Savory Sweet Potato Fries

These sweet potato fries are sure to be a hit with your youngsters. My two cute kidlets can't get enough of these. I also don't feel so bad feeding these fries to them because they are baked and not fried. These fries are lightly coated with olive oil and then are lightly coated with two different seasonings. This is definitely a side dish you don't have to feel guilty about serving to your family!!! These fries go great with steaks, burgers, sandwiches or even a side dish for a special occasion such as Thanks giving!! These would also be a yummy after school snack!

Savory Sweet Potato Fries

recipe from "Jamie cooks it Up!"

Ingredients:

5 small yams ( sweet potatoes are whitish in color on the inside you want the lovely yellow colored yams for this recipe.)

3 T. Olive oil, or extra virgin

2 t. Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 t. Johnny's Seasoning Salt

Directions:

Peel your yams, and cut them into nice thin slices. Not too thin or thick. Just eyeball it. You want them uniform so they will all cook evenly. Place into a bowl and Drizzle with olive oil and coat with seasonings. Toss with your hands until all pieces of yams are coated with seasonings and olive oil. Place fries on two greased cookie sheets. Fries should not touch.. this will help all fries to bake evenly. Place cookie sheets in oven and Bake in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes. After those 8 minutes are up take cookie sheets from oven and turn fries over with spatula and place back into oven for and additional 8 minutes. This helps the fries to cook evenly.

Dipping Sauce:

1/3 c. Miracle Whip

1/3 c. Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce (this is my favorite BBQ Sauce- you won't be disappointed in using this even if it is a little more pricey at the grocery store)

Mix until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with Sweet Potato Fries.

I

Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

French Dip Sandwiches

I have been doing quite a bit of cooking lately and have thoroughly found some new delicious recipes from a darling blog called, "Jamie cooks it Up!" I love her cooking blog and if you check her out here you just might fall in love with her blog as well! Tonight for Sunday dinner, I tried her french dip sandwiches. I loved this recipe right off the bat because it is a slow cooker recipe. I HEART slow cooker recipes!! Especially, in the winter time. There is nothing better to me than cooking with your slow cooker and letting the aromas waft through the air. Nothing says fall and winter time than this. This recipe hit the spot with my little family of four this evening. Even my cute little 5 and 2 year old didn't complain! That is right, no fights with them at all over getting them to eat their dinner. What mother doesn't like dinner time to be peaceful? I know I do! This recipe would be perfect to serve on Halloween Evening before the troops vacate your home to do a little Happy Haunting. I served my Meat topped with provolone cheese and served on crusty rolls. I paired these delicious sandwiches with a subtle yet savory sweet potato fries recipe, yes you guessed it... courtesy of Jamie.

French Dip Sandwiches

recipe courtesy of "Jamie cooks it Up!"

Ingredients:

1 3-4 lb. beef roast

1 T olive oil

salt and pepper

2 -1 oz pkgs. Lipton Onion soup mix

4 c. Hot Water

2 Beef Boulion

8 rolls, something with a good crust on it

Cheese, I recommend Provolone

Directions:

Heat up skillet, add olive oil. Sprinkle your roast with salt and pepper, generously!! Place roast in the pan and sear meat on all sides. Place meat in slow cooker. Sprinkle onion soup mixes over roast and add hot water and Beef Boulion cubes. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-8 hours. One hour before serving, take out beef and shred. Return beef to crock pot and simmer in juices for 1 more hour. When ready to serve, take meat out of crock pot and serve on rolls with your choice of cheese. Pour hot juices from crock pot into tiny bowls for dipping your sandwiches in. Enjoy!!

I

Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Apple Wheat Pancakes

Ok, so I had to share another breakfast dish with my small following of cooking fanatics! This recipe comes from cooking blog Jamie Cooks it up! I am always looking for ways to implement my food storage into my cooking. This recipe uses both wheat and white flour. I am quite fond of this because this is an excellent recipe to help get your kids used to eating wheat!! I am all for that and who isn't all for eating better too! I tried this recipe last weekend on my little family of four and they freaked out because it was so good. I seriously thought I heard them moaning because it was so good! Oh wait, I think that it was me! I loved these pancakes and the butter cream syrup is to DIE for. I actually had left over syrup and used it to dip granny smith apples in the next day for a afternoon snack and it was fabulous! Just a warning, the pancakes are some what healthy but by adding the syrup, any nutritional value may go out the window! I just wanted to throw this little factoid out there in case any of you were thinking that I was proclaiming that this is a healthy option for breakfast. Although, I will guarantee that when you make this recipe for your family that you will earn the culinary cooking queen award!! This pancake and syrup recipe would be a great dish to make for all that Holiday company you many have coming in the next few months. It is sure to please your guests because of its irresistible holiday spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and apple!!

