New Yummy Holiday Recipes added!

Whether you are in need of some new yummy Christmas candy recipes or want to know what to do with that leftover ham this Holiday Season Alicias Recipes has got you covered!  Here is just a sample of what we have added to our website for the Holidays-

Toffee Bars

Easy Chocolate Turtles

Salted Nut Roll Bars

Peanut Butter Oat Balls

Ham & Bean Soup

Classic Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich

Ham and Cheese Stuffed Potatoes

Ham and Cheese Strata

Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Glaze

Lemon Oregano Chicken Skewers

I'm giving these Chicken Skewers a 5 out of 5. They were delicious, very tender and cooked up beautifully. These would be fabulous served with a sauce, but we enjoyed them on their own and served them simply with some flavored rice and a vegetable. Definitely a keeper!

Get the recipe for these Lemon Oregano Chicken Skewers here.

New recipes added recently:

Smoked Turkey Breast
Green Turkey Chili
Baked Penne with Turkey Meatballs
Fluffy Pumpkin Pie
Fluffy Pumpkin Pie 2
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Italian Omelet
Hash Brown Bake
Bean and Ham Casserole
Nectarine Cheesecake
Potato Bacon Frittata
Zesty Snap Peas
Irish Casserole
Curried Pork
Knot Rolls
Greek Chicken
Barbara Bush's BBQ Chicken
Thai Chicken Legs
Chicken in Wine Sauce
Spice Apple Cake
Apple Stuffed Chicken
Pork Chop Potato Bake
Triple Decker Turkey Bacon Sandwich
Deep Fried Turkey
Holiday Leftover Turkey Stew
Baked Southwest Sandwiches
Glazed Turkey Meatloaf
Pork Chops and Pintos
Baked Reuben Braid
Noodle Kuegel
Exotic Chicken Salad
Kahlua Bars
Baked Pork Chops with Garden Stuffing
Green Bean Stir Fry
Key Lime Cake
Buttermilk Chocolate Sheet Cake
Buttermilk Lemon Pound Cake
Bird Nest Cupcakes
Strawberry Mini Muffins
Cheddar Twists
Cashew Butter Fudge Candy
Cracker Candy
Mint Chocolate Meringues
Chocolate Fudge
Corn Flake Candy
Chow Mein Candy Clusters
No Crust Ham Quiche
Mango Glazed Ham
Ham and Cheese Muffins
Apple Ham Salad
Dreamy Chocolate Fudge
Rich Chocolate Fudge
Candy Cane Chocolate Fudge
Cream Cheese Mints
Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins with Streusel Topping
Coffee and Cinnamon Fudge
Meltaways
Cherry Peanut Butter Balls
Rocky Road Fudge
Peanut Butter Fudge
Peppermint Puffs

Don't forget to enter our giveaway for a fabulous Build-Your-Own Cookbook Binder! 

Enter daily to win this great prize!

Potato Chip Chicken recipe review and new recipes added

There are many ways that you can make this Potato Chip Chicken recipe a bit healthier. Instead of using melted butter, you could brush the chicken with olive or canola oil. Certainly instead of potato chips, you could use baked chips or even pretzels. All in all though, this recipe is very tasty, has a great texture, and cooks up perfectly. I give this a 5 out of 5. Enjoy!


New recipes added this week:
Orange Mashed Potatoes
Pumpkin Pear Strudel
Maine Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Bars
Butterscotch Tarts
Sweet Potato Cobbler #2
Sweet Potato Cobbler #3
Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken
Balsamic Chicken and Thyme
Boston Market's Sweet Potato Casserole
Curry Roast Chicken and Vegetables
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes 2
Orange Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Stew
Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

Enter our Giveaway!

This month, enter to win this Expandable Stainless Steel Fruit & Display Basket, courtesy of our sponsor, Kid Smart Living!

This brushed stainless steel expandable fruit basket makes storing and displaying fruit and veggies a breeze, and the open air designs keeps produce fresh longer than a regular bowl. Best of all, it folds completely flat - under an inch tall -- for storage in drawers or other tight spaces, plus it can be hung on a wall or in a cabinet.

Perfect for an eye-catching display or centerpiece in any busy family kitchen, especially those with tight storage. Also great for use in campers, boats and more.

• 12" tall, 9" dia -- folds down to just 0.75" tall
• Made of brushed stainless steel
• Folds flat for easy storage
• Flexible metal basket expands with the addition of fruit or veggies

Rules: Must have a SHIPPING address in the continental U.S., 18 years or older. You may enter once per day. Entries will be accepted through midnight, CST on October 31, 2010. Winner will be drawn at random and notified via email.  They will have 72 hours to respond or an alternate winner will be drawn.


To enter this giveaway click here!

Winner of September's giveaway

The winner of our September giveaway was randomly selected and notified via email today. His entry # was 2425 and his name is Jason Cook. Congratulations! We hope you enjoy your Chill-To-Go Plastic Lunch Container With Juice Box!

Stay tuned for our new giveaway at Alicia's Recipes!

Chicken Jambalaya recipe review and new recipes

We recently enjoyed this Chicken Jambalaya recipe for dinner. The flavors are great, though you could certainly kick it up a notch by adding some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. We have the keep the spices down here due to some sensitive stomachs in the family.

I'd give this recipe a 4.5 out of 5, good flavor, easy to prepare, the only issue being that the vegetables were not done in the time called for. I had to increase the cooking time considerably to get the vegetables to cook. Definitely good though and worth putting on your menu plan!

New recipes added this week:



Ham and Cheese Scones
Honey Baked Ham Broccoli Souffle
Sweet-Sour Glazed Ham
Caribbean Callaloo and Crab
Spiced Pumpkin Muffins
Spiced Pumpkin Pie
Curried Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
Orange-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Mexican Soup
Apple Pumpkin Bread
Holiday Pumpkin Treats
Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

Tiramisu Bundt Cake review and new recipes

Recently I made this Tiramisu bundt cake. I have to make a confession here, I prefer homemade cake over box cake. My daughter on the other hand, prefers the box. This recipe uses a box. Because of my biast opinion, I have decided to give this cake a 3.5 out of 5, let me tell you why:

1) Easy, it's a box cake, a pint of coffee ice cream, and some eggs. Simple stuff.

2) The cake does taste like coffee. How couldn't it with a pint of coffee ice cream! :)

3) The tiramisu part I disagree with. There's too many elements missing, and believe me, I know, I love tiramisu! I think this really should have just been called coffee bundt cake.  I did add a dusting off cocoa powder on top of the glaze, but that still didn't cut it.

Overall, this is good, but again, I'm not a box cake person and it was overly soft to me. Good flavor though, so if you like really soft cakes, you'll like this! Oh and just so you know, I didn't follow the frosting instructions, instead I "painted" on a simple powdered sugar glaze with a pastry brush, let it dry, then added a glaze flavored with instant espresso.

Here are some more new recipes added to Alicia's this week!
Chicken Casserole for a Crowd
Chicken in Walnut Sauce - delicious, review coming!
Canadian Bacon Breakfast
Egg Sandwich
Cornbread Dressing
All Pumpkin's Night Stew - good stuff, review coming!
Cheesy Chipotle Polenta
Cafe Continental Pumpkin Muffins

Chicken and Orzo and some new recipes

Today I want to tell you about a dish called Chicken and Orzo Skillet. Funny thing is, this is the first time I've ever made orzo, just never bought it before. This was delicious and I will be making this again. I'm giving this a 5 out of 5 stars for the following reasons:

Recipe review: Chicken and Orzo Skillet

1) I stepped out of my comfort zone a bit on this one. I rarely cook with spinach and have never made orzo. The directions were simple and the results were delicious.

2) The chicken seemed a little on the dry side, probably my fault though. I may have cooked it a little too long.

I was really pleased with this recipe. I kept the leftovers and had them for lunch the next day and it was still wonderful. A definite keeper!

Have you made one of our recipes and would like to share your review? Send it to me and I'll share it on this blog!

