Recipe Corner

Creamed Corn Makeover

2011-10-18T18:00:00.003-04:00

Grilled Creamed Corn:

8 ears corn, husked
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/4 cups milk
3 T cream cheese
Salt and black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper, optional

Preheat grill to medium-high. Arrange corn on grill, turning occasionally, until kernels are golden brown and softened, 8-10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove corn kernels from cobs. Discard cobs. Lower grill temperature to medium. Heat large cast-iron skillet over grate. Add butter to melt, then whisk in flour until combined and foaming about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and cream cheese and cook, whisking constantly until smooth and thick, 2-3 minutes. Stir in corn kernels, season with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper, and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Sweet and Salty Refreshment

2011-10-18T17:56:00.003-04:00

Spike's Sweet and Salty Milkshake:

1/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups peanut butter pretzel sandwiches, plus extra for garnish
1 cup milk
2 cups creamy vanilla ice cream
4 dollops of whipped cream
Salt

Add pretzel sandwiches to blender and pulse until crushed. Set aside 4 T for garnish. Add ice cream to crushed pretzel sandwiches. Add 1/2 cup milk to blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add more milk if needed. Rim four glasses with peanut butter and salt, then dip rim into reserved crushed pretzel sandwiches. Pour shake into prepared glasses, garnish with dollop of whipped cream and extra pretzel sandwiches.

Citrus Refreshment

2011-10-15T16:35:00.001-04:00

Sunny Citrus Cooler:

1, 46-ounce can pineapple juice
2 cans frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup lemonade concentrate
6 cups ginger ale or white soda, chilled
Orange slices, optional

In a 1-gallon pitcher, combine pineapple juice, orange juice concentrate and lemonade concentrate. Add ginger ale and mix well. Serve over ice. Garnish with orange slices if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

A New Kind of 'Lymon'

2011-10-15T16:32:00.001-04:00

Refreshing Lemon-Lime Drink:

1 can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
2/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 tsp. orange extract
1 1/2 cups water
6 cups chilled diet lemon-lime soda
1 medium lemon, sliced
1 medium lime, sliced

In large container, combine the limeade and lemonade concentrates and orange extract. Stir in water. Just before serving, stir in lemon-lime soda. Serve with ice. Garnish with lemon and lime slices.

A Citrus Toast

2011-10-15T16:27:00.001-04:00

Warm Spiced Citrus Punch:

2 1/2 quarts water, divided
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. each ground allspice, cinnamon and cloves

In large kettle, bring 1 quart of water and sugar to a boil, stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining water. Add orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, extracts and spieces. Cook and stir over medium heat until hot. Serve warm. Refrigerate the leftovers.

Hot Dogging It

2011-10-15T16:26:00.001-04:00

Party Barbecued Franks:

2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. cold water
18 ounces peach preserves
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 pounds miniature hot dogs or smoked sausages

In large saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir in preserves and BBQ sauce. Bring to boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in hot dogs until coated. Cover and cook for five minutes or until heated through.

Potatoes on the Side

2011-10-15T16:22:00.004-04:00

Scalloped Potatoes:

2 T unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Salt and black pepper
8 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
6 ounces cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375. Butter a 9x13 baking dish. In large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add cream, milk, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper and bring to a boil.

Add potatoes to saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, 20-25 minutes.

Discard bay leaf and transfer potato mixture to prepared baking dish, sprinkle with cheese.

Bake until bubbling and golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

Tater Pie

2011-10-15T16:17:00.002-04:00

Sweet Potato Pie with Candied Nut Cream:

2 medium sweet potatoes
12 graham crackers
5 T unsalted butter, melted
2 T granulated sugar
1, 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped candied nuts or peanut brittle

Heat oven to 400. Pierce potatoes all over with fork, place on rimmed baking sheet, and bake until very tender, 50-60 minutes. Let cool, then halve and scoop out flesh.

Reduce oven to 350. In food processor, process graham crackers until fine crums form. Add butter, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pulse until moistened. Press mixture into bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate, using a straight-sided dry measuring cup to help. Place on rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and set, 10-12 minutes. Let cool.

Wipe out food processor and add sweet potato flesh, condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and process until smooth. Pour mixture into crust and bake until set in the center, 45-55 minutes. Let cool completely.

Before serving, using an electric mixer, beat cream on medium-high until soft peaks form. Gently fold in nuts and serve with pie.

Like a Brownie, Only Different

2011-10-15T16:10:00.003-04:00

Chocolate Pecan Tart:

1 3/4 cups pecan halves
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1.2 tsp. salt, plus pinch for filling
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream

Heat oven to 250. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing once, until fragrant, 6-8 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high heat until creamy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, mix until combined but still crumbly.

Press dough into bottom and up the side of a 4 x 14 inch rectangular tart pan. Line with large piece of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides, and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Place plan on rimmed baking sheet and bake until edges of crust are dry, 20-22 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and bake until dry and set, 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine chocolate and pinch of salt. In a small saucepan, bring cream to bare simmer; pour over chocolate and let stand 1 minute. Stir gently until mixture is smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of pecans. Pour mixture into cooled tart shell and sprinkle with remaining pecans. Refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour.

Apples and Apples

2011-10-14T20:48:00.001-04:00

Apple Cobbler:

8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
Juice of a lemon
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 T butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 T baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup fat-free milk

Preheat oven to 350. Combine apples, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl. Toss to coat and let stand for 20 minutes. Put butter in 9 x 13 baking dish. Put dish in oven for 3 minutes to melt butter. Combine remaining sugar, flours, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Whisk in milk. Remove baking dish from oven. Add batter. Top with apple mixture. Gently press top with spatula to submerge apples into batter. Bake 20 minutes. Rotate baking dish and bake until top is golden brown, 25-30 minutes.

The Wonders of Waffles

2011-10-14T20:44:00.002-04:00

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles:

1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 T oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat waffle iron. Mix flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, egg substitute, brown sugar, oil and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture. Mix until combined. Mixture should be lumpy.

When waffle iron is hot, ladle 1/2 cup batter onto surface. Close lid and cook for 4-5 minutes. Batter will make a total of 8 waffles. Freeze up to 1 month.

Dream Dessert

2011-10-14T20:40:00.002-04:00

Creamy Fudge:

10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1, 14-ounce can sweetened, fat-free condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap. Leave 2-inch overhang and smooth away any wrinkles. Combine chocolate, milk and extract in large sauce pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, under medium-low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth, about five minutes.

Transfer fudge to prepared pan. Spread evenly with rubber spatula. Let cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least two hours over overnight.

Invert the fudge onto cutting board and remove the wrap. Cut into eight strips and cut each strip crosswise into eight pieces.

These Noodles Are Nutty!

2011-10-14T20:36:00.002-04:00

Peanut Noodles:

1/3 cup lowfat peanut butter
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 T fresh ginger, minced and peeled
1 T rice vinegar
1 T reduced sodium soy sauce
1 T packed brown sugar
1 garlic clove, chopped
6 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, pelled, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 carrot, shredded

Puree peanut butter, water, cilantro, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic in a food processor or blender. Cook noodles according to directions and drain. Rinse under cold running water and drain again. Transfer noodles to a large bowl. Add peanut sauce, bell pepper, cucumber and carrots. Toss to coat.

Something Sweet and Spicy

2011-10-14T20:31:00.003-04:00

Sweet and Spicy Pork Tenderloin:

1 T chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 small onion, grated
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. yellow mustard

Mix chili powder, garlic powder, oregano and cinnamon. Rub all sides of pork with spice mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Nake a glaze by whisking OJ, brown sugar, onion, Worcestershire and mustard in a medium saucepan until blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture is thick and reduced. This should take about 15 minutes. Let mixture cool completely.

Preheat grill. Spray both sides of tenderloin with non-stick spray. Grill until well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn pork, brush with 1/4 cup glaze and grill another three minutes. Turn pork again and grill again, brushing frequently with remaining glaze until instant read thermometer reads 155 degrees, about 2-3 minutes. Let pork stand for five minutes before slicing.

Nutty Dessert

2011-10-14T20:22:00.001-04:00

Raspberry Almond Cake:

2 T chopped almonds
2 T packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups lowfat all-purpose baking mix (Bisquick)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
3 T butter, melted
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
Raspberry sauce (see below)

Raspberry Sauce:

Puree 3 cups fresh raspberries in food processor or blender. Strain through sieve. Puree the raspberry puree with 1/2 cup raspberry spreadable fruit, 2 T honey and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap bottom of 10-inch springform pan with foil. Attach springform ring. Spray foil and sides of pan with nonstick spray.

Mix almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Combine baking mix and granulated sugar in large bowl. Mix milk, yogurt, egg and almond extract in small bowl until blended. Add milk mixture to baking mix mixture. Stir until blended. With rubber spatula, gently fold in raspberries just until blended. Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle top with nut mixture. Bake 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Remove springform ring from bottom of pan, leaving foil on. Let cool completely on rack.

Cooking of a Different Kind

2011-01-23T21:21:00.007-05:00

Although it is quite belated, Happy New Year. To those of you wondering where I have been and why recipes have not been posted, it is because we have been doing a little slow cooking of our own around here.