Apple Wheat Pancakes with Butter Cream Syrup

recipe and photo courtesy of " Jamie cooks it Up!"

Ingredients:

6 T. dry powdered milk

1 1/2 c. water

1/2 c. apple sauce

1 T. Lemon Juice

2 eggs

1 apple, cored and grated

4 T. oil

2 T. Sugar

2 t. Baking powder

1 c. white flour

1 c. wheat flour

2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

3/4 t. salt

3/4 t. Baking soda

Directions:

Beat all ingredients until smooth. If the batter is thick add a bit more water or milk. If batter is too thin, add a bit more flour. Heat skillet or griddle pan and spray with cooking spray. Pour batter into 1/4 c. increments or to your liking. Cook until batter stops bubbling. Flip and cook on the other side. Serve with Butter Cream Syrup.

Butter Cream Syrup

recipe and photos courtesy of "Jamie cooks it Up!"

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1/2 -3/4 can of evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar slowly and stir until creamy, thick and smooth. Add the milk a little at a time while stirring. Add vanilla and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes longer. I simmered mine for about 15 because of my glass top electric stove. Syrup will have a thick consistency when it is cooked long enough.

I

Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Baked Oatmeal with Berries

I found this recipe on a fellow food lover's blog! The author of the blog is in one of my friends church boundaries. I think that we might be kindred spirits even though I have never met her. I have tried a few of her recipes now, and I think I am in love... maybe a little with her(mostly her blog) since she is a brilliant chef for sharing her recipes on line but because I know that she is also in love with trying new recipes and is a little bit of a fanatic when it comes to food like I am. When I saw this recipe I just had to try it. Both of my little kidlets love oatmeal and they eat it frequently for breakfast! The thing that I hate though is spending the money for those individual packets of oatmeal when I have a whole food storage of oatmeal waiting to be used and know that I am quite capable of making oatmeal with out the help of Mr. Quaker Oat man. This recipe is a wonderful one for using that food storage that you may have. This baked oatmeal recipe is like eating warm oatmeal cookies for breakfast or even better a pie! My husband and I added a thawed berry mix to our servings and we thought we had died and gone to heaven...it tasted like a berry pie! The BEST part is that you know that even though it is sweet like dessert you know that you are eating healthy!! Give this oatmeal recipe a try next time you have a hankering for adding something new to your breakfast menu!

Baked Oatmeal with Berries

photo and recipe courtesy of cooking blog: "Jamie Cooks it Up!"

1 1/2 c. quick cooking oatmeal ( you can use regular if you would like)

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. butter

1 egg

1 t. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 t. vanilla

Additional Ingredients:

Milk

Berries, frozen or fresh ( if you are using frozen thaw in microwave before adding to oatmeal)

Brown Sugar

Directions:

Mix first 8 ingredients together and spread batter into into a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with berries, milk and brown sugar if desired.

I

Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Sugar Cookies

I added this sugar cookie recipe to my recipe book two years ago. One of my darling neighbors brought over these sugar cookies for a Christmas neighbor gift. They were so good that Mark and I hid from our kids and ate every last crumb. They truly are that good!! What is wonderful with this recipe is that you can change the flavor of the dough and frosting by using several different extracts such as: vanilla, almond or lemon. My favorite is the almond and is what I use every time I make these yummy cookies. I started the tradition of making these sugar cookies with my kids each Halloween, Christmas and Valentines day Holiday. It does take some time to make these but are well worth the wait. It is also fun because you can decorate these cookies to your liking and imagination!! I hope you all enjoy this recipe because it truly is one of our family favorites!

