Laurenski Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (1446430)

Quick Alfredo Sauce

Reviewed: Jul. 27, 2011

5 stars for this one. Super easy to make, but did not TASTE like it was super easy to make! I threw this over cooked spaghetti squash with chicken sausage and peas. My husband and 18 month old loved it. I did add salt & pepper and a bit more parmesan to adjust to our taste. Thanks for a great recipe!

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2 users found this review helpful

Out of this World Turkey Brine

Reviewed: Nov. 20, 2009

Wonderful, wonderful recipe! I discovered this recipe several years ago when hosting my first Thanksgiving and have used it ever since. Because it made such moist and tender meat, we have tried it on smoked, grilled, and roasted turkeys and chicken, and they all came out beautifully. *I am a bit surprised to read the reviews that said it was too salty. I don't use a lot of salt while cooking, so I can be kind-of sensitive to it...but this recipe turned out great. Make sure you do not substitute regular table salt if you don't have canning salt. This would definitely contribute to oversalting!

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4 users found this review helpful

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Reviewed: Nov. 16, 2009

Okay, I am shockingly dissappointed with this pie. I made it exactly as written and it was not bad, just okay. (It was made with The Best Ever Pie Crust from this site.) The reason why I was shocked was that I *assumed* with these ingredients it would be a home run. (Plus all of the 5 star ratings!) Maybe my expectations were set too high. Even my husband commented that it was "missing something." It had a good pumpkin flavor, but what was missing, I'm not really sure. More spices? Sugar? I'm still in search of a good homemade pumpkin pie. And I'm glad this was the trial run and not the actual Thanksgiving Pie!

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1 user found this review helpful

Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

Reviewed: Nov. 9, 2009

Boy, has it been a long time since I have made a homemade apple pie! This recipe turned out wonderfully! I used the Best Ever Pie Crust recipe from this site. A couple of things to note: I do agree with the previous review that there was no "paste" consistency with the flour/butter mixture. The syrup had a great caramel like flavor (which I poured on the pie before I put on the top crust- did not make lattice top.) I also agree that spices are needed but love the suggestion to coat the apples with the spice, not to mix it into the syrup. And finally, 8 granny smith apples will make for a *tart* pie which is great if that's what you want. I prefer sweeter pies so I used 2 granny smith, 2 gala and 2 golden delicious. Turned out to be a great combination although I still had apples left over, so next time I will cut back to 5 apples. I used a stone pie plate and it was beautifully cooked in about 40 minutes. I will make this one again!

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Best Ever Pie Crust

Reviewed: Nov. 9, 2009

I made this both exactly as written and with the advice to substitute 1/2 of the shortening with 1/2 a cup of butter. It was MUCH better with the butter. It was cooked in a stone pie plate and it was perfectly cooked in about 40 minutes. Great easy recipe!

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2 users found this review helpful

London Broil for the Slow Cooker

Reviewed: Nov. 9, 2009

I'll admit, I did not have high hopes because it seemed too easy. I was pleasantly surprised that it came out with a rich flavor and was pull apart tender. (For those who do not love the flavor of Cream of mushroom soup, substitute the Cream of Chicken and Mushroom soup as it will give a better flavor. I would not recommend going straight to the Cream of Chicken because it will be too soupy. You need the texture of the Cream of Mushroom.) The only thing I will do differently next time is double the sauce recipe!

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Chicken and Corn Chowder

Reviewed: Oct. 12, 2009

Great hearty fall soup! I used both the bacon grease and the drippings from the pan to intensify the flavor. The flavor turned out great, but it did nothing for the presentation (made it a bit muddy looking.) I also added sliced carrots to use them up which tasted good, but again, messed with the persentation! (Orange circles just don't look as pretty in this soup.) Note: when changing the yield, always double check the calculated measurements! I doubled this recipe and it called for 64 cups of corn starch, haha!

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10 users found this review helpful

Broccoli Biscuit Squares

Reviewed: Oct. 1, 2009

I agree with the other reviews that it lacked flavor. It was good, not excellent. The possibilities are endless when it comes to how you want to season it, which is nice. The basic recipe could go lots of ways! (Which is the reason for the 4 stars.) I added garlic powder, oregano & a splash of Worcestershire sauce to the meat while cooking, and it still needed more. I agree with another reviewer's idea that some kind of sauce could help. Also, I do think adding the cheese to the biscuit mix was unnecessary as you really could not taste it. Just take the cheese & sprinkle it on top. All in all it was nice for a change of pace.

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4 users found this review helpful

Fruit Pizza I

Reviewed: Aug. 26, 2009

Great easy recipe and always a hit at potlucks. Last time I cooked the (store bought) cookie dough the day before, let it cool & covered it with saran wrap & foil. Worked out great until I was ready to assemble the pizza. Also, typically I cut down on the amount of sugar as it is pretty sweet. But that can be done to fit personal taste!

