Tasty Tuesday: Blueberry-Almond Granola

This recipe comes from one of our members, Kristin! Thanks for submitting such a great recipe.

Do you have a recipe you love and want others to enjoy too? Post it in our Cookbook forum.

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 T vegetable oil
2 T honey
1 cup dried blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350*. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss oats, coconut, and almonds. In a small bowl, stir together oil and honey. Pour over oat mixture and toss. Bake, tossing occasionally until lightly toasted, 16 to 20 minutes.

2. Place mixture in a large bowl and stir in blueberries. (To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 1 month.)

Tasty Tues: Chicken Chili

Nothing beats a huge bowl of chili on a cold winter's day and my husband is the biggest chili fan! I was sick of the classic chili over and over again, so I created this chili myself using chicken instead of burger to spice things up! I find it has just the right kick of spice for our family!

NEEDED:
4 breasts cooked and diced
1 can chicken broth (used to cook the chicken breasts)
1 can chili beans
1 can navy beans
1 can black beans
10 oz can of enchilada sauce
2 cans mexican style stewed tomatos (with chilis in it)
1 1/2 cups grated monterey jack or coby jack cheese
2 cups salsa (can add more if you like yours spicy!)
Chili Powder to taste (more if you like it spicy, less if not)

TO make:
Place all items in a giant pot on your stove. Simmer on med heat for about two hours stiring every so often to prevent sticking. Serve with corn bread or bread sticks. Also great with tortilla chips..or Fritos.. topped with a bit of left over grated cheese and sour cream! mmm good!

Tasty Tuesday: Cheese Burger Chowder

Here is one of my family's all time favorite soups. Perfect for chilly fall days like today! it is so creamy and just plain amazing!

1/2 pound hamburger meat
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped finely
Salt and pepper to taste
Dried basil and parsley to taste
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced potatoes or a bag of frozen hashbrowns
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

To Make:

1. Brown the hamburger on medium to medium-high heat.
2. Drain the ground beef, but retain a bit of the fat to sautee the vegetables.
3. Add onion, carrot and celery to the soup pot. Add salt, sautee on medium low heat until onions are soft.
4. Add basil, parsley and pepper, and cook for a minute or two more, and add the broth and potatoes.
5. Return the beef to the soup pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer while you make the cheese sauce.
6. While the soup is simmering, melt the butter in a medium sized sauce pan.
7. Add the flour to the butter a small amount at a time, being sure to stir it in completely before adding more.
8. After all the flour has been added, cook the mixture for a minute or two. This will remove the raw flour taste.
9. Remove the flour/butter mixture from the heat. Add milk a bit at a time, making sure to stir completely to remove lumps.
10. Once the milk is added and the mixture is smooth, return it to the heat. Once it is hot, you can start adding the shredded cheese a bit at a time, making sure it gets melted in before adding more.
11. Add a cup or so of the broth the cheese sauce to help thin it, and to raise the temperature.
12. Add the cheese sauce and the sour cream to the soup.

Notes If you want to turn this cheeseburger soup recipe into a bacon cheeseburger soup recipe, then cook up some crispy bacon and sprinkle it into the soup just before serving.

Also, if you really miss the bun, try serving the soup with some toasted sourdough bread. Great for dipping into the soup!

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Chip Candy

I have a sweet tooth.. a really bad sweet tooth! So when it comes to easy candy to make.. this one is on the list!

1 (18 ounce package) of chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (choose your favorite, I LOVE lightly salted cashews)
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

To Make:
Mix chips over low heat with your sweetened condensed milk. Remove from heat and stir in the nuts and vanilla. Spread the mixture over a wax paper lined 8x8 inch cookie sheet. Chill

Tasty Tip:
Make a bunch and wrap them in pretty colored wrap as gifts for teachers, friends or even neighbors.. or you could always send some to me!

Tasty Tuesday: Cookies!!

Did you know that October is NATIONAL COOKIE MONTH! .. just what you needed to hear right?? of course I have never needed a reason to bake.. but this little tid bit made me drool and want to bring out the cookie sheets even more!

So in honnor of celebrating National Cookie Month.. I decided I would share my personal favorite cookie recipe with you!

Monster Cookies

Needed:

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup MnM candies

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant!)


To The Baking! :

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. (or GREASE YOUR PAN WELL)


In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal.

Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake.

Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

It makes 3 dozen cookies!!! but trust me these cookies move so fast.. that you will be glad you have a lot! because that way you may actually get one! *L*


Cookie Tip:

One of the most frequently asked questions when baking cookies is: how do you cut down preparation time for parties or special events? The answer is simple; freeze your dough or cookies ahead of time.
Most cookie dough freezes extremely well and can be kept frozen for up to 4 or 6 weeks. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the dough will absorb any odd odors present in your freezer if it's not properly wrapped and sealed. To prevent odors from creeping into the dough, as well as preventing freezer burn, wrap the dough securely twice. Also make sure that the dough is placed away from fish or any other strong smelling items in the freezer. Oxygen is another leading cause of freezer burn. If you should decide to put the dough into a freezer bag instead of wrapping with plastic wrap then follow this tip: when closing the bag, leave a ¼-inch gap in one corner. Insert a drinking straw, suck out all excess air in the bag, and then close tightly.

When you are ready to bake, simply let the dough defrost in the refrigerator. It will take several hours to thaw the dough, so plan ahead. The types of cookie dough that freeze the best are shortbreads, chocolate chip, peanut butter, sugar, and brownies, just to name a few. The types of cookie dough that do not freeze well are those for cake-like cookies and cookies that have a very smooth, runny batter.

Freezing baked cookies is a great way to preserve their freshness. Baked cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 3 or 4 weeks. Follow the same steps as when freezing dough by double-wrapping the cookies. When you are ready to eat your frozen cookies, just let them come to room temperature. Or for you impatient types, pop them in the microwave on high for about 30 seconds. We still haven't come across a baked cookie that doesn't freeze well. So when planning your next special event, think about preparing and freezing ahead of time.

Tasty Tuesday: Easy Manicotti

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to cook! I have been fond of cooking ever since I remember. My father was the great cook in our household, my mother never did cook well at all, and I remember being a little child and helping my father in the kitchen creating one of his masterpieces. He installed in me his love for cooking and taught me tons of little tad-bits and secrets about creating amazing food in the kitchen.

Today, I still love to cook and I still use those same secrets my father shared with me way back when I was young. But, along the way I also picked up many more tips and helpful hints from others around the world to better myself in the kitchen.

I have also picked up many amazing recipes along the way to serve to my family. Of course, I hold dear the recipes passed down to me from my family, but I also enjoy learning new recipes. There is nothing greater than creating something new and exciting for your family to try.

I am happy to share my love for cooking with my own children as my father did with me. My children love to help me out in the kitchen and while it might take longer to create supper with their help, I enjoy sharing my knowlege with them. My daugther has that same passion for food as I do. I can see already that she loves to cook as much as her mother. And let me tell you this, my son can flatten cookie dough into perfectly shaped cookies in no time flat!

From now on, every Tuesday.. I plan to share a recipe with my friends here at My Great Retreat blog. Call it Tasty Tuesday... along with these great recipes, I will share one tip I have learned along the way to make things easier for you around the kitchen.

This week's recipe comes from my amazing sister. She is a huge pasta fan and loves to make Manicotti. This is her personal recipe!

My daughter and her just surprised me last night with a batch of this yummy stuff. My sister taught my daughter how to make it and allowed her to create her own pan to take home for dinner. My daughter was ever so careful to stuff the noodles so they would not break and my sister showed her how to use a mixer to get the cheese nice and creamy! My daughter was so proud of herself for making dinner for the all of us.

Easy Manicotti

12 large manicotti or Large Shell noodles (I always make a few extra noodles in case of noodle breakage!)
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese.. or a mixture! *L*
2 tablespoons basil
26 ounces pasta sauce
parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook manicotti shells per the instructions on the package. I tend to watch them carefuly as you do not want them over-cooking.. I find that firmer noodles are easier to work with.
Rinse pasta, let cool, and pat dry.
Combine mozzarella, ricotta cheese, and basil in a bowl. (If you do not have 2 cups ricotta, I have used 1 cup cottage cheese and 1 cup ricotta as well). I like to mix the cheese with a hand mixture to make sure the
mixture in nice and smooth.
Stuff manicotti shells with cheese mixture. Spoon works good! You have to be very careful with stuffing the shells, as they tend to break easy.. and trust me I have broken quite a few in my day!
Spoon some pasta sauce on bottom of greased 9x13-inch pan. Make sure bottom as a layer of sauce.
Add stuffed pasta to pan and pour remaining pasta sauce over the top.
Bake at 350°F degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.
Serve with breadsticks or garlic bread!

For More great recipes and kitchen tips check out My Great Retreat