Chinese breaded chicken

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (garlic lovers add 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/3 cups cold water (if you are reducing to half a recipe use 1/2 cup plus 2-1/2 tablespoons water)

Mix all ingredients. Dredge chicken in mixture. Fry until golden brown. Place on baking tray in 350 degree oven for approximately 15 min or until cooked through.

Garlic and Herb Baked Potato Halves

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and pour into a 9x13 inch pan and spread evenly across the bottom. Generously sprinkle salt, and garlic and herb seasoning over the butter (6 tbsp.). Place potato halves face down on the butter and seasonings. Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve on a plate with a side of sour cream for dipping.

Chicken & Green Bean Stir fry

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 1/4 pounds green beans
• Cooking oil

Marinade

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sherry
• 1 clove garlic

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (white vinegar or rice vinegar also fine)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman is best)
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• 1 clove garlic

Optional

• Dash sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

1. If starting with frozen chicken breasts, set in bowl of cold water to defrost.
2. Take end off green beans and wash.
3. Rinse rice in several changes of water until water is mostly clear. Add fresh water for cooking and set aside.
4. Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces (approx 1/2-inch cubes). Place diced chicken in bowl.
5. Add marinade ingredients to chicken – soy sauce, sherry, garlic (chopped or pressed through garlic press). Stir well to distribute marinade.
6. Refrigerate chicken.
7. Start rice to cook before starting stir fry.
8. Prepare stir fry sauce (note: you can double the stir fry sauce if you prefer a saucier stir fry). Add brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sherry and garlic (again chopped or pressed through garlic press) in small bowl. You can also add fresh ginger if you have it.
9. Add cornstarch and stir well, pressing out any lumps until sauce has a consistent milky brown color.
10. Heat two tablespoons of oil in an large skillet over medium-high heat.
11. Add green beans. If green beans don’t fit in one batch, cook half at a time. Use long tongs to turn beans over while cooking so that they do not burn.
12. If beans are particularly thick, add two tablespoons of water to pan and cover skillet for a couple of minutes to steam-cook beans to desired tenderness. Do not overcook, as beans will go back in the pan briefly later.
13. Remove beans from pan.
14. Add two more tablespoons of oil to pan. Add chicken and stir to separate pieces.
15. When chicken is cooked (turns from pink to white), add prepared stir fry sauce and stir. Sauce will quickly turn from milky light brown to glossy dark brown as it cooks.
16. Add string beans and stir to combine. Add dash of sesame oil if desired.
17. Remove chicken and string beans to serving dish.
18. Serve over rice.

source

Swedish Meatball Sauce

• 2 cups Half & Halfshopping list
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 teaspoon salt
1 cube beef bouillon  

Mix all ingredients in pan on stove. Add meatballs and heat until warm, stirring frequently.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

Dark Chocolate Frosting – adapted from My Baking Heart – makes enough for 24 cupcakes
Printable Recipe
6 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk (or Baileys)

Cream butter and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.

Slowly add milk until frosting reaches desired consistency, then beat another 5 minutes creamy.

Source

Add a little raspberry or mint extract for a variation.

peanut butter frosting for brownies

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk

Makes enough for a 11 x 13 pan.

Altered cake mix

Chocolate Cakes:

1 cup sour cream

½ cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

¼ cup water

½ cup buttermilk

Devil’s Food Cake Mix

Using a whisk, mix sour cream, oil and vanilla extract together. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well in between each addition. Alternate adding the cake mix and liquids (buttermilk and water), starting and ending with the cake mix. Pour into cake pan, bake according to box instructions.