This is a recipe my Mom made a few times while I lived at home and it is soooo yummy.  I pulled it out the other day to make and about choked looking at the amount of butter it called for!  I know that in the restaurant, they probably don't skimp on the butter and that is why it is so good, but at home, I was trying to figure out the best way to make it by cutting down on the fat.  So, here  (in pink!)is what my mom and I came up with. (Oh, this was found on a website a long time ago, but I tried to pull it up and it was no longer there.  Sorry!)

Lemon Butter Sauce

4 oz. Lemon juice (3 oz. fresh lemon juice)
2 oz. White wine (1 1/2 oz.; can substitute chicken stock)
4 oz. Heavy Cream (3 oz. )
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 lb. unsalted butter (EEK!!) (1 stick of butter)

1. Heat lemon juice and white wine in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and reduce by one-third.

2.  Add cream and simmer until mixture thickens (approx. 3-4 min.). Slowly add butter until completely incorporated.

3. Season with salt and pepper. 

4.  Remove sauce from heat and hold in warm area.

Preparing Shrimp Pasta
6 oz. butter (about a Tbs. olive oil)
12 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 oz. garlic, chopped
36 shrimp, large, peeled and deveined (I cooked chicken breasts, with seasonings, on the stove)
1 1/2 oz. Pine nuts, toasted
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
6 oz. fresh spinach, cleaned and stemmed
36 oz. Capellini pasta, cooked (I used tri colored farfalle - the bowtie looking pasta and only used about 15 oz.)
18 oz. Lemon butter sauce
1 bunch parsley, chopped (I didn't have enough fresh, so just sprinkled some dried parsley on top)

1. Heat butter in large saute pan over med. high heat.
2. Add mushrooms and saute for 2 min.
3. Add garlic, shrimp, pine nuts, salt, pepper, and saute until shrimp are translucent.  Reduce heat and add spinach; lightly toss with shrimp mixture (be careful not to wilt the spinach).
4.  Mix everything together.  
5.  I would advise eating a really BIG green salad with this or a HEAPING amount of green beans or peas, (or both!) to combat how unhealthy this meal is.  This is a meal I will make once a year (if that), just for something different.         

This is what my hubby cooked for dinner tonight.  Yes, my hubby made it!  He is quite a good chef when he wants to be.  But don't let on that you know or he says his reputation will be ruined and all the guys will make fun of him or get mad at him bc their wives will make them cook :)  The chicken has a very mild flavor and the potatoes soaked up the lemon juice, which, I would normally not think would be very good, but it was!  Oh, and instead of putting this in a roasting pan, my hubby put it in the crock pot before church and about an hour after church, it was ready.  So give or take about 5 hours if using a crock pot.


From: The Complete Guide to Country Cooking Cookbook

1 whole roasting chicken (5-7 pounds)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 tsp dried oregano, divided
4 to 6 baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 C. butter melted
3 Tbs. lemon juice
3/4 C. chicken broth

Place chicken with breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and half of the oregano.  Arrange potatoes around the chicken; sprinkle with salt, pepper and remaining oregano.  Pour butter and lemon juice over chicken and potatoes.  Add broth to pan.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 until juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads, basting frequently.  Cover and let stand 10 min. before carving. 

Here's another recipe from Cooking Light Magazine (September 2010).  It was a really good recipe that was just a little bit different from what I normally do.  The kids were not really sure about the stuffing, but my hubby and I liked it!  I never have feta on hand but thought we would try this recipe.  The sour taste of the feta combined with the lemon was very fresh and different.  The magazine says that you could use mozzarella or provolone for a milder flavor though.   Also, if you don't have pine nuts (because they are way over priced!), I would think it would be good without, or maybe you could substitute sliced or slivered almonds for some crunch.


5 Oz. fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 C. (2 oz.) crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbs. pine nuts, toasted
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6 oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 C. fat free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Heat a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add spinach to pan; cook 1 min. or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly.  Place spinach in a colander; press until barely moist.  Wipe pan clean.
3. Combine spinach, cheese, nuts, thyme, juice, and garlic.  Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket.  Stuff 3 Tbs. filling into each pocket.  Seal with wooden picks.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
4.  Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat.  Add chicken; cook 3 min. on each side or until brown.  Add broth, and cover pan.  Place pan in oven.  Bake at 350 for 15 min. or until done.  Yield 4 servings (serving size - one half chicken breast).

My hubby found this recipe this morning for an Easter breakfast.  The recipe calls for a 9x13 pan so he cut it in half.  He also added frozen Marionberries to it which added a lot of extra flavor.  Enjoy!

