Chicken Avacado Pitas

4 whole pita breads (I used whole wheat)

2 tablespoons light olive oil

2 medium ripe avacados peeled and pitted

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons finely chopped onion 

2 cups shredded monterrey jack cheese

2 tomatoes chopped / about 2 tablespoons divided

2 - 4 cooked chicken breasts thinly sliced

lightly brush each pita on both sides with olive oil and put in the oven on an ungreased cookie sheet for 5 - 10 minutes at 350 so they are crisp.  Meanwhile, mash avacado with lime juice, salt, garlic powder, and onion and the 2 tablespoons of tomato.  Spread avacado mix on each pita, then layer chicken, cheese and tomatoes on top.  Top with a little extra salt/pepper to taste and bake for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  

(I make double the amount of Guacamole/Avacado mix and then use our tip we learned in Ensenada to keep the avacado pits in the container you store the Guacamole in so that it doesn't turn brown.  I put half on this dinner and then we have chicken fajitas the next night and use the rest of the Guac then - simple!  Recipe from the Taste of Home magazine but I altered it a bit :)

Jody

Chicken Stir Fry with Ham Fried Rice

This is an old standby but why not put it on here since I cook it about every 10 days :)

STIR FRY:

4 Chicken Breasts (diced)

1 Green Pepper cut in strips

1/2 Onion cut in strips

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

2 TBS Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil

1 TBS Sesame Seeds

1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite Oriental Sauce or Glaze (I use Iron Chef Orange Sauce Glaze with Ginger, I don't go cheap on the sauce because I mix it with a little water and make it last about 6 times or more)

Saute onion in oil in a hot skillet, add chicken, salt, and pepper and cook until chicken is no longer pink in center.  Add the sauce or glaze and green pepper strips or sugar snap peas.  Reduce heat and let cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, more if you don't like crunchy peppers or peas.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.    

HAM FRIED RICE:

3 Tbs Oil

2 Tbs Soy Sauce

1 Tbs Sugar

1 Cup Diced Ham

3 Tbs Green Onion chopped

2 Eggs, beaten

1/2 Cup Frozen Peas

2 Cups Cooked Rice

Heat oil and saute onion and ham in a hot skillet.  Add rice and peas then soy sauce and sugar.  Once all is cooked through add in the beaten eggs, stir until cooked through.  When I make more I usually just eyeball the recipe and add more of everything to go with more rice...

Jody

Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies

Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies

1 Cup creamy peanut butter

1 Cup sugar

1 egg

12 mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped

36 mini marshmallows

1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 Cup mini M&M's 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place peanut butter, sugar and egg into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Scoop dough evenly into a 12 count mini cheesecake pan or mini muffin pan.Cook for 13-15 minutes until almost done. Remove from oven and press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie until flush with cookie top. Top each cookie with 3 mini marshmallows and return to oven for 2-3 more minutes or until marshmallows are puffed. Remove and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

2. Place chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted smooth. Stir in 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream until silky and smooth. You can return back to microwave for 15 seconds to get a thinner consistency.Spoon chocolate over top of puffed marshmallows and sprinkle with mini M&M's.  YIELD:  12 cookie cups

NOTE:  I got this recipe off of a friends blog.  She had a link to Picky Palate which had the recipe.  They are really good.  Gretta enjoyed putting the M&M's on top :)

Jody

Oriental Chicken Salad YUM!

This is way easy and kind of a no-brainer but we make it at home once a week all summer.

1 Briannas Ginger Mandarin Salad Dressing

1 can La Choy Chow Mein Noodles

1 bag slivered almonds

cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes

red cabbage (we don't usually throw this in there but you can to look pretty)

romaine or iceberg lettuce enough to feed all

sliced up carrot (again, to look pretty and add another veggie)

6 or 7 chicken tenders (we buy the Tyson bredded tenders and use them so it's EASY) but you could totally grill some chicken breast too.

Make the salad, throw the chicken on top and try not to use the WHOLE bottle of Ginger Mandarin dressing I dare you.  It's so good, it's hard not to use a ton.  Also, if you were feeding kiddies, you could wrap this up in a tortilla and call it a chinese chicken wrap!

~Jody

Cookie Fruit Salad

1 C buttermilk (I used powdered buttermilk and added water as directed on pkg)
small instant Vanilla pudding
Mix together.
Fold in:
8 oz Cool Whip
cut up fruit: any kind, any amount i.e. sliced bananas, drained pineapple, grapes, sliced strawberries, drained mandarin oranges, etc.
Add 1/1/2 C chopped Fudge Striped Cookies right before serving.

At Jody's I made a double batch and used bananas, grapes, mandarin oranges and strawberries. I also used the whole package of cookies.

Grandma Linda

Tuna With Cheese Swirls

Tuna Mixture:
1/3 C green pepper, chopped
3 T minced onion
3 T oil
1 tsp salt
6 T flour
1 can chicken with rice soup
1 1/2 C milk
6 ounce can tuna
1 T lemon juice

Cook pepper and onion in oil until golden brown. Blend in salt and flour. Add soup and milk. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Mix in tuna and lemon juice. Pour into greased baking dish approximately 9 x 9 inches.

Cheese Swirls:
1 1/3 C sifted flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C shortening
1 egg
1/3 C evaporated milk
1/1/4 C grated cheese

Sift together dry ingredients. Cut the flour mixture into the shortening. Stir in egg and milk. Knead on floured board. Roll into a 12 inch squre. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll like a jelly roll, into a log shape. Cut into eight slices. Place slices on top of tuna mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until browned.

Grandma Linda

(This came from the Standard Examiner's article "Mmm, mom food" on May 11, 2008. Originally it was from the 1966 cookbook, "Favorite Mormon Recipes: Meats."

White Bread

I always thought making white bread would be super hard, but its not :) I found this recipe in the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook. My husband made it and it was so good, he helped me make it again!!!

5 ¾ to 6 ¼ C all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
2 ¼ C milk or buttermilk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon butter, margarine, or shortening
1 ½ teaspoon salt

1. Combine 2 ½ C flour & yeast; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter & salt just until warm (120 F – 130 F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium for 30 sec. scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 min. total) Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to great surface of dough. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (45-60 min.)
3. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; divide in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile lightly grease two 8x4x2 inch loaf pans.
4. Shape dough halves into loaves by patting or rolling. To shape by patting, gently pat and pinch, tucking edges underneath. To shape by rolling, on a lightly floured surface roll each dough half into a 12x8 inch rectangle. Roll up each rectangle, staring form a short size. Seal seams with your fingertips.
5. Place shaped dough halves in pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until dearly double in size (30-40 min.).
6. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 40 min. or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove from pans. Cool on wire racks.

Hillary B.