I'm Not Stupid, I Know Tings Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1)

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup

Reviewed: Dec. 29, 2007

** FIVE STARS! ** We had this for lunch today. I used 1-1/2 cups of left over Hickory Smoked Ham from Christmas, and this soup is just SUPERB! I did substitute chicken stock for water. Also chopped up celery hearts with leaves, & sauted along with onion in olive oil, seasoned with salt & pepper in a separate pan before adding to the stock with potatoes & ham, and about 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder. Reduced butter & flour to 2 tablespoons. ~NICE~

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Bread Machine Bagels

Reviewed: Dec. 15, 2007

** 5 STARS! ** I added 1/2 cup dried cranberries & 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon into the bread machine. I cut the dough into 6 equal portions for larger bagels. Shape portions into balls; roll into ropes; then connect ends with dab of water. Let rise about an hour. Boiled then baked as recipe instructions state. Served with my own whipped mixed berry cream cheese. For that: Whip 1 box Philadelphia cream cheese with 1/4 cup mixed berry jelly until nice and airy. EXCELLENT!! My husband said these were the best bagels he's EVER had! NICE! Will definitely be making these again... I'd like to try dried blueberries next. :D

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Sugar Cookie Icing

Reviewed: Dec. 1, 2007

** 5 STARS! ** FABULOUS! I used this icing on my gingerbread men instead of Royal Icing because it requires egg whites. I added vanilla extract instead of almond extract. Placed it in sandwich bags, snip the corner, & piped it on the gingerbread men. NICE!!

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480 users found this review helpful

Apple Orchard Punch

Reviewed: Nov. 22, 2007

**5 STARS** I made this today for Thanksgiving & it was such a hit!! I used Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice instead of the concentrate. I will definitely make this again!! ~Update~ Made this again Christmas Day, was enjoyed by all ~NICE~ ** ANOTHER UPDATE ** Alright, this punch is the most requested drink here at my house! It is available 24/7 now & my kids range from 9 to 20 years old. What I do is I mix the cranberry, apple, & orange juices & keep that ready in the fridge. The kids fill their glass about 3/4 of the way with the juice mixture & the rest of the way with diet Gingerale (that I also keep handy in the fridge). It's nice to know they are getting something healthy to drink instead of just plain soda.

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Roast Chicken with Rosemary

Reviewed: Nov. 19, 2007

**EXCELLENT** I always buy my whole chickens in pairs at Sam's Club...and I'm so glad to find yet another way to roast 'em! I did follow reviewers' suggestions by adding a quartered lemon & garlic along with onions into the chicken. After an hour of roasting, I added baby carrots, quartered potatoes & about 2 cups chicken broth to the pan which makes nice gravy...NICE!!

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Easy Slow Cooker French Dip

Reviewed: Nov. 17, 2007

**GREAT** We had this tonight & everyone here loved it--even my picky 8 year old! I browned a 4 lb. Sirloin Tip; added 2 minced cloves of garlic & a sprig of fresh rosemary, which I always use to flavor beef. As for the beer, I used a full bottle of Samuel Adams Cream Stout. Everyone was surprised about that, as you could not detect any beer in it. I cooked the roast on low setting for 3 hrs, took it out & let it rest, then sliced it real thin. Placed it back into the pot for 2 more hours. Toasted some hoagie rolls & melted provolone cheese as others have suggested. NICE!!

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Busy Day Chicken

Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2007

QUICK PREP & EASY! I broke my ankle & need quick'n'easy recipes that keep me off my feet. This one is a keeper! I put a layer of sliced onions at the bottom of my slow cooker. I cleaned, dried, and seasoned the chicken with salt & pepper, and a little olive oil. Then I stuffed it with onions & 1 whole head of garlic. Placed the chicken on top of the onions, and covered every square inch of chicken with KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce. 6 hrs on low setting. Let chicken rest before carving. I placed the cut up chicken back into the cooker & set it on warm for about 2 hrs. Served with baked potato & fresh zucchini. YUM!

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Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork

Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2007

EASY PREP & GOOD TASTING! Everybody here enjoyed it! I broke my ankle & am limited in what I can do in the kitchen. I was searching for easy recipes with a few ingredients. With help, I am able to put this one together & spend the least amount of time on my feet... perhaps we should start a new category for those of us with "limited abilities?" As per others suggestions, I did season the pork loin with salt & pepper, then brown the it in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Placed the sliced onions on the bottom of the cooker, then added the loin. Mixed the French dressing with whole berry cranberry sauce, 1/4 cup water, and poured that over the loin. 5 hrs on low & its done. Let it rest before slicing. I returned the pork back to cooker on Warm setting for 2 hrs & served with baked sweet potatoes sprinkled with brown sugar & cinnamon and a side of corn. NICE! My eight yr old had seconds!

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Slow Cooker Cranberry Roast

Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2007

I made this a while back and we didn't like this combination. I won't be making this one again. However, I do suggest the Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork...

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Guacamole

Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2007

** 5 STAR RECIPE ** Absolutely SUPERB GUACAMOLE! I used a red onion & sea salt which is just our preference. Mashed the avocados just enough to leave some nice chunks for texture & grated in fresh garlic.

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Southwestern Style Chalupas

Reviewed: Mar. 21, 2007

**5 star potential** if the following changes are made (IMHO). I soaked the pinto beans overnight, then drain well. In a large pot, I added 4 lb. pork butt, 7 cups water, 1 chopped onion, 3 garlic cloves minced, 2 heaping tablespoons chili powder, 3 heaping teaspoons ground cumin, 1 heaping tablespoon SMOKED PAPRIKA (that's the secret ingredient), 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano & one 4 oz. can chopped green chilies. Bring it to a boil; reduce heat & simmer covered for 3 hours. Remove pork & cool enough to handle. Shred meat with fork. Return meat to pot & cook uncovered until thick, about 30 minutes. Serve it over corn chips with shredded lettuce, minced green onions, salsa, shredded monterey jack & sharp cheddar cheeses, & avocado cubes. Beautiful! The entire family loves it.