New Recipes Added
Chicken Jambalaya
Fresh Peach and Almond Bread with Cinnamon Almond Topping
Lemon Oregano Chicken Skewers
Potato Chip Oven Fried Chicken
Tiramisu Bundt Cake

Alicia's on Facebook!

Well we've come out of the dark ages and joined the ranks in the social networking world. You can now "like" us on Facebook and get updates, new recipes, random recipes, contests, and recipe reviews all on your Facebook feed.

Click here to "like" Alicia's on Facebook!

Enter our Giveaway!

This month, enter to win this Chill-To-Go Plastic Lunch Container With Juice Box, courtesy of our sponsor, Kid Smart Living!

Kids of all ages will have a blast with this on-the-go lunch container with juice box! Durable and reusable--this container is dishwasher and microwave safe. Perfect for take along sandwiches, salads and more.

• Made of BPA free polypropylene plastic
• 7.5" long, 6" wide, 3.75" tall with lid
• Bottom container holds 24oz
• Side container holds 10oz
• Drink bottle holds 9oz
• Dishwasher and Microwave reheat safe
• Freezer insert hand wash only
• Freezer insert not to be used in microwave or dishwasher

Rules: Must have a SHIPPING address in the continental U.S., 18 years or older. You may enter once per day. Entries will be accepted through midnight, CST on September 15, 2010. Winner will be drawn at random and notified via email.  They will have 7 days to respond or an alternate winner will be drawn.

To enter, click here.

Spiced Pear Bread and some new recipes

Before I give you the link to our newest recipes, let me tell you about this pear bread that I tried recently. I'm giving this a 5 out of 5 stars for the following reasons:

Recipe review: Spiced Pear Bread

1) Molasses. I didn't have any and didn't want to go to the store, so I used honey. I also left out the nuts.

2) Very easy to make and delicious!

A very tasty quick bread. I used pears that weren't completely ripe, they were still quite firm. I actually think that was very helpful in this recipe as the chunks were highly visible in the final result but perfectly tender and soft when you eat it. Yum! (Visit the link above for the original recipe or you can see my adapted version called Honey Pear Bread.)

Have you made one of our recipes and would like to share your review? Send it to me and I'll share it on this blog!

New Recipes Added

Burgers Florentine
Chicken & Orzo Skillet
Mediterranean Chicken
Spinach and Beef Enchiladas
Spinach Rice Cakes

Chocolate sauce recipe review and new recipes

We do have some new recipes for you this week, but first I want to share a review on a recipe I tried. I'm giving this a 4 out of 5 stars for the following reasons:

Recipe review: Chocolate Sauce

1) Corn syrup. I'm not really crazy about using corn syrup. But I did, and I survived.

2) Pretty easy to make, no complicated instructions.

3) Most importantly, everyone is eating it. Hubby loves ice cream for dessert. This recipe made enough to fill an empty pancake syrup bottle, I just keep it in the fridge. He pops open the top and heats it in the microwave for 20 seconds and pours it over his ice cream.

4) Thick, definitely not runny like Hershey's syrup.

Overall a pretty good recipe. if my family's happy with it, so am I. :) Have you made one of our recipes and would like to share your review? Send it to me and I'll share it on this blog!

New Recipes Added

Bacon Chicken
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Chicken Stuffed Shells
Good Gravy Spicy Chicken
Julie's Chicken Casserole
Aloha Burgers
Graham Cracker Pineapple Casserole
Hummingbird Cake
Lazarus Chicken Salad
Teriyaki Shrimp Stir-fry with Pineapple and Peppers

New recipes added

Hi everyone! Just wanted to pop in and share with you some of the latest recipes that have been added to the Alicia's. There's also a giveaway this month for a microwave quesadilla maker, so be sure to enter (see end of post)!

New recipes:

Banana and Peanut Butter Pancakes
Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes
Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes
Blueberry-Bran Pancakes
Sweet Potato Pecan Waffles
Bartlett Harlequin Jam
Caramel Apple Pear Cobbler
Grilled Pears with Currants
Oatmeal Muffins
Spiced Pear Bread
Blackberry Muffins (pictured)
Crock Pot Sausage And Sweet Potatoes
Crock Pot Sausage Chowder
Crockpot Chili With Beans
Crockpot Taco Soup
Applesauce Pancakes
Impossibly Easy Italian Chicken Pie
Red Lobster Biscuits
Duck Cassoulet
Blackberry Breakfast Bars
Blackberry Crepes
Jeanie's Tomato Salsa
Chocolate Sauce

Enter our giveaway!

This month, enter to win this MiracleWare Microwave Quesadilla Maker & Tortilla Warmer.

Great for kids and dorms! Make quesadillas the easy and tidy way -- in the microwave! Our microwave quesadilla maker lets you pile on the fillings without worrying about flipping and making a mess on the stove.

Rules: Must be a legal U.S. resident, 18 years or older. You may enter once per day. Entries will be accepted through midnight, CST on August 15, 2010. Winner will be drawn at random and notified via email.  They will have 7 days to respond or an alternate winner will be drawn.

To enter, click here and fill out the form

New recipes added

Stop by and see what new recipes we have in store for you! We've chosen some of our most popular categories to feature this week. You can visit the main categories by clicking each heading as well :)


1) bisquick recipes
Applesauce Pancakes
Impossibly Easy Italian Chicken Pie
Red Lobster Biscuits

2) navy bean recipes (includes other types of beans as well)
Duck Cassoulet

3) blackberry recipes
Blackberry Breakfast Bars
Blackberry Crepes

4) salsa recipes
Jeanie's Tomato Salsa

5) syrup recipe
Chocolate Sauce

New recipes added

Just look at all the new recipes we've added recently. Have you made anything from our site? Be sure to share a picture!

Barbecue Beef Sandwiches
Noodles Romanoff
Fruit Compote
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Sweet Potato Cobbler
All American Strawberry Clouds
Strawberry Pancake Roll-Ups
Fruit and Cheese Salad
Strawberry Smoothie
Champagne Salad
4 Bean Salad
Nana’s Salad
Pork and Butternut Squash Stew
Crockpot Chicken Chili
Crockpot Lamb Curry with Butternut Squash
BLT Salad
Hot Potato Salad
Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Cookies (pictured)
BBQ Pork and Beans
Fish n Chips
Southwest Tuna Salad
Pasta Primavera Salad
Tuna and White Bean Salad
Savory Wisconsin Aged Cheddar-Chile Poblano Cheesecake
Fiesta Dip

Be sure to enter our giveaway as well, you could win a fabulous acrylic bundt cake keeper!

Enter our Giveaway!

This month, enter to win this Cake Keeper Acrylic Cake Plate: Deluxe Bundt Cake Keeper, courtesy of our sponsor, Kid Smart Living!

The Cake Keeper Acrylic Cake Plate and Dome by NordicWare is every baker’s answer to attractive display, stay-fresh storage, and safe, easy transportation of their baked creations!

The Cake Keeper Bundt Cake dome locks to the base with a simple twist to keep cakes fresher longer and to make carrying and travel a snap. Crafted of durable, break-resistant acrylic plastic, the Cake Keeper Bundt-style cake plate with dome lets you show off your cakes in style without the weight or worry of broken glass.

The Cake Keeper Bundt Style acrylic cake plate and dome fits round, layered and bundt cakes up to 11" in dia.

• 13" long, 12" wide, 7" tall.
• Hand-washing dome is recommended due to size
• Cake plate base can be put in the dishwasher

Rules: Must be a legal U.S. resident, 18 years or older. You may enter once per day. Entries will be accepted through midnight, CST on June 15, 2010. Winner will be drawn at random and notified via email.  They will have 7 days to respond or an alternate winner will be drawn.


To enter this giveaway daily, click here!

Mother's Day Ideas

Mother's Day is May 9th, so it's time to start planning your menu! We have thousands of free recipes to choose from, but we know how busy you are, so we've picked some out for you.

If you are looking for recipes from scratch, here are some great choices:

French Toast with Pears - Canned pears are used in this delicious recipe. Whip up this tasty French toast for Mom on her special day.

Peach Scones - These lovely scones are perfect with tea! This recipe uses dried peaches, making it perfect for any time of the year.

Oriental Brunch Salad - Does Mom love oriental flavors? then she'll want to try this fresh salad drizzled with homemade dressing.

If you prefer using convenience items such as Bisquick, condensed soups and other such items, here are some great picks:

Impossible Brunch Pie - This recipe uses Bisquick, frozen vegetables, and cheese all baked in a pie plate for a tasty brunch entree.

Pear Brunch Cake - Bisquick plays a role in this pretty, yet simple cake. Top with a dollop of yogurt instead of frosting for a lighter treat.

Blueberry Jello Salad - Put this dessert together in no time using boxed Jell-O, canned pie filling and canned pineapple.

Wherever you make this Mother's Day, we hope you have a wonderful one. Oh! And don't forget to enter to win this month's great prize, this fabulous cherry pitter!

Other ideas you might like:
Tea time ideas and recipes
Mother's Day crafts for kids
Mother's Day coasters - a crochet pattern
Easy Microwave Broccoli Brunch from Annie's Recipes

Enter our Giveaway!

This month, enter to win this Plastic Cherry Pitter With Bonus Collapsible Colander, courtesy of our sponsor, Kid Smart Living!

Handy, self-contained cherry pitter is ideal for quickly pitting cherries for pies and other tasty treats!---Simply place cherries on stand, close lid and push down for pits to be removed. Cherry pitter comes with bonus collapsible colander. This is a great item for busy kitchens and for kids who want to help - supervised, of course!

• 2.25" Tall locked, 4.5" Tall unlocked, 7" Length, 3" Diameter
• Bonus Colander is 1" Tall collapsed, 2.5" Tall expanded, 8.25" Length, 4.5" Diameter
• Spring loaded for locking mechanism for compact storage
• Non-skid base catches pits
• Dishwasher safe
• Easy removal of cherries from prongs
• Pits 4 small cherries or 4 large cherries at once

Rules: Must be a legal U.S. resident, 18 years or older. You may enter once per day. Entries will be accepted through midnight, CST on May 15, 2010. Winner will be drawn at random and notified via email.  They will have 7 days to respond or an alternate winner will be drawn.

To enter, click here and fill out the simple form!

New recipes added

We've added several new recipes to the site. And don't forget to enter our giveaway too!

Chinese Chicken Salad

12 ounces Boneless, skinless chicken breast
10 ounces Iceberg lettuce
4 ounces Cilantro
8 each Green Onions
1.5 ounces Cellophane rice noodles
2 Tbl Kikkoman FF Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing

1. Roast or boil chicken breasts until done. Allow to cool
2. Shred iceberg lettuce, trim cilantro, slice green onions
3. Toss iceberg, cilantro, and green onions
4. Cut chicken breasts in strips
5. On a plate place 3 ounces of lettuce mix
6. Top with 3 ounces of chicken breast
7. Garnish with cellophane noodles
8. Drizzle 2 Tbl. of Fat Free Salad Dressing over chicken


More new recipes!

Oatmeal Cookies
Pizza Mexicana
Simple Spinach and Scallion Dip
Spinach and Lamb Farfalle
Spinach Lasagna
Spinach Quiche

New recipes added

New items have been added to Alicia's Recipes. Easter is coming quickly, so be sure to check out all of our Easter recipes! Also, don't forget to enter daily to win this great Recipe Holder, enter until April 15th!

1 New Article
A Grocery Price Book - by Gary Foreman
One of the most valuable tools that you have in saving money is a grocery price book. And it's easy and cheap to use. Unlike some other areas (housing, transportation), you can make changes in your grocery budget without making major adjustments in your life.  Read More
 
6 New Recipes
Baked Ham With Apricot Mustard Glaze
Baked Ham with Pepsi Cola Sauce
Berry Cobbler
Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Gravy
Cheddar Potato Casserole
One Dish Chicken

Recent Articles
Sweet and Sour: Trying Something Different
Bean Tips
Oats & Oatmeal Tips
Popcorn Tips & Recipes

Giveaway: Win this Acrylic Recipe Card Box!

