The Best Pesto Ever

Reviewed: Feb. 22, 2009

This pesto has far too may ingredients, I thought using the basil & parsley and walnuts & pine nuts muddled the flavors... too much competition...I also thought there was way too much fat involved. Sorry, but I like my pesto to have a clean, crisp basil/pine nut flavor. I did however like the mixture of cheeses.

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DEBORAHARV614

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Corry, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Roast Sticky Chicken-Rotisserie Style

Reviewed: Feb. 18, 2009

Great flavor. Going to try with bone-in chicken breast next time.

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Sharon H

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Shelby, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Roasted Pork Loin

Reviewed: Feb. 13, 2009

This was pretty good if you really like rosemary. It was a bit overwhelming flavor for me but the meat turned out very tender.

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Sharon H

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Shelby, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Gary's Stuffed Mushrooms

Reviewed: Feb. 11, 2009

When I read this recipe, I decided it should be the main course instead of an appetizer or side. I followed the recipe exactly and was given very positive comments. This is a large quantity of food. Be prepared to freeze leftovers.

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Mike Harvey

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Battle Creek, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Fresh Peach Salsa

Reviewed: Feb. 6, 2009

I "tweaked" the recipe a little to give it more of a traditional salsa flavor...all it needed was jalapenos and cilantro! I also left out the additional sugar. VERY GOOD..thanks for sharing.

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DEBORAHARV614

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Corry, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Herb, Garlic and Bacon Pork Loin

Reviewed: Feb. 3, 2009

I made this for my family tonight, & my husband (who can be hard to please) loved it!! I also made some changes because of what I had on hand. I seared the pork loin first, used chicken bouillion instead of broth, dried herbs instead of fresh, garlic powder instead of cloves, and instead of pearl onions, I quartered some small yellow onions and threw in some quarted yukon potatoes also. The onions and potatoes turned out too soft - next time I'd throw them in later to not cook so much, but the flavor was great. I was concerned about the pork turning out dry & bland like I've had happen before with other recipes, but I didn't have time to marinate or brine it. I'm glad I tried this recipe! Altogether, it was very simple to make, very delicious and I'll be making it again!

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MAREBANARE

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

Living In: Muskegon, Michigan, USA

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Easy Ground Beef Stroganoff

Reviewed: Jan. 29, 2009

This is very similar to the Stroganoff I used to make for my family. However, I used no cubes and added sour cream at the end after I removed it from the heat. We served over noodles. It might not be "real" strognaoff, but the idea is that it is easy, tasty, and simple. My family always loved it. I did try this a few weeks ago (?) and found that using the bouillon made it too salty for me, too.

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Kathygram

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Brunch Strata

Reviewed: Jan. 21, 2009

This turned out great and all enjoyed it. I cut the recipe in half and used diced smoked breakfast links in place of the ham. Could easily leave out the meat for a vegetarian casserole. Based on another review I assembled all the night before and just let sit out while the oven preheated and popped it in for about 40 min. Thanks!

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Sharon H

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Shelby, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Broccoli Cheese Soup V

Reviewed: Jan. 15, 2009

Great recipe! My 3 year old is a fanatic about broccoli cheese soup and I wanted to make him some and this is exactly what I was looking for. I did follow some of the other suggestions and added some cheddar in place of the Velveeta and it was great. I thought it was even better than the kind you get in the restaurant because it had more broccoli. So good, thanks!

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mommyof2

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Jackson, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Chicken Tortilla Soup V

Reviewed: Jan. 12, 2009

my family loved it

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Jen

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Harbor Springs, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Easy Slow Cooker Chicken

Reviewed: Jan. 10, 2009

I thought this was just ok, a little bland for my taste. I did add some broccoli as per the other suggestions. I think it has potential though, I would maybe try adding some onion and maybe use potatoes instead of rice. Good starting recipe just needs some work.

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mommyof2

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Jackson, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Chicken Biscuit Pie

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2009

This turned out pretty good but I had to add some seasonings to it for flavor. The biscuits were tasty but like other reviews I had to turn the temp down and cook longer otherwise the tops would burn and the bottoms would be doughy.

