Vittles Divine

This recipe is for all of you pumpkin pie lovers out there. This. is. better. For realsies. I got this from my friend Susie and it's the bomb diggity. I think it's something like 8000 calories per bite, but it's worth it .  Not exactly cake... not exactly pie.... just think of it as pumpkin perfection on a plate and go with it. Crust : 1 box yellow cake mix (reserve 1 cup for topping) 1/2 cup melted butter 1 egg Filling : 20 oz pureed pumpkin (not 29 ounces!) 12 oz can of evaporated milk 1 and 1/2 cup sugar 4 eggs 1 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp ginger 1/4 tsp ground cloves Topping : 1 cup cake mix (that has been reserved) 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1/8 cup butter Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 pan (I used just a metal cake pan). Mix together CRUST ingredients and spread into the bottom of pan. Mix FILLING ingredients together very well and pour over crust. Mix TOPPING ingredients together until crum...

I fancy myself to be a decent cook, but I am a longstanding baking failure.  These two skills don't necessarily go hand in hand and I have moaned about it quite a bit lately. Recently I received a very timely, rather lengthy, and somewhat threatening email from my good friend Emily. She's a very accomplished baker, not that you can tell from the size of her skinny jeans, but whatever. My recent complaints troubled her deeply enough that she felt it was time to stage a no-nonsense intervention before my children lost all hope for homebaked goods and my husband started sniffing at the neighbors' kitchen doors. She admonished me to unleash the Baker Within. She pointed me toward an amazing recipe that is designed specifically for high-altitude baking and sent me a private discourse on the do's and dont's for novice bakers. The result: a paragon of cookie perfection. I am a baker . I bake. I made 54 absolutely perfect chocolate chip cookies.  Not doughy....

It's always nice when I can make a meal that satisfies the taste preferences of every palate living in my house. Chicken cordon bleu is just such a dish. It's fun, it's fancy, but the home run is all in the secret sauce. My standard recipe calls for lots of extra secret sauce for two reasons: #1. That volume of liquid keeps the chicken from burning on the bottom and sticking to the pan during cooking. #2. It makes a mean gravy for my mashed potato side dish! Or rice, or whatever. Ingredients 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 6 slices Swiss cheese 6-12 slices ham* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3 tsp paprika 1/2 cup butter 1 and 1/2 cup unsweetened white grape juice 3 tsp chicken bouillon granules 2 Tbs flour 1 and 1/4 cup half and half Directions Cut 12 pieces of baking string, each about 12 inches long. Set aside. Place chicken breasts one at a time inside a freezer bag and pound the heck out of them until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Fold the cheese into quarters and ...

I was tasked with providing a Latin side dish for dinner with friends a few weeks ago. I was having a hankering for Spanish rice, so I tried a new recipe! Risky, but it paid off! I researched about a dozen different recipes and smashed them together with my fingers crossed. Savory, spicy, sassy success . I have added a few more spices since that first attempt and am now ready to share the recipe in its perfected-to-my-personal-tastes state! Now, before I unveil this masterpiece, I must also encourage you to eat the leftovers with breakfast. Yes, breakfast. I made two over-easy runny eggs and served them with half cup of rice. Yum. Yum. I tried it without realizing that this is actually a common dish! My natural culinary brilliance knows no cultural barriers. Cough, cough... I'm kidding. Ingredients: 2 Tbs butter 1 medium onion, diced 2 tsp minced garlic cloves 3 cups uncooked white rice*** 2 cans chicken broth (14.5 ounces each) 1 cup water 1 10-ounce can ...

I. love. this. chicken. This dish was inspired by the popular Spicy Honey Chicken at Our Best Bites. I messed around with the concept until I got just the gentle Asian flavor that I was looking for! Oh, and this isn't spicy. At all. I've had it with fried rice, on salad, and in a sandwich. It is Kinley's Most Favorite Chicken Ever, by a landslide. Enjoy! Ingredients: 2 packages of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 4 pounds (16-20 thighs). Yes, do it with thighs . Really. 2 Tbs vegetable oil Rub: 4 tsp garlic powder 4 tsp chili powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp coriander 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp cumin 2 tsp ground ginger Glaze: 1 C Honey 2 Tbs Rice Vinegar Directions: Unroll chicken thighs and use scissors to trim fat and other ickies. Drizzle 2 Tbs oil over the chicken and use your hands to make sure it lightly coats every piece. Put rub ingredients into small bowl, mix thoroughly. Use the rub to cover each chicken thigh. It's called a "rub" fo...