We are expecting a baby and, quite frankly, the sight and smell of food have been repulsive. Not to mention that the all day sickness kind of deters me from wanting to think of anything food related.

As soon as we begin to cook and eat regularly again, I will hopefully be back to posting some new recipes. Until then, hubs will be learning how to change diapers!! Stay tuned!!

Who Needs Chocolate When You Can Have Peanut Butter

2010-12-12T20:13:00.004-05:00

My mom always made this when I was growing up, and I finally made some for hubby. This was always my grandfather's favorite candy, and we still love it today. I was in the mood for something sweet the other night, so when we made this, I cut it into absolute bite size pieces, and it makes a ton!

Peanut Butter Fudge:

2 cups sugar

5 0z. evaporated milk

3 Tbsp. peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. butter

Bring the sugar and evaporated milk to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Stir rapidly and allow mixture to boil for 4-5 minutes. Remove mixture from the heat. Drop in the peanut butter, vanilla, and butter. Allow mixture to cool a few minutes before you stir it all up, but be careful not to let it sit so long that it gets too stiff. Pour onto a greased plate and let set. You can refrigerate to speed the process along.

When I make chocolate fudge, I always pour the mixture into a prepared baking pan to allow it to set. However, the peanut butter fudge always gets poured onto a regular plate because that has been the tradition since my grandfather was young. Why mess with a formula that works, right?

I will link this to Mommy's Kitchen.

New Favorite

2010-12-02T13:06:00.006-05:00

Sweet Potatoes are a favorite of mine. I don't care if they are mashed, smashed, glazed, baked, or roasted. I love them all. Although, I have never really had that all time "favorite" go to recipe. That is, until now.

For Thanksgiving, I decided to make Pioneer Woman's Soul Sweet Potatoes, and I am so glad I did!!!! This will now be my "go to" recipe when I want sweet potatoes. Everyone loved them, and I think you will too.

4 Sweet Potatoes
1 cup sugar
1 cup Milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Pecans
1/2 cups Flour
3/4 stick of Butter

Wash 4 medium sweet potatoes and bake them in a 400 degree for one hour. When they are cool, slice them open and scoop the flesh into a large bowl.

Add 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of salt. With a potato masher, mash them until mixture is smooth.

In a separate bowl, add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup pecans, chopped, 1/2 cup flour, and 3/4 stick of butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, mash together until thoroughly combined.

Spread the sweet potato mixture into a greased baking dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Tried Something New

2010-11-28T07:00:00.002-05:00

Usually when I make pork, it comes via the crock pot. However, a few weeks
ago, I opted to try a new recipe that looked intriguing, and it worked really well for us.

Glazed Pork Tenderloin:

2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
dash pepper
dash cayenne pepper
1 pork tenderloin

Glaze:

4 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
4 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. honey

In small bowl, combine first 8 ingredients. Rub mixture over pork. Place in large resealable plastic bag. Seal bag and refrigerate overnight.

Combine glaze ingredients. Place tenderloin in greased, shallow baking pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes. Baste pork with glaze. Bake another 15 minutes. Let stand five minutes before slicing.

5 oz. cooked pork = 263 calories, 7 grams of fat, 95 mg of cholesterol, 737 mg of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 35 grams of protein>

This recipe will be linked to Mommy's Kitchen for Potluck Sunday.

Something to Do with Leftovers

2010-11-27T18:54:00.003-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. In case you are staring your turkey down wondering what to do with it now, this is an easy and quick recipe. Hopefully I have not posted it already but, if I have, then you just get to see it again. It's that good, and that easy!!

Turkey and Rice:

1 cup chopped turkey
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of chicken stock
1 bag Boil in Bag Rice

Boil the bag of rice. Meanwhile heat the cream of chicken soup and the chicken stock. Chop a cup of turkey and add to the soup mixture. When the rice is done, you can either pour it into the soup or plate it and put the turkey mixture on top. Either way, it comes out about the same. Season with a dash of pepper.

An Unexpected Surprise

2010-11-14T17:34:00.006-05:00

This recipe has been saved for quite a while in my "to try stash". So, the other day when I absolutely could not figure out what in the world to make for dinner, I pulled out my trusty stack of saved recipes.

Sure enough, this caught my eye again, so I decided to dive in and give it a shot. We were so excited that I did because they sure were good!!!! Not only were they good, but they were also extremely easy. We love Mexican food too, so that made them an even bigger hit.

These will be made again real soon around here. Hopefully you will enjoy them as much as we did. If you do, please come back and let me know.

Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas:

1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 minced garlic cloves
1 T olive oil
1, 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1/4 cup salsa
1 T chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups cooked brown rice
8 flour tortillas
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheese
3 T cilantro

In large non-stick skillet, saute onion, garlic and green pepper in oil until tender. Add beans, tomatoes, salsa, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until heated through and mixture thickens. Add cooked rice. Cook five minutes or heated through.

Spoon a rounded 1/2 cup down the center of each tortilla. Fold sides over the filling and roll up. Place in a 13x9 coated baking dish. Spoon remaining salsa over each tortilla. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

This recipe will be linked to Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen.

Baking Bonanza

2010-11-13T14:06:00.015-05:00

Hubby has taken these gems to work twice in the last two weeks, and everyone has raved about them. We don't eat cheesecake that much, and even we liked them. This is an easy recipe to play around with. The first time I made them as is, but the second time, I added some pumpkin to the filling. See the note about that at the end of the recipe. Have fun and enjoy them. These would make a great Thanksgiving dessert.

Cheesecake Bars:

Base:
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 egg
**** See the note at the bottom of the recipe.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Combine flour and walnuts or pecans with creamed mixture. Reserve 1 cup for topping. Press remainder into bottom of ungreased 8" or 9" square pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a small bowl, blend sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Add milk, lemon juice, vanilla, and egg. Beat well. Spread over baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 23-27 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. Makes 24 small bars.

**** The second time I made these, I added 1/2 can of pumpkin, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice to the filling. I did not add cloves or nutmeg, but I think it would make them even better. I will do that next time for sure.

Election Day Treats

2010-11-10T12:21:00.008-05:00

Hubby and I use any holiday or special occasion to send treats to work with him. Last week was no exception with Election Day. I wanted something different from my usual go to choices. So, when I found this recipe, I knew it was one I wanted to try. It turned out to be a hit, and I would make these again. This recipe turned out the softest cookies I believe I have ever made.

Super Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups flour

Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar (I used only 2.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup shortening (I used 8 oz. cream cheese instead.)
1 1/2 cups butter (I used only 1/2 cup.)

Cream together softened butter with sugar, sour cream and eggs. Add vanilla, almond extract, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Slowly add flour, 1 cup at a time. Dough should be sticky. Refrigerate one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured board, roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters. I had 24 cookies. Bake for 10 minutes. Frost and enjoy.

This recipe comes from Sister's Cafe.

Best Use of Bananas That are on Death's Door

2010-11-08T10:33:00.010-05:00

A few days ago, I had some bananas that were on their last leg....on death's door I like to say. So, I made these muffins and they were perfect. These may have been the most moist muffins I have ever made using bananas. Whole wheat flour has become one of my newest loves. Try them and you will love then, especially if you like banana bread.

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat the oven to 350. Line or grease a 12 cup muffin pan. Beat together the butter, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the mashed bananas, honey and eggs, beating until smooth. Add the flour, stirring until smooth. Divide batter into the muffin cups. Bake the muffins for 25 minutes.

Return of Cold Weather Comfort Food

2010-11-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

I LOVE cold weather, and since it has made its return around here, I decided to embrace it by making this fabulous soup that comes from 365crockpot. I also saw it on Sister's Cafe. I really like tomato soup, but this was unlike any I have ever tried. Hesitation set in as I began to make this, but in the end, even hubby liked it too! Try it, and I think you will like it just as much as we did. I was so excited to make this as I have seen lots of good reviews for it all over the blogosphere. Though I made a few minor changes, you can't go wrong with this recipe. Can't wait to hear back from you once you make this.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup:

2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup finely diced onions
1/2 bay leaf (I had to leave this out and it worked just fine.)
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbsp fresh oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups fat free half and half, warmed
1 tsp salt (I also left this out.)
1/2 tsp black pepper

In the slow cooker, combine tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, bay leaf, oregano, and basil (if using fresh oregano and basil; if using dried oregano and basil add those two ingredients in the last hour of cook time). Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours.

An hour before serving, prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup from the slow cooker. Add another 3 cups soup and stir until smooth.

Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for another hour until ready to serve. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

This recipe will be linked to Mommy's Kitchen for Potluck Sunday.

Something Smells Fishy

2010-11-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

My husband adores tuna salad, so I found a way to enjoy it with him.

Tuna Salad:

1 can tuna (solid white packed in water)
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. mustard
2 Tbsp. Dill relish
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Drain and flake the tuna. Combine all ingredients together. Serve on toasted bread. Hubby likes to add a cheese slice to his sandwich.

What's Up, Doc?

2010-11-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Every time I go to Cracker Barrel, I normally get carrots as part of my vegetable plate. However, I've never been able to be successful with carrots at home. I was determined to find a recipe that would work, and I found a hit when I ran across Crock Pot Lady's Glazed Carrots. They were easy and yummy, and I can't wait to make them again.

