Best Ever Molasses Ginger Cookies

Best Ever Molasses Ginger Cookies

2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. each salt, ginger, cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. Crisco
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. light or original molasses
1/2 tsp. orange zest

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in medium-sized bowl. In a large bowl, beat butter, Crisco, and 1 cup sugar. Add egg, molasses, and orange zest till light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add flour mixture till all combined and refrigerate 1 hour. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Makes about 5 dozen. (If you over bake it will be a harder cookie)

This is a new recipe I tried this Christmas! So yummy and not to sweet, so you can eat lots of these cute little cookies.

Yummy new recipes

I've tried out a couple new recipes this week and thought I'd share. The first one isn't new, but it is a favorite, especially this cold weather week!


Beef Noodle Soup

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes Ready In: 50 Minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 pound cubed beef stew meat
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup beef bouillon granules or 4-5 bouillon cubes
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 cup chopped carrots
5 3/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups frozen egg noodles

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, saute the stew meat, onion and celery for 5 minutes, or until meat is browned on all sides.

2. Stir in the bouillon, parsley, ground black pepper, carrots, water and egg noodles. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

We like to eat this with mashed potatoes. A flashback to my Carriage Crossing lunches.

Allrecipes.com

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Tomato Soup with White Beans and Pasta

Preparation Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes minutes
Yield: Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes
28 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup tubetini, elbow macaroni or other small pasta
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add oregano, stir once, then add tomatoes with juice and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.

2. Add pasta, stir, and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in beans, lower heat and simmer until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, stir in parsley and serve, drizzling each portion with additional olive oil if desired.

I used one can of Fire Roasted tomatoes because it was what I had. I think the Italian tomatoes would also be good in this soup.

All You, JANUARY 2011


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Tuscan Pasta With Tomato-Basil Cream

Preparation Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes minutes
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli*
1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
2 tablespoons white wine
2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped**
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: fresh basil strips

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.

*1 (13-oz.) package three-cheese tortellini may be substituted.

**1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained, may be substituted.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Buitoni Four Cheese Ravioli and Classico Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta Sauce.

Southern Living, JULY 2007

Happy Birthday Keith!

Keith had a Boston Cream Pie for his birthday. It was delicious!

Kraft Boston Cream Pie

1 (3.4 oz) pkg instant Vanilla pudding

1 cup cold milk

1 - 1/2 cups cool whip

1 round yellow cake layer (8 or 9-inch)

1 (1 oz) square Baker's unsweetened chocolate

1 T. butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 T. cold milk

Directions:

1. Beat pudding mix and 1 cup milk with whisk for 2 minutes. Stir in Cool Whip. Let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut cake horizontally into 2 layers with serrated knife.

2. Stack cake layers on serving plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers.

3. Microwave chocolate and butter on high 1 minute; stir until chocolate is melted. Add sugar and 2 Tbsp. milk; mix well. Spread over cake. Refrigerate 1 hour.

-allrecipes.com

Meal Planning

Some weeks it's just so hard to figure out what to make for dinner! So last Monday, I looked through a bunch of saved recipes and found a few I hadn't yet tried and created a meal plan for the week. I was only able to stick with the plan for 3 nights, life happens you know, but I made a few new successful recipes. And I have most of my menu for this week done already! We'll see how we do this week with a sick boy!

Meatball Calzones

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsps. Italian seasoning
1 pounds ground beef
1-2 loaves (1 lb each) frozen bread dough, thawed (I used one Pillsbury pizza crust from a can)
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Additional Italian seasoning
1 jar (14 ounces) spaghetti sauce, warmed

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls.
2. Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 10-15 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain on paper towels. Reduce heat to 350°.
3. Roll out the dough of dough into an 18-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Spoon a third of the meatballs and mozzarella cheese down the center of each rectangle. Fold dough over filling; press edges firmly to seal. Place seam side down on greased baking sheets. Brush tops with egg white; sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Let stand for 15-30 minutes. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with spaghetti sauce. Yield: 2 calzones (4 servings each).

