No Bake Eclair Cake

Ooooooh buddy, you are in for a treat with this tasty and SUPER easy cake. This is probably one of my favorite desserts on the planet. Give this one a shot and let me know what you think.

1 Box Graham crackers
2 3.5 oz boxes instant vanilla pudding ( I actually prefer to use banana creme pudding)
1 large 16 oz? container Cool whip (thawed)
1 container prepared chocolate frosting
3 cups milk

In a mixing bowl combine pudding mixes and milk and whisk together. Place mixture in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes to allow it to slightly set up. Next mix the Cool Whip with the prepared pudding mixture and whisk together until well blended. Begin the layering process by placing a single layer of graham cracker in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. You might have to break them into odd shaped pieces to make them fit since most baking dishes have rounded corners. Not to worry, you will never be able to tell once you see the finished product. Using a rubber spatula spread half of the pudding/cool whip mixture over the first layer of graham crackers. Place another layer of graham crackers over the pudding followed by the remaining cool whip/pudding mixture followed by one more layer of graham crackers. Heat the frosting in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds so it is runny and a little easier to work with. Pour frosting over the top layer of graham crackers and use the back of a spoon to spread evenly over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours but better if you do it overnight. This is a VERY important step and not one you can skip. Thanks to my sister-in-law Kelli for introducing me to this recipe a few years back. It is the BEST!!!!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

I know most people think of making Zucchini Bread in the early fall when their gardens are overflowing with the stuff. I happen to have a few zucchinis in the fridge that I needed to find a use for and decided to make some spring time zucchini bread. I really love this recipe because the bread comes out so soft and with the perfect amount of sweet and chocolate. Give this a try, you won't be disappointed.

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 Tablespoon honey
4 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine eggs, oil, sugars, vanilla and honey and mix well. Now sift together the flour, cinnamon, soda, powder and salt and add to wet ingredients. Mix well and lastly add in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour mixture into 2 regular greased and LIGHTLY floured loaf pans or 3 small loaf pans. Put into preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let loaves cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. ENJOY!!!

Yogurt Chicken

I love this meal because it uses up leftover plain unflavored yogurt, which I happen to use a bunch in cooking. I first tried this recipe when I saw it on the Pioneer Woman's blog and made a few changes to make it my own.

8 Boneless skinless Chicken tenders ( you could use breasts just adjust your cooking times accordingly)
1 cup plain unflavored yogurt
2 cloves garlic diced finely
Parsley
salt
pepper
seasoned salt
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups panko style bread crumbs
butter

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Begin by generously seasoning your chicken with salt, pepper and seasoning salt. Mix yogurt, garlic, the juice of a lemon and parsley in a bowl and place your bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Dredge the chicken into the yogurt mixture coating evenly and then into the bread crumbs making sure the entire tender is breaded. Place them in a greased baking dish and continue until all of your tenders are breaded. Add a small slice of butter to the top of each tender, cover and place into the oven for about 45 minutes removing the foil for the last 15 minutes. At this point I like to turn the broiler on low and let them brown up even more for a few minutes. Just make sure you keep an eye on them as they will burn quickly.

On a side note I would like to emphasize that you make sure you use PLAIN unflavored yogurt. I was in a rush at the grocery store and accidentally purchased VANILLA yogurt. Luckily I realized it after breading only one chicken breast. I often substitute yogurt for sour cream but last night had to reverse that. So if push comes to shove sour cream will work in place of yogurt. Enjoy! 

Chicken Pot Pie

This is a recipe that I got out of my very favorite cook book by the Pioneer Woman. It is comfort food at its finest and also a great way to use up leftover turkey or chicken.

What you will need for the filling-
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 cup finely diced celery
2 cups chicken or turkey, light and dark, diced or shredded (or both!)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
splash of white wine (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
Frozen peas (optional)
Fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

What you will need for the crust-
3/4 cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
1 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 small Egg or half of a large one
3 Tablespoons Cold Water
1/2 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Salt

In a mixing bowl using a pastry cutter combine Crisco and flour until it resembles a bunch of small balls. Add to that beaten egg, salt, water and vinegar. Continue using the pastry cutter to combine. Flour your hands slightly and form dough into a large ball. Place the ball into a ziploc bag and flatten slightly. Place into the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill while you start on the filling.

Melt the butter in a dutch oven or large pot and add celery, carrots, onions and peas. Saute over medium heat until veggies start to turn translucent. Add cooked shredded turkey or chicken and stir. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir slowly for a few minutes. Pour in chicken broth, wine and then add cream.  Allow to bubble and thicken for a few minutes and then add salt, pepper and thyme to taste. Pour mixture into a caserole dish and now work on the crust again.

