November Recipes

166) Okay, so it is November 23rd and this is the first new recipe of the month. I am giving myself some leeway since I did have a baby on the 2nd. Time to kick it into gear though. This chicken was sooo crunchy and tender. It took a lot more time than my average fried chicken and it used a lot of oil but it was a delicious treat. We decided to forego the honey sauce as Jared isn’t a fan of spicy foods and I am avoiding them while I nurse. We will be making this again!

http://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/7110-honey-fried-chicken

 

December Recipes

 

167) I accidentally copied the print page on this one. Parmesan Pull apart Bread. It was very good and simple.

 http://foodapparel.com/easyrecipe-print/1787-0/

168) Delicious and rich!

 http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/10/chocolate-pie/

169) We are always looking for another way to eat our many green beans we put up this summer. This one was good and simple. I skipped the first step of boiling the beans since I used frozen beans that were blanched before we put them up. If you are using fresh, make sure to boil them first. I do not recommend using canned beans.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Marilyns-Green-Beans-Italiano/Detail.aspx?prop24=RD_RelatedRecipes

170) Good and easy but not a favorite. I find that crock pot meals tend to lack texture and flavor. I would rather spend more time cooking from scratch.

http://backforseconds.com/cheesy-ranch-chicken-potatoes/

171) I had leftover pork chops and didn’t know what to do with them. I made up this sauce and sliced the chops really thin over pasta. It was so good. I added a little Italian blend cheese to each plate.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Sauce-for-Pasta-2/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

172) I was soooo hungry when we sat down to eat this meal so there is a possibility that this wasn’t as amazing as I thought it was. Either way, it was still delicious. Roasted Chicken Thighs with winter veg.

Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a large rimmed cookie sheet, put 4 thighs on it and toss to coat. Mix a chopped clove of garlic with a teaspoon of coriander and salt and pepper and pat on the chicken. Chop up 2 lbs of winter vegetables into 2” pieces and toss in a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper. Arrange the veg around the thighs and bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes or until skin gets crispy. I used potatoes, carrots and purple cauliflower. It was really pretty.

173) Tis the season for Christmas candies! Woohoo! I love coconut and I was really excited to make this. It’s super sweet so I can only manage small amounts but that is what Christmas is for, to eat sickly sweet foods until you are sick to your stomach.

 http://backforseconds.com/4-ingredient-coconut-cream-bars/

174) I despise candy corn but I love Butterfingers so I gave this a shot. It does taste just like a Butterfinger but it is soft and chewy like fudge. I think I prefer real ones for the crunch but this was still good.

http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2012/10/butterfinger-fudge/

175) This recipe was really hard to roll out and cut. It tastes good but I had to add a lot of flour to make it workable.

 http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Rolled-Sugar-Cookies/

176) I have had a ham bone in the freezer for a couple of weeks. Jared doesn't like beans so ham and beans wasn't an option. I searched for a recipe for awhile and found this. I was skeptical but it actually was very good! I think you could even substitute potatoes for the noodles. I did chop the mushrooms up since I don't love them.

http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/crossculturalsoups/r/ham-green-bean.htm

177) A request from my hubby for a Christmas treat. This one was easy and delicious!

http://www.remodelaholic.com/2013/03/caramel-nutella-chex-mix/

178) These cookies had a ton of red food coloring so I probably won’t be making them often. I didn’t love them but the girls did.

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/11/red-velvet-crinkle-cookies/

179) I have always wanted to make eggnog so this year I actually attempted it. It’s quite a bit of work. I opted for the recipe that cooks the eggs, because although I love raw cookie dough, drinking raw eggs kinda freaks me out. I have to say that this is one thing I will continue buying at the store. I didn’t enjoy the homemade version at all. Funny texture.

http://momsneedtoknow.com/easy-eggnog-recipe/

180) Steak and taters are always a hit around here. I really loved these waffles. I am looking forward to trying other variations of them. My waffle iron must be considerably smaller than theirs though because we had to do it in 2 batches and it should be done in 3 or 4. The cheddar sauce was a hit and Molly told me the eggs “weren’t yucky this time.” High praise from a kid who cries at the sight of egg on her plate. I don’t think I will make steak with it again though. It was yummy but not really necessary. I think it would be just as good with sausage or bacon.

http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/steak-eggs-hash-brown-waffles-clinton-kelly

 

Phew!!! What a year! We have found so many new family favorites and learned to love some new vegetables. My kids learned that they love Brussel sprouts and cauliflower. I learned that I love many veggies I used to hate. But only because they were boiled. Roasted veggies are the way to go. Jared learned that he actually likes soups, just not weak, brothy soups. All in all it was a fun adventure. I am going to strive to still be trying new things regularly but maybe keep it to a more manageable number. Now, what should this years resolution be?