crock pot sweet and sour chicken

Despite what the recipe called it. I didn't think this tasted like sweet and sour chicken. It was a good saucy chicken in its own right, but not like any sweet and sour I have tasted.

The only changes I made was to cut the breasts in half so they would absorb more sauce, and after it was done I took some of the sauce out, added some corn starch, and brought it to a boil to make it thick. The kids really liked it with that sauce on top.

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken

from the Ivory Family Favorites Cookbook

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tblsp. vinegar

2 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce

4 Tblsp. Soy sauce

Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Combine other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Serve with rice.

chicken supreme

I know that this picture is not that appetizing. I really had no idea how to style this one for a picture. Let me just say this: three kinds of meat, one of which is BACON. That got Scott's attention. This was the main course of his Father's Day dinner.

I got this out of The Essential Mormon Cookbook, and we thought it was really good. Even the kids ate it. (I halved the recipe and baked it in a 8 inch square pan)

The recipe also called for 8 chicken breasts and then says to wrap bacon around the halves. I really think that it meant to call for 8 chicken breast halves in the ingredients.

This is also a great one for after church because it bakes while you are gone.

Chicken Supreme

2 (2.5- ounce) packages smoked, sliced pressed beef (lunch meat)

8 slices bacon

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves

2 cups sour cream (I used fat free)

2 (10 3/4 -ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup ( I used the reduced fat)

Put beef slices in a greased 9x13 inch pan. Roll a strip of bacon around each breast half. Fasten with toothpick. Layer over beef. Combine sour cream and concentrated soup. Pour over chicken. Cover. Refrigerate overnight. The next day bake, covered, at 300 for 3 to 4 hours. Serves 8.

buttermilk biscuits

I am not going to say that these biscuits will melt in your mouth or are like eating a cloud or any of the other things I have read about biscuits, but I will say they are pretty easy, pretty healthy, and pretty tasty. They are a lot better for you than those other biscuits that have shortening as a main ingredient so you can enjoy them more. At least I do.

It gives us a yummy bread addition to dinner, and gives me something to make with my cookie cutters besides cookies.

I tweaked a regular buttermilk biscuit recipe until I came up with this.

One more thing, when I use 100% whole wheat in a recipe it is whole wheat from hard white winter wheat as opposed to red. It is much lighter and better tasting than the red wheat.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour (I use whole wheat)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp sugar

1/4 cup applesauce (instead of oil)

1 cup buttermilk (I always make sour milk made with lemon juice and skim milk)

Mix dry ingredients. Mix applesauce and buttermilk together in a separate bowl. Add liquid to dry ingredients. barely moistening. Carefully roll out 1/2 inch thick; cut and bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. The less you handle the dough the lighter and fluffier the biscuits will be.

easy bbq pulled chicken

I love Lloyd's BBQ in the tubs. This recipe makes A LOT so you can freeze a bunch of it and have it ready to go for a lot less than Lloyd's. The picture above is some I pulled out of the freezer to reheat for dinner. This is also great to feed to a big group. It makes about 24 servings.

The best part is that it only has three ingredients, one of them is water, and you use a slow cooker. Can't get much easier.

My changes: We think it needs more sauce so after you shred it you can add another bottle of BBQ sauce, or everyone can just add some to taste on their own sandwiches.

Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken

(adapted from Ivory Family Favorites cookbook)

1 (4-pound) bag frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 (16 ounce) bottle BBQ sauce

1/2 cup water (recipe called for 1 cup but it was too soupy, better with 1/2 cup)

2 dozen buns or rolls

In the morning, place chicken breasts in the crock pot, frozen. Pour barbecue sauce and water over the top and cook all day on low heat. Before serving, shred chicken with two forks to pull it apart and mix in sauce well. Spoon onto buns or rolls. (Add more barbecue sauce as needed, see above note.)

creamy pineapple popsicles

We ran out of popsicles. It wasn't too surprising because they are eaten at a very quick rate around here.

Cali and I did a search for a recipe to make our own popsicles since we had picked up some popiscle molds a while back. We found a plethora of recipes, but this recipe was very simple and we had everything, so we picked it.

This basically made a yummy smoothie that we froze. If you don't have popsicles molds you can just freeze it and then blend it up again for a good frosty treat.

