Frozen Strawberry Pie

Who doesn't like fresh strawberries in the summer? Who doesn't love a frozen treat in the heat of the summer?

This is a fun easy pie that we like in the summer. You could probably use frozen strawberries instead, but we usually use fresh ones. This recipe makes two pies- you can make one for yourselves and take one to the neighbor.

1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups fresh strawberries chopped and mashed a little
1 12 oz carton of cool whip
2 chocolate crumb crusts

Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and strawberries. Fold in cool whip. Put in crusts and freeze 2-4 hours. Remove from freezer 20 minutes from serving so you can cut it.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies... An all time fav!

I found this recipe in a magazine and I really like it because it always turns out well (I seem to alway screw up cookies) and it only make a small batch (I can get about 2 dozen and a few ). That way the fam can eat them all in a few days before they get dried out and stale. And... because I have little will power when it comes to homemade chocolate chip cookies. As Kayla would say, I have a sweet tooth!

1/2 cup butter flavor shortening
1 cup sugar
1 TBSP molasses
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk- whichever you like)

Mix shortening and sugar until creamy. Add molasses , egg and vanilla- mix.
Add dry ingredients except oatmeal and mix- then add oatmeal- mix- add chips- mix. You know the rest of cooking making so I won't bore you with those directions. Cook at 350 for 8-10 min depending on your oven. Mine work best at 9 min. Remover from oven and let cook on pan for 5 min.

Turkey Burger Extrodinaire!!

I'm not a burger person. But I'll have to say I am for this recipe. It's made with ground turkey so it's much leaner and the flavor it superb!! Even my kids LOVE this one (with the exception of Alyssa- I think it's a texture thing with ground meat). Kayla will eat a whole burger- bun and all!! They fight over the leftovers the next day. Top it with light mayo, mustard, tomato and spinach instead of lettuce and this will be the HEALTHIEST burger you ever had. I toast the bun in the toaster a second to give it a little crunch. One more note before I get on to the recipe- I know you're on pins and needles waiting- I've tried the super lean (~93%) and the next leanest (~85%) to see if either make a difference in moistness and flavor. They both tasted the same and turned out equally good so you're probably better off to go with the leanest ground turkey you can buy.

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 portobello mushroom top (I buy the ones that are sliced (2 tops in a pkg and sliced lengthwise))- You just use one, but I have a great recipe that I will post that you can use the leftover mushroom top.
1/2 red pepper chopped fine
1/2 onion chopped fine
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic- minced
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
3 TBSP tomato paste
3 TBSP Italian parsley, chopped fine (in the fresh veggie section by the regular parsley and cilantro- use fresh and not dried parsley- you can definately tast a difference)
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix all ingredients together and shape into burgers. I can usually get 5 or 6 burgers. I sized them according to whose eating them (i.e.- I make Savannah a much smaller one than Dad). Remember though- burgers really shrink up when cooked. Place on a cooking sheet and place under broiler- 4 in. from heat. (I haven't yet tried on the grill- I'm always afraid I'll loose some of the burger through the slats) Turn. Cook until meat thermometer is 165. If you don't have a meat thermometer- WHAT KIND OF COOK ARE YOU!! J/K. Really, if you don't have one you really need one. This burger can seem pink from the tomato paste and red pepper. It may seem pink even though it's done and you don't want to keep cooking thinking it isn't done and end up serving a hockey puck for dinner. For the last few seconds- place a slice of cheese on top- we like the round provolone cheese that comes sliced already. Place on your toasted bun with your favorite fixings (mayo, mustard, spinach & tomato are our favs for this burger). ENJOY a great summer cookout with this recipe!!

Easy To Freeze Recipe:
You can double this recipe and freeze the 2nd half. It thaws easy and you have a super quick dinner!

Buttermilk French Toast

This recipe came from a friend in my previous ward. I don't know what her exact recipe was but I knew kind of what was in it so we improvised. It's hard to mess up french toast so just experiment yourselves.

French Toast Recipe
1 pint Buttermilk
6 eggs
2 TSP vanilla
Day old French Bread
Cinnamon

Mix buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Slice french bread and soak in egg mixture. Put in skillet and sprinkle cinnamon on it. Turn and cook other side. Serve with homemade syrup or strawberries and cream. Yummy!!!

