Recipes

I have been asked to post some of my recipes. I debated how to do that and then I decided to just go through my sections I talked about in my previous post and pick 1 recipe from each section.


Homemade Laundry Detergent
*makes 10 gallons

You will need:
-5 gallon bucket with lid
-Fels-Naptha Soap
-Super Washing Soda
-Borax Powder

1) Grate the soap (I use my cheese grater)
2) Add 4 cups water to soap and cook over medium heat until dissolved (stirring).
3) Fill your 5 gallon bucket 1/2 with hot water and add liquid soap. Stir.
4) Add 1 cup washing soda, 1/2 cup borax. Stir.
5) After mixed together, add more water as high as you want (remember, you will have to mush it up the next day, so I don't go too full.) and snap on the lid. Let sit overnight.
6) The next day, it will be gelled up.
7) Stir it well (I used my hands to get all the balls of gel throughout smashed nicely).
8) Find container to put soap in (I used an empty big vinegar bottle-- the one from Costco) and use a funnel to pour it in.
9) Fill container 1/2 way with soap and add water the rest of the way.
10) Give a good shake to your detergent before each use.

*Use 1/2  cup per load-- I do full cup for extra soiled loads.
*I also add about 1/4 cup- 1/2 cup of vinegar to each load to help with sweat stains and to help deodorize.

Cheesy Baked Artichoke Dip
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (packed) grated parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of salt
2, 14-ounce can artichoke hearts packed in water, well drained, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces.
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 cup Italian cheese blend

1) Whisk 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, pepper, onion salt, and garlic powder in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in chopped artichoke hearts. Transfer mixture to 3 cup ramekin.
2) Sprinkle dip with remaining 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, Italian cheese, and paprika.
3) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake dip until heated through, about 25 minutes (35 minutes if chilled)
4) Preheat broiler. Broil until cheese melts, about 2-3 minutes.
5) Serve warm with toasted baguette slices.


Rainbow Veggie Chili
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 (28 oz) can tomatoes, with liquid
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can chili beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1) Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, jalapeno, garlic, and onion. Cook 5 minutes, just until tender.
2) Mix tomatoes with liquid, tomato paste, black beans, corn, and chili beans into the pot. Season with chili powder, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Whole Wheat and Honey Pizza Dough
1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon honey

1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
3) In a large bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, and salt. Make a well in the middle and add honey and yeast mixture. Stir well to combine. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for a few minutes.
4) Roll dough on a floured pizza pan and poke a few holes in it with a fork.
5) Bake in a preheated oven for 5-10 minutes, or until desired crispiness is achieved.

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil (or another oil of choice)
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup total of any combination of: sesame seeds, coconut flakes, dried fruit, dark chocolate chips, etc.

1) In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil.
2) Remove from heat and add one cup of oats. Choose your favorite combination of coconut flakes, dried fruit, and mini dark chocolate chips, to equal a total of ONE CUP (I sit my 1 cup on the counter and fill it with various things until full). Pour in and stir well.
3) Make sure it is stirred well, then spread mixture into an 8x8 or 9x4 pan.
4) Chill for 2 hours. Then cut into bars.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Large whole tomato, crushed (28 oz-- I think)
1 Large crushed tomatoes
oregano
thyme
bay leaf

1) Saute the minced garlic, chopped onion, and olive oil.
2) Add the whole tomatoes (I crush them up with my hands before adding them to the pot-- makes a mess)
3) Simmer for 20 minutes.
4) Add large crushed tomatoes.
5) Add oregano, thyme, and 1 bay leaf (I never measure, I just dump and taste each time.)
6) Cook 45 minutes.

Homemade Sloppy Joes
1 lb. ground turkey (or other preference)
1/4 cup chopped onion (I always use the entire onion)
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (I always use the entire pepper)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
3 teaspoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste.

1) In a skillet over medium heat, brown your turkey meat, onion, and bell peppers; drain off liquid.
2) Stir in garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar. Mix. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Lime and Chili Rubbed Chicken Breasts
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil

1) Heat grill. In small bowl, mix chili powder, brown sugar, lime peel, salt, garlic powder, and ground red pepper. Rub both sides of chicken with oil, then spice mixture.
2) Place chicken on the grill over medium heat. Cover grill and cook 10-15 minutes turning once or twice, until juice of chicken is clear.
** Could be baked in over- 350 degrees for 35 minutes as well.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

1) Preheat oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line a pan with aluminum foil.
2) In a small bowl, mix together the parmesan cheese, butter, mayo, and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder, and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3) Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the parmesan cheese mixture on the side. Broil for 2 more minutes. Remove, flip fillets over, and cover the other side with the parmesan mixture. Broil for 2 minutes or until browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful to not over cook the fish.

Homemade Tacos
1 lb ground turkey (or meat of preference)
1 can refried beans
3 Tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning (from post 2 days ago)

1) Brown the turkey meat over medium heat. Drain the excess juice. Add 1 can refried beans, 3 Tablespoons of homemade taco seasonings, and 3/4 cup of water. Stir well and simmer until heated thoroughly.
2) Add to taco shells, lettuce, or tortilla chips and create tacos of choice.

Broccoli with Garlic Butter and Cashews
1-1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cup butter
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped salted cashews

1) Place the broccoli into a large pot with about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes or until tender, but still crisp. Drain and arrange broccoli on a serving platter.
2) While the broccoli is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Mix in the cashews and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Serve immediately.

Homemade Pizza Sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 (29 oz) can tomato puree
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Italian seasonings
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1) In a large saucepan, saute garlic until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until sauce reaches desired thickness. Can be refrigerated for us to 1 week and frozen for up to 6 months.

Healthier Rice Crispy Treats
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)- we use peanut butter where the only ingredients are peanuts- no added sugar, HFCS, etc.
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups crispy rice cereal

This is what the front looks like. I buy this at Ingles for  less than $2 (I think).

See, the only ingredient is puffed whole grain brown rice. No HFCS or added sugar.

1) In a saucepan, melt and stir the peanut butter and honey together. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir in cereal. Spread in a 9x9 pan and allow to cool.

For fun, I sometimes add 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips as I am stirring in the cereal :D


So, there you go. I chose some of our favorites (as in weekely or bi-weekly dishes) along with what I get the most compliments on. Hope you guys enjoy.

What are some of your favorite recipes? Take a second to share! I'd love to try something new one night this week.

Again, if you have something you want me to post on, give me a shout!

Have a beautiful day.