Roasted Red Potatoes

I haven't had much experience cooking with red potatoes, but this recipe couldn't have been easier. Or more delicious!

2 lbs red potatoes, diced
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 TB lemon juice
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 TB parsley
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Toss first 6 ingredients together in a ziploc baggie until the potatoes are coated. Layer potatoes in a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle cheese on top. Cover with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, tossing once to ensure even coating.

-Jensa

Turkey Bacon Wraps

These are so delicious and easy - thanks for the recipe Nicolle!

1 lb. diced deli turkey
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 cup cooked, diced bacon
shredded lettuce
1/2 bottle Caesar dressing
flour tortillas

Toss first 5 ingredients in a bowl and mix, then put in tortillas!! Serves 6.

-Jensa

Pumpkin Bars

Let's just say I've never met a pumpkin bar I didn't like. But this recipe from my friend Kerri? It's killer.

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix Dry ingredients in bowl. Then add:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup apple juice
2 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs

Beat with hand mixer until smooth. Bake in a greased and floured jelly-roll pan on 350* for 25-30min.

Frost with cream cheese frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 stick of butter
dash of salt
1 Tbls. vanilla
powdered sugar and milk as needed for consistency

-Jensa

(Cafe Zupas) Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

This is one of those good ways to get in vegetables for kids (and grown ups) with out even knowing! This tastes much like the Potato Cheese soup that our family loves to make.
Servings: 9 cups

2 tablespoons margarine or butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (*optional)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese

In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, occasionally st iring.

Stir in flour and salt; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes.

In blender blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard (play around with this, and add a little less if you like) and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth.

Sprinkle some bacon bits and cheese on top- mmmmm fall soup!!

-Elise

Chicken Carbonara

I tried this recipe out that isn't a true Carbonara (no raw egg), and it was fantastic! Thumbs up from the kids and the hubs. Score!

1 pkg linguine
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream
parsley for garnish

Cook and Drain linguine as directed on package. While linguine is cooking, cook bacon in a 3 quart saucepan over low heat 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp*. Remove bacon with slotted spoon; drain. Drain fat from saucepan, reserving 1 TB in saucepan. Cook onion and garlic in bacon fat over medium heat about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Stir in linguine, chicken, cheese, and whipping cream. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Toss with bacon and garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

(* I actually used precooked bacon and fried the onion and garlic in 1 TB of olive oil instead of bacon grease. The dish was still plenty rich.)

-Jensa

Hickory BBQ Chicken

6 chicken breasts or thighs
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TB liquid smoke
1/4 tsp salt
2 c. BBQ sauce
1/4 cup apple juice
1/2 cup bacon, cooked and chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (unless you prefer to grill). Combine oil, liquid smoke, and salt in a bowl and let chicken breasts marinade it in for 30 minutes. Combine BBQ sauce, apple juice and bacon then separate into two bowls. Place chicken inside a baking dish and discard marinade. Bake (or grill)uncovered for 10 minutes. Brush one of the bowls of sauce over chicken and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce for dipping.

-Jensa

Red Velvet Cookies

Now I realize that this recipe might not be new, but my love of red velvet cake (in it's many forms) is. So I found a recipe that my friend had for Devils food cake that she used to make homemade Oreo cookies and applied it to red velvet cake. Here is what I got-

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 package of red velvet cake mix

1)Combine all three ingredients in a mixing bowl using a lot of elbow grease ;) This will be a very thick mixture but if you stir it long enough it won't be dry.

2) Roll balls of dough into about the size of a walnut (or bigger depending on your preference) Place balls about 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

3)Bake in the oven at 375 for about 8 minutes. Now I don't know if my oven bakes hot or it has something to do with my high altitude but it takes about 6 to 7 minutes for mine. You want to remove them from the oven while they're still a bit doughy. Once you see the tops of the cookie crack it's just about time. I personally love these cookies to be on the softer side.

4)Now some of you may pass judgement on me for this. But I frosted my cookies with store bought cream cheese frosting. I'm sure their are plenty of great homemade recipes that would go wonderfully with this, but I was honestly just too anxious to try a cookie to take the time. So I say as long as you use some form of a cream cheese frosting on it they'll be amazing!

**You could sandwich them together like with the homemade Oreo's. But I personally think these cookies are rich enough with just one!

ENJOY!

-Megan

Jensa here...I did sandwich mine and MAN were they delicious! Thanks for the easy recipe Megan. For my cream cheese frosting I whipped together:

8 oz. cream cheese (room temp)
1/4 cup butter (room temp)
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

The frosting hardens when the cookies are stored in the refrigerator.

Kid Snacks

Here are some quick and healthy snacks I made with my toddler. It evoked a, "You're the best mom ever" from my kids. And that's saying something. :-)

Apple Butterflies:
2 apple wedges (quartered)
peanut butter
carrot stick
Spread peanut butter between the quartered apples and place around the carrot stick to look like a butterfly.

Ants on a Log:
celery sticks
peanut butter
mini chocolate chips
Spread peanut butter inside celery stick and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Strawberry Pinwheels:
tortilla
cream cheese, softened
strawberry jam
Spread cream cheese on the tortilla going almost to the edge. Spread jam on top of the cream cheese. Roll up, chill for 10 minutes (so cream cheese will firm up), then cut with a serrated knife. This can also be made with peanut butter & jam, ham & cheese, or any other sandwich filler.

Pita Apple Pie
pita bread
applesauce
cinnamon
Spread applesauce over a piece of pita bread then sprinkle with cinnamon (and sugar for extra sweetness if you want). Place on a baking sheet and warm at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Slice the pita into triangles with a pizza cutter.

-Jensa