Baked Apple Pancake

This recipe came from a box of Hormel Little Sizzlers (our favorite sausage- we like the maple flavored ones). It is a quick, easy and delicious recipe for a special breakfast! Serve w/ a glass of cold milk.

Baked Apple Pancake

1 package Hormel sausage links, cooked, drained and sliced into pieces

1 medium apple, finely chopped

1 c. baking mix (like Bisquick)

2/3 c. milk

1 egg

2 tb. sugar

2 tb. melted butter

1/4 tsp cinamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

maple syrup (for serving)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine baking mix, milk, egg, sugar, butter and spices. Stir in apple and sausages. Spread in greased 9" pie plate. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and set in center. Slice and serve w/ maple syrup. YUM!!!

Ranch Cheddar Chicken

I got this recipe off a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, and we love it! It is so tender and yummy. The sauce is good enough to eat with a spoon.
Ranch Cheddar Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1 1/2 c. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (it really is the best!)
1 tb. flour
1/4 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
Cut chicken breasts in half. Mix dressing and flour. Dip each chicken piece in dressing mixture to coat. Place in baking pan. Pour any extra sauce on top. Mix cheeses, sprinkle on chicken. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes (the recipe says 350 for 45 minutes, but I bake all my chicken hotter and faster, it makes it more tender and juicy). YUM!

Turkey Avocado Wraps

I love to serve these in the warm months. They are quick, easy and delicious. I serve them with a simple fruit salad.

Turkey Avocado Wraps

4 large flour tortillas

12 slices deli turkey

grated cheese

alfalfa sprouts

1 avocado, mashed

1/4 c. ranch dressing

1 tomato, thinly sliced (optional)

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced (optional)

Mix mashed avocado and ranch dressing. Spread evenly on 4 tortillas. Layer tortillas with turkey, sprouts, cheese, and tomato & cucumber, if desired. Roll tightly, cut in half on diagonal. Serve with fresh fruit salad.

California Club Croissants & Cucumber Salad

I just love these sandwiches. They are so easy and delicious! I usually make them in the summer, but I needed a change so I made them a few weeks ago. The cucumber salad is really yummy, too, and makes an easy side dish for sandwiches or burgers.

California Club Croissants

4 deli croissants, large size

12 slices deli turkey

4 slices deli cheese (I like muenster, havarti or provolone)

1 avocado, sliced into 12 slices

Cut croissants in half. On bottom of each croissant layer 3 slices turkey, 1 slice cheese, and 3 slices avocado. Top with other half of croissant. Eat cold, or microwave for about 30 seconds each to melt cheese (we like it this way). I serve them with cucumber salad and fresh fruit salad.

Cucumber Salad

1 large cucumber

onion salt

mayonnaise

real bacon bits, optional

Peel cucumber. Slice into thin slices. In bowl, sprinkle with onion salt to taste. Let sit for 1/2 hour or longer (cucumber should soften a bit, and there should be liquid in the bowl). Drain off excess liquid, add enough mayo to coat and bacon bits, if desired. Serve cold. You can add more cucumbers to make enough for a picnic or potluck. You can also add sliced tomatoes if desired, I do this only in the summer when I have good garden tomatoes.

Real Comfort Food!

I love chicken noodle soup, or turkey noodle soup. When I'm sick, when it's cold outside, or just whenever I feel like it. It only takes about 30 minutes, and once you've made it yourself, the canned stuff just won't do. So here's my own recipe, after much experimentation to make it the very best. We all love it, and it's always the first thing I make with leftover turkey (along with turkey/cranberry sandwiches). I usually just make a basic chicken or turkey noodle soup with leftover cooked meat, but I sometimes add variations to make it a creamier soup, so I'll add those at the end of the recipe. Try it!

Chicken or Turkey Noodle Soup

2 tb. butter or canola oil

4 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and chopped 1/2 inch

1/2 med. onion, chopped

1/2 lb. baby carrots, cut in half

2 c. chopped cooked chicken or turkey

8-10 c. chicken broth (I use 10 c. water + 3 tb. bouillon granules)

1 tb. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. black pepper

8 oz. (1/2 package) egg noodles

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute celery, onion and carrots in butter/oil for about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, parsley and pepper. Bring to boil, turn down heat. Simmer about 10 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender. Add egg noodles and cook 7-8 minutes more. Add chicken or turkey and heat through. Serves about 6-8 hungry people.

*Variation for Creamy Chicken or Turkey Noodle Soup: Prepare as directed, adding 1 can cream of chicken soup or 2 c. homemade turkey gravy with the meat at the end. Heat through. If you need a good turkey recipe, just ask. I've got one that makes the best, most juicy, tender turkey and fabulous gravy. And it's easy!

Beautiful Brown Bananas

Most things are bad when they go bad, right? Except bananas! When bananas get over-ripe you can make the yummiest things! My 2 favorite things to make for snacks (or breakfast) when my bananas go brown are banana bread and chocolate-banana milk. I actually make banana pancakes, too, but I haven't made those in a while, so I don't have a pic. I have had many banana bread recipes over the years, but this is my favorite. Dustin brought some home that an old lady patient of his had made, and it was the best I'd ever had, so I told him he had to get the recipe. The secret is butter instead of oil, and 4 bananas instead of the typical 3. When I only have 1 or 2, I make chocolate-banana milk, my own recipe.

Best Banana Bread

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

4 mashed bananas

2 eggs

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch salt

3 tb. buttermilk (I mix 3 tb. milk and 1/2 tsp. lemon juice and let it sit a few minutes)

Cream butter and sugar. Add bananas and eggs. Add dry ingredients, then buttermilk. Pour into greased loaf pans (1 large, 3 small, or 24 muffins). Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes (large pan). 3 small pans takes about 25-35 minutes, muffins take about 20-25 minutes.

Chocolate Banana Milk

4 c. milk

1-2 bananas

chocolate syrup (as much as you like)

Mix all in blender until smooth. Serves 4. YUM!

Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp

This is the copycat recipe of Red Lobster's Coconut Shrimp. I got it from Todd Wilbur's cookbook Top Secret Restaurant Recipes. I've been wanting to try it for a while now, but neither Dustin nor I wanted to go to the liqueur store to get the necessary rum for the recipe. So while we were in El Paso, I asked Ray to get me some. Sarah and I tried the recipe that night and, oh my, was it delicious! Dustin, Sarah and Ray all proclaimed it as good as the original.

Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp

For the pina colada dipping sauce:

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. pina colada mix (liquid)

1/4 c. crushed pineapple

2 tb. sugar

For the shrimp:

6-10 c. canola oil (enough to deep fry)

12 lg. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 1/2 c. flour, divided

2 tb. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. milk

2 tb. Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay Coconut Rum

1 c. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/2 c. shredded coconut

Mix all pina colada sauce ingredients together, put in refrigerator to chill. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Butterfly the shrimp by making a cut about 2/3 of the way through the shrimp where the vein was. Put 3/4 c. flour in 1 bowl. Mix other 3/4 c. flour, sugar, salt, milk and rum in 2nd bowl. Let rest 5 minutes. Mix panko and coconut in 3rd bowl. Dip shrimp in flour, then batter, then coconut/panko mixture. Fry in hot oil for 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with pina colada dipping sauce. YUM!