Breakfast Potatoes

Kim here...This recipe I dedicate to my beautiful daughter. She is absolutely in love with these things! It all started many years ago when my mom used to make these for me on Saturday morning. Oh, what a special treat they were. Now I have carried on the tradition for my little girl and she looks forward to them as well. The recipe has changed a little as the years have gone on, but it is essentially the same. Hopefully you will enjoy them as well!

Breakfast Potatoes

2 brown baking potatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbls. vegetable oil
salt & pepper to taste

Optional items:
*crumbled bacon
*cheddar cheese
*eggs
*wheat germ

1. Chop onion and garlic. Put these into a heated, large skillet with about 1 Tbls. of oil in it. Saute until a nice golden brown. Turn off heat when they reach this.

2. While onions and garlic are sauteing, chop potatoes into cubes (the smaller they are the faster they cook). I usually chop them into about 1/2" cubes. Leave the peel on. Put them into a dish that is microwave safe with a lid or use plastic wrap to cover them. Before putting on the lid or plastic wrap, season with salt and pepper and the Tablespoon of oil. Stir well. Cover them up and place in microwave for 4 minutes. Take out, stir and microwave for another 3-4 minutes. (All of these times may vary due to the strength of your microwave, but basically just want to cook them until they are soft all the way through. It won't take long for you to figure out how many minutes it takes for your microwave to cook them all the way through.)

3. Take cooked potatoes and dump them into the skillet with the onions and garlic. Turn heat back on to med/low and stir while cooking for a few minutes more. Basically you want the two to meld together for a little bit. Turn off the heat and serve.

4. *Options* Here are some ways you can change these up...
*Sprinkle cheese on top of the cooked potatoes.
*Add crumbled bacon to them w/ or w/o the cheese.
*While cooking the potatoes in step 3, add a raw egg that has
been slightly scrambled. Mix together and it will cook quickly.
*Do a combination of all three.
*For my daughter, I usually skip the garlic and onions and just
cook the potatoes in the microwave for her, then top with
cheese.
*Sprinkle with a little bit of wheat germ to give an invisible,
tasteless protien and vitamin boost.

*Feeding Note*
This is a great way to introduce cubes to your child/baby. I simply detach the skin on the potatoes after they are done cooking and either mash the cube a little bit or cut it into smaller cubes for my son. They are soft enough that they are easily chewed. Do have a drink nearby in case of choking/gagging. The potatoes are soft, however are not very slimy so are not easily swallowed.

Dama Margie's Ginger Snaps

It's Deb. My Grandma Margie (who my daughter's now call Dama Margie) is one of the best cooks that I know. She is always in her kitchen or her sewing room whipping up fabulous things for her family to enjoy. These are some of my favorite cookies that she makes. These cookies are crunchy due to the shortening so just beware! I love crunchy cookies though, they really go good with a big glass of milk!

I am trying to find what the substitution is for shortening to butter. Unfortunately, I cannot indulge in the greasy white stuff anymore due to my soy allergy and have to go back for the butter. In all of my research, I have not yet found a good solution to this. I think it will have to be through trial and error. If anyone knows a good substitution amount for these two, please leave us a comment and let us know.

Dama Margie's Ginger Snaps

3/4 c. shortening

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 c. molasses (Oh, how I love these ooey-gooey molasses)

2 -1/4 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

Cream the first four ingredients together with mixer. I love my Kitchen-Aid! Set aside. In a separate bowl sift together next six dry ingredients and then add them to the creamed mixture. Shape dough into balls and dip tops into sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet or, my favorite little tool, the silicone baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees ten to twelve minutes. Immediately remove from baking sheet.

** Allergy Trick** Did you know that you can substitute bananas for eggs. I have been using this trick with my youngest daughter who is highly allergic to eggs and she thinks it tastes great. Of course always use your discretion as when to use bananas. Some things just don't taste right with banana flavoring. Use 1/2 -3/4 of regular size banana for 1-3 eggs. You can use this in brownies, cookies most anything that is sweet it will work. Try it, it works I'm telling you!

Wheat Germ Pancakes with Blueberries aka: "Purple Pancakes"

Kim here. This recipe is loaded with great ingredients like wheat germ and blueberries. Both great for immune systems and the brain. My husband does not like "foo foo" pancakes as he calls white flour pancakes. So, I went on a quest to find non-foo foo pancakes that were edible! I adapted a couple of recipes and came up with this one. It doesn't taste like sticks and stones and is actually quite fluffy and soft! Both of my kiddos eat them up! As a tip, make sure if you are using frozen blueberries to make sure they are room temperature. This will make cooking the pancakes much easier. As an added side note on wheat germ... when trying to get your baby or child to eat thicker foods, add wheat germ. It is a great thickener and also very good for them. You can add it to yogurt, applesauce, pureed fruits and vegetables and much more.

