White and Milk Chocolate Pecan Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups chips (white and milk chocolate)
2 cups pecans

Blend flour, salt and baking soda in one bowl. Cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs in another bowl. Add the flour mixture into the cream mixture. Add nuts and chips.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. One batch made about 4 dozen regular sized cookies.

Crock Pot Thai Chicken

This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes. It is very verstile; use any type of salsa, a little more gingerroot. I've gotten to the point where I don't do any measuring, the dish is very forgiving (but don't leave out the citrus, I've used lemon juice before, too).

Serve over steamed rice.

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8 chicken thighs (about 2 lbs.) skins removed
3/4 hot salsa, or to your taste
1/4 peanut butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Place chicken in 3 1/2 to 6-quart slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients except peanuts and cilantro; pour over chicken.

2. Cover and cook on low hear setting 8 to 9 hours or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Remove chicken from cooker, using slotted spoon; place on serving platter.

3. Remove fat from sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

Bread Machine Bread

Hey Ladies. Today Spencer asked for my bread recipes...so I thought I'd post them here as well since I've given them to many of you in the past. Obviously you can let them go in your bread machine on the white bread cycle or do like me and put them in the dough cycle and bake it in your oven.

This is the basic white bread recipe I base my bread off of:
White Bread
1 cup plus 2T water
2 T soft butter or margarine
3 c bread flour
1 T dry milk*
1 1/2 t salt
2 T sugar
3 t yeast

*Me and my white bread expert father have never noticed a difference in the bread with or without the dry milk.

Place all ingredients in bread machine in order listed. If using delay timer, make a well for the yeast in the dry ingredients so that it doesn't come in contact with the water until it begins to mix.

Julie's Bread (you'll see it's very close to above)
1 cup plus 2T water
2 T oil (olive, vegetable, corn, canola, whatever)
2 c bread flour (mine are slightly heaping cups)
1 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t salt
2 T brown sugar (I just dump 4 heaping teaspoons)
3 t yeast

Dinner Rolls (can use white bread or this for hamburger buns)
1 c water
1 egg
2 T soft margarine, butter or oil
3 1/4 c bread flour
1 t salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 t yeast

Makes 12-16 hamburger buns or 24 dinner rolls

Excellent Paella

I could have eaten 3 servings of this it was so good! The only modification I made was using a different one of Tyler Florence's seasonings for the chicken (taken from another of his paella recipes):

Spice Mix for chicken:

• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken; marinate for 1 hour, covered

This recipe is definitely worth the prep time and would be great for family visiting if they like this kind of dish:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/barcelona-style-rice-recipe/index.html

Creme Brulee French Toast

Since this was such a hit, I am posting to share the goodness!! Yum!! You will notice I did not serve it with the drunken strawberries, but do plan to try that in the future :)

* * * * Creme Brulee French Toast * * * *
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf Challah or Brioche Bread, sliced into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1/2 cup Butter, unsalted (1 stick)
• 1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons Corn Syrup
• 5 large Eggs
• 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• Powdered Sugar (optional)
• * * * * Drunken Strawberries * * * *
• 1 quart Strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/4-inch thick (lengthwise)
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Grand Marnier or Cointreau

Preparation:

Butter a 9 by 13 baking dish.

In a small pot, melt the butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir together until the sugar is completely melted. Pour mixture into the baking dish.

Place the bread slices on top of the butter and sugar mixture in one even layer. Squeeze the edges slightly to make the bread fit.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla, salt, and 2 teaspoons of Grand Marnier. Pour this mixture over the bread. Tightly cover baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Let dish stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before placing in preheated oven at 350 degrees.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until french toast is golden and puffed.

Serve hot with drunken strawberries and powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

Drunken Strawberries

Combine sliced strawberries, sugar, and Grand Marnier in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours up to 24 hours.

Bing Recipes

OK Chefs. I just saw this today and thought you all might be interested. Have a look at this video which demonstrates the new Bing Recipes features!

Creamy Vegetable Chicken Casserole

Creamy Vegetable Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
-1 package ( 16 oz) frozen mixed veggies. I used the 1/2 mixed vegetables and 1/2 broccoli cut up.
-1 can of cream of mushroom soup
-1 (8 oz) garden vegetable cream cheese
-croutons
-shredded cheese
-cooked chicken breasts ( I used two)

Prepare vegetables according to directions. Drain and place in bowl.
Stir in soup, cream cheese, shredded chicken, and shredded cheese to taste.

transfer to a baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese, and top with croutons. The croutons were rather crunchy. For small kids I bet you can even use ritz crackers.

I altered the recipe a bit. You can leave the cheese and chicken out to make it vegetarian.

Bake uncovered at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly