Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Ingredients:

8 oz linguine
1 cup broccoli florets
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into 1.5 inch pieces
2 cups white sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp ground black pepper


Instructions:

Cook linguine. Add the broccoli during the last 4 minutes of the cooking time. Drain well. Stir together white sauce, cheese, pepper, chicken, linguine, and broccoli in a 10-inch skillet over med-high heat until heated through. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken with Potatoes

Serves 6

One 3-4 pound broiler/ fryer
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 small lemon
1/4 tsp paprika
3 T minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
6-12 very small, unpeeled potatoes

Rinse chicken. Put one bouillon cube inside the cavity. Squeeze lemon, reserving juice. Put lemon rinds in cavity. Put the chicken in the slow cooker, breast side up, and sprinkle with the paprika and parsley. Distribute the onion wedges and garlic around the chicken. Pour over the soy sauce and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Crumble the remaining bouillon cube, and sprinkle that over the chicken as well. Top with the potatoes. Cover and cook on HIGH until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees F, 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. To serve, discard the lemon halves and portion the potatoes, chicken, and onions into bowls, discarding the skin and bones. Spoon some of the liquid over each serving.

Best-Ever Hot Cocoa Mix

Makes about 20 servings

3 cups nonfat dry milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Combine ingredients in large bowl. Working in two batches, pulse ingredients in food processor until chocolate is finely ground (I used a clean coffee bean grinder for the chocolate chips and then added the ground chocolate to the rest of the ingredients).



Store in airtight container for up to 3 months.

To make hot cocoa, stir 1/3 cup of this mix into 1 cup of hot milk. Top with whipped cream or mini marshmallows.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole

From here

Ingredients
1 16-ounce package frozen cauliflower florets
1 16-ounce package frozen broccoli cuts
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/4 cups milk
2 3-ounce packages cream cheese with chives, cut up
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs (about 1 slice of bread)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

Directions
1. Cook broccoli and cauliflower according to package directions. Drain well. Place in a large saucepan. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook onion in the 2 tablespoons margarine or butter until tender but not brown. Stir in flour, salt, garlic powder, basil, and pepper. Add milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cream cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Stir into vegetable mixture. Turn into a 2-quart casserole.
3. Toss together bread crumbs, cheese, and the 2 tablespoons melted margarine or butter. Sprinkle over vegetable mixture. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 12 servings.

Thick Corn and Vegetable Soup

1/4 c olive oil
2 T butter
2 medium onions, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
dash cayenne
12 c vegetable stock
1 t salt
black pepper
1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1- 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2" dice
1 c 1/2" diced butternut squash
1 c finely chopped fresh parsley
2 c frozen corn

Heat oil and butter in large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until tender, about 10 mins. Stir in the next 7 ingredients, bay leaves through tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add beans, carrots, potatoes, squash, half the parsley, and return to a boil. Lower heat and cook at a lively simmer for 30 mins. Stir often. Mix in the corn and the remaining 1/2 c parsley, and cook for 5 mins. Discard bay leaf. (Optional- make dumplings on this soup. Serve with one dumpling in each bowl.)

Chicken With Golden Raisins:

flour
6 bone in chicken thighs with skin on
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 cup red wine
1 t salt
1/8 t black pepper
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c or more golden raisins

Put flour in pie plate and dredge chicken, coating both sides and shaking off excess. Melt butter in large skillet over med- high heat. When it foams, add chicken, skin side down, and cook until deep golden brown on both sides, 5-7 mins per side. Transfer to slow cooker. Add wine to the pan and swish around. Pour over the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Stir in the cream and raisins. Cover, cook on high 1 hour.

carrot cake

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1.5 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup crushed and drained pineapple
1/2 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350 F (325 F if using nonstick aluminum pans). Grease and flour two 9 " round cake pans.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In another large bowl, mix sugar and oil. Beat in eggs with electric mixer. Stir in carrots, nuts, pineapple and raisins. Stir in flour mixture. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake for 45 minutes (35 if using nonstick aluminum) or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove pans from the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool for 15 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans. Finish cooling on the rack.



Cream Cheese Icing:

16 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
2.5 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl cream together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer. Add the vanilla and mix. Beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again.

Place one of the completely cooled cakes on cake stand and spread some of the icing on the top. Place the other cake on top and use the rest of the icing on the sides and top of the cake.