Glazed Carrots:

4 cups baby carrots
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Dump all ingredients into a slow cooker. Stir well a couple of time to make sure everything is coated and combined. Cook on low for 6 hours. Enjoy!

A Taste of Sweden

2010-11-01T07:00:00.002-04:00

IKEA is quite popular around here, and one reason people keep coming back is the Swedish meatballs served in the store's cafeteria.

So when I found the recipe online, I had to make them. It doesn't hurt that hubby loves meatballs to begin with.

IKEA Swedish Meatballs:

2 bags frozen turkey meatballs
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can French onion soup
8 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
chicken broth, if needed

Place meatballs in slow cooker on low heat. In medium bowl, stir together soups and sour cream until well-combined. Season with garlic powder and pepper. Pour mixture over meatballs, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. 30 minutes before serving, if your mixture appears to be too thick, add 1/2-1 cup of chicken to thin it out. I served mine over whole wheat pasta shells.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T15:50:00.006-04:00

Though it's been pretty busy around here this month, I didn't want October to pass without sharing these recipes with you. These recipes come from Recipe Girl's blog. They would be a perfect accompaniment to your trick-or-treating tonight or anytime this fall.

Pumpkin Chili:

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 cans petite cut diced tomatoes w/no salt added
15-ounce can pumpkin
15-ounce can kidney beans
15-ounce can Northern beans
15-ounce can black beans
15-ounce can tomato sauce
4-ounce can diced green chiles
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
Dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup water

Brown the ground turkey. Remove to a plate. Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic cloves until softened. Add turkey back in. Add pumpkin and tomato sauce, stirring well to combine mixture. Add diced tomatoes and green chiles, stirring well to combine. Add beans, stirring well. Lastly, add seasonings. Stir well to combine. If mixture is too thick for your liking, add 1/2 cup water to thin it out. Cover and simmer on medium-to-low heat for 30 minutes. Serves 8 people.

Pumpkin Cornbread:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon molasses

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a square baking pan. In a bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk in cornmeal. In separate bowl, beat eggs, stir in pumpkin puree, add brown sugar, oil and molasses. Combine well. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to center of well. Stir just until combined and moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Serves 8 people.

I will be linking this to Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen.

Pasta....Take Two

2010-10-04T20:18:00.003-04:00

This dinner is the absolute opposite of what was intended. However, it turned out better than I ever could have imagined. A few simple ingredients was all this took and it came together in an instant. I look forward to having this again. My husband loves pasta, and this was an amazing diversion from the typical thick, heavy sauce usually seen with pasta. Take one was a hot mess, so I revised my game plan and it worked!!!!

Tomato and Broccoli Pasta:

6 oz. Whole Grain Rotini
1 can petite cut diced tomatoes with no salt
1 1/2 cups broccoli
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
1 Tbsp. Greek seasoning

Boil your noodles. Add the broccoli in the last 4 minutes. Drain both and leave in the colander. While they drain, add the tomatoes to the pot, smashing them with a potato masher. Add the pasta and broccoli back to the pot. Stir in the Parmesan and Greek seasoning. Toss well.

FINALLY!!!!

2010-09-29T11:47:00.006-04:00

I'm back with a recipe I think you will enjoy. There are several reasons for the delay since the last post. We have made some changes in our eating habits and it has taken me a little while to get accustomed to our new routine, but mostly I was just in a cooking rut.

So, I was happy to find this recipe from the crockpot lady, AKA Stephanie, and realize that with all of our changes, I could make this one work. I hope you will let me know if you try it and tell me how you like this.

Hoppin' John Soup:

4 cups chicken broth
1 lb. turkey sausage
1 lb. dried black eyed peas
2 15oz. cans low sodium turnip greens
1 can Rotel
1 boil in bag brown rice

Soak your black eyed peas overnight in some water. The next morning, drain and rinse them. Add them to the crockpot. Pour your cans of low sodium turnip greens over the peas. Top them with your can of Rotel. Thinly slice the turkey sausage and place the slices over the top of the tomatoes. Pour 4 cups of chicken broth over the top of this. Cover and cook on low 12 hours. About an hour before serving, boil your brown rice and stir it into the soup. The longer your dish cooks, the more flavor it will develop and softer the peas will be. I really thought this was actually tastier the next day. It serves 8-10 people. Leftovers can be frozen easily.

Slow Cooked Stroganoff

2010-09-11T22:16:00.010-04:00

We make beef stroganoff every once in a while, but this was the first time we tried this recipe. This recipe came from the back of a Lipton Recipe Secrets Beefy Onion Soup Mix box.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff:

2 lb. boneless chuck steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1, 8-ounce container sour cream

In slow cooker, toss beef with flour. Stir in remaining ingredients except sour cream. Cook covered on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours until meat is tender. Stir in sour cream. Serve, if desired, over hot cooked noodles.

This recipe is linked to Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen.

Smitten With These Cookies

2010-08-27T16:52:00.029-04:00

A while back I purchased some old fashioned oats for a topping to the fruit crisp that I made. The oats are not a usual "find" in my pantry. So, when I had some left over, I knew I had to make some oatmeal cookies.

Once I decided what to make, I set out through my thousands of recipes and cookbooks to find the perfect recipe that I wanted to use. Not only did I find one of the best recipes to use, but it was not in my 30+ cookbooks or on my blog.

No, this recipe actually came from Smitten Kitchen's blog. They were quite easy and tasted great as well. I did not want a recipe that called for both brown and white sugar, so that is another reason I was drawn to this recipe.

Oatmeal Cookies:

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp, cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts-I left these out

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. In another large bowl, combine the all purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture, incorporating the ingredients well. Stir in the rolled oats, raisins, and walnuts. Using a cookie scoop, drop mixture onto the prepared pans. Bake for 10 minutes. My cookies did very little spreading, so I placed them about an inch apart.

Fajita Fun

2010-08-22T11:31:00.023-04:00

Oh my gosh!!!! You must RUN NOW to get the ingredients for these fajitas. They are sooooooo good!! Seriously, they are THAT good. You will not be disappointed if you make these. The only thing that disappoints me is that it had been so long since I had made them.

My parents originally gave me this recipe, but no one remembers where it came from. I assume I have had the recipe for at least 10 years. I had jotted it down on a piece of paper, only to forget about it for a very long time. Then, when I came across it again, I knew to transfer it to a recipe card and place it in my recipe box.

On Friday, we were looking to eat dinner at home, but wanted something different, something out of the ordinary. BINGO!!! These fajitas came right to mind. It also didn't hurt that my parents had recently mentioned having fajitas, albeit, they weren't THESE fajitas.

James loved, loved, loved them, and I could just kick myself for not having remembered them before now. Needless to say, we will be making up for lost time by having them again real, real soon.

Enjoy them as we did, and if you don't have the ingredients right now, then run, run run to get them. What are you waiting for? This should be your next meal. The picture likely doesn't do them justice, but trust me, and then come back to tell me you made them and let us know how you liked them.

Fabulous Fajitas:

1 lb. chicken strips-(pkg. will say "for fajitas")
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
2 cups onions
red bell pepper
green bell pepper
yellow bell pepper
1 tsp. oil
small tortillas

In a large resealable bag, place the chicken and lime juice. Close the bag, allowing air to escape, and squeeze the lime juice into the chicken. Open the bag and add the salt, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and ground red pepper. Seal the bag again, allowing excess air to escape. Again, rub the spices into the chicken, tossing the closed bag until everything is nicely mixed together. Place the bag into the refrigerator to marinate.

Chop the onion and peppers to desired size of your liking. We prefer ours to be extra small and thin, so I chop the heck out of mine. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, adding the onion and peppers. Cook a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add the chicken to the skillet, discarding any remaining liquid from the marinade. Cook the chicken until it is done and the onion and peppers reach your desired tenderness. This took about ten minutes for ours.

Place tortillas flat on a plate. Scoop about 2-3 pieces of chicken per tortilla. Add a spoonful of peppers and onion to each tortilla. Top with your choice of cheese. Fold tortilla over almost halfway. Eat and enjoy!!

You can also top your fajitas with sour cream, but we opted not to do so.

I will be linking this post to Mommy's Kitchen for Potluck Sunday.

Successful Salad in the Summertime

2010-08-18T21:00:00.002-04:00

I have said it before, but there is nothing harder than cooking in a hot kitchen during the heat of summertime. So, we didn't cook today. We opted for a salad, and it turned out quite nicely. It was even edible, despite eating pink chicken.

Strawberry Salad:

1 bag Italian Mix
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1 cup strawberries
1/2 lemon pepper rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup Ken's Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

Chop the lettuce, shred the chicken, wash and slice the strawberries, and combine everything in a large salad bowl. Enjoy!

A"Peel"ing Bread

2010-08-15T20:09:00.006-04:00

I looked and looked for this recipe on my blog, and could not find it. Then I realized I thought I had lost the recipe. Frantically, I called my mom, who had it in one of her cookbooks. Well, then I told myself I would post it on my blog so I would not lose it.

Sure enough, I looked again yesterday, and it appears as though I still never posted it. What is it, you ask? It is my all time favorite banana bread. Luckily, I had at least written the recipe down this time, so here it is! Now, I will have access any time I want to make this.

I used to make this every single weekend, but we have not had it in quite a while. So, it pleases me to no end to be able to tell you it is still just as good as I remembered, and maybe even better.

