Olive Garden Bread Sticks

My kids LOVE Olive Garden for their bread sticks and Alfredo sauce.  So, when I came across this recipe on this blog, I thought why not give it a shot.  To be honest, I wasn't really that hopeful, but I was pleasantly surprised!  And I love surprises, so it was a win/win for us! They even had that yummy butter crust on the bottom just like Olive Garden's do! I did alter the recipe a bit, I have made enough bread to know a thing or two about the flavor I like, so here is what I did...

Olive Garden Bread Sticks

(24 bread sticks)

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 1/4 t yeast

4 cups flour (I used bread flour, but all-purpose would work fine)

2 T butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 T sugar

1/2 T salt

topping:

4 T butter, melted

1 t garlic powder

1/2 t salt

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes until it gets frothy.  Add the flour, salt and melted butter to the yeast mixture. Mix in a stand mixer or by hand until fully combined.  The dough should be moist but not sticky and should hold in a ball.  Knead the dough for a few minutes until  it is smooth.  Divide dough into 24 pieces and roll with your hands into bread sticks (like making a snake). Place them on a greased cookie sheet.  Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat the over to 400 and once it is hot put the bread sticks in.  While they are in, melt 4 T butter and mix it with 1 t garlic powder and 1/2 t salt. After the 5 minutes are up, brush the bread sticks with the melted garlic butter.  Pop them back in the over for an additional 5 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Remove them from the oven and brush them once more with the garlic butter.  Serve them warm.

Graham Cracker Cookies

I found these on the back of a box of graham crackers and thought I would give them a try.  Not only are they fantastic, but they are also egg free! So, if you just want to eat the dough, there is no guilt (well, almost!)  I also thought the dough would be great to use in cookie dough ice cream or in cookie dough truffles.  The cookies reminded me of Magic Cookie Bars, most of the same ingredients, just put together differently!

Graham Cracker Cookies

(4-5 dozen)

1 1/2 cups honey graham crackers, finely crushed

1/2 cup flour

2 t baking powder

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 t vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder.  In another bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk and butter together until smooth.  Add vanilla.  Add the crumb mixture and stir until smooth.  Add in the chocolate chips, coconut and nuts and stir until combined.  Drop by the teaspoonful onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.   Let them cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

Mint Oreo Milk Shake

I have a VERY hard time resisting mint Oreos!  Regular Oreos I can walk by all day long, but there is just something about mint that tempts me!  For this reason they are NEVER in my house, but seeing as how it was St. Patrick's Day AND my husband has some Irish heritage, I thought, why not?!  And boy am I regretting it, I guess I have to put in 24,000 more hours at the gym to make up for this weekend's mint Oreos!  But oh, they were soooo good!  Here is what I put into these mint Oreo milk shakes...

Mint Oreo Milk Shake

(about 6 servings)

Vanilla ice cream

mint Oreos

milk

malt powder

whipped cream (for garnish)

green sprinkles (for garnish)

Ok, I fill my blender with vanilla ice cream (do NOT pack it down).  Add a tablespoon or 2 of malt powder, and 9-10 mint Oreos.  Add milk until it fills the cracks and crevices about 3/4 of the way to the top of the blender. (I like my shakes thick, so I add more after I start to blend).  Blend until smooth, adjusting the milk or ice cream as needed until the shake is the consistency you like (I stir, carefully, as it blends with a spoon to get things moving).  Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Rice Krispie Treats

Ok, so this is just one of those recipes that when I want to make them, I can NEVER find the recipe!  So, here it is my friends!  Although, I do change the recipe a little, I like mine gooey!

Rice Krispie Treats


4 T butter
5 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups rice krispie cereal
1 t vanilla

Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large pan over medium-low heat.  Once the mixture is smooth, add the vanilla and stir to combine.  Add the rice krispie cereal and stir until evenly coated.  Dump into prepared pan and press down evenly using your hands sprayed with cooking spray.  Let them cool for about 20-30 minutes.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

We have been making this soup for years, so I don't remember where the recipe came from.  I do remember it being a copy cat recipe from Chili's (the restaurant) Chicken Enchilada Soup.  No matter how I got a hold of it, it has been a house favorite for quite some time!  It is just a fantastic soup and different then other mexican or tortilla soups I have had.  This one is just so perfectly delicious!  

