Full Bellies, Happy Kids

Full Bellies is moving

2011-08-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

With all this stealing going on and after researching a bit, it seems that it will be near impossible to get this stopped and frankly, it's taking away my joy of cooking and sharing the recipes.

So, with that said, I had been thinking of switching Full Bellies to a new spot and I figured, it's now or never.

I won't be deleting this one, I started it years ago and it's such a huge part of me that I could not bring myself to even consider getting rid of it. I just won't be updating it anymore.

Unfortunately I can't and will not share the new address on the main page, because I know that this post will make it to kidsrecipes.us within a few seconds of posting it. Far as I'm concerned, they can go fly a kite.

SO, with that said. Anyone who wants to continue following Full Bellies needs to contact me directly through email, and I will give them the new address. I am so sorry I have to do this to all my readers, I hate it but I work too hard on my blog to have it just be stolen like that.

JUST EMAIL ME.

© 2006 - 2011 Full Bellies, Happy Kids - All Rights Reserved

Copy this!

2011-08-10T20:15:00.002-07:00

There may be some changes coming

2011-08-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

I love cooking and you all know that by now.

When I first started this blog it was with the intention of actually just keeping an online recipe binder for myself, a place where I could come and find my favorites and not have to deal with tons of little papers or folders around my kitchen.

As time went by I started getting readers and comments here and there, and I was surprised that anyone would want to see what I was doing or what I was cooking. But it thrilled me, it made me happy to know that I was at least inspiring others to get back into cooking and to enjoy it.

Over the years I have come to share many recipes, some my own, some from my Portuguese Heritage, some from cookbooks and others from wonderful online food blogs. I have always given credit where credit is due, but yes I admit that there has been a time or two where I forgot to add the Credit info under the name of the recipe, purely an oversight on my part and when reminded of it by the owner, I immediately made sure to rectify the error.

Unfortunately I have now fallen victim to a blog who thinks they are entitled, who seems to think that it's ok to steal my posts, copy them word for word, including my own pictures and post it on their website as if it's theirs. It's disgusting for lack of a better word and frankly it made me sick to my stomach to see so many of my posts being posted as if theirs.

I am not the only one though, as they are stealing from another blogger too, right down to their family posts. The Gall of some people just never ceases to amaze me.

The blog is kidsrecipes.us and I suggest you all check and make sure that your posts are not also being stolen from your blogs.

Unfortunately this incident comes right on the heels of me taking an online break and coming back all happy, needless to say it has left a really bad taste in my mouth and I'm considering either discontinuing the blog or going private. For now I've already added the right click disabling script and next step will be to start watermarking all my photos.

I've contacted this person and have already told her to remove all of my posts from her blog, if she doesn't then the next step will be filing legal complaints.

Just wanted to let you all know what was going on and why you suddenly can't right click on anything. I apologize to my faithful readers who unfortunately have to suffer because of others. Hopefully everything will be sorted out soon.

Keep Cooking!!!

Sandra

© 2006 Full Bellies, Happy Kids - All Rights Reserved

Chicken Pepper Pasta

2011-08-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

So delicious and pretty quick to throw together.

One of the reasons I love cooking is that it never ceases to amaze me just how a few ingredients and a few spice combinations can produce such a delicious dish. Always brings a smile to my face.

This is another recipe taken from one of my Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks.

Chicken Pepper Pasta

6 T. butter or margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 t. garlic, minced
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 T. fresh tarragon, minced
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t.pepper
3/4 c. half and half
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
7 oz. vermicelli, cooked

Melt butter in a skillet until sizzling; stir in onion, peppers and garlic.

Cook over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add chicken, tarragon, salt and pepper to skillet. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes or until chicken is golden and tender. Add vegetables, half and half and cheese to chicken mixture. Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Add vermicelli; toss gently to coat.

Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Beef Pot Pie with Beer Biscuits

2011-08-03T18:46:00.001-07:00

Yes you heard right, Beef Pot Pie with BEER Biscuits. You think I'm kidding???? I have never seen my 8 year old devour biscuits like these, I actually told him to stop and slow down so he wouldn't get drunk...he totally believed me and said "really?". It was hilarious LOL

Anyway, this one comes from a cooking with Beer book, there are so many good recipes in there and I'll be trying a few others but this one just called my name, I love a good beef pot pie and I love a good beer and then you combine them and I'm one happy camper.

If you don't like beer or don't like cooking with any alcoholic drinks you can use just a simple biscuit mix.

Beef Pot Pie with Beer Biscuits

Stew:
4 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and black pepper
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 can (about 14 oz) beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Biscuits:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch chubs
3/4 cup lager

Preheat oven to 350 F.

For stew, cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat 10 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to paper towels, using slotted spoon. Reserve fat from Dutch oven.

Return 2 tablespoons of reserved fat to Dutch oven. Season beef with salt and pepper. Add to Dutch oven in batches; cook and stir over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to plate; reserve fat in Dutch oven.

Add remaining reserved fat to Dutch oven. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic; cook and stir over medium heat 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with flour, stir well. Stir in beef, broth, Worcestershire sauce and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover and pop in oven to bake for 1 1/2 hours or until beef is almost tender. (recipe doesn't tell you to, but I added the bacon back in)

For biscuits, whisk flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in enough lager to make soft dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface. Roll dough into 9x6 inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into six 3 inch square biscuits. (I decided to make mine into stars and cut more than six)

Remove Dutch oven from oven, increase oven temperature to 400 F. Place biscuits over stew, overlapping if needed. Bake 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Makes 6 servings

Harvest Apple Ice Cream with Warm Salted Caramel

2011-08-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pie fillings are Lucky Leaf, matter of fact they're the only ones I buy and thankfully I've been blessed to be able to review a lot of products for the Lucky Leaf Brand.

Just a few weeks ago I was contacted again and asked if I wanted to try some recipes and give my opinion on my favorite recipe. Here is what it said:

Lucky Leaf has some exciting news for you. We are pleased to announce that we have partnered with Better Homes & Gardens to select the three winning recipes from our Made with Love Recipe Contest this year. The grand prize winner is Greg F. and his delicious Pork Chops in Apple Jalapeno Barbeque Sauce recipe. The runners up are Nadine M. and her Lemon Bar Blackberry Trifle, and Lindsay W. with her Harvest Apple Ice Cream with Warm Salted Caramel recipe.

So far, I've only tried one and I don't know how the others will fare because truthfully we are not a fan of Pork Chops with any kind of apples so my family has informed me that they're not interested in trying that one....I will let you know about the Lemon Bar Blackberry Trifle next.....but this first one, oh my....., little did I know that this would become one of my favorite ice cream flavors EVER, hands down, I'm actually enjoying a bowl as I type this.....amazing.

Harvest Apple Ice Cream with Warm Salted Caramel

Lindsay W.

1 21-ounce can LUCKY LEAF ® Premium Apple Pie Filling, chilled
1 cup whole milk, chilled
1/2 cup whipping cream, chilled
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Seeds from one vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup purchased or prepared caramel sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation
1. In a blender combine pie filling, milk, whipping cream, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean seeds or vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and blend until smooth.

2. Pour mixture into ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Spoon into a freezer container and freeze for at least 30 minutes or until desired consistency.

3. To serve, heat caramel sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed through. Spoon caramel sauce over ice cream.

Servings: 8

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Thank you to Lucky Leaf for providing me with the samples needed to try the recipes. I was not rewarded financially in any way, shape or form and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

Menu Plan - Week August 1 to August 7

2011-07-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

I've decided to give get back into a normal routine here because I've literally unplugged from the internet for a little. I needed some time away to think things through etc, you can read more on my main blog.

One of the things I'm definitely bringing back are my Menu Plans, just like I used to post before :)

MONDAY 1st

BREAKFAST: Cinnamon Toast
LUNCH: Mac & Cheese, Fruit, Juice
DINNER: Jambalaya

TUESDAY 2nd

BREAKFAST: Stir-Abouts (recipe to come)
LUNCH: Cheese and Ham Quesadillas
DINNER: King Ranch Chicken Casserole

WEDNESDAY 30th

BREAKFAST: Cereal, Milk, Fruit
LUNCH: Totino's Pizza
DINNER: Beef Pot Pie with Beer Biscuits

THURSDAY 4th

BREAKFAST: French toast, juice, milk
LUNCH: Tuna Salad
DINNER: Turkey a la King w/ rice

FRIDAY 5TH

BREAKFAST: Muffins and Warm Spiced Milk
LUNCH: Hot and Spicy Chicken Tenders
DINNER: Chicken Pepper Pasta

SATURDAY 6th

BREAKFAST: Mile High Buttermilk Biscuits w/ Gravy

LUNCH: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Celery & Carrot Sticks

DINNER: Meatloaf, Mashed potatoes and Green Beans

SUNDAY 7TH

BREAKFAST: Waffles w/ Vanilla Custard

LUNCH: Corned Beef Hash

DINNER: Beef Stroganoff w/ homemade noodles

Best Pizza courtesy of Skype

2011-07-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

I want to show you the best pizza you could ever prepare for your family.

I mean, they will be shocked at the end result and will no doubt leave them with mouths hanging open, amazed and speechless.

This pizza...............Ohhhhhh this pizza is amazing.

Pepperoni, cooked nice and crisp.....a nice golden brown crust......YUM.MY!

Best thing about this pizza is that it's multi-functional too..........you can use it at the park as a substitute Frisbee

Ahhhhh, bet you're dying to know how to prepare such a beauty, aren't you?

Well, it's pretty easy actually....you pull it out of the box, you warm up the oven to 400 degrees, then you pop in the pizza and go get on Skype with your family in South Africa.

Just talk and talk and laugh and joke and talk some more and then proceed to take them around your whole house with the laptop in hand so they can see everything you're doing.....all while this delicious pizza is cooking.

Then come back into the kitchen an hour later and say "Oh pizza is done".

That's it! Easy huh???????

I will NEVER live this down. This is my FIRST time ever burning anything that I've cooked. HA!

Note: Don't try this at home.

Malasadas

2011-07-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

First I'll start by saying that the reason I'm putting the recipe up today is because I hadn't realized that it wasn't on my blog, so when one of my readers asked me on Facebook if I had the recipe, I told her that I would put it up for you all.

Secondly, I'll have to say that the first time I had Malasadas was when I was in high school, over at a friend's house. They were from the island of Madeira and I remember many afternoons a couple of us girls would go over to her house and make these and then sit and snack on them all afternoon long.

It brings back such fond memories, but it also makes me sad because my friend Ana, whose house we had these at, has since then passed away, matter of fact not long after we graduated from high school.

Since then I've made these a couple of times and not until I came to live in the USA did I realize that many people seem to think of Malasadas as this doughnut dish from Hawaii, which really confused me since their idea of a Malasada is what I would actually call a Bola de Berlim. A donut filled with cream custard inside.....but, I guess different folks, different recipes and all that.

Here are the Malasadas that I know and have been eating my whole life, these are the Portuguese ones that I'm used to making. Enjoy :)

Malasadas

4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

2 pkg. yeast

2 c. warm milk

8 eggs

In a big bowl, add 1 cup of warm milk and the yeast, stir well. In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt and sugar, combine well and then add 2 cups of that flour mixture into the milk and yeast bowl.

