Since I am moving into my first apartment I want to start cooking. Any good recipes for first time cook?

In the house will be myself and my fiance. I would like to teach myself how to cook. I need some recipes for dinners. Lunches. Breakfast. Snacks.





Also my birthday is next week and I am planning to have a party. Any fun snack ideas.





Also I would like some fun alcahol ideas. Things to do with alcahol. And drink recipes. Maybe some drinking games.





:)





Thanks.Since I am moving into my first apartment I want to start cooking. Any good recipes for first time cook?
dinner recipies.... Meatloaf and mashed potatoes is always a good easy thing to make, you can even get a box of instant mashed potatoes, the directions are on the box


Meatloaf


INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)


1 1/2 pounds ground beef


1 egg


1 onion, chopped


1 cup milk


1 cup dried bread crumbs


salt and pepper to taste


2 tablespoons brown sugar


2 tablespoons prepared mustard


1/3 cup ketchup











DIRECTIONS


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).


In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk and bread OR cracker crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan, OR form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.


In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and pour over the meatloaf.


Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.


As for the party, I would say Pigs in a blanket (biscuts with mini weinees and cheese in the middle... bake them to melt cheese)


and triscut crackers with melted cheese and salsa on top


Some drink recipes.....





Electric Cherry Coke


Ingredients: 1 oz crown royal


1/2 oz cherry brandy


Fill with cola








no named drink


Ingredients:1 1/2 oz whiskey


2 oz amaretto


1 1/2 oz sweet and sour mix





Directions: Serve over ice.





Serve in: Tall glass











Rock Lobster


Ingredients: 1 oz crown royal


1 oz raspberry liqueur


Fill with cranberry juice





Directions: Pour over ice.











Wally Wally Winkerbean


Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz banana schnapps (99 proof)


1 oz triple sec


Fill with Sunny Delight orange drink





Then there is always the rum and coke, pineapple juice with Malibu rum (yummy) and vodka and orange juice.





Some drinking games... ';I Never'; everyone sits around a table, one person starts by saying ';I never......(something they havent done) if the people around the table HAVE done it then they take a drink, go around the table saying it....


If you have a Spencers Gifts store at your local mall they have some really cool drinking card and board games. I have one called Pass out, its a lot of fun!


If you can find any dvds of the show Mash then get that, you take a drink everytime they say a rank such as general, captain etc. You may be suprised how much you have to drink


Pick one common word... such as ';drink'; and everytime anyone says it everyone takes a drink.Since I am moving into my first apartment I want to start cooking. Any good recipes for first time cook?
first of all congrats, i am married finally and really happy, heres some recipes i used: my first dinner when we first got engaged.








2 cups Prego Traditional Italian Sauce or Tomato, Basil %26amp; Garlic Italian Sauce





16 frozen fully-cooked meatballs (1 ounce each)





4 long hard rolls, split


4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)


Grated Parmesan cheese





Directions:





Heat the sauce and meatballs in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally.





Spoon the meatballs and sauce into the rolls. Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.





Serving Suggestion: Serve with a tossed salad with Italian vinaigrette. For dessert serve a vanilla yogurt and granola parfait.





please enjoy
Congratulations and Happy Birthday!





Below is a site that has quick and easy recipes. For your birthday, how about an easy Black Forest Cake. The recipe uses chocolate cake mix, cherry pie filling and whipping cream - there's not much easier than that, except buying one. But it's much more fun to say that ';I baked this myself';





Have fun turning your kitchen into your very own bakeshop!
Boil some pasta, any short type will do, no long noodles (it will be easier to toss this way). In a separate pan heat some olive oil, a bit of butter, chopped garlic, fry it up a bit, then toss in the pasta with some salt and pepper, then turn off the stove and toss in some chopped parsley and basil, then serve and top with some grated parmesan.
Allrecipes has a good selection of variety of recipes you can check out;





http://allrecipes.com/Default.aspx
Hamburger Casserole





1 lb ground beef, browned and drained


1-2 potatoes, peeled and sliced


1/2 onion, chopped


1 can cream of mushroom soup





Layer 1/2 of each above in casserole dish, salt and pepper after onion, repeat. Bake 325 degrees for 1 hour, add grated cheese for the last five minutes.





Cheese Ball





1/2 lb Velveeta cheese


6 ounce pkg cream cheese


garlic


1 c pecans


chili powder





Mix cheeses, add garlic according to taste, and pecans. Mix well, then form into a ball. Refrigerate 1 hour then roll in chili powder.





Ham and Cheese Ball





1 small (4 1/2 ounces) can deviled ham


1 8 oz pkg cream cheese


1 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded


1/4 c finely diced green pepper


2 T chopped pimento


1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix


sunflower seeds





Mix ham, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, green pepper, pimento and dry ranch dressing and form into a ball. Roll in sunflower seeds. Chill several hours or overnight.





Dump Cake





1 large can crushed pineapple, don't drain


1 can cherry pie filling


1 yellow or white cake mix (dry)


1 bag pecans


1 1/2 sticks margarine





Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking pan. Dump fruit into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix all over fruit. Cut up margarine over cake mix and pecans on top. Bake 1 hour.





Earthquake Cake





1 c pecans


1 c coconut


1 box German Chocolate Cake mix


1 8-ounce pkg cream cheese


1/2 c margarine


1 box powdered sugar


1 t vanilla





Grease bottom only of 10x14 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix pecans and coconut and spread in bottom of pan. Prepare cake mix as directed on box and pour over coconut and pecans. Mix together the cream cheese, margarine, sugar and vanilla and spoon over cake batter. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. This is a very moist and gooey cake.





Hope these will help.
Bacon %26amp; Egg Fried Rice:





30 min 15 min prep


4 servings





2 eggs


1/2 lb bacon


6 cups cooked rice, cooled


1/2 cup diced onions


1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (drain, if canned)


1 cup frozen peas


1 teaspoon salt


3 tablespoons soy sauce


1 (6 ounce) can baby shrimp





1. Scramble eggs until dry.


2. Set aside.


3. Rinse cooled rice with cold water and drain well.


4. Cut bacon into 1/4 inch pieces across the strips.


5. Pan fry until crisp.


7. Stir in onion, mushrooms, and eggs.


8. When onions begin to turn color, add peas.


9. Add rice and stir until hot.


10. Add salt and soy sauce.


11. Everything should be evenly mixed.


12. Take from heat and stir in shrimp.





__________





General Tso's Chicken





INGREDIENTS:





* 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless


* 1 tablespoon light soy sauce


* 1 egg, lightly beaten


* freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste


* Cornstarch, as needed


* Sauce:


* 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce


* 1 tablespoon rice vinegar


* 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry


* 1 tablespoon granulated sugar


* 3 tablespoons chicken broth or water


* 1 tablespoon minced ginger


* 2 teaspoons minced garlic


* 2 teaspoons cornstarch for thickening sauce, optional


* Other:


* 3 green onions (spring onions, scallions)


* 5 to 10 small dried red chilli peppers, according to taste


* 3 鈥?4 cups oil for deep-frying and stir-frying, as needed





PREPARATION:


1. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Combine the chicken cubes with the egg, soy sauce, and pepper. Add enough cornstarch to nicely coat the chicken, using cooking chopsticks or your fingers to mix it in.


2. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside. Thinly slice the green onions.


3. Heat the oil in a wok to between 350 and 360 degrees Fahrenheit (175 - 180 degrees Celsius). Drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil, a few pieces at a time, and deep-fry until crispy (3 to 4 minutes). Remove the chicken cubes and drain on paper towels.


4. Drain and clean out the wok. Heat 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the sliced green onions and the dried chili peppers. Stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds).


5. Add the deep-fried chicken cubes back into the wok. Stir-fry until the chicken cubes are browned (about 1 minute).


6. Push the chicken up to the sides of the wok. Give the sauce a quick restir and add into the middle of the wok. If you added cornstarch to the sauce, stir it continually for 1 - 2 minutes to thicken.


7. Mix the sauce with the chicken. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes, stirring, until the chicken is nicely coated with the sauce. Serve immediately


______


NO BAKE DOUBLE GOOD DESSERT





INGREDIENTS:





20 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed


1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened


2 cups confectioners' sugar


3/4 cup peanut butter


1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed





DIRECTIONS:





Press crushed cookies into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan, reserving a few for decoration. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Stir in the peanut butter until well blended, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over the crushed cookie base, sprinkle the remaining cookie chunks on top, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Thaw 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving.


__________


Quick, Easy -N- Fast Butterfinger Cheesecake Recipe





1 no bake cheese cake mix


1/3 C. margarine, melted


3 T. sugar


3 (2.16 oz) Butterfingers, finely chopped


1 1/2 C. cold milk


9 inch graham cracker pie crust





Reserve 1/4 cup finely crushed Butterfinger bars for garnish, divide rest of mixture in half.