Chicken Enchilada Soup

(8-10 servings)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 T chicken base

1 1/2 cup diced onions

1 t cumin

1 t chili powder

1 t minced garlic

1/4 t cayenne pepper (this will NOT make it spicy)

1 cup masa harina, corn flour (you can find this at any grocery store)

2 quarts water

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1/4 pound American cheese, cut into small cubes (I totally don't like this but it is amazing and creamy in this soup!)

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

garnishes:

shredded cheddar cheese

tortilla chips 

avocado

homemade tortillas

In a large soup pot, heat oil.  Add onion, chicken base and spices.  Saute until the onions are soft, about 3-4 minutes.  In another container, combine 2 cups of the water with the masa harina, stirring until all lumps dissolve.  Add this to the sautéed onions, stirring constantly, and let it cook for 2-3 minutes once it starts to bubble, this will eliminate the raw flavor of the masa harina. Add the remaining water slowly, whisking as you go until the soup is smooth. Add the tomatoes, let the soup come to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Add cheese to the soup and stir to melt.  Add the chicken to the soup and stir to heat through.  Top with shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips and fresh avocado!

Gourmet Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

These are always impressive and always delicious (and SUPER easy! Shhhhh, don't tell!)  I made these for the boys in my life on this stay-at-home-with-3-sick-kids Valentine's Day!  They are so easy my 3 year old helped me do them!  So, no excuses!  These puppies can be $1 a piece at candy stores! (I have totally posted this before, but these are GOURMET, hence the nuts and coconut!)

Gourmet Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Fresh strawberries, washed and dried (leave the stems on for dipping)

Good chocolate (I always use Ghirardelli) milk chocolate, white chocolate, or semi-sweet 

nuts, chopped fine (I used pecans)

coconut

mini chocolate chips

toffee bits

oil

Line a cookie sheet or two with wax paper, set aside. Mix chocolate chips with about 1 t oil per cup of chips in a sauce pan.  Heat over LOW heat stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Remove from heat.  Repeat process with as many different kinds of chocolate as you want to use. (I used milk and white for these).  I always melt my chocolate stove top, I have more control this way and I have found it helps the chocolate to not seize (especially the white chocolate).  Dip the washed and dried strawberries in the chocolate one at a time and then roll in what ever toppings you want, or a mixture of them.  Place dipped strawberries on wax paper. Let them sit for a couple of minutes and then drizzle with alternating kids of chocolate if desired.  I just use a spoon with a side to side motion.  Try it first over a separate piece of wax paper to get the feel for it.  Let the strawberries set up completely.  I find this is best in a cool place or the fridge. Store extras in the fridge for a few days.

Perfect Guacamole

This is the ONLY recipe you will ever need for this!  It is beyond delicious, perfectly simple and oh so fresh! We LOVE Mexican food at our house!  And good guacamole tops the chart! My husband and I often wonder why it is so many restaurants serve nasty guacamole when it is so easy to make!  The hardest part is finding GOOD avocados.  Once you have that handled, well the rest is just too easy!

Guacamole

4 ripe avocados*

juice of 1/2 a lime

1/4 cup salsa, the fresher the better!

garlic salt, to taste

In a bowl mash up the avocados with the lime juice.  We used a potato masher, if you want it smoother and creamier, use an electric mixer.  Stir in the salsa and garlic salt.  

To pick perfect avocados, buy ones that are hard and let them soften on your counter.  They are ripe when the are still firm to the touch but have a little give to them.  If you try and buy them ripe, they are usually over ripe or bruised.  We store almost ripe avocados in our fridge and they ripen a lot slower.  Let them come to room temperature before using, it will make them easier to mash.  

Storing left over Guacamole is tricky, we have found the best way is to press plastic wrap to the top of the leftovers in a bowl removing all the air bubbles. Like when you press plastic wrap onto the top of pudding to prevent a film from forming.