Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake

Okay, if you like lemon things, you simply MUST make this cake. It's coming to you from America's Test Kitchen via Our Best Bites. I loved it, Dave loved it, M loved it. I used regular all-purpose flour despite the dire warnings and it was great. Also I only made half the glaze and I'm glad I did. Oh, and I splashed some extra lemon juice in the glaze and I'm glad I did that too. Okay, on to the recipe so you can get baking.

Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake

Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Best Summer Desserts

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) cake flour (no substitutions)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup white sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

Glaze:

3 cups (12 ounces) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Instructions:

Make sure the oven rack is in the middle position (unless you’ve found that another position works better in your oven for baking) and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13″ baking dish and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a measuring cup, combine buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the white sugar and lemon zest on medium speed until moist and fragrant (about 1 minute). Remove 1/4 cup of the sugar mixture and place it in a small bowl. Cover and set aside.

Add the softened butter to the remaining sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, until incorporated. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in 2 additions. Mix until smooth (about 30 seconds)

Scrape the batter into the reserved baking pan and smooth out the top. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (about 25-35 minutes). Be careful not to over bake. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

While the cake is cooling, whisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth. Gently spread the glaze over the cake and sprinkle evenly with the reserved sugar mixture. Allow to cool completely, at least 2 hours.

Honey Sauced Chicken

We tried this yesterday, and it gets all of the kids' approval. It is very easy, and doesn't require me to work with raw chicken on days when I don't want to. If you try the dice it first and put it in the oven version, let me know how it turns out. The sauce is probably thicker. This is pretty healthy, except for kinda high in sodium (soy sauce). You could also try reducing the oil and let me know what happens.

FYI, this tastes like Chinese food, in case you didn't know what to have with it.

I got the recipe from MMM . . . Cafe. Who got it from the Crock Pot recipe card collection.

1.5 pounds chicken (of your choice)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup chopped onion (or 1/8 cup onion flakes)

1/4 cup ketchup

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (if you hate spicy, leave this out, but I would implore you to at least sprinkle a couple. The flavor is so great.)

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles. (We did rice.)

To bake chicken as a 30 minute meal:

Dice chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper, place in 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Serves 4 is what the recipe said, but it fed our whole family and also Gary took some to lunch today. I'd say 4-6, depending on sides and appetite.

UPDATE: I put this in the crock pot yesterday before our family went to Seven Peaks. When we came home 7 hours later, it looked like it had almost burned, but actually it was DELISH. The sauce was almost carmelized, and not thin and soupy like usual. Gary was loving it, and kept asking me where I found the recipe. I reminded him many times we'd had it before, but it was so different, he didn't believe me. So, 7 hours on low was a winner.

Rhubarb Galette

People. Please make this as soon as you possibly can get your hands on some rhubarb. Thank me later. I got the recipe from my friend's blog, katesplateii.blogspot.com. She has lots of good stuff.

Rhubarb Galette

{adapted from Martha Stewart}

1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed at room temperature

1 pound rhubarb, sliced 1/2-inch thick

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

Pinch of ground, cinnamon

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 large egg, beaten

Turbinado or sanding sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 14-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick.

Place rhubarb and lemon juice in a large bowl; toss to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined. Add sugar mixture to rhubarb and toss until well coated. Arrange rhubarb mixture on top of dough, leaving a 2-inch border all the way around. Fold border over the fruit mixture, overlapping where necessary and pressing gently to adhere the folds. Brush edges of dough with egg, sprinkle with turbinado or sanding sugar, and dot with butter. Transfer to refrigerator and chill 15 to 20 minutes.

Bake until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool the galette. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Green Chile Burgers

My tastebuds are still dancing happily after having this for dinner, so I have to get it on the blog. Got this recipe from Bobby Flay's Grill It, a lovely find at the bookmobile. I have to urge you to try it. It's easy and not really spicy like you'd think. Gary wanted more spice, actually.

Okay, new opinion, months later: Spiciness depends on the peppers. The first time we must have used much milder ones, although they looked the same. The second time it was some spicy stuff! We still liked it, though . . . Know your peppers, Bobby says it's not supposed to be really spicy.
(I typed this recipe last summer, and decided it's time to publish since it's on the menu for this week.)

Green Chile Sauce
2 poblano chiles, grilled, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 medium red onion, grilled
2 cloved garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or oregano leaves
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine poblanos, onion, garlic, cilantro, 1/4 cup cold water, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust the salt and pepper. The sauce can be made 1 day in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Put green chile sauce on hamburger with Chihuahua, provolone, or cream cheese (cookbook says the first 2, we added the cream cheese because that's what we had. Delish.). Also put on tomatoes and pickled jalapenos. You won't be sorry!

Pickling Jalapenos
One link that looks close:
http://purplefoodie.com/pickled-jalapenos/

We love pickling jalapenos now. So good with tons of Mexican food. And a great way to use up all of the Bountiful Baskets jalapenos. Not spicy, really, either.

Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake

Mom made this for my birthday once. Amazing. Um, it's from Pioneer Woman. Verbatim.

Recipe: The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 20 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 24

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• _____
• FOR FROSTING:
• 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1-3/4 stick Butter
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Note: I use an 18x13 sheet cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

Potato Casserole

This may or may not actually be DP posting this recipe, but at the very least, it is at his, I mean, my, request. They are the first DP approved "funeral potatoes," so must be shared. Originally from Lion House Classics.

5 large potatoes

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

3 T finely chopped green onions

3/4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 c. corn flake crumbs or dry bread crumbs

Boil unpared potatoes until tender. Drain and peel; shred coarsely. Place in 2- or 3-quart casserole. Pour melted butter over potatoes. Mix together soup, sour cream, milk, green onions, and cheese. Pour evenly over potatoes. Do not mix. Toss crumbs with melted butter and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Gary has experimented with this recipe and has used a greater goo-to-potato ratio, and it is yummy, although it is also yummy as written. We also always add salt and pepper. Enjoy.

Swedish Spareribs

This might sound strange, but it's really good, and everybody in my family eats it right up. I'm on an easy meal kick, and this definitely fits the bill. I'm writing the recipe on the blog during my cooking time because it's all ready to go. I love to take a break from chicken every now and then, and this has a unique flavor. It uses a lot of allspice, but if you get it in bulk from Winco it's cheap. Even without being in bulk it's not too bad.

We eat this over rice. It's got a sauce, though it's just broth. You could thicken it, but I never have. It's still good leftover, and also makes a killer sandwich when heated up on a skillet.

This comes from allrecipes.com, though the crockpot portion is from me. Serves 6, supposedly.

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons ground allspice
2 pounds country style pork ribs
1/4 cup butter
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth

Directions
1.In a small bowl, mix together the pepper, sugar, salt and allspice. Sprinkle the spice mixture generously over each rib.

2.Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, but be careful not to burn. Brown ribs on all sides in the butter. (Stop here if doing the crockpot option.) Pour in the beef broth, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until ribs are fork tender. Do not remove the lid from the skillet during cooking.

Crockpot option: After browning the ribs, place the ribs in a crockpot. Pour the butter on top (the butter from the skillet you just browned the ribs in). Pour in the beef broth. For yummiest results pour the beef broth into the pan the ribs just got browned in, swish it around to get all of the deliciousness off the bottom, then pour it in the crock pot. Cook on low for around 3 hours, or on high for around 2 hours. This is not exact, just watch them. Keep in mind that they will be cooked through but slightly rubbery at first, and additional cooking will make them tender. Extremely tender. Yummm . . .

Easy Chicken Bake

Out of all of the amazing recipes I plan on posting on this blog, I can't believe I'm going straight to this one. Why? Because it is SOOO easy, and that's the mode we're in right now. It may not be gourmet, but it's got all of the parts of a meal and takes so little effort . . .

I read this on the back of a Stove Top mix a long time ago, and it is always there. I never really use the recipe, though, it's not a science.