Wheat Germ Pancakes with Blueberries aka: "Purple Pancakes"

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
2 Tbls. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ (You can find this with the oatmeal in the grocery store, it comes in a glass jar and is already toasted)
1 egg
1 egg white
2 cups buttermilk (fresh or powdered)
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries (if using frozen, completely thaw and rinse)

1. Put flours, sugar, baking soda, salt and wheat germ into a bowl. Stir with a spoon.
2. In a separate bowl, combine egg, egg white and buttermilk.
3. Put the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir. Mix just enough for dough to be mixed , it will be lumpy.
4. Add in berries and stir gently. Don't worry, pancakes might be a little purple. This is how they came to be known as purple pancakes at our house!
5. Preheat nonstick skillet on medium heat. You can brush pan with a little butter or leave out this step. Put 1/4 cup of batter onto skillet and flip when the bubbles burst on top. Cook until done.

**If you are making many pancakes and want to keep the cooked ones warm while you are cooking, just preheat your oven to the lowest setting (mine is 170) and plop them in there while you are cooking. Keeps them nice and warm without drying them out.**

Stove Top Fast Cass

Deb here. I love quick dinner in a dish meals. Like most of you out there, my family is always on the go. During the school year we either have soccer or baseball and Girl Scouts to juggle and during the summer it is swimming lessons, family gatherings and vacations. This dish is nice because you can make it ahead of time and serve it whenever - and it is tasty.

I believe I got this recipe out of a magazine. It is a Stove-Top Recipe so you probably could get on their website and find it too. I like to mix it up a little bit and throw in additional sour cream or change the stuffing to turkey stuffing instead of chicken stuffing. Ooooooo, now I am really living on the wild side!

Stove Top Fast Cass

1 pkg (6 oz.) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken (or Turkey if you are wild like me)

1-1/2lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces ( I use about two good size chicken breasts, it's just easier. I hate to measure)

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

1/3 cup of sour cream

1 bag of frozen peas and carrots, thawed and drained ( the original recipe calls for the mixed vegetables, but I am not a huge lima bean fan and the peas and carrots came out with rave reviews from the fam. Please use whatever you like or what you have handy) don't forget to thaw these guys first. There is nothing worse then having hard peas and carrots in this casserole. Trust me, I have learned by mistake.

O.k. so here's the deal:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.

Mix chicken, soup, sour cream and vegetables in a 13x9 inch baking dish; top with stuffing.

The directions say to bake 30 minutes or until chicken is done. My oven takes about 40-45 minutes for the chicken to be done. You may have to experiment a little.

I told you, super easy and really tasty!

Quick & Delicious Chili

What cowgirl is complete without some chili? This recipe is soooo simple and literally takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 20 more minutes to simmer. 30 minutes later; you have dinner. I used to do different chili's that would take me hours, but one day I decided to try this one. Well, my husband said it was the best chili he has had and at family get togethers I always get asked for this recipe because they like it so much. So here is my "secret" chili recipe. Forget cooking for hours and hours friends, just do this one and save yourself a headache!

*Look below for puree and mashing ideas* You are probably thinking I am crazy for feeding somewhat spicy chili to my 1 year old. However, this is great to give children who need more "heat" in their food for sensory issues. Give my son a bland food and it doesn't have enough kick to it for him to want to work on his feeding, this however, he will go crazy with. Things you learn during feeding therapy! Thanks Peri, you are the best!

Quick & Delicious Chili

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey

2 cans Hunts Chili Makin's tomato sauce (Note: I have never been able to find this at Safeway but know that Raley's & Bel Air stocks it)

1 15 oz. can pinto beans (undrained)

1. Brown ground meat in a pot seasoned with salt and pepper. Drain fat from meat. Pop open the 3 cans and dump into the meat. Stir, and then bring to a bubble. Simmer for 20 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Top with cheddar cheese, if desired.

