Butternut Squash Fries (baked)

s5 stars

These are so yummy! I love homemade fries from potatoes, sweet potatoes.. so thought I should try this too.. I was asked the other day if I had any butternut squash recipes.. and come to think of it,, nope I didnt.. so I wanted to try this one.. If you have a favorite recipe with butternut squash.. Send them to realmomscooking@gmail.com I would love to try them out.

Oh and did I say, these are super easy to make.. the only thing that I recommend is having a very sharp knife to cut these with.. thank goodness i have sharp knives now.

Ingredients:

• 1 (2 pound) butternut squash, halved and seeded cut into shapes of fries
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 gallon size zip lock bag
• salt to taste

 Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut away the peel from the squash or use a super sharp potato peeler. Cut the squash into sticks like French fries. Put olive oil, your squash sticks and salt into bag and shake making sure each are coated with olive oil. Arrange squash pieces on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes in the preheated oven, turning the fries over halfway through baking. Fries are done when they are starting to brown on the edges and become crispy.

Butternut Squash Fries (baked)

Frosted Sugar Cookies

4 stars

These sugar cookies are super soft, just like the ones at the stores.  They are not your super sweet ones that you eat at xmas time. (which are my favorite) So that is really the reason for only 4 stars. Like I said these are like the ones you buy at the stores, which the cookie part is super soft and not all that sweet, piled high with frosting.

On some I used chocolate frosting from the container.. LOL and the others I made frosting, but didn't have butter so had to make the old fashion shortening frosting.  So I will give ingredients for that frosting as well at the end. I also flavored my frosting and I usually go for strawberry or something, but did this one in banana..

Cookie Ingredient:

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 tbs water
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cookie Directions: 

1. Cream the margarine, shortening, water and add the sugar gradually. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition.
2. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt gradually to the creamed mixture. Cover and chill dough overnight or for 1 1/2 hours in freezer.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick foil.
4. Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and cut into your favorite shapes. Place cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 6 to 8 minutes or until cookie has a golden appearance. 

 

 

 

Frosting Ingredients:

• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• other flavoring like strawberry
• food coloring

 Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla and other flavor with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Frosted Sugar Cookies

Oven Fried Chicken Joint Recipe

Well as you all know, and if you don't, this blog is the work of two moms.  We separately try out new recipes and post about them.  Well every now and then, (maybe once a month, but dont hold us to that) we will pick a recipe and both of us will make it and then post about it together in one post. How fun is that?  We wanted to do this well over a month ago, but we were waiting for my oven to get fixed, then we just too busy to post about it.

Jeannies review- 5 stars

I will be making this again for sure. My family all really loved this chicken and I liked that it was crispy like fried, but baked for a healthy alternative.  The only thing that I didnt like was the saltine cracker flavor. I loved the spicy-ness of it and also liked the corn flakes. I think maybe a seasoned cracker next time or none at all.  We also had a friend over that night and he got the opportunity to eat this as well and he really loved it and ate more than any of us.  LOL  I made it exactly as the recipe called for.  It was fairly easy to make as well, which was really nice.

Andrea's Review-4 Stars

We didn't like this one as much as Jeannie family.  We also thought the the Saltine taste was very overwhelming for the other ingredients.

I cut my chicken breasts into small pieces so they were more like nuggets.  The kids really liked this about the recipe as they love chicken nuggets. They were very crispy, but I just couldn't get past the saltine flavor. I like Jeannie's idea of adding a spiced cracker instead, and I will try that next time.  I also thought adding crushed almonds would add an extra layer of taste and crunch.

Oven Fried chicken

Ingredients:

• 1/2 sleeve (about 20) whole-grain salted crackers, pulsed in a food processor until fine (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 1/2 cups corn cereal flakes, pulsed in a food processor to fine crumbs (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup lowfat, plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 4 medium sized skinless chicken breasts and 4 skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry (about 3 1/2 pounds chicken)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Combine the crackers and corn cereal crumbs, sesame seeds, cayenne, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Reserve.
3. In a large bowl, combine egg whites, yogurt, Dijon mustard, and salt. Add the chicken pieces and coat thoroughly with the yogurt mixture.
4. One at a time, dip the chicken pieces in the cracker mixture, packing crumbs onto chicken. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray.
5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife.