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42 users found this review helpful

Turkey Brine

Reviewed: Apr. 15, 2006

* 5 STAR RECIPE!! * I use this brine for chicken, and it's outstanding! (I omit the Savory seasoning since I never can remember to buy it.) I adjust the recipe to 4 servings for a 5lb. chicken, then place it into the largest rubbermaid container I own. Add seasonings mixed with two cans of vegetable broth. Fill to top of container with cold water making sure chicken is thoroughly soaking in brine. Cover, and let marinate for 24 hours in fridge. Bake at 325 degrees for about 2-1/2 hours... FANTASTIC!! My very picky 7 year old loves this recipe!! As do the rest of us :)

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207 users found this review helpful

Aunt Carol's Spinach and Fish Bake

Reviewed: Mar. 27, 2006

I make this recipe about once a week and we love it here! However, I have made several key changes so that's why I'm rating this 4 stars -- Firstly, I set the oven at 400 degrees. Since I use frozen cod, I end up cooking these much longer as well. I place each cod into small au gratin dishes (sprayed with Pam) for individual servings; squeeze fresh lemon juice, sea salt & freshly ground pepper over each; top each with mixture of fresh baby spinach (cut up), 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1 beaten egg, and crushed saltine crackers instead of dry breadcrumbs; cover each dish with foil. I found that roasted new potatoes go very well with this fish ~AND~ the best part is they can roast in a seperate pan right along with the fish! For that, I toss the potatoes in a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil; little salt & pepper and throw the pan in the oven next to the fish. They're ready when nicely browned. Serve it up with steamed baby carrots--how healthy is that?!

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Honey Of An Oatmeal Bread

Reviewed: Feb. 25, 2006

*5* STAR RECIPE!! Makes a delightful sandwich bread! I made one little adjustment to make a large 2lb loaf in my Zojirushi maker. I adjusted the servings to 15 then followed the recipe exactly & it turned out beautifully!

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Granola

Reviewed: Feb. 22, 2006

I make a lot of granola and was searching for a new recipe when I stumbled on this one. It sounds so good, yet I knew after reading some of the reviews, it needs some changes. So this is what I did and it came out crunchy: Oven temp should be set at 275. The nuts should be "chopped" using food processor then combine in large mixing bowl with Old Fashioned Oats, they are more nutritious than Quick Cooking oats. Puree bananas along with chopped dates, and 1/4 cup honey together in food processor. Combine brown sugar and water and cook in microwave for about 3 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. To it add vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix this brown sugar syrup into oats & nuts. Then stir in the pureed banana, date & honey mixture. At this point, I added about 1/2 cup coconut, completely optional. Stir until thoroughly mixed then spread granola onto 2 large cookie sheets (I lay waxed paper on the sheets & spray with Pam for no-stick & no mess). Press granola slightly onto the sheet to clump. Place each sheet on it's own rack in the oven & rotate half way through baking time. Bake for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until golden and crunchy, stirring occasionally. When mixture comes out of the oven, I added dried cranberries, cherries, & apple slices. When granola is completely cooled, store in airtight container.

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Cinnamon Cranraisin Bread

Reviewed: Feb. 21, 2006

Fantastic!! SUPERB! This bread was gone within an hour! I added 1 cup of Cranraisins as suggested by reviewers, thank you! Will be making this again & again.

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3 users found this review helpful

General Tsao's Chicken

Reviewed: Feb. 21, 2006

Firstly, I took the tip to reduce cornstarch as the general consensus recommends, great advice! However, I took another tip and marinated the chicken in soy sauce for several hours--won't be doing this again, it was too salty for my taste. With that said, this is a good recipe, which needs some tweaking. I plan to alter this a tad next time: 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce for the sauce Will reduce the 1/2 cup soy sauce to 1/4 cup plus 1/4 cup chicken broth when combining with chicken. Lastly, I recommend using the sundried chili peppers and stir fry as directed. This lends the sauce a wonderful smoky taste & color.

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Chicken Fried Chicken

Reviewed: Feb. 21, 2006

**5 STARS! ** I added garlic & onion powder. Served this with mashed potatoes. And the bits left in the pan makes terrific gravy by the way. NICE!!

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1 user found this review helpful

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

Reviewed: Feb. 13, 2006

This is THE BEST meatloaf I've ever had! Only thing I do different is keep the brown sugar-ketchup mixture on top of the loaf. I tried it both ways, and it's just a personal preference. Serve with a baked potato, some peas or green beans, & you're in business!

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4 users found this review helpful

Roast Sticky Chicken-Rotisserie Style

Reviewed: Feb. 12, 2006

My kids simply LOVE this chicken recipe (7 year old & teenagers)! Chicken always comes out so tender & flavorful. They especially love the gravy this makes: I add a can of chicken broth mixed with a tablespoon cornstarch to the pan juices, and let boil till thicken. And here's another tip for those days where I can't find 5 hours to spare to roast a chicken: I take 5 or 6 chicken breasts with bone, I skip the onions & skip the overnight marinating step. Instead, toss seasonings & chicken in a large oven roasting bag, shake till chicken are all evenly coated. Bake in 350 oven for 1-1/2 hours. MOST REQUESTED CHICKEN in my household! I highly recommend this recipe!!

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540 users found this review helpful