'Ono Made Easy

Here's a family recipe for sugar cookies. Ingredients  1/2 sugar 2 1/2 cups flour 1 egg 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup butter (soft) 1 tsp. cream of tarter 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. baking soda Directions  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 1. Mix all ingredients into a ball. Refrigerate for 2 hours. 2. Roll out and cut cookies. 3. Place cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes.

When I lived in Hawaii, I received this recipe from the Polynesian Cultural Center. Sooooo ono! Ingredients  2 cups fresh grated coconut 4 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups water Directions  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 1. Combine coconut, sugar, and water. 2. Blend flour and baking powder together. 3. Mix all ingredients until a doughy texture forms, adding a little flour as needed so it is not too sticky. 4. Separate the dough into 5 equal parts ( will become loaves) and roll each part into the size of a hot dog bun. 5. Wrap each part in aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. ( Makes 5 loaves.)

This is one of my favorite desserts that my mom makes! Ingredients  2 cups of pretzels, crushed 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 3/4 cup butter 8 oz package cream cheese 1 cup granulated sugar 1 small carton of cool whip 2, 3 oz packages of strawberry jello 2 cups boiling water 2, 10 oz packages frozen strawberries (partially thawed) Directions  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 1. Blend the crushed pretzels, 2 tbs. granulated sugar, and butter. Spread into a 9x13in pan. 2. Bake for 8-10 minutes. (Don't over bake!) Let cool. 3. Blend the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar. Blend in the cool whip. 4. Spread over the pretzel mixture. 5. Add the boiling water to the strawberry jello, then mix in the frozen strawberries. 6. Set in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. 7. Pour over cream cheese mixture and refrigerate until set.

Mark and I were talking about how we love Chinese food, but it's usually loaded with salt. I found a great healthier recipe for Orange Chicken and I made some small adjustments: http://junejohnson.co/eats/recipes-skinny-orange-chicken/ Ingredients:  2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces salt and pepper ( I didn't use salt) 2 Tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup honey 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 3 Tbsp. cornstarch 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. pepper zest of 1 orange pinch of crushed red pepper flakes thinly sliced scallions ( I didn't use these) toasted sesame seeds ( I didn't use these) Directions:   1. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. 2. Add chicken, salt and pepper to taste to the pan and sauté for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and nearly cooked through. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together ...

Lately I've been loving ground turkey recipes! Here's a turkey meatball recipe I adapted from: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/10/homemade-turkey-meatball-subs-recipe.html Ingredients:  1 lb ground turkey 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 large egg 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning Directions:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 1. In a large bowl, mix the turkey, bread crumbs, basil, oregano, parsley, garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, egg, olive oil and steak seasoning. 2. Form meat into 1-1/2" meatballs and place them onto a greased cookie sheet. ( I used an ice cream scoop to form the balls.) 3. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve with pasta and marinara sauce.  

Cold days = warm soup, right?! Mark kept talking about this amazing soup from Chick-Fil-A, so I found this copy cat recipe: http://feelingfoodish.com/chicken-tortilla-soup/ Ingredients  2 small chicken breasts, cooked and shredded 32 oz ( 2 cans) white beans (Northern or Navy), drained and rinsed 1 cup (about 1/2 can)  black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup (about 1/2 can) corn 4.5 oz small can diced green chili peppers 3 to 4 cups chicken broth 1/2 large red bell pepper, finely diced 1 medium stick celery, finely diced 1 medium onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 tablespoons canola oil 4 tablespoons sour cream 4 tablespoons corn flour / corn starch 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon cumin 2 tablespoons lemon juice tortilla chips, optional to serve Directions  1. In a large dutch oven (large pot), heat the canola oil over medium high heat and add the onion, celery and garlic and heat until f...

Chicken fingers were always tasty when I was little, but now that I'm older, I want to make sure the ones I make are at least somewhat healthy. Check out my modified version of this recipe: http://mommyimhungry.blogspot.com/2010/10/ultimate-chicken-fingers-gluten-free.html Ingredients: 3/4 cup Bisquick mix 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( 1 lb), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips 2 eggs, slightly beaten cooking spray Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper, spray with cooking spray. 2. Stir Bisquick mix, cheese, paprika and salt in a bowl. Dip chicken into a bowl with the slightly beaten eggs, then coat with the Bisquick mixture. Repeat with all chicken pieces two times each. Spray chicken with cooking spray. 3. Bake 12-14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink...