Dragonfire Chicken

Don't let the name of this recipe fool you--I am a total wuss about spicy food and I really love this recipe. If you wanted to make it hotter, you could leave the seeds in the jalapenos; however, I don't want hot, so I remove every little bitty seed. It's delicious and a great way to use some of those wonderful summer fruits!

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey

3 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 Tablespoon diced onion

3/4 teaspoon salt

Make the marinade by combining all the ingredients in a blender on high speed for 1 minute.

Then, grab a gallon Ziploc bag or you could use a Tupperware or some such container. Place the marinade in your chosen bag/container and add three large chicken breasts which you have pounded flat with a mallet. Allow these to marinate for at least 2-3 hours (I always do more because I do the marinade in the morning and the rest later.)

Pineapple Pico de Gallo:

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup canned sliced pineapple--I prefer the flavor of fresh

1/2 cup diced red onion

2 Tablespoons minced cilantro

4 teaspoons minced jalapeno

2 Tablespoons lime juice (or a little more)

1/8 teaspoon salt (I eyeball it)

Make the pineapple pico de gallo by combining all ingredients. Remember, this is a pico and you want to try and get a little bit of every flavor in each bite, so you will be chopping/dicing tiny, tiny, tiny! Store the pico in your fridge till you're ready to use it. As a side note--if you double the recipe, you could serve it with chips too. I like to chop up the rest of the pineapple and use it as a side dish with the chicken.

Kung Pow Sauce:

1/4 cup water

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 teaspoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon chili sauce

1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

Make the Kung Pow sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium to medium high heat. When the mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or however long it takes to thicken it a bit. Remember, it will thicken a bit on its own after you turn off the heat.

When the chicken is done marinating, preheat BBQ grill to medium heat (I used my George Foreman type grill to keep it all inside and easy). Slice your chicken breasts if you prefer--I do. Place the chicken on the grill for 5-6 minutes per side or about 6-7 minutes total on an indoor grill. Serve chicken drizzled with Kung Pow sauce and Pico de Gallo topping. Delicious!!!

Cooking bacon in the oven

Time Required: 20 minutes

1. Line a baking sheet with foil. This will make cleanup easier later.
2. Arrange bacon slices on the foil and place the baking sheet on the center rack of a cold oven. Close oven door. Turn oven on to 400°F.
3. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes. As soon as the bacon is golden brown, but not excessively crisp, it's done.
4. Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the bacon to another sheet pan lined with paper towels to absorb the fat.

TIPS:

1. Don't pre-heat the oven! Make sure the oven is cold when you put the bacon in.
2. Keep your eye on the bacon during the final few minutes of cooking to make sure that it doesn't burn. Also, remove the cooked bacon from the hot pan right away. The heat from the pan and the hot bacon fat will continue cooking the bacon.

Kimberly's Fruit Dip

1whole Cream Cheese {thawed}
1 large bottle of Marshmallow Cream

Stir together and serve, Voila!
This is so easy and so yummy!

Good Water

Good Water
5 quarts water
3 C sugar
1 Tbsp lemon extract
1 Tbsp citric acid
3 sliced lemons
1/2 pkg of ice
Mix ingredients together in a large container. Serves 30
You can get citric acid at the health food store.
Once you serve it, you will get lots of requests!

Baked Spaghetti

1 Tbsp. Oil
1 lb. Ground beef
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cans tomato soup
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Thyme leaf
6 ounce tomato paste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
2 can sizes of water
1 minced garlic clove
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. basil leaf
3/4 lb Spaghetti Noodles
Make Pasta accordingly.
While pasta is boiling, mix together oil, onion, thyme, Italian seasoning, garlic clove, and basil leaf in small bowl. Microwave for one minute. Set aside.
Brown ground beef, drain.
Add mixture.
Stir in soup, paste, water, salt, pepper, bay leaf and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Cook on low for 15 minutes. Add pasta.
Put in 8x10 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Hula Muffins

Hula Muffins
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup veg. oil
2 eggs
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Heat oven to 425, stir sugar, oil, eggs, carrots and pineapple in medium bowl until mixed. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Spoon batter into cups. Bake 13-17 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.

Peanut Butter Squares

This is an old family favorite and I figured out why they've been so sticky as of late!!

Ingredients:
1c. butter (softened NOT melted)
1c. peanut butter
2c. powdered sugar
1 pack + 3more graham crackers {Here's the fix!!}

12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips {melted}

Instructions:
Put graham crackers in a ziploc and smash them until VERY fine with a rolling pin.
Mix the first four until uniform and spread in a large cookie sheet.
Cover with melted chocolate.
I refrigerate to make it set faster and leave it in when it's not being eaten to keep it fresh.

YUMMY

Arabele Noble's Potato Rolls (Those wonderful Friday rolls)

This is the recipe my mom used. (I use a Bosch mixer)

2 cups milk
2 cups potato water (with a little mashed potato in it)
2 teaspoon salt
1 cube of butter
1 cup sugar

Add all ingredients together, heat until butter is melted.
When the mixture is cool, add enough flour to make a thin batter.
Then add 6 beaten eggs.
2 Tablespoons yeast (3 if you are in a hurry).
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Then add enough flour to make dough just right (about 9 1/4 c. total?)
Let rise till double.  Roll out about 3/8 inch thick.  Cut into circles. Brush with melted butter and mark center fold line with a knife but be careful not to cut through. Fold and seal edge with a fork.  Place in 11x17 cookie sheet 9 rows of 4 works.  Makes 7 dozen rolls.

Heat oven to 400 then turn down to 375 and bake for 15 minutes.
(Try 350 for 20 minutes)  Brush with butter after baking.

Hawaiian Haystacks- Best Sauce Ever!

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law and it has forever changed Hawaiian Haystacks for me! This sauce is amazing.. I'll never go back to cream of chicken soup!

Sauce:

1/4 c. poultry gravy

1 1/4 c. water

3 chicken bouillon cubes

2 c. chicken broth

2 Tbs soy sauce

4 Tbs. corn starch

Mix first two ingredients over low-med heat. Add next three. Then slowly stir in corn starch. turn up your heat and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for a few minutes.. ready to serve! The sauce will be very watery until you bring it to a boil and the starch kicks in.. so don't panic :)

I like to add the chicken right in the sauce. In fact, your food storage canned chicken goes perfect in this and makes it almost entirely a food storage meal!

To assemble your haystack (everyone does it their own way):

Rice

Sauce

Chicken (if not in sauce)

Then any of the following: cheese, pineapple,chow mein noodles, slivered almonds, celery, coconut, mandarin oranges, tomatoes, scallions, etc!

YUMMY!!!

Just for fun here are the proportions doubled- in case you're feeding a few families:

1/2 c. poultry gravy

2 1/2 c. water

6 bouillon cubes

4 c. chicken broth

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. corn starch

Chuck Roast Recipe

This recipe is from Susan Taylor
1 chuck roast --BROWN on all sides until almost burned, loading on lots of  SEASON: I used - garlic salt, seasoning salt, pepper, and basil. But whatever you like to use -- and really it's using quite a bit on all sides and just let it brown. The near-burning forms a thin crust.
COVER and COOK in pot for 3-4 hours on 290- 325 degrees. Then ADD in cut up vegetables the last hour. c Cook the roast for 2 1/2 hrs on 290 deg, then put the potatoes and onions in, raised the temp to 325 deg and cooked it for one more hour -- total 3 1/2 hours.
Fool proof recipe! You can also put in carrots and celery with the potatoes and onions. Whatever vegies you want.