This month, enter to win this Acrylic Recipe Card Box!

Keep your favorite recipes at hand and well protected in this acrylic recipe box. Made of durable clear acrylic plastic, our recipe box features a hinged lid and convenient recipe card holder to display cards while cooking.

Its compact design keeps over 250 recipe cards at your fingertips. Clear acrylic matches any decor, and front "recipe" card is removable so you can customize your box with a photo or favorite recipe.

• Includes 9 dividers and 50 blank recipe cards.
• Holds up 250 recipe cards
• Large recipe box holds 4"x6" recipe cards.
• Large recipe box measures 6.5" x 4" x 5.25"

Rules: Must be a legal U.S. resident, 18 years or older. You may enter once per day. Entries will be accepted through midnight, CST on April 15, 2010. Winner will be drawn at random and notified via email.  They will have 7 days to respond or an alternate winner will be drawn.

Click here to enter daily!

Sweet and Sour: Trying Something Different

Sweet and sour recipes, as cooked in North America, and not truly traditional to China. As with many ethnic dishes, Americans have put their own twist on them to fit in with their lifestyles. Many sweet and sour recipes from North America contain tomatoes, or even catsup, which is not an ingredient native to China. Nonetheless, sweet and sour dishes, whether they be traditional or "Americanized" are a tasty addition to your monthly menu plan.

A common misconception about Asian dishes is that they are difficult to prepare. Nothing could be further from the truth! Whether you are making some traditionally, using the stir fry method in a wok, or using the flavors to enhance a slow cooker dish, these recipes are quick and easy.

To read the entire article please click Sweet and Sour: Trying Something Different

Here are just a few recipes we have available:

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet And Sour Beef Brisket
Sweet And Sour Meatballs
Sweet And Sour Chicken
Microwave Sweet And Sour Pork Chops
Spinach Salad With Sweet And Sour Dressing

You can search for other sweet and sour dishes here too!

See you next week!

~ Amanda

Popcorn Recipes & Tips for National Popcorn Day

January 19th is Popcorn Day. Though we can't seem to find any origin to this declaration, some sources think it ties in with the Super Bowl. Makes sense I guess, parties, food, snacks, popcorn just fits right in! Popcorn has been enjoyed for much longer than you would think though. Many native tribes used it not only for eating, but for making celebratory necklaces. Ah yes, glorious popcorn!

So let's celebrate Popcorn Day by making some tasty treats! Try one of these recipes, or visit our site for more popcorn recipes.

Butter Pecan Popcorn
Caramel Corn
Cranberry Popcorn Balls
Honey Butter Popcorn Balls
Red Hot Popcorn


Popcorn Tips & Recipes

by Amanda Formaro

Popcorn has been around for a lot longer than many of us thought. Did you know that natives used to spear corn cobs on large sticks and cook them over an open fire? The kernels would pop and stay on the cob, making popcorn on the cob! I'm still a little amazed at that one and would love to try it myself one day.

For now though, I'll stick with the good old fashioned method of popping corn. After all, you can't buy cobs of corn ready for popping, but you can buy bags of it, and relatively cheap too. There are a couple of different fool proof ways of making homemade popcorn:

Microwave Paper Bag Method
Believe it or not, all you need is a brown lunch bag, some unpopped popcorn kernels, and some tape or staples. Open the brown bag, pour in enough kernels to cover the bottom of the bag completely. It's alright if a few of the kernels overlap, just make sure you cover the bottom of the bag. Next, fold the top of the bag closed and either tape or staple (they will not spark) it shut. Place the bag on its side in the microwave and cook it just like you would store bought microwave popcorn. Because all microwaves vary, the time it takes to cook your popcorn is going to be individual to your oven. Generally between 2 and 3 1/2 minutes will do it.