1 pkg. stuffing (it says Stove Top, but any type will do. I bet you could do dried bread and a few dried herbs, too.)
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces (I use one large can of chicken)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup sour cream (I just dump some in, really)
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained (I don't worry about 16 oz, I just pour some of my huge Sam's Club bag of mixed veggies in.)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.
2. Mix chicken, soup, sour cream, and vegetables in a 13x9 inch baking dish; top with stuffing
3. Bake 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. (Since I always use cooked chicken, it doesn't take 30 minutes. It's just warming the stuff up.)

I eat it with a can of cranberry sauce. Perfect for when we have nothing fresh in the house and no time.

Stuffed Breadsticks

Remember that ham from the farewell-breakfast-brunch yesterday? I had some leftover. I also made way too much marinara sauce last Friday for Gary's carbo-load dinner. So, what did we make? Think Magelby's Fresh . . . okay, you already know since it's in the title. Stuffed breadsticks!

I have not perfected this recipe. I will come back and edit this post when I do. But what I did tonight was very delicious, and my kids ate and ate, so I have to share.

You will need:

*bread dough (I used this recipe. Subbed butter for oil. But you could use any you want. Or Rhoades. Try this one, maybe. I will try in the future to make this perfect, but what I did was yummy.)
*cheese (I did some mozzerella and some cheddar. Surprisingly, I liked the cheddar better.)
*meat (Used ham and turkey today. Pepperoni or chicken might be yummy.)
*garlic bread topping (This recipe from Our Best Bites. Or just sprinkle parmesan and garlic.)
*dipping sauce - marinara was awesome, alfredo is great at Magelbys, ranch is a good sidenote

Make the dough according to however you do it, but make sure it is very soft, i.e., don't put in too much flour. If it's still a little sticky it will be so soft for the breadsticks, yum. After the first rise, when it's time to make it into rolls or loaves or pinwheels - don't. Roll it into a big rectangle instead. (I did three separate rectangles because it was easier to work with.) Cut it into smaller rectangles, about the size of what you would use for a roll, but a little more 'cause it's a rectangle, not a triangle. Put some cheese and meat in the middle of each rectangle. Then, take each rectangle and wrap the dough around the filling. Place on a greased cookie sheet to rise, covered. Mine rose about 30 minutes.

Before baking spread some butter on top of each breadstick, then sprinkle on the topping. The Our Best Bites topping was amazing (had that left over, too). We think that's what made it taste like Magelbys. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. Serve covered in sauce (like the restaurant), or with some dip. YUM, YUM, YUM!

p.s. I'll bet you could make a big batch of these and freeze most of them. Helpful for emergency dinners or if you don't have a lot of mouths to feed. Also, I'm sure you could put in veggies, but we just had ours on the side.

Easy Shredded-Meat Tacos

This is delicious. And deliciously easy. Another one of my I'm-not-sure-how-much-I-use recipes, but since I don't really know and never go too wrong, I doubt you will, either.

You will need:
chicken or pork
salsa
brown sugar

Flavors will be enchanced with:
minced garlic (I buy it pre-minced, in bulk from Sam's Club)
dried minced onion (Yes, fresh would be yummy, too, this is my shortcut)
oregano
salt and pepper
cumin

Put a little salsa in the bottom of your crockpot. Put the meat on top. Cover the meat with salsa. Throw a bunch of brown sugar on top, followed by some minced garlic, sprinkle around some dried minced onion, oregano, salt, pepper, and cumin. You can't taste it now, obviously, but don't be afraid to be generous with spicing, it will taste great. If you only put brown sugar and salsa with the meat, it will still taste great.

Today I cooked about 1.5 lbs of chicken on high, and it took about 2.5 hours. Maybe less, that's when I checked. Lower and slower is always good when trying to get tenderness, but mine was just fine. For that much chicken I used about 1/3 cup of brown sugar and a couple of teaspoons of garlic.

SO EASY, DO IT! You dump a couple of things in a crockpot, and then at dinner time all you do is slice lettuce and tomatoes, warm some tortillas, go to all the effort of getting sour cream out of the fridge, and voila! Josh said he loves this food. It's the idea behind all of the Cafe Rio recipes, but way simpler. So, add to it what you want, serve with it what you want, but as for me and my pregnant self, I had a delicious dinner with 10 total minutes of work. Not bad.