I was in the mood for fried rice recently, so I did a little google exploration. I inspected a few dozen different recipes and picked out the common denominators. I have tweaked the general recommendations to my liking and am very pleased with the end result. This is one half of my addiction-of-the-month. The other half is an Asian honey chicken recipe that comes right after this post. Ingredients: 6 cups cooked, cold, leftover brown rice* 2 cups frozen peas and carrots 1/2 cup diced green onions (about 3 stalks) 1 Tbs sesame oil 1 Tbs butter 6 Tbs soy sauce 2 large eggs** (optional) Directions: Melt butter in pan and add sesame oil. When pan is hot, add onions and stir for 30 seconds. Add frozen peas and carrots, and stir in pan until thoroughly warmed through. Add rice and stir until warm through. Add soy sauce and keep stirring until everything is completely warmed through. Yum! Total Calories (with eggs): 203 per cup *Leftover rice works a lot better than fresh, warm rice! ...

Justin asks for banana bread weekly. I'm not sure why , considering my last attempt (7 years ago) was a total bust. Last week he came home from work carrying a bundle of bananas as a gift for me himself, begging me to transform them into baked goods. I took to the internet in search of a fail-proof recipe and hit the jackpot . I don't actually own a bread pan, but I do own mini-muffin tins ! I modified the recipe to suit my equipment and it was a super-success. These are the best banana muffins I have ever eaten. In fact, it's the best banana "bread" I have ever had (and I just paid $4.99 last week for a loaf from Kneaders). I realize they don't look very special, but they are insanely moist and uniformly delectable, with no "crust" to speak of. It's like 48 inside slices of banana bread with the crusts cut off... when you are only baking something for 15 minutes, there isn't time for the outsides to get extra crispy. Ingredients 1/...

I found a version of this recipe on Allrecipes.com . I used some of the reviewer recommendations to make a few changes to suit my palate (and calorie interests). I served it on top of Brushed and Baked BBQ Chicken Rolls and it was perfect! I served it to a crowd and it was a big hit! Ingredients 1 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw mix 2 Tbs diced onion 2/3 cup Lite Miracle Whip (regular would be fine as well) 1/4 cup white sugar 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional) Directions Combine the coleslaw mix and onion in a large bowl. Whisk together the salad dressing, sugar, vinegar, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl; blend or use hand mixer to combine thoroughly. Pour dressing mixture over coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Serve as a side dish or on top of your favorite hot sandwich.

Mmmmm..... chicken that is equally delectable as a main dish or salad fixin's. Home run. Ingredients 3.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of all yucky parts 4 Tbs butter 1/2 cup honey 1/4 cup dijon mustard 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp curry powder Directions: Melt butter in 9 x 13 pan. In separate bowl, mix butter, honey, mustard, salt, and curry powder. Pour all sauce into the pan with the butter. Roll chicken around in the pan, coating well. Arrange in single later. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for approximately 55 minutes, or until rich, glazed, and thoroughly cooked, basting every 20 minutes. To baste, I just take it out of the oven for a minute and use a spoon to re-douse the chicken with the juices/sauce. Be sure to use a clean spoon each time.

These two recipes are surprisingly easy and dangerously delicious -- they appeared on our breakfast table three times this week, to rave reviews and sloppy kisses from the troops. We first had them over the summer when my friend Missy made them for us. I squeezed her for the recipe. The pancakes are light, fluffy, cheap, and easy--like a few girls I knew in high school. They have a hint of pumpkin flavor, but are not overly... pumpkinny. I amazed myself with the apple syrup. It. was. excellent. Pumpkin Pancakes Beat 2 eggs, then add : 3/4 cup Pumpkin 2 Tbs Sugar 1/2 tsp each: ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda , salt 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 cup apple sauce (I like cinnamon applesauce) Mix until smooth using a hand-mixer with beaters. Now add: 1 1/2 cups Flour (I used all-purpose; Missy uses whole wheat) 1 1/2 cups of milk (skim is ok) Mix until smooth. Batter is loose. Use a 1/3 cup scoop to measure. Cook on the griddle and serve! Makes about 15 pancakes, 98 cal...

