jessica's orange julius

the summer after my freshman year of college i went to phoenix to visit my roommate jessica. (here's a picture of us goofballs from that trip at the mesa arizona temple). while i was there she made me an orange julius--better than the real thing, and cheaper to boot. i looove this drink and had sort of forgotten about it until thursday night. we record about 12 shows that night and i always want something yummy to have while watching shows--and this was exactly right. the sweetness of the sugar, tanginess or the orange juice, and crunch of the ice chips was perfect. go make your own tonight--it's soo delish.

all you need is a can of frozen concentrate orange juice, sugar, water, milk, vanilla, and ice cubes. most orange juice cans are 12 oz. but you only need six (ounces). so grab a spoon and scoop half the can into your blender--and use the blender your ex-boyfriend gave you for your wedding. it makes it taste better.


next add a cup of milk,


then a cup of water (i reused my milk measuring cup, hence the cloudy water. i swear our water is clean),


and 2/3 cup of sugar.


pour in a teaspoon of vanilla and then blend for 15 or 20 seconds.


once it's well blended, add 2 cups of ice


and blend again until the ice is chopped up and mixed well with the rest of it.


pour into a fancy glass and serve. you can get about 6 small-ish servings (or 4 generous servings)...or in my case, 1 very very big orange julius. okay, so i shared with my husband. a little bit. now picture this with an orange-slice garnish and a dollop of whipped cream and it would be the perfect party drink.


jess's orange julius

6 oz. frozen concentrate orange juice
1 cup milk
1 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups of ice

combine orange juice, milk, water, sugar, and vanilla in a blender. blend well for 15-20 seconds, then add your ice and blend until ice is all chopped up. serve immediately.

p.s. if you don't like orange, you can use any frozen concentrate juice with this. in fact, the time jess made this for me it wasn't orange. it was some sort of strawberry-banana juice blend, and she cut up a real banana and added it to the mix to make it even healthier/thicker like a smoothie. the possibilities with this are endless.

my version of applebee's clubhouse grill

i was a hostess at applebee's my junior year of high school. one of my favorite things to eat there was the clubhouse grill...basically just a glorified grilled cheese sandwich. here's my version. it's one of the only things i willingly eat at home for lunch. i would rather skip lunch most days if i can't go out. for some reason i don't really like lunch foods (unless it's a burger and fries).

basically, just butter your bread. on the non-buttered side, pour your favorite bbq sauce. put the pieces of bread together to spread the sauce and get some on both sides. then open and put your favorite cheese in (i used colby jack) followed by deli ham. applebees puts mayo and tomato on, but i leave those off. cook in a pan on the buttered side over medium heat until the cheese melts and the bread browns. enjoy!


so really, this is just a ham and cheese sandwich with bbq sauce. and it's SO good. make one today!

breakfast burritos

you can stop at easily 15 places in albuquerque and get a really great breakfast burrito on a saturday morning. not so in utah, i've found. but sometimes i just gotta have one, so i make my own. super easy, super delish, for breakfast OR dinner. let's get started. you'll need hashbrowns, breakfast meat, eggs, grated cheese, green chile or salsa, and flour tortillas. let's start with hasbhrowns. make some oreida from the package or make your own. i like to do my own. just peel a potato and grate with a cheese grater. use plenty of butter, salt and pepper. melt the butter in the pan first, then add the potatoes. leave them--don't stir!--for a few minutes (4-5) to let them brown and get crispy, them flip them over for a few more.

next, brown some sausage. i just used half a package of the tubular kind for our small family, but if you love sausage, go for the whole thing! you can even do links if you want, just slice them like you would a hot dog for a little kid when they're done. bacon also works in these. so really, just get some of your favorite breakfast meat and cook it next.
browning...
there. this is removed to a paper towel to drain while the eggs cook. sorry about the dark picture, that's about status quo for my kitchen: dark.

next you need scrambled eggs. i like to use my greasy sausage pan for this. break 4 eggs, combine with milk and salt and pepper. stir, then pour into a medium-high pan. stir, scramble, knock yourself out.
mmmm. eggs.
if you've got the real thing, get out some green chile. if not, open a can of hatch. it's the next best thing.
now, assemble. warm up some flour tortillas in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. add potatoes, eggs, meat, grated cheese, green chile (or salsa works too). don't overdo it, or you won't be able to close the tortilla...kinda like i did here.
now wrap it up, and inhale.
yum.

emily's breakfast burritos

hashbrowns, cooked
breakfast meat, cooked (sausage or bacon)
scrambled eggs
grated cheddar cheese
green chile or salsa
flour tortillas

combine hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, cooked sausage or bacon, grated cheese, and salsa or green chile. wrap in a flour tortilla and enjoy--and make sure you eat over a plate and have plenty of napkins on hand!

another bonus: assemble your hasbhrowns in bulk, then wrap them individually in foil and freeze. then you have a quick and handy breakfast when you're in a hurry!