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3 users found this review helpful

Fast Chicken Soup Base

Reviewed: Aug. 26, 2009

This is (by far) the best chicken soup base that I have tried. There are others that are a bit quicker, but this gives the rich homemade taste you are looking for. I have made it several times and the best way was with fresh, raw chicken breasts boiled in the broth/water combo for about an hour. Remove the chicken meat and return bones to the broth when you add the carrots, onions & celery. (The bones are what gives the soup it's wonderful flavor.) After 20 or 30 minutes when the veggies are soft, remove the bones & add the shredded meat, spices & then continue with whatever recipe you are using. I double the recipe, add a bag of Healthy Harvest egg noodles & salt & pepper to taste. Simply heavenly.

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13 users found this review helpful

Curried Cauliflower

Reviewed: Jun. 5, 2009

Loved it. Do not be put off by the mayo...it is actually very good. I added more curry (per our taste) and have made it both with crackers and with Italian-style breadcrumbs. Great either way.

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2 users found this review helpful

Corned Beef and Cabbage II

Reviewed: Jun. 5, 2009

I made this recipe in a crock pot combined with the "Corned Beef and Cabbage" how-to video from this site. (Which means that I added 1 bottle of red Irish beer instead of water and included the spice packet that came with the meat.) The spices were perfect. I have made this 2 times since St. Patrick's Day this year! :) Goes great with the "Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread" from this site. *Remember to cut the meat against the grain.*

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4 users found this review helpful

Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread

Reviewed: Jun. 5, 2009

This is fantastic. Beware: it does come out with a slightly dry and crumbly crust, but that is just to soak up the delicious corned beef & cabbage juice! It has a wonderful flavor that gets rave reviews every time I make it. The only thing that I disagree with is the "servings: 20" part. It is a dense loaf, but I'm not sure 20 servings is accurate. The pieces would be awfully small and that would not cut it for this yummy recipe!

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Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Reviewed: Oct. 13, 2008

Great fall recipe! And the best part is that you can play around with the ingredients to use what you already have. I even threw in some elbow macaroni (to use it up) and it turned out great. Typically soups like this taste better the next day - but by then, my macaroni had sucked up a lot of the liquid, keep this in mind so you can account for it. :)

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Thai Curry Tofu

Reviewed: Jul. 2, 2008

This had a good flavor, but I couldn't get the tofu cooked properly. Frying it didn't work for me...part of it flaked off & burnt on the bottom. I will definately make the sauce again...maybe with veggies or chicken.

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Stuffed Guinea Squash (Eggplant)

Reviewed: Jun. 2, 2008

This recipe is worth ALL 5 stars! I was pleasantly surprised. I though how great could this be...not really any spices, etc. I added Italian style breadcrumbs, a bit of oregano and salt & pepper (cound't help it...had to spice it.) I also took the other reviewers advice & precooked the eggplant shells, & added cooked crumbled chicken sausage. We will definitely make this again!!

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2 users found this review helpful

Creamy Banana Bread

Reviewed: May 20, 2008

YUM! Great, great recipe. This really should be called Banana Crumb Cake, though. Consistancy is more like cake. Having said that, you could serve this for breakfast, brunch or as a dessert as it goes really well with a cup of coffee. I made the recipe as directed in a bundt pan and it came out perfectly. Not your typical banana bread, but this one is a keeper for sure!!

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1 user found this review helpful

White Beans and Peppers

Reviewed: May 8, 2008

Very good! I substituted black beans (what I had) added a little cajun seasoning (along with other spices)and it turned out perfectly. Really great quick side dish, plus it's healthy! The possibilities are endless. Thank you!!

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12 users found this review helpful

Healthy Banana Cookies

Reviewed: Apr. 30, 2008

Hmmm...I have to say that they are growing on me! The first bite was ok as the texture is a bit oily. But the flavor is surprising! It's now the next day and I like them better. I think extra spices are a MUST (I used allspice and cinnamon but it's really per your taste.) Given the fact that there is no refined sugar/flour I have to say that this one is a keeper. Next time I will reduce the oil and figure out a way to fix the texture. **UPDATE** I took other reviewers suggestions & cut back on the oil & added 1 egg. This did wonders for the texture! They came out soft, but MUCH less greasy. Yum...it's back up to 4 stars!

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Banana Banana Bread

Reviewed: Mar. 15, 2008

This was a good recipe but not the best banana bread recipe I've ever had. It is moist and easy to assemble. Just lacking spice. I did add chocolate chips to a batch which was nice.

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1 user found this review helpful