Easy Caramel Popcorn

I found this recipe off of the blog www.ourbestbites.com. They have some really awesome recipes so you should check them out!!! I LOVE this carmel popcorn, so much that I made myself sick by eating a lot. It was just so good that I couldn't stop!!! Sorry no pictures I eat it all.

2 Bags microwave popcorn (I used air pop popcorn about 1/2 cup)
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c white Karo syrup
1/2 t salt
1 cube butter
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

Pop the popcorn and set aside. Place brown sugar, Karo syrup, salt, and butter in a microwave safe dish. Cut up the butter into chucks so it melts better. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stir and microwave for 2 more minutes. Add the baking soda and vanilla and stir until combined. Pour over popcorn and mixed well.

Spread it out over a piece of waxed paper to cool faster and so it doesn't get it stuck in one big lump. The longer it sits out the firmer it will get. If you want it crunchy spread Carmel popcorn onto a cook sheet and bake at 200 degrees for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

We give this 5 stars!!! It rocks!!! :)

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

I know that I have been a total slacker the last couple of months. We have been so busy that I really haven't been cooking. Things are calming done now and we are getting back to normal.

This is a recipe I got from a lady in my mom's ward right after I got married. It has become a staple at our house.

4-6 chicken breasts (frozen are great)
1 package Italian seasoning
1 cube butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Put chicken, Italian seasoning, and butter (cut into chunks) into crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add this point I like to shred the chicken (this is because sometime I only put in 2 chicken breasts and it makes it go farther). Add the cream cheese and soup. Let sit for 10 minutes and then stir in. Cook on high for one more hour. Serve over rice.

I have seen this same recipe where you use powdered ranch dressing mix instead of Italian seasoning. We tried it and don't like it as well.

We love this!!! We give it a 5. I have served it for company before and they loved it. This is also something I can't to my friends and neighbors that have just had a baby.

My Big Greek Pasta

I got this recipe out of my Dream Dinners cookbook. Sorry about the picture it was taken just before I was getting ready to heat up the leftovers the day after. It looked so much better then this right out of the oven!!!

1 pound rigatoni pasta

1 zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds (I used 2 instead of 1)

15 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 red onion, diced (I left this out since the kids and I don't like it)

1 1/2 pounds cooked diced chicken breast

1 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (I didn't have a lemon on hand so I used lemon juice)

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and place in the prepared baking dish. In a bowl combine all ingredients expect Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese. Spoon mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

We loved this and give it 5 stars!!! It is awesome fresh. Not the great as left overs. My kids ate it all and asked for more.

Strawberry Shortcake

I have always been one that just goes to the store and buys angel food cake but I have had it homemade before and it is so much better. So it kind of fits with the Strawberry theme!!!

I got this out of my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

1 1/2 cups egg white (10 to 12 large eggs)
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 cup sifted cake flour or sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar

1. In a very large mixing bowl allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile sift powdered sugar and flour together three times.

2. Add cream of tarter and vanilla to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

3. Sift one-fourth of the powdered sugar mixture over beaten egg whites; fold in gently. Repeat folding until all the powdered sugar mixture in gone. Pour into a ungreased 10 inch tube pan (bunt cake pan) Gently cut through batter to remove air pockets.

4. Bake on the lowest rack in a 350 degree oven 40 to 45 minutes or until top springs. Immediately invert cake; cool thoroughly in pan. Loosen cake from pan and remove.

Cut up a lot of Strawberries, mix in a little sugar. Cut cake, serve strawberries on top with a little whipped cream!! Yummy!!!

We loved it!!! It really isn't that much work and tastes so much better then store bought. We give it 5 stars!!! Sorry no picture.

Wheat Bread & Cinnamon Rolls

First of all this recipe makes 4 batches. So I made one into cinnamon rolls, one a loft of bread, and two into dinner rolls. I got this recipe from a lady in my ward who taught an Enrichment night on how to make yummy homemade bread. This is a little bit of work but so worth it!!!

2 T. Yeast
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 cup warm water
Place theses ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside to proof yeast

in a large mixing bowl combine:
5 to 7 cups of wheat flour
2 T salt
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey
5 cups hot water (110 degrees)
Yeast mixture
Let it sit for 8-10 minutes then add,
5 to 7 cups white flour (for a total of about 14 cups of flour) Sometimes it is easier to save the last 1-2 cups of flour to use to knead in.

Mix well. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes on floured board or countertop until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place in a oiled bowl, flip to lightly coat with the oil. Cover with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm place away form drafts to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Just until dough had doubled in size. Split the dough into 4's. Follow the directions below for cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, or a loaf of bread.

Cinnamon Rolls
Roll dough into a rectangle. Spread softened butter all over the top. Sprinkle with brown sugar evenly (leave 1/4" around outer edge clean). Sprinkle with cinnamon, raisins (before hand place this in a bowl cover with water and let sit. Drain and dry before sprinkling on dough), and pineapple (I had never had pineapple on cinnamon rolls before and it was pretty good. Don't know if I will do it again). Roll dough into a log length wise. Using dental floss to cut slices (about 12). Place slices into a buttered or greased 9 X 13 pan. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, just until lightly browned. Cool and cover with frosting.

Dinner Rolls
Divide dough into 12 equal sections, roll into balls, place into buttered or greased pie plate to 9 X 13 pan. Let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Bread Loaf
Place in a well greased bread pan. Cover and let rise until dough in slightly above pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour or longer depending on your oven. Let bread coll completely on a cooling rack before packaging.

Some of my notes: That is a lot of bread for me and my family so before doing the 2nd rise I froze the dinner rolls. I cook them a couple of days later. When I go them out of the freezer I let them thaw and then did the 2nd rise and followed the directions from there. They turned out great!!! The cinnamon rolls are awesome!!! We eat the rest the next day and they were still just has good.

