Baked Pita Chips

2 or more packages of Pita Bread (try to get the ones without the pocket)

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Sea Salt

Dried herbs like Basil, parsley, garlic (optional)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut pita/flat bread into chip size triangle pieces, like a pizza.
Pour some EVOO onto a foil lined baking sheet.
Put cut pita pieces onto baking sheet; spread and stir around in EVOO until both sides are evenly coated.
Place each pita triangle flat onto baking sheet, trying not to stack pieces.
Sprinkle desired amount of Sea Salt, herbs & garlic (dried) on top of pita.
Bake @ 400 deg F for about 10 min, or until golden brown. If you like a crispier chip, go a bit longer. If you desire a softer chip, bake for a bit less time.

Goes great with hummus of every flavor, homemade dips, and/or Tayana's Gorgonzola (or blue cheese) Dip recipe. We also like to serve these pitas (& dip) with fresh veggies & greek pitted green olives w/ garlic (I got mine at olive cart near deli at Safeway). I found the Kontos Nan flat bread and other types of Pita Bread in bakery area near hamburger buns in Safeway.

Pizza Rolls

Frozen dinner rolls
Pizza toppings (pepperoni, peppers, onions, etc)
Pizza Sauce
Cheese
Garlic Bread Sprinkle
Parmesan Cheese
Butter

Thaw dinner rolls and cut in half. Roll into squares. Put a dab of pizza sauce, toppings and cheese on the roll and fold up into a roll. Melt butter and spread on top. Sprinkle with garlic and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 until browned on top.

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Ingredients

• 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
• 8 ounces raspberries
• 1 pound strawberries
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
•  
• 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• butter flavored cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

**I only used half the sugar called for, and I think it would have been fine with less.  

Sweet N' Salty Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

I don't remember the measurements exactly of the peanut butter, butter, salt and powdered sugar I used. I just winged it, so please do the same!

• 1 box of plain brownie mix (Betty Crocker)
• Peanut Butter
• butter
• powdered sugar
• salt
• ingredients listed on the box (ie: eggs, oil, water)
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• White chocolate chips
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
  

Add and mix all the ingredients & brownie mix listed on the box. Add 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 to 1 cup white choc chips, vanilla and almond extract. Stir well.

In another microwave bowl, add about 1 to 1 1/2 cup peanut butter and 2 TBS butter. Heat in microwave until butter melted and then stir PB. Add powdered sugar and about 1 tsp salt. Stir into PB until smooth. Heat again in microwave if necessary. Taste the PB to see if it is a good sweet n salty flavor (to your liking). Add more powdered sugar and salt if needed.

Next, pour brownie batter into a greased or buttered 9 x 13 baking pan (i used a stone wear dish). Make it even. Then, pour PB mixture into rows of circles on top of brownie batter. Take a butter knife and swirl the PB into the brownie batter, going length wise from one end of pan to the other, side to side, up and down. Next, go width-wise, while making sure to swirl but not totally mix the PB mixture into the brownie.

If you would like to wait to bake: cover with foil, making it freezer-burn safe, and put into freezer for up to about 2 weeks (estimated). Then when ready, take out and bake.

Bake according to box instructions. Serve, maybe with some ice cream, and enjoy!

Peanut-Butter Mini Pancakes w/ Jelly Syrup

I used the following basic recipe for pancakes. You may use white or wheat flour. I used white.

• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil or apple sauce (I used apple sauce)
• 1 1/2 cup milk or water (I used water)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• 1 cup peanut butter (or as little or more as you like according to your taste)

Beat above ingredients together. Then sift & add the following:

• 2 cups Flour
• 1/2 cup powdered milk (I didn't use this...don't have it)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp baking powder
• a splash of lemon juice
  

Bake on greased griddle.

Jelly Syrup:
Take whatever jam or jelly you like, put a good amount in a microwave cup or bowl ( I used a measuring liquid cup). Then add a splash of water. Heat in microwave until warm, stirring the mixture until most of lumps are gone. Serve on top of pancakes with butter if desired. Enjoy!

Banana Bread

6 Bananas
1 Cup apple sauce
2 Cups sugar
3 Cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

Combine all ingredients until equally incorporated. Pour into dark, non stick pans. Bake at 350 degrees until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cupcakes: 30 min
Mini loaf: 40 min
Full size loaf: 45 min

* Times are approximate and may vary by stove and elevation.