Banana Bread:

1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 bananas, mashed
2 cups self rising flour
3 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the oil and sugar on low speed using your mixer. Beat the eggs, one at a time, and add them to the mixture. Mash the bananas and add then in, combining really well. Incorporate the flour while the mixer is on low, so you don't get flour all over yourself. Stir in the milk and vanilla.

Lightly grease and flour a loaf pan. Pour batter in, making sure it is evenly distributed. Bake for one hour until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or a snack. It is sooooo good.

I will be linking this recipe to Mommy's Kitchen for Potluck Sunday.

From Ham to Pork

2010-08-08T19:16:00.008-04:00

We make the Maple Ham recipe, from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow, frequently. So, I decided today to give the same ingredients a try only this time with a pork loin instead of ham. The results were pretty good. Although I must admit, I am so used to slow cooking pork with Coke and barbecue sauce. I don't typically stray from what I am used too. After all, you are dealing with someone who orders the same thing every time she goes into a restaurant.

Maple Pork:

1 pork loin
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup maple syrup

Brown the pork on all sides. Place into the crock pot topping it with the brown sugar. Pour the pineapple juice and maple syrup over the pork. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

Ham and Yams

2010-08-01T21:07:00.012-04:00

Tonight we had the best dinner. I made maple ham and alongside it we had Paula Deen's yams. Everything was so yummy, and it was nice to actually eat something that tasted great.

Often times, in the summer when it is so unbelievably hot, it is hard to actually enjoy eating. Not to mention how much of a hassle cooking can be when it's too hot outside, but fortunately for us, we at least used the crock pot for part of the meal.

Somehow, eating food that comes from one of Paula's cookbooks or shows just makes me feel good. It seems to be a good sign that we started the week off just right!! Having leftovers for lunch the next day isn't too shabby either.

I adore sweet potatoes, and the hubs has grown to like them too. I found this recipe many years ago, and it has always turned out. This seems to be a good recipe to convert those that have never been sure about sweet potatoes before.

Sweet Potato Yams:

3 large sweet potatoes
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4-1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, and prick them with a fork. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for an hour. Thirty minutes into the baking process, make the sauce on the stove. Bring the water, butter, sugar, vanilla and spices to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Once sweet potatoes are baked and cooled, peel them and slice them into 1/2 inch rounds. Place them into slightly greased baking dish and cover with sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

I am linking this recipe to Mommy's Kitchen for Potluck Sunday.

Taters on the Side

2010-07-25T21:37:00.004-04:00

It is soooooo hot here, and it is almost unbearable to think about food. I haven't had any good recipes the last few days because it almost makes me sick to think about food when the heat is so oppressive here. I am soooooo ready for Fall. Cold weather food suits me better anyway.

We finally tried a new recipe today. This is from Cooking Light, and the results were that it is a hit!!!! As soon as I took the picture, James was off with every single one of those potatoes on his plate. He is pleased to report that he ate them all. What can we really say other than the man likes meat and potatoes.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes:

2 1/2 lbs. fingerling potatoes
2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. parsley-(We substituted chives).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Quarter the potatoes and add them to a large bowl. With them, combine the oil, salt, pepper, chives, and Dijon. Toss well and spread over a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMM

2010-07-19T22:05:00.003-04:00

Well, I had a royal flop in the kitchen today. I am proud to report though, that the flop had nothing to do with dinner. In fact, dinner was fabulous. Best of all was the smile on my husband's face when he ate this meal.

The flop was disappointing though. No one wants to fail at anything, and what I screwed up on was not exactly what I would call cheap. Oh well, there are plenty of other recipes that are successes. This is definitely one of them, and it is all thanks to Pioneer Woman.

Bowtie Lasagna:

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 jars marinara sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella
generous handul of grated Parmesan
12 oz. bowtie pasta
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Brown and drain the ground beef. Boil and drain the noodles. In a large Dutch oven, layer ingredients beginning with the ground beef. Add the noodles and sour cream, the seasonings, cheeses, and finally the sauce. Toss well to combine mixture. Heat through on mediyum heat. Enjoy!! We sure did.

Super Salad

2010-07-18T20:08:00.009-04:00

We just returned from a fabulous weekend getaway. Let's face it though, one of the highlights of a getaway is that you pretty much eat what you want. So, upon coming home, we are back to reality and trying to lighten things up. This salad is one that we enjoy quite often.

Buffalo Chicken Salad:

1 bag Romaine lettuce, chopped thin
1/4 lb. Buffalo chicken sandwich meat
1 cup shredded cheese
handful of croutons
1/4 cup sunflower kernels
1/4 cup Salad Toppings-(in my store, they are on the same aisle as croutons)
1/2-1 cup Tuscan House Italian salad dressing

Chop your lettuce and slice your sandwich meat to desired thinness. In a large salad bowl, combine all the ingredients. Toss well to combine. Enjoy!!

Off the Cob

2010-07-14T21:23:00.002-04:00

I have been in a bit of a cooking slump lately. So, the other day, I just pulled some frozen corn out of the freezer. Of course, fresh corn is best this time of year, but we did not really have the time to go and get some. This settled for a close second.

Creamed Corn:

1 lb. Silver Queen Corn
1/2 stick butter
2/3 cup fat free Half & Half
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a skillet over medium heat until the butter is melted and the corn is cooked through.

Tater Time

2010-07-12T18:41:00.004-04:00

Around here, we love potatoes. It doesn't matter whether they are mashed, baked, boiled for potato salad, or roasted in the oven, we adore them all just the same. I feel certain that most everyone knows how to make mashed potatoes, but these are so good I just really wanted to share them with you.

Cheesy Potatoes:

4-6 baking potatoes
1/8-1/4 cup milk
1/2 stick butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Peel your potatoes. Cut them into 1/2 inch slices. Quarter the slices. Place then in a pot and cover with water. Boil 15-20 minutes until fork tender. Drain well. Add 1/2 stick butter and mash with potato masher. Pour in your milk and mash until your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese until melted. These are so good. We can't wait to have them again.

Chocolate For Breakfast

2010-07-11T08:15:00.001-04:00

These yummy little muffins come from the same Miss Daisy's Tearoom cookbook that the Lemon Freeze came from. We ordinarilly do not have chocolate first thing in the morning, but, hubs had to get to work so wee needed something quick. Also, we had been wanting to try them for a while now.

Turns out my mom, sneaky as she is, actually already tried them before we could get to them. I guess she told the truth when she said she couldn't wait to see how we were going to like them. They are much like a fudge pie, just in muffin form. If you like chocolate, this is really the way to go.

Fudge Muffins:

4 1oz. blocks semi sweet chocolate
1 cup butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, although I feel sure we mistakenly set ours to 350 degrees. In a saucepan on low heat, melt the butter and chocolate squares. Set aside to cool. With a mixer, beat the sugar, salt, and flour, with the eggs, adding them one at a time. Add vanilla and walnuts to chocolate mixture that has cooled. Blend chocolate mixture into the egg, sugar, and flour mixture. Pour batter into greased muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes.

This recipe is linked to:
Mommy's Kitchen for Potluck Sunday
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
It's a Blog Party

Perfect For Any Meal

2010-07-10T22:03:00.004-04:00

This yummy biscuit recipe came from Steph over at Plain Chicken. You can find her by looking to the left hand side of my blog under the list of blogs I read. She originally had these for dinner, saying they would be equally as good for breakfast. I'd have to agree with her on this. I was surprised at how much we liked them, and we can hardly wait to try them again. Her picture was better than mine, but I am sure they were equally as tasty.

7 Up Biscuits:

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7 Up
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, combine Bisquick with sour cream. Steph mentions that she cut her sour cream into the Bisquick, but to be honest, I forgot to do that. I thought they came out just fine anyway. After combining Bisquick and sour cream, add in the 7 Up. Dough will be extremely sticky. Flour your work area before rolling out this dough. Cut your biscuits, and place them in a pan that has been coated with the melted butter. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Steph's directions said to bake until browned, so I gave them 15 minutes, which was a bit too long. Just check them before you burn them.

Feeling HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!

2010-07-07T22:39:00.005-04:00

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Based upon my title, you probably think I am referring to the weather. WRONG!!!! This is a twist on one of our favorite, easy recipes that comes from a dear former co worker. We changed it up a bit to account for the chicken we had leftover from our salad two nights ago. IT WAS HOT, and that is putting it nicely. Surprisingly enough though, we enjoyed it just as much as we did the regular version. Try it, and let me know what you think. As a side note, this would be much too hot for your little ones at home.

Frank's Red Hot Sauce Chicken and Yellow Rice Casserole:

2 chicken breasts********** see note at the bottom
1 pkg. yellow rice, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 sleeve of crackers, crushed
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cooked chicken, cooked rice, soup, and sour cream together in a lightly greased baking dish. Top with crushed crackers. Pour butter over crackers. Bake for 30 minutes.

****** The chicken that I used had been in the crockpot all day with a 12 oz. bottle of Frank's Red Hot Sauce. It was leftover from two days ago, and had been sitting in the sauce the whole time. It was HOT!!! If you had used it straight from the crockpot like we did for another meal the other night, it is not as hot.

The original recipe calls for plain chicken. It worked for us either way. Hope you enjoy!

Take Two

2010-07-06T20:32:00.006-04:00

I have looked and looked and looked some more at the various taco salads on some of my favorite blogs. I finally came to the conclusion to combine what I liked about all the recipes and turn it into my very own. The end result was very enjoyable. My dad would LOVE this chicken because it had quite a kick to it.

Taco Salad:

1 bag Romaine
1/2 bag Chili Fritos
3 chicken breasts (1 lb.)
1 12oz. bottle Frank's Red Hot sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Ranch dressing

Dump your chicken in the crockpot with the full bottle of hot sauce. Cook on low for 7 hours. Pull chicken out, shred it, and place it back into the crockpot to mix with the sauce. Make sure you coat all of the chicken because this is where it really gets the heat from. Once you do this, the liquid will pretty much be absorbed.

Layer your plate with chips, then lettuce, next is the chicken, top with cheese, and finish off with the dressing. We liked this so much we will be having it again this week. It is too easy and keeps the kitchen from getting so warm.

Fourth of July Pie

2010-07-04T12:41:00.008-04:00

This recipe is so good that it deserves to be posted again. I first posted it about two years ago, and that is just too long ago. The pie is extra rich, so you will not want your pieces to be that big. Even though it has been so long since I first introduced this pie, we still have it for special occasions. It is one of my husband's favorite desserts. Enjoy and have a safe holiday!

Peanut Butter Pie:

2-8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup whipped topping
14 Reese's cups, regular size **see the note below
1 chocolate crumb crust

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and peanut butter. Mix well. Fold in the whipped topping. Chop 7 Reese's cups into quarters. Fold them into the mixture. Pour mixture into chocolate crumb crust. Quarter the remaining 7 Reese's. Sprinkle them on top of pie for garnish. Refrigerate or freeze for 4 hours. I froze mine although the recipe said to refrigerate.

**** I was unable to find a bag of regular sized Reese's cups at my local store, so I had to opt for the smaller size. They worked just fine and in fact, I think I will use the smaller ones next time as well.

This is what it looked like before I topped it with whipped cream.

This is just before I put it in the freezer.

I have linked this recipe to Mommy's Kitchen for Potluck Sunday.

There is also a link to Simply Sweet Home

Thrown In

2010-06-30T11:50:00.003-04:00

We use our crockpot ALL the time. In fact, we have more than one of them. Often, we will use them at the same time. The other day, I had a roast I wanted to make, so I literally just took what I had out of the pantry to throw this together.

Clean Out The Pantry Roast:

1 pot roast-2-3 lbs.
1 pkg. Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix
2 small cans tomato juice
1 large carton beef broth
1 bag crinkle cut carrots-(Yes, I realize they were not in the pantry.)

Salt and pepper the roast. Dust with a little flower. Brown in the skillet with a pat of butter. Transfer the browned roast to the crockpot. Turn on low and add the beef broth, carrots, tomato juice, and soup mix. Cook for 8 hours.

A Little Twist

2010-06-29T21:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, the picture is not the greatest, but you have to try this. I took my two favorite squash recipes and combined them. I do not like eggs in my squash like so many casseroles call for, so I changed things up a bit.

Twisted Squash:

4-6 squash-washed and thinly sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup crushed crackers plus more for topping
2 large Tbsp. pimento cheese
dash of salt, pepper, and garlic powder
1 stick butter melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil the sliced squash with chopped onion and a dash of pepper until tender. Drain thoroughly. Combine squash and onion mixture in another bowl with sour cream, 1 cup of crackers, pimento cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour into lightly greased casserole dish. Top with crushed crackers. Pour melted butter over cracker mixture. Bake for 35 minutes.

Smells Fishy in Here

2010-06-27T22:31:00.004-04:00

This is a recipe that I remember from my childhood. James has developed a love of it now, so he requested it as soon as we arrived home from vacation. It really is so easy. In fact, I can't believe I am posting this, but we enjoy it too much not to include it on the blog.

Salmon Croquettes:

1 can red salmon
1 egg
1 1/2 sleeves of crackers, crushed

Drain the can of salmon. Preheat a skillet with a quarter inch of oil. Once you drain the salmon, transfer it to a bowl so that you can remove the little white bones. Mash the salmon with a fork. Slightly beat the egg and incorporate it into the salmon. I then crush the 1/2 sleeve of crackers and combine them into the mixture, but I never remember my mom doing this. Form the mixture into 4 large patties. I flatten mine like hamburger patties, but my mom always made hers round. Either way you prefer, they turn out great. Coat the outside of the patties with remaining sleeve of crushed crackers. Cook in the skillet until each side is browned, which is approximately 3-4 minutes on each side. ENJOY!

Decompressing from Vacation

2010-06-15T14:52:00.009-04:00

After a week of non stop fun and eating out (That's what you do on vacation, right?) we wanted something light for dinner last night. Not to mention we really didn't want to cook in a hot kitchen with the temperature as hot as it is here. So, I found the perfect salad at The Sister's Cafe, but I adapted it to our liking. It really was so good. James will only get excited about a handful of salads, but he did enjoy this one. Next time, I think we will try it with Raspberry Vinaigrette.

Citrus Salad Toss

Romaine or spring mix
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 large can mandarin oranges, drained and juice reserved
1 pt. strawberries, cut up
pecans
1/2 cup Craisins

Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 T orange juice
2 T sugar
juice reserved from the oranges

For pecans, mix together 1 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar. Soak pecans in water/sugar mixture for about 15 minutes. Drain the pecans and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Mix all dressing ingredients and let sit while pecans are in the oven so the flavors can blend.

Combine all salad ingredients in a salad bowl. Spoon desired amount of dressing over salad so that you are careful not to over soak your salad.

Reserved dressing will keep in the refrigerator. Cover in an airtight container.

Mayberry Meets the Crock Pot

2010-06-14T10:27:00.006-04:00

Growing up, my family watched countless episodes of Andy Griffith and we still do today. All these yesrs later, the show is still funny, and I still wish I lived in between Mayberry and Mayfield (Leave it to Beaver).

Yesterday, James and I watched a marathon of the show, ironically on the same day that we were making a new recipe from the Mayberry Cookbook. You see, every time we go on vacation, my souvenier is a cookbook. So, it was fun to find the Mayberry Cookbook last week. I am sure we will have a good time with that.

Even though pork chops aren't usually my first choce, hubby really likes them. So, this was our first trial recipe from the book. I have to say they turned out really well, and we will make this again. I would like to get away from using so many cans when I cook, so I might alternate with beef broth and Velveeta next time.

Mayberry Pork Chop Casserole in the Crock Pot:

4 pork chops
4 potatoes
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
2 cans french onion soup

Season the pork with salt and pepper and coat both sides in flour. Brown on both sides. (This is optional, but I did it). Cut the potatoes in thin slices. Combine all of the soup into the crock pot, turning it on low. Add the potato slices and top with the browned pork chops. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Summer Treat

2010-06-13T11:39:00.014-04:00

This recipe dates back to my childhood. I remember my mom making this when we were growing up. My dad has always been a fan of anything with lemon in it, so this was a frequent favorite come summertime. It is so simple and is perfect when you want a light summer dessert. It comes from a cookbook from Miss Daisy's Tearoom in Franklin, Tennessee. Though I am fairly certain the tearoom isn't around anymore, this cookbook is still available. Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to Potluck Sunday on Mommy's Kitchen
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom

Lemon Freeze:

15 ounce can evaporated milk, chilled
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 drops yellow food coloring
1 box Graham cracker crumbs

Line 9 x 9 pan with graham cracker crumbs. Whip milk until it's thick. Add sugar, lemon juice, extract and food coloring. Mix and pour over crumbs. Freeze mixture, then cut into squares. Garnish with whipped cream.

Easy Peasy

2010-06-11T22:13:00.004-04:00

One day recently, as I was talking to my mom, we were discussing the fact that neither of us really had any great plans for our dinner menus that were in the near future. She began telling me about one of our friends and the easiest chicken that she had recently made because she simply had those ingredients on hand.

So, I thought I'd give this a try. You won't believe how easy it is, and we really enjoyed it. You could add to this, but it was just fine as is.

Chicken with Tomatoes:

1 lb. of chicken-I used tenderloins
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans Rotel tomatoes

Dump everything in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve chicken over rice, ladling the extra sauce over the chicken.

Memorial Day Grub

2010-05-31T18:11:00.003-04:00

This pasta salad was on the holiday menu for today. It is just so stupid easy. Sometimes, the simplest things really are the best. You could add any veggies to this, but we kept it simple.

Pasta Salad:

1 lb. bow tie pasta-we used the miniature bow ties
4 Tbsp. Salad Supreme Seasoning (McCormick)
1 cup Tuscan House Italian dressing
1/2-1 cup additional Tuscan House Italian dressing

Boil and drain the noodles. While noodles are still warm, coat them with the Salad Seasoning. Pour 1 cup of dressing over the warm pasta and toss evenly. Refrigerate overnight or for several hours until pasta has thoroughly cooled. The next morning, add 1/2-1 cup of additional dressing, tossing to coat. Refrigerate again until ready to serve. If the pasta is drier than your liking, add additional dressing just until coated.

Slow Cooked Chicken

2010-05-30T18:39:00.007-04:00

This recipe comes courtesy of Stephanie O'Dea's cookbook "Make it Fast, Cook it Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking"... She used steak, as I did in the previous post. On a whim, we decided to try the same recipe using chicken. Though it worked well, we will likely stick to the original recipe that uses the steak. Try it out and let me know which you prefer.

A-1 and Dijon Chicken:

2 tablespoons A-1 steak sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 lb. chicken cutlets
1/4 cup white wine

Use a four-quart slow cooker. Combine A-1 sauce and mustard in a little bowl. Paint the mixture on all sides of the chicken. Put chicken into slow cooker. Add wine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Slow Cooked Steak

2010-05-25T19:15:00.002-04:00

This recipe comes courtesy of Stephanie O'Dea's cookbook "Make it Fast, Cook it Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking"...

A-1 and Dijon Steak:

2 tablespoons A-1 steak sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 to 6 steaks
1/4 cup white wine

Use a four-quart slow cooker. Combine A-1 sauce and mustard in a little bowl. Paint the mixture on all sides of each steak. Put steak into slow cooker. Add wine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Orange You Glad You Made Chicken?

2010-05-03T19:37:00.003-04:00

This recipe comes courtesy of the March/April 2010 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen.

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Orange Sauce:

1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1⁄2 cups heavy whipping cream
3⁄4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs, grated orange zest

In three separate shallow bowls, place flour, egg, and panko. Dredge each chicken breast in flour, dip in beaten egg, and dredge again in panko.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside. Wipe skillet clean.

Add cream, thyme, and salt to pan; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Stir in marmalade. Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and grated orange zest, if desired.

Let Them Eat Cake

2010-05-02T16:41:00.004-04:00

Biggest Rat in Town Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake:

Cake:

2 cups sugar
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon peanut oil

Frosting:

1 stick butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons buttermilk
1 box confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugar, flour and soda. Set aside. In a heavy saucepan, mix butter, cocoa, water, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and bring to boil. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into generously-greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

I found that when we cooked this cake, it needed about 45 minutes to completely bake.

For the filling, mix peanut butter and oil together and spread over cooled cake.

For frosting, combine butter, cocoa and buttermilk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour mixture over sugar and mix well. Add vanilla and stir well. Frost cake.

This Little Piggy Went to the Slow Cooker

2010-04-21T14:22:00.004-04:00

Maple Ham:

7-8 pound bone-in spiral-cut ham
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup all-natural maple syrup
1 cup pineapple juice

Unwrap the ham and discard flavor packet. Place the ham into a 6-quart slow cooker, flat side down. Rub brown sugar on all sides. Pour on maple syrup and pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

This comes from The Crockpot Lady's cookbook, "Make It Fast, Cook It Slow". It was so easy and so good.

James' Choice

2010-03-27T19:17:00.005-04:00

Sometimes it can be tough to decide what to have for dinner. I haven't posted in a while because we simply have not made anything that was blog worthy. We seemed to have been on a streak where we either were having something that is already posted on here, or it was the same old burgers or a salad.

So, today I let James decide what he wanted to have for dinner. We threw ideas back and forth for four hours before he finally went and retrieved the Robin Miller cookbook, Quick Fix Meals, which we received as a wedding gift.

I have made this before, but we liked this version, which I only slightly adapted. I hope you enjoy it.

Shepherd's Pie:

1 1/4 lb. lean ground beef
1 bag carrot coins
1/2 onion
1 can peas
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Potatoes:
4 potatoes, peeled and cut
1/2 cup shredded triple cheddar
1/4 cup cream
1/2 stick butter
salt, pepper

Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Meanwhile, brown and drain the ground beef and onion mixture. In a separate pot, boil the carrots with some beef broth. Combine the beef, onion, and carrot mixture with tomatoes and peas. Stir in the seasonings. Divide mixture between two pie plates. Meanwhile, drain and mash the potatoes, adding the cream, cheese, butter, salt, and pepper. Spread smoothly over the meat mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Yes, We Have Plenty of Bananas

2010-03-14T13:20:00.002-04:00

Banana Pudding:

1, 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 2/3 cups cold water
1, 3.4-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding mix
1, 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1, 11-ounce box vanilla wafers
4-6 bananas, sliced

In large bowl, combine milk, water and pudding mix. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer until smooth, then chill for five minutes. Fold in the whipped topping. In serving dish, pour just another pudding mixture to cover bottom. Place layer of wafers over pudding, followed by half the bananas. Repeat the procedure with remaining ingredients, beginning and ending with pudding mixture. Garnish with pudding and vanilla wafers if necessary. Serve immediately.

Casserole Special

2010-03-14T13:16:00.002-04:00

Another recipe from the Paula Deen collection, specifically the July/August 2008 edition of her magazine.

Chicken Casserole:

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
2 cups cooked rice
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 baking dish. In large bowl, combine chicken, rice, soup, celery, onion, mayo, mustard, almonds, broth and lemon juice. Spread mixture into baking dish. In small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter. Toss to coat. Sprinkle crumbs over casserole and bake 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

Okra Concoction

2010-03-14T13:08:00.003-04:00

This recipe is also a Paula Deen specialty.

Fried Okra Salad:

1 1/2 pounds breaded frozen okra
Vegetable oil for frying
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 bunch green onions, diced
six slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

Fry okra in vegetable oil and drain on paper towels. In medium bowl, combine okra, tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions and bacon. In small saucepan over medium heat, combine oil, sugar and vinegar. Cook, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves. Pour over okra mixture and toss. Serve immediately.

Cheezy!

2010-03-14T12:58:00.002-04:00

Paula Deen got this recipe from the former Mrs. Billy Joel's book, "The Comfort Table," and I'm now sharing it with you!

Pimento Cheese Spread:

4 cups shredded sharp cheddar (can substitute using Velveeta)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped pimentos
1 tablespoon pickle relish
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Assorted crackers or bread

In food processor, pulse cheese until it resembles a fine meal. Add mayo and process until creamy. Add pimentos, relish, onion powder, salt, hot sauce and pepper. Process until blended. Serve on crackers or bread.

Put the Cake Into the Strawberries

2010-03-14T12:53:00.003-04:00

This is from Paula Deen's May/June 2008 magazine

Strawberry Cake:

1 box white cake mix
1, 3-ounce box strawberry flavored instant gelatin
10 ounce package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
4 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
Strawberry cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease two, nine-inch cake pans. In large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil and water. Beat and medium speed with electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Spread frosting between layers, and on top and sides of cake.

Strawberry cream cheese frosting:

1/4 cup butter, softened
1, 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
10-ounce package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
7 cups confectioners sugar

In large bowl, on medium speed, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1/4 cup strawberry puree. Reserve remaining puree for another use. Beat in extract and gradually add sugar. Combine until smooth.

Chop Chop

2010-03-14T12:49:00.003-04:00

This is from Paula Deen's May/June 2008 magazine. And you know how much I LOVE Paula!!

Sour Cream Pork Chops:

2 tablespoons oil
4, 1-inch thick boneless pork chops
1 1/2 cups sliced onion, separated into rings
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sour cream
hot cooked rice

In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add pork chops. Cook until browned on each side. Place onion evenly over pork chops. In small bowl, combine broth, parsley, paprika, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over pork chops. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 90 minutes. Stir in sour cream and cook for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Do not let it boil -- serve it over hot cooked rice.

Dressing Up Your Chicken

2010-03-13T20:53:00.007-05:00

My sweet cousin sent me this recipe, and it was phenomenal. James and I both loved it. I made some slight changes to accomodate for what I had. Either way, it's easy and fabulous. This is a Paula Deen recipe, and I ADORE her, as most of you likely already know. Instead of layering the ingredients like the recipe calls for, I became impatient and just mixed everything together.

Cheesy Chicken and Dressing Casserole

2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz pkg shredded mozzarella cheese-I used triple cheddar
10.75 oz can cream of mushroom soup-I used cream of chicken
1/4 cup whole milk
6 oz pkg chicken-flavored stuffing mix
5 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 and spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a large skillet, heat oil over med-high heat. Add chicken and cook stirring occassionally until chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from pan and place in baking dish.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to skillet and cook 4 to 5 minutes until they are tender. Spread onion mixture evenly over chicken. Top evenly with cheese.

In a small bowl, combine soup and milk and pour mixture over cheese.

In a medium bowl, combine stuffing and melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over cheese. Bake at 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubblly.

Just a Kid At Heart

2010-03-13T20:52:00.004-05:00

This recipe comes from a blog that I frequent. Though I have tried countless varieties of macaroni and cheese, we liked this one a lot and will make it again. The picture does not do it justice. Trust me, and try it yourself.

California Mac and Cheese:

16 oz rotini pasta
8 oz Velveeta cheese
1 1/2 C heavy cream
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Cook pasta in boiling water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut velveeta cheese into cubes and add it to the cream and butter in a large sauce pan. Cook on low heat, stirring often. Drain pasta and add to cheese mixture, stirring gently to evenly coat.

Keeping the Pigs Warm

2010-02-27T21:01:00.003-05:00

Now that February is almost over, I decided I better share this with you before it was too late. These were one of our little snacks we had during the Super Bowl. They were so easy, and I am shocked that I had never made them until now.

Pigs in a Blanket:

1 can Pillsbury breadstick dough
1 pkg. little smokies
dipping sauce of your choice

Unroll and separate the dough into ten strips. Cut each piece into thirds (I actually cut mine into fourths and they were fine). Wrap each strip of dough around a single smokie and place on a lightly greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20minutes.

Holiday Delight

2010-02-20T11:50:00.002-05:00

Graham Cracker Toffee:

1 pkg graham crackers-1/3 of the box
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

In a 13x9 pan, line the graham crackers. Combine the butter and sugar over medium heat. Boil for about 5 minutes. Pour mixture over graham crackers. Bake at 300 for 12minutes. As soon as this comes out of the oven, pour chocolate morsels over the toffee. Let sit for a couple of minutes, then smooth the chocolate over the toffee until covered on all sides. Top with pecans before the chocolate sets.

Chocolate Overload

2010-02-20T11:33:00.003-05:00

My aunt found this yummy recipe in Southern Living.

Cappuccino Frosted Brownies:

4 1oz. unsweetened chocolate baking squares
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels

Combine all ingredients and bake in a greased 13x9 pan for 30-35 minutes. While this cools, make the frosting.

Cappuccino Butter Cream Frosting:

1 envelope instant Swiss Mocha cappuccino mix-calls for Land O Lakes
1/4 cup hot milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
16 oz. box confectioner's sugar

Dissolve the Swiss Mocha mix into the milk. Allow to cool. Cream the butter until smooth, then add the confectioner's sugar. Mix until well combined, then add the Swiss Mocha and milk mixture. Spread over cooled brownies.

Love the Smell

2010-02-20T11:27:00.003-05:00

Mmmmm, this dressing is good.

Herb Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar-can substitute balsamic
1-2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, oregano, or basil-if using dry, use 1/2 tsp.
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Whisk all ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

A Dress for a Sandwich or a Salad

2010-02-20T11:23:00.002-05:00

Honey Mustard Dressing:

1/3 cup coarse grain mustard-use Dijon if you do not have coarse grain
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup honey

Combine all ingredients in an airtight container, whisking until smooth. Use as a spread for your favorite sandwich or your favorite salad. I have done both, and it is always a winner. This will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks. Enjoy.....

No Pictures

2010-02-20T11:17:00.002-05:00

These next few recipes will be without pictures. I have a million recipes sitting around on paper, and in an attempt to control the clutter, I have decided to go ahead and post them so I can throw the papers out. Okay, that was a mouthful, so here we go:

Orange Poppy Seed Dressing:

3 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. orange peel
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. onion, finely chopped
dash of black pepper
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine the first six ingredients in an airtight container. Whisk in the oil and poppy seeds until well combined. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Every Day is a Holiday

2010-02-17T19:40:00.002-05:00

We made this punch during the Super Bowl a couple of weeks ago. I figured I'd better post it soon because of the name. Around here, we say every day should be a holiday, so really you could enjoy it any day of the year. No need to wait for an actual holiday to have something you like, right?

Holiday Punch:

Courtesy of Make It Fast, Cook It Slow-aka the Crockpot Lady's cookbook

4 cups cranberry juice
4 cups pineapple juice
6 cinnamon sticks
1/3 cup Hot Tamales-we actually were able to find red hots this time

Combine the juices into the crockpot. Add the candy and cinnamon sticks, stirring well. Cook on low for 4 hours. Drain the cinnamon sticks before ladling into mugs.

Valentine's Dinner for Two

2010-02-15T19:20:00.007-05:00

This is yet another recipe that I have made several times. It comes from The Sister's Cafe. This was hubby's request for our Valentine's Day Dinner. He absolutely loves pasta, and we both like to stay home as opposed to fight the crowds for the holiday. Needless to say, we were, once again, quite pleased with the result.
I made slight adjustments to the amounts.

Fettuccine Alfredo:

1 stick butter
12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. fettuccine noodles

Boil the noodles. Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt the butter with the evaporated milk over medium heat. Add the grated Parmesan, stirring frequently as to not clump the cheese. Once noodles are done, pour sauce over them. Toss with tongs until all noodles are coated evenly. Serve with side salad. Enjoy! We sure did.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

2010-02-10T19:34:00.003-05:00

I realize that those of you who live in areas where you are currently inundated with snow do not sympathize with my plight that it was a bit cold today. Although I love cold weather and snow, I am far from envious of those who are without power and have four feet of snow on their roof. I found this recipe the other day on Forever Folding Laundry's blog, and we tried it tonight. It was yummy and you should give it a try.

Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque:

4 tomatoes (I used canned)
4 cups tomato juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick butter
pinch of salt and pepper
basil (The recipe calls for 14 fresh leaves which I did not have. I used the jarred)

Combine the tomatoes and juice in a Dutch oven for 30 minutes. Puree the mixture in a food processor. Return to pot, adding cream, salt, pepper, and basil. Heat through. Enjoy!!!!

Gameday Grub

2010-02-08T17:28:00.005-05:00

The other day, I raided the Sister's Cafe blog, and decided upon this yummy dish for Super Bowl Sunday. What an excellent choice it was!!!! If you have not visited their blog, you should because they have fabulous recipes. I adapted this to our liking, so if you want the original recipe, take a look at their site.

Skillet Nachos:

1 lb ground beef
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 can chili beans, undrained
1 cup thick-and-chunky salsa
Tortilla chips (the salted kind, of course!)
1 ½ c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Brown and drain ground beef and chopped bell pepper. Stir in chili beans and salsa. Simmer until heated through. Line tortilla chips on a broiler safe pan. Spoon the mixture over the chips. Sprinkle with cheese. Put under broiler until cheese is melted. This mix made two batches of nachos for me.

Hearty Breakfast

2010-02-07T10:27:00.004-05:00

Well, It's hard to believe Super Bowl Sunday is already here. Somehow, hubby and I seem to use this day as an excuse to eat whatever we want. So, to kick it off, no pun intended, we made this adapted recipe from Sister's Cafe.

Peanut Butter Pancakes:

1 1/4 cup flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups milk (I added much more, until the batter was pretty thin)
1/3 cup peanut butter (I added an extra Tablespoon or 2)
3 Tablespoons melted butter (I left this out)
1 egg

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, setting aside. In another bowl, beat the egg and then add the milk and peanut butter, whisking until smooth. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Butter a pan or griddle , heated to medium high. Spoon by quarter cupfuls onto your griddle. Cook for 3 minutes per side.

*By the time I finished adding milk, it was likely close to 2 cups. It was super thin, but that was the way we liked them.

**I had read a previous comment by someone who said they could not taste the peanut butter, so I added the extra couple of Tablespoons. Also, crunchy peanut butter was all I had, but we liked the hint of nuts in the pancakes.

Bring On the Curry

2010-02-02T19:34:00.002-05:00

Well, hubby is putting me to shame in the kitchen. It's been a little while between recipes because we have simply been so busy. I was fortunate enough to walk in the door tonight to find out that James already had dinner in the oven. Next time, we will likely make extra sauce, but this was a good dish. Trying a new dish is always fun. This came from one of my sweet aunts, and was given to my cousin when she was married. So, it's been passed around a bit, but it is well worth every bite.

Honey-Curry Chicken:

1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. curry powder
1 1/2 lbs. chicken

Combine butter, honey, mustard, salt, and curry powder, stirring well. Dip the chicken into honey sauce, coating on all sides. Place chicken in greased 13x9 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 375 for one hour.

*I would recommend covering this with foil before baking,

A Different Way of Doing Things

2010-01-25T19:50:00.003-05:00

I saw this recipe on Mommy's Kitchen. It was too easy not to give it a try. We liked it, but I will most likely make our original spaghetti from now on. It's a fun twist to anyone's recipe.

Philly Spaghetti:

1 lb. ground beef
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 jars tomato sauce
1 8oz. pkg. spaghetti noodles

Brown and drain the meat. Add the sauce. While noodles are cooking, add the cream cheese which has been cut into bite sized pieces. Simmer until cream cheese is melted and noodles are done. Toss together to coat.

Rainy Day Treat

2010-01-24T12:18:00.004-05:00

Well, it is raining here again, and this morning is the only one where both myself and hubby are home. So, I decided that we should make a nice breakfast. What to make, we wondered? No problem because our girl Paula came to our rescue as I remembered putting this recipe into my cousin's family cookbook that we gave her when she got married. Breakfast was yummy. Hope you enjoy these.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, separated
3 Tbsp. nutter, melted
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate morsels
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Add this mixture to the flour mixture, whisking until smooth. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter. Then fold in the chocolate morsels. Melt 2 Tbsp butter onto hot griddle or skillet. Ladle 1/4 batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes 3 minutes on each side.

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

A Fabulous Opportunity

2010-01-18T11:10:00.008-05:00

Today's recipe is a timeless classic from Jill McKeever of Simple Daily Recipes. She was nice enough to take the time to be my guest, and I am honored that she felt that my little blog was worthy of her visit.

Zesty Egg Salad

Fresh, bright and with a little heat, this egg salad can be eaten on a bed of spinach or between two slices of your favorite whole grain bread. It's bright color makes it pretty enough to serve on crispy baguette slices for party appetizers. OH! Or you could place a dollop of egg salad into lettuce cups or rolled up in large spinach leaves. Any way you want to serve the salad, it will be delicious.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES
To make 6 servings

6 hard-cooked eggs
cup diced celery
tablespoon grated onion
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
a healthy dash cayenne
1/2 cup fresh mayonnaise

Cut up the eggs coarsely; add the celery, grated onion, seasonings and mayonnaise. Mix lightly.