Verdict: Thumbs up from everyone. It made a good fat-free dessert since we used skim milk. (not sugar-free though, pick your battles.) It also made A LOT. It filled my blender to the brim.

The original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of sugar. I cut it to 1 cup becuase I was using a can of crushed pineapple in heavy syrup that I had bought on accident, and they were so sweet I think that it could be a permanent cut even with regular crushed pineapple.

Creamy Pineapple Popsicles

1 quart of milk (we used skim)

1 cup of sugar

1 can of crushed pineapple (20 oz) drained

2 tsp vanilla

Add all ingredients to blender.

Blend until smooth.

Pour into popsicles molds.

Freeze.

Enjoy.

lighten-up key lime pie

I haven't been posting to many light recipes lately, but here is a winner that is a perfect cool and refreshing summertime treat.

This pie is VERY fast and EASY to throw together, especially if you start with a store-bought graham cracker crust. It contains the magical ingredients of Cool Whip and Jello which are certainly mysterious substances, but I love them just the same.

Was it good? Yes. Everyone had to have seconds of this one. It was refreshing, light, and deliciously creamy. It held its shape well for cutting also so it is good for serving to other people. (You can serve your family globs of pie moosh, but not company)

On a related note: I have a recipe we LOVE for a frozen pink lemonade pie, but I don't have a good picture of it. I will have to make one soon so I can eat it, I mean post it.

5 minute Key lime Pie

recipe from Keebler Ready Crusts

1/4 cup water

1 package (4 serving size) sugar-free lime gelatin

2 containers (6 oz) fat-free key lime pie yogurt

1 tub (8 oz) frozen reduced-fat Cool Whip, thawed

1 graham cracker crust, reduced fat

1. In a microwave-safe measuring cup heat water on high for 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes or until boiling. Whisk in gelatin until dissolved.

2. In a large bowl whisk together gelatin mixture and yogurt. Fold in whipped topping. Carefully spread in crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or until set.

3 Garnish as desired. Store in refrigerator.

Yeild: 8 servings

chewy cereal bars

Looking for a fast summertime treat or a way to use up some cereal?

I had cereal in the cupboard that wasn't getting eaten, and two half-eaten bags of marshmallows. One bag was hard the other was mooshy. These cereal bars were the result of those two problems.

These are really just rice crispy bars made with Honey Bunches of Oats and Cheerios. I'm sure its been done before, but I used anything but good old rice crispies myself. Scott asked me if they were healthy. Umm, the cereal is made with whole grains and they put a lot of vitamins in. :)

I added some extra vanilla because I love vanilla. The cereal and marshmallows that were heading for the trash became a delicious treat that was gone in a day.

Chewy Cereal Bars

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 package large marshmallows

6 cups of cereal (I used 5 cups of Honey Bunches of Oats and 1 cup Cheerios)

2 tsp. vanilla

In a large saucepan melt butter or margarine over low heat.

Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.

Stir in vanilla.

Add cereal and stir until well coated.

Press into a greased 9X13 inch pan, using a buttered spoon or spatula to press it down.

Allow to cool and then cut into bars.

fruit cocktail cake

I loved this cake as a child. It's the first from-scratch cake I can remember making. Its a pudding-y cake with chunks of fruit in it. I have been looking for a reason to make it for a long time, and the other day my reason came. I was down to my last cans of fruit cocktail in my pantry.

Here's my big disappointment. No one else in my family would eat it.

Oh well, I still like it, but probably won't make it because I don't enjoy eating an entire cake by myself.

Okay, so I do enjoy eating an entire cake by myself, but I regret it soon afterwards.

I'm stressing the point that this is a super-moist-spongy cake. Cali thought it was too mushy.

This is really more of a grown-up cake and I think this would be great to serve at a brunch. Its wonderful warm with some whipped cream.

Here's the thing: I was posting this recipe and got to this point and couldn't find the actual recipe I used. (It was on a little scrap of a label.) I got this recipe from recipezaar because it looks approximately the same and had good reviews. If you try it and it doesn't turn out, let me know.

Fruit Cocktail Cake

1 (16 ounce) can Fruit Cocktail

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar (I reduced it to 2/3 cup)

1 beaten egg

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tblsp. canola oil

Grease a two quart casserole dish.

Mix all ingredients (included the juice or syrup from the fruit cocktail) in a medium bowl.

Pour into casserole dish.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes