Easy Chicken and Rice Bake

You Need:
1 can          Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup          Water
3/4 c           Uncooked Rice
1/4 tsp        Paprika
1/4 tsp        Ground Pepper
4                Skinless, boneless chicken breasts


To Make:
Combine soup, water, rice, paprika and pepper in casserole dish. Top with chicken. Season with additional paprika and pepper. Cover with tinfoil and cook in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and rice is tender. 

For Emily: Silver White Cake with Chocolate Chips

Something special for a special someone :) Hope you like it!

You Need:

2 1/4 cups       all purpose flour

1 2/3 cups       sugar

2/3 cup           shortening

1 1/4 cups       milk

3 1/2 tsp         baking powder

1 tsp               salt

1 tsp               vanilla or almond extract

5                    large egg whites

1/2 cup           semisweet chocolate chips

What to Do:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease  13x9 inch pan (this works best but you can also use two round 9 inch pans or three round 8 inch pans) with shortening and lightly flour. 

In a large bowl, beat together all the ingredients except for the egg whites until mostly mixed. Beat in egg whites, scrape the side of the bowl occasionally. Beat until smooth. 

Gently fold in chocolate chips. 

Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with chocolate chips if desired. Bake at 350 F for 40 to 45*  minutes for 13x9 pan or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. For 9 inch pans bake for 30-35 min and 8 inch pans 23-28 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Let cool for at least an hour before frosting.** 

*Note: When I made this I used a 13x9 pan and ended up cooking it for only about 25 min. It would be wise to check your cake at this time as the time could vary depending on what rack you cook your cake on and where you live. 

**Note: I did not frost this cake when I made it. It is VERY GOOD without frosting :) However, of you would like to frost your cake, a white frosting would be great on it. 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

You Need:

3 cups            powdered sugar

1/3 cup           butter or margarine (softened)

1 1/2 tsp         vanilla

1-2 Tbs           milk

What to Do:

Mix powered sugar and butter. Add vanilla and 1/2 Tbs milk. Gradually beat in enough milk to make the frosting spreadable. If frosting is too thick then you need more milk. If frosting is too thin then too much milk has been added. This can be corrected by adding a little powdered sugar in small quantities. 

Beat until smooth. Frost cake using plastic spatula. 

Scrumptious Smoothie

You Need:

I can            Frozen Bacardi Pina Colada juice concentrate

2-2 1/2 c      Ice Cubes

1 small can  Dole Tropical Fruit Cocktail

To Make:

Put it all in a blender. Ice first then the rest. Blend to desired consistency. Chill in freezer for no more than 30 min before serving. 

Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Bagles

You Need:
1 c             Warm Water (about 110 F)
1 packet     Active Dry Yeast
2 Tbs         Sugar
2-3 c          Flour
1 tsp          Salt
1 Tbs        Yellow Cornmeal

To Make:
Combine the water, yeast and sugar in bowl and let foam for five minutes. Add two cups of the flour and stir until well mixed. Add salt and cornmeal and mix until well mixed. Gradually add the remaining flour 1/4 c at a time until dough is easy to work with. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes.
Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil or shortening. Turn dough in bowl until coated with oil/shortening. Cover with cloth and let rise in warm, not drafty place for an hour to hour and a half or until double. Punch down dough and cut (or tear) into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log that is about 4-6 inches in length. Join ends of log to make bagel shape, putting fingers through hole to retain shape of bagel. Pinch ends of log together to complete the circle. Gently roll the pinched area on the counter to seal. Place bagels on lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover with cloth and let rise another 20-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place square bread pan on lowest rack in oven (yes, empty). Boil a glass of water (don't worry about exact measurement) in the microwave. Put bread into oven on rack in upper half of the oven. Dump boiling water into bread pan in oven and quickly close the door to trap steam in the oven. Bake bread for 5 min. Take bagels out of the oven and turn over each bagel.  Boil another glass of water in the microwave. Put bagels back in oven and dump the boiling water into the bread pan with water in it and quickly close the oven door to trap steam in oven. Bake another 5-10 min or until golden brown.
Let cool. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken and Biscuits

You Need:
For gravy:
1 can        Cream of Chicken Soup
1/4 c        Milk
2-4          Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cooked and cut up
1/4 tsp     Ground Pepper
For Biscuits:
1 c           Jiffy all purpose baking mix
1/3 c        Water

To Make:
Make biscuits first. Preheat oven to 450 F. Mix baking mix and milk. Stir until well mixed. Roll dough out on to surface lightly dusted with more baking mix. Knead for 2 min or until smooth. Break dough into six pieces and roll pieces into balls. Put dough balls on ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 8-12 min or until golden.
For gravy combine soup, milk, chicken and pepper into pot. Stir over medium heat until warm.

Serve gravy over biscuits.  

Jazzy Jello

Try this wonderfully cool treat for your hot Fourth of July celebration!

You need:

1/2 Pack          Tropical Jello pack (1.5 oz)

1 Pack             Raspberry Jello pack (3 oz)

1 Cup              Water

1 Cup              Sprite

1/3 Cup           Fruit juice, drained from can of Dole tropical fruit cocktail

1 small can       Dole tropical fruit cocktail

To Make:

Combine Jello powders in glass jello bowl or pan that has a lid. Stir until well mixed. Boil water then pour into bowl/pan containing Jello mixture. Stir for 2 min or until powder is dissolved. add fruit juice and stir. Add Sprite and stir. Quickly add fruit cocktail and immediately cover with lid. Refrigerate for four hours or until firm. 

Serve and enjoy!