Simply Peach Cobbler

This is a recipe that I learned from a Scout Master when I lived in Michigan. He taught us how to make it in a Dutch Oven for camping. No, I wasn't a scout, but he was friends with my dad and we lived in a house that had a bonfire pit, so we did dutch oven cooking there!

This recipe can feed 8 hearty servings! And can be made for under $10 (these are all things I keep in food storage, so I'm not sure of the exact cost!

Ingredients:

2 (13 oz.) cans of peaches (sliced or whole; whatever you prefer)

1 box of yellow cake mix

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter

1 TBSP cinnamon

3-4 TBSP sugar

vanilla ice cream (optional)

Directions:

I like to use my 5 quart Le Creuset, but you can use anything that will hold a large amount of food! If you are making this in a fire, with a dutch oven make sure you line the dutch oven with aluminum foil, this will make for a much easier clean up!

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Pour both cans of peaches in (I prefer to have my peaches bite size, so I cut them up to a nice bite size).

Sprinkle yellow cake mix on top. Put chunks of butter all over the top.

Sprinkle cinnamon on top, then sprinkle sugar on top.

Cover and bake for 30-35 minutes. For the last 2-3 minutes uncover and turn the heat up to broil, this will give you a nice golden top. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream (optional). Enjoy!!!!

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

These wraps are SO delicious! I tried several different recipes and I definitely think this one got it right. This is one of several delicious recipes from Williams-Sonoma's Eat Well Book. In the book it isn't served with rice, but I feel like the rice is a nice low cost way to extend the meal to ensure you are full! Also this is a great food as a left over it re-cooks really well!

This recipe serves about 4 people. Depending on what you already have in your cupboards you might be able to make this for under $20.

Ingredients:

1 TBSP Vegetable Oil

1 TBSP Toasted Sesame Oil

1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Green Onions (About one bunch from the grocery store)

2 cloves, minced garlic

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 1/4 lb ground turkey meat

3 TBSP Soy Sauce

1 TBSP rice vinegar

1/2 heads of lettuce (the recipe calls for butter lettuce heads, but I prefer the taste of iceberg lettuce, anything works)

Hoisin Sauce for serving (optional)

Cooked Rice for serving

Directions:

Heat oils in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add green onions, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.

Add turkey to pan and cook, stirring to break into pieces, until turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add soy sauce and vinegar and cook 1 minute more. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

To serve, spoon about 1/8 cup cooked rice and 1/8 cup turkey mixture into the center of one lettuce leaf at a time, drizzle a little bit of hoisin sauce on top (to taste). You also can use the mixture and put it in a tortilla and wrap it up, just as delicious!

Lemon Bars

This is another one of my husbands favorites! I admit that I am rather picky when it comes to lemon bars, I don't like them too hard or too soft, but this recipe is perfect!

It is from Betty Crocker's Cookbook (1978 Edition), as pictured below

Ingredients:

1 Cup all-purpose flour

1/2 Cup margarine or butter (the cookbook says to soften, but I have actually found it easier to work with if it is straight from the fridge)

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

2 Eggs

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

2 TBSP Lemon Juice

2 tsp grated lemon peel (optional, I usually leave this out!)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, margarine, and powdered sugar. Press in un-greased pan. I have found the best size pan for this is a 11"x7"x2" glass dish. Build up the edges between a 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch. Make sure if you used butter or margarine straight from the fridge that you press it down into the pan.

Bake 20 minutes, or until slightly browned. Beat remaining ingredients until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Pour over hot crust. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until no indentation remains when touched lightly in the center, and appears a beautiful golden brown! Cool for about 5 minutes; sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Cut into about 1 1/2 inch squares. Makes about 15.

Spud Dunkers

This is a recipe from my Grammy (my dad's mom)! I personally think these are better than Krispy Kreme's doughnuts! This recipe isn't very expensive and makes a TON of doughnuts... unfortunately it's been since Thanksgiving since I made them... so I'm not sure exactly how many you can make, but it also depends on the size you make them. But just as a forewarning this is something that takes A LOT of time, the dough sits overnight... and then rises again, so don't think this is one you can just pop out because you're in the mood for doughnuts!