Beat well until smooth. Next, add in the eggs 2 at a time, a little bit more of the milk and a little bit more of the remaining flour mixture, keep mixing well until all ingredients are combined. Cover and let sit for about an hour.

In a skillet, add oil and when it's hot, add the dough by tablespoons,

be careful not to splash. I always manage to burn myself when making these. They will fry up really fast, so within a few seconds, turn them over and after a few seconds more, remove them onto a plate lined with paper towels.

The way we used to eat them at Ana's house was by drizzling *mel de cana* or sugar cane syrup over these. You can also drizzle honey on them,

or roll them in sugar,

or sprinkle some powdered sugar on top.

Either way is delicious.

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

2011-07-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

Pepperoni pizza but in small bites. Yeah, I wish I could take credit for this but I am not that smart LOL

When I came across this recipe at Confessions of a Foodie Bride I thought "why didn't I think of that?". It's so easy but such a great snack you will wonderful why you didn't think of it either.

Needless to say, I made it for lunch today and within 10 minutes there was only 2 small pieces left which, by the way, have now been eaten by the kids, so there is nothing but crumbs.....and the thought that I need to make it again.

I took a shortcut and used biscuits instead of the pizza dough, next time I'll make my own pizza dough and I think it will be just as good.

You can take the long route and make your favorite pizza dough and marinara sauce, or the short route and pick up your favorite pizza dough and red sauce from the store.

Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread

Credit: Confessions of a Foodie Bride

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 Tbsp butter
2 lbs pizza dough (I used refrigerated biscuits)
6 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (I used mozzarella sticks)
48 slices of Turkey pepperoni (from 1 package)
2-3 cups marinara sauce, warmed, for serving

Instructions

Heat garlic and butter over medium heat just until the garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and let sit.
Lightly brush the inside of a bundt pan (or other oven-safe dish) with garlic butter.
Pull off large marble-sized balls of dough and flatten (a kitchen scale makes this very easy). Top with a slice of pepperoni and a cube of mozzarella.

Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and cheese, pinching well to seal.
Very lightly brush the pizza ball with garlic butter and place into the bundt pan (I dabbed the pizza balls on a butter-dipped silicon brush to keep butter use low - there will be 1+ Tbsp leftover - and my hands butter free. Buttery hands make it hard to get the pizza balls to seal).
Repeat until all of the dough is used.
Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, while preheating the oven to 400.
Bake for ~35 minutes, until the top is very brown.
Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.
Turn out onto a platter and serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Notes

Yields: 48 pieces

Beef and Beer Sliders

2011-07-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

I love sliders, I think they're not only delicious but such a fun way to present burgers and there's something about the size that makes it just the perfect bite, for me at least.

These are just yet another variation on these popular burger bites.

Beef and Beer Sliders

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup beer
salt and pepper
oregano
cumin
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard

Mix the ketchup, mayo and mustard well and set aside.

In a bowl, mix the beef and the rest of the ingredients, divide into 12 parts, shape into small patties and grill or fry in a skillet.

I fry them for about 5 minutes, then flip them over and fry for another 4 or so minutes, add a little slice of cheese and cover with a lid for about 30 seconds or until cheese is melted.

Split the dinner rolls in half, on the bottom bun put a slice of lettuce, a slice of tomato and then top with the burger, add a teaspoon or however much you want of the sauce and top with the top half of the bun.

Enjoy!

I served these with some chili fries

which are so easy to make.

Just bake some frozen fries, warm up a can of your favorite chili or use leftover homemade chili, sprinkle shredded cheese on top and enjoy.

Old West Ranch Style Barbecue Sauce

2011-07-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

On our recent trip to Tombstone, one of the souvenirs I picked up was a cookbook called Cowboy Cookin'.

After browsing through the recipes, which I'm hoping to try soon, I came upon this one for Barbecue Sauce and it immediately caught my eye. Having some ribs to cook for dinner I thought that it would be the perfect time to try this sauce.

It has to cook for 2 hours, so if you're making it for dinner, be sure to start it early in the morning.

Old West Ranch Style Barbecue Sauce

1 cup molasses
1 medium onion
1/2 cup butter or bacon drippings (I used butter)
2 large cans of tomatoes
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/3 cup of vinegar
4 cloves of garlic (mashed)
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan.

Bring to a full boil over medium heat stirring occasionally. Reduce to a low heat. Cover and cook for about 2 hours, stir occasionally, until sauce has thickened and all ingredients are well blended. Sauce will turn very dark.

Apply to rib-eye steaks or ribs as required.

Note: It doesn't tell you to do this, but I used my immersion blender to puree everything.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

2011-07-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

I love appetizers but I love them even more when I can just make a whole meal out of them. These are very filling and definitely good as a weekend dinner.

They are seriously addictive and I dare you to eat just one or two and walk away, because I tell you, you will be eating them over and over and over and literally begging yourself to stop. Or maybe that's just me, I don't know, I'm still trying to stay away from them but I may just lose that battle and go grab another one in the kitchen.

Quick tip, just use some gloves if you're going to be working with the Jalapeno's, don't do what I did the first time I made them which was use no gloves and then proceed to scratch my eye. YEAH, not a happy moment.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

recipe from Food.com

12 -15 fresh jalapeno peppers
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (16 ounce) package thick cut bacon cut in half

Cut stems off of peppers and cut them all in half longways.

Remove seeds from peppers.

Fill each pepper with cream cheese and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.

Wrap 1/2 slice of bacon around each pepper half.

Place on baking sheets and place in 450 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked. Remove and serve warm.

Magic Cookie Bars

2011-07-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

Have a batch of Magic Cookie Bars baking in the oven.

I don't think there's anything that I can say about these that you haven't heard before, for the most part when you talk about them you are usually met with "Oh yeah, I remember eating those when I was little".....or "Oh now those bring back memories".

So I'm going to say nothing else, I'm just going to let YOU reminisce about what Magic Cookie Bars remind you of.

Magic Cookie Bars

Credit: Eagle Brand

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
* 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
* 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
* 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
* 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
* 1 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter.

Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips,

coconut and nuts.

Press down firmly with a fork.

Bake 25 minutes

or until lightly browned.

Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Mini Tacos

2011-07-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

Nothing special, nothing difficult, just some mini tacos using Refrigerated Biscuits.

I've made some Flatbread Tacos before also using Refrigerated Biscuits and you can find that recipe right here. But these were just done a little different, for one, the biscuits were the small ones, I didn't stretch them as much and I also didn't fold them, so in actuality it's almost like a little tostada.

All you need is 1 lb of ground beef, a little bit of water about 3/4 cups if that, 1 packet Taco Seasoning, 1 tube of refrigerated biscuits. Then for the toppings whatever you wish: lettuce, tomato, sour cream and shredded cheese.

Pull out the biscuits and flatten them with your hand, I stretched them a little not too much, but I wanted a size a tad bigger than the biscuit.

In a small skillet, spray with non stick spray and then cook the biscuits on each side for about a minute or two, they cook real quick and you don't want to burn them.

In another skillet, brown the ground beef, when done drain, add the taco seasoning and the water, simmer for about 3 minutes or so.

Spoon onto each biscuit, add the toppings and enjoy :)

Red, White and Blue Flag Cake

2011-07-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

4th of July is upon us yet again, but this year I wanted to make a different cake than the one I usually serve, which is a flag cake made out of strawberries and blueberries OR using blueberry or cherry pie filling to make the stars and stripes.

I searched around online and then I saw it. My jaw hit the ground and I thought "NO WAY". I was just completely taken with the cake and even more so when I realized that the creator is none other than Elissa from 17 and Baking. Yeah folks, a now 19 year old, Elissa and her dad came up with this creation for the 4th of July and if you've never seen it before, you're going to flip out. Just imagine your guests reaction when you serve them a slice of this cake.

Red, White and Blue Flag Cake

Credit: Elissa

Baking Directions:
To make this cake you will need three full layers of white cake, all the same height (make two recipes of cake or two cake mixes - you will end up with four layers so use one for another purpose). One layer will need to be white, one layer will need to be red and one layer will need to be blue. Use food coloring to get desired shade. Bake the layers in 9" round greased and floured rounds. Let cool. Freeze the layers to make them easier to work with during assembly.

Assembly:
Split the white layer and the red layer in half horizontally using a long serrated knife. (You can also use a cake leveler to help keep the cut even.) Do not split the blue layer. Start assembly by placing one split white layer on a cake plate. Frost the top of this layer using white icing. Place one of the red split layers on top of the frosted white layer and frost it with icing. Set aside.

Place the remaining red split layer and the remaining white split layer on top of the full blue layer. Place a round bowl (or paper pattern) approximately 5" diameter on the top of the cakes in the center and cut through all the layers using the bowl as a guide.

You should now have a circle cut through the layers. Keep the center red circle, the center white circle and the outer (approximately 2" wide) blue cake ring. Set aside all other cake pieces for a different use.

Place the outer blue cake ring piece on the iced white and red cake layers.

Carefully spread icing around the inside of the blue ring.

Insert the round white cake piece in the center of the blue ring and ice. Insert the red round cake piece making sure it is flush with the blue cake ring.

You should now have a complete cake ready to ice. Finish by icing the entire cake with white icing and decorating as desired.

To serve, cut into slices and be amazed at the cool flag each piece becomes!

Crispy Southwestern Wontons

2011-06-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

Another great recipe from Kevin and Amanda's.

Crispy Southwestern Wontons

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup frozen corn kernals
1/4 cup canned black beans, drained
5 oz (1 cup) chicken, shredded
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp (1/2 pkg) dry ranch dressing
24 wonton wrappers
canola or vegetable oil for frying

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and salt and saute for 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for 5 more minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add corn, beans, and chicken and stir to combine.

Move the chicken mixture to a bowl and season with pepper, then stir in cheese and dry ranch dressing.

Begin heating about 1/2 inch of canola or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, scoop 1 teaspoon of chicken mixture into the center of each wonton wrapper.

Rub some water on two sides of the wrapper, then fold over to firmly seal, forming a triangle, and gently press out any extra air pockets. When the oil is hot, place 6 wontons at a time into oil. Cook about 1 minute per side until golden and crispy.

Makes 24 wontons

Since hubby and I are still watching our diet, I didn't fry them, I baked them in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes on each side :)

Zucchini and Bacon 3 Cheese Lasagna

2011-06-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm Lasagna. I don't care how many gazillion versions of this recipe there are, I vow to try them all, or at least as many as I can get my hands on.

When I saw this one over at Kevin and Amanda's, I literally drooled on the keyboard, I mean....Zucchini AND Bacon? Are you kidding me? That's like heaven on a plate right there.

I'm not going to talk much about this one, I think it's best left to the taste buds to speak for themselves, so here, thanks again to Kevin and Amanda, love that blog.

Zucchini and Bacon Three Cheese Lasagna

Béchamel Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
Pinch of salt, pepper, & freshly grated nutmeg

Lasagna:
1 zucchini, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
3 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
6 slices bacon, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
1 cup of your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce
3 oz smoked mozzarella cheese
4 oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles

Directions:
Dice zucchini, add garlic, coat with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.

Roast in an 8×8 baking dish at 400 degrees for 15 mins until soft. Leave oven on at 400, and save the 8×8 dish for the lasagna.

Combine the zucchini, bacon, Parmesan, fontina, egg, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Set aside.

To make the béchamel sauce: Melt 1 tbsp butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk a pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the béchamel sauce.

Pour the béchamel sauce into the bottom of the 8×8 dish. Top with 2 lasagna noodles, the zucchini mixture, 2 more lasagna noodles, the marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a little more parmesan cheese to top.

Cover tightly with foil.

Bake at 400 until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer.

Let stand for 10 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Homemade Hamburger and Hotdog Buns

2011-06-26T13:23:00.001-07:00

So you're having a hotdog or a hamburger and realize you don't have any store bought buns in the house?

Do you just change your plans and go for something else? Do you run out and spend money on something you can easily whip up at home?

Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I prefer Homemade anything....it is 10 times tastier than store bought and cheaper too, at least in my opinion. So next time you're having hamburgers or hotdog buns, skip the store ones and just reach for the bread machine.

I've tried a few recipes but I always go back to this one from Craving Comfort.

This recipe is for Hamburger Buns, but follow it and just shape the rolls to look like Hotdog Buns when it comes to that step. :)

Homemade Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns
(using a Bread Maker)

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups milk, slightly warmed
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions
(hamburger buns, if you want hot dog buns. cut 'em to that shape)

Place all ingredients in pan of bread machine, according to manufacturer's directions.Select dough setting.

When cycle is complete, turn out onto floured surface.

Cut dough in half and roll each half out to a 1" thick circle.

Cut each half into six 3 1/2" rounds with inverted glass as a cutter. Place on greased baking sheet far apart and brush with melted butter.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour. Bake at 350° for 9 minutes.

Note: Oven temperatures vary so check after 9 minutes to see if done.

As you can see the buns are not shaped perfectly, but that doesn't matter as long as you have long shaped buns, you're good to go. In my attempt to try different sizes until I found the right one, I ended up with extra bread rolls which are going to be delicious for breakfast tomorrow. :)

Stuffed Eggplant

2011-06-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

I love eggplant but it's one of those veggies that tend to get overlooked, a lot. Aside from Eggplant Parmesan which is I guess the most known way to eat Eggplant, you don't really see many people talk about it....which is a shame in my eyes.

Eggplant is not only healthy but delicious so I try to find ways to incorporate it into my diet. Today I prepared some Stuffed Eggplant, nothing fancy, nothing too complicated, just a few ingredients. Here's how I did it:

Stuffed Eggplant

3 Eggplants
1 lb ground beef
1 can tomatoes and chilies, drained
1/2 cup white wine
Salt and Pepper to taste
Paprika
olive oil
garlic cloves, diced
Small can of tomato sauce
Parmesan Cheese
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Start by putting a bit of olive oil in a big skillet, about 2 tablespoons or so. Add the diced garlic and cook for a minute or so, do not let the garlic burn. Add the can of tomatoes and chilies, then add the ground beef and cook until meat is browned.

Add the wine, salt and pepper, paprika and small can of tomato sauce. Cook for a few minutes to let the flavors combine. Add some parmesan cheese to taste, stir well and then turn the heat off and set aside.

Chop the top off the eggplant, then slice it lengthwise.

Scoop the eggplant insides out, cut into small chunks and then add to the meat mixture.

Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil and add the eggplant halves, cook for 10 minutes or until cooked through and tender. Remove from the pot, drain and place in a baking dish.

Fill the eggplants with the meat filling.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, remove from oven, sprinkle with shredded monterey jack cheese and pop back in oven for another 5 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve immediately!

Basic Crepes

2011-06-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

Crepes. Growing up in South Africa these were considered pancakes. Yep, these were OUR pancakes and the pancakes we eat here in the States were considered Flapjacks.

It wasn't until I moved to the USA that I realized that what I had been eating and calling pancakes was something totally different. No wonder my hubby used to give me a weird look when I proudly called these "pancakes" LOL

Crepes are extremely easy to make and I've made so many in my time that I have no problems, no breaking and destroying the first 4 in the skillet and no panicking. BUT if it's the first time you're making them, they can be a little intimidating....just remember, the first few you make will no doubt fall apart, tear up or just look plain yucky.....don't stop though keep going.

Here's how I make mine, these are pretty basic, the only thing I add sometimes is a few drops of vanilla extract. We also like ours plain with just cinnamon sugar, some whipped cream and some strawberries on top. Yum!

Basic Crepes

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.

2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

4. We like ours pretty simple, so I just sprinkle on some sugar/cinnamon, roll up the crepe and sprinkle on a little more.

Some days like today I add a little scoop of whipped cream and some sliced fresh strawberries.

You CAN also slather on some whipped cream inside the crepe and add sliced fruit (strawberries, bananas, apples), roll it up. Variations are endless :)

Orange Jelly Roll - Torta de Laranja

2011-06-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

I think one of my favorite Portuguese Desserts is Torta de Laranja. It's an orange flavored Jelly Roll, without any kind of filling because it's soft and moist and just amazingly delicious.

When you see the ingredients for this dessert you'll be surprised because there's nothing gourmet or expensive or weird hidden special item, they're all pantry staples.

One thing to keep in mind, I have been making this dessert for many years and I have yet to have one turn out perfect, I don't know if it's because it's so moist or maybe I'm not the greatest Jelly Roll roller upper LOL OR maybe it's a combination of both. Not that it matters, it is really delicious whatever it may look like.

This is how you make it....

In a medium bowl mix 6 eggs, 2 and 1/2 cups of sugar, zest and juice from one orange and one tablespoon flour. That's it. Mix all very well.

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper, pour the mixture into the pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 8 to 10 minutes until the cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched.

Dust a dishtowel with sugar. I'm using one of my favorites, it's actually from Madeira and I just love it, makes me smile everytime I see the two figures dancing having actually seen these dances up close and personal. :)

When cake is done invert pan onto towel, trim off the edges and then roll the cake up. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

This cake is best when it's nice and cold. Dig in and enjoy :)

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas - Version 2

2011-06-17T15:20:00.001-07:00

I already have another recipe on this blog for Best Creamy Enchiladas, but this is a different version, this is my go to recipe when I want chicken enchiladas without using too many ingredients.

