Fry Bread

My family and I love fry bread, but I don't get around to making it too often. I don't have a problem ordering fry bread at a restaurant or at the fair, but for some reason, watching them float around in a bath of hot oil just seems a little, um, eww. They do turn out VERY tasty though.

We ate them as Navajo Tacos this time, but we also love to eat the with honey butter or cinnamon honey butter. YUM!!!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
4 cups oil for frying, or as needed

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk, and mix until the dough comes together. Add more flour if necessary to be able to handle the dough. On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, at least 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Heat oil in a large, deep heavy skillet to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). Oil should be about 1 1/2 inches deep. Break off 3/4 cup sized pieces of dough, and shape into round discs 1/4 inch in thickness, making a thinner depressed area in the center. Fry breads in the hot oil until golden on both sides, turning only once. Drain on paper towels.

Recipe from All Recipes

Puffy Pancakes

This is my 5 year olds FAVORITE meal! She love these Puffy Pancakes (aka Oven Pancakes, German Pancakes). As a matter of fact, all of my kids love them. This is one of the meals I can make and not have a single complaint! I think watching them bake is half the fun. My sweet little 5 year old likes to watch them grow in the oven. They can get HUGE!

After the Puffy Pancakes are baked I sprinkle them with powdered sugar for the kids. I like to add fresh berries to mine as well. Yum!

3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons margarine

Preheat oven to 400. Place margarine in 7x11" baking dish and put in the oven to melt. Mix all other ingredients and pour into baking dish once butter has melted. Bake for 20 minutes on a bottom rack.

Recipe from my old friend Lynda.

Chicken Pot Pie

I used to be in a freezer meal group and one of the meals I got was a really tasty chicken pot pie. It looked super easy so I tried to duplicate it and this is what I came up with.

The kids LOVE this Chicken Pot Pie and ask for it all the time. I love that it is easy and I almost always have everything on hand to make it.

1 (9 in) pie crust
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
1 potato, cooked and diced
½ cup celery
1 tablespoon butter
¾ cup frozen peas and carrots mixed
¾ cup frozen corn
2 to 3 cups chicken, shredded

Sautee celery in butter until tender. Mix chicken broth and soup. .Add chicken and veggies to the soup and mix well. Pour into 7x11 baking dish. Cover with pie crust and make 3 slits in the top. Bake at 450 for 20 to 30 minutes.

Recipe can easily be doubled and put into a 9x13 baking dish.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

Another no bake treat. There are a lot of no bake cookies recipes, but the ones I've found have peanut butter in them. I wanted something without peanut butter, but easy and no bake, so I came up with these. Very tasty if you ask me.

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut flakes
3 1/2 cups rolled oats

Place rolled oats and coconut flakes in a large bowl and set aside. Combine butter, sugar, salt and milk in a large sauce pan and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a full boil and boil for 1 minute. Turn heat off and add vanilla and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth. Pour over oats and stir until well combined. Drop by large spoonful onto waxed paper or foil (I used a cookie scoop this time, but think they look better using a regular spoon - just my preference). Let cool to set.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Scotcharoos

I think summer is FINALLY here! Last night was a little springy, but I am still pretty sure summer is here. That being said, I am starting into the no-oven-goodies phase. These were the first of the no bake treats for the summer. Chocolate and peanut butter, oh yeah!

The treats are pretty tasty without the topping, but the topping makes them AMAZING! I pour the melted topping into a baggie and snip off the corner to make drizzling a little easier.

1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
5 cups corn flake cereal
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Combine sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter in a medium pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute stirring constantly so it doesn't scorch. Pour corn flakes into a large bowl and pour peanut butter mixture on top. Stir until flakes are thoroughly coated. Grease 2 large cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. Drop cereal mixture on the prepared cookie sheets and let cool. Combine chocolate and butterscotch chips in a bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until melted. Drizzle over treats.

Recipe from my old friend Caralee (I think...)

Linked on Anything Related No. 54!

Chocolate Frosting

My daughter loves chocolate. I mean she really, REALLY, loves chocolate. For her birthday party she wanted chocolate cup cakes with chocolate frosting. I have a great Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe that I use all the time, but wanted something more chocolatey. So....I came up with this. It was a hit! My daughter loved it and so did all of my other kids.

1/2 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter. Add powdered sugar and salt and mix well. Add in vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk and mix. Add melted chocolate and mix until smooth. Add additional milk if needed to get desired consistency.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Easy and Delicious Peach Cobbler

I'm BAAAAAACK!! Summer with 5 kids takes a little getting used to! I though I had no time while they were in school, but when they are out of school, WOW! Funny how I forget that every year. Then, add in 2 birthday parties, a first birthday (my baby is 1!), a house full of sick people, a trip out of town, holidays and, yeah.

I made this supper yummy peach cobbler a while back, and, obviously, I'm just getting around to putting it up. I actually made it 2 times. And doubled the recipe both times. I had a real hard time letting it cool enough to safely eat. My solution - a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 cups of sliced fresh peaches
1 tablespoon sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan and put in oven to melt. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven. Whisk flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Add milk and whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tb. of sugar. Bake until batter browns and fruit bubbles, 50 to 60 minutes.

Recipe from Allrecipes.