Want to read the rest of this article? 
Visit Popcorn Tips on Alicia's Recipes to read the rest!

Be sure to check out all of our popcorn recipes!

January is National Oatmeal Month: Recipes and Facts

January is National Oatmeal Month. Did you know that Americans buy more oatmeal during the month of January than any other month during the year? It's no wonder, oatmeal is a hot breakfast, perfect for cold, wintery days, and it's good for you. Many create New Year's resolutions to eat better and improve their health, so it's just natural for so much oatmeal to be consumed during the blustery days of January.

Below are a bunch of recipes from our site that use oatmeal as an ingredient. You can see our complete search for "oats" here, or visit our Oatmeal Cookie section here. Be sure to check out our oatmeal tips below as well!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Almond Granola Bars
Low Fat Fruit & Oatmeal Bars
Apple Crisp
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Honey Banana Bread
Mennonite Oatmeal Cake
Cranberry Caramel Bars
Granola
Cowboy Cookie Mix

Oatmeal Tips
by Amanda Formaro

Oatmeal is a very versatile grain. You can cook it and eat it as is, use it in baked goods, and even make it into soap! There are several different types of oatmeal, knowing the difference can save you from a bowl of cardboard for breakfast.

Types of Oatmeal
There are several types of oatmeal, the most common being old fashioned oats, quick cooking oats, steel cut oats, and instant oatmeal. All oatmeal is made from oat groats. Oat groats are minimally processed whole oats that take a long time to cook in their whole state.

Old Fashioned Oats
Probably the most common type of oats, widely available on grocer shelves, old fashioned oats are used in baking as well as cooked and eaten for breakfast. This type of oat has been steam heated and then flattened, forming an oat flake. A bowl of old fashioned oatmeal usually takes about 5 minutes in boiling water or 2-3 minutes in the microwave.

Quick Cooking Oats
These are basically old fashioned oats that have been flattened further still and cut into smaller pieces to allow them to cook faster. This process allows for a much faster cooking time.

Want to read the rest of this article?
Visit Bean Tips on Alicia's Recipes to read the rest!

Bean Day Recipes

January 6th is Bean Day. Why? No one seems to know. I can't seem to find anything about its origins, though there are theories about farmers celebrating the bean harvest. But in January?? Who knows. I do know that we have a lot of bean recipes and I am more than happy to share them with you! January is also National Staying Healthy Month, so eating legumes, which are high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, is the perfect solution.

So why not celebrate Bean Day by making something with beans? Or better yet, make it the main attraction. Beans have loads of protein, are a great low fat replacement to meat, and are very inexpensive. Try one of these recipes, or visit our bean recipe section for more.

Amish Bean Soup
Black Bean Soup
Crock Pot Beans
Hunter's Beans
Old Fashioned Baked Beans
Three Bean Casserole
7 Bean Salad


Bean Tips
by Amanda Formaro

Legumes are a type of vegetable that includes beans, peas and lentils. Legumes are one of the most versatile and nutritious foods, low in fat, they contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. Legumes also contain beneficial fats, and are a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber. A wonderful source of protein, legumes can be a healthy substitute for meat, which is much higher in fat and cholesterol. Legumes are often chosen by vegetarians to replace the protein they miss by removing meat from their diets.

Inexpensive
Aside from all the health benefits that beans offer, they are extremely budget friendly. A one pound bag of beans is usually less than $1.50 and can make several meals, depending on the number of servings you are planning.

Storing
Beans can be stored in the bags they are packaged in. However, if you open the bag, or if the bag is punctured, it's better to store the beans in a glass or plastic container with a tight fitting lid. Moisture is the enemy, and air carries moisture. Do not keep dried beans in the refrigerator, a dark cabinet is best.

Want to read the rest of this article? 
Visit Bean Tips on Alicia's Recipes to read the rest!

Be sure to check out all of our bean recipes!

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Ham Recipes
Pasta, Noodle & Rice Recipes
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