Crust:


Combine graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 of finely crushed Butterfinger mixture and 1/3 cup melted margarine. Using fork, press mixture against sides and bottom of 8 or 9 inch pie plate.





Filling:


Pour 1 1/2 cups cold milk into small mixing bowl. Add package contents and beat at low speed with electric mixer until blended. Beat at medium speed 3 minutes longer.





Fold remaining half of finely crushed Butterfinger bars into filling mixture. Pour into crust. Chill 1 hour. Garnish with reserved 1/4 cup finely crushed Butterfinger bars. Refrigerate, covered.





_________


Banana YUMMY





For the crust


20 vanilla cream-filled sandwich style cookies


1/4 cup margarine, melted


For the filling


24 ounces cream cheese, softened


2/3 cup granulated sugar


2 tablespoons cornstarch


3 eggs


3/4 cup mashed bananas


1/2 cup whipping cream


2 teaspoons vanilla extract


shredded coconut, for topping (optional)





Use a blender to finely chop the cookies.


Add margarine and blend until they are well combines.


Press mixture into the bottom of a 10'; springform pan and smooth it out.


Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.


Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy.


Beat in sugar and cornstarch followed by the eggs (one at a time).


Beat in bananas, whipping cream, and vanilla.
I just tried this one yesterday:





~~Free Recipe off of Help! I can鈥檛 Cook!.com (selling a book)





Yes, You CanCan French Dip


禄 1 pound deli sliced roast beef


禄 1 - 15 oz. can beef broth


禄 1 - 8 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained


禄 1 cup chopped onion


禄 1 cup chopped green pepper


禄 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese


禄 (Monterey Jack if you like peppers, or Cheddar)


禄 1-1/2 teaspoons oregano


禄 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder


禄 1 tablespoon margarine or butter


禄 Hoagie buns, toasted


禄 Mayonnaise and/or mustard


禄 Lettuce and sliced tomatoes are optional


Melt the butter in a skillet, add onions, green pepper and mushrooms and saut茅' for 5 minutes. Heat the broth in a saucepan until it boils, turn down heat, add roast beef and simmer for 5 minutes. Lift meat out of broth with a fork and pile on buns, add onions, green peppers and mushrooms, cheese and lettuce and tomatoes. Mix oregano and garlic powder into broth in pan. Put the broth in small bowls and use it to dip the sandwiches in. If you like spicy stuff, you can add chopped or sliced Jalapenos and/or horseradish. Serve with chips and deli coleslaw.


*** Hot Sauce may be added if desired.


Feel free to print this recipe - try and enjoy.~~~





It was easy and delicious.





My own tasty green beans: small saucepan, couple tablespoons oil, medium heat: saute some onions and bacon bits until soft (5-10 minutes), Add green beans and cook to desired tenderness. Can use liquid smoke instead of bacon.





Snack ideas: Get some whole pitted dates, stuff them with almonds, and wrap some cooked but still flexible bacon around it and secure with toothpicks. A little time consuming, but MAD tasty.





Tortilla wraps: Mix up some cream cheese, chopped olives, chopped onion, chopped green chiles and chopped ham or salami. Spread onto tortillas, roll up tortillas and place in glass baking dish, refrigerate a couple hours to firm it up and make it easier to slice into pinwheels.





Rockin' party punch: experiment with different flavors - float scoops of sherbet in a punchbowl of soda.





A drink I had at Planet Hollywood (they called it the Congo): Ginger Ale and pineapple juice with a little grenadine syrup (I just use regular pomegranate juice - less sugar, more antioxidants). I don't drink, but you could probably turn this one alcoholic by using some jungle juice in place of some of the soda, or make it a 1:1:1 ratio of soda/juice/liquor and a bit of pomegranate for zing.





Personal party pizzas:





-- Toast English muffins or french bread in toaster or broil in oven (450 F)


-- Spread with spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce


-- Cheese, grated


-- Whatever toppings you like - can of mushroom pieces, chop a little onion, pepperoni, salami, black olives, bell pepper, canned pineapple tidbits, cut up sausage links, canadian bacon...





Pop it all in the microwave or 350 F oven to melt the cheese, and Voila! Takes 5-7 min for cheese and just one topping, can go as long as 10-15 min for loads of toppings.





Double fiber Honey Wheat Thomas English muffins are my fave! I also like turkey pepperoni - I buy Hormel.





There are so many things out there - hope some of these will help you get started - I'm a beginning cook, too!