Nutella and Strawberry French Toast

I made this for dinner a few nights ago, and when I set it on the table my girls burst out in a happy chorus of "Mom is Great!.."  But seriously, we were eating breakfast the next morning and my 4 year old turned to me and said, "Mom.  I just can't stop thinking about our yummy dinner last night".  I agree.  It was SO good!

Best Dinner Rolls

After years of searching for a good roll recipe, I have finally found one that the whole family loves! It comes from ourbestbites.com. These rolls are easy to make, and are nice and fluffy on the inside.  They are especially yummy straight out of the oven.

Chicken Lasagna Roll-ups

I made this recipe for the first time last night, and it was wonderful! I love that it has chicken and my girls didn't even know it.  The cheesy mixture is wonderful and it definitely made enough for two dinners.  Yay for leftovers!

Quite Possibly the Best Brownies Ever

This is my very favorite brownie recipe.  It's the one I take to parties and make for friends, and I always get asked for the recipe. 

Parmesan Tomato Bisque

This slow-cooker recipe for soup is super tasty.  I actually forgot that I had planned it for dinner and ended up making it on the stove top, which worked fine other than that I had to put the tomato mixture in the blender because it wasn't quite soft enough by the time we were ready to eat.  It was delicious with a side of breadsticks and salad.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits (similar to Red Lobst.)

These biscuits are a special treat that I love to serve with pasta or soup and salad.  They taste very similar to the Red Lobst. biscuits and are super easy to make!

Barbeque Beef Roast

This is an easy and tasty slow-cooker recipe for beef roast.  The type of barbeque sauce you use can make all the difference.  I love the Weber Real Molasses BBQ sauce (Hickory Smoke flavor).  This is a picture of the label-

Creamy Pumpkin Pie

While I'm not a huge fan of traditional pumpkin pie, the walnut streusel topping on this pie make it a big hit at our house.  The pumpkin filling is also deliciously light- with an almost mousse-like texture.  Use your own pie crust recipe, or use my favorite recipe here.

Tator Tot Casserole

This is a recipe I brought from my mom, and was frequently my chosen birthday dinner.  Now my daughters love it as well.  It's so simple to make that it's become a staple in our home.  And it's an easy recipe to create variations on by simply adding a few different ingredients or switching up the cheese for a new variety.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

I am not regularly a fan of pumpkin (other than in bread/cookies), but I made this recipe when we had some friends over, and I found myself sneaking back to the container in the fridge on a regular basis.  I think it was because of the cake-like texture of the crust, and the fact that the pumpkin layer wasn't thick enough to be overpowering.  It was the perfect combination of spice cake, cinnamon and pumpkin.

Teriyaki Steak and Snap Peas

The secret to this dish is to cook the meat and the snap peas quickly at a high heat.  The meat remains nice and tender in the middle, and the snap peas get a nice crisp texture.  The teriyaki sauce is nicely accented by a light dusting of sesame seeds.

Best Pie Crust

This is my favorite pie crust recipe, because it is so easy (only 4 ingredients!) and turns out great every time.  We love eating it as a pie, or just brushing on some butter and sprinkling it with cinnamon and sugar before baking it.

Beef Stroganoff

While beef stroganoff is an easy recipe that I typically save for the end of the month when we're about to the end of our food budget, I am always surprised by how much my family enjoys this dish.  It disappears quickly both from our plates and from the refrigerator.

Cowboy Casserole

I found this recipe on pinterest and was interested in the name (John Wayne Casserole).  In reading through comments regarding the casserole, I was interested to learn about the original John Wayne Casserole, which was submitted by John Wayne to a recipe book for charity, and apparently is nothing like this quite delicious dish.  So I have re-named it "Cowboy Casserole", which I believe suits the fact that it is a nice hearty casserole, with plenty of vegetables, dairy, meat and carbs to keep those cowboys full of energy for a hard day's work.

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli (Crock Pot)

We enjoyed this meal for the first time the other night.  I love finding recipes that include broccoli and make it taste good! I loved how easy this was to make.  Just throw everything in the crock pot (except the broccoli and sour cream, which you add toward the end) and you're good to go!