If you like my Apricot Chicken recipe , here is a similar take with a recipe I received from my friend Susie. It's subtly different, a little less sweet, and was equally well-received by those who dine at my table. Like the Apricot Chicken recipe, this is very very fast to make! Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts 1 bottle french dressing (DO NOT use "creamy" french!! Don't even use "light" creamy french!) 1 can cranberry sauce (with or without whole berries -- I used without) 1 envelope lipton onion soup 1 can mandarin oranges Cooked rice Directions: Combine dressing, cranberry sauce, and soup mix together in a bowl. Fold in can of mandarin oranges (do not drain the oranges). Pour entire mixture over the chicken in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake covered on 350 for 60 minutes. Take chicken out and shred. Mix chicken back into sauce. Serve over rice.

Last week I made some delicious homemade chicken strips. The recipe came from my food-loving friend Emily, who originally pilfered it from Rookie Cookie . I may never eat another dino nugget for as long as I live. (If you know how deep-rooted my love for dino nuggets happens to be, you'll understand just how much I enjoyed these strips!) Our whole family loved them, even the difficult-to-impress husband. He begrudgingly admitted they were fantastic. Four times. I have made a really yummy Ritz Chicken before and assumed this recipe would turn out to be very similar. It didn't. Since I'm in a declaration kind of mood: I'll never make Ritz Chicken again either. Ingredients 2 sleeves of Ritz Crackers ( I used a generic store brand, not Ritz ) 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground pepper 4 or 5 chicken breasts 4 eggs 4 Tbsp honey 2 Tbsp water Directions: Set the oven to 400 degrees. Spray ...

Mmmmmm.... we're heading into the time of year when it's more respectable to eat pasta for every meal. As with most marinara sauces, this is best served at least one day after it has been simmered. This recipe makes a huge party pot of yummy delicious spaghetti sauce. Any extras can be easily frozen for future use. Ingredients 2 pounds ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium green pepper, chopped 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced 3 celery ribs, chopped 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian stewed tomatoes (I blend the contents briefly in a food processor; my kids and husband hate tomato chunks) 1 jar (26 ounces) of your favorite store-bought spaghetti sauce (we love Ragu Mama's Special Garden Sauce, but any flavorful recipe will work) 1/2 cup ketchup 1 can tomato soup 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon prepared mustard Hot cooked spaghetti Directions In a larg...

I was originally inspired by this recipe that I found online (it was delicious, btw). I decided to take it in a different direction and the end result was sensational! I'm only judging by the groans of ecstasy from every quadrant of the dinner table, but they're usually pretty reliable food critics. Ingredients 24 rolls Mayonnaise Baked chicken breasts, shredded BBQ sauce of your choice (I'm a sucker for KC Masterpiece Hickory Brown Sugar) Cheddar or provolone cheese, shredded or sliced Brush Sauce 1/4 c. melted butter 1 Tbs mustard 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce Optional Toppings Lettuce Tomatoes Sliced apples Cole slaw Carmelized onions Avocado Directions Mix together shredded chicken with bbq sauce until well coated. Slice rolls in half. Spread of mayo on the inside of each roll. Assemble rolls with bbq chicken and cheese. Place assembled rolls on a cookie sheet. Mix together the melted butter, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce with a whisk. Brush t...

I learned this "recipe" while I was teaching English in Russia 15 years ago. I was thinking about it recently and decided to make it again so that I could see if it was as delicious as I remembered. It was, and then some! In fact, I was hard-pressed to convince my neighbor's husband that I really and truly only used one ingredient. Ingredient: 1 can of sweetened condensed milk Directions: Take the wrapper off the can. Boil the UNOPENED can in a pot of water for *3 hours. Keep adding water as it evaporates. Keeping a lid on the pot really helps with that problem. Stir the can once in a while. Tip it over, roll it around, whatever. Remove it from the pot after 3 hours. Set aside until cool. When I made it, I set it aside for about an hour, but the can still felt hot. At that point I dropped it in a bowl of ice water for about 4 minutes and then it was all ready. Open the can, scoop out the yummy, decadent deliciousness, and serve as a sweet, carmel-like dip! It i...