I'll keep this one short and go right to the recipe.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely diced
1 can tomatoes and green chilies, drained
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, cut up and softened
3 cups cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
8 (8″) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups whipping cream

Directions
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 mins. Add tomatoes and green chilies and cook for another minute or two. Stir in cream cheese and chicken, cook for a few minutes while stirring constantly until cream cheese melts.

Spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. What I like to do is actually divide the mixture in the pan according to how many tortillas I have.

Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish.

Sprinkle with cheese,

and drizzle with whipping cream.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Homemade Twix Bars

2011-06-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

I love chocolate. I am a true believer in that nothing can't be solved without some prayer and chocolate.

Another thing I love are Twix Bars. *drool* Twix Bars.... *sigh*

So anyway, when I came across this recipe at Fresh From the Farm, I just had to make it.

We loved them, now I'll say that they are not exactly the same as Twix bars though they are very close, the peanut butter kinda threw me off a bit, I think next time I'll omit it.

NOTES: I used Ritz Crackers instead of the Club Crackers. Not sure it would make much of a difference, but just want you to know what I changed in the recipe.

Homemade Twix Bars

Credit: Fresh From the Farm

48 Club Crackers (24 for each layer)

Caramel Mixture
1 cup Graham Crackers, crushed
3/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/3 cup White Sugar
1/3 cup Milk
1/2 cup Butter!

Frosting
2/3 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Put a layer of Club Crackers in a 13 x 9 pan most pans that size will fit 24 crackers.

In a heavy saucepan on the stove, combine all ingredients for caramel mixture.

Bring to a boil, continue to stir and boil for approximately 4 minutes. The mixture will be caramel like and pull away from the sides of the pan. Pour over the crackers. Immediately top with another layer of Club Crackers, pressing down slightly. Place in fridge to chill.

Combine frosting ingredients in a microwave safe bowl,

and melt for 2 minutes on medium power. Stir until all the chips are melted. Pour the mixture over the crackers, frost and place in fridge to chill until frosting is firm.

Cut and serve! For best results store in the refrigerator

In and Out Burgers

2011-06-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had an In and Out Burger? Chances are if you don't live on the West Coast, then the answer would be NO and I tell you, you don't know what you're missing.

These are my favorite burgers on the face of this planet. I know, mighty dramatic huh? But really I don't think I could explain how much I love them. They are the only hamburger that will make me salivate and drive out at all times of the day to get one.

My whole family loves them and I think one of the things the kids love the most is sitting in the drive thru and watching the burgers and fries being made. Everything fresh, right there in front of you....not to mention the cute little uniforms and the friendly staff.

But back to the burger. YUM is not even good enough to describe it.

If you have tasted them and are now living in an area where there is no In and Out Burgers around, then I have a special treat for you.

See I don't mind going to the actual place to pick them up but it does get expensive and if I can make them at home, then even better because now I know that I can enjoy one at any time of the year. Of course, before I give you the recipe, bear in mind that it will never be EXACTLY like their burger, I think the would be impossible to replicate but this one comes mighty might close......kids didn't even know it was homemade. :)

I searched online for quite a while and found a few recipes here and there but this one from Jason's BBQ Adventures is the one that is closest to the original.

In and Out Burgers

Special Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons finely minced white onion
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Mix all these ingredients in a bowl,

cover, let sit in the fridge for a couple hours to let the flavors bind together.

Burger Ingredients:

Hamburger buns
Grilled hamburger patties
Slices American cheese
Onion slices
Tomato slices
Iceberg Lettuce (not shredded)
Special Sauce (see above)

Believe it or not, one of the biggest steps in the In and Out burger is the way you put it together. Here it goes:

First step, spread the special sauce on the bottom of the buns.

Next is the tomato slices.

Followed by the iceberg lettuce

Slices of onion

And top with the other half of the bun.

You know have an In and Out Burger.

Sink your teeth in and enjoy. Oh and if you like more sauce by all means add more, if you like less than you can do that too.

If you want to do the Double Double Style Burger, after you add the onion slice, top with another burger pattie with melted cheese.

Now I'm off to have another because you can never have just ONE In and Out Burger. I'm sure I'll be dieting extra hard next week but for now.....I don't care, my hips can just zip it and enjoy it.

Yum!

Jungle Float

2011-06-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

If I had to look for a picture in a dictionary, that signifies summer, I would have to say Floats. Right?

Whether you're having a Root Beer Float or a Coke Float, there's something about them that make you immediately think of warm weather, pools and mounds of ice cream bubbling in a glass.

Here's a different version for your kids to enjoy this summer, mine love it.

BTW, I didn't add the animal crackers to mine, I didn't have any on hand, bummer.

Jungle Float

Drizzle 2 Tbsp chocolate syrup into a tall glass; add 3 scoops of chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. chocolate syrup, top with club soda.

Garnish with bananas, peanuts, animal crackers, whipped cream and maraschino cherries.

Homemade Churros

2011-06-06T16:58:00.000-07:00

When my hubby is not home for dinner, the kids and I tend to pick whatever is fastest and easiest for us and sometimes that means a dinner that is not exactly what you would usually have.

Whether it be pancakes, or cereal or even cake or pie....tonight though, we went for Churros.

Churros are extremely easy to make and even though they will tell you that in order to make them look better, you should really use a pastry bag and star tip, don't let that stop you from still enjoying them.....it's what happened with me tonight, I can't find my pastry bag so I went with a ziploc bag, cut the tip off and use it the same way I would with the pastry bag.

