I wish I could say I made these

The Costco crescents are quite delicious cut in half and toasted. To make it healthier I add lingonberry jam. Lingonberries are full of antioxidants and grow wild in Sweden I believe.

Can't eat your crescents fast enough... Freeze them. The can go directly from freezer to toaster and taste just as good.

Pesto lasagna with linzer torte

Sean asked for an old recipe I've been making for 20 years. This time I had home grown basil and tomatoes so it was extra delicious.

I always make linzertorte for his birthday (as requested). I skipped the basket weave top this year due to time constraints.

Pesto Lasagna 

 Ingredients for pesto sauce:

• 4 cups lightly packed basil leaves (or 4 cups spinach and 5 tablespoons dry basil)
• 6 oz Parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup shelled walnuts (optional)

Process above ingredients in food processor until thoroughly combined.

Ingredients for Lasagna

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 2 cups (approximate) of above pesto sauce
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
• 3 medium sliced Roma tomatoes (optional)

Preheat oven to 350
Boil noodles as package directs.  Rinse in cold water and drain.  Mix pesto sauce with half n half.  Spread the thinnest layer possible of sauce on bottom of pan (to basically grease it). Layer noodles, super thin layer of sauce, mushrooms, and cheese 3 times.  (most lasagna pans are three noodles across)  Take care to go super thin on the sauce just barely spreading/covering the noodle. You can increase on top layer if there is lots left over because it will cook down into it.  (I always feel like I don't have enough sauce but when it's done it's perfect)...finish the top with the sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with parmesan.  Cook for 45-55 minutes until bubbly.

 

Linzertorte

Ingredients:

• 12 oz jar of raspberry jam (about a cup)
• 1 3/4 sticks butter (14 tablespoons)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and ground fine (some stores carry this already ground)
• 3 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips ground fine in a food processor (about 1/2 cup)
• option to top with whipped cream

Preheat oven to 375
In a small saucepan boil the jam and let cool.  While it's heating up...cream together butter and sugar until it's fluffy, beat in egg yolks, cinnamon, zest and salt until smooth.  Add flour and beat until "just" combined.  Beat in hazelnuts and chocolate.

OK..if you have time you can do the lattice top or you can press all into an 11 inch tart pan with removable  rim and spread on the jam and cook for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Directions for lattice top:
Press a little more than half the dough into the tart pan.  Roll out remaining dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a round slightly thicker than 1/8 inch and freeze for 15 minutes.  Spread jam on tart shell to within 1/4 inch edge.  Remove round from freezer and top sheet of wax paper and cut into 1/2 inch strips.  arrange the strips into a lattice pattern over the jam/tarte.  Trim the ends of the strips at teh edge of the pan and with remaining dough press a 1/4 inche reim of dough around the edge.  Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.  *special note...if you don't have these strips cold when baked they will sort of melt together.

HISTORY
The first time I made this in 1994, I couldn't find shelled hazelnuts so I shelled them, roasted them and skinned them...then processed them into a fine consistency....it was the most labor intensive dessert I've ever made.  I think it's why my husband asks for this on his birthday...he thinks if I will make this then I truly love him.  Well, times have changed and I can find roasted shell hazelnuts to food process  but this past year...I found it processed into a fine meal consistency...making this a normal effort recipe. 

Pumpkin Muffin Cookies

Cooking these tonight.  Best in fall but good anytime of year.

Pumpkin Muffin Cookies 

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 can pumpkin

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together sugar, egg, shortening, and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in the pumpkin.  Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. 

 Ok...just left mine in for 25 minutes by accident...still tasty.

Kid Friendly Recipes

The reason I created this blog was to keep a log of recipes that worked.   And by work, I mean recipes that the kids enjoyed eating without complaints.  I kind of don't like cooking because of years of spending time making something that the kids made a fuss over.  My kids are finally starting to get over the fuss...7th grade and 9th grade...but still every once in a while they'll complain.

One way I got them to eat more broccoli as kids was to serve them ramen noodles cooked with broccoli and sprinkled with soy sauce rather than the packet.  I also renamed them so we still call them "Crazy Noodles."  They also like their green beans (fresh not canned or frozen) slightly steamed and then sort of fried with soy sauce.

Here is a list of the recipes I've done on the blog that I think most kids like.  I didn't bother to put the desserts on there because of course the kids love those.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes:  I make these every time the kids have someone sleep over.  I now have a reputation for making these pancakes and the kids have come to expect them.  I think they are healthier because I do NOT serve them with syrup.  There is no need, the chocolate chips are sweet enough.  They are also good with bananas or sub out the choc chips for blueberries.

Cheese Enchiladas:  Surprisingly, Owen loves these.  Anne likes them but not nearly as much.  I make them with onions so if your kids hate onions then probably not this...but for some reason I don't love onions but I like these.  I make two batches.  One for the kids with diced tomatoes and one for the adults with original rotel tomatotes.

Chicken Cordon Bleu:  Haven't made this in a while but they loved it when I did.  Might be better for an older palet but hard to say.  One time Anne love this and one time she didn't...I guess her taste buds weren't in the mood.

Lemon Herb Chicken:

Mac n Cheese:  Winner every time and easier than the recipes looks.

Pumpkin Muffin Cookies: This recipe is great.  Don't eat too many (more than 12) because pumpkin can be a laxative.  They are so good that we found out this benefit when Owen didn't stop eating them.  

Scones:  These are plain scones but with enough butter and jam most kids like them.  Anne likes them with strawberries and whipped cream...yeah, they could almost be a strawberry shortcake.

Stir Fry:  Anne loves this one ...Owen not as much but he eats it without complaints.  Reheats really well.

Broccoli Pie:  Surprisingly...the kids complain about this one but they eat it.  Actually, Anne loves it now but only this year.  It's pretty easy but does take an hour to bake.  I use to put mushrooms in it but haven't in a long time.  I think you could probably put anything you want in this one but with the cottage cheese and egg...it's pretty decent protein.