Chicken Noodle Soup....for Jordan!

2 Chicken Breast

1 can Chicken Broth
1 (12oz) bag frozen Egg Noodles
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 can Cream of Mushroom or cream of chicken soup
Salt & Pepper
1-2 Bay Leaves
Cayenne Pepper
Milk
1-2 Tbsp Cornstarch
Carrots
Onions
Celery

DIRECTIONS
1. Fill large pot half full of water. Bring to boil with the chicken. Reduce to simmer. Add salt, pepper,
onion, carrots, and chicken broth. Cook until chicken is tender.
2. Remove chicken and let cool. Boil water again and add the egg noodles. Cook noodles according to
package directions.
3. Meanwhile mix soup with a little milk and add to noodles. Mix cornstarch with a little milk and add to
soup. Add shredded chicken back to soup and cook a little longer until the soup thickens up. Add more
cornstarch to make it thicker if desired.

Creamy Tomato Soup

4 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and diced
4 cups tomato juice
14 leaves fresh basil
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place tomatoes and juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves, and return the puree to the stock pot.  Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I love these! This recipe makes quite a bit. So, instead of appetizer we usually make up some ham fried rice and these wraps and, that's dinner.

Ingredients:

Chicken Filling:
3 Tablespoons Oil
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Water Chestnuts
2/3 Cup Mushrooms
3 Tablespoons Chopped Onions
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
Lettuce

Filling Stir Fry Sauce:
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar

Special Sauce:
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Ketchup
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/8 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Hot Mustard
2 Teaspoons Hot Water
1-2 Teaspoons Garlic and Red Chili Paste

Directions:

How I make it that saves TONS of time right at dinner:
1. (I do this a few hours before, but you can do it just as step one) Boil chicken breasts until cooked through.
2. While chicken is boiling dice up water chestnuts, mushrooms, and onion. Combine in a refrigerator bowl with garlic.(tupperware works fantastic)
3. Make the special sauce (also place into tupperware) and place into refrigerator.
4. Make the stir fry sauce (place in tupperware - make sure to put a note on the special sauce and fry sauce so you don't get these mixed up)
5. When chicken is done, chop it up and put with water chestnuts, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Place in fridge until ready to cook.
6. Wash and dry lettuce.
WHEN READY FOR DINNER: (This takes MAYBE 10 minutes)
7. Put some olive oil in the bottom of a large fry pan or wok and put on high.
8. Pour all of the chicken mixture into the pan and let it warm up for about 5 minutes (make sure to stir a few times to avoid burning and to allow for the entire mixture to heat up).
9. Pour in the Stir Fry Sauce.
10. Once this is warm and the stir fry sauce is mixed througout - put on lettuce, add special sauce and eat.

As stated on the recipe (Probably looking at an hour or so to get this ready):
1. Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2. Add soy sauce, rice wing vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, and sesame oil.
3. Mix well (with whisk) and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large fry pan.
7. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
8. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
9. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
10. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
11. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
12. When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
13. With the pan still on high heat, add another Tablespoon of oil.
14. Chicken, garlic, onions, waters chestnuts, and mushrooms to the pan.
15. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce "cups."
16. Top with "Special Sauce"

Puerto Rico Pina Coladas

Here is the recipe that we feel most resembles the authentic Culebra, Puerto Rico treat. If you've had one on the beach at Culebra you'll love how this takes you back and if you haven't you'll just enjoy a refreshing summer drink. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Coco Lopez cream of coconut
3/4 Cup pineapple juice (I actually just buy a six pack of the small dole cans and one can works great)
2 Cups ice
Maraschino cherries or pineapple slice (Optional)

Directions:

Place Coco Lopez, pineapple juice, and 1 cup ice in a blender. Blend for 45-60 seconds on medium to high power. Add second cup of ice slowly until desired consistency is reached. (I find that the full two cups is sometimes too much and makes the drink too thick when it is not hot enough to melt down quickly.) Pour, top with one cherry or one pineapple slice (if desired), and enjoy.

Note:

For alchi's add a little (or a lot) of rum.

Davis County School District Peanut Butter Bars

Let's take a little mental break from reality and remember walking into the lunch room in elementary school. You've been excited about it all day because today is PEANUT BUTTER BAR DAY! Wake up adults! But guess what...today is PEANUT BUTTER BAR DAY. And, everyday can be from here on out. Here is the OFFICIAL DAVIS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT PEANUT BUTTER BAR RECIPE.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
additional peanut butter
chocolate frosting

1. Cream butter and sugars together.
2. Add eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter and mix.
3. Mix all dry ingredients into above mixture.
4. Spread on greased cookie sheets.
5. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes (very lightly browned)
6. When COMPLETELY cooled, spread with thin layer of WHIPPED peanut butter. (This is the step that separates these peanut butter bars from what the stores call the same. Throw creamy peanut butter into your Kitchenaid with the whisk on and let it whip until fluffy - maybe 3 minutes - then spread a thin layer over the top...yummy!)
7. Frost with chocolate icing. (I get just the frosting from the store (in the can), but I warm it up in the microwave for maybe 30 seconds so that it doesn't pull the peanut butter off by kind of molds onto it.)
8. Eat. Smile.

Need advice?  We do that.  Need food?  We do that!