Mixed Berry Cobbler

This calls for strawberries and raspberries, but we made it with strawberries and blueberries and really liked that as well.










Filling1 Tb cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 Tb lemon juice

Topping1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup milk


Blend the sugar and cornstarch. Add fruit and lemon juice and stir until combined. Put filling in a square baking dish and set aside.
For topping, whisk together the dry ingredients. Work in butter just until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Add the milk and stir until everything is moistened.
Use a teaspoon scoop to drop balls of dough close together on top of the filling. Sprinkle with sugar if desired.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the top is browned and filling is bubbly. Allow dish to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Chicken Orzo Soup

This recipe is from Pampered Chef. It is a nice change of pace from the traditional chicken noodle soup. The recipe calls for Feta cheese which Jess and I both really liked with the soup. If you are not a Feta lover or want a substitute for your kids, use Queso Fresco. It has the same consistency but has a very mild taste.

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp dried oregano
32 oz. chicken broth
1 cup water
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/3 cup uncooked orzo
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/3 cup chopped roasted red pepper
1 Tb lemon juice
Feta cheese

• In a pot, saute onion and garlic in oil with the oregano. Add broth, water and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender. About 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, dice chicken. Chop zucchini and red pepper and add them to the broth. Return to a boil and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with Feta cheese.

Orange Walnut Chicken

I thought this was really good. It comes from Taste of Home, and everything from them is delicious. We didn't add the extra green onion garnish because of the kids, but it still turned out wonderful.






3 Tb orange juice
3 Tb vegetable oil, divided
1 Tb soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 Tb butter
4 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tb honey
1-2 Tb grated orange peel
2-3 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

• Combine orange juice concentrate, 2 Tb of oil, soy sauce and garlic. Add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate 2-3 hours. 
• Remove chicken and reserve marinade. In a skillet, cook chicken in remaining oil until juices are clear. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute nuts in butter until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
• Set aside 1/4 cup green onions for garnish. Add remaining onions to saucepan and saute until tender. Add reserved marinade and the next 8 ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5-10 minutes or until sauce reaches desired consistency. Serve chicken over rice and top with the orange sauce and walnuts and onions.

Open Faced Omelet

This is a great breakfast or a light dinner. I made it just as written and I liked it a lot. My kids don't appreciate broccoli as much as I do. They ate it, but if I made it again I would substitute spinach for the broccoli.






1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup chopped, sweet red pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked ham
1 cup frozen hash browns, thawed
10 eggs
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• In a 9 or 10 inch skillet coated with cooking spray, saute broccoli, red pepper, and onions until crisp tender. Add ham and hash browns. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.


• In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and pepper. Pour over vegetables. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with cheese and cook for another few minutes until cheese is melted.

Cheddar Mushroom Stuffed Potatoes

My children are not huge potato fans. They like an occasional mashed potato dish once in a while, but they have never loved it. I made these and was really surprised that all three children not only ate the potato (skin and all) but said how much they loved them.



6 large potatoes
2/3 cup milk or cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped, fresh mushrooms
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

• Bake potatoes at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until tender.
• When cool enough to handle, cut a thin slice off the top of each potato and discard. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4 inch on sides. Set aside.
• Place pulp in a bowl and add milk and mash. Add 3/4 cup cheese, mushrooms, garlic salt, basil, oregano, and bacon. Stir until combined.
• Spoon back into potato shells and top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes at 375 degrees or microwave on high for 5-8 minutes.

Berry Lemonade Slush

1/2 cup Country Time Lemonade drink mix (dry)
1/2 cup water
1 cup frozen berries
3 cups ice cubes


Measure drink mix and empty into blender.Add remaining ingredients and enough extra water to blend to a drinkable consisitancy.