turkey and chipotle chili (six sisters stuff)

Another fabulous crock pot meal. We make taco soup at least once a month and this reminded me of taco soup a little, but with a twist. I like the addition of the squash, zucchini, and carrots, and the chili seasoning packet added a slightly different flavor than the packet of taco seasoning I typically use when I make taco soup. So, this is a keeper when I want to shake things up a bit!

(photos and recipe credit: six sisters stuff)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups ground turkey (light or dark meat, both work great)
• 1 diced red onion
• 1 large diced carrot or 8 baby carrots sliced
• 1 diced bell pepper
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1.25 ounce packet chili seasoning
• 1 diced zucchini
• 1 diced yellow squash
• 15 ounces canned yellow corn
• 14.5 ounces canned roasted diced tomatoes
• 15.5 ounces canned red kidney beans or black beans
• 12 ounces canned chipotle peppers (depending on how spicy you want it)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Shredded cheddar, sour cream and chopped scallions for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put slow cooker on high and add red onion, carrots and bell pepper.
2. Then put the turkey on top of the veggies.
3. Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and chili seasoning and mix into the turkey meat.
4. Cover with zucchini, corn, tomatoes, beans, chipotle peppers, the remainder of your chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Stir in your slow cooker until combined.
6. Cover slow cooker and let the chili cook for at least 4 hours on high, or 10 hours on low.
7. Taste throughout cooking and adjust salt and pepper levels to your desire.
8. Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped scallions and enjoy!

chicken and bacon autumn chopped salad (six sisters stuff)

This salad is so tasty and can be a meal on it's own, but since I had kids I like to make sure I have rolls or something on the side. 

(photo and recipe credit: six sisters stuff)

Ingredients

*6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
*2 medium apples, chopped (pears are also delicious if you want to use those)
*1 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
*1 cup chopped walnuts (pecans or almonds are also a yummy substitution)
*8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled (we used turkey bacon- use what you want)
*4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
*1-2 grilled chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
*3/4 cup Poppy seed Salad Dressing (I like Brianna’s)
*1/4 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette (I used store brand because it tastes just the same to me)

Directions
*In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, apples, cranberries, walnuts, bacon, chicken and feta cheese.
*In a smaller bowl, combine poppy seed dressing with balsamic vinaigrette. Drizzle over salad right before serving. If you prefer your salad to have more dressing, feel free to experiment with the combination.
(This salad makes enough for about 6-8 servings. If you are not going to be eating it all in one sitting, only put dressing on what you will be eating or it will get all soggy.)

st.louis style ribs (six sisters stuff)

I have frequented the six sisters stuff website often over the last month or two, bookmarking recipes that I want to try and adding them to our menu. The next few recipes are recipes I have found from their website that are keepers and that I want to add to our meal rotation!

This first one, St. Louis Style Ribs, was going out on a limb for me. I don't know that I have ever cooked ribs before this but I am so glad I gave them a try. They are SO good and I especially love the home made bbq sauce recipe. Warning: Your house will smell INTENSELY like BBQ sauce if you make it from scratch :) But it really is not difficult and is so delicious. 

(photo and recipe credit: six sisters stuff)

INGREDIENTS

• 3 to 4 lbs st. louis style ribs
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 cup of water
• 1?3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1?3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1?4 cup sugar
• 1?4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1?2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1?2 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Stir ingredients, beginning with water (leave ribs and garlic salt out), into a stock pot.
2. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 15 minute stirring occasionally.
3. Simmer uncovered to get to desired thickness.
4. Preheat oven to 300°F while your sauce is is cooking.
5. Cut ribs into serving sizes.
6. Place in greased 9x13 glass pan.
7. Sprinkle with garlic salt to taste.
8. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes bone side up.
9. Drain the grease off the ribs.
10. Pour your done sauce over ribs.
11. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.
12. Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes, basting the ribs 2-3 times during final stage.
13. If you don't have a lot of time to make your own sauce, you can use store bought BBQ sauce.

