - 8 oz carton of sour cream
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
1 1/2 cups crushed round buttery crackers (like Ritz). Put in ziplock to crush
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Combine the first 4 ingredients. Spoon into a lightly greased 11 x 7 or 8 x 10 baking dish. Combine crushed crackers and butter and sprinkle over chicken mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 4 servings shared by Jill Kimbrel, Liberty

Microwave Risotto with Ham and Asparagus

If you have ever made risotto, it's delicious but hard for any frazzled chef to stand and stir for so long! This is a recipe that can be done in the microwave. I have not tried it yet, so any comments or feedback welcome!

3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
2 c. arborio rice
5 1/2 c. fat free chicken broth
2 c. cubed ham
1 lb pencil thin asparagus
1/4 or more grated Parm
Salt and pepper to taste

Place butter, oil and onion in large microwavable safe bowl uncovered on high about 3 minutes. Stir in rice and microwave uncovered until rice begins to turn translucent, about 3 more minutes. Stir in broth, cover with lid or microwavable wrap and microwave until full boil 10-14 minutes. Chop ham and set aside. Rinse asparagus and snap off tough ends. Chop into 1/4 inch rounds and set aside. Remove bowl from micro and stir well. Microwave another 10 minutes until rice is almost done (it will be very moist and al dente but not soupy). Stir in ham and asparagus and microwave until rice is done and asparagus is crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in cheese, salt, pepper and serve immediately

Shared by Kimberly Levitan, Leawood, KS

Recipe Source: The Kansas City Star

"Potato" Pancakes

I REALLY don't like to make potato pancakes. I always end up getting a grease stain somewhere and the house smells for days. But....I do make the sacrifice every so often because there is nothing better than being able to open my freezer and give about 5 good vegetable choices to my child each day and all I have to do is reheat! (I freeze EVERYTHING by the way! If you ever saw my freezer you would think it was attacked by zip lock bags!) So...this is not much of a recipe but more of a "throw anything in and see what happens" recipe. Here is what I do:

a few small potatoes (or less depending on what else you add), grated
2 or so carrots, grated
1 zucchini, grated
about 1/2 block of cheese, any kind, grated
2 eggs
1/2 cup(ish) bread crumbs
1 chicken breast or a few tenders cooked and pureed in Cuisinart until pretty finely chopped

Mix everything together and fry small, flat clumps in oil. For those of you who have never made potato pancakes, you will be tempted to keep checking them and flipping them but DON'T. Try to only flip them once allowing each side to brown. Lay finished pancakes on paper towels to drain grease. Then move them onto cookie sheet, place in freezer until slightly frozen then transfer to zip lock. These sound totally random and gross, I know, but they really aren't bad! Dylan loves them! However, he did see that I was sneaking carrots into it so we will see if he requests them again any time soon.....

Shared by Kimberly Levitan, Leawood, KS
Recipe Source: yours truly