Creamy Chicken and Dumplings

This is hands down one of the most amazing recipes I have ever made, Gray fully agrees! I found it over at Kevin and Amanda's recipe blog. This is seriously a must try recipe!

1 lb chicken breasts
10 bouillon cubes
2 quarts water
2 cups bisquick
2/3 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
4 eggs
2 stalks celery
salt & pepper

 Begin by placing chicken breasts & bouillon cubes in a large pot & cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 mins until chicken is done. If you’re using the boneless/skinless breasts, they’ll probably be done much quicker, like after 10-15 mins. (I used chicken breast with the bone in and skin on, they add so much flavor to recipes like this in my opinion). Boil the eggs while the chicken is boiling. When chicken is close to done mix together bisquick and milk. When chicken is done, remove from pot and drop small spoonfulls of dumpling mixture into the pot. Cook over a low simmer for 10 minutes covered then 10 minutes uncovered. Dice celery and shed chicken. Saute celery with butter until the celery is tender then add the chicken, salt and petter. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken and celery to the dumpling mixture and chop up the eggs, remove the yolk, and add to chicken and dumplings. 

Cinnamon Waffles

I found this recipe over at Christy's Kitchen Creation and was very excited to get to pull out the waffle maker that we got as a wedding present! Gray and I both really enjoyed them and will be fixing them again for sure!

2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.
This batter can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to a week. Whisk well before using again.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I love this recipe, my mom made it a lot for parties growing up and every once in a while she would put them over rice for dinner. I love the meatballs for parties AND for dinner, super easy and really delicious!

1 pound ground beef

1/3 cup onion

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1 jar chili sauce

1 jar grape jelly

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix together beef, onion, bread crumbs and egg. Form into meatballs. Put meatballs in crockpot. Mix chili sauce, jelly and lemon juice. Pour over meatballs. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Serve as is for a party or over rice for dinner! 

Caramelized Pork Tenderloin

I can't remember where I got this recipe from, I am pretty sure it was a Betty Crocker Cookbook though. Gray and I both agreed that this recipe is a keeper, it had a lot of flavor.

1 pound pork tenderloin
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Trim fat from pork. Cut pork into 1/2-inch slices. Spray 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook pork and garlic in skillet 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until pork is light brown and no longer pink in center. Drain if necessary. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and coats pork.

Garlic Onion Burgers

This recipe has been adapted from allrecipes.com. Gray and I both loved them, they were a good burger without being overwhelmed by a million flavors.

1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Ketchup
1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together and form 4 burger patties. Cook on grill. Serve on a toasted bun with cheese (we love pepperjack on a burger), ketchup, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, or whatever else your heart desires!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

I got this recipe from Simply Recipes, and are delicious. I think Snickerdoodles are some of my all time favorite cookies. She said that they spread a lot but that wasn't the case with my cookies, they were kind of cakey but really good. Gray flipped out over them and kept telling me they were the best cookies I have ever made. Hope you enjoy!


4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup White, Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
½ teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt

Cinnamon Sugar Mix
½ Cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cream the butter until it's soft, smooth and light.
Add both of the sugars to the creamed butter and mix until they are fully incorporated, and lighter in color. Add salt. Stirring vigorously, add the egg to the mixture and beat until the batter looks uniform.
Sift the flour, cornstarch and baking soda, and fold, in three additions, into a large bowl to create cookie dough.
Form balls of dough with a soup spoon and plop them in cinnamon sugar, swirling to coat.
On a buttered or parchment lined cookie sheet, place the dough balls 3 inches apart. Flatten the dough slightly and sprinkle about half a tablespoons worth of cinnamon sugar on the flattened surface.
Set the first timer for 7 minutes. Turn the pan around and set a second timer for 7 minutes. If you are using a buttered pan they might be done at this point, or need another minute. If you’re using parchment, cookies will take 2-3 minutes more. You are looking for golden edges and a blonde middle.

Chicken Pot Pie

This might be the easiest recipe ever and it's so good. It the perfect thing to freeze for a family with a new baby or to take to friends that are sick. My friend Konnie gave it to me so you can all thank her. Are you sure you are ready for how easy this is?

2 Chicken Breast (cooked and shredded)
1 Cup Frozen Vegetables (I just use the pea and carrot blend but you can use whatever you like)
2 Cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
2 Pie Crust
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350. Boil the frozen vegetables. Mix together Chicken, Chicken Soup, Vegetables, Salt and Pepper. Pour mixture into 1 pie crust. Roll out the other pie crust (use a little flour or corn meal so it doesn't stick) and lay on top. Make cuts in the top for the steam and bake for an hour or until crust is golden brown.

Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs

(ignore the gross oven in the background, I never claimed to be a clean cook :) )

The recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker Low Fat and Fit Cookbook 3/25/96.

Okay so you might laugh at the former comment but my mom has so many of those little grocery store check out cookbooks, I snagged a ton of them from her house and marked the recipes I wanted to try. So far I have loved the new recipes!

1 pound ground turkey

1/3 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

1 egg

1 cup chicken broth

1/3 teriyaki sauce

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 medium bell pepper sliced

1 large zucchini sliced

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Mix turkey, bread crumbs and egg. Divide into meatballs. (Mine made 20) Cook meatballs in 12-inch skillet over medium high heat 5 minutes or until brown on all sides; reduce heat.

Mix broth, teriyaki sauce and pour into skillet . Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in vegetables and cook for 3 minutes. Remove meatballs from skillet.

Mix cornstarch and water; stir into sauce in skillet. Cook 1 to 3 minutes stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in meatballs.

Serve over rice.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

We had this at my friend Leah's house one night and I fell in love with it! It's so easy and delicious and I'm so glad she decided to share the recipe! 

4  cups vegetable broth2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic, undrained1 ounce tomato sauce (but I used 8 ounces because I wanted to thicken up the broth, it worked and we liked it better)1 yellow onion , chopped1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste2  9-ounce packages fresh, cheese-filled tortellini1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

In a slow cooker, combine broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, garlic and salt and pepper. 
Cover and cook on low 5 -6 hours; add tortellini and cook on low for 20 additional minutes. If soup seems too thick, add water 1/2 cup at a time to thin. Garnish with cheese. Serve with Creamy Corn Muffins.

Creamy Corn Muffins

	1 - 7-ounce box Jiffy corn muffin mix
	1 - large egg
	8 - ounces creamed corn
	2 - tablespoons vegetable oil
	1/2 - teaspoon ground nutmeg
	1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Mix all the ingredients together and divide into 12 muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 375 degrees.  We had these at my friend Leah's house with Tortellini Soup and I just had to have the recipe! Thanks Leah!!