Ingredients:

1 TBSP dry yeast

1/2 Cup Warm Water

3/4 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Shortening

1 1/2 tsp Salt

2 Eggs, beaten

5 1/2-6 Cups Flour

2 Cups Milk, scalded

1 1/2 Cup Instant Potatoes

Directions:

Soften yeast in warm water in a small bowl. In a separate bowl mix sugar, shortening, salt, and instant potatoes. Add hot milk and stir to moisten potatoes and melt shortening. Add eggs and 1 cup flour. Beat until smooth and cool to lukewarm. Add softened yeast and mix well. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Shape into a ball. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove dough, punch down. Let stand 20 minutes. Roll 1/2 inch thick, cut with doughnut cutter and arrange on an oiled cookie sheet to let rise until dough is doubled in size. Fry in hot oil (375°F) until light brown, turning once. Drain on paper towel. While the doughnut is still warm I like to put it in a ziploc bag of sugar and make it so it is coated in sugar! If you want to try a glaze you can make it using powdered sugar, water, and vanilla. I'm not sure of the proportions, but you want the glaze to be the consistency of a light cream.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

This one is great if you are hosting a baby or bridal shower! It's a nice light sandwich that tastes great! The recipe I'm giving is to feed 4. However you can quadruple this recipe and it is under $20!!!! And usually if you are serving it at a party each person will only eat half as much, especially if there is other food! I prefer to serve it on a nice fluffy croissant, but slices of bread work just as well.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Cooked diced chicken

20 grapes halved

1/4 Cup Miracle Whip (if you prefer Mayo that would probably work too, I just prefer to use Miracle Whip)

1 Rib of Celery finely chopped

1 green onion, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 croissants (or 8 slices of bread)

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl mix chicken, grapes, miracle whip, celery, and green onion together. I usually will mix in a little salt and some pepper at this point, but you can leave that as something people can add to their preference. This is also a great mix that you can make up to a day in advance and just have in the fridge ready to be put on the bread!

Peanut Butter Bars

Eating these Peanut Butter Bars is like eating Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! They are SO good... in fact I like them more than Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! This is a recipe my husband got while he was serving a mission for our church.

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup of Butter

1 3/4 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (I just use one of the individualized packages that come in the big box you can get)

1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

2 Cups of Chocolate Chips (or you can use whatever your favorite chocolate is, chocolate chips is just what I usually have around the house!)

Directions:

Melt Butter. Mix in graham cracker crumbs, add peanut butter and powdered sugar. Mix really well. I use a cookie sheet that is about 10x14" and I line it with aluminum foil, you can also use a 9x13 pan the peanut butter portion will be a bit thicker. Put graham cracker mix in pan and spread out to make an even layer.

Melt chocolate. Usually with chocolate chips you can do one cup of chocolate chips in the microwave on high for one minute, then stir until it is smooth, then pour a nice even layer onto the graham cracker layer. 

Cool in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. You can then cut it into squares.

Or if you're feeling a bit fancy you can use a cookie cutter and cut out cute little shapes to share!

BBQ Chicken Pizza & No Rise Pizza Dough

Here's another one that's under $20, and feeds up to 6 people, but if you have big eaters, plan for it to feed only 4! This recipe is my own that I have perfected! There are two parts to this recipe, first is the no-rise pizza dough recipe, second is the Barbeque Chicken Pizza. Feel free to use whatever toppings you like on top of the pizza! Also if you don't want to make the dough you can always go to a place that makes pizzas and ask if you can buy some dough.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Warm Water (125-130°F; I usually just get the water from the faucet as hot as it will go)

1 package of rapid rise yeast (or about 2 TBSP)

2 1/4 Cups Flour

1 tsp Salt

2 TBSP Sugar

2 TBSP Olive Oil

Directions:

In a small bowl combine water and yeast. Allow yeast to dissolve. In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, and sugar together. 

Next prepare a pan.  I usually use a pizza pan covered in aluminum foil. Also I have found that the pizza is less likely to stick and to brown better on the bottom if you rub the foil with olive oil (about one TBSP). You can also use a cookie sheet or if you want a deep dish pizza use a 9x13" pan. Set pan aside.

Combine dissolved yeast to flour mix, add in olive oil. Mix well.

This will make a soft dough. To keep the dough from sticking to your hands you can rub a little bit of oil on your hands and then press out the dough as you desire.

Ingredients:

1 (18oz) your favorite BBQ sauce (I usually will buy whatever is cheapest!)

1 TBSP Dried Cilantro (fresh works just as well)

1/4 Small Red Onion; sliced or chopped (yellow onions are just as good)

1 lb Cooked Chicken; cut in chunks (1-2 breasts; about 2 cups)

1/2 lb cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread BBQ sauce evenly on dough, I usually use almost the whole container. Sprinkle on cilantro, then onions.

Sprinkle on chicken, then top with cheese. Feel free to put as much or as little of the ingredients. Whatever looks good to you! 

Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Cut and eat up!