Shera's Beef Stew

I am not a huge stew fan, but this I love!  Shera brought it over to me for dinner one night and I loved it so much, that I requested it for our next lunch party.  I hope I didn't burn you out on stew, Shera!
I will have to post a picture next time I make this.  I never remember to photograh my food when I make it.

2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine in a zip lock bag, then add 1 lb. stew meat and shake to combine.  Brown meat in 2 Tbsp. oil then add:

2 cans condensed tomato soup
2 cans water
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
3 beef boullion cubes
1/2 chopped medium onion
2 bay leaves

Simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours then add:

5 large potatoes, cubed
3 carrots, chopped

Simmer for 30-45 minutes more.
Remove bay leaves and serve!

Mounds Bars

I have a new favorite dessert about every two weeks. This is my current favorite and oh my goodness, it's good! I wish I could remember where I saw the recipe, it was on one of the many food blogs that I follow. I first saw it while I was dieting and knew that it was going to be the first thing I'd eat when I was done. I'm on a coconut kick lately. Can't get enough of it. Coconut cookies, coconut syrup on crepes (another recipe I need to share-delish) and these Mounds Bars with coconut. Mike isn't a fan of coconut so he's not real fond of my current obsession, but even he liked this recipe. And it's so quick and easy. I've already made it twice. It's definately going into my tried-and-true recipe box as a family favorite.

Mounds Bars

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1 cup shredded coconut

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

3 Tbsp peanut butter

Mix together first three ingredients. Pack in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Combine sweetened condensed milk and coconut. Spread over cracker mixture. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter and spread over slightly cooled coconut mixture. Cool. Keep refridgerated.

My Favorite Bread Sticks

First, I have to say that I'm not eating carbs for a few weeks so you have no idea how hard it is for me to blog about my most favorite carb-filled dish. But I've been meaning to share this recipe for so long, I can't put it off any longer.

These are sooooo goood. I make them all the time. And some nights when Mike is working this is all I have for dinner (I'd do it when he's home but he doesn't think it's a meal if there isn't a big piece of meat involved). I dip them in pizza sauce and alfredo sauce or melt cheese on them but they're good plain too. I always set a couple aside and sprinkle them with cinnamon-sugar. So yummy! The only down side is that you have to plan in advance cause the whole process takes a while, but they're so worth it. Enjoy!

Bread Sticks

1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbls sugar
1 Tbls yeast
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 cups flour (I usually use less, just eye ball it)
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp cornmeal
1/2 c. butter
garlic salt
parmesean cheese

Combine water, sugar and yeast. Let stand 10 minutes. Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix well. Slowly add more flour until dough pulls away from side of bowl. Place in greased bowl, cover and rise for 45 minutes or until doubled. Roll onto floured surface into rectangle. Cut into 12 strips. Coat baking sheet with 1/4 c. butter and sprinkle with corn meal. Twist strips and place on baking sheet. Cover and rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes. Brush with butter and sprinkle with parmesean cheese and garlic salt (or cinnamon sugar).

Avocado Citrus Salsa

Yum.  I can't think of any other way to describe this other than yum.  It is so good!  I really loooooove avocados and I also love sweet and spicy things so this was perfect for me.  Scott and Justin also enjoyed it, the others are a little more suspicious of the fruit and vegetable combinations.  This was awesome served on carne asada beef tacos.  We also loved as a chip dip.  I thought the website that posted it, http://www.ksl.com/, had a picture so I didn't take one.  I will take one next time I make this which will probably be soon!

Avocado Citrus Salsa

•2 medium oranges, peeled, seeded and chopped (I used a can of mandarin oranges)
•1 large ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and chopped
•¼ cup chopped red onion
•¼ cup snipped cilantro
•2 tablespoons lime juice
•½ teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce (I used a splash of gren tobasco sauce)
•¼ teaspoon salt

In larger bowl combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Makes about 2 ½ cups.

Banana Bread {the best ever!}

Banana Cream Bread

(from my neighbor Arin)

1 1/2 C. Vegetable Oil

3 C. Sugar

4 Eggs
6 Mashed Bananas

1 TBSP Vanilla

1 1/2 Tsp Salt
4 C. Flour
1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda

1 C. Sour Cream

2 C. Nuts (opt)

Heat Oven to 325
Grease and flour 3 bread pans (I usually halve the recipe and it still makes 2 loaves)
Combine oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream, bananas, vanilla, and salt.
Sift together flour and baking soda.

Mix into wet ingredients

DO NOT OVER MIX!

Divide into loaf pans and sprinkle about 2 Tbsp sugar over batter.

Bake for 60 minutes.

This is the best banana bread ever!  When ever I make it, it doesn't last long at all.  My neighbor Arin (the one who gave me the recipe) brought this over to our family shortly after we moved in to our house.  We ate the whole loaf of bread that night...so of course I had to bug her for the recipe, and I am so glad I did!

Pizza Rolls

We make this quite often lately when I don't know what else to fix.

They are really quick to make (if you have an hour or two to thaw the bread rolls ahead of time)

Pizza Rolls

Ingredients:

1 bag Rhodes dinner rolls (36 count)

motzarella cheese cut into 36 cubes

Pepperoni

First you have to thaw the rolls (this takes about an 1 1/2 to 2 hours)

Then you flatten the rolls out like this:

The one on the left is the original size, and the one on the right is how it looks after you flatten it out.

Then place two pieces of pepperoni and one cube of cheese on top of the roll.

Then fold the dough over making sure to pinch the edges tightly together to keep the cheese from oozing out.

Place on a pan and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.  Then brush with butter.

We make homemade pizza sauce to dip them in (I will post that too...one of these days.  It is so good, I could eat it by the spoonful).  I always cook the whole bag, because they make the yummiest leftovers.  Me and the kids eat them for lunch for several days after we have them for dinner.

Strawberry Cake and Strawberry Frosting

I know I post a lot of desserts, but that's because I eat a lot of desserts.  Yesterday I bought two flats of strawberries which I will freeze most of, but I thought it would be fun to try a new dessert with them too.  Justin loves strawberry cake so I found this recipe and it was great.  It was easy and had great strawberry flavor.  I thought strawberries in the frosting sounded a little weird, but it was really good.

Strawberry Cake and Frosting

1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin mix
1 cup mashed strawberries
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup flaked coconut (I omitted this because my kids don't like coconut)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (I also omitted this due to Scott's allergy to nuts, but I would have loved both the coconut and the nuts.  I'll have to try it that way sometime.)

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup mashed strawberries
1/4 cup flaked coconut (omitted)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2.In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and gelatin mix. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup mashed strawberries, oil, eggs and sweetened condensed milk. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut and chopped nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3.Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
4.To make the frosting: In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, melted margarine, 1/4 cup mashed strawberries and 1/4 cup coconut. Beat until smooth and spread over cake.

This recipe makes way more frosting than is needed, unless you really like frosting.  You cold probably do 1/2 to 3/4 of the frosting recipe.  I did it all : )