~Taste of Home, August/September 2007

The original recipe was double this, but since there are only 4 of us, I cut the recipe in half and only made one giant calzone. I'm not a huge fan of meatballs, but this was pretty good and the extra meatballs freeze well to make this again when I'm in a hurry.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes

1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and sliced

4 medium-size new potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 c. baby carrots

1 1/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper, divided

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp. paprika

6 bone-in chicken thighs

Place onion in a lightly greased 6-quart slow cooker, top with potatoes and carrots. Combine 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, broth, and next 3 ingredients. Pour broth mixture over vegetables. Combine paprika, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper; rub evenly over chicken thighs, and arrange on top of vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or until chicken and vegetables are tender.

Yield: 6 servings

Southern Living, February 2006

Chicken Ole Foil Supper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 tsps. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3/4 cup salsa

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (11 oz.) can corn, drained

1 cup shredded cheese

Toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, sliced black olives, sour cream, guacamole

1. Tear off 4 (18x12-inch) sheets of aluminum foil; lightly grease 1 side of each sheet.

2. Place 1 chicken breast in center on lightly greased side of each foil sheet, Brush both sides of chicken evenly with oil; sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Spoon salsa evenly over chicken. Top evenly with black beans and corn.

3. Bring together 2 sides of each foil sheet over ingredients, and double fold with about 1-inch wide folds. Double fold each end to form a packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside packet. Place packets on a baking sheet.

4. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Carefully open foil packets to prevent burns from hot steam. Sprinkle evenly with cheese before serving. Serve chicken with desired toppings.

Yield: 4 servings

Southern Living, October 2004

Tortilla Soup

I love soup season and this is one of our favorites.

Ingredients
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 T. fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tsps. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (I left this out because I don't like it too spicy.)
2 T. chopped cilantro
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 T. half-and-half
1 green onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Tortilla chips
shredded Mexican four-cheese blend
sour cream

Preparation
Bring first 7 ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; add chicken and next 4 ingredients, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and, if desired, garnish with cheese and sour cream. Makes 6 cups.

Southern Living, January 2004

Ice Fish and Tomatoes

Chef Andrew

Andrew was making "fish," which is funny since he doesn't usually want to eat fish. He was "catching the ice fish" in my cold-water bath I had used to skin the tomatoes. This kept him busy for quite a while, until he decided he need to add salt and added the whole shaker. Then our cooking fun had to come to an end.

I was given a bounty of ripe tomatoes and having been trying to find new ways to preserve them this week. On Monday, I peeled and diced a bunch to freeze. I found the recipe online. Just boil the whole tomatoes for a minute and then drop them in a cold-water bath to peel them. (I was skeptical, but it really worked.) Chop and freeze. I'm hoping they stay fresh-tasting for some yummy soups this winter!

I also have a no-cook pasta sauce that is delish! And so I decided to make up a large batch of that to freeze. The sauce doesn't require peeling the tomatoes, but since I was freezing it, I decided to peel them to make sure the sauce froze well. I'll post the recipe below.

And I canned some tomato juice. Andrew is worried I'm going to make him drink the tomato juice and I assured him I wouldn't waste it on him! I'm hoping all my hard work pays off and all of this still has that fresh-from-the-vine taste in the dead of winter!

No-Cook Pasta Sauce

4 ripe raw tomatoes, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

couple dashes of pepper

In a food processor or blender, puree all the ingredients. Add 1 hand-chopped tomato for texture, if desired. Pour the (room temperature) sauce over a pound of hot cooked pasta and enjoy!

Southwest Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Pretend there is a pretty picture of this yummy salad here.

2-1/2 cups corn
2 avocados, diced
2-1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved (or chop any tomato)
1/2 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, diced
1/2 cup finely diced red onion

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. grated lime zest
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the corn, avocado, tomatoes, cheese and onion in a large bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the vegetables. Toss to mix. (If making in advance, omit the avocado and then stir it in right before serving.) Makes 6-8 servings.

I made this for our Labor Day lunch with family. It was a big hit with only a tiny serving leftover, which I ate the next day on my taco salad instead of using salsa.

Chicken Spaghetti

2 cups cooked chicken

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup finely diced green pepper

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1-4 oz. jar diced pimentos, drained

2-1/2 cups dry spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces
2 cups reserved chicken broth from pot

1 tsp. seasoning salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (1/4 tsp. if you like it hot!)

