Easy Ranch Chicken

This recipe is from my sister Becca. It is super easy and delicious!

4-6 chicken breasts
3/4 C. crushed Corn Flakes or plain bread crumbs
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
3/4 C. grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 C. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut fat off chicken. Mix together dry ingredients. Melt butter in bowl. Dip chicken in butter and then in dry mixture. Place in greased baking dish. Bake for 45-60 minutes.

Fudge Cookie Bars

This recipe is from our friend Laurie VanTassell. She made them while we were working at the Deseret Land & Livestock Ranch. They are SO good! We like to make them with white chocolate chips- or half white and half semi-sweet. In this picture I used white chocolate chips and then stirred in 1/4 C. semi-sweet chips so it had a marbled look. YuMMy!

Melt in sauce pan over medium heat:
1 Can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbl. butter
12 oz. bag chocolate chips (white or semi-sweet)
set aside

Mix together:
1 C. softened butter
1 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Add and mix:
2 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 C. rolled oats

Pat 2/3 cookie dough into bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Spread chocolate mixture evenly on top. Drop remaining dough by small teaspoonfuls on top of chocolate mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Potato Salad

Another recipe from Joe's Mom. I don't like it with too much sauce so I usually put less mayonnaise than it calls for.

12 Potatoes, cubed and cooked until tender
10 hard boiled eggs
1 1/2 C. Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
2 heaping tsp. mustard
2 scoops pickle relish (I use pickles instead- and more of them...seems there can never be enough pickles in potato salad.)
2 tsp. sugar (optional- I don't use it)
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
small onion chopped
1-2 Tbl. vinegar or pickel juice

Mix together and enjoy!

Swedish Tarta

This is one of my Mom's recipes. She served a mission in Stockholm, Sweden. I remember my brother Brian having this for his birthday cake every year. It is a yummy cake for a special occasion.

Sponge Cake
4 T. butter
2 eggs
1 C. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. milk
1 1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and thick. Melt the butter and stir into the batter. Add vanilla, flour, baking powder and milk. Pour into a buttered cake pan (8x8) that has been sprinkled lightly with flour. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

1 can mandarin oranges
1 jar raspberry jam
bananas
1 pint whipped cream- whipped with 1/4 C. brown sugar added
Let cake totally cool. Remove cake from pan and cut into 3 layers. Take juice from mandarin oranges and spoon onto first layer. Then spread on raspberry jam and cover with banana slices. Spread whipped cream over bananas and add next cake layer. Repeat for second layer. Spread top with whipping cream using mandarin oranges to decorate top. Double the recipe for 9x13 pan.

Zucchini Bread

This recipe is from Joe's Mom. We grow a lot of zucchini every summer and freeze it grated for use throughout the year. The original recipe doesn't call for whole wheat flour- but I prefer it.

When preparing the zuchinni- be sure to remove the center & seeds.
3 eggs
1 C. oil
2 C. sugar
2 C. grated zucchini
3 C. Whole Wheat flour
3 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 C. chopped nuts (optional)
Beat eggs until light and foamy. Add oil, sugar, vanilla and zucchini. Lightly mix, add flour and rest of the ingredients. Add nuts. Pour into 2 bread pans or 4 mini bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (or about 40 minutes for mini loafs).

Whole Wheat Pancakes

I grew up loving whole wheat pancakes. I like them small and thin. This recipe comes from Joe's Mom. I usually double it...our kids love pancakes!
1 egg
1 C. buttermilk
2 Tbl oil
1 C. whole wheat flour
1 Tbl. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Beat eggs; add remaining ingredients in order listed and beat until smooth. Makes 10 4" pancakes, For a special treat drop white or dark chocolate chips or blueberries onto individual pancakes right after you pour the batter in the pan.

Sweet and Sour Pork

This is one of Grandma Prince's recipes. Love it!
1 1/2- 2 lbs. lean pork shoulder, cut in strips
Brown and add 2 C. water, simmer 1 hour
Add: 6-8 carrots, cut in 2" sticks
Simmer for 15 minutes more
Add: 2 onions, sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut in strips
1 #2 Can Pineapple Chunks

Sauce:
4 Tbl. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1/2 C. brown sugar
2/3 C. vinegar
1/4 C. tomato or v-8 juice (I use ketchup if I am out of these)
2 C. pineapple juice
2 Tbl. soy sauce

Mix sauce and add to the hot meat and vegetables. Heat until thickened. Serve over rice. Serves 8-10 people.

Chicken Lasagna

Joe's Aunt Denise made this lasagna while we were visiting their family in Logan, Utah. I loved it and so she shared the recipe.

Sauce: combine in saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes
2 (14 oz.) Cans Diced Italian Tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
4 oz. mushrooms

In bowl: mix together
2 Chicken Breasts (or equivalent) cooked and diced
8 oz cottage cheese
2 Tbs. sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 oz mozzarella cheese
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
3 eggs

Cook 16 lasagna noodles.
In 9x13 pan layer noodles, red sauce, cheese mixture; repeat. Add additional mozzarella cheese in top if you have enough. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. I usually split this into two 8x8 pans and freeze one of them without baking it. I line the pan with sprayed tin foil, and once it is frozen I remove the foil and put it in a ziploc freezer bag.

Neiman Marcus Cookies

This is one of my favorite cookies. This pictures doesn't show exactly how the recipe will turn out. I didn't have chocolate to grate into them and used mini Reese's Pieces instead of chocolate chips. They still tasted yummy.

• 2 cups butter
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 5 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal and blend in blender to a fine powder)
• 24 oz. chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 - 8 oz. Hershey bar (grated)
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into 1" balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Yield 112 cookies. Recipe may be halved.

Terrific Teriyaki Chicken

This recipe came to our family in 1994- when my brother Brett was born. We loved it so much and so my Mom got the recipe. It has been a favorite ever since...everyone loves it except my brother Mark who calls it "Teriyucki Chicken."

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cup orange juice (premade)
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together orange juice, sugars, garlic and soy sauce and pour into glass baking dish. Cut fat off chicken and place in dish. Let marinade for 1 hour if time allows. Bake for 25 minutes, flip chicken, and bake another 25 minutes. Serve over rice- the sauce is excellent.