Super Fast Chicken Tacos

Gary and I made this up. And you people like it. We like how fast it is. Maybe someday we will measure when we make it . . . but wouldn't that take away from the speed?

You will need:
canned chicken
onion (or onion powder)
garlic (or garlic powder)
cumin
italian dressing
salt and pepper
and maybe some chili powder, lemon juice, vinegar, and/or brown sugar

Start out by sauteing the onion and garlic in a pot. I think this is delicious, but if you have no fresh ingredients or time, skip it.
Add the canned chicken. The broth usually helps keep it moist.
Sprinkle liberally with cumin, italian dressing, salt, and pepper. If you have no italian dressing you can add vinegar or lemon juice. Or nothing. Or add it even if you have the dressing. This is all to taste.
Stir and heat. Taste until it tastes right. Chili powder and brown sugar are yummy, too. Add water if it seems too dry, it will soak into the chicken or evaporate out, so don't worry about it getting watery unless you really go for it on the water.

When it tastes yummy serve in tortillas (we like corn tortillas) with all the fixin's . . . sour cream, salsa, lettuce tomatoes, avacado if you have them, whatever else mexican-ish you want. Rice and beans . . .

Super-exact recipe, sorry. I would say don't be shy when adding the flavorings, it's not as tasty when you add too little. In no time flat you will be munching on tasty tacos!

Link: Crispy Coconut Fingers

Easy, delicious recipe from Our Best Bites. The only ingredient I didn't have on hand was Panko crumbs, which were not hard to find. Here it is:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/11/crispy-coconut-chicken-fingers/

I made a dipping sauce by mixing peach jam, ginger, spicy brown mustard, lime, and a few red pepper flakes. Just kind of threw stuff together until it was yummy. And it was! We really loved this chicken, will be making it a regular.

Chocolate Lava Cake

This is the most unhealthy thing ever. But also the most delicious. I crave this like crazy. At least it's not fried . . .
I always use this recipe off of Famous French Desserts. I'm always afraid the website won't exist anymore, so I'm rewriting it here. Oh, and I don't have a double boiler, and I don't pretend to make one. I just put it on super low heat and stir constantly. It all melts fast.

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
6 oz. Butter (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar (reduce sugar if you prefer darker chocolate)
1/3 cup Flour
Butter for Ramekins

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 350°F

1. Melt chocolate on low flame in a bain-marie (double boiler). When melted, take of flame, and…
2. Stir in diced butter, until it melts.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten.
4. Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour.
5. Butter 4 individual ramekins, and pour in chocolate batter.
6. Cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.

Voilà!

Tips:
You can definitely prepare your chocolate lave cake recipe ahead of time, and then bake 10 minutes before serving. I always do it this way!

In terms of buttering the ramekins: butter the bottoms first, and then butter the sides, wiping from the bottom up to the top. It helps the chocolate to rise even more.

In terms of baking time… well, it depends on how runny you want it! I like it with a super-liquid-oozing center -- so do my guests! For this, you want the top to be cooked through, but the center to be liquid. You can check with a toothpick after 10 minutes of baking. (If your oven cooks hot, check earlier. So disappointing when it doesn't ooze.)

If you don't like liquid-center chocolate desserts, just cook for a little longer, and you will have an incredibly moist chocolate cake. So, either way, you can't go wrong!

Let it cool for around 10ish minutes before attempting to invert onto a plate. It will be very hot.

Balsamic Chicken Sandwich

You want something scrumptious and easy for dinner? This sandwich is your ticket. I got it from Parade magazine, written by Jessica Seinfeld, who apparently has a cookbook called Double Delicious. The adults in our family love the whole sandwich, and we make a no-tomato, not-so-toasty version for our kids. They gobble it up.

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour (have to admit that once I used white. It was fine.)
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup low-fat, reduced sodium chicken broth (or just boullion and water if you don't have broth)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (I didn't have enough balsamic once, so I used half red-wine vinegar. Tasty.)
6 Tbsp firmly packed dark-brown sugar (light brown plus molasses works pretty close)
1/2 cup broccoli puree (directions follow)
6 ciabatta rolls (I used Italian Olive Oil bread once, and homemade sourdough the next, it all works)
6 large slices tomato
1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella
fresh basil (optional) (I really like it, don't leave it out. I have mine in the freezer for these occasions.)

