Andes Creme de Menthe Chunk Cookies

Is anyone else a huge fan of Andes Creme de Menthe candies? I remember that these were my Aunt Mary Jo's favorite, and that we would get them at restaurants after dinner when we were with her. She passed away when I was twelve, so memories like that are special.

Aunt Mary Jo was the sister next in line after my mom, third daughter of my grandma, to whom this site is dedicated.

My mom found this recipe on a bag of Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips and made them last year. She saved the bag for me so I could have the recipe too. So here it is, straight off the bag...

Andes Creme de Menthe Chunk Cookies

1/2 c salted butter, softened

3/4 c dark brown sugar

1/2 c white granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 pkg (10 oz) Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips

2 2/3 c sifted all-purpose flour

Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed. Stir in Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips and then flour.

Chill approximately one hour in refrigerator. Measure out approximately 1 oz of dough. Form ball and slightly flatten. Raise oven rack one level above middle and bake on non-stick baking pans.

Bake at 350 F for approximately 8-10 minutes. Cool on pans for two minutes before removing.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Don't forget to visit Pam's blog for more Random Recipes!

Crockpot Chicken n Dumplins

Well, that's how I say it! I have to admit that last week was the first time I had tried to make chicken n dumplins all by myself. This is more of a southern dish, so I didn't have this growing up. I've always enjoyed chicken n dumplins when someone else made it.

I found this VERY easy crockpot version of chicken n dumplins, and Hubby RAVED! He has requested that I make this OFTEN! So I think that qualifies it for "Family Favorite" status.

Don't forget to check out Pam's Random Thoughts for more Random Recipes!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

Put frozen chicken breasts into crock pot.
Add 2 cans of chicken broth. (I did add a bay leaf and some Lawry's Seasoning Salt as well.)
Cover and simmer on low for 8 hrs or high for 6 hrs.

Twenty minutes before dinnertime, turn crockpot to high and mix 2 cups Bisquick mix and 2/3 cup milk. Drop by small spoonfuls into broth. Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. (I took the lid off for a few minutes before serving.)

The dumplings are doughy and squishy, which is just the way that Hubby likes it! Serve with a salad or other veggie.

Homemade Ketchup

Sorry I'm late posting my Random Recipe today. This sort of fits with the Fourth of July side dish theme. Everybody (except me) loves ketchup with their grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, right? Melanie had a blog post questioning whether ketchup could be considered a vegetable. With this recipe, it can!

Homemade Ketchup

from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1/2 cup carrot puree

1/4 water

2 Tbs apple-cider vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp chili powder, or to taste

1. Stir all the ingredients together in a big saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture has reduced by about half, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool before serving.

2. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze in 1/4 cup amounts in zipper-lock bag for up to 3 months.

Frozen Fruit Smoothies

Today's Random Recipes theme is drinks, milkshakes, etc, etc. This is my all-time favorite way to make smoothies. And it's so simple!

Ready?

Take about a cup of frozen berries or other frozen fruit. Place in the blender or a cup large enough for an immersion blender to reach the bottom. Pour in about a cup of skim milk. Blend. No ice. The frozen fruit is enough to make the smoothie thick and creamy! Add a little sugar or Splenda to sweeten, if necessary. The only fruit that needs sweetener is peaches.

If you want to use fresh fruit, then you will need to use ice cubes.

Enjoy!!!

Chicken Salad with Pistachios

Today's Random Recipe calls for picnic food to get us ready for the Memorial Day weekend. This is my mother in law's chicken salad recipe, and we usually have this at most of our summer get-togethers.

Most of the time we grill out at their house, so refrigeration isn't an issue. If you're taking this to a picnic, make sure that you have adequate space in your cooler. Or you could make sandwiches ahead to save on space.

Chicken Salad with Pistachios

8 ounces light sour cream

1 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

4 cups already roasted and sliced chicken (we use rotisserie chicken)

1 bunch scallions (enough for 1 cup chopped)

2 ribs celery (for about 1 cup chopped)

1 cup already shelled pistachios, unsalted

1/3 cup sweet pickle relish, well drained

1/2 tsp black pepper, more or less to taste

salt to taste

In a 2 quart or larger bowl, mix together the sour cream and mayonnaise. Chop the chicken into chunks, if necessary, and add to the mayonnaise mixture. Stir until the meat is well coated.

Rinse the scallions and slice them, using all of the whites and enough of the tender green tops to make 1 cup. Sprinkle them over the chicken as you chop. Cut the celery into bite-sized pieces and add them to the salad. Add the nuts, sweet pickle relish and black pepper. Stir to mix well. Add salt and additional black pepper to taste, if necessary.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

My Favorite Pasta Salad

The theme for Random Recipes today is "lunch." This was tough for me, because my lunch is usually a grilled cheese sandwich or left-overs. But as the weather warms, my thoughts turn to summer foods, and this is one of my favorite summertime meals. You can do all the prep in the morning and have this for lunch or supper, or both! This recipe makes a lot!

