Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Home Fries variations..

20 minute Jamaican Jerk Chicken Awesomeness

2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp lite Italian dressing (or dry dressing packet and 2 tbsp olive oil)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix all this stuff together. Marinate the chicken for 1 hour to overnight. I've also done a 5 minute marinade and then made more sauce to spread on top of the cooked chicken.

To cook:
Works great in gorge Formans or on regular grills. I also recently broiled the chicken and it was FANTASTIC.

Home fries

Potato wedges (I cut Idaho potatoes in half longways and then in about 1/4 inch wedges)
Keep skins on

Toss the wedges in with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic sauce. Don't get cheap on the seasonings.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 for about 15 minutes. Flip them once in the middle.

*This recipe is especially delicious if you substitute Idaho potatoes for sweet potatoes.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

My neighbor Nancy gets the credit for this one! So simple and soooooooooo good!


Ingredients

- Baby spinach
- Strawberries washed and halved
- Toasted pecans or walnuts
- Goat cheese
- Briannas Blush Wine Vinaigrette

Directions

- Toss spinach, strawberries, nuts
- Crumble goat cheese over salad
- Drizzle desired amount of delicious dressing over salad
- Enjoy!!!

Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (3 to 4 regular limes or about 14 keylimes)
• 4 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 11 graham crackers
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

PREP WORK

It's easier to remove the lime zest from whole limes so I would start with that. Then I would cut the limes in half and squeeze out the juice being careful not to include any pits.

Process the graham crackers in a food processor or blender and then melt the butter and have it at the ready.

Process

1. Whisk the egg yolks and lime zest together in a bowl until tinted light green. This takes about 2 minutes

2. Beat in milk, then juice and set aside at room temperature till it thickens.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

4. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in another bowl.

5. Add butter and stir with a fork until well blended.

6. Pour this mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and press over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Try using the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure the graham cracker mixture forms a firm crust on the bottom of the pie pan.

7. Bake on the center rack for about 15 minutes until the crust is lightly brown, remove and let cool to room temperature.

8. Pour the lime filling into crust, spread evenly, and then bake for 15 minutes until the center sets, but still wiggles when shaken.

9. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

10. Refrigerate for at least three hours until well chilled.

Some of you might like to serve it with a whipped cream topping or a meringue topping, but I prefer keeping it simple. If the pie seems to be sticking to the pan when serving, try dipping the pan into a bowl of warm water to loosen it.

Stephanie's Garlic Cheese Bread Deliciousness

Seriously some of the best garlic bread I have ever had.
Thank you for introducing us to this, Stephanie!!! :)


Ingredients:

1/2 loaf French Bread, cut open
-1/3 cup mayonnaise (Just trust me on this. If you have picky kids or husbands just don't make it in front of them or tell them that it has mayo.)
-1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
-1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (depending on how much you like garlic)
-1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Instructions:

-Broil bread for 1-2 minutes, then spread mixture evenly over bread
-Broil for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on edges.

Enjoy!





Instructions

Most Excellent Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a Tammy Heslop recipe:

Most Excellent Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups butter or margarine 1 cup white sugar

2 cups pkd. Brown sugar 3 t. vanilla

4 eggs 2 t. soda

1½ t. salt 4¾ cup flour

5 cups chocolate chips 1-2 cups each white and peanut butter chips (opt.)

Mix butter or margarine, sugars, and vanilla until creamed and smooth. Add eggs then soda, salt, and flour one cup at a time until well blended and fold in chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 350° for 9-13 minutes makes 7 doz. 2 in cookies.

Note: When baking a new recipe for the first time I always try it on the lesser amount of time just in case your oven runs hot (every oven is different) and remember the secret to a soft chewy cookie is to under cook slightly so when you remove it from the oven lift up a part of the center of a cookie and if it is not doughy and is a bit like cake you can take it out and wait for 30seconds to a minute before you remove them from the pan they will be just right.

Mexican Spaghetti

Sorry - this isn't a very good picture. I guess we just couldn't wait to eat it! Yum!!

This is another recipe that we originally got from the Mama May. Cliff and I have tweaked it a little. Hope you like it as much as we do!

Ingredients

- ground turkey or ground beef (about 1 lb I think?)
- 1 med onion diced
-1 1/2 teaspoon salt
-2 teaspoons chili powder
-1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
-1/2-1 teaspoon minced garlic (we like garlic so we use at least 1 teaspoon if not 5.... j/k, maybe just 4...)
-1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (sometimes I use a little more of this too)
-1 15oz. can tomato sauce
-4 3/4 cups water
- 8-12 oz. uncooked spaghetti (we use hodgson mill whole wheat spaghetti)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

In a 12'' or electric skillet (350 degrees for electric) brown the ground turkey/hamburger meat with the onion. Add the tomato sauce, water, and seasonings, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil and then add the spaghetti. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered until the spaghetti is tender, stirring often, about 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired! Serves 5-6!

Coffee Bread

My grandmother Nylund used to make this bread and served it everyday for "Coffee" - the Scandinavian equivalent to the British "Tea". We always called it "Coffee bread" but I have since learned it is called "Cardamom bread". Enjoy!
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
  
• 3/4 cup warm milk
• 1 pkg yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Procedure:

1. In a small saucepan on low heat, combine butter and milk until the butter is just melted.
2. In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and warm water. Stir gently for a few seconds, then let stand until the yeast is frothy.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, salt ane cardamom; whisk gently to distribute the ingredients.
4. In separate bowl, beat 2 eggs and set aside.
5. Check that the milk and butter mixture is not too hot, and then combine all ingredients.
6. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
7. Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowlo and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about one hour.
8. Punch down the dough, and shape into desired shape.
9. If you are not going to glaze it after baking, sprinkle with pearl (or coarse) sugar.
10. Put finished breads onto greased cookie sheet. (When I do the small braided ones (great for dipping) you should NOT grease the cookie sheet.)
11. Let rise again until double in size, about 45 minutes.
12. Brush the top of each with an egg wash.
13. Bake at 350 degrees (180c) for 25 minutes.

Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tablespoon butter - melted
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine and spread on warm bread.