Homemade Syrup recipe:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp Mapeline falvoring (an extract)
1 tsp vanilla

Cook until it boils and the sugar is disolved.

Just a note: This recipe is my mom's. I never grew up on "Store bought" syrup. We always made our own. It's so much better than the slimmy bottled stuff. I store the leftovers in a jam jar in the fridge and warm it up in the microwave whenever we need it.

Cinnamon Carrot Coins

Does your family LOVE cooked carrot? My family DOES!!! If they don't, I bet they will love these ones. These are easy and YUMMY!!

2lb bag fresh carrots
1/4 cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick)
4 TBSP brown sugar
4 TBSP orange juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Peel and slice carrots on a diagonal. Add all ingredients to a medium sized sauce pan. Cook over medium heat with lid on (stiring occasionally) until carrots are tender.

This is actually doubled so if you want to use a 1 lb bag of carrots 1/2 all the ingredients. I like to make this when we serve company so I use the 2 lb bag. My kids love this recipe and eat carrots like they are bunnies. But who wouldn't went they are cooked in brown sugar, cinnamon and orange juice.. not to mention butter. Hope your family enjoys this vegetable side dish as much as mine does.

Beef Stoganoff

Forgive this picture, it looks more orange than it should be. I assure you that it is just the lighting.

I had a great Beef Stroganoff recipe a few years back and it has come up missing. I had been wanting to make it but I couldn't for the life of me find my "good" recipe. So, I remembered all of the ingredients that went in it and used the internet to help me come up with the right porportions and came up with this recipe. I think it is just as good as my original recipe.

1 lb. Beef sirloin, cut into 1 inch strips
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 0z pkg mushrooms
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
2 TBSP flour
Medium Egg Noodles

Brown meat and set aside. Combine mushrooms, onion, garlic and olive oil. Cook until onion is tender. Add broth and let boil. Add ketchup, W. sauce, salt, pepper and stir. Add cooked meat. Stir flour into sour cream and add to beef mixture. Serve over Egg noodles.

Easy To Freeze:
You can freeze the leftovers or make a double batch and freeze half. It thaws easy and serve over fresh noodles. Another quick idea is to use leftove pot roast meat for the beef.

What to do with Leftover Easter Ham???

Do yo have OODLES of leftover Easter Ham? Have you been eating sliced Ham and funeral potatoes for 7 days? I have a few great recipes that you can use some of that leftover Ham in. Here they are:

Fettuccine & Ham Stir Fry

This recipe has been one in my collection for a few years but I've never tried it before. I was sad that I hadn't been enjoying it all this time because it was a real winner!! So YUMMY! My kids were skeptical at first but tried it and liked it. I had to really talk them into trying the asparagus and it wan't their favorite, but nobody died and they would eat it again. Brady and I really like asparagus so we really enjoyed this dish!! Here's the recipe:

1/2 box fettuccine noodles (about 6 oz)

1/2 lb. (a bunch is a lb) fresh asparagus. cut off the bottoms (1/2 of the spear) and then cut those small spears in half so half of your asparagus has tops and half is just stems

~1/2 lb. leftover ham cut into small cubes or julienned (long skinny strips)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 green onions chopped

2 tsp. rubbed sage (in the spice isle)

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

2 TBSP Olive Oil

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook the fettuccine. In a large skillet, saute the ham, walnuts, onion, sage and salt & pepper in the oil until onion is tender. Add the asparagus an dcook and stir until it is bright green and tender- don't overcook it!! Drain the fettuccine and toss with the ham mixture. Toss in the cheese and enjoy! This recipe fed us one night- NO Leftover of this much to Brady and my dismay.

Crockpot Beans & Ham

1 lb pinto beans (about 2 cups- check the bag for how much is 1 lb.) Cover them with plenty of water and soak them overnight.

3 cups of either water, beef broth, or ham juice (using the ham juice that was in the pan is so yummy. I saved all of the ham juice in a quart jar and used it for these beans twice at Christmastime)

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 lb. ham chopped up

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Put the soaked, washed bean into the crockpot. Cover with the water. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours or on high for ~6. Add more water during cooking if necessary. Great with Corn bread.

This recipe is Savannah's favorite thing for dinner. She'd eat this for dinner every night if I made it.