German Pancakes Recipe

This fun breakfast is perfect for those days when you're in the mood for a good breakfast and you just don't have the time to labor over flipping, frying, and stirring. These take about 5 minutes prep time, throw it in the oven, and VOILA...delicious, hot breakfast right at your table.



The ingredients:

1/3 cup butter
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375°. Place butter in 9x13" casserole pan and place in oven just until melted (don't cheat and melt the butter separately--the pan needs to be hot too). You will need to watch carefully that you don't burn the butter.

Beat eggs, flour, milk, and salt for 2-3 minutes. Add mixture to the hot pan/butter and place immediately into the hot oven.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Turn on the oven light and watch the fun as it billows upward.

Serve warm with powdered sugar and fruit or with maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Read more...

Lion House Carrot Cake Recipe

After experimenting with several different carrot cake recipes, this one rose to the top of the list. It's moist, flavorful, and easy to make. I also like the fact that making it healthier by using whole grain flours and applesauce for oil still results in a yummy dessert the kids still enjoy.

Click here for printable recipe. 
The ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil (or applesauce)
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups grated carrots
1 cup flour (we often use at least part whole wheat flour with good results)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup each ground coconut, pecans or walnuts, and raisins (I often omit one or the other of these)
Combine sugar and oil. Add eggs. Mix well. Add grated carrots.

Slowly stir in sifted dry ingredients.

Add ground coconut, nuts, and raisins. Pour batter into lightly greased and floured 9-inch cake pan (we like to use our bundt pan).

Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes, or until tests done. When cool spread with cream cheese frosting.We drizzled on the orange-butter glaze instead of the cream cheese frosting.

Enjoy!

Read more...

Turtle Cupcakes Recipe

Calling all caramel fans--this is the treat for you! Emma made these chewy treats for us one night for Family Home Evening and we fell in love with how fun and unique they were. The chewy caramel topping was the perfect topping to the brownie base!

The ingredients:

(Not pictured: chocolate frosting)

1 pkg. (21.5-oz.) brownie mix plus ingredients to prepare mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans (we only had walnuts)
1 cup prepared or homemade chocolate frosting
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted (we used walnuts)
1 -2 Tbs. whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin pan cups with paper baking cups.

Prepare brownie batter as directed on package. Stir in chopped pecans.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes to racks; cool completely.

Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes; top with toasted pecans.

Combine caramels and 1 tbs. cream in small saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Add additional cream if necessary to thin mixture.

Spoon caramel decoratively over cupcakes. Store at room temperature up to 24 hours or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days before serving. Makes about 24 cupcakes (or 54 mini cupcakes).

Enjoy.

Read more...

Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

This is one of our favorite meals of all time! I got this recipe when I was newly married and living in Baltimore. When I first tried this at an Enrichment meeting I was struck by how delicious it was. Then when I discovered how easy it is to make I was completely hooked and it has been a regular part of our winter menu for the better part of a decade! Of course I have to make it once every summer for Cami's birthday dinner as well.  We love it served with some fresh crusty bread, like our bread bowls or French Peasant Bread.


The ingredients:

1 Tbs. oil
3 cups water
2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 pkg. (10-oz.) chopped broccoli, thawed
3 cups milk
1 medium onion, chopped
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
pepper and garlic to taste (I use pressed fresh garlic, but the recipe calls for garlic powder)

Heat oil, add onions. Saute 3 minutes. Add water. Heat to boiling. Stir in bouillon cubes until dissolved. Add noodles and salt gradually so mixture continues to boil. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add broccoli and garlic . NOTE: To prevent my kids from picking out all the broccoli (can you believe it?), I blend about half of the frozen broccoli with a cup of the milk before adding it to the soup (I'm so tricky!). I chop the other half into small chunks. Cook 3 minutes more. Add milk, pepper, and cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Serves 6.

We like this served in bread bowls, but if you didn't have time to make bread bowls any kind of bread served on the side would be the perfect accompaniment.

Enjoy!

Read more...

Rocky Road Fudge Bars Recipe

In the mood for something sinfully delicious? This recipe from my friend Karen is just what you need! These gooey treats are not only impressive in their rich rocky road sweetness, but they're also an impressive sight to behold with all of the different layers, which makes them the perfect treat for bringing to potlucks and parties.

The ingredients:
Base:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate cut up (I use 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Filling:

1/4 cup butter, softened
1- 8 oz. cream cheese softened (divided)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Frosting:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut-up ( use 1/2 cup chocolate chips)
Reserved cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 9x13 pan. Melt 1/2 cup butter and 1 oz. chocolate over low heat in microwave,

stirring until smooth.

Stir in remaining base ingredients and spread in pan.
In small bowl combine 6 oz. cream cheese, butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Stir in nuts.
Spread over chocolate mixture
and sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven and bake an additional 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup butter, milk, chocolate and 2 oz. cream cheese and microwave on low heat, stirring until well blended. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; mix until smooth,

immediately pour frosting over marshmallows. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
Cut into 48 bars. Store in refrigerator. (They're not as messy as you might expect seeing as they contain a layer of melted marshmallows. In fact I'd say they're no messier than any other frosted brownie...and they're tasty enough it would be worth the sticky fingers anyway!)

Enjoy!

Read more...

Chicken Crescents

I made these yesterday, but I did not have any chicken, so I decided to substitute the chicken for hamburger. That may sound funny, but I think that they turned out well still! I shared with my roommates and they liked them too (and they would tell me if they didn't like them:) I will definitely make them again. They are not only good, but easy to make too:)

Here's the recipe:

1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cans Pillsbury Crescents
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. cream cheese
1-2 cups cubed, cooked chicken (or 1/2 lb- 1 lb of hamburger). I forgot to measure exactly how much I put in. I just put the hamburger in until it looked like enough. Also I put taco seasoning in the hamburger when I cooked it, but I think it would still taste good without it.

Melt butter and cream cheese together. Add cooked chicken or hamburger. Place spoonful of cream cheese/ chicken (or hamburger) mixture at wide end of the crescent and roll it up. Place all crescents on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. Serve warm with hot cream of chicken soup poured over like gravy.
I also put crushed pineapple on top of the cream of chicken and it was so good too! It sounds weird, but it's yummy!

You can be creative with this recipe. I know my sister makes hers completely different from this recipe, but still uses the basic ingredients. Some time I want to try putting mashed potatoes and onions and cheese in the middle and see if it turns out.

Enjoy!

Read more...

Quick and Easy Breadsticks Recipe

Homemade breadsticks sounds like it would be something tricky to make and too time consuming to pull together for a week-night meal, but I'm hear to tell you that these breadsticks can be made start to finish in under 30 minutes! They're just my style...easy, quick, and delicious!

The ingredients: 1-1/2 cups hot water
2 Tbs. yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. oil
3 cups flour
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
Parmesan cheese (not pictured)

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix yeast with hot water. Then add sugar, oil, salt, and flour. Mix well for ~8 minutes in mixer. If you don't happen to have a Kitchen-Aid or Bosch then I extend my condolences to you and hope you have strong hands for kneading the bread dough.

No need to let it rise. Just shape into breadstick shape and dip into the melted butter.

Place on greased cookie sheet.
Sprinkle liberally with dried Italian dressing mix and Parmesan cheese.
Put it straight into the oven [no raising] and bake for around 10 minutes. Be careful not to over bake. You'll want them just barely starting to brown.
Serve hot with your favorite Italian meal and wait for the compliments. Shhh...and don't tell anyone how easy they were. Makes about 15 breadsticks.

Enjoy!

Read more...

Zuppa Toscana Recipe

I've actually never had Olive Garden's version of this soup, so I don't know how it compares...all I know is that this is flavorful and hearty and my family LOVES it! It's a regular part of our winter menu!

The ingredients:

1 lb. italian sausage (mild or spicy according to your preference[we like spicy])
3/4 cup onion, diced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-1/4 tsp. garlic, pressed (I usually just use 3-4 cloves rather than measuring it)
1/3 cup chopped bacon (I use the good bacon bits)
4 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup kale or spinach leaves, chopped (I use spinach)
1/3 cup cream
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed (optional)

Remove the casings from the sausage and cook sausage with chopped onion in frying pan, like you would for ground beef. Set aside.

In a saucepan add chopped potatoes, diced onions, and bouillon to the water. Boil just until potatoes are tender, then add garlic, sausage, and bacon bits. Simmer for a few minutes then add chopped spinach and cream and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot with breadsticks and a salad. Serves 4-6.


Enjoy!

Read more...

No-Bake Cookies Recipe (aka Mud Pies)

This is one of those treats that brings back so many memories from my childhood and now my own children love to make them. They're super easy to make and perfect for any late night chocolate hankerings that may come your way! : )

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:


1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. salt
2-1/2 cups rolled oats

Directions:  Melt butter in pan. Add milk, sugar, and cocoa to melted butter. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil and cook for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and immediately add peanut butter and salt. Stir to blend. Add oatmeal and mix well.

Drop by teaspoonful onto waxed paper. Makes 4 dozen.

Or you can do it the Crain way and just dump it into a pile on a plate and let everyone dig in with spoons. Of course Glen does not approve of this method, so we usually do it the boring way!

No matter how you serve them, they're pretty darn tasty!

Enjoy!

Don't miss a single recipe at Recipe Shoebox.  Sign up on the right for free email updates. 

Read more...

Jewish Apple Cake recipe

You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate this impressive, delicious cake. I especially like this cake because you can mess up taking it out of the pan [a frequent occurrence for me] and you can cover up any imperfections with the glaze. : )
3 cups flour (I use part whole-wheat)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup oil [I've tried 1/2 apple sauce, 1/2 oil--it's not quite as moist, but it's not bad]
4 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
4 apples, peeled and chopped ( I like Granny Smith)

Cinnamon mixture:
2 tsp. cinnamon
5 Tbs. sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder. Then blend in oil and eggs until smooth. Pour half of the mixture into a greased bundt pan. Layer apples pushing them slightly into the batter. Then sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture over the apples. Add the rest of the batter and top with remaining cinnamon mixture. Bake at 350° for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Invert on to platter while warm. Drizzle with Orange Butter Glaze [click for recipe]. Serve warm with cool whip or ice cream or cooled by itself.

Enjoy!

Read more...