Recipe: Raisin Bran Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups wheat bran
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup raisins

Steps

1. In a large bowl, mix bran and milk together. Let stand for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in vegetable oil, egg, vanilla and sugar.

3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and baking soda.

4. Add flour mixture to the bran mixture, and stir until moistened.

5. Fold in raisins.

6. Drop by spoonful into greased muffin tin, or into baking cups.

7. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes (I did 17 minutes and it was perfect).

Makes 12 muffins

- Recipe from Rogers' Wheat Bran bag

Recipe: 2 Ingredient Cookies [Toddler Approved]

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of oats (I used the quick oats)
• 3 large old bananas
• Optional: a handful of chocolate chips, raisins, chopped nuts, or cinnamon 
• (I used 1/4 tsp of cinnamon in mine)

Steps

1. Pour oats into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add bananas to bowl and mash them into the oats.

3. If the mixture is too runny, add more oats to taste. 

4. Add in optional items and mix in.

5. Drop by spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet

5. Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

- The Burlap Bag (from my Pinterest)

Recipe: Chipit Noels

Ingredients
■ 1/2 cup margarine/butter
■ 3/4 cup sugar
■ 1 egg
■ 1/2 tsp almond extract
■ 1 cup flour
■ 1/2 tsp baking powder
■ 3/4 cup chocolate chips
■ 3/4 cup coconut (shredded & sweetened)
■ 3/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries

Steps
1. Cream margarine with sugar.
2. Beat in egg and almond extract.
3. Combine flour and baking powder in separate bowl.
4. Stir into the creamed mixture.
5. Mix in chips, coconut and cherries.
6. Drop from teaspoon onto plain cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

- Recipe from my Mommy

Recipe: Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients
• 1 cup Kraft Light Peanut Butter
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 egg

Steps
1. PREHEAT oven to 325º F. Mix peanut butter, sugar and egg.
2. ROLL into 1-inch balls. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Flatten with fork.
3. BAKE 15 min. (Do not overbake.) Let stand on baking sheets 5 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Yields 12 [for 24 cookies, simply double the recipe]

- Kraft Canada

Recipe: Christmas Candy Cane Balls

Ingredients
525g of Chocolate Chips
1 Can of Condensed Milk
1 Tbsp of Vanilla
5 Candy Canes - crushed
Red or Green Sprinkles *optional*


Steps
1. Melt the chocolate chips and condensed milk together over low-medium heat. 
2. Once melted, put into the fridge to chill for 1.5 hours. 
3. Meanwhile, crush the candy canes (I use a sheet of wax paper, put the candy canes in it, and crush them with a rolling pin).

You can do these options:
1. Mix the candy canes into the chilled chocolate mix - and then roll them in the red and green sprinkles
2. Roll the balls in the candy cane

I roll the balls into 1 inch balls.

Put the balls onto a cookie sheet with wax paper, and into the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. Then put them all into one container, into the freezer.

- Recipe from my Mommy

Recipe: Rice Salad

Ingredients
2 cups cooked Rice
1 cup chopped Celery
1 cup chopped Onion
2 cup cooked frozen Peas

Marinade:
1/2 cup Oil
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Vinegar
3 Tbsp Soya Sauce

Steps
1. Cook rice as directed on box (I use the 5 minute Rice stuff). Put in fridge to cool.
2. Cook peas as directed. Put in fridge to cool.
3. Dice onions and celery.
4. While rice and peas are cooling, prepare the marinade.
5. Add all marinade ingredients into a pot, over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally.
6. Mix rice, peas, celery and onion together in a large dish.
7. Pour marinade over the mixture, and mix it all together.
8. Cover the dish and leave in the fridge overnight.

- Recipe from my Granny

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Muffins

In one bowl, mix these dry ingredients together:
● 1 1/2 cups Flour
● 1/2 cup Sugar
● 3 teaspoons Baking Powder

Add to the bowl:
● 1 cup chocolate chips

In another bowl, add these ingredients together:
● 1 Egg
● 1 cup Milk
● 1/3 cup Butter (melted)

Mix all ingredients together. Spoon out into a greased muffin pan.

Bake @ 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

- Company's Coming: Muffins & More

Recipe: Italian Pasta Bake

Italian Pasta Bake
• 2 lbs. Ground Hamburger
• 1 can Pasta Sauce
• 3 cups Pasta (Penne or Rotini)
• 1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 2 Tbps. Parmesan Cheese

Steps
1. Fry beef in frying pan. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. Preheat oven to 450˚ F
3. When beef and pasta are finished cooking, pour the beef into a baking pan, and stir in the pasta with it.
4. Mix in the can of pasta sauce throughout the beef and pasta.
5. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the beef, and mix in.
6. Top the dish with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
7. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes.