1 additional cup shredded cheddar

salt and pepper to taste (I didn't add any extra)

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups, reserve broth. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to 6 months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil.)

courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

This is my new favorite recipe site. Pioneer Woman posts amazing step-by-step instructions with pictures. And it's all comfort food! I made this last night, thinking it was something Andrew would eat. Turns out he's on a hunger strike, but he did finally taste it and admitted that it wasn't too bad. *sigh*

Anyway, we all liked it and I didn't add any salt and pepper and only used 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper because I'm a wimp and I wanted the boys to be able to eat it. I made this in two 8x8 pans and froze the one. Enjoy!

Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. dried Italian herb seasoning

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Toss potato strips with olive oil and spices. Spread the sweet potato strips out onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20-30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes with spatula. Serve warm.

I was a bit skeptical when I saw sweet potatoes and kosher salt, but it is so yummy and so fast to make them this way. And I like to pretend that it's mostly healthy!

Baked Ziti

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

We had this the other night and it is super yummy. I only made half a recipe and it filled a 9x9 pan to the top, and we had lots of leftovers. Very yummy and easy!

Grilled Cheddar Burgers and Veggies

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 medium green onions, chopped (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon peppered seasoned salt
2 medium yellow Yukon potatoes, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups baby-cut carrots
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon peppered seasoned salt

1. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Spray half of one side of four 18x12-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil with cooking spray.
2. Mix beef, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, 2 chopped onions and 1 teaspoon seasoned salt. Shape mixture into 4 patties, about 1 inch thick.
3. Place potatoes on sprayed sides of foil sheets. Top with beef patty, carrots, tomatoes and sliced onions; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt. Fold foil over patties and vegetables so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again. Allow space on sides for circulation and expansion.
4. Cover and grill packets 4 to 6 inches from medium heat 17 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Place packets on plates. Cut a large X across top of packet; fold back foil.

The weather has been unbelieveably warm lately and so we've been grilling again. We had these for dinner last night and it was a big hit. I left out the green onions because we didn't have any and used canned diced tomatoes because we were out of grape tomatoes too. It was very yummy and as a bonus, it was easy clean-up!

Baby Shower for Sondra

Sondra and mom

Table of goodies, minus the quiches - they were still in the oven.

diaper cake

This past Saturday, I threw Sondra a baby shower. Unfortunately, I didn't do a very good job at taking pictures of all the guests and shower fun. But it was fun, and Sondra and the baby got some great gear! We can't wait to meet this precious little bundle!

And for you secret blog stalkers (Jane), here's the recipe you requested. Enjoy!

Mushroom Quiche
One 9-inch refrigerated pie crust, fitted into a 9-inch pie plate
1 T. butter
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 large Vidalia (or other mild) onion, chopped
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese

3 T. flour
3 T. Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I left this out)
1 (8 oz) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Crimp the edges of the crust.
2. Melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and saute for five minutes or until tender.
3. Place the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, flour, Parmesan cheese, and hot sauce in a food processor or blender and process til smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. (I used a hand mixer and it seemed to turn out OK.)
4. Stir together the mushroom mixture, egg mixture, and Cheddar cheese, and spoon into the pie crust. Cover the edges with foil to prevent the crust form burning.

5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, til golden brown and set in the center. Cool for 10 minutes and cut into 8 wedges. (serves 8)

We are Thankful for Good Food!

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to take any pictures on Thanksgiving Day, but we did enjoy some GOOD food! We had smoked ham, mashed potatoes, corn, salad, banana pudding, homemade rolls, and other yummy treats I'm sure I'm forgetting. I decided to try a couple new recipes (from Southern Living and Paula Deen - how could they not be yummy?!) out on my non-adventurous food-tasting family. The Sweet Potato Casserole was a hit, the Succotash, not so much. But I liked it, and really isn't that all that matter?!

Sweet Potato Casserole
4 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Preparation:
Bake sweet potatoes at 400° for about 1 hour or until tender. Let cool to touch; peel and mash sweet potatoes. Beat mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, and next 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Combine cornflakes cereal and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle diagonally over casserole in rows 2 inches apart. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle alternate rows with marshmallows; bake 10 additional minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. (serves 8-10)
Southern Living, DECEMBER 2002


Succotash
1/2 tsp House Seasoning
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen lima beans or butter beans
6 slices bacon, cut into tiny pieces
3 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from the cob, or one (10 oz) pkg frozen corn kernels
2 T. butter
1/4 tsp pepper

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, add the House Seasoning, seasoned salt, and bouillon cube to 2 cups water. Add the lima beans or butter beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, until the beans are tender and some of the water has been absorbed. Saute the bacon until it is crisp. Save 1 T. bacon grease. Add the corn to the skillet with the bacon. Using a slotted spoon, add the lima beans. Add a little of the bean liquid to create a sauce. Add the butter and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir well and serve. (serves 8-10)
from: Paula Deen Celebrates

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

We had these for dinner last night and they were very yummy and super easy!