Serve in any way I've already mentioned. The taste grows bolder after it has had time to chill in the frig. Can easily be made a day ahead of serving.

Recipe and photo by Jill McKeever of SimpleDailyRecipes.com

Hubby's Surprise

2010-01-14T21:04:00.003-05:00

James e-mailed me at work today letting me know this was what was for dinner and HE was making it!!!!

Cajun Spiced Pork Chops:

1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon rubbed dried sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 center cut pork chops

Directions

1. Mix paprika, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sage, and garlic salt on a plate. Liberally coat each pork chop with the spice mixture.

2. Heat olive oil and several pumps of non-stick, butter-flavored spray in a large skillet over high heat. Place pork chops in the skillet, reducing heat to medium. Cook until the pork is no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Party Time

2010-01-14T20:55:00.003-05:00

My co workers and I gave a baby shower for a friend recently. This recipe was on the menu, and it was a hit!

Tuna Dip:

8oz. pkg. cream cheese
3 cans tuna
diced jalapenos
mayonnaise

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Drain the tuna and add it to the cream cheese. Spoon in 1-2 tsp. of diced jalapenos, and stir in enough mayonnaise to suit your taste. Combine all ingredients well. Serve with scoop chips.

New Year's Tradition

2010-01-01T15:23:00.005-05:00

Every year, as most of you know, eating black eyed peas and greens (turnips, or collards)on New Year's Day is considered the usual tradition. To go along with them, we made these:

Grandmother's Corn Sticks:

1 cup cornmeal
3 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg beaten
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Combine the first five ingredients. Mix the egg and buttermilk. Add them to the dry mixture. Add melted butter and mix well. Bake at 475 degrees in a well greased corn stick pan for 12-15 minutes.

Happy New Year!!!!!!

Ringing In A New Year With An Old Drink

2009-12-31T09:34:00.004-05:00

I still remember all the ~~hype~~ talk about the things that might or might not happen as we approached the year 2000. To think that ten whole years have now passed completely blows my mind!!!! I feel so much younger, don't you? Whatever you are doing to celebrate ringing in the New Year tonight, you might want to include this little drink. Have fun, and be safe!!!!

Mixed Up Strawberry Daiquiri:

1 10oz. carton Strawberry Daiquiri Bacardi Mixers
Rum
ice cubes
vanilla ice cream

In a blender, combine the carton of Strawberry Daiquiri, 1/2 carton of rum, ice cubes, and a couple of large scoops of ice cream. Blend until smooth. If the drink is too strong for you, add a bit more ice cream. If it is too thick or not strong enough, add more rum. ENJOY!!!!

Borrowed From Another Blog

2009-12-21T12:03:00.002-05:00

This recipe comes from My Kitchen Cafe. It is so good that we are having it for the second time in a week and a half.

Sweet and Sour Chicken:

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

Serve chicken over rice.

Turtles With No Shell

2009-12-15T20:00:00.003-05:00

This recipe is floating ALL over the blogosphere. It is so good and incredibly easy.

Rolo Turtles:

1 pkg. Rolos
square pretzels
pecans

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Toast pecans for 6-10 minutes, depending upon your oven. Line a baking sheet with foil. Unwrap all of the Rolos from the bag. Place square pretzels on lined baking sheet. Top each with one Rolo. Bake for 4 minutes. Place one pecan on top of each Rolo. Using your index finger, press the pecan into the Rolo. Allow to cool on baking shet for 20 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until you are ready to serve them.

Trust Me, I Know A Doctor

2009-12-13T10:43:00.003-05:00

The weather has been so dreary here this weekend. I love it like this, and the only thing that would make it better would be to add some snow. Since that isn't likely to happen, I will settle for this. I have some running around to do today, and this just might be waiting for me when I come back.

Mulled Dr. Pepper

8 cups Dr. Pepper
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. whole cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 cinnamon sticks

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours or until desired temperature is reached. Discard the cloves and cinnamon sticks before serving.

Man Food With A Twist

2009-12-08T18:12:00.004-05:00

I found this recipe on Crockpot Lady's blog. I knew we had to try it immediately. Now, hubby LOVES roasts and any kind of potatoes, but I wasn't sure how he was going to feel about this one. Much to my surprise, he was saying how good it was before I could even eat any. We will be making this again, and maybe even with pork next time.

Cranberry Roast:

1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1, 2-4 lb roast
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 can whole bery cranberry sauce
flour for dusting
salt and pepper

Cover the roast with a sprinkle of salt and pepper on each side. Dredge each side of the roast lightly in flour. Heat a tablespoon or 2 of butter in the skillet, and brown the roast on all sides. Place the rings of onion in the crockpot. Place the roast on top of the onions. Pour the butter and dripings over the roast. Next add the 2 Tbsp. of soy sauce, just pouring over the top of the roast. Dispense the cranberry sauce on top of the roast. Cook on low for 5 -6 hours. This is so good. Can't wait to make the pork version. ENJOY!!!!

Sudsy Soup

2009-11-27T22:30:00.003-05:00

I found this recipe in the Birmingham News, and made it for my husband and parents earlier today. Everyone loved it, and thought it was blog-worthy.

Beer Cheese Soup:

2 cans condensed cheddar cheese soup
2 soup cans full of evaporated milk or half and half
12 ounces beer
1 pound Cheez Whiz or Velveeta
Dash of cayenne pepper
Dash of white pepper
Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Put soup in heavy-bottom saucepan. Gradually blend in milk or half and half. Blend in beer. Heat over moderate heat until mixture is hot, but not bubbling. Add Cheez Whiz or Velveeta in small amounts until melted, stirring frequently. Add pepper and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Be careful not to let soup boil or get too hot -- it burns easily. Serve immediately.

Holiday Staple

2009-11-27T16:28:00.007-05:00

Sweet Potato Casserole With A Crust:

3 cups cooked, peeled, mashed sweet potatoes
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 stick margarine, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg

Mix together and pour into a 9x13 baking dish.

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix together and put on top of the potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes to an hour until the center is set.

Mexican Fare

2009-11-22T12:54:00.003-05:00

Mexican Cheese Dip:

3 cups Dannon all natural plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 red pepper, diced
2 cups whole kernel corn
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. canned, diced green chilies
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
Tortilla chips

Lina a small colander with 3 layers of 100% cotton cheese cloth or a clean paper coffee filter. Suspend colander over a bowl and spoon in the yogurt. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight to create yogurt cheese.

Remove yogurt cheese from the stainer and discard the liquid. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the garlic, cumin, and salt. Fold in the pepper, corn, black beans, tomato, and green chilies, and 1 1/2 cups cheese.

Spoon into the crockpot and top with remaining cheese. Simmer on low. Optional, you can spoon mixture onto a platter, top with cheese, and either way, serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Going Dutch

2009-11-22T12:22:00.005-05:00

Dutch Apple Pie:

For the pie:

18 oz. prepared pie dough
3 lbs. apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

For the streusel topping:

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, chilled
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Whipped cream to serve

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough and line the prepared pan. The dough needs to run all the way up the sides of the pan. Trim the dough by folding the excess over the rim of the pan and using the rolling pin to cut the excess. Refrigerate while preparing the apples.

Peel, core, and dice the apples. In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, raisins, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Mix well, and set aside.

In a food processor, combine all the streusel ingredients except the walnuts. Process to form coarse crumbs. Add the walnuts and then pulse several times to combine.

Transfer the apple mixture to the pie crust. Sprinkle the streusel over the apples. Cover the pie with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes. Top with whipped cream to serve.

Seasonal Squares

2009-11-22T12:10:00.003-05:00

Apple Cranberry Squares:

1/4 cup White House applesauce
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sweetened, dried cranberries (can substitute raisins)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup white chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 square pan. In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, brown sugar, oil, and egg. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the cranberries and pecans. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center comes out clean when pricked with a fork or knife. Microwave the morsels in 30 second intervals until melted. Drizzle over the bars. Cut into 2 inch squares once they are cooled.

Potatoes With A Little French Twist?

2009-11-20T12:50:00.005-05:00

Sausage Hash Brown Casserole:

2 lbs. Tennessee Pride sausage
2 cups shredded cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 8oz. container French Onion dip
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 red and green bell pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 30oz. pkg. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

Brown and drain the sausage. Combine the cheese, soup, sour cream, dip, onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Fold in the thawed potatoes. Spread 1/2 of the hash brown mixture in a greased 13x9 baking pan. Layer half of the sausage on top of hash brown mixture. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

The Snack That Makes You Come Back

2009-11-19T14:42:00.006-05:00

Snickerdoodle Chex Mix:

1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups Cinnamon Chex cereal
2 cups Chocolate Chex cereal
4 cups popped popcorn
1/4 cup butter

Mix the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix the cereals and popcorn. Melt the butter in the microwave. Pour butter over the cereal and popcorn mixture and toss well to coat. Microwave mixture for 2 minutes. Stir after 1 minute. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the cereal mixture. Stir well, and then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the cereal mixture. Stir well, and microwave for 1 minute. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container.