spinach-chicken stromboli (briana holt)

I made this for dinner last night and everyone loved it! It was super easy and it seemed fancy. 

zesty slow cooker bbq (janelle morris)

This was probably the simplest of the four recipes I have tried so far. It tastes very similar to a bbq pork recipe that I make, but it's way easier! 

barilla stuffed jumbo shells (april hart)

This is a nice twist on lasagna and just as easy, if not easier. It took about 30 minutes to prepare and another 35 minutes to bake. My kids who don't like lasagna (two of them) didn't like this either, so no surprise there. But the rest of us loved it!

crock pot curry chicken (shared by tiffany hawes)

This recipe took about 30 minutes to put everything in the crock pot in the morning. It made our house smell so good all day! And I was extra happy I had decided on this recipe when the missionaries texted me to see if we were still good for dinner at 2pm (and I had totally forgotten!). This makes plenty of food. Even with feeding a family of 7 (yes, 10 month old Pierce loved this recipe, too!) and 2 hungry missionaries we had some leftovers for lunch the next day. Win-Win. 

power of mom's recipes!

I am in a Power of Mom's Learning Circle. Last month we shared our favorite easy go-to recipes and I have found several keepers! The next several recipes posted will include the recipes our family has tried and LOVED. 

Caramel Popcorn

From the Quigley Family Cookbook (submitted by Roberta). This is our go to recipe for caramel corn.

1/4 cup Karo syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter

*cook over medium heat in small sauce pan until it starts to pull away from the sides when you stir it.

Add
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Stir in to syrup. Pour over 1 and 1/2-2 bags of popcorn and stir until all popcorn is evenly covered.

one pan crispy lemon chicken with veggies

I  am really becoming a fan of one pan meals these days. Not one of my children turned up their noses at this delicious meal, so it's a keeper!

For The Chicken:

• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or juice of ½ a lemon)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ½ tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, to season
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ⅓ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or thighs)
• 
  

For The Veggies:

• 8-10 (1 pound | 500 g) baby potatoes, quartered
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• salt to taste
• 1 pound | 500 g green beans, cut into thirds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 200°C | 400°F. Lightly grease a baking tray / sheet with cooking oil spray, or a light coating of oil. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. Dip chicken into egg mixture, cover and allow to marinade in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour (if time allows).*
4. In another bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the parmesan cheese.
5. Dredge the egg coated chicken in the breadcrumb/parmesan mixture, lightly pressing to evenly coat.
6. Place chicken onto the baking sheet / tray and lightly spray with cooking oil spray. Arrange the potatoes around the chicken in a single layer. Mix together the butter, 2 teaspoons garlic and salt to taste, and pour half of the butter mixture over the potatoes. Toss to evenly coat.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
8. Remove baking tray from the oven and flip each chicken breast. Move the potatoes to one side and place the green beans around the chicken on the other side of the baking sheet. Pour over the remaining garlic butter and return to the oven to broil (or grill) on medium-high heat for a further 10 minutes, or until chicken is golden and crisp, and potatoes are cooked through.
9. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley (optional), and serve immediately.

NOTES

*The chicken develops a deeper flavour when marinaded in the egg mixture, although if you don't have time, you can omit this step

Recipe found HERE

banana bread {muffins}

This is the Lion House banana bread recipe. It never comes out too dense and is just the perfect amount of sweet. It's a favorite at our house. I may have eaten five of these yesterday...and three today. Yikes!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter (I always cut this in half and use 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup applesauce)

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 c. bananas (about 2)

1/4 c. milk

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. mini chocolate chips (optional...but not really. Lol!)

Directions:

*Mash up bananas with whisk attachment on mixer until they are no longer lumpy. Add sugar, milk, lemon juice, and butter (and applesauce if you are subbing for butter). Mix until well combined. Add in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. 

*Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until cooked through.

**Makes 18 muffins

frosted sugar cookie bars

These cookies are so much easier to than traditional sugar cookies, but are just as delicious. They also make enough to feed a crowd! We made these for FHE last week to take to our new neighbors and we had so many cookies that we took cookies to two other family's on our street, froze a bunch for another time, and still had plenty for ourselves.

