Nachos and Banana Lollies

Nachos might not be the healthiest dinner but it sure is tasty.  A quick Friday night meal.

Ingredients

Tortilla chips

Ground Beef (or turkey)

Taco seasoning

Nacho cheese

Any topping that suits your family, mine includes: Guacamole, chopped onions and tomato's black olives

 Basically pour on the cheese & meat (cooked and seasoned) and add whatever you want on top.  The picture below is my allergy version, crumbled goats cheese with a few teaspoons of water mixed in and microwaved for 30 seconds.

 We used the store brand Banana pops and the kids loved them, As the chocolate is not the best tasting I thought next time we would try with some Cadburys or Hersey chocolate and see if it would work.  I don't see why not. Freeze the bananas for about 2 hours, warm the chocolate and dip.  The cold banana and warm chocolate make a crisp coating, Yum.

Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is time consuming but so worth the wait.

Ingredients:
4 1/4 c. Flour
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 1/4 c. Milk
1/4 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Butter
2 Eggs
6 tbsp. Butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar (white sugar works well too)
2 tsp ground Cinnamon

Step 1: Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour & yeast. Heat the milk, sugar (1/4c.) and the butter until warm (butter will be almost melted). Keep it moving.

Step 2: Add milk mixture to flour mixture, add the eggs. Beat with electric mixer for 30 seconds on low.  Beat on high for 3 minutes. using a spoon, stir in remaining flour (dough will be soft). Place dough on floured surface, knead for 3 to 5 minutes. Shape into a ball.

Step 3: Place dough in lightly greased bowl. Cover. Let rise in warm place until doubled (roughly 1-1 1/2 hours)

Step 4: Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, divide into half. Shape each one into a ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Step 5: On a lightly floured surface roll half the dough, not too thin. Spread with 3 tbsp of butter. combine brown sugar and Cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle half over the prepared dough. Roll up and seal the edges. Repeat on other half.

Step 6: Slice each dough roll into 8 pieces. Arrange slices, cut side down onto a greased baking tray. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.

Step 7: Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until lightly brown. Place each roll onto a wire rack, cool slightly then drizzle with glaze (below). Serve warm.

Powdered sugar glaze
1 cup of powered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 3-4 tsp of milk.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is my eight year old daughters favorite meal, the best thing about it is that most of the ingredients can be changed to whatever you have.

First the Pastry:

2 1/2 cups of flour

2/3 shortening

1/2 - 3/4 ice cold water

First add the shortening into the flour and rub it gently until it looks like bread crumbs, then slowly add the water, don't try and form it yet, the idea is to just get the whole thing moist. Once it looks like it can be formed started squeezing it together into a ball.  Cut in half and you now have a top and bottom (role out).

Ingredients for the Pie

Chicken 1 1/2 cups

1 tbsp oil

1 onion

3 potatoes chopped

Carrots and celery 1 1/2 cups

2 cups of chicken bouillon

3tbp of parsley

1tsp oregano

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup milk

3tbp flour

                                                                                                

 Directions

Heat the oil in a large pan

Add chicken, onion and seasonings

Pour in the Bouillon and vegetables

Gently boil until potatoes are cooked but still firm

In a separate pan heat the milk and flour

Pour into the mixture and leave to thicken for a minute or two

Pour into prepared pie dish, add the pastry lid and press the edges

Slit the top a few times to allow steam to escape

Bake for 1 hour at 350*F

 With the left over pastry roll it out and put it on a baking tray, sprinkle with sugar and Cinnamon and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. YUM

Peanut Butter Bars with Chocolate Chips

I can say that they smell Delicious and everyone that takes one comes back for more but sadly they were not taste tested by me. Among my many allergy's, peanuts of any kind react to me severely if I eat them. Thankfully I can still handle them and make them for my neighbours and family.

Ingredients

1 cup of creamy peanut butter

6Tbsp of Crisco (or softened butter)

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup of flour

1 3/4 cups chocolate chips

Directions

Mix the peanut butter and Crisco together until smooth

Mix in sugar, eggs and vanilla

Mix in the flour and 3/4 chocolate chips

Spread in and ungreased pan 13 x 9 works well

Bake in pre heated oven (350) for 25-30 minutes until sides are lightly brown.

Take out of the oven and sprinkle over the last cup of chocolate chips, when melted, spread.

Cool in pan on wire rack, then slice.