This is totally 5 stars!!! The best bread we have ever had!!!

Turkey Taco's

My brother-in-law made this for us a couple of weeks ago when we went to visit and it was awesome so I had to try and make it myself.

1 lb ground turkey
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheese
1 diced tomato
shredded lettuce
1 cup cooked rice
1 can olives
1 can black beans
Salsa
Homemade tortillas (I bought tortilla flour, you just add water and fry. They are so yummy. Much better then the store bought)
Any other taco garnish you like

Cook your rice. Dice tomato, lettuce, and olives. Shred cheese. Heat black beans in a sauce pan. Cook the turkey with the taco seasoning according to package directions. Let that sit on low heat while you make the tortilla (this are the best when eaten while still warm). Pile all the yummy toppings on your tortilla and eat!!!

We give this 5 stars. I wasn't sure I was going to like it with ground turkey instead of beef but it was really yummy. Having the homemade tortilla's makes a big difference they are really good.

Chef Spotlight: Lyndsie

This week out featured chef is Lyndsie. We have been good friends for 6 years or so. We've been through multiple pregnancies together, and even stayed in the exact same room at the hospital, just at different times! Here is her spotlight.

Name:
Lyndsie Webster

Where are you from?
Springville, UT and I am currently living in Spanish Fork, UT

Why did you join What's in {Your} Oven?
Well Jillian invited me....... :) Because I feel like I am in a rut and want to get some new yummy recipes. Plus, I have always been a little afraid to try new ingredients, so this will be good for me.

Who do you cook for?
My 4 year old boy/girl twins, my 1 year old baby girl and my hubby!!! (just so you know, one of my daughters is betrothed to her son. Did you know that, Lynds?)

What kind of food do you like?
I love Italian food!!! Love it!!! I could have pasta every single night. I also really like salsa, and then of course anything sweet (cinnamon rolls, cakes, cookies). (ummm...pasta....)

What do you hope to get out of participating in What's in {Your} Oven?
New yummy recipes and hopefully I will get more daring and try different ingredients.

It's great to read your spotlight! Hopefully you will get what you're hoping to get out of What's in {Your} Oven?. (I hope)

If you would like to be spotlighted, send us an e-mail at whatsinyouroven(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Egg Salad

I am sure most of you have great recipes for this (and if you do please share) but I have never found one that looked good enough to try. Since we have a ton of boiled eggs from Easter I thought I would try and find one that looked ok. I ended up taking from a couple recipes and just throwing it together. This is what I ended up with, pretty simple.

6 boiled eggs
2-3 Tablespoons of Mayo
2-3 teaspoons of Dill weed
Salt & Pepper to taste
Seasoning Salt to taste

I served it on toasted wheat bread. My kids loved it and wanted more!!! :) I thought it was pretty good and will probably through it into the lunch rotation. I rated it a 3, keep it at home. I don't think egg salad is a very good potluck or dinner party dish!! :)

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

This is super simple but I thought I would post anyway. I use to make something like it when we were first married but haven't even thought about it until this challenge.

Here is the recipe I found on the Internet

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinlesschicken breasts
1 bottle teriyaki marinade/sauce
1/2 red onion, sliced into rings
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut in to
1" pieces1 can (20 oz size) sliced pineapple rings, drained

Directions:
Rinse and dry chicken. Pierce in several places with fork. In a large zipper top bag, combine chicken with 2/3 cup of the marinade. Reserve the rest of the marinade. Marinate in fridge at least 30 minutes. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, add onion rings and green pepper. Place chicken on top of veggies. Discard marinade that chicken was in. Place pineapple rings on top of chicken and pour the reserved marinade over all. Bake at 350F for about 40 to 45 minutes or till chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken serves/makes 6

I marinate the chicken for longer. I think about 6 hours is good. I grilled the chicken & pineapple instead of cooking in the oven (well my husband did the grilling). We also grilled the veggies. Served the pineapple and veggies over the chicken with rice on the side.

Yummy!!! I rate it a 3. While it is tasty enough to take to a dinner party or pot luck you really need to eat it hot so I don't think it would travel well!!!

Sorry no picture!!!

Fettuccine with Chicken and Asparagus

Challenge Ingredient: CHICKEN

Fettuccine with Chicken and Asparagus
(Dream Dinners...Life Just Got Easier by Stephanie Allen & Tina Kuna)

(This cook book is a frozen dinner book. You can make this and freeze for up to 3 months. To freeze just dump the contents into a freezer bag. Make sure to label with the date the meal was made.)

3/4 pound fettuccine, cooked
2/3 (1 1/2 cups, chopped) asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken breasts in 1/2 inch slices
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
zest of 1 lemon, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups nonfat milk
1/4 cup white wine (I used white grape juice)
1/2 Alfredo sauce
1/2 Dijon mustard

Combine the fettuccine, asparagus, chicken, mushrooms, onion, lemon zest, salt, pepper in a large bowl, set aside. Combine milk, wine (white grape juice), Alfredo sauce, mustard in another bowl, mixing until smooth. Add to the chicken and pasta mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. (To freeze dump all contents into a freezer bag, make sure to thaw completely before cooking, directions below.)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9X13-inch baking dish. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until pasta is tender and the surface is bubbly.

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My family really liked it. I didn't add the Dijon mustard (just because I didn't have any). My kids even eat it and liked the asparagus!!! :)

I didn't use fettuccine because I didn't have any. I used penne pasta and it turned out great and easier for the kids to eat!!! :)

I give it 4 stars. Good but not fancy enough for a party.

Sorry about the picture. I forgot to take one until the next night when we eat the leftovers for dinner.