Fabulous Tenderizing Marinade

This is one of my favorite steak marinades.  The big secret is the use of kiwi juice to tenderize the meat.  I plan ahead to make sure it has plenty of time to marinate (aim for 8 hours in the refrigerator).

Triple Chocolate Oreo Cookes

These cookies are so chocolate-y delicious!  I prefer darker chocolate cocoa, (dutch is best) and the cookies need to be pressed down to their desired shape since they don't spread much while they cook.  This recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.  Perfect for those holiday cookie exchanges coming up!

Cheesy Chicken Artichoke Casserole

This is one of my top 5 favorite recipes.  It never seems to make quite enough.  I could eat this for days in a row! And the leftovers are at least as good, if not better, than the original.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

I originally baked these cookies for one of my husband's work events.  I wanted to add a little visual variety to the regular chocolate chip cookie platter.  I fell in love.  This cookies are melt-in-your mouth delicious.  I think they would be a fun Halloween cookie- just switch out the chocolate frosting for vanilla dyed orange.

Crescent Chicken Enchiladas

Sorry it's been a while since I posted.  I had some crazy things going on in my life- but now I am getting back into the swing of things and will be posting once again on a regular basis.

This is a recipe that I got from some friends of ours.  It's Amanda's famous recipe- everyone who has had it loves it and begs her for the recipe.  I made these for some mutual friends and they said "Hey! Isn't this Amanda's recipe? I LOVE it!"  Yes Indeed.

Snickers Cookies (And a New Favorite Base)

These cookies are a new favorite.  The dough that serves as a base is fantastic! I love the snicker recipe, but this dough would be fabulous even as just a chocolate chip cookie.  The secret is the browned butter.  It's an easy step that only adds a few minutes but greatly enhances the flavor.

Cowboy Quesadillas

My dear husband was gone to a conference last week, and so I filled our menu with all kinds of food I would normally need to avoid while he's here (foods including onions, tomatoes...which practically exclude all forms of Mexican food altogether).  I typically find ways to compromise with our meals and have become very skilled at the use of onion powder in our dishes.  But I have to say I was excited about the chance to cook with the "real ingredients".

These cowboy quesadillas had enough substance to serve as a main dish, and tasted delicious when paired with a side of tortilla chips and guacamole.

Savory Herb Roast Beef

This is one of my husband's favorite dinners.  The herbs in this roast make it flavorful and the broth keeps it nice and moist.  I love coming home to this cooking in the slow cooker, because it makes our house smell SO good.  This time around we used fresh dill from the garden, and my mouth was watering all day.

Easy Chili Enchiladas

These enchiladas are great simply because they are so easy to make.  They are made up of only five ingredients, and are perfect for nights when I just don't have time to spend hours cooking.  I usually dress them up with a side of refried beans to help calm down the mild spiciness of the green chili sauce.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

In our home we LOVE home made pizza.  The pizza sauce recipe I use was handed down to me by my wonderful mother.  We usually combine it with pepperoni, cheese, and occasionally olives, but you can play around with it as much as you would like to.

Quick and Easy Yeast Prep

I'm sure I'm not the only home chef who has suffered from a yeast disaster. What makes these moments just so depressing is the many hours of kneading, resting, rising, pleading that go into each bread experience. To spend so much time and end up with a flat loaf of bread is heartbreaking.

There are many factors that affect the outcome of a bread recipe- many of them have to do with the health of your yeast. Here's an easy way to make sure that your yeast is nice and healthy before you invest too much time and hard work.

Cheesy Ham and Basil Breakfast Casserole

This morning I made this breakfast casserole for a back-to-school brunch at a friend's house.  I forgot to take my photo until the casserole was nearly gone- but my friend Angela insisted it would only demonstrate how much everyone loved it.  This is one of my handful of go-to breakfast recipes.  It's always a favorite.

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

For my husband's birthday earlier this month, he requested Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps.  These are so much fun to eat.  We were inspired by the lettuce wraps at PF Changs, which are absolutely delicious and I definitely recommend trying them.  While we tend to eat these for a meal, they would be a perfect party appetizer as well.

Olive G Alfredo Copycat

This has been a favorite in our family for a few years now, and is especially wonderful now that our nearest Olive G is 45 minutes away! The secret to this recipe is to use REAL butter and regular cream cheese.  Margarine, or reduced fat substitutes will create a disaster, so stick with the all-natural full fat variety, please.