Let me describe them this way: "Muffins so good even Crew will eat them." Many of you know that I am not a baker. At all . Nevertheless, after sampling a few dozen of these mini-muffins on a recent visit to my friend Kerrin's house, I rallied my courage and bought ingredients for the proffered recipe. Only 48 cents for baking soda? Who knew? I am pleased (and a little shocked) to report that they turned out just as good as Kerrin's . Ingredients: Wet Mix: 1 cup pumpkin (or 1 cup pureed canned yams!) 2 eggs 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 apple sauce Dry Mix: 2.5 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups sugar 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt Final Add-in 2 cups peeled and chopped apples Streusel Topping: 2 tsp flour 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon Cut in 4 Tbs cold butter (I grated it with a cheese grater!) Directions: Mix dry mixture and wet mixture separately. Mix together just until wet. Stir in apples. Spoon batter into greased mini-muffin cups, fill 3...

This recipe came from the Top Family Recipe Collections of two of my friends. Knowing what talented cooks they both are, I took a leap of faith, despite my reservations on the whole concept. Peanut butter? With my pasta ? That seemed rather sacrilegious to this little Italian. Especially when I don't really love peanut butter all that much in the first place. Consider me converted. Thank you , Wendy and Allison! Kinley's response: "Wow... Wow.... WOW . This is good. SO good. If you ever go on The Next Food Network Star, you need to make this for sure to win the whole thing!" I made the recipe exactly as written and it was perfect just the way it was. I wasn't familiar enough with some of the ingredients to mess around anyway. I have never used sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar, or chili-garlic sauce before. 12 ounces linguine ( NOT 16 ounces!) 2-3 breasts of cooked and chopped or shredded chicken. (I used 2 somewhat large ones) Sauce: 1 ...

I made this dressing for our weekend getaway. Mmmmm..... I made it with low-fat buttermilk and it was still delicious. The original recipe came from my friend Bethany. It's been a while since I've had Cafe Rio, but it tasted just like I remembered it, for whatever that's worth. Ingredients 1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix 2-3 tomatillos (remove papery skin), rough chop 1 cup mayo 1 cup buttermilk ½ bunch cilantro 2 cloves garlic juice from 1 lime ½ - 1 jalapeno pepper depending on the size ( remove seeds for less fire... I removed the seeds; 1/2 of a jalapeno pepper without the seeds was plenty for our uber-gringo weak-sauce palates ) Directions Dump everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate in air-tight container.

I found this recipe on my friend Allie's recipe blog . It's delicious, fast, and simple. Ingredients 1 tablespoon butter 3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered 1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces 1 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup feta cheese 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 1/2 cup white sugar 2 teaspoons minced onion 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup vegetable oil In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool. In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds, cranberries, and feta cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving. This makes a lot and does not keep well overnight--it gets wilty and gross. This tasty salad is a definite crowd-pleaser,...

I made these enchiladas on Saturday and they were de lectable. Justin told me 9 times throughout the night how delicious dinner had been, more delicious than Los Hermanos or Cafe Rio (I don't know about that , but high praise, indeed!) Kinley and Tanner clamored for seconds (and thirds for Kinley), which almost never happens. Kinley actually ate as much as Justin did, oink oink, claiming that these enchiladas are officially her new favorite food. I ran a sample of the meat over to our neighbor to see if it was really as delicious as I thought and she was in wide-eyed agreement. If you try nothing else , make the beef for the best taco salad meat of your life. I modified a recipe that I found on Allrecipes.com. It may look complicated at first glance; it's not. Ingredients: 2-3 pounds beef roast (my roast was 2.5 pounds) 1 can beef broth (2 cups) 1/3 cup water 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 medium onion, chopped or dic...