Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 box (3.9 oz.) instant chocolate pudding
1 pkg. peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl combine butter and sugars.  Beat until creamy.  Add vanilla and eggs and beat well.  Stir together flour, baking powder and pudding mix.  Add to butter mixture and blend well.  Stir in peanut butter chips.  Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheets.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Cool.  Yields:  about 3 dozen.

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

1-2 onions, chopped

3-4 carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery

3 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp thyme leaves

3 T parsley flakes

10 oz. package frozen peas

2 1/2-3 lb. whole fryer chicken

4-6 cups water

2 cups wide egg noodles

Place all ingredients in crock pot in the order listed, except egg noodles.  Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-6 hours.  One hour before serving, remove chicken and cool slightly.  Remove meat from bones and return meat to crock pot.  Add uncooked noodles and turn to high.  Cover and cook on high 1/2 hour to 1 hour or until noodles are cooked to desired firmness.

30 Minute Rolls

This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law, Joan Stoddard.

2 T yeast
1/2 cup warm water
Dissolve with a little sugar (1 tablespoon), set for 5 min.

1 cup milk (can use powdered milk), heat in microwave til hot.

Add to hot milk:
1 tsp salt
3 T sugar
4 T margarine
Let cool about 10 minutes then add to yeast.

About 4 cups flour

Slowly add flour.  Mix until soft but not sticky.  Cover and let rise 10 minutes.  Break off into balls, form rolls or roll between hands til about 10 in. long and tie in knots.  Place on cookie sheet.  Rise 10 minutes.  Bake at 350F about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes about 20 rolls.

Buttermilk Pancakes

We got this recipe from Rex and Vicki Davis.  We usually have them when we are all together on our huckleberry picking trips and add a cup of huckleberries to the batter.  Yum, yum!

1 egg
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
2 T vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup flour
1 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Sour Cream Substitutes

I found this today when I was desperate for sour cream and did not want to go to the store.  I tried the one with cottage cheese, lemon juice and milk in the blender and it worked great.

Sour Cream Substitutions and Equivalents 

*1 cup sour cream For baking: 7/8 cup buttermilk or sour milk plus 3 tablespoons butter 
*1 cup sour cream For baking: 1 cup yogurt plus 1 teaspoon baking soda 
*1 cup sour cream For baking: 3/4 cup sour milk plus 1/3 cup butter 
*1 cup sour cream Baking: 3/4 cup buttermilk plus 1/3 cup butter 
*1 cup sour cream Cooked sauces: 1 cup yogurt plus 1 tablespoon flour plus 2 teaspoons water 
*1 cup sour cream Cooked sauces: 1 cup evaporated milk plus *1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken. 
*1 cup sour cream Dips: 1 cup yogurt (drain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve for 30 minutes in the refrigerator for a thicker texture) 
*1 cup sour cream Dips: 1 cup cottage cheese plus 1/4 cup yogurt or buttermilk, briefly whirled in a blender 
*1 cup sour cream Dips: 6 ounces cream cheese plus 3 tablespoons milk, briefly whirled in a blender 
*1 cup sour cream Lower fat: 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese plus *1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 2 tablespoons skim milk, whipped until smooth in a blender 
*1 cup sour cream Lower fat: 1 can chilled evaporated milk whipped with 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Southwest Chicken

This recipe comes from my Logan River Neighborhood cookbook.  It comes together really fast and easy on the stove top.  You can eat it just the way it is or you can chop up the chicken and put the mixture in tortillas.  My favorite way to eat it is with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and sour cream on top.

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 cups water
2 cups Minute rice
1 cup black or kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup cheddar cheese
Lettuce, tomato, avocado and sour cream for garnish.

Bring chicken, salsa, seasoning and water to boil in a large skillet.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Return to boil.  Stir in rice and beans.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and cook on low for 5 minutes.  When serving, top with garnishes.  Serves 4-6.

Chicken and Spaghetti

Years ago Albertson's had a promotion going on.  They had recipe cards with meal ideas all through out the store next to the ingredients that were in the specific recipes.  It was called "Quick Fixin' Ideas".  I loved going to the store and collecting the cards and seeing if there was anything new each time.  This is one of the recipes I picked up there and it stuck.  This recipe is kid friendly and fast to make and we usually have all the ingredients in our pantry.  The original name of the recipe was Chicken Strips Italiano, but that was too fancy for us.  We just call it Chicken and Spaghetti.

8oz. uncooked linguine or spaghetti, cook to desired doneness

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

1/2 cup Progresso Bread Crumbs

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

1 lb. chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

2 cups Classico Pasta Sauce, heated

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Heat oven to 375F.  In small bowl, combine cheese and bread crumbs; mix well.  Place salad dressing in small bowl.  Dip chicken breasts in salad dressing; place in bread crumb mixture and toss to coat evenly.  Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 1 inch apart.  Bake chicken breasts at 375F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and no longer pink in center.  Slice chicken into strips.  To serve drain hot pasta; spoon onto 4 plates.  Top each with hot pasta sauce and chicken strips.  Serve with freshly baked Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.