Donna B Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (10780353)

Playgroup Granola Bars

Reviewed: Mar. 11, 2009

I was disappointed with these, but since I did make some changes I'll still give them a 3. Based on the recommendation of other reviewers I reduced the amount of sugar (I do this in most baked goods) and added some apple sauce to make them more moist. The consistency came out ok, but these were super bland. If it weren't for the ton of raisins and crushed pecans I put in, these would have been practically tasteless. I think this is partly due to the reduced sugar, so I would definitely recommend using the full amount. But there was still something missing. They were super easy to make though. Don't know if I'll try them again.

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Beef, Burgundy Style

Reviewed: Feb. 6, 2009

I lost my family recipe for this dish so I tried this one, and I have to say I think it is much better. I'm glad I lost the old one! I didn't have demi glace, but the other sauce ingredients are what is used to make a demi glace, so I don't know that it was missed all that much. I didn't cook the beef in bacon grease to reduce the fat, and I used dried herbs because that's what I had. I also used stew meat pieces, as that's what I've always used, and they turned out very moist and tender. I reduced the amount of meat to 1 lb. so I could have more sauce. Since it takes a few hours to cook, I made this the day before, and when I reheated it I added the mushrooms and another 3/4 c beef stock because it had thickened too much. Served over homemade spaetzle (the only way to eat beef burgundy, in my opinion) it was heavenly! Thanks for the recipe!

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Chicken Pot Pie VIII

Reviewed: Feb. 2, 2009

Yummy! A big hit with my husband and easy to make. I did cheat this time and use a premade pie crust, due to lack of time, but next time I'll do homemade. As others suggested, I halved the filling recipe, pre-cooked the potatoes in the broth, and brushed my bottom crust with egg to keep it from getting soggy. I also sustituted frozen mixed veggies for the fresh carrots. It turned out great! I did have to cook it for 40 min. instead of 30, but that could just be my oven.

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Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch

Reviewed: Feb. 2, 2009

I really liked this, and will never make it with canned soup again. After reading other suggestions, I added 1/4 c cream cheese to the sauce and a chicken buillion cube to the milk. I left out the celery (hubby doesn't like it), used 1/2 lb. elbow macaroni, and left out the bread crumb & cheddar topping, as cheddar cheese on tuna casserole didn't sound appealing. Instead I sprinkled a little parmesan on top. Very tasty, but since I made so many changes I only gave it a four.

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BBQ Tuna Fritters

Reviewed: Jan. 26, 2009

I was really surprised at how well the BBQ sauce went with the tuna. I never would have thought to put the two together. Very good. I have made these several times.

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Apple Scones

Reviewed: Jan. 5, 2009

These were very good, though more moist than the scones I'm used to. More muffin-like. I added cinnamon to the dough as suggested by others, and I used buttermilk instead of regular milk, as that's all I had. Also, I finely chopped the granny-smith apple instead of shredding it, as this seemed easier, and I added raisins for extra sweetness. Yum! Finally, whenever I make scones, I never bother to shape them. I just scoop them out into big blobs on my baking stone, like with lumpy-bumpy biscuits (if you know what I mean by that). Much easier and they taste the same no matter how they look. I will definitely make these again, though probably with regular milk.

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Turkey Brine

Reviewed: Dec. 31, 2008

I followed the advice of others and cut the salt in half, and this worked great. My icemaker isn't working so I only added really cold water instead of ice water. I put it in a cooler as someone else suggested (being the only thing large enough to fit the bird.) and put that in the fridge. I brined it for 24 hours before cooking. My turkey was fully cooked in only 2 hours when it should have taken almost 3! Not sure if the brining make it cook faster or the roasting pan I used. As a result my bird didn't get as brown as I would have liked, because I didn't want to overcook it. But it tasted great and was not at all dry. I will never make a turkey without brining it again.

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German Sauerkraut Soup

Reviewed: Dec. 30, 2008

After reading other reviews that stated this soup seemed bland I made a few changes. First, I didn't saute the onions and I don't think it really made any difference. I used a meaty ham bone instead of smoked ham hocks because I had one left over from a Christmas party. I cooked it in 4 cups water and 2 cups vegetable broth for a little extra flavor. Also, I drained the sauerkraut but did NOT rinse it. Rinsing sauerkraut washes most of the flavor away, which is probably the main reason most people thought this soup bland. I never rinse it (but that might be because I'm Polish, and we like our kraut more sour I guess). I also added 5 or 6 sliced mushrooms and 1/3c quick-cooking pearl barley when I added the sauerkraut to make it more hearty. I did not use any bacon because the soup is already a little greasy from the ham. Instead I thickened it with about 2-3 T cornstarch. I didn't want it too thick. Finally, I made sure to temper the sourcream before adding. It sounds like a lot of changes, but they were all more like little tweaks, and made for a wonderfully delicious and flavorful soup. I highly recommend it.

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Pumpkin Fluff Dip

Reviewed: Nov. 24, 2008

This was so incredibly easy to make, and everyone loved it. I used cheesecake flavored pudding mix per a previous reviewer's suggestion, and since I didn't have pumpkin pie spice (I don't like pumpkin pie) I just used a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg instead. I also used the reduced fat cool whip to make it a little more appealing to those who are dieting before the big Thanksgiving Day pig-out. I was asked by several people for the recipe and plan on making again and again. Also, I only took half to work (it makes A LOT), and the rest held up really well in the fridge for a week before being eaten up.