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. (I have to admit I don't measure, just sprinkle) Spread flour on a sheet of waxed paper. Toss chicken chunks in flour to coat completely. (I never mess with the wax paper, just toss.) Preheat oven to 350.
2. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chicken and garlic. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook until chicken begins to brown and garlic becomes fragrant, 8-10 minutes. (I made my chicken so small it took less time.)
3. Add chicken broth, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Add puree and cook 2-3 minutes more until flavors are blended. (At this point I usually take the top off and let it reduce a little, I like it syrupy. I will try putting in less broth sometime and see what happens.)
4.Place rolls on a large baking sheet. Top each of the 6 bottom halves with a tomato slice (and fresh basil, if desired); divide chicken among them and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and edges of rolls are crisp, 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately.

Broccoli puree instructions: Steam florets, then puree in a blender about two minutes. She says add a little water if needed, I say definitely needed.
What I have done when making this, is make enough broccoli for us to eat for dinner, then take out a little for the puree in the sandwich. Then I have my side dish done at the same time.

This may seem complicated, but it's really just explaining in detail a really easy process. I made this in half an hour tonight. Yumminess is still here to be licked . . .

Link: Sandy's Chocolate Cake

I'll finish up my spree with my favorite chocolate cake. (If you want a dinner idea, go down a couple of posts. :) ) This, of course is Sandy's. From allrecipes. I crave this thing . . . I made another chocolate cake last month, and was so sad. I also love the frosting with it, though others might differ in opinion. Put the cake in the fridge overnight, then warm up a piece the next day. YUM!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sandys-Chocolate-Cake/Detail.aspx

If I find a superior cake one day, I'll let you know. Might take me a while to try again, though.

Link: Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Streusel Topping

Okay, so you know I use whole-wheat flour, and sub applesauce. Also, I reduce the sugar in this recipe. How much, you ask? Actually, almost by half. But it's up to you, so do what you gotta do.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Apple-Streusel-Muffins/Detail.aspx

And yes, someday I will type a real recipe, but right now I'm just on a linky roll . . .

Link: Pumpkin Waffles with Apple Cider Syrup

I love these things!! So addicting to me.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Waffles-with-Apple-Cider-Syrup/Detail.aspx

Link: Chuck's Favorite Macaroni and Cheese

This is the macaroni and cheese we had at Josh's B-Day barbeque. It's Gary's favorite, although I like the crockpot version equally. They're just different, so it depends on what you're in the mood for. All of you thought it was delicious then, so here's the recipe if you want to give it a try:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chucks-Favorite-Mac-and-Cheese/Detail.aspx

Pay attention to the ounces of the different packages. He must live somewhere where stuff comes in different size packages than what I buy here. Also, use sharp cheddar! You can use something milder, but it really gives it a great flavor. That's what was in it when you tasted it at our house, and you liked it . . .

Link: Spicy Honey Chicken

We made this the other day and it was delicious. The kids loved it! We didn't have chipotle powder, so we used regular chile powder, and chicken breasts instead of thighs. I'd love to try it with all of the real ingredients, but even with what we had on hand, it's a winner! Good to depart from always putting BBQ sauce on chicken, sometimes.

From Our Best Bites: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/06/spicy-honey-chicken/#comments

Link: Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffins

I have decided that I want to keep track of recipes I really like, but don't modify much from the internet site I get it from. (If I modify much, I'll just re-type.) I like this recipe a lot because, well, it's delicious, and I don't notice my healthy changes. I use 100% whole-wheat flour (fresh ground), and sub most of the oil with applesauce. Caution on subbing w/ applesauce: You really must leave some of the oil in the recipe or it gets really chewy. I'm talking about any recipe.

This one's from Our Best Bites: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/02/streusel-topped-blueberry-muffins/

Also, I have tried it with the orange zest and without. Both are good, but I think I'm leaning toward without. Let me know if you try it with lemon. Update: Gary much prefers with the orange zest.