~Randi DeRoest

Freezer idea - Homemade Tamales

I always thought it would be cool to make tamales.  But seriously?  Never thought I'd actually do it.  Making tamales was something I just didn't feel like I could do from a recipe.  'Course, I never really looked into it.  So, when I was over at a friend's house while our boys played she gave me a tamale for lunch - homemade by her mom.  We started talking and she said we should make them sometime because she had never made them on her own either.  So, a few days ago, we did the prep work and then met over at her house to make them.  What an experience!  It was definitely cool to get the recipe that her mom had perfected over years and years of making tamales and watching others make tamales.

I decided to make 1/2 a recipe.  I have a little dinky freezer, and it's mostly full already.

So first, the prep work.  She got three bags of corn husks.  She washed off the little hairs the day before and kept them moist.  We each made some chicken.  Here's what she told me to do, from her mom:

You cook the chicken with garlic and salt.  Then shred it.  In another pan you fry chopped onion in oil until well cooked, and add chicken to it, and also a little red chili powder,and frozen mixed vegetables to the chicken. You cook it all together for some time,and also add some chicken broth to chicken, just a little to make it juicy, so it won't be too dry.  This broth is from the water you cooked the chicken in.

She later told me that with 3 lbs. of chicken I would need to use 1/2 bulb of garlic.  I was running very low on time and decided that if it was "a little of this, a little of that" type of recipe, that I could just throw everything into the crockpot.  My recipe:

3 lbs. chicken, whatever kind - even a rotisserie will do
1/2 large onion
1/2 garlic bulb, not just a clove, but the bulb
1-2 cups chicken broth
red chili powder
salt

Cook on low till done.

After it was done, Spencer and I shredded it and I kept adding more and more salt and chili powder until I liked it.  I added a lot more chili powder than she did - but it's all based on personal preference.  

I nuked a bag of frozen mixed veggies and added about 3/4 of it to the meat mixture.  Then I put in the fridge until the next day when we would make the tamales.

I was supposed to pick up the masa on the way to her house.  I get there and she says, "Oh not that kind!"  She started describing it to me and I was way confused - in plastic bags...stuff the store mixes up...in the meat department...Oh goodness.  So she went with me to return the masa I got, and she showed me where to find the good stuff.  - in the meat department at Food City.  

Step 1 is to soften the Crisco.  She says to definitely use Crisco, not lard.  That's too greasy.  The recipe says 3 lbs. of shortening for every 10 lbs. of masa.  I used 5 lbs. of masa, so I used around 1 1/2 lbs shortening.  We just eyeballed it.  Then you play with it a little to soften it.

Put in the masa. 

Now, we add around two Tbs. of baking powder

And salt.  Measure it in your hand.  A first for me.  I was a little nervous to give up my measuring spoons.  Anyway, 2 of these.

And now - mix it up!  

Add a little chicken broth to make it taste good and especially if it's too thick.  But seriously, how would I know if it's too thick?  I guess just kind of guess...?

And mix again

This is mine

 Sylvia said that if you are doing 2 bags of masa - then you need to do all of this

for one bag.  Then you add in the ingredients for the other into the same bowl.

K, after you've work it, you need to test it.  The test is to drop a ball of masa

into a glass of water.  If it sinks, keep working.  But if it rises, you're done!

I dropped a ball.  It sunk.  I worked some more, dropped a ball.  It sunk again.

I was beginning to wonder if the test actually worked.  Then I really worked.

I dropped another ball and - 

it floated!  

Yea!

Now, it's tamale time!  Get a corn husk, spread the masa - 

'not too much, not too little' - I'm so bad with those kinds of directions!

Sylvia told me later, I needed to use more masa.  But I don't enjoy the

masa part of tamales, so I'm good with a thin layer.  And she also

said to do it only on the upper part of the husk.

Add some meat - whatever you think looks good.  Sylvia put in less than

I did.  But I'm okay with that, too, 'cause I like lots of meat.

Now add the other ingredients.

Green olives, pickled jalapenos.   (the whole jalapenos

are hotter.  get the ones already sliced if you want it 

slightly milder.  you can also just use the pickled carrots, too)  

Then, a slice of potato that's cooked until crisp-tender.

Fold one side over.  Then the other side.  And flip up the end.

To bake, put in steamer.

Steam for about one hour.  Take a fork and test the masa 

when you start smelling them.

Yum!

Freeze the rest!

 We had some tonight - and so delicious!  Thanks, Sylvia!