Easy Parmesan Garlic Chicken

I don't think you can get much easier than this recipe. It's found on the box of Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix. Three ingredients plus your chicken. Very simple. It has really good flavor and is a breeze as far as preparation time. This picture of the chicken was taken on a night we had children and knew they wouldn't eat a whole chicken breast, therefore, they were cut into smaller pieces.

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix
1/2 tsp garlic powder
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix cheese, salad dressing mix and garlic powder.
Moisten chicken with water; coat with cheese mixture.
Place in shallow baking dish.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Notes: After chicken is cooked through, you can set the oven to broil. Place 6 inches from the heat source, and broil 2-4 minutes or until golden brown.

I usually makes slits in my chicken on both sides to help it cook through faster.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again that the fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts have much better flavor than packages of the frozen ones. It's also cheaper to buy a large package of them, use what you need, and freeze the rest in groups of however much you usually use. (Does that make sense?)

Lemon No Bake Cheesecake

My husband and I just got back from a 7-day Inside Passage cruise to Alaska. We went with my husband's brother and sister-in-law to celebrate our anniversaries. They have been married 33 years, and we have been married 31 years. I've always heard the Alaska cruises are great and just beautiful. We weren't let down at all, and God sent the best, beautiful, unheard of sunshiny and warm weather. It was great. We got used to the beautiful, cooler temperatures of upper 60s and lower 70s that when we got back home, the heat and humidity hit us like a ton of bricks!

In the heat, all I could think of was this light, airy dessert my mother-in-law has made for as long as I can remember. Basically, it's a lemon jello cheesecake that's so light you'll be tempted to eat two pieces. It goes a long way and it's kept in the fridge, so it will cool you off quickly.

Lemon No Bake Cheesecake

1 pkg (3 oz) lemon-flavored Jello

1 cup boiling water
3 Tbls lemon juice
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 can chilled Milnot (whipped)
1 pound graham crackers
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
a little more graham cracker crumbs for garnish, optional


Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Add lemon juice. Cool.

Cream together: cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Add Jello mixture. Fold whipped Milnot into gelatin mixture.

Crush graham crackers, add butter and press into a 9x13 pan. Pour mixture in pan and chill. Garnish with more crumbs.

Recipe from: Faye Whitfield

Notes: Remember to let your cream cheese get to room temperature. This recipe works best when you chill the Milnot first and then whip it for 3-5 minutes to get it light and airy. As Devo says, "Whip it! Whip it good!" Also remember that to "fold" is to work it in gently and not with a mixer.

No Funk Meatloaf

Meatloaf is scary word. How many of you have seen meatloaf at a church potluck and wondered what those different colored things were in the meat. I never was a huge fan of meatloaf until a lady brought some over in a crock pot when I had my youngest child. It had a lot of flavor and again, it was easy to make. Here goes:

No Funk Meatloaf

1 1/2 lbs ground beef or chuck
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 small onion, chopped or minced onion
ketchup

Mix egg, milk, salt and oats. Allow to soften about 10-15 minutes. Mix with beef. Shape into loaf and place in crock pot. Cook on high 1 hour, then low for 8 hours - or on high 4-5 hours.

Recipe by: Vanda Slaughter Chism

Notes: If your crock pot comes with a rack, use it. Also this meatloaf works best with not too lean of meat (too dry) -- maybe 85/15. If the meat has a high fat content and you don't have a rack, your meatloaf will be laying in the grease. (This does make it very moist though.)