Oven Fried Chicken Joint Recipe

Spinach and Chicken Tortellini Salad

5 stars

It was hard coming up with a name for this salad, as it has so many other things in this salad that could be in the title, like artichokes and red peppers or even the pesto.  But alas.. this is the name I came up with. Kinda boring compared to the flavor for this recipe.
My mom first made this salad a few years back and I or we make this on special occasions.  Not for holidays or anything like that, but when we get together or family is from out of town type occasions.  I also love to serve this with a baquette.. I could have baquette with anything really, but goes perfect with this salad.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless breast chicken
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 can baby artichoke hearts cut in half
• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes cut in halves or sliced
• 1 bag baby spinach rinsed/cleaned
• 1 family size cheese tortellini cooked (I use the tri-colored ones)
• 2 tbs Classico green pesto 

Directions

1. I start with heating olive oil in a pan and cutting up my chicken breast into chunks. Small enough bite size pieces.  I add to the hot pan and then add my cut up garlic. Let his cook on med heat until done. Cool just a bit.
2. In a bowl add you cleaned well drained spinach.  Add you cut up tomatoes (another alternative that is tasty is adding about 2 tbs of cut up roasted tomatoes from the jar) Add your drained artichokes.
3. Cut up your red and yellow peppers, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper.  Put in oven with your broil on hi. check it often, as they can burn fast, but about 5-7 minutes they are done. Add to your bowl of spinach. 
4. Add the cooked chicken and the pesto and stir until the pesto has coated everything.
5. Add your cooled tortellini to the bowl and stir a few more times.
6. Serve and enjoy!
7. 
   

Spinach and Chicken Tortellini Salad

Sugar Cookie Icing

4.5 Stars

I've been searching for an easy icing for sugar cookies for a while now. I was so excited to find this recipe on Blonde Invitations and Designs blog. I love all of their work, and knowing that they both used to work for Martha Stewart makes me trust them all the more!

Since St. Patrick's day is right around the corner, my daughter and I made some sugar cookies. I will admit that these are Semi-Homemade. When baking with my daughter who is almost 4, things need to be quick. So, I use the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix that comes in a bag. Judge me if you wish, but once you try these, you won't turn back. :)

Now, about the frosting. This was my first time making it and it is super easy.

Ingredients:

2 T. softened butter

4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

Milk to thin

Mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Use milk to thin to spreading consistency.

That's it! Crazy, right?!

To make it the green color, I used food coloring gel made by Wilton. I found my at Jo-Ann Fabric for around $5. I mixed the yellow and blue in a bowl until I found the color I wanted and then added it to the frosting.

To ice the cookies I used two different methods. The first I'll call the "neat" method. I took a butter knife and very gently spread the icing on each cookie.

The second method is the "sloppy" method. First I dipped the cookie in the icing.

Then I took a butter knife and took off the excess. I then placed them on a cooling rack to drip any excess icing off the cookie.

(Notice the bite missing? :) )

The cookies must set out until the icing hardens before you stack, so make sure you have someplace to let them dry.

Enjoy!

Sugar Cookie Icing

Suffering Succotash Steak

5 stars

I have been making this dish for my family for years.  I have used rice instead of egg noodles, but lately we like the noodles instead.  I have used all sorts of canned tomatoes as well and I really like the Mexican stewed tomatoes, but sometimes you can not find them.  So we just use Italian or the pepper and onion ones.   Its a good hearty meal and we never have left overs after I make this either.

Suffering Succotash Steak

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef cube steak (3-4 steaks)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 bell peppers chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 (14.5 ounce) can canned diced or stewed tomatoes (mexican flavor is great)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• dash of red pepper optional
• salt/pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• cooked white rice or cooked egg noodles

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and brown the cube steak. Reduce heat to med, and add garlic and onion. Cook for about 5 minutes then add bell pepper. Cook for another 5-10 minutes. Cover, and simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring ocassionaly.
2. Serve over a bed or rice or egg noodles. I also like to boil my egg noodles in a beef flavored water, using about 2-3 beef cubes.