- Kraft Canada

Recipe: Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Ingredients
- 10 oz. Fettuccine
- 3 cups Broccoli Florets
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 4 Chickens (boneless, skinless)
- 1 Can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Steps
1. Cook fettuccine. Around the last 4 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli to the pasta and water. Drain when finished.
2. Heat butter in a sauce pan.
3. Cook chicken over medium heat until cooked.
4. Add in soup, milk and cheese. Heat thoroughly.
5. Add soup-chicken mixture to the pot with the broccoli and fettuccine. Stir well.

- Cooking with Campbell's

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
• 3/4 Cup of Crisco Shortening
• 1 1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsps of Milk
• 1 Tbsp of Vanilla Extract
• 1 Egg
• 1 3/4 Cup of Flour
• 3/4 tsps of Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 Cups of Chocolate Chips

Steps
1. Combine shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla together in a bowl. Blend at medium speed.
2. Blend in egg.
3. In separate bowl mix flour and baking soda together. Add this to the shortening mixture. Blend in.
4. Add chocolate chips and stir in.
5. Drop by teaspoon on to an ungreased baking sheet.
6. Cook at 375˚ F. For chewy cookies, bake for 8-10 minutes. For crispy cookies, bake for 11-13 minutes.

- Crisco Recipes

Recipe: Broccoli-Rice Casserole

Ingredients- One package of Uncle Ben's Bistro Wild Grain Rice
- 1 Broccoli (cut up into small florets)
- 1 Can of Mushroom Soup
- 1 lb of Grated Cheddar Cheese

Steps
1. Cook rice according to package (the one I use only takes 90 seconds in the microwave to be cooked).
2. Mix the mushroom soup and cheese together.
3. Pour rice into the soup mixture and stir it together until mixed well.
4. In a small casserole dish, put half of the mixture on the bottom and spread it out.
5. Place broccoli on top of the mixture.
6. Pour remaining soup mixture on top of the broccoli and smooth it around.
7. Cover the dish and put it in the oven.
8. Cook at 350˚ F for one hour.

- Recipe from my Aunt

Recipe: Veggie Skillet

Ingredients
1 cup macaroni (I used the new Catelli Smart stuff)
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 Tbsp butter
1 cup of frozen veggies (I used green beans)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp of parmesan cheese

Steps
1. Cook pasta, water, milk and butter together in a large skillet, on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta is at the tenderness you want.
2. Add in the frozen veggies towards the end of the pasta cooking.
3. Add the cheeses and stir in. Let stand on low heat, stirring occasionally.

- Kraft Canada

Recipe: Fiesta Chicken

Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground chicken
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (19 oz.)
- 1 can of water (19 oz.)
- 1 + 1/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups of instant rice
- 1 can of corn
- chili powder (to taste)

Steps
1. Cook chicken on medium heat
2. Add tomatoes, water and rice
3. Bring to a boil, while stirring
4. Stir in corn, sprinkle with chili powder and add half of the shredded cheese
5. Let stand for 5 minutes (you can cover it, but you don't have to)
6. Serve with cheese on top

* You can add chopped up veggies if you like (green pepper, celery, etc.)

Recipe: Layered Lemon Squares

Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups Honey Maid Graham Crumbs
- 1/2 cup sugar, divided
- 6 Tbsp. butter, melted
- 2 pkg. (250 g each) Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese, softened (I used Light Cream Cheese Spread)
- 3 cups cold milk, divided
- 2 pkg. (4-serving size each) Jell-O Lemon Instant Pudding
- 3 cups thawed Cool Whip Light Whipped Topping

Steps
1. MIX graham crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter until well blended
2. Press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan.
3. BEAT cream cheese, remaining sugar and 1/4 cup milk with whisk until well blended.
4. Spread over crust.
5. BEAT pudding mixes and remaining milk with whisk 3 min.
6. Pour over cream cheese layer in pan. Let stand 5 min. or until thickened
7. Cover with Cool Whip.
8. Refrigerate 4 hours.

- Kraft Canada

Recipe: Banana Choco Chip Loaf

Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Butter/Margarine (softened)
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 3 Mashed Ripe Bananas
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Steps
1. Mash bananas with a fork
2. Cream butter and sugar together in a bowl.
3. Add eggs to the butter and sugar, one at a time. Beat until smooth
4. Blend in the mashed bananas.
5. In a second bowl, stir flour with baking soda, baking powder and chocolate chips.
6. Add this to the banana mixture, and stir to moisten.
7. Transfer to a greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
8. Bake at 350˚ F for about 1 hour (until inserted toothpick comes out clean).
9. Let stand 10 minutes.
10. Remove from pan and place on cake rack to cool.
11. Wrap to store it.

Optional
I didn't add the 1/2 tsp of salt, but I'm sure you could.
If you prefer nuts to chocolate chips, you can add 1 Cup of Chopped Walnuts.

