Honey Lime Enchiladas

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded

Sauce:
1/3 c honey
1/4 c lime juice
1 Tb chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder


2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce

equal parts mixed together of:
mozzarella cheese, shredded
cheddar cheese, shredded
flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. (I usually use one 9x13 and one 9x9 but it may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas) Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy! (I sometimes use more like 1 1/2 cans- you can freeze left over enchilada sauce in a baggy.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy. It is now time to WOW your family!!

Chicken Poppy Seed Salad

Salad:

Spinach leaves

Romaine leaves

Grilled chicken, sliced (Best if marinated in Lemon Grilled Chicken Marinade*, but if you don't have time then grill with lots of lemon pepper seasoning)

Red onion, sliced thinly

Crispy bacon, crumbled

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Toasted almonds (or you can sugar the almonds. Put sliced almonds in a pan with lots of granulated sugar (about equal amounts). Cook on medium heat until sugar melts, coating the almonds as they brown.)

*Lemon Grilled Chicken:

Juice of one lemon (~3 Tb lemon juice)

3 Tb oil

1 tsp minced garlic (~2 large cloves)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

1 lb chicken breasts

Marinate the chicken overnight. For salad, dice the raw chicken and marinate it that way so there is more surface area to marinate. You can get away with marinating for a shorter amount of time this way. Grilling is best, but cooking in a skillet is great, too.

The best part... The Dressing**:

1 1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tsp dry mustard

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

3 Tb Maui or Vidalia onion, chopped

2 cups canola oil

3 Tb poppy seeds

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a blender, then slowly add the oil, blending until thick. Stir in poppy seeds. Toss all ingredients together with generous amount of dressing before serving.

**This makes a lot of dressing! If you need a really big salad for a party then start with a large bunch of spinach, large head of romaine, 4 chicken breasts, 1 lb bacon, etc. I rarely make a salad that big so that is why there are no "amounts". So have fun with it - you're going to love it!

Creamy Lemon Bars

20 Nilla Wafers, finely crushed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold real butter
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese (you can use 1/3-less fat cream cheese)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. grated lemon peel, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (don’t even think about opening a bottle!)
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Spray lightly with non-stick spray and set aside. (The foil isn’t too pretty, but it makes clean-up and cutting the bars a cinch!)

In a bowl, combine Nilla Wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour and the brown sugar. Chop butter into small pieces and then cut into crumb mixture with a pastry blender.

Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min.
While crust is cooking, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 2 Tbsp. flour, and baking powder; mix well. Blend in 1 Tbsp. lemon zest, and lemon juice and then pour mixture over crust.

Bake 25 to 30 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. These bars improve with time. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining 2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel just before cutting into squares to serve. Store leftover squares in refrigerator. (As if you'll have leftovers!)

Sausage Brunch Casserole

1 1/2 pounds ground pork sausage
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 cups mozzarella cheese
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

1.Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2.Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Lay crescent rolls flat in the bottom of the pan. Combine cooked sausage, cheese, eggs, milk, salt and pepper; pour over crescent rolls.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until bubbly and rolls are baked.

Rolled Ginger Cookies and Gingerbread Wisdom Poem

1 C butter
1 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1 C molasses
2 T vinegar
5 C flour
1 1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 - 3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg, molasses, and vinegar. Sift together dry ingredients; blend both mixtures together. Wrap and chill for 3 hours.

Roll dough 1/8 inch think on lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes. Cool slightly on pan before removing to rack. Makes about 5 dozen.

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons milk

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

Gingerbread Wisdom Poem:

Running and hurrying as fast as we can -
Sometimes we live like the Gingerbread Man.
During the holidays there’s so much to be done
It’s all we can do to keep up – So we run and run and run!

Parties, programs, decorations and baking
Shopping for presents and Christmas plans making
We have so little time to stop and to think
Our lists seem unending – yet it’s over in a wink

So we send you this card to remind you the reason
There is so much giving and loving this season.
We hope you will make your own Gingerbread Man -
And pause to reflect on your own Christmas plans.

We hope you’ll remember the Gingerbread Man’s story
How running and running brought him no glory.
Then maybe you’ll have the courage to cross off your list
The little things that won’t really be missed.

As you take time to reflect on this beautiful season -
We know your life will be touched by the heart of its reason.
For of all things that make Christmas, it’s important to remember just one –
The reason we have Christmas is because God sent His Son.

Crockpot Cococut Curry Chicken

I couldn't resist - this is another crockpot recipe I like. If you like curry, give it a try!

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Dice onion & cut up chicken. Season chicken with salt & pepper.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add curry and mix thoroughly. Let flavors meld for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, cook for 5-7 minutes, till chicken is mostly cooked through.
4. Transfer mixture to heated crockpot. Add coconut milk, tomatoes and sugar, stir. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.

Serve over rice.

Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu

I am not going to be able to make it to Recipe Club tonight. I am not feeling well and don't want to infect anyone. But here is the recipe I was going to make. I love Chicken Cordon Bleu and this is a really simple way to get the same taste with very little effort.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 lb sliced deli ham
1/2 lb sliced baby swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 box dry stuffing mix, prepared according to directions on box (I use Stove Top. I add celery and onions to the 5 T butter and cook until tender, then add 2 C chicken broth and bring to boil. Then stir in the stuffing)

Layer all ingredients in the order they are listed into the crockpot. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or until chicken is tender.

Almond Poppyseed Bread

Ok, this is more like a cake than a bread but it had bread in the title so I figured it was OK to make for bread and soup month :).

3 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/8 c. canola oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring


GLAZE
3/4 c. white granulated sugar
1/4 c. orange juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring


Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour either 5 mini pans or 2 regular loaf pans. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil, sugar, and flavorings and beat for 2 minutes. Alternate adding in flour mixture and milk and then mix until just combined. Add poppyseeds and mix until just combined. Pour into prepared pans (5 mini pans or 2 regular loaf pans) and bake (35-40 minutes for mini pans, 1 hour for large pans; keep an eye on them). When done, place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes and then remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. While cooling, prepare glaze by combining all glaze ingredients. Drizzle over loaves and allow to harden.

Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 lb ground beef, browned
3/4 C chopped onion
3/4 C chopped celery
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
4 T butter
3 C chicken broth
4 C diced potatoes
1/4 C flour
1 1/2 C milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz cubed cheddar cheese
1/4 C sour cream

Cook the onion, celery, basil, parsley, butter, chicken broth and potatoes until tender. Mix together the flour and milk until well combined and add to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Add cheese, ground beef and sour cream just before serving. Stir until cheese has melted.