Suffering Succotash Steak

Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes

4.5 Stars

With the weather warming up, this makes the perfect side dish along side a juicy steak. What makes it even better is that it is so easy to make, but tastes like it is anything but easy!

Ingredients

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

1- 1.5 lbs. red potatoes

1 package Ranch dressing mix

salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cut the potatoes into eighths making sure each piece has red skin. Place the oil, potatoes, and ranch mix in a gallon size plastic bag. Shake until coated.

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the coated potatoes on the baking sheet making sure that they are spread out evenly.

Place in hot oven for 15 minutes. Take out and turn to coat. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until roasted.

Lightly sprinkle with salt before serving.

Enjoy!

Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes

Irish Soda Bread

2 stars

Let me first say, I have never had Irish soda bread or even heard of it before.  Until the wonderful world of facebook, I got a message to join a month long Irish Soda Bread making group. Just in time for St. Patrick's Day.
For more information about Irish Soda Bread go here.

I guess there are a number of recipes floating around for this.. The basic soda bread is made with flour, baking soda, salt, and soured milk (or buttermilk).  That's it! 

It was easy to make and turned out cute. I only made one, but this recipe makes two.   The flavor is not something I am used to and was not a fan of it.  I guess that means I have no Irish in me?  I was still glad I made it, just to say that I have. 

Irish Soda Bread


Ingredients:
6 cups all purpose flour
2 teasp baking soda
2 teasp baking powder
3 tblsp cornstarch
2 teasp sugar
l teasp salt
2 l/2 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix very well. Pour all of the buttermilk into the bowl at once and stir, using a wooden spoon, just til a soft dough is formed.

3. Pour the contents of the bowl onto a lightly floured counter and knead for a minute or so till everything comes together.

4. Divide the dough into two portions and shape each into a round loaf, pressing the top down a bit to just barely flatten it. Place the loaves on a large ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with some addition flour on the top of each loaf and, using a sharp paring knife, make the sign of a Cross in slashes on the top of each.

5. Allow the loaves to rest for 10 minutes and then bake on the middle rack for 40 mins or till the loaves are golden brown and done to taste.

Irish Soda Bread

Very Moist Banana Bread

5 stars

I can't believe I finally found it.. The perfect Moist flavorful Banana Bread.  I have made many banana breads before.. most just been ok.. But this one is it. I was so excited about it I had to post this tonight. I have many other recipes waiting to be posted.. but this one I just had to share.

I found this recipe on youtube here.

The very Moist Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flower
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 stick butter (room temp) (½ cup)
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 tablespoons of sour cream
• 6 small banana or 4 large very ripe
• 1 small package of chopped pecans (optional)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mash the banana until it they are smooth.  Then,  mix together the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, butter and sugar.   Use a sifter to add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and salt. Then add your pecans or other nut you like.

Spray your bundt pan with cooking spray. Pour your batter into pan. 

Cook for 1 hour. Let it cool for about 30 minutes then transfer to a serving tray. 

Very Moist Banana Bread

Ooie Gooie Lemon Bars

5 stars

This recipe is super easy and full of lemon flavor.  Ooie Gooie tartness best describes these lemon bars. .  They are so good that while my mother and my grandmother was at my house they ate a few before leaving and my grandmother could not stop thinking about them, so she had to call to get the recipe so she can make for her church group.  :) You can also make this recipe as lime bars, just substitute the lemons for limes and also good idea to add about 2 drops of green food coloring.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

 

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 lemons, juiced
• 2 lemon zest
• powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an 9x13 inch pan.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/12 cups sugar and 5 tbs flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice and zest. Pour over the baked crust.
4. Bake for an additional 25 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top when cooled, and cut into squares.

Ooie Gooie Lemon Bars