***To puree, simply put into a food processor and blend to desired consistency. If it is still too thick, add a little water. To mash, either use your food processor for just a few whirls or mash with fork.***

Deb's "Take It Anywhere" Mac Salad

Just got back from a fun camping trip to Scott's Flat Lake with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law and niece. I love to go camping. When I was growing up I remember my parents and our family friends the Kraus's spending hours meal planning for our "big" trip to the woods for the weekend. Unfortunately I was not as organized this trip as far as our meal planning went. We did do the traditional bbq'd hot dogs for lunch the first day and bbq'd hamburgers for dinner and who can forget the smores?! But the one thing I did make which is a staple for any camping trip was mac salad. This recipe for "take it anywhere" mac salad is one that has been handed down for many generations in my family and is a must at any of our family get togethers next to the potato salad. The recipe has changed over the years slightly as it has gone from person to person and this is my version of it.

Deb's "Take It Anywhere" Mac Salad

1 - (12-16oz pkg.) of salad macaroni - I like to use the little salad macaronis. They are getting harder and harder to find at the grocery store. So if you have a hard time, any smaller pasta will work.

1 cup of mayo

3/4 to 1 cup of sweet pickle relish

3 eggs (hard boiled and diced)

4.25 oz. can of chopped olives

4 oz. jar of diced pimientos

1-3 tbsp. dried parsley

1-3 tbsp. dried minced onion

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Hard boil eggs about 20 minutes or until done. Let cool in fridge. Boil noodles per package directions and then drain. Let pasta cool. If pasta gets sticky just run a little cold water over it. Add mayo and relish and thoroughly mix through. Add the rest of the ingredients mixing very well to make sure that everything has been well combined. Chill in fridge overnight and serve the next day. This salad always tastes better the next day. It really allows the mayo and relish to soak in. If it looks too dry the next day add a little more mayo and relish. Don't go overboard. A little bit goes a long way. As you can see with the parsley and minced onion, I leave you a range. I do this because everyone has different tastes. I personally load it to the max with these two ingredients. My husband, Mike, always gets so upset if I accidentally leave out the parsley. It really gives it a little zing of flavor.

Allergy Note: We will be posting a homemade mayo recipe that does not include vegetable oil for those of you out there that are allergic to soy like me! So stay tuned. I have to steal it from my Grandma's secret wonderful recipe box. The homemade mayo post will be up soon!

Breadcrumb Chicken

Kim here. One night I was going to make this fancy chicken dish for the family and then realized I had forgotten most of the ingredients at the grocery store! At first I was very frustrated because I had no idea what I was going to feed everyone for dinner. So, I started getting creative. As my mom says, "Mother Hubbard's cupboard was bare". I needed to use the limited supplies I had. Well, I had some fresh bread, eggs and staple seasonings. I put them together and came up with this recipe. It was actually really good and now have a good recipe to use when supplies are low. Enjoy! *Check out below for puree and mashing tips*

Breadcrumb Chicken

Fresh sweet bread (you know, the stuff you get warm at the grocery store)
Garlic salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Parmesan
Oil spray
2 Eggs
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Take your bread roll and mentally cut it into 3rds. If you are doing 2-4 breasts, then you just need about 1/3 of it. If you are doing more then increase accordingly. Take your bread and tear it into a food processor. You should be using the usual cutting blade. Process the bread until you get a breadcrumb consistency you like. Put in a dish (I like a pie plate).

2. Add seasonings to taste to the breadcrumbs (garlic salt, pepper, italian seasoning, parmesan). Everyone has a different palate for seasonings, so I intentionally left this up to you. A start is at about 1 tsp each of the seasonings and about 1/4 cup of the parmesan. Smell the mixture to see how it smells and this will help you adjust. Make sure they are mixed well into the breadcrumbs.

3. Beat the 2 eggs into a dish (I like using pie plates).

4. Rinse chicken and dip into egg, then in breadcrumbs and then lay on a plate.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Preheat a skillet with about 2 Tbls of olive oil in it. Once warm, place chicken into oil and let cook on that side for about 3-5 minutes on med-high heat. Flip and you should see a nice golden brown. Cook on this side for 3-5 minutes as well. Transfer chicken into a greased 13x9 pan and place in oven. Let cook for about 30-45 minutes or until juices run clear. The times will vary time to time due to thickness of chicken breast.

6. Let rest for a few minutes and then, enjoy!

*****Tip for pureeing or mashing this...*****
* Chunk chicken into your food processor. Add chicken stock to get a nice puree, or just a little to mash it. Also, if serving pasta or mashed potatoes with this, put those in there instead or with the chicken stock to get a good puree or mash. *