So Easy!

Growing up this was a favorite Relief Society Dish. It is super easy and yet tastes different then the usually recipes with cream of something soup and cream cheese. I bet you could do it in a crock pot if you wanted too, but I would probably always do in in a baking pan.

Catalina Chicken

1 (8oz.) bottle of Catalina -I always use light dressing
1 env. dry onion soup
1 can whole cranberry sauce
4-6 chicken breasts

mix all ingredients together and pour over the chicken breasts. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes. You can cover with foil if you want.

Serve with rice. I like to use brown rice to make it more healthy.

Egg Noodle Recipes

Stroganoff

I like this version. It is simple and the beef flavor was mild enough for me to really enjoy every bite. I have beef issues. :O)

1 lb. "cubed" steak cut into bite size chunks
1 onion
1 1/2 cup water
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 can water
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can mushrooms drained

Brown steak with onion. Add 1 1/2 cup water cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Then add cream of mushroom soup, can of water, mushrooms, and sour cream. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve on egg noodles. I like to use the no yolk noddles, healthier.

Cheesy Sour Cream Egg Noddles

2 cups sour cream
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan
1 TB butter
1/2 to 1 tsp chicken bullion

Cook your noodles and drain them. Keeping then very hot return them to their pan and add in all the other ingredients. Stir well and serve right away. So easy and still very yummy.

Cream Cheese Egg Noddles

I have never made this. I just made it up as I wrote this. If you try it let me know if it is any good. :O)

1/2 onion chopped in fine pieces
2 TB butter
1 package cream cheese 1/3 less fat would be smart
1/2 cup hot water from the noddle pot
2 tsp chicken bullion - total guess :)
1/2 cup Parmesan
dash of red pepper flakes
dash of garlic powder

While cooking the noddles saute the onion in butter. Cook the noodles and drain them reserving 1/2 of the hot water. Add all the other ingredients to the onions and cook until the cheeses are melted and flavors are blended. Pour the sauce over noddles and enjoy.

Italian Pasta and Dessert - No need to go to Olive Garden!

Pasta With Creamy Tomato Sauce

This recipe is from my favorite cooks American's Test Chicken. They don't try to make things easy they try to make thing really authentically yummy. So if you are up for something that will take some time and want to try some knew things you would have to pay $20 dollars for at a nice Italian restaurant then I high recommend this. Some nights its all about cheap fast food but others it a time for me to stretch my cooking muscles and discover that I cook like a chef if I work for it! We really liked this. And its not too un-healthy it only calls for half a cup of cream so its not too bad.

This pasta is best served with a short pasta like ziti, penne, or fusillli.

3 TB unsalted butter
1 ounce prosciutto, mined (about 2 TB) - I found it by the deli at walmart so you should be able
to get it too
1 mall onion diced fine
1 bay leaf
Pinch of Red Pepper flakes
Table Salt
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press
2 TB tomato paste
2 ounces oil packed sun dried tomatoes, drained, and patted dry, and chopped coarse ( about 3
table spoons
1/2 cup dry white wine (I substituted with chicken broth)
2 cups crushed tomatoes 28 ounce can (they were out at my store so I used petite diced
tomatoes)
1 pound pasta
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Grated Parmesan cheese

Strawberries and Homemade Lemon Ice Cream

I don't think this is Italian but it seems like it works well enough. It reminds me of Italian ice and ice cream though I know it isn't much like either of them. But it is just as good! I think this is perfect in the Spring and Summer. Its full of Bright Fresh flavors and honestly it is super easy. I also like it not frozen. I do a reverse. Frozen sweetened strawberries and the cream not frozen just whipped. Have fun with it and make it your own.

Juice from 3 small lemons or 2 large lemons
lemon Zest from 3 small lemons or 2 large lemons
1/4 to 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 baskets Strawberries
1/8 cup sugar

In a large bowl mix the lemon juice, 2/3 thirds of the lemon zest and sugar. Then add the Heavy whipping cream and mix on high until it is a soft whipped cream texture. test to make sure it has a strong lemon flavor that is tart bu still sweet. Then cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Remove the frozen lemons when desert time has arrived. Rinse and cup your strawberries. add sugar until as sweet as you like it . With an ice cream scoop, scoop out some frozen lemon whipped cream into a serving dish. Then spoon some strawberries on top. For a final touch sprinkle the top with some lemon zest. It is pretty, rich , and still very refreshing. Sounds like a prefect spring desert to me! :O)

Healthy Mexican Feast

This dinner is one of my Favorite Summer and Spring Mexican feasts. It is fresh, healthy and Oh, so yummy!