Chicken Salad Croissants

In the past I have not been a very big fan of chicken salad, but I was introduced to a version I loved at a baby shower a few years ago.  Since then I've tried to find a similar recipe, and this is pretty close.  My favorite way to eat chicken salad is on a croissant, but you can get creative and serve it up any way you like!

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

This was served as dessert at a birthday party for one of my daughter's best friends.  I instantly fell in love and spent the last 2 months begging for the recipe.  It's so easy to make, is nice and light which is perfect for a summer treat, and looks beautiful when made in a trifle bowl.

Cajun Chicken Nuggets

Cajun chicken nuggets are one of my girl's favorite dinners. And not just because we usually have fries with them, although I'm sure that helps.  I could eat them at least once a week, because they are just so darn tasty! The chili powder gives them just the right amount of kick and the panko crumbs give them just the right amount of crunch.  MMM!

Tacoritos

This dish is a favorite of my husband's and my preschoolers.  It has a mixture of beef and sausage, and a good portion of chili powder to give it a little punch.  Add to that a generous helping of cheese, and you just can't go wrong.

Garlic Parmesean Breadsticks

I LOVE bread.  I look for any excuse to have bread- and my kids know that any time we have pasta for dinner, breadsticks of some kind are a given.  These remind me somewhat of the Pizza Factory breadsticks- just not wrapped around a skewer.  The bottom of the breadsticks are nice and crispy with a pan-fried effect.  Not incredibly healthy, but everyone needs to splurge now and then.

Grilled Chicken Ranch Pasta

I love love love the creaminess of this pasta- I'm always one to love a good alfredo sauce.  But what I love most about this recipe is the spicy kick of the grilled ranch chicken.  Who would have thought to put ranch in a pasta dish? But it's delicious!  Make sure you leave plenty of time for the chicken to marinate.  This is a two step dinner, but each step is nice and simple.

Delicious Peach Cobbler

Since my husband's favorite dessert of all time is peach cobbler, I have searched high and low for the best cobbler recipe I could find. This is it! We always get compliments on this dessert, and almost never end up with leftovers.

Lasagna Casserole

My family loves pasta, and especially lasagna.  I have a wonderful lasagna recipe for special occasions, but this dinner is a great compromise for the nights when I don't have quite as much time.  It only takes a few ingredients, and is super easy to throw together.

Peeling Peaches

My mother in law is visiting this week, so we took the girls to a local farm to pick peaches one day.  We were surprised to learn that we had to pick a minimum of ten pounds... which left us with a boatload of peaches.  But when life gives you peaches, make cobbler!  *Recipe pending*

While I love eating peaches, I hate having to peel them.  Lucky for me, my mother in law had this wonderful tip!

Taco Crunch Wraps

I think one of my favorite things about this recipe is that the Taco Wraps just look so neat! I love how the layers are separated and colorful.  They taste great, too!

Cinnamon Roll Cake

In our family, we LOVE cinnamon rolls.  I have tried a few different recipes but haven't yet found the perfect one- and I don't know about you, but I find the making of cinnamon rolls to just be a bit tedious- wait for the dough to rise, roll it out, coat with cinnamon mixture... let rise again...

This recipe is so much easier! I fell in love the first time I made it.  Perfectly cinnamon-y with a delicious glaze that you just pour on top at the end.  Wonderful.

Rhodes Rolls

Rhodes rolls... Cheating? Maybe. Worth it? Yes!

I have long been a fan of Rhodes rolls.  They are fantastic to eat, fantastically priced, and perfect for days when I don't plan out dinner early enough to make my own rolls and let them rise for 4 hours.  They fit so nicely in my freezer, and one bag will last us 3 different meals.

And they have SO many uses.  We typically eat them as dinner rolls (I love the "speed method", where I pop them in the oven with warm water and allow them to rise for 1 1/2 hours, bake 20 minutes, and am done).  But we have also used them to make pizza crust, monkey bread, breakfast casseroles...  I don't know what I'd do without them.

Tamale Pie (Beef Topping)

A few years ago I decided to try my hand at tamale making.  The tamales turned out wonderfully, but I destroyed my new tamale pot... it was scorched beyond hope of saving... and I haven't been brave enough yet to try them again. 

