protein balls (another yummy recipe!)

1 C cooked and COOLED organic quinoa
2 C quick cooking Steel Cut Oats (uncooked)
2 scoops Chocolate protein powder
1/2 C organic sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C unsweetened organic coconut flakes
1/4 C ground flax
1/4 C chia seeds
1/2 C all natural almond butter
3/4 C all natural crunchy peanut butter
1/3 C Agave
sprinkle of dried blueberries
mix all ingredients well and form balls. keep in Tupperware in fridge!   

Steak Gorgonzola Fettuccine (Olive Garden Style)

Grilled beef medallions drizzled with balsamic glaze, served over fettuccine tossed with spinach and gorgonzola-alfredo sauce.

Serves 6
Cook time 10 minutes (depending on doneness of steak)
Prep time 30 minutes

Ingredients

2.5 pounds marinated steak (recipe follows)
1 pound uncooked fettuccine pasta
16 fl oz spinach gorgonzola sauce (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons gorgonzola cheese
2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons balsamic glaze (recipe follows)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grill steak to preferred doneness.
2. Cook 1 pound pasta according to the directions.
3. Place drained pasta in saute pan with heated sauce.
4. Toss pasta with sauce and place on individual plates.
5. Place grilled beef on pasta and sauce.
6. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle gorgonzola cheese and sun dried tomatoes.

Steak marinade
1.5 cups Italian dressing
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Cut beef into 1 inch cubes and set aside
2. Mix the dressing, rosemary and lemon juice together
3. Add the marinade to the beef, toss, and let marinate for at least 1 hour.

Spinach Gorgonzola Sauce
16 fl oz Alfredo sauce* (you can make fresh or use bottled, I recommend fresh)
4 cups chopped spinach
½ cup chopped green onion
3 tablespoons gorgonzola cheese crumbled

1. Heat Alfredo sauce in a large saute pan.
2. Add onion, spinach and gorgonzola cheese.

Easy Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup butter 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 2 teaspoons garlic powder Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

2 cups milk 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

BALSAMIC GLAZE #1
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Simmer until thickened (15-20 min), cool to room temperature.

Classic Herb Stuffing

Serves 18

1 Cup Butter

2 Cups Celery, diced

2 Onions, diced

2 tsp. Thyme

2 tsp. Sage

1 1/2 tsp. McCormick poultry seasoning

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

12 Cups dried bread cubes, unseasoned

4 Cups chicken broth

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, poultry seasoning, seasoned salt and pepper.
2. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Add celery mixture and broth; toss gently until well mixed. Spoon into lightly greased 13x9-inch baking dish.
3. Bake 45 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.

Yummy Swedish Meatballs

6 ServingsPrep: 30 min. Cook: 40 min.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Eggland's Best Eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 pounds ground beef
• GRAVY:
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2-3/4 cups 2% milk
• 2 cans (10-1/2 ounces each) condensed beef consomme, undiluted
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• NOODLES:
• 1 package (16 ounces) egg noodles
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Add beef; mix
• lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. meatballs (about 36).
• In a large skillet, brown meatballs in batches. Using a slotted
• spoon, remove to paper towels to drain, reserving drippings in pan.
• 
  
• For gravy, stir flour into drippings; cook and stir until light brown (do not burn). Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Stir in the consomme, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Return meatballs to pan. Cook, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; toss with butter. Serve with meatball mixture; sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 6 servings. 

Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon French Toast

NOT Weight Watchers......not even close!


1 loaf Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon Bread cut into 8 thick slices (you can substitute this bread for any type of cinnamon swirl bread recipe)
8 eggs
3 C. Milk
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
2 Tbsp. Butter

Butter a 9 x 13 glass baking dish generously.  Place the bread flat in the baking dish.  Mix all remaining ingredients, reserving the butter.  Dip the bred thoroughly in the egg mixture, then place flat in the baking dish.  Cut the butter into pieces and dot over the top.  Refrigerate over night or at least one hour.  Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serves 8.


Kneaders Caramel Syrup
1 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
1 C. Light Karo Syrup

Blend together and heat on stove top until sugar is smooth.  Serve warm.  I like to add fresh strawberries and make homemade whipping cream to make this french toast perfect!  Enjoy.

Verde Chicken Mexican Lasagna!

Verde Chicken Mexican Lasagna 

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups green salsa
1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (plus additional for garnishing)
12 soft taco size flour tortillas
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 
Mix chicken, sour cream, black beans, salsa, corn, cilantro and spices in a large bowl. Taste and adjust

seasonings to your preference. Cut tortillas in half with kitchen shears.
 
In a 9x13 dish, scoop 1/3 of the chicken mixture into bottom of pan. Spread evenly. Place one layer of cut tortillas (about 4 tortillas) on chicken mixture to cover. Top with 1/3 of the amount of shredded cheese. Repeat with chicken mixture, tortillas, shredded cheese two more times. There should be three layers total.
 
Bake in oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and casserole is warmed through. Serve with sour cream and additional chopped cilantro.

Swig Sugar Cookies

If you're not in St. George, and need to eat and eat and eat and re - eat this cookie, I found an amazing copycat recipe, made them for lunch with a friend, and they were amazing!

Here is the link to where I found it - http://www.vintagerevivals.com/

Thanks April for taking us there!

Swig Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 C Butter (room temperature)
3/4 C Vegetable Oil
1 1/4 C Sugar
3/4 C Powdered Sugar
2 T Water
2 Eggs
1/2 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Cream of Tarter
1 t Salt
5 1/2 C Flour

Cream together Butter, Vegetable Oil, Sugars, Water, and Eggs.

Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to butter mixture.

Mix until everything is combined. Your dough should be a little crumbly and not sticky at all.

Roll a golf ball sized ball of dough and place it on your cookie sheet

Now its time to give these babies their signature rough edge. Put 1/4 c of sugar and a pinch of salt in a dish (this is in addition to the sugar and salt listed above.) Stick the bottom of a glass in it. This is going to be your cookie press.

Firmly press it into the center of your dough ball. You want your dough to spill out over the sides of the glass. If there is a lip its even better.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. They should just barely be browning on the bottom. Move cookies to a cooling rack. Once they are cool put them in the fridge.

Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 cup room temperature butter

3/4 C Sour Cream

Approx 1 2lb Package of Powdered Sugar (I never use the whole thing but love having extra on hand just incase I add to much milk!)

1 t salt

1/4 C Milk

Red Food Coloring

Start by creaming together butter and sour cream and salt. Slowly add powdered sugar. When it gets so thick its not frosting like add a splash of milk. Alternate this process until your frosting is the desired consistency. Add 1 drop of red food coloring and whip on high for 1 minute.

Keep cookies in a sealed container until they are ready to serve. The magic of a Swig Sugar Cookie is that the cookies are cold and the frosting is room temperature. Frost right before serving (if you make them in advance and need to refrigerate the frosting make sure you give it time to warm up before serving)