Mexican Dry Soup - Sopa Seca

I love this! It's a classic of my mom's. It is nice to have a side dish other then refried beans and Spanish rice when its a mexican night. It is fresh and so good. A nice change at least! And honestly it taste very Mexican, not Italian at all!

1 to3 TB oil
18 to 14 oz package of Mexican broken vermicelli
1 can petite diced tomatoes
chicken bullion to taste
pepper
Basil 1/4 tsp maybe
1/2 onion chopped in small pieces
1/2 green bell pepper chopped in small pieces
2 cups chicken broth
Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet. When hot add the vermicelli. Saute until the noddles start to brown to a light golden brown. can burn so watch carefully. then add onion and bell pepper. let that saute some more to slightly cook that veggies and continue browning noodles. when the noddles are a nice light brown and the veggies are a little soft add the can of tomatoes. stir in the pepper, Basil, and bullion. Then add the chicken broth. reduce the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer 10 minutes or until the soupiness is gone and the noddles are tender. Remove from heat and sprinkle generously with Parmesan and recover until ready to serve. This one of our favorites!

Bean Salad

1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 can corn drained
1 green bell pepper diced into small pieces
1/2 onion diced into small pieces
garlic to taste (powder or fresh chopped works)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (adjust to taste)
1 tsp chicken bullion (adjust to taste)
Romain lettuce rinsed and chopped
"Salad Jazz "Chili Lime Salad seasoning (I get it at Walmart by the produce and/or salad dressings) its spicy so add it slowly and keep gage the flavor to see when it is enough for your taste.
*tomato, cilantro, and avocado are good additions too

drain canned goods and chop the pepper and onion and mix together in a large bowl. stir in the garlic. Then add the oil, vinegar, bullion, and chili lime flavoring ( I have never used the whole thing so don't add too much) mix and let the flavors meld. Then rinse and chop your lettuce. Arrange it on a large plater. Spread the bean salad on the center of the lettuce. making sure the the juices make it on the lettuce too. Then serve and enjoy. You can sprinkle a little cheese if you would like. I also like to add tomato and avocado too!

Super Easy Healthyish Chicken!

I found these marinades at the store and have fallen in love with them. I like them because they aren't like tha bottles types that add a lot of sugar to your chicken. These are sugar free and very flavorfull! And so easy!

1 to 2 pound Chicken (I prefer to use chicken breats cut in half so theya ren't so thick, this makes it easier to have tender juicy meat)
1 packet McCormick Grill Mates Marinade - Okay these are great our favorites are the Grill Mates MESQUITE Marinade Mix and Grill Mates ZESTY HERB Marinade Mix and want to try the Grill Mates HICKORY BBQ Marinade Mix soon. For a Mexican night I I like the Mesquite the best

Marinade as directed ( I never need more then 15 minutes to get intense flavor) and then either grill, broil, heat it up on your foreman grill or cook in a frying pan. So little fat and major yummy flavor!

* I have also added thick sliced bell pepper and onion to the marinade and then cooked along side the meat to make yummy easy Fajitas.

Dessert

Either of these deserts is great. I made these when I was kid. We had two orange trees and one tangerine tree in our back yard so these were treats I made often. These are especially great during the spring and hot summer months.

The Real Orange Julius

Four Tangerines or Clementines (1 for each person)
Lite whipped cream

Peel and separate the tangerine sections. Remove excess white stuff on the outside of the sections. Arrange in a circular pattern on a plate with a soup bowl in the center. Sprinkle the tangerines with a little water and then sprinkle with a little white sugar. Put in the freezer. Half an hour before you want to eat desert remove the tangerine halves from the freezer to slightly thaw. Fill the bowl with the whipped topping. Serve. People can dip their tangerine pieces in the whipped topping. so good!

Oranges? -yeah you'll like this better then ice cream!

4 ripe firm oranges
powdered sugar

Cut oranges in rings 1/4 inch thick. Then cut through the peel and then peel it away from the orange itself. arrange the slices nicely on a serving plate. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Before serving put 1/2 powdered sugar in a fine strainer and dust the oranges until they have a adequate dusting of sugar. Serve and fall in love with oranges all over again!

*to jazz these up for company add in other fruits as well. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are my favorite to serve along with these simply fresh deserts.