brit's benihana hibachi chicken

my blend brit posted this a while ago, but i thought it sounded like too much work. then my sister ellen asked me if i had tried it, and said it was amazing, so i gave it a go tonight. ellen was right. it's worth the effort (and it's not even that bad). i get nervous doing a new recipe on here, and especially nervous that whoever i got the recipe from will watch me make it and go "that's not how i do it, you moron" but i followed the recipe to the best of my ability...sorry if it's wrong.

let's get started. you'll need 4 chicken breast halves, 1 onion, 2 zucchini, mushrooms, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper, vegetable oil, butter, sesame seeds, and bean sprouts. i actually like bean sprouts but skipped them tonight because i was feeling lazy.
start by cutting everything up--your chicken, onion, and zucchini.

i put them in separate bowls, along with my measured soy sauce and lemon juice. this recipe moves quickly and it's easiest to have everything done ahead of time so you're not waiting for the soy sauce to drip out of that stupid lid while your chicken burns.

get out 2 frying pans, and put a tablespoon of oil in each over medium-high heat.in one pan add your chicken. pour over 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. butter, and salt and pepper. i like to leave it for a minute (not stir-fry) and let it cook all the way on one side, then flip it with a spatula. that way i know it's all the way done, at least on one side.

yum. (make sure you don't re-use your spatula, now that the chicken is cooked. get out a different stirring device).

while your chicken is cooking, in the other pan add your onion and zucchini to the tablespoon of heated oil, then add 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. butter, and salt and pepper. stir fry for a minute, then turn heat off and cover.
when your chicken is done, slide it over to the side of your pan. pour over 2 tbsp. lemon juice.

then add your mushrooms,
1 tbsp. butter, and another tbsp. soy sauce.

when they're stir-fried, mix together with the chicken, then add the vegetables.


serve with mom's fried rice, and enjoy!

Brit's Benihana Hibachi Chicken
(you'll notice that there are some differences in this recipe from what i showed you above. feel free to do whichever version you want).

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, diced
• 1 large onion, cut into large slices and quartered
• 2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise, then in half and into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 Tbsp soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp butter
• salt & pepper
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
• 6 cups bean sprouts (I don't like these so I leave them out)

Directions:

1. Spread 1 Tbsp of oil into a large frying pan over medium/high heat. Spread another Tbsp of oil in another pan over medium/high heat.

2. Add chicken to one of the pans. Add 1 Tbsp of soy sauce, 1 Tbsp of butter, and a dash of salt & pepper to the chicken. cook until done.

3. To the other pan, add the onion and zucchini. Add 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp of butter, and a dash of salt & pepper. Saute the vegetables as until tender. Turn off heat and cover until chicken and mushrooms are done.

4. When chicken is done, slide the meat to one side of the pan, pour the lemon juice over the chicken and add the mushrooms to the other side of the pan. Pour 1 Tbsp of the soy sauce over the mushrooms and add 1 Tbsp of butter plus a dash of salt & pepper. when the chicken and mushrooms are done, sprinkle 1 tsp of sesame seeds over the chicken, then mix the chicken with the mushrooms. combine the chicken and mushroom mixture with the zucchini and onions.

(optional: 5. Pour the bean sprouts into the same pan in which you cooked the vegetables, and cook over high heat. Add 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp butter, and a dash of salt & pepper. Cook the sprouts for only a minute or two, or until they have tenderized. Just before you serve the sprouts, sprinkle 2 tsp of sesame seeds on them. Serve the sprouts next to the chicken and vegetables with mustard sauce and ginger sauce on the side.)

serve with steamed rice or fried rice and edamame for a complete meal

chinese sundaes

or hawaiian haystacks. call them what you will.

i'll just call them "delicious".

this is something easy and fast and customizeable (yeah, i just made that word up, what's it to you?--i just said "word up". sooo word girl of me) and so good. i didn't do step-by-steps of this because it's just that easy. what you'll need: chicken (breasts or strips), rice, cream of chicken soup, milk, chow mein noodles, and toppings that you like. i like tomatoes, green onions, cheddar cheese, pineapple, mandarin oranges, and raisins. you could do green pepper. my mom adds hard boiled eggs, coconut...the list is endless people. seriously. you think it, you add it.

on this night, i didn't have a ton of things on hand, so i stuck with the classics: grated cheddar cheese, pineapple, and green onion. three things i always have on hand. start by boiling your chicken for 30 minutes or until no longer pink. cook your rice, and mix one can of cream of chicken soup with one can of milk and mix together. bring it to a low boil and remove from heat. now put all of your toppings into ramekins (isn't it pretty?) and serve.



let's start building (oooh, now i'm bob the builder. i must really love pbskids):


start with rice,then add your chow mein noodles,

and some diced chicken,

now your gravy goes next.

then add whatever toppings you can think of. i like to add the cheese first to the gravy because it's hot and melts the cheese and...well, is there any felicity in the world superior to melted cheese? (name that movie...before the cheese part)

next i did some green onion,
and topped it all off with my favorite part, the pineapple. i can't get enough of it. it's better with fresh, but i rarely have fresh pineapple on hand. just too tricky to cut up. so this time, it's just straight out of a can.
couldn't be easier people.

