Chicken Tenders

Preheat oven 425 degrees

Olive Oil coated cookie sheet

1 lb Chicken Tenders

2 tablespoons Mayonaise

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Mix tenders and mayonaise in bowl to lightly coat chicken. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in gallon size zip lock bag. Put 1-2 chicken tenders in crumb mix and shake till coated. Place tenders in single layer on oil coated cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes then gently flip each one so not to remove breading and bake an additional 8 minutes. Serve as is or with your favorite dipping sauce, ex: barbecue or honey dijon.

Serving suggestion: Great with my roasted vegetable recipe. Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetables

Preheat oven 425 degrees

grease cookie sheet with olive oil

Chop potatoes, carrots and or sweet potatoes into sticks of similar length and width.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss chopped vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread evenly on cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes then turn on other side and bake an additional 5-7 minutes until browned.

Drain on paper towels and serve. Enjoy!

P.S. This is one of my favorite side dishes because it's easy, tasty and everyone will love it.

Pop's Creamy Tomato Soup

4 tablespoons buttter

1 spanish onion (finely chopped)

2 carrots chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

5 tablespoons flour

4 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

1 tablespoons dry parsley

1 tablespoon dry thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup light cream

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tablespoons sour cream

Heat butter in large soup pot over medium/low heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook covered and stir occasionally until soft about 8 minutes. Stir in flour cook 3 minutes. Pour in broth and crush tomatoes into pot. Add parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil cover then lower heat to a simmer for 20 minutes, remove from heat and cool. IMPORTANT STEP: REMOVE BAY LEAF! Blend soup smooth then bring to a low heat. Wisk in cream add salt, pepper and sour cream.

Helpful hint: If you don't remove bay leaf you will have hard bits of grit that will spoil a wonderful soup. I know because I found out the hard way. Enjoy!

* This was my father-in-law's favorite thing to eat. We miss him but we will always remember him and how much he enjoyed this recipe. We hope you will love this soup as much as he did. Enjoy!

Manicotti (Crepe Style)

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Bake for 20 minutes using

Lasagna pan

Crepes:

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup flour

pinch of salt

Mix ingredients. Grease small nonstick saute pan. Using 1/8 cup measure pour crepe batter into pan and rotate till pan is coated evenly. Cook until edges pull away from sides of pan (about 30 seconds)

Filling:

1 egg

1 tablespoon dry parsely

1 1/2 pounds ricotta

1/3 -1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Mix ingredients

Topping:

Marinara sauce also called (Gravy) use your favorite brand or home made sauce

Mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Parmesan cheese (grated)

To Assemble:

Spread gravy on bottom of baking dish. Spread filling on half of crepe, fold both sides over

and roll lay seam side down on layer of gravy. Once dish is filled with crepes, top with gravy, sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes untill cheese is melted. Enjoy!

When you make your own crepes for this recipe you will see what a big difference it makes. I always wanted to learn how to make crepes and in this recipe it adds such a light, creamy consistency to the manicotti that it will make you want to take that extra time. Enjoy!

Fudgey Brownies

Preheat oven 350 degrees

(Butter 13 x 9 pan)

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (cocoa)

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs blended

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped nuts (optional) walnuts, pecans, etc

Melt butter and chocolate (cocoa) over very low heat. Stir together and remove from heat. Add sugar, vanilla and eggs a little at a time mixing quickly so not to scramble eggs. Mix well then stir in flour and salt. At this time you can either add walnuts to batter or sprinkle on top after you have poured and spread batter evenly into buttered 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven. Bake until set about 25 minutes cool completely before cutting into squares. Enjoy!

Banana Bread

Preheat oven 350 degrees

(Butter 9 1/4 x 4 1/4 loaf pan)

2 cups cake flour

2 large mashed bananas

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks melted butter)

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup and 2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1/2 cups chocolate chips (optional)

1/4 to 1/2 cup coconut

Sift cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into medium size bowl. In large bowl blend bananas, sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Pour and blend a little at a time the flour mixture into the banana mixture until smooth. Slowly blend melted butter to batter. (At this point you can add any or all of the optional ingredients.) Pour into buttered 9 1/2 x 4 1/4 loaf pan. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven until lightly brown and bread bounces back to touch about 1 hour 10 minutes. I also test with toothpick making sure when it is removed it comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack before serving. Enjoy!

Apple Crumble Coffee Cake

Bake at 375 degrees, for 25 minutes

in a greased 9 inch round or square pan

1 1/2 cups flour

2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable shortening

1 1/2 cup fine chopped apples

Crumb Topping

1/4 sugar

1/4 brown sugar

1/4 flour

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Sift flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Beat egg with milk add melted butter or shortening.Pour dry into wet mixture then add apples mix well. Pour into greased pan. Combine crumb topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly on top of batter. Bake in pre-heated oven. Enjoy.

Pineapple Carrot Cake

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes

in 13 x 9 x 2 greased and floured pan

2 cups flour (sifted)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup flaked coconut

1 can (8 1/4 ounces) crushed pineapple (drained)

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Sift 1st five ingredients into large bowl. Make a well in the center and add in order: sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in carrots, coconut and pineapple (walnuts) until well blended. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven and cool before frosting.

Frosting Recipe

6 ounces softened cream cheese

1/4 cup softened butter or margarine (Beat cream cheese and butter till smooth)

1-1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (Beat sugar and vanilla into above mixture)

2 teaspoons milk (add if necessary depending on amount of confectioners sugar your adding to make frosting of spreading consistency)

Cover and refrigerate until serving.