Lightly flour your counter and rolling pin. Roll the dough until it is about and inch bigger than your casserole dish. Place crust over the pie filling and push into the sides of the dish. Cut a few slits in the top to allow it to vent. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Side note- The easiest way I have found to make shredded chicken is to boil water in a large pot with a few boullian cubes and whatever raw chicken you have available. I mostly use boneless skinless breast because I always have them. I even throw them in frozen from time to time. Boil for about 15 minutes or until the chicken shreads easily with two forks.

Grandma Glo's Clam Dip

This is probably my favorite dip in the entire world....for real. It is so simple and always a crowd pleaser. This is a recipe adapted from Ian's Grandma. She never wrote down exact measurements so it isn't exactly the same. I have also added a few touches of my own to it which the husband  agrees makes it even better.

2 cubes of cream cheese softened (they must be soft or your texture will be all wrong)
2 cans of minced clams ( the original calls for chopped clams but I like the small pieces better)
2 heaping tablespoons Mayo
Worcestershire sauce to taste ( Lea and Perrins has the best flavor)
green onions
1 lemon

Combine the cream cheese and the juice of one can of clams in a medium mixing bowl. Using a spoon mix the cream cheese and juice until well combined. This will take a while and some elbow grease but just keep at it. You almost want to use the spoon to squish the cream cheese and juice together.  Once it is combined and the lumps worked down to a minimum add in the Mayo and Worcestershire sauce. The recipe calls for a dash but I usually put in more like 5-7 dashes. ( I loooove Worcestershire sauce) Next add in the juice of one half of a lemon and combine. When your dip has a nice creamy texture add in both cans of drained clams and the green onion. Once again, the recipe calls for one bunch of green onions but I use 2-3 because everything is better with green onions.

Now, grab a Wavy Lay potato chip and try it out. Add more Worcestershire, onion or lemon juice to taste. Let it chill for at least a few hours to let the flavors blend together. Serve with Wavy potato chips. WARNING- this makes alot of dip, but not to worry you won't be able to leave it alone.

Funny story about this recipe. A few months back I had a surprise birthday party for my Mom. This was one of the finger foods I made to have there. As the party wore on a family friend of ours asked who had made the dip because she wanted the recipe. I asked her if she was referring to the clam dip because I had made two. Her response with a look of disgust, "that is clam dip, I hate clams?" The moral of the story is this, give this puppy a try even if you don't love clams. You probably won't even know they are there.

Mexican Pizza

Last night in an effort to clear things out of my fridge that were about to go bad I came up with this concoction. I have always been a huge fan of Mexican food but pregnancy has really made it more intense. We usually have at least three Mexican meals a week so I apologize if you are not a big fan because for the next 4 months I am guessing Mexican food will reign supreme.

Here is what I had in my fridge that I needed to use: canned pizza crust, sour cream, iceberg lettuce and a tomato.
After working all day and spending 45 minutes on the treadmill I really wanted something quick and easy that I could have ready when the husband walked in the door 25 minutes later.  I have really been craving Navajo taco's but in an effort to keep the fried foods to a minimum I decided to just try baking the pizza crust as you normally would. I didn't take a picture because lets face it, it was not the most visually pleasing dish I have ever made. But with that being said the husband and I scarfed almost the entire thing down. I will definitely make this again in the future.

What you will need-
1 canned pizza crust (in the refrigerated section by the prepared cookie dough and canned biscuits)
1 can re fried beans
Cheese (I used a medium cheddar)
Your favorite salsa ( we make our own and can it in the early fall)
Sour cream
Iceberg lettuce
tomatoes
olives (opt)
green onions (opt)

Pre- heat oven to 425 degrees. Pop open the canned pizza crust and spread it onto a pizza stone or nonstick cookie sheet. Use your fingers to flatten it out to desired thickness. Next spread the beans across the entire pizza just like you would if you were using marinara. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the beans using as much or little as you like. Bake for about 12-14 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. While the pizza is cooking wash and cut your veggies into small pieces and shred some lettuce.

When the pizza is done cooking spread the salsa evenly over it followed by the sour cream. Like I said earlier, this will not be very pretty. I then like to serve the remaining toppings buffet style so that people can put whatever toppings they like on it. Eat with a fork and knife, this will be to messy to eat like regular pizza.  This really is the most simple dish in the world but busy weeknights sometime call for that. Hope you enjoy!

The BEST Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I finally got the recipe back from my Mom, so here it is. My sister-in-law Lisa gave me this recipe because they are truly the best. I still don't think mine are quite as good as hers but I give it a good effort.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/4 cups flour
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 11 1/2 ounce package milk chocolate chips

Cream together butter, margarine and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs and mix well.  Add salt, soda, powder and flour and mix just until combined. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Roll into balls with a cookie scoop and bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.