this is perfect for a party because it's easy, inexpensive, and very easy to make a lot of, and people can pick and choose their toppings. feeding 20 people? just make more chicken and rice. on the other hand, on this night dave was at class and my boys don't eat, so it was just me. i used 2 chicken strips and a tiny amount of toppings and it worked out great for one. the crunch of the noodles and the sweetness of the pineapple makes for a delectable, delightful dinner. try it, you won't be disappointed.

chinese sundaes

1 package of chicken strips
1 can of cream of chicken soup
milk
cooked rice
chow mein noodles
toppings (grated cheese, pineapple, green onions, mandarin oranges, diced tomatoes, raisins, etc.)

boil the chicken for 30 minutes or until no longer pink. cut into cubes. cook your rice. mix the cream of chicken soup with a can of milk with a wire whisk and bring to a boil. remove from heat. place toppings in ramekins and serve.

aunt arlene's no-bake cheesecake

this is an all-time favorite. it's so easy, and really really good.

1 small tub of cool whip
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 graham cracker crust

mix the cool whip, cream cheese, lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk together with a mixer until well blended. pour into the crust and refrigerate at least one hour. serve with cherry pie filling, raspberries, or chocolate sauce on top.

ellen's lemon-berry pitcher punch

this is another of my sister ellen's guest blog recipes. i love drinks like this on holidays because i don't drink alcohol, so it's kind of fun to have a yummy sparkling drink to celebrate with. this is the one i'll be making on new year's eve:

My Favorite EASY Drink:
Lemon-Berry Pitcher Punch
1/2 cup sweetened lemonade drink mix
4 cups cold water
2/3 cup cranberry juice
1 1/2 cups lemon-lime soda

In a pitcher, combine drink mix, water and cranberry juice. Stir in soda. Serve chilled.

sarah cox's baked bean dip

my friend sarah made this for me once and i've never looked at another bean dip. it's just sooo good. i don't normally like sour cream in things, so i add a little less than the recipe calls for.

1 can of refried beans
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
mozzarella cheese
green onion
tomato

dice your onion & tomato and layer on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. mix the beans, sour cream, chili powder, lemon juice, and cheddar cheese together well, and spread on top of the tomatoes and onions. sprinkle with mozzarella and bake at 350* for 20 minutes. serve warm with tortilla chips.

chili cheese dip

1 can of chili
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/4 diced onion
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
frito chips

combine the chili, soup, onion and cheese together in a saucepan. crush a handfull of chips in, then mix together and heat in a saucepan until warm and bubbly. serve with large dipping fritos. it is SO good. i promise!

real simple's baked ziti

my friend jen is very cool. we met in albuquerque right after her mission to korea. we were both working as interns at sandia labs that summer and became fast friends. we lost touch after i attended her baby shower 3 years ago, and recently decided to look her up. i was shocked to discover she lives in clinton, about 3 miles from me. she invited me to her house one night to make this tomato sauce from real simple. i was so excited to go! everyone who came was supposed to bring 6 pounds of tomatoes, and we would make the sauce and eat and have fun, then take some home to freeze. i ended up not being able to go, but still took over my tomatoes, and jen brought over two tupperwares full of sauce. it was SO good. i highly recommend it, especially if somebody else does all the work! i think the party idea is fun too, because you can print out cute labels from real simple and even little recipe booklets. fun.

so this is a recipe from real simple based on this tomato sauce recipe, but you can also use a jarred tomato sauce if you don't want to go to all the trouble of making it. let's get started.

you will need 12 ounces of ziti pasta, 2 cups fresh tomato sauce (or jarred pasta sauce), 1 bunch fresh spinach, 1 cup grated mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup ricotta. start by washing a bunch of spinach.
then tear off the stems. i actually just cut mine. probably wasteful but much faster.


cook your ziti according to package directions until al dente. i used a large saucepot, but it wasn't big enough. i recommend using your biggest soup pan, because you end up adding everything in here.when finished, drain into a collander.

and then put it back into your pot.
add your sauce, 1/2 cup of ricotta,

your spinach (i could only put in about half a bunch because i simply didn't have room for more, but it would have been better with the full amount of spinach).
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese,
and mix.
well.

then pour the mixture into a 9x13 pan or 4 large ramekins. i don't have ramekins big enough but i think that would be so cute and fun for a party or small get-together.
and spread out evenly.
sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese
and 1/4 cup of parmesan.

oooh, pretty.
bake in a 400* oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese has melted.
so easy and so delish.
YUM.
baked ziti with fresh tomato sauce and spinach
12 ounces ziti (about 4 cups)
2 cups fresh tomato sauce (or jarred pasta sauce)
1 bunch spinach, thick stems discarded
1/2 cup fresh ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan (2 ounces)
1 cup grated mozzarella (4 ounces)

heat oven to 400*. cook the pasta according to package directions (in your very biggest pot). drain and return pasta to the pot. add the sauce, spinach, ricotta, and 1/4 cup of parmesan to the pasta and mix to combine. spread the mixture in a 9x13 baking dish or 4 large ramekins. bake until pasta is heated through and cheese has melted, 15 to 20 minutes.