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Crispy Orange Beef

Reviewed: Aug. 21, 2008

We did not particularly care for this recipe. It was edible, but not enjoyable. I reduced the sugar by just a little because my husband doesn't like his meat too sweet, and I doubled the sauce because we like things saucy. The orange flavor was WAY too strong. It was about all I could taste besides the garlic. Also, the sauce did not really thicken much for me. It was still very watery after more than 20 minutes. Don't think I will be trying this one again.

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Onion Chicken in Balsamic Sauce

Reviewed: Aug. 6, 2008

This turned out ok in the end, but I really had to change the recipe to make it edible. I love balsamic vinegar, but there was simply WAY too much of it in here. It was too overpowering, but I didn't want to waste everything, so I ended up using 3 1/2 cups of broth and adding a small can of petite diced tomatoes to help cut the taste, and using some cornstarch to thicken it. Then since I had so much sauce I threw in some sliced mushrooms, diced up the chicken and served it over pasta like a goulash. That went over really well. My husband actually asked me to make it again but with beef next time. So the meal was a success, but I can only give the recipe 2 stars because I had to radically change it in order for us to be able to eat it. If I try to make it again (not as a goulash) I will cut the vinegar at least in half, if not more.

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Sambousa

Reviewed: Jul. 30, 2008

I used the suggestion of others and added some chopped green pepper and cumin for a little extra flavor (especially since I don't like things too spicy so I left out the chile peppers). I also used lamb instead of beef, and rolled these like egg rolls instead of folding in triangles. They were really good, but I still think they needed more flavor. With some extra herbs I think these would definitely be a 5. So easy to make. I didn't have any problem getting my egg roll wraps to stay closed, and I used only water. I will make these again, and soon!

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LuvAnn's Guacamole

Reviewed: Jul. 22, 2008

Well, I don't particularly like guacamole, but my husband does, and he said that this was great. I took the advice of other reviewers and cut way back on the salt. I just added a little at a time until he said it tasted right. I also added some garlic. This was so easy to make, I'm sure I will make it again and again.

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Beth's Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Reviewed: Apr. 16, 2008

I'm sorry, but my husband and I did not care for these at all, and our favorite cookies are oatmeal raisin. On the advice of others I used all butter, and because I also don't like cloves I substituted nutmeg. That is all I changed. We each took one bite and couldn't eat them. But I gave an extra star because I brought them to work and everyone else seemed to love them. I gladly handed over my copy of the recipe. I guess it was just us. Be careful when baking these. I burned the first batch because they didn't look done in the middle after 12 minutes. But after only a couple more minutes in the oven they were completely burned on the bottom. I cooked the second batch for only 12 min., and even though they still looked too soft in the center, after they set and cooled, they were perfect. Just didn't taste the greatest for us. My husband made me promise never to deviate from our tried and true favorite oatmeal raisin recipe again. Lesson learned.

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Raisin Nut Bread

Reviewed: Apr. 8, 2008

This was good, and definitely easy. It came in handy when some relatives dropped by with little notice and I needed something for them to eat for breakfast. I agree with other reviewers that it didn't hold together well and was rather crumbly. I left out the nuts and added extra raisins. I drizzled a thin cream cheese frosting/glaze over it for a little extra sweetness. If I make this again I will probably put a streusel topping on it to make it more like a coffee cake.

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Ricotta Gnocchi

Reviewed: Apr. 7, 2008

These were ok, but they did seem a little bland. I did not have to add extra flour like some, so that wasn't the problem. I also used my own homemade sauce. I didn't expect them to be bursting with flavor, after all they are dumplings. But they just tasted really plain. But they were super easy and a great way to use up extra ricotta. I think next time I will add some more salt and garlic, maybe some other seasonings as well. Overall, they were just ok.

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Cream of Asparagus Soup II

Reviewed: Feb. 25, 2008

When I looked at this recipe, I thought to myself that it looked more like asparagus gravy than soup, but I figured I'd try it out because it looked pretty easy. I was right. This was basically a chicken gravy with asparagus. Don't get me wrong, it tasted great. My husband really liked it. But it was like eating gravy without the mashed potatoes. I won't make this again for a soup, but I think it would be great tasting over a baked chicken with some mashed potatoes. I'm going to try it that way next time.

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Meaty Thick Man Chili

Reviewed: Jan. 28, 2008

My husband said this was ok. I reduced the chili powder as suggested by others, and the amount of spice was right. He just didn't think it had the right consistency. I guess he's more of a 'soupy' chili guy, but thanks for the recipe anyway.

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Clapshot

Reviewed: Jan. 24, 2008

I like this, but my husband thought it was bland. I was afraid he would, so I boiled the veggies in diluted chicken stock for a little extra flavor, but I guess it wasn't enough. I will make it again, though I'll have to find a way to spice it up for him I guess. I thought it was a good variation of regular old mashed potatoes.

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Best Burger Ever

Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2008

I was a little skeptical of putting oats in burgers, but based on the name and reviews I had to try this recipe. I cut the hot sauce in half (I don't like things hot) and added some fresh garlic. These were awesome! We made them for a cookout at the lake when my in-laws came to visit and they were a hit. My mother-in-law said they used to make burgers with oatmeal all the time, and that these were better than any she had ever had. The oats add a wonderful flavor. I use this recipe whenever I make burgers, and I've started adding oats to meatloaf too. No more bread crumbs for me. This really is the Best Burger Ever!

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