Hawaiian Haystacks

• Ok So this is really good and it's home made sauce, so no cream of chicken crap!! 

This recipe originates from picky-palate.com

What you will need:

• 1 stick of butter  (8 Tablespoons)
• 1/2 C. all purpose flour (It's to thicken the sauce, I ended up adding just a tad bit more to make it a little more thick
• 1/2 C. sour cream
• 32 ounces chicken Broth
• 2 teaspoons dry Ranch Dressing seasoning Packet
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic salt
• Cooked Chicken
• 1 medium onion
• about 2 celery stocks 
• Rice
• Toppings: Chow Mein Crispy noodles, dried craisins, cheese, pineapple,almonds (Really anything you like, olives, tomatoes) those are just what we put on ours and it was Foopin Good

The first thing is how to decide how you want your chicken. I just crockpotted my chicken in some chicken broth and it turned out great... I made it easy. 

Sauce:

WARNING: this makes a lot of sauce. I made the whole thing for Just dan and I and we had a lot left over so if you want you can half it. 

Place butter into a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring to melt. saute the onions and celery until the get pretty soft. Slowly whisk in flour, salt and pepper until it gets kinda clumpy. Slowly whisk in the Chicken broth until smooth. Increase heat to high whisking until thick... It does thicken, but this is when I added a little more flour. once it's thickened add the sour cream, Ranch seasoning, and garlic salt. Stir and season accordingly. 

Cook rice, and then pour sauce over rice and chicken with toppings!!

Super Yummy!!! 

ENJOY!!!! 

Best Friends Forever!!

Homemade Pretzels

This is a really yummy and easy pretzel recipe.  I like to make them my bite size!  Or twist into pretzel twists!

Sorry no picture.  They are from my neighbor Natalie!

Dough

        2 1/2 C flour

        3/4 tsp salt

        1 tsp sugar

        2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

        1 C warm water

Topping

          3/4 c. warm water

          2 T. baking soda

          coarse salt (kosher salt or pretzel salt)

          3-4 T. melted butter

1. Place all of the dough ingredients into a mixing bowl.  (No need to bloom your yeast, just add it all in!)  Mix until all ingredients are combined.  Knead the dough (using a dough hook) for about 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes you should have a nice smooth and soft dough. 
2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Spray pans with non-stick spray. 
4. Spray your countertop with a bit of non-stick spray, and transfer dough to counter.  Using a bench knife (I used a regular knife), divide the dough in half and in half again until you have 8 equal pieces.  Let the dough rest while you prepare the topping.
5. In a small shallow dish, combine the warm water and baking soda.  Mix until the soda is dissolved. 
6. Using your hands, roll each dough into a long rope (about 2 feet long), then twist into shape. Dip the pretzel into the soda water and then place on the pan.  Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.  Let sit on pans, uncovered for 10-15 minutes.
7. Bake the pretzels for 7 minutes.  I baked 4 pretzels per pan.  Remove the pretzels from the oven and immediately brush them with melted butter.  Use all of the butter.  Remove to a wire rack.

Best eaten warm out of the oven.  You can also reheat them before eating.

Pillowcase dresses

This is the tutorial I used for the girls pillowcase dresses.
It was pretty easy!
There are a ton if you just google it!!!

http://sewlikemymom.com/easiest-pillowcase-dress-ever/

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos - YUM

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
print recipe text only

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

The ones pictured below are actually flour tortillas- which I found out I like just as well (maybe even better!) than corn ones.

I LOVE MY SISTERS (That includes you shay)

Les - the picture of the lettuce wraps looks so professional!

Brooke I need your crockpot recipes on here ASAP!

Les, what was that blog with the low cal recipes?

Mich, what is the exercise website we were doing in Idaho?

Lettuce Wraps "PF Changs"

Recipe:

OK there are three different things that you have to make.

FIRST: Make the sauce to pour over the chicken mixture.

1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup Warm water, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp Rice wine vinegar,

2 Tbsp Ketchup, 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice, 1/8 tsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp Garlic Salt

*Combine all ingredients, set aside*

SECOND: Make side sauce for dipping.

2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp Brown sugar, 1/2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar

*Combine all ingredients*

THIRD: Chicken Stirfry

2 Tbsp Virgin Olive oil, 2 Tbsp Sesame oil, 1 or 2 chicken breasts, 1 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, (minced), 1/2 onion, 3 garlic cloves.

Use 1 Tbsp to cook chicken, remove once fully cooked through. (I have found that after cooking the chicken take it out and chop it up to make it tiny. It makes it better that way.)

Add the other 1 Tbsp of Virgin olive oil with garlic, onion, chestnuts and the stir fry sauce. Let it sit for about a minute or two. Then add chicken back in and continue to let sit for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Wash lettuce and put in how ever much you want in a lettuce wrap. Dip or dip the other sauce.

ENJOY!