I made these cookies with my kids a few weeks ago and we decorated them in very cute Halloween fashion. We delivered them to our neighbors and they were delighted for an early Halloween treat!

My lil' chef! Isn't he cute?

Sugar Cookies

recipe adapted from the kitchen of Brittany Brown

Ingredients:

1 c. shortening (butter flavor)

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 c. Sour Cream

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp almond extract( you can use lemon or vanilla)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

4 tsp.baking powder

5 1/2 c. Flour

Mix ingredients together and roll thick. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 1/2 minutes or until golden brown.

Frosting:

1 cube butter, softened

1- 3oz. cream cheese

1 tsp. almond extract (or you can use lemon or vanilla)

1 lb. powdered sugar

Mix ingredients together until fluffy and thick. Sometimes I add a Tablespoon or two of milk so the frosting is a thick and creamy texture. Add any food coloring of your choice, frost cookies and enjoy!!

I

Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Grandma Johnson's Chicken Noodle Soup

This is my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe!! My mom actually got this recipe from the cutest older lady that lived just down the street from us while I was growing up. Grandma Johnson as I will call her, is such a sweet and classy older lady and I always looked up to her when I was growing up. That is why I am calling this Grandma Johnson's Chicken Noodle Soup since it is her recipe and I must give credit where credit is due! I made this Chicken Noodle Soup this past Saturday and took it to a church function, in which I received many compliments! I love making this soup when the weather turns crisp and chilly. I like serving this soup on top of mashed potatoes or even paired up with a nice slice of homemade wheat or white bread topped with butter and homemade jam! This is always a kid friendly dish. My kids love that I use those big fat homemade noodles that you buy in the store. Look for them in bags down the pasta aisle! Hope this becomes a favorite at your home!

Grandma Johnson's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Recipe is Adapted from Beth Johnson's Kitchen

1- Rotisserie Chicken, shredded and cut up
6 c. cold water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
6 pepper corns or 1/2 tsp ground black pepper if you don't have access to peppercorns
3 whole cloves ( not garlic cloves)
1- 10 3/4 oz. can chicken broth
1-10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1-10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. chopped celery
1 1/2 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped potatoes
1 small bay leaf
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 c. egg noodles or homemade noodles

Directions:
Place chicken in big soup pot and the rest of the ingredients on top. Simmer for 2-3 hours until veggies are tender. Add 1-2 cups of egg noodles during the last 15-25 minutes of cooking.

I

Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Turkey Chili

This truly is one of the best Chili recipes that I have ever tried. I love the spices that you add to the mixture of Turkey, two different kinds of beans, fresh veggies and diced tomatoes and chopped green chilies. The other aspect I like about this chili recipe is that it has a little bit of a kick to it but cools off nicely in your mouth with a dollop of sour cream. This recipe is also great made in your slow cooker! My kids adore this recipe as well and I don't have to nag or pull teeth to make them finish their dinner when I serve this. Tortilla or Corn chips pair up nicely with this chili. I like to serve my chili by topping it with Sour Cream, chopped green onions and shredded cheddar cheese!

Turkey Chili

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 teas. ground coriander
1 teas. dried oregano
1 teas. chili pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 (14.5) can beef broth
1 (7 oz.) jar of salsa
1 (14.5) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green Chile peppers
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, diced
3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 c. sour cream
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: In a large stock pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey to the stock pot and break it up with a spatula or spoon. Season with taco seasoning, coriander, oregano, chili flakes, and tomato paste. Mix until the meat is coated with the seasonings. Continue cooking until the turkey is browned.
Step 2: Pour in beef broth, bring to a boil, and reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the broth has slightly reduced. Add salsa, tomatoes, and green chilies. Add beans. Continue cooking at medium heat for 10 minutes.
Step 3: While chili is cooking, heat 1 T. of oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Stir fry onion and green pepper until onion is translucent. Add onion and bell pepper to chili and mix well. IN the same pan used to fry the onion and pepper add the last bit of oil and add the sliced zucchini. Stir fry for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini to the chili.
Step 4: Continue cooking for 15 minutes or more. Add water if chili becomes to thick. To serve- top with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green onions. Serve with tortilla or corn chips if desired.

I

Ashlee, The Culinary Queen