If you need a great low-fat panini recipe, click here for a turkey reuben.

Also, go check out Random Thoughts today for more great Random Recipes!

My Favorite Pasta Salad

Ingredients
8 ounces wagon wheel macaroni or tri-colored corkscrew macaroni or desired pasta
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium yellow squash, halved, sliced lengthwise (and/or zucchini)
10 ounces frozen peas, thawed or 1 1/2 cups fresh peas, cooked and cooled
6 ounces black olive, pitted, drained (we're not olive fans, so we usually leave these out)

4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, cubed
1 cup unblanched whole almonds, toasted
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, snipped or oregano or basil or dill
8 ounces Italian salad dressing

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Rinse with cool water and drain thoroughly.
3. Cool pasta to room temperature. In a large mixing bowl combine pasta, sweet red pepper, yellow squash or zucchini, peas, olives, cheese, almonds, green onions and herb.
4. Add dressing to pasta mixture. Toss gently to mix.
5. Cover and chill for 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Vegetable Pizza

Today's theme for Random Recipes hosted by Pam at Random Thoughts is appetizer and/or drink recipes.

When we get together with Hubby's family, which is sometimes once a month, we have started sharing appetizers and finger foods instead of a full meal. There is a lot of variety, and I don't feel like I overeat when it's just finger foods. (Maybe I'm fooling myself?)

This is one of my favorite appetizers. I love making this for large groups, like a Super Bowl Party or New Year's Eve get-together.

Vegetable Pizza

PREP TIME 30 Min
READY IN 1 Hr

INGREDIENTS
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9x13 inch baking sheet, and pinch together edges to form the pizza crust.
Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 15 minutes without removing it from the baking sheet.
In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Ranch dressing. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange broccoli, tomato, green bell pepper, cauliflower, shredded carrots, and Cheddar cheese over the cream cheese layer. Chill for one hour, slice and serve.

Philly Cheesesteak Crockpot Lasagna

I have two really great crockpot lasagna recipes. "Regular" lasagna and chicken & veggie lasagna. After enjoying these two creations several times, Hubby suggested that I develop a Philly Cheesesteak Lasagna recipe as well. So Hubby is the inspiration, and I gave the perspiration. Actually, it wasn't too difficult. I used a large soup pot to cook the steak ums in so that I would only have one extra pot to wash.

This my very own creation - enjoy!

Also, don't forget to check out Pam's blog for more Random Recipes!

Philly Cheesesteak Crockpot Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pkg oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles

8 steak ums (1/2 pkg)

1 large white onion, sliced

1 large green bell pepper, sliced

2 cans Cheddar cheese soup

3 soup cans milk (I use skim)

1 1/2 cups Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Cook steak ums one at a time in a large soup pot. Reserve steak ums on a plate until all are finished.

2. Add a little bit of olive oil to the pot and saute onions and peppers. When they are soft, add steak ums.

3. Pour Cheddar cheese soup and milk into the pot and stir to combine. Heat through, add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Assemble layers in your crockpot. I was able to make 4 layers in my 6 qt crock. Use a one cup measure or ladle to spoon a small amount of "sauce" into bottom of crock. Then add a layer of noodles, breaking noodles to fit as needed. Add a layer of sauce with meat, peppers, and onions, then a layer of shredded cheese. Continue layering, with the last layer being shredded cheese.

5. Set crockpot to low and cook for 6-8 hours. Check noodles for doneness.

This made 8 servings for us and we are a family of big eaters. I debuted this recipe for my mom, my in-laws, and Hubby, and they all loved it.

Semi-Homemade Pizza

It's time for Random Recipes again! Our "topic" is pizza. I.love.pizza! I could eat pizza every day and not get bored. There is just so much you can do with it.

I don't have a pizza recipe per se, but I'll share what I do when making pizza at home.

Ingredients:

one prepared store-bought pizza crust (I like Boboli thin crust.)

your favorite spaghetti sauce (really, what's the difference between spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce?)

small amount of olive oil

garlic powder

chopped basil (either fresh or dried)

shredded mozzarella cheese

your favorite toppings - our current favorites are turkey smoked sausage and bell peppers

Directions:

Pre-heat oven according to directions on the pizza crust. Well, the directions are not ON the crust. They are on the package from whence the crust came.

