The softest, fluffiest, best tasting Pizza dough ever!

Before Christmas I wanted to have a pizza/movie night for Lucy and her cousins. I'm hoping to make this a yearly tradition as we had a great time. We made a snowman pizza had snowman cookies, and watched "The Polar Express."

http://www.deliacreates.com/2011/01/snowman-pizza-and-dough-recipe.html

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Follow the link above.

 The pizza was the biggest hit. I've never been a fan of thick crust pizza, but this recipe blew my mind! I followed it the longer way, by using a mixer and letting it rise. I felt it offered the best results. I also just used regular flour where it called for bread flour, but I'd like to try bread flour next time. Also as far as the toppings, I would double the ranch dressing and double the cheese next time, but I also want to try it with regular toppings. Mine got cooked a little bit too long, so keep your eye on it. This crust is definitely going to be my staple pizza recipe from now on!!

Kahlua Pulled Pork

This recipe is so easy and quite amazing from what I've heard. I put it in the crockpot in the morning and by the evening I was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery so I never got to try it, but my family raved about it and it was gone in 2 days.

4lb pork butt roast

1 tbsp liquid smoke

1 tbsp Red Sea salt

1 tbsp White Sea salt

1 head green cabbage

1. Place roast in crockpot and poke several holes in it with a knife. Drizzle the liquid smoke over roast. Then rub both salts onto the meat. Cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours, or low for about 11 hours. 

2. Chop up the cabbage. Remove roast from pot and shred. Place chopped cabbage in bottom of pot and mix with juices. Add the shredded roast on top of cabbage. Pour a cup of water over and cook on high for 1 hour.

Enjoy! I can't eat meat for awhile so I asked my family to freeze a serving size of this for me when I could. Can't wait!

Chicken cordon bleu casserole

I keep forgetting to post this for everyone.  It is easy and delicious - (disclaimer - some items may not be available in Denmark. )

2 cups diced ham
3-4 cups diced cooked chicken. 
2 small cans of cream of chicken soup (i didnt use as much of this and found it to still be good)
8 oz light sour cream
1 1/2 cup grated monterrey jack cheese.  (I always substitute half of this with grated swiss)

Mix all ingredients together and bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes until bubbly.  Top with breadcrumbs and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

I usually add a little more meat.  Serve this over rice or noodles.  Our family loves this!

Cafe Rio Salads

here is the recipe for the rice, chicken, and cilantro ranch.

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 cup uncooked rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 teaspoon lime zest ( I do at least 2 and sometimes a little more… I love zest)
1 cube chicken bullion
1 cup water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Add rice, water, garlic, lime zest, and bullion to rice cooker.
Cook until it’s done… In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro.
Fluff your rice with a fork.  Pour lime juice mixture over hot cooked rice.

You can make this on the stove top too, but I love the convenience of the rice cooker.  :)

Cafe Rio copy cat Cilantro Ranch Dressing

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)

• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. buttermilk (I use regular 1% milk and it tastes just fine!)
• 2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 jalapeno 
• 
  
• Instructions

• Mix all ingredients together in the blender.
•  That's it!  It is best if it is made the night or morning before you are serving it so all the flavors mix together.  

Cafe Rio Chicken

2 lbs chicken breasts

1/2 a small bottle of zesty Italian dressing 
(about a cup.  you can use lite or low fat and it tastes just as good)
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 pkt ranch dressing mix (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

Place all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on High 5-6 hours OR on Low 8 hours.
Shred with fork and serve in salads, burritos, tacos…etc.   
I did NOT put the ranch mix in with the chicken, and I doubled the chili powder and cumin. 
 you can never have too much cumin in my opinion.  :)

You can also double or triple this to make extras for freezing.
Then simply thaw and reheat for a fast and delicious meal.

To make the salads, layer a tortilla, shredded lettuce, black beans, 
cilantro rice, chicken, tomatoes and any other toppings you wish. 
 Top with cilantro ranch dressing and a squirt of lime and you
 have a fantasticly delicious imitation of a Cafe Rio/Costa Vida salad. 
 I could eat these every day if I were aloud to.  :)

Worldwide Ward Cookbook I just ordered this book and can't wait to get it and start making the recipes. My friend Lisa got a series of these at Deseret books when she was home, and I was able to browse through this weekend. My mouth was watering on every turn of the page:-) So I will definitly post recipes and results on here. There is also another book called 'Our best bites', and they have a blog, with really good recipes as well. Bon appetit!

Salsa Chicken and "Spanish" rice

I needed a quick and effortless meal tonight, and this popped into my head, though I've never had it. It was seriously the easiest thing I've ever made. And it tops the chart for the one of the tastiest, too. I made up the rice recipe, and that makes the dish as well. Here it is:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
2. Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts, and pour salsa over all.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear.
4. Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese, and continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream if desired, and serve.

I didn't have any spanish rice on hand, so I just did this:

-cooked plain white rice, 

-added a can of chopped green chilies, 

-a can of yellow corn, 

-quite a few dashes of garlic salt, 

-about 2 spoonfuls of sour cream. (This was all for just 4 servings of rice, so add more of each if needed .)

Mix it all around and mmm.... its the best rice of your life!

Lucy loved the rice so much she pretty much inhaled it. Enjoy!

Grandma Betty's Oatmeal Cookies

This is a recipe that we all should have because it is awesome.  and delicious.  :)

1c. shortening
1c. brown sugar
1c. sugar (granulated)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups rolled oats

combine all ingredients well, spoon onto waxed paper and form about 2" in diameter logs of cookie dough.  roll up in waxed paper.  Place rolls in freezer until ready to bake.
when ready to bake, preheat oven to 350, slice roll in 1/4 to 1/2 (or however thick you want your cookies) inches and place on cookie sheet.   Bake for 11-14 minutes.  Do not let get too brown, the darker the cookie, the crispier it will be.

These remind me of our old house - mom used to make them all the time!  We would sit under the sink in our 'cave' and eat these with milk.  
I've made them with cinnamon and nutmeg, raisins or chocolate chips too, but the original recipe is the best.