Chicken Fingers

Skip the drive-through and make these in your own kitchen. And did I mention they're not fried?

Ingredients:


1 chicken breast (makes about 4 fingers)
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
15 saltine crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. With a sharp knife, slice chicken breast into four finger-shaped pieces, about 3/4-inch thick. To insure even thickness, slice on a diagonal.

3. Make a dredging station: 1 plate with mustard, 1 plate with the combination of crushed crackers and seasonings, then the baking sheet at the end.

4. Dredge the chicken pieces through the mustard to coat, then coat well with the cracker mixture. Press the mixture onto the outside so it sticks well. Place coated chicken on the baking sheet.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken fingers. Remove from oven when golden brown and fingers are firm when pressed.

6. Serve alone or with dipping sauce such as honey mustard. Enjoy!

Pasta with Italian Sausage and Tomato Sauce

Combining ingredients that I know my boyfriend likes always turns out well. And if it has pasta in it, it's always a winner. This concoction did not disappoint. 

Ingredients:

16 ounces pasta of choice (I used a mixture of penne and elbow macaroni.)

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1/4 onion, diced

3 links mild Italian sausage, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 teaspoon each of dried sage, dried basil, dried thyme, garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package in a large pot of boiling water. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine tomatoes, herbs and seasonings over medium-low heat. Using a potato masher, gently smash the tomatoes to release the juices to make a thick sauce. Cook over a low heat until other elements of dish are ready.

2. In a deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until onions are translucent and peppers are tender. Add in sausage chunks and continue cooking until sausage is done all the way through.

3. Drain pasta once cooked. Toss together tomato sauce, pasta and sausage mixture. Serve and enjoy! 

Coconut Cupcakes

Coconut, sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream and cream of coconut. Enough said.

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix

1 small can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 can (13.5 ounces) cream of coconut

1 (8 ounce) tub thawed whipped topping

1 small bag frozen grated coconut

flaked sweetened coconut

1. Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake as directed on package.

2. Combine sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut in a small bowl. 

3. Remove cupcakes from oven and immediately poke several holes in each using a toothpick. Liberally drizzle milk mixture over each cupcake so it soaks into cake.

4. Let cupcakes cool completely.

5. For frosting, combine whipped topping and grated coconut. Spread about 2 tablespoons onto each cooled cupcake. Lastly, sprinkle with flaked sweetened coconut. 

6. Keep cupcakes refrigerated. Enjoy!

Graham Crispies

This crispy treat is so rich, you wouldn't think it was made out of your everyday graham cracker.

Ingredients:


1/3 box of plain or cinnamon graham crackers
2 sticks butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange whole crackers on a foil-lined baking sheet.

2. In a saucepan, bring butter and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 3 minutes.

3. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and pecans. Pour over crackers.

4. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cut crackers into smaller sections while warm. Crackers will become crispy as they cool.

Enjoy this sweet, crispy treat!

Banana Nut Bread with Honey Butter

Even my granny, the queen of banana nut bread, wants to try making this recipe. It's so moist, thanks to the sour cream. Serve it warm with honey butter and it just melts in your mouth.

Ingredients:


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened, plus more for buttering the pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring the pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large, ripe bananas
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour either a 9x5-inch loaf pan or a 9x13-inch pan (whichever you prefer to use).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. In another small bowl, mash the bananas with a wooden spoon or a fork.

4. In another large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the 1/2 cup butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla and then beat to combine. Don't over mix.

6. Add the dry ingredients; stir. Add chopped pecans; stir.

7. Pour the batter into the pan and place on a sheet tray so the bottom won't burn.

8. If using a loaf pan, bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. If using a 9x13-inch pan, bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then turn out onto a wire cooling rack. Let cool, or serve slightly warm with the following Honey Butter recipe!

Honey Butter


Ingredients:


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey


1. Mix the butter and honey together in a small bowl with a wooden spoon until well combined.

Serve with the banana bread and enjoy!

Chocolate Oatmeal Drop Cookies

These are my stepdad's favorite cookies. And when he requests them, he wants to lick the wooden spoon, bowl, spatula and everything. And he doesn't wait for them to harden; he eats them off the wax paper with a spoon. Yeah, they're just that good.

Ingredients:


2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats (or quick-cooking oats)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan off of the stove, combine sugar and cocoa powder. Add in milk and butter; stir.

2. Place saucepan on the stove and turn heat to low. After sugar and butter are melted, increase heat to medium-low. Cook until it starts to boil, stirring frequently.

3. Boil for about 2 minutes, then remove pan from heat.

4. Add the peanut butter and oats. Stir until well mixed.

5. Stir in vanilla. If mixture is too thin, add an additional 1/2 cup oats. Let mixture cool for about 15 minutes.

6. Drop mixture onto wax paper by spoonfuls. Let harden at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Eggnog Pound Cake with Eggnog Icing

You won't find a moister pound cake, or a more decadent icing. And for an added bonus, this one tastes like the holidays. If you don't like eggnog, don't fret. I sent my brother a loaf and he said it was the best he had ever had (and we didn't tell him it had eggnog in it). So give it a try; it's delicious and so simple to make.

Ingredients:


1 box of pound cake mix
1 1/4 cup eggnog
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/8 teaspoon dried, but fresh is always better)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

2. With an electric mixer, beat all ingredients together for 2 minutes on medium speed.

3. Pour batter into the greased loaf pan.

4. Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then invert pound cake onto a wire cooling rack and flip back over to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy with the following Eggnog Icing recipe!

Eggnog Icing 


Ingredients:


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
16 ounces powdered sugar
1/4 cup eggnog
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/8 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. With an electric mixer, beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy.

2. Gradually add in powdered sugar and eggnog, beginning and ending with sugar, beating on low speed.

3. Add nutmeg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Spread icing on top of entire pound cake loaf or serve on the side to spread on individual pieces of cake. Enjoy!