The BEST pancakes

This has become my go-to pancake recipe ever since I found it! I don't think I can go back to box mixes again! They are tall and fluffy but also moist and firm.

• 3/4 cup whole milk (can use skim, 1% or 2%)
• 2 Tbs white vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbs white sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs butter, melted

Combine milk and vinegar and allow 5 minutes to let "sour" (I do this in my liquid measuring glass).*

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium mixing bowl. Whisk in egg, then milk mixture, then butter, until lumps are gone.

Pour by 1/4 cupfuls onto medium heated cooking skillet (sprayed with cooking spray) until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with spatula and cook until both sides are browned.

Makes about 8 pancakes.

*This is a substitute for buttermilk. Since I rarely buy buttermilk, I usually just do this!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

This recipe is one I unintentionally modified very similarly to taste like Pam's Chocolate Chip Cookies, but a chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips. They turned out so yummy! Just a slight change in pace from the classic chocolate chip cookie.

• 1 cup shortening (1 stick Crisco), softened
• 1/2 cup (1 cube) butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pkg Reese's peanut butter chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream (mix on high) shortening, butter, both sugars, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, then slowly mix dry ingredients with wet until well combined, scraping sides as you go. Stir in peanut butter chips. 

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for about 8-11 minutes (10 was perfect for my oven). Let cool slightly on pan before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely. 

Makes 4-5 dozen

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

This is not an original recipe. I found this on Pinterest, which came from LDSLiving.com. These cookies were so tasty! They were fresh like summer, but chewy like Christmas! You must try these! Now!


Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Makes 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:
½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar 


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes. 

Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta

Oh, and did I mention it's creamy? I'm on a creamy kick. Not to mention I was craving anything with lemon and garlic today, so I came up with this little number. It actually only took me under 30 minutes to make and when I figured the cost of making it, was really cheap! It's probably not the healthiest recipe (I justify it by using whole wheat pasta), but it sure was tasty!

• 2 Tbs butter
• 1 chicken breast, pounded to 1/4 inch and cut in half
• salt and pepper to sprinkle and
• flour to dredge (about 4 Tbs?)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup water
• zest and juice from one small lemon
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 Tbs sugar
• salt to taste
• 2 servings angel hair pasta (I used whole wheat thin spaghetti, but think this would taste divine)

In a skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. After you've pounded down the chicken breasts to 1/4 inch and cut it in half (2), sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken and dredge with flour. Add to skillet cooking 3 minutes on each side. When cooked, remove chicken from skillet (leave skillet on) and keep warm. Add minced garlic to skillet and stir for about 30 seconds. Add water (to lift the chicken flavor from skillet) and stir. Add lemon zest and juice, then cream. Add salt to taste and let simmer, stirring constantly, until your desired thickness. Pour sauce over cooked pasta and top with chicken. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over pasta (optional). Serves 2. 

Creamy Tomato and Sausage Pasta

I had some leftover Italian sausage from when I made some stuffed peppers the other night. I whipped together some ingredients from my fridge and pantry, and it turned out pretty awesome.


I'm also going to start tagging meals that I make for just two servings. I've been cooking for two for over 5 years, and still do since my baby still eats very little or something already pre-made (I did blend this up and he loved it).

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 3 Tbs thinly chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb ground Italian pork sausage 
• 1 small zucchini, chopped into chunks
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 Tbs sugar (to lessen acidity)
• 1/2 Tbs dried basil
• salt to taste
• 2 servings whole wheat penne pasta, cooked (or linguine would be good)
• shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat olive oil in a deep skillet on medium-high to high heat. Add minced garlic and diced onions and stir until softened. Add sausage and cook until brown. Add zucchini and cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients (besides pasta) and let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over pasta and sprinkle cheese over the top. Serves 2.

Lo-Carb Turkey Tacos

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and you can find the original recipe HERE. You can also find the nutritional information on the site. It says they are 134 calories for two tacos! Can't go wrong there!


Instead of using tortillas for these tacos, they used lettuce, for a lettuce wrap. It was so good and light! Also, this was the best blend of spices for taco seasoning that I've ever made. I would use this blend over any pre-made taco seasoning any day of the week. Really really good!

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 sweet onion, minced
• 3 Tbs bell pepper, minced (I used red, but green would be great also)
• 4 oz can tomato sauce
• can of water

Cook ground turkey in a skillet until browned and cooked through. Add dry seasonings and mix well. Add onions and pepper, until slightly sauteed. Add tomato sauce and can of water. Stir well and let simmer for several minutes. 

Serve in large lettuce leaves. Top with sour cream, shredded cheese and green onions. 

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

I put this little number together for dinner tonight. All of the ingredients were already prepped (sliced and grated) because when I went to the store, it all was cheapest that way. So not only was it cheap, it was very easy to prepare! Plus, I didn't have any left over ingredients.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 pkg (8 oz) sliced mushrooms
• 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach
• 1 can (26 oz) garlic and herb pasta sauce (I use Hunt's)
• 1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
• 1 pkg (6 oz) shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 egg (whites only)
• 1 pkg (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 pkg whole wheat lasagna noodles

Cook noodles until done, drain and set aside.


In a large saute pan, cook ground beef until done. Add mushrooms until cooked. Add spinach until it is no longer frozen. Add all but 1 cup pasta sauce. Let simmer.


In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, egg and half of the parmesan cheese.


To assemble:
Put 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of a baking pan
Place 4 noodles in the bottom of pan to cover
Spread half of cheese mixture over noodles
Spread half of the meat and spinach mixture over cheese
Sprinkle just a little mozzarella cheese over mixture
Layer 4 more noodles
Spread remaining cheese mixture
Spread remaining meant and spinach mixture
Layer the remainder of the noodles
Spread the remainder of the sauce over noodles
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the top


Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove tin foil the last 10 minutes.