- Company's Coming: Muffins & More

Recipe: Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients
• 1 flour tortilla (I used whole wheat)
• 1/2 cup diced cook chicken (we used the pre-cooked chicken from the deli, and I took the skin off)
• 1/4 cup green peppers
• 1 slice of cheddar brick cheese, cut into thin slivers
• 1 Tbsp. Salsa

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 400˚ F
2. Cut up chicken into small pieces, cut green peppers into cubes, cut cheese into slivers.
3. Place tortilla shell onto baking pan.
4. Spoon salsa onto one half of the tortilla shell.
5. Add chicken onto salsa.
6. Place cheese slivers onto chicken.
7. Sprinkle green peppers on top.
8. Fold tortilla over.
9. Cook in oven for 10 minutes. Flip to the other side. Cook for another 8-10 minutes.

Recipe: Stove Top Chicken/Turkey Pie

Ingredients
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 pkg (120 g.) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken [you can use whatever brand you like!]
• 1 lb cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces [or use leftover turkey/chicken]
• 1 can low fat condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/3 cup light sour cream
• 1 cup part skim mozzarella shredded cheese
• 2 cups frozen mixed veggies, thawed and drained

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. Add hot water to stuffing mix, and stir until moistened. Set aside.
3. Place chicken in baking dish.
4. Mix soup, sour cream, cheese and vegetables together.
5. Spoon the mixture over the chicken.
6. Top with prepared stuffing.
7. Bake for 30 minutes.

- Kraft Canada

Recipe: Tender Italian Chicken Thighs

Ingredients
• 6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup tomato or pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup italian dressing
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• pasta (your choice)

Steps
1. In 2 L microwaveable casserole dish, arrange slices of onions.
2. Add chicken thighs on top of the onions.
3. Combine sauce, dressing and oregano together in a bowl.
4. Stir sauce mixture over chicken.
5. Cook covered in microwave on MED-HIGH power for 13 minutes.
6. Stir in zucchini. Cook for 2-4 more minutes.
7. Add cheese.
8. Serve over pasta.

Recipe: Lemon Poppyseed Muffins [with a mix]

Ingredients
• Duncan Heines Lemon Cake Mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/4 cup poppyseeds

Steps
1. Put mix, eggs, water and oil in a large bowl.
2. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds (to moisten).
3. Mix at medium speed for 1 1/2-2 minutes.
4. Nearing the end of those 2 minutes, add in the poppyseeds and continue to mix.
5. Place paper baking cups into muffin/cupcake pan.
6. Pour two large spoonfuls of mix into paper cups
7. Cook for 18-20 minutes in 350˚F oven.

Book Review: Forgotten

Forgotten
by Catherine McKenzie
2012
367 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads
Emma Tupper, a young lawyer with a bright future, sets out on a journey after her mother’s death: to Africa, a place her mother always wanted to visit. But her mother’s dying gift has unexpected consequences. Emma falls ill during the trip and is just recovering when a massive earthquake hits, turning her one-month vacation into a six-month ordeal.

When Emma returns home, she’s shocked to find that her friends and colleagues believed she was dead, that her apartment has been rented to a stranger and that her life has gone on without her. Can Emma pick up where she left off? Should she? As Emma struggles to recreate her old life, everyone around her thinks she should change – her job, her relationships, and even herself. But does she really want to sacrifice everything she’s working so hard to gain?

Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Review
I really enjoyed this book. I got it as a gift from Alex last Christmas, and I regret not reading it earlier. It was a "quicker" read, and definitely not as fluffy as I thought it would be. The dialogue was realistic, as were the characters - and I appreciated that. I could picture the events happening, and I personally enjoyed Stephanie as a character the most. Dominic was kind of annoying, and Craig was just weak. The main character was good and believable, and I enjoyed watching her interact with everyone, after they assumed she had died. There was definitely bits of humour in it. I'll be reading more of her books in the near future!

Book Review: Crystal Cove

Crystal Cove (Friday Harbour #4)
by Lisa Kleypas
2013
320 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads
On the island of Friday Harbor, magic is in the air—and destiny is a force too powerful to defy…

As the proprietor of a successful boutique hotel, Justine Hoffman has the life she has always wanted. But there is still something missing: Love. A spell was cast on Justine when she was born, with the result that she will never find her soul mate. But she is nothing if not determined and eventually Justine finds a way to break the enchantment—never dreaming of the dangerous complications that will follow…

Rating: 2/5 Stars

My Review
This was an alright story. I gave it a try because it was a new author featured at the library. The plotline was a little off for me - the background of the main character wasn't really well explained. I understood that she was a witch, but it never went into detail about her relationship with her family, which I think would have made me understand her a bit more. There was a lot more sex than I was expecting (and I don't mind books with sex in them, but it just seemed to take over the plot and story). I don't know if I'll read more of hers. This just wasn't what I was expecting.