Cinnamon Flavored Popcorn

I learned how to make this at enrichment. She had many different flavors. You just have to have different flavored oils to do it. The options are endless. I have tried raspberry, cranberry, tutti fruitti, cherry and I have liked them all. I just haven't found the flavored oils to buy yet so cinnamon is what I tried out. It was also fabulous. I hope that no one notices that all I post are breads, cookies and desserts but here is the recipe and enjoy!

2 bags low fat microwave popcorn
1 cup melted almond bark
1/4 - 1/3 tsp. cinnamon oil

Pop your popcorn. Remove all your old maids. Melt your almond bark and then add your flavoring. It has to be oil flavoring. It can't be extract. Pour over your popcorn and mix and then pour out on parchment paper or wax paper and let dry. Enjoy! Your can store it in a zip lock bag.

Oven Baked Chicken Chimichangas

Quick and easy dinners around here are a MUST on most days. While I would love spending all afternoon in the kitchen I don’t have the time. So here is a great stand-by here at the Allen house

Chicken Chimichungas
1 can Kirkland Signature canned chicken (any chicken tender enough to shred would work, again this dish is all about convince for me!)
1 c. shredded cheese
1 c. salsa
1 small can green chilies (optional)
Tortillas
Olive Oil
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Shred the chicken, and combine with everything except the tortillas. Brush both sides of a warmed tortilla with oil, put a large spoonful of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and roll up like a burrito.
Place on a cookie sheet and bake until the tops are nice, golden and crispy.
Top with salsa, sour cream and lettuce.
YUMMY!

Icebox Sugar Cookies

There really is something nostalgic about sugar cookies, rolling them out, cutting out fun shapes, covering them with icing and sprinkles….and making a GIANT mess! I ran across this sugar cookie recipe about a year and a half ago and now I have a REALLY hard time wanting to make any other sugar cookie. I make the dough, and freeze it. Then when the kids are ready to make them, I give them each a bowl of sprinkles and sugar for dipping. They have a blast covering their cookie in brightly colored sprinkles and the mess is minimal. To make it even better, they are DELICIOUS!

 

Icebox Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) butter,at room temperature
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Sugar and sprinkles, for dipping

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
2. In another medium bowl, using a handheld mixer set at medium speed, beat the 1 cup of sugar and the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the egg, corn syrup, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
3. Using a spoon, gradually stir in the flour mixture. Transfer the dough to a sheet of waxed paper and form it into a log about 12 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Wrap the log of dough in the waxed paper and refrigerate until well-chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Lightly spray 2 nonstick cookie sheets with oil.
5. Unwrap the chilled dough. Place the sugar and sprinkles  in a small bowl. Cut the dough crosswise into 1/4 inch rounds. Dip each round in the sugar, place the cookies sugar side up, 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
6. One sheet at a time, bake the cookies until lightly browned around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. The centers may seem slightly underdone, but they will firm when cooled. Cool the cookies in the pan for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire cake rack to cool completely.  ( I  really try not to let them get brown at all. If you can pull them out before they get brown they are super tender once they cool.)

Zucchini Bread

It’s that time of year again and we are swimming in zucchini! I have frozen over 20 cups of grated zucchini and have even tried freezing slices for baked zucchini later in the year.  Despite the heat here in Cali, I have made countless loaves of zucchini bread. Yum, yum, yummy!

This is my tried and true favorite zucchini bread recipe. I have changed a few things from the original recipe. I substituted applesauce for some of the oil and I added more zucchini. Which helps me feel a little better about the vast amount of bread I consume!

 

Lower Fat Zucchini Bread
2 eggs
1 2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. oil
3 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. applesauce
3-4 c. grated zucchini (the more you use, the heavier your bread will be. I try to stick with around 3 1/2 c.)
3 c. flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
nuts, or chocolate chips if desired

Bead eggs until light and creamy. Add sugar, vanilla, oil, applesauce, and zucchini. Mix lightly, but well. Add dry ingredients, sifted together. Mix until blended. Stir in nuts or chips if desired. Pour into 2 loaf pans. (My kids love mini muffins, and I prefer the small loaf pans they just cook easier.)
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
Enjoy!

Chicken Salad

I got this recipe from my Visiting Teacher and it is great with croussants.

Ingredients: 6 chicken breasts without skin (6-8 chicken breasts needed) or I get a rotissore chicken from Costco
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon Juice
2 teaspoons water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups celery chopped
1 cup red grapes
1/2 cup almonds toasted
1 cup mayonnaise

Directions:
Steam breasts; let cool and shred.
Mix together sugar, basil, and pepper.
Add 1 tsp. of paprika, dry mustard, garlic salt, tarragon, celery seed, and seasoning salt.
Mix together the rice vinegar, lemon juice, water, and vegetable oil.
Mix all the above together and refrigerate overnight.
Before serving add 2 cups of chopped celery, 1 cup of red grapes, 1/2 cup toasted almonds, and 1 cup of mayo. Serve with rolls.