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Sharon H

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Shelby, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Jenn's Out Of This World Spaghetti and Meatballs

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2009

Yummy!! I was hesitant to put the meatballs in the sauce raw but they turned out perfect and tender. Making again for the 2nd time this week. Used dried Oregano since that is what I had and only 2 tbs. brown sugar instead of 1/2 cup of sugar. Also only used 1 can of tomato paste but added 1-2 cans of tomato sauce and reduced the water. UPDATE: After making this several times I noticed that I always get heartburn after eating it which is unusual since I never get it eating other foods. So, just a word of caution. Next time I make it I will cook the meatballs separate, drain the fat, then add to the sauce. Maybe that will fix the problem.

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Sharon H

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Shelby, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Bottom Round Roast with Onion Gravy

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2009

This was a tasty roast. I didn't use all the onions but did add fresh mushrooms and used apple cidar vinegar mixed with water. Cooked it in the crockpot on high 4 hours after browning the meat with some salt, pepper, and rosemary for added flavor.

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Sharon H

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Shelby, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Split Pea Soup

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2009

This soup was pretty good. Based on other reviews I did not soak the peas and added garlic with the onion and sauted before adding to soup. Also added bay leaf. Even with those additions the flavor was a tad too bland for our taste so I think next time I will increase the seasonings. If you like your peas chunkier with texture do not cook it as long as it says b/c it results in a smooth pea soup with only the veggies as chunks.

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Sharon H

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Shelby, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Spinach Bread

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2009

What a delicious and pretty loaf of bread this is :-). I did add slightly more spinach (I had it leftover from the stuffed shells I was making for dinner) and a full teaspoon of pepper. My center fell just slightly as it cooled but it made no difference in the taste and you couldn't even tell after it had been sliced. My DH loved it. THANK YOU :-) RhondaVOOS666...fresh garlic & yeast don't get along. Try adding it later or use garlic powder next time, that should help.

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DEBORAHARV614

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Corry, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Pineapple Angel Food Cake I

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2009

I tried making this cake again last night...my 4th and final attempt. I had eaten this cake years ago at a hospice volunteer luncheon in Rhode Island and loved it. It was light and fluffy and delicious; baked in a 9 x 13. I asked the nurse for her recipe and my first attempt at this cake turned out correctly. But cakes #2 & #3 turned out far to dense/soggy and #3's center actually fell out of the pan when I turned it upside down to cool and both were thrown in the trash. Yesterday I came across this post and decided to try it one more time...I had recently purchased a box of name brand 1 step angel cake and crushed pineapple in its own juice (because my DH is diabetic this is the only type of canned fruit I buy). After reading the reviews I decided to add a teaspoon of vanilla, 1/2 cup each of unsweetened flaked coconut and sliced almonds. I also followed other reviewers suggestions and poured it into my trusty 32 year old angel food cake tube pan. The batter started to bubble up like a science experiment and some even leaked out of the bottom and burnt on the oven floor!! The cake initially rose half way up the sides and then collapsed, it attempted to rise again and almost made it back to the half way mark. I added an extra 10 minutes to the baking time because it did not look done. After removing it from the oven I suspended it over an empty wine bottle (as I always do)until fully cooled. Again I have a cake that in no way resembles an angel food cake...it's edible,

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Reviewer:

DEBORAHARV614

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Corry, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Eileen's Meatloaf

Reviewed: Jan. 2, 2009

Sorry, but I have had better meatloaf recipes. I like the fact that their is little work and usually the ingredients are on hand but the onion soup overpowered the whole dish and I used less than half the packet per other reviews. It was moist and cooked well with a good consistency but the flavor was just too much onion soup.

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Sharon H

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Shelby, Michigan, USA

Living In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

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Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

Reviewed: Dec. 24, 2008

This is a good recipe! They are not as time consuming as others say either. I put the dough in the freezer for an hour and that was cooled perfectly to roll out. Wrapped back up and tossed back in the freezer to chill for the slicing. It worked out well. I mixed them at 9 am and was done early in the afternoon (when kids complied of course). My family enjoyed them very much! I will do these again with other combos!

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