My churros don't exactly have the cutesy shape to them, but that really doesn't matter because the taste is phenomenal :)

Homemade Churros

Credit: Dinner with Julie

Batter:
1 cup milk or water
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
4 large eggs

canola oil, for frying
cinnamon sugar (spike granulated sugar generously with ground cinnamon)

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, butter, sugar and salt to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the flour, and stir vigorously by hand until the dough comes together in a smooth ball that cleans the sides of the pot. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Using an electric mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time. You’ll end up with a sort of smooth, shiny, sticky batter that’s thicker than pancake batter but thinner than cookie dough. If you like, you can let it sit at room temperature for an hour, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours, until you’re ready for it.

When you’re ready to cook your churros, heat 2-3 cups of canola oil in a pot until hot but not smoking – test to see if it’s ready by dipping a bit of bread in – it should bubble and simmer around the bread. Spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, and squeeze a few inches at a time into the oil, nudging the batter off with a knife.

Don’t crowd the pot – cook maybe 3 or 4 at a time, flipping them as necessary as they turn golden. They should take a few minutes to cook – test to make sure they are cooked through (if they brown too quickly they might not – just turn the heat down). Transfer to paper towels to drain any excess oil.

In a shallow bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the churros around in it to coat them well while they are still warm. Eat.

Makes lots (a few dozen, depending on how long you make them.)

Afternoon Snack - Apple Sandwiches

2011-06-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

I love making fun snacks for my kids, I think as with everything else, if the food looks fun or has vibrant colors, it's going to make you want it and enjoy it more.

This was another super quick one for this afternoon.

Nothing to it, just core an apple, slice it into thick slices....smear on some peanut butter then add some mixed nuts and some marshmallow and top with another apple slice. It's like a little apple sandwich :)

You can also do peanut butter, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows, or leave the marshmallows out, it's up to you.

Enjoy :)

Sweet Citrus Iced Tea

2011-06-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

I think everyone loves Iced Tea in the summer right?

But I think when you throw in a bit of citrus into that already delicious beverage, then you end up with a super delicious Iced Tea that will get you rave reviews and requests for the recipe.

I've been making this one for a long time and it just never gets old :)

Sweet Citrus Iced Tea

14 and 1/2 cups of water, divided
10 tea bags
1 and 1/2 cups of sugar
2/3 cup lemon juice (I like freshly squeezed lemons)
1/4 orange juice
Ice cubes

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat and pour into a gallon size mason jar or pitcher. Add the tea bags, close and let stand for about 10 minutes. Remove the bags and throw out.

Stir in sugar, lemon juice and orange juice and the remaining water. Refrigerate.

To serve, just pour into a tall glass, add some ice cubes and a slice of lime. You can also add a slice of orange or lemon if you prefer :) Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken

2011-06-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

So I was standing in front of the stove and trying to figure out what to make with the chicken, I usually have a menu but for some reason I somehow skipped this day. I don't know why, I tend to do crazy stuff like that all the time, like the one time where I made the menus for two weeks or so I thought but ended up 3 days short LOL

Anyway, this was a spur of the moment, throw a bunch of things together kinda thing but my husband and children were over the moon with how good it was, I have never heard that many ooh's and aah's.

So good!

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken

4 chicken breasts cut in thirds (12 pieces)
Bacon slices
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder
chili powder
brown sugar

Cut each breast into 3 pieces, season all the chicken with the spices,

then wrap a bacon slice around each piece, roll in brown sugar and place into an oven proof dish....make sure you have some olive oil in the dish too, like 2 or 3 tablespoons is fine.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and bacon is nice and brown and crispy.

I served mine with mashed potatoes and spooned some of the gravy from the chicken on top. Oh Lord, I am salivating just remembering.

Steak Sandwich Kabobs

2011-06-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

Summer time is here folks.....barbecues and pools, running through sprinklers and sipping on cold beers.

It's HERE and I am loving every single minute of it.

Summer means my grill gets used almost every day and I swear there is nothing like the aroma of grilled food on a warm sunny day.

Over the next few months you'll see lots of Grilled yumminess hitting this blog, from mains to side dishes, you name it......starting with one of my favorite things to eat, Kabobs.

Steak Sandwich Kabobs

Credit: Taste of Home

1 pound beef top sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon steak seasoning
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
6 ounces focaccia bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices provolone cheese, cut into strips

Sprinkle the beef with steak seasoning. Alternately thread the beef, red pepper, bread cubes and onion onto four metal or soaked wooden skewers; brush with oil.

Grill, covered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the meat reaches desired doneness, turning occasionally.

Top with cheese; grill 1-2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

P B and J Bars

2011-05-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

My sweet tooth has been nagging at me all day but honestly I wasn't in the mood to make anything, so I kept putting it off and putting it off until about 30 minutes ago.....I couldn't anymore, I really wanted something sweet, so out came the PB and J Bars.

Pretty simple to put together and if your kids or you, like Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches, then you'll really enjoy these.

Just wish there was a recipe to keep the children away from these bars before they inhale them all in 10 minutes. Yikes!

I made half with strawberry jam and half with my homemade tomato and apple jam. Yum!

P B and J Bars

Credit: Bisquick

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 1/2 cups Bisquick mix
1/3 cup strawberry jam or preserves

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl, beat sugars, peanut butter, shortening and egg with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in Bisquick mix until blended.

Place dough on surgace sprinkled with Bisquick mix;

gently roll in Bisquick mix to coat. Divide dough into 4 parts.

Shape each part into roll 3/4 inch in diameter and about 13 inches long. On large ungreased cookie sheet, place rolls about 2 inches apart.

Make indentation lengthwise in center of each roll with spoon.

Spoon or squeeze jam evenly into indentations.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes until light golden brown and set.

Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes. Cut each roll into 12 slices. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

About 4 dozen cookies.

1 cookie: 70 calories

Pizza Sauce

2011-05-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

Homemade Pizza is often made in my home, usually on Friday night's. It's one of those things that the kids love to help with, matter of fact they always request individual pizzas that they can put the toppings on themselves.

Usually I will have Pizza sauce at hand but to be honest with you, I don't much care for the store bought sauce, it always seems to be missing something.....there's also those days when I run out of pizza sauce so I always turn to this quick and easy recipe, which I found over at Our Best Bites.

Pizza Sauce

1 6-oz. can tomato paste
6 oz. water (just use the empty tomato paste can)
3 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning
1 Tbsp. sugar or honey (I usually use sugar because it’s easier and hey, I think we’ve established here that if there’s an easy road or a hard road, I usually take the easy road…)
3/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Empty tomato paste into a bowl and add water a few tablespoons at a time, stirring constantly until combined. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and allow to stand until ready to use. Covers two average-sized pizza; freezes extremely well.

Roasted Potato Wedges

2011-05-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge potato lover, I could survive on potatoes alone, alas, I don't because it wouldn't be very healthy now would it?

When looking for a quick side dish to accompany a steak, chicken or pork chop, I like changing up the usual mashed potatoes or baked potato.

This is a way to do that. Roasted potato wedges with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

The result is a crispy potato, nicely browned with a bit of a crunch to it.

Roasted Potato Wedges

Potatoes, quartered (the amount depends on how many people you're cooking for)
2 teaspoons olive oil
Breadcrumbs with Italian Seasoning (if you only have plain, just add some oregano, garlic, salt and pepper)
Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 475 F.

Combine potatoes and oil in a medium bowl, tossing to coat. Add enough breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, toss to coat.

Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray; discard any remaining breadcrumb mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes or until brown and crispy.

Pepper Sauce

2011-05-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

The first time I ever had this sauce was actually in South Africa.

We were over at a friend of the family's home, for a lunch. There was a barbecue going on and steaks and burgers etc. I remember when the steaks came out, along came this fragrant and peppery sauce to accompany them. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to try it at first, but I love pepper and I love hot stuff so I decided to give it a try.

Wow. It was so good, I remember going home that night and talking about it with the family, I just couldn't get the sauce out of my mind.

I later talked to the hostess and asked her if she would please tell me how to make the sauce, I was expecting something very intricate and using gourmet ingredients, but I was surprised at how simple it was.

I've been making it ever since.

Pepper Sauce

Small onion, finely chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
butter
1 can evaporated milk (you can also use heavy cream)
cornstarch

In a small saucepan....add a little bit of olive oil, the onion, salt and pepper and some butter (I eyeball everything, I don't do measurements unless I'm following a recipe for the first time, so just use about 2 tablespoons or so). Cook over medium heat until onion is cooked. Keep adding little bits of water to prevent it from sticking or drying out.

Once the onion is cooked, check the spices. This is a pepper sauce, my husband likes it pretty hot so I just keep adding crushed peppercorns until he is happy with it. You could certainly make this mild and add only a little bit if your kids don't like spicy stuff.

Cook for a few minutes and then add the can of evaporated milk, mix well.

In a separate little bowl or cup....add about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and a little bit of water and mix well until smooth and free of lumps. Add to the sauce and stir until thickened, remove from the heat.

Homemade Olive Garden Bread Sticks

2011-05-18T16:35:00.001-07:00

I love a good bread stick but it's not always easy to find one that I enjoy. Some are either too hard or too soft or just not tasty enough for my liking.

One of the bread sticks I do enjoy are the ones they serve at Olive Garden, they seem to have just the right amount of everything.

Truthfully though, we don't go out to eat at restaurants that often and I can say that the last time I was at Olive Garden was about 6 or 7 years ago. I know, I know, shocking.

If you search online there are quite a few recipes for bread sticks and some even copy cat recipes for major restaurants and fast food places.

But the one I use which we all just love, is the recipe from The Misadventures of Mrs B. These are phenomenal!

Quick note though.....I think the salt in the basting sauce is a LITTLE too much for my family's liking...if you don't like a lot of salt, just use 1 teaspoon instead of the 2 recommended.

Olive Garden Bread Sticks

Credit: The Misadventures of Mrs B.

1 1/2 cups warm water (between 110 - 120 degrees F)
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered. Mixture should be frothy.

In separate bowl, combine flour and salt.

Add to yeast mixture. Add melted butter. Mix with paddle attachment of stand mixer or wooden spoon until fully combined.

Knead dough for a few minutes just until dough is smooth. Do not overknead!

Grease a cookie sheet. Pull off pieces of dough and roll out into strips.

Now, I tend to make pretty thick breadsticks so I normally end with around 10 or so, but I'm sure that if you rolled yours out more thinly you'd have at least a dozen.

Cover the dough and let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and once heated, pop in the bread sticks. In microwave, combine the following:

1 stick unsalted butter (or 1/2 cup margarine)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt

After 6 or 7 minutes, brush the bread sticks with half the butter mixture.

Then continue to bake. Honestly, I almost never leave them in there for an entire 15 minutes - normally it's closer to 12 because I like them softer and less crisp on the outside, but to each their own. Either way, immediately upon removal from the oven brush the other half of the butter on the sticks.

Allow them to cool for a minute or two, and enjoy!

Pasta Bolognese

2011-05-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

This was tonight's dinner, I was in the mood for something comforting and filling but I didn't want to make something that would take too long.

The beauty of this recipe is that it's delicious and it tastes like you've been cooking it all day when in fact, it's only been about 15 minutes.

Pasta Bolognese

Credit: Cooking Light

1 (13.25 ounce) package whole-grain linguine
2 (4 ounