Monterey Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
8 slices bacon
Monterey Jack Cheese
1 tomato, diced small
3 green onions, diced small

Place bacon on a shallow baking pan lined with foil and bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until desired crisp. Remove from oven, drain on paper towels and set aside.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of wax paper and with the flat side of a meat tenderizer, flatten chicken.

Salt and pepper each piece of chicken.

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add chicken and cook about 4 minutes on each side, or until done.

Remove from skillet to an ovenproof serving platter.

Immediately spread 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce on each chicken breast, then top with 2 sliced bacon.

Slice Monterey Jack cheese in lay evenly over bacon topped chicken breast.

Place under broiler just until cheese starts to melt, remove from oven.

Sprinkle diced tomatoes and green onions over chicken and serve.

Caleb had this one night at Chili's. It looked so good, but easy at the same time. We came home a cruised the internet till we found a recipe that was close. I tweaked it a little, and even now I leave off the bbq for Drew. It's a keeper!

No Bake Cookies

1 stick butter
2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups quick oatmeal






In medium saucepan, bring butter, sugar, cocoa and milk to a boil.

Boil 1 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.

Remove from heat and add vanilla, peanut butter and quick oats. Stir to combine well.

Drop by teaspoonful onto wax paper.

This is often dessert for us. I will make 1/2 a batch to keep us from eating them all...each of us are a little bit of a "Cookie Monster".

Big Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon water
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream shortening, white sugar and brown sugar.

Add vanilla and water, mix in eggs.

Add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

Spread in 2 greased round pizza pans. Smooth to within and inch of the edge of the pans. Sprinkle both with chocolate chips.

Bake 10-12 minutes at 375*.

This can be decorated with frosting for any occasion.

*You can add the chocolate chips to the cookie dough, but I find it is more difficult to spread, so I add them at the end.

I asked my sister-in-law Janice to share this recipe with me....I'm so glad she did. The boys ask for this often and it is easy to decorate it for a special occasion. It is especially good for a group of kids for a small birthday party. Thanks for sharing Janice!

S'more Clusters

6 Hershey bars broken in pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons oil
2 cups mini marshmallows
10 whole graham crackers broken in pieces

Melt chocolate bars and oil in large microwaveable bowl.

Stir in marshmallows and graham crackers until will combined.

Spoon in paper lined muffin cups, about 1/3 cup each.

Refrigerate for at least and hour before serving.

Cheerios Treats

3 Tablespoons butter
6 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup peanut butter
5 cups cheerios

Spray a 9X13 inch pan with non stick cooking spray.

Melt butter in a large microwave safe bowl.

Add marshmallows and return to microwave until marshmallow begin to puff up.

Remove and add peanut butter, stir to combine.

Add cheerios to marshmallow mixture and mix to combine well.

Pour into prepared pan, cool and cut into squares to serve.

*This can be made on the stove top by melting butter, marshmallows and peanut butter and pouring over cheerios to combine.

Poppy Seed Bread

2 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use canola)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons poppy seeds (in the baking aisle with the spices)
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons butter extract
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk

Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon butter extrat

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first seven ingredients until blended.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk just until moistened.

Spray 2 loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.

Pour batter onto pans. Bake at 350* for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm loaves.

Cool 10 minutes until removing from pans to wire racks.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwiches

2 whole, boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, diced
6-8 slices of bacon, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
salt and pepper as desired
hoagie buns or any bun of your choice, sometimes I use whole wheat hotdog buns






In a large skillet, over medium high heat, drizzle 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Add chicken, bacon and onions (salt and pepper if desired) and cook till done and browned, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from heat.

Split and toast 5 hoagie buns under the broiler.

Top one half of each bun with chicken/bacon/onion mixture, then top with a slice of provolone cheese.

Return to oven under broiler until cheese is melted.

Add ranch or other favorite condiment, top with other half of bun and serve.

I like to jazz mine up with lettuce, tomato and maybe a pickle. The boys are happy with meat, bread and cheese!

Bubble Pizza

2 lb ground chuck
2 14 oz jar pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 7.5 oz can biscuits

Preheat oven to 400*.

Brown ground chuck, drain.Stir in pizza sauce.

Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Cut biscuits into quarters and spread evenly over meat mixture.

Bake until biscuits are brown, 10-12 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese over the top. Return to oven until cheese melts.

This is not a recipe I make a lot. It is good in the summer when I need a quick, filling lunch to feed the guys.