Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This weeknight meal is a favorite of our children. It can be prepared to be frozen and baked when needed or with a little help from the kids can be prepared to bake in only a few minutes.

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup oats
1 egg slightly beaten
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire
1/3 cup milk

Mix well and form into 2" balls. I use a 2 tbls scooper, place single layer in a greased casserole dish. Make sauce to pour over top.

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 tsp worcestershire

Combine all and blend thoroughly. Heat for 2 minutes in microwave or on stove top. Pour on top of meatballs. Bake uncovered 30-40 minutes at 350.

Serve over rice.

Lemon Cake

This is an all time Gentry favorite! Wether you make it in a 9x13 cake pan or a big cookie sheet it is light and refreshing.

1 Lemon cake mix
1 pkg instant lemon pudding
1 cup oil
6 eggs
1 1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients together, pour into a greased pan. Bake at 350 for 20-35 minutes. While cake is baking mix up glaze.

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
Yellow food coloring*

Remove cake from oven and poke with a fork. Pour glaze on warm cake.

Sloppy Joes

This recipe comes for the Ottley side of our family. This is a great go to meal for a large group just double or triple the batch pop it in your crockpot and your good to go!

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced

Brown these ingredients, in the meantime combine the following ingredients in a crockpot, you may want to line it with a Reynolds brand crockpot liner for easier clean up.

3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup water
1-2 Tbls brown sugar
2 Tbls prepared mustard
2 Tbls vinegar
2 Tbls worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp chili powder

Set crockpot on low and cook 6-8 hours or 3-4 on high. Serve on hamburger buns. We like to put sliced cheese on our sandwiches for an extra special treat.

French Breakfast Muffins

I found this recipe in Family Fun Magazine years ago. The kids love to help mix up these simple but tasty muffins and enjoy them with an icy Orange Julius.

2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 large egg
1 cup plus 2 TBS milk
6 Tbls melted butter, slightly cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine above ingredients until just mixed together and spoon into lined muffin tin. Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from oven, while warm dip tops of muffins into 2 tbs melted butter and cinnamon/sugar mixture (1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon).

Bacon Wrapped Ranch Chicken

I saw a pin on Pinterest without a link to accredit this recipe too but tried it with my own twist and I must say it was DELICIOUS!!!!!!

Wrap 6-8 boneless skinless chicken tenders with uncooked bacon and place in a greased baking dish.
Sprinkle 1 Tbs ranch seasoning over the top. In a separate bowl mix together 1 cup of sour cream and 1 can of Cream of Chicken soup, pour mixture over seasoned chicken then sprinkle 1 Tbs ranch seasoning. Cover with foil and bake 4 hours on 225. Uncover and bake 15-30 more minutes at 350.

We served this with Oven Rice.

I used a homemade ranch seasoning mix I made using the BYU Ranch Dressing recipe found here.http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2011/07/ode-to-homemade-ranch-dressing.html The most amazing ranch dressing I have ever had!!! And the best part is that it's entirely from scratch!!

Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken

1 lbs chicken cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

Place chicken in baking dish and sprinkle seasoning on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Drain excess juice. Mix sauce and pour over top.

Sauce:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 cup milk
1Tbs dry parsley

Bake 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Kabob Collection

The perfect meal for summertime grilling is Kabobs. You can customize your meat and veggies to make everyone in the family happy. Here are a few of our favorite recipes collected from the Internet.

Chicken marinated with bacon
Vegetables
Yogurt Sauce

Steak

Shrimp
1- 1/2 lb Cleaned, rinsed and dried shrimp
Juice from one lemon
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 TBS fresh chopped parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combine in a Ziploc bag and marinate for two hours before grilling. Grill for 6-8 minutes.

Serve with Oven Rice

** Meat can be cut and combined with marinades then frozen in Freezer safe bags for later use or dinner exchange. (except shrimp its better fresh.)

Peanut Butter Frosted Brownie Bites

I taught Relief Society Meeting in the fall of 2011. My favorite part of the meeting were the yummy brownie bites frosted with a peanut butter cream cheese frosting. I couldn't get enough so I made up my own version!

Brownies:
You can use a mix or my new favorite homemade recipe I found on Pinterest came from Cook Like Your Grandmother.com . I baked these little goodies using a Mini Muffin Pan. If you are using the homemade version you will get approximately 3 1/2 dozen brownies. NOTE: when baking using the mini muffin tins decrease the baking time to 15-17 minutes. Once brownies have cooled frost using the recipe below.
Frosting Recipe:
1/2 c. butter (1 cube)
8 oz cream cheese
1 c. creamy peanut butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1-4 TBS milk
Combine all ingredients with mixer.  Leftover frosting can be frozen for later. I used a Wilton 14 Inch Piping Bagwith a Size 14 Decorating Tip.

Oven Rice

This easy and delicious side dish recipe came from my friend Tara. We did a few freezer meals together and she suggested this as a perfect pairing for meals like BBQ chicken, Kabobs, or steaks off the grill.

Ingredients:
2 c rice
4 c water
5 chicken bouillon cubes (or try beef if your serving beef as your protein)
Garlic salt to taste
1 stick butter
*optional- I sprinkled a tsp of Mrs. Dash into the mix for extra flavor

Bring to boil, cover, then cook for thirty minutes at 350 degrees.

I used my CorningWare French White Casserole dish. My favorite thing about this recipe besides the taste and texture is that there is no boil over to clean up on the stove top.

Fresh Coconut Cake

This cake is a double batch to feed 10-16 people

We got a coconut from our produce co op last year and wondered what to do with it. I found this recipe and it has become one of the most requested cakes I bake.

When you use fresh coconut you first have to prepare the fruit to be used. This link had the most helpful instructions on opening the nut, and getting the meat out. After I get it all out and peel off any remaining skin I shred it in my food processor and store it in an air tight container until I'm ready to bake.

For cake layers:
1 cup milk (not nonfat) *I used 1/2 cup skim and 1/2 cup reserved coconut water
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) *Make your own by placing 2 Tbs cornstarch in a 1 cup measuring cup and filling the rest with flour then sift.
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

For frosting:
3 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla *I also add 1/2 tsp coconut extract

2 1/2 cups grated fresh coconut

Make cake layers:
Bring milk just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Purée in a blender.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (9- by 2-inch) round cake pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in whites, vanilla, and almond extract until light and fluffy again, about 2 minutes. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Beat in coconut-milk mixture, then remaining flour mixture, just until blended.

Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool layers in pans on racks 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans, then invert layers onto racks to cool completely.

Make frosting:
Heat whites, sugar, water, corn syrup, and cream of tartar in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking, until mixture is warm and sugar is dissolved. Beat mixture, still over heat, with a handheld electric mixer on high speed until thick and fluffy, about 7 minutes. (Depending on mixer and weather, this may take longer.) Remove frosting from heat. Add vanilla and beat until cool and spreadable.

Assemble cake:
Brush any loose crumbs from layers and put 1 layer upside down on a serving plate. Spread with about 1 1/4 cups of frosting and sprinkle with ‚ cup coconut. Place other layer on top, right side up. Frost top and sides of cake (you may have some frosting left over) and sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Cooks' notes: If egg safety is a problem in your area, you may want to use either pasteurized egg whites in the carton or reconstituted powdered egg whites for the frosting.
Cake may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, loosely covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Recipe from Epicurious


Top it all off with mixed berries or sliced tropical fruits like mango's, pineapple, and kiwi.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

This yummy treat is one I always look forward to when I hang out with my friend Brenda.

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs milk
40 miniature peanut butter cups unwrapped**

Cream together butter, sugars and peanut butter until fluffy and smooth.
Beat in egg, vanilla and milk. Add flour, salt, baking soda and mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place in ungreased mini muffin tins. I used a size 70 scoop*** it was about 1 Tbs of dough.

Bake at 375* for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

**try unwrapped Rolo's instead!

***

New Orleans Style Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

I love to teach my children about different cultures and holidays. I found my favorite way to teach them is through food. Many of the recipes we have tried have now become favorite meals, like this one. Usually I serve this yummy soup on Fat Tuesday, in February. We like to watch Disney's,The Princess and the Frog  as part of our celebration.

4 boneless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning*
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1 pound andouille or smoked sausage, diced **
2 celery ribs, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
8 to 10 cups chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
6 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:
In a non-stick saucepan, combine vegetable oil and flour to make a roux.
Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly until mixture turns color of peanut butter. Don't burn.
Season the chicken with Cajun seasoning.
In a heavy pot, heat olive oil. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat until browned. Transfer to a plate.
In the same pot, brown the sausage over moderately high heat, 5 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the chicken.
Add the celery, pepper and onion and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned, 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook a few minutes. Add the roux, 8 cups of broth and tomatoes, bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and sausages to the pot. Simmer over low heat for 1 to 2 hours until chicken starts to shred a bit. Stir often. 
Serve over white rice and garnish with scallions.
(recipe from Families.com)

*My sister in law, Wendy, went to the the south on her LDS Church mission. One of the treasures she sent back to us was this amazing Cajun seasoning,Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning . I try to keep the soup a little less spicy so the whole family can enjoy it but for those who want more let them sprinkle more of this seasoning on their own portion. I also use this on pork chops or to grill chicken breasts.


**I can never find andouille here in Utah so I just omit the sausage all together.

To top off our celebration we have made Beneigts or a Kings Cake

Chinese Casserole

Even though this dish takes about an hour to come together I remember it as one of my favorites as a kid.

1 lb ground beef
1 chopped onion
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 cup rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
La Choy Chow Mein Noodles

We use an electric frying pan for this recipe. Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion and celery, drain and rinse if needed. Add rice and cook until rice is brownish. Add soup, then reuse can with water adding two cans of water. Stir all together, bring to a simmer, cover and cook on low until rice is cooked. if needed add more water to keep from getting too dry. When the casserole is cooked you can add chow mein noodles to individual portions as a topping.