From: Lord Stocking's Bed and Breakfast

3/4 Cup Butter -softened or Crisco can be used too. 1 1/2 Cups Sugar 4 eggs 1 t. vanilla 3 Cups Flour 1 1/2 t. Baking Powder 3/4 t. Baking Soda 1/4 t. Salt 1 to 1 1/2 Cups Sour CreamFilling: 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar 1 T. Flour 1/2 t. cinnamon 2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Blueberries Cream Butter & Sugar. Add eggs 1 @ a time. Add Vanilla. Combine Dry ingredients, Add to mixture; alternating Sour Cream with Dry Ingredients. Spoon 1/3 of Batter into a 9X13 greased or sprayed Baking Pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of the Filling Mixture over the top, then half the Berries. Repeat Layers. Bake @ 350 degrees 45-50 minutes. Can drizzle w/ a Glaze: 1 Cup Confectionary Sugar w/ 2-3 T. Milk.

Here is a recipe I got from my sis, who got it from a friend.  Thanks again!! 
This is a great recipe for parties.  It serves lots of people and is always a hit.  Don't look closely at the ingredients and don't think about calories when eating or making it though.  This is NOT a low -cal food.  But oh -so comforting and yummy!

From Catherine F.

1 1/2 C. oil (you can decrease the oil by up to 1/2 C. and replace it with water; it is just a little less moist)
2 C. sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 C. sifted flour (I never sift mine!  I use 2 C. white flour, 1/2 C. whole wheat to make myself feel                                    a little healthier!)
1 tsp. salt ( I used sea salt tonight)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 C. peeled and chopped apples
1 C. chopped pecans (optional)

Optional Spices:
1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. ground cloves ( I ALWAYS use the spices.  Don't think it would be as good without them!  But I omit the cloves because I never have them on hand)

-Grease and flour bundt pan.  
-Combine oil, sugar, and eggs and beat well.
-In separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder (and spices if using)
-Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating well; add vanilla.
-Fold in apples and nuts
-Pour into pan
-Bake at 350 for one hour (I check mine at 45 min.)
-After cake has cooled, invert onto a serving plate and cover with glaze.

Glaze:
Beat together:
2 Tbs. butter melted
2 Tbs. milk
1 C. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 ts. lemon extract

These are a great side to any meal.  Pair it with chicken and green beans and you're done!  My kids eat it up!  If your kids are not a fan of sweet potatoes, try these and they will more than likely enjoy them.  Mine do!

From Come and Get 'Em

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
dash ground cloves
1/2 t. vanilla
2-4 T. coconut oil (can substitute butter)
1-2 T. agave nectar (optional)

Place sweet potatoes in enough water to cover potatoes plus 1 inch. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Turn off heat and drain. Place saucepan back on burner for 30 seconds more to dry potatoes.

Add remaining ingredients and mash until all ingredients are mixed well. Potatoes will be slightly lumpy.

Can be made ahead and frozen in sealed container.

Makes eight to ten 1/2 c. servings.

I have tried a few pizza dough recipes, and I have come to like this one recently.  It makes two pizza crusts, so I freeze the other half, thaw and then use it for another meal!  I try to do different types of pizzas instead of the normal meat, and cheese.  This time I did kind of an alfredo pizza.  I topped the pizza dough with alfredo sauce (Classico is a good brand if you want to buy it), then mozzarella cheese, spinach, artichoke hearts, fresh basil, tomato slices and seasoned, cooked chicken bits.  This was a good, fresh pizza, but I wish I would have added more basil and some salt and pepper.  It was a good change though! 

Recipe from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon Instant Or Active Dry Yeast
• 1-½ cup Warm Water
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ⅓ cups Olive Oil

Preparation Instructions

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water. Let stand for a few minutes.
In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined, and the dough comes together in a sticky mass.
Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 to 2 hours, or store in the fridge until you need it.
Note: it’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.
When you are ready to make the pizza, grab HALF the pizza dough (recipe makes 2 crusts) and squeeze the dough toward the bottom to form a nice, tight, pulled ball. You can roll out the pizza with a rolling pin if you’d like, but sometimes it’s just as easy to throw it around and pull and stretch till it feels right. And when the crust is nice and thin, lay it on an oiled baking sheet or pizza pan. Drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and spread it with your fingers. Very lightly sprinkle some salt on the crust.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Top your crust with your toppings of choice. Then bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly.
UPDATE 6/12
We have made this pizza dough quite a bit since this post.  I have ended up using the whole amount and putting it in a large sized cookie sheet.  It is just the right amount of crust for our taste.  Then I make half and alfredo pizza and the other half a deluxe pizza.  Perfect fit for kids and parents!