 I let one of the kids choose the color for the frosting, so it's kind of a wild sea green:-) These are great for any occasion, though. You could do pink frosting/valentine's sprinkles for Valentine's day, yellow/orange for summer, orange/black halloween....

Recipe from ourbestbites.com

Cookies:

1. 2 cups real butter (no substitutions!), softened to room temperature
2. 2 cups sugar
3. 2 large eggs
4. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5. 1 tablespoon almond extract
6. 6 cups flour, spooned lightly into the measuring cup and leveled with a knife.
7. 1 tablespoon baking powder
8. 1 teaspoon table salt

Frosting:

1. 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
2. 3 cups powdered sugar
3. 1 teaspoon almond extract
4. 2-3 tablespoons milk (or more, if needed milk; whole or evaporated if you have it handy)
5. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a half sheet-sized baking sheet (13x18x1") with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a bowl of a heavy-duty mixer or in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and extracts and beat until combined.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed butter mixture and mix to combine.
4. Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking sheet. If desired, you can smooth it out with a rolling pin or a smooth drinking glass. Bake for 20-30 minutes (mine was done right at 25 minutes, but every oven is different) or until the top is lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
5. While the cookie bars are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, whip together the powdered sugar and softened butter until combined. Very slowly, add a little bit of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring.
6. When the pan of cookies is cool, spread with frosting and sprinkle with colored sprinkles. Cut into squares. The number of bars this makes will depend on how big you cut the squares, but these are VERY rich and you could probably get away with cutting these into 40+ squares.

*NOTE

While I LOVE this recipe, it uses a ton of butter and the cookies are very thick. I am linking to a recipe from the sixsistersstuff blog that I want to try next time and I will do a comparison!

Six Sister's Stuff Sugar Cookie Bars

sprinkles cookie dough cake

 I recently found a cake blog called Cake by Courtney and I couldn't wait to try one of her cakes! Thankfully we have a birthday coming up in our family so I let Natalie choose a cake from the Cake by Courtney blog and she decided on the Sprinkle Cookie Dough Cake. I am super happy with how this turned out and I can't wait to try out more of her cakes.

 Cookie dough in the middle. 

 Our ovens weren't installed correctly so our baked goods come out slanted which poses a bit a problem when you are trying to make a level cake! (We are planning on having this fixed, but it's on our list of 1,000 other things to do....)

To help with the slanted cake problem, I just piled more frosting and cookie dough on the shallow side of the cake.

Ta-da! Perfect for our princess :-) 

SPRINKLES COOKIE DOUGH CAKE

Recipe From: cakebycourtney.com

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

1 whole egg (large)

3 egg whites (large)

1 cup whole milk, room temperature

2 1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

3 cups, plus 2 tablespoons cake flour, sifted

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Sprinkle Cookie Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 brown sugar, lightly packed

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup sprinkles

Vanilla Buttercream

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

6-7 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Food coloring (optional)

Instructions

For the Vanilla Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by spraying each pan with non-stick spray, covering the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spraying the parchment paper with the non-stick spray as well. Set aside.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the whole egg, egg whites and clear vanilla extract. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.

4. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and milk. Continue to mix on low until just combined and then increase to medium speed and mix for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg mixture in two additions, beating on medium speed after each addition until just combined and all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.

6. Divide the batter into the three prepared cake pans, using a kitchen scale to measure equal parts in each pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes (my cakes took 20 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

7. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then invert onto wire racks until completely cool.

For the Sprinkle Cookie Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.

3. Slowly add in the flour and salt and mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

4. Stir in the mini chocolate chips and sprinkles.

5. Set aside 1/3 of the dough for the cake filling and use the remaining 2/3 to roll into small balls for the topping. 

For the Vanilla Buttercream

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and cream cheese. Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream and vanilla extract.

3. Continue to beat the frosting on medium speed for an additional 3-5 minutes.