Rolls

 Everyone in the whole wide world: 5 stars

 1 Cup hot milk

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 t salt

3 eggs

3/4 T yeast

1/4 cup warm water

~3 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water (in separate bowl). 

Mix sugar, salt and milk. Beat in 1 cup flour.

Melt butter and add it and eggs. Add one cup flour.

Add yeast mixture. Add 1 1/2 cup flour (plus some if needed). The dough will be really sticky, like a wet cookie dough. Don't be afraid. 

Let rise till double (~2 hours). Roll into circle, cut into 16 triangles, and roll. Let rise till double again (~1.5 hours). 

Bake at 425° until done (~8 minutes). 

Sausage Pasta

 Kids rating: 3 stars

my rating: 5 stars

My family is L-A-M-E, and doesn't love sausage so this isn't their fave, but it's so dang good, and so dang easy, that I still make it all the time. I've even thrown in some veggies and it was still divine, but if you do that, reduce the amount of pasta so your dish stays extra saucy. 

SAUSAGE PASTA

1 Package Pasta (rotini- type)
Olive Oil
1/2 Onion
1 Pkg Jimmy Dean Regular bulk sausage
1 Can Tomato Paste (6 oz)
1 Cup Beef Stock ( I like to use ‘Better Than Bouillon’ paste and 1 cup water)
Salt & Pepper
1 Cup Light Cream (Heavy cream is also acceptable and delicious)

Heat oil in pan.  Add chopped onion.  Cook over low heat until onion is soft. Add sausage meat and fry until done. Drain fat (optional).  Add tomato paste and 1 cup of beef stock.  salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 mins ish. Add cream. Stir. Try not to drink entire pot of sauce.

Cook pasta in salty water. Drain. Combine pasta with sauce.

Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese

Coconut Lime Chicken Chili

 Kids rating: 5 stars

my rating: 4.5 stars

This is really good, like really really good, but what makes it amazing is that it's the easiest thing in. the. world. 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 (12 ounce) jar salsa verde
• 2 (14 ounce) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 lime
• diced avocado, shredded jack/ cheddar cheese, and/or tortilla chips for topping 

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE INSTANT POT:

1. Place everything up through the salt into the instant pot, seal, and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.
2. Let natural release for 10 minutes then remove chicken, shred, and return to pot. Stir together and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve as is or with avocado and chips.

FOR THE SLOW COOKER:

1. Place everything up through the salt into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours (or high for 2-4).
2. Remove chicken, shred, and return to the slow cooker. Stir together and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve as is or with avocado and chips.

Apple Muffins

Kids rating: 4 stars

my rating: 4 stars

Super moist. They honestly taste like a snickerdoodle muffin with apples. And if you can find white or yellow carrots, no one will ever know they're there!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup coconut oil

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups peeled, cored, diced apples (around 3 apples)

1/2 grated carrot (one carrot)

Turbinado sugar fo topping (around 1/2 cup), can sub brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° and either line or spray muffin pan.

With a mixer, cream together sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. The mixture should be thick and pale yellow. Slowly add baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and flour to mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very think almost like the texture of cookie dough. Mix in the apples and carrots. The dough will loosen up a bit with the moisture of the apples. 

Fill cupcake pal almost to the top, about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle each muffin generously with turbinado sugar. 

Bake for 20-24 minutes. Makes 2 dozen. 

Creme Brulee French Toast

My rating: 5 stars

kids' rating: 5 stars

A little fancier than a regular or baked french toast. It serves a family of 6, almost perfectly.

Ingredients

1/2 c butter

1 c brown sugar

2 T corn syrup

12 slices white bread, extra thick slices (Texas toast bread, if you can find that)

5 eggs

1 1/2 C half and half

1/4 t salt

1 t vanilla

Directions

In a small saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup over medium heat until smooth, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture onto large, greased jelly roll pan. Spread to cover surface. Place 12 slices bread in a single layer to cover pan. Mix together eggs, cream, salt, and vanilla. Spoon mixture over each piece of bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered at 350° for about 30 minutes. Remove from pan and serve immediately. Flip bread over when serving so the brown gooey side is face up.

Serve with homemade syrup.

Ginger Snaps

My rating: 4 stars

Kids' rating: 3.5 stars

These are the chewiest gingers in all the land. If you want to impress the neighbors, and don't care that it's not really chocolate, dip half of each cookie in white chocolate and sprinkle with sprinkles. 

4 t baking soda

1 t salt

2 t ginger

1 t cloves

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups brown sugar (dark, if you're feeling extra)

1/2 c molasses

2 eggs

4 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter, sugar, molasses and eggs. Slowly add in dry ingredients. Scoop into balls and roll in sugar. 

Bake 10 minutes at 350°

Recipe stolen from the Cookie Jar

Creamy Lemon Spring Vegetable Pasta

My rating: 4

Kids' rating: 3.5 stars

Everyone loves the sauce. The veggies aren't the kids' favorite, but they were willing to eat them bc of the sauce so I call it a win. 

Ingredients

•  1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
•  1 small shallot minced
•  12 asparagus spears cut into 1-inch pieces, woody ends discarded
•  1/2 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
•  3 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 2 cups broccoli, cut into small pieces
•  3 gloves garlic minced
•  3/4 cup chopped brussels sprouts
•  8 ounces farfalle pasta or pasta of your choice
•  2 tablespoons butter 
•  2 tablespoons flour 
•  2 cups milk
•  Zest of 1 large lemon
•  Juice of 1 large lemon
•  4 lemon slices
•  Salt and pepper to taste
•  1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
•  Parmesan cheese 

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until almost cooked through. Add the shallot, asparagus pieces, artichoke hearts, broccoli, spinach, garlic, and brussels sprouts. Cook until vegetables are tender and spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Pour the vegetables into a large bowl and set aside while you cook the pasta and sauce.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
3. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Place the large skillet you used to cook the vegetables back on the stove and melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, whisking until you don't have any clumps. Slowly whisk in the milk, about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking vigorously. Add the lemon zest and keep whisking until the sauce comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and whisk occasionally until the sauce thickens.  Add in the lemon juice and sliced lemons. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper, to taste.
4. Drain the pasta and add it to the thickened lemon sauce. Stir in the cooked vegetables and stir until the pasta and vegetables are well coated with the creamy lemon sauce. Remove the lemon slices with tongs or a spoon.
5. Garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. Serve warm.