Place your store-bought pizza crust on a pizza stone or pizza pan. Yes, the directions may say that you can bake it directly on the rack, but I don't want to clean up a messy oven if the sauce or cheese spills over.

Brush the crust with a small amount of olive oil. You can either use a pastry brush or your fingers. I use my fingers. Why dirty another utensil that you are going to have to wash?

Spoon spaghetti sauce over crust, spread to within 1/4 inch of edge. Sprinkle garlic powder and basil evenly over the sauce.

Top with shredded mozzarella, as much or as little as you like. Then scatter toppings over cheese. I like to finish with just a little more cheese over the toppings, but that's a personal preference.

Bake according to directions on pizza crust package. I always take my out before it's done, but I'm impatient like that. I just like it that way, or maybe I've learned to like it that way because that's always how it is because I can't wait. I could blame it on being a middle child like the Pioneer Woman does, but I'm not a middle child, so I really can't use that excuse.

Now, get on over the Pam's blog to check out her pizza recipe and post your own if you so desire!

Turkey Chili

Pam is hosting a Tex-Mex Random Recipe exchange! I have a few Tex-Mex recipe in my "arsenal," but this is by far our favorite. This is adapted from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.

Turkey Chili

1 T. olive oil

1/2 c. chopped red onion

1 lb lean ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. chili powder, or to taste
1 t. salt

1/4 t. sweet paprika

1/8 t. pepper

1 (15 oz) can chopped tomatoes

1 (26 oz) carton reduced fat low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. red pepper puree*

1/2 c. carrot purree*

1/4 c. cornmeal

2 T. flaxseed meal

1 pkg extra firm tofu (cubed)

1. Heat large pot over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the oil. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes

2. Add the turkey and season with the garlic, chili powder, salt, paprika, and pepper. Cook, stirring occassionally, until the turkey is no longer pink, 5-6 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomatoes. Add the broth, red pepper puree, carrot puree, cornmeal, and flaxseed meal, and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered 15-20 minutes. Stir in the cubed tofu and heat thru. (The longer the tofu is in the chili, the more it will absorb the taste of the seasonings.)

* Prepare purees ahead of time by steaming or roasting your vegetables until soft, then pureeing in a food processor or blender with a small amount of water. You can also take the short cut of using prepared baby food carrots and roasted red peppers in a jar.

Turkey (or Chicken) Pot Pie

Pam at Random Thoughts is hosting Random Recipes. Today's theme, in honor of several January birthdays (including my hubby's next week), is birthday food. When I asked Hubby what his definition of "birthday food" is, he replied "comfort food." So what says comfort food more than Turkey Pot Pie? This is from Jessica Seinfeld, author of Deceptively Delicious.

Turkey (or Chicken) Pot Pie (with Sweet Potato)
Created by Jessica Seinfeld
Makes one large casserole or 8 individual 1-cup servings
Sweet potato makes a creamy, thick sauce that adds tons of vitamin A. This is also a great way to use up leftover poultry!

INGREDIENTS
Pie:
2 Tbsp. trans fat-free, soft tub margarine
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups reduced sodium, fat-free or low-fat chicken or turkey broth
2 1/2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, cubed
1 cup sweet potato puree

Topping:
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup non-fat, skim milk
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. wheat germ or flax meal
3 Tbsp. trans fat-free, soft tub margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 400°. Melt margarine in a medium-size saucepan. Add flour and cook over medium heat, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until a thick paste forms and the mixture become golden but not brown. Add chicken broth and heat until mixture just begins to boil. Reduce heat; add turkey, sweet potato puree. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish or divide among 8 1-cup ramekins. For topping, in a large bowl, combine all ingredients until a soft batter forms. If using individual ramekins, spread batter on top of each ramekin. Place ramekins onto a cookie sheet and bake until dough is golden brown, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. For the casserole, spread batter to cover. Bake until dough is golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Baked Potato Soup

Pam at Random Thoughts has asked us to post our Random Recipes for our favorite soup or stew. (Great timing considering how cold it is right now, even in South Carolina!) I haven't made this soup, but my mother-in-law has, and it's great! (BTW, I'm looking for a good slow cooker potato soup recipe. Anyone?)

Baked Potato Soup

5-7 servings
2 quarts
1¾ hours 20 min prep

4 large potatoes
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
6-8 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
12 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled & divided
6 green onions, chopped and divided
4 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for an hour.
Cut in half lengthwise, scoop out and reserve pulp.
Melt butter in saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth.
Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Gradually add milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly.
Stir in potato, salt, pepper, 1/2 bacon, 2T onion, garlic and 1 c cheese.
Cook until thoroughly heated (do not boil).
Stir in sour cream and heat.
Serve with remaining bacon, onion and cheese.