Berry Yogurt Pops

I found these in Parents magazine and made them this past weekend. They are super yummy for big kids and little.

Berry Yogurt Pops

Ingredients
1 can (8.25 ounces) pear halves in heavy syrup
1 cup blueberries
2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt

Directions
1. Drain the pears, reserving 2 tablespoons syrup. Place the pears, blueberries, and reserved syrup in a blender or food processor. Cover and mix until it's smooth.
2. Add the yogurt to the blueberry mixture and blend again. Divide the mixture among 12 ice-pop molds; insert wooden sticks if your molds don't come with sticks or build-in handles. Freeze until firm, 4 to 6 hours.

Peppered Bacon and Tomato Linguine

Here's another yummy recipe I have found recently on Allrecipes.com. Enjoy!

Peppered Bacon and Tomato Linguine
1/2 pound peppered bacon, diced
2 T. chopped green onion
2 tsps. minced garlic
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried basil (I used fresh - about 1/4 cup chopped)
1 tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, and set aside. (I actually cook my bacon in the microwave and only save about 1-2 T of bacon grease.)
2. Saute green onion and garlic in bacon drippings over medium heat for one minute. Stir in tomatoes, basil, salt and ground black pepper; simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Toss hot pasta with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Ranch Pizza

Last night I made one of our favorite dinners thanks to Paul and Amy. I always think of you when I make this pizza. We miss you guys!

The original recipe is from Allrecipes.com and is called Gourmet Chicken Pizza. Amy made a few modifications, which I stick to and it is soooo yummy and easy!

Chicken Ranch Pizza
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 pizza crust (preferably Boboli)
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes

Boil chicken for 15-20 minutes. (I season the water with some minced onion, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.) Cook until no longer pink. Cool, shred or chop chicken into small pieces. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spread ranch dressing over pizza crust. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese. Place the tomatoes and then chicken on top of mozzarella, then top with cheddar cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I also made a strawberry pie a couple weeks ago for a family birthday party. It was a big hit, despite my fear of raw eggs. Oh, and it's from Paula Deen so of course it's delicious!

Strawberry and Cream Pie
8 T (1 stick) butter
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 eggs, beaten
one 8-inch graham cracker crust (I used a 9-inch and it fit perfectly)

Cream together butter and powdered sugar; add eggs. Beat ingredients until fluffy. Spread over crust. Add topping.

Topping:
1-1/2 cups sliced and sweetend strawberries, drained
1 cup whipped cream (I used 4-6 oz cool whip)

Fold strawberries into whipped cream. Spread over chilled pie. Chill for at least 8 hours. Garnish with whole berries and mint leaves.

Yummy new recipe

I'm copying Theresa and posting a yummy recipe. I got this out of the newspaper and was a little skeptic, but curious. It was submitted from Toni D's deli here in Wichita and now I want to eat there! It's very tasty and easy! My kind of food.

Chicken with rice and chickpeas
2 lbs. bone-in chicken breasts
water
2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1/4 cup butter or olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cans (16 oz. each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon

Place chicken breasts in a Dutch oven or large sauce pot and add enough water to just cover. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook about 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Let chicken stand in cooking liquid until cool enough to handle, then remove chicken. Discard the skin and shred meat. Skim off any impurities from the broth and pour it in a bowl.

Place rice in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover rice with water and microwave for 7 minutes on high. Drain off excess water. In the sauce pot, melt the butter and saute the onion until soft. Add the chickpeas and seasonings. Layer the chicken on top of the chickpeas, and the rice on top of the chicken.

Pour about 4 cups of the reserved broth over the rice, or enough to come just below the top of the rice. Bring to a boil, then cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook about 20 minutes, then turn off heat and let pot stand about 30 minutes. (I had to let it simmer about 40 minutes to get the rice tender.)

Serves 6-8