Which is why I am so excited about this recipe! It combines the delicious tamale crust with a taco-like filling, and bakes easily in the oven.

I have a chicken topping I know would be just wonderful with this- so we'll make this recipe a two-parter.  Here is the beef recipe:

Hawaiian Haystacks

This is a newly re-discovered family favorite.  When I was pregnant with our first daughter, hawaiian haystacks were the only real dish I could stomach for the first trimester.  As you can imagine, dear hubby and I quickly had our fill.  I finally broke this out last week and everyone loved it.  The best thing about hawaiian haystacks is that you can get as creative as you would like to with the toppings. I just put out several little bowls of ingredients and everyone got to choose their own.  The girls loved feeling like mini chefs.

The Mini Rolling Pin

My husband was shocked when for Christmas I asked him for a mini rolling pin.  "But you already have this perfectly wonderful, LARGE, rolling pin!" (He's from Texas, and thinks if it's bigger it's better).  Each time we had this conversation I reassured him that no, I wasn't losing my mind, and yes, I would like a mini rolling pin.

This is another gadget that I discovered in my mother's kitchen, and as the chef in my own home now I couldn't long do without.  I don't know what it is about regular sized rolling pins, but I just feel like they are so bulky and my crusts either end up tearing or jumping all around the place as they stick to my roller... And these little rollers are SO much easier for me to handle.

I love that I can roll out my dough with ONE hand.  I love that if my dough sticks, it's only a very small portion of my dough and it's an easy fix.  (Especially since I have a free hand).  I love that it's not heavy, and can fit easily in my drawer.

So if you are like me and hate wrestling with a rolling pin, there IS another way! Try out a mini rolling pin.  They really are wonderful.

Chicken Casear Pizza

We had a pizza similar to this at a friend's house in Las Vegas.  I love my Pepperoni pizza, and up until that point the most adventurous I had been with my pizzas was to add artichoke hearts at the Olive Garden.  This pizza swept me off my feet and became one of my favorite dishes.

Favorite Pizza Crust

This is a two-part post- I am excited to be posting one of my favorite recipes in the next few days- Chicken Caesar Pizza! But I realized I couldn't post the pizza unless you first had the recipe for the crust, so here is my favorite pizza crust recipe.  (Photo borrowed from the internet). 

Enchilada Casserole

This is one of our recipes that is included in our regular rotation. I love it because the entire family likes it, and it is SO easy to make! Prep time is about 15 minutes, then it bakes for 30 while I whip up a side dish (or sit down to read a book).

Smokey BBQ Roast

This recipe was originally created to be used with a beef brisket, but I prefer beef roasts.  So take your pick of either one.  I'm picky when it comes to roasts, and love the flavor of this recipe.  It has just enough kick and keeps the roast perfectly moist.

Ode to Kosher Salt

Back in dental school we had a friend who made these WONDERFUL pretzels for our BYU football game nights.  (Recipe to come).  The recipe calls for kosher salt.  Up until that point I had no idea what kosher salt was, and I wondered what the big deal was.  Now I wonder how I did without it.  Kosher salt is one of my FAVORITE ingredients.

Why kosher salt? Because it's fabulous.  Because it's larger in size (grain) than regular boring old table salt, but a bit smaller than sea salt which frankly, I feel is often overkill.  (Sorry, you sea salt lovers out there).

What do I use it on?  Pretty much everything.  I just love the texture.  And I love how a light dusting of kosher salt brings out the flavor of nearly any dish.  I use it on casseroles, vegetables, potatoes, rice, chocolate pretzels, pizza and pasta (and possibly surprisingly, it's my secret ingredient on chocolate chip cookies). 

If you haven't discovered the joy of kosher salt for yourself, I recommend picking up a container the next time you're in the grocery.  It's amazing.

Santa Fe Chicken (Crock Pot)

I love this dinner! Not only because it's a crock pot recipe, and so all I really have to do is to combine the ingredients and let them sit all day, and not only because it makes my house smell so wonderfully like a mexican restaurant, but because it can be served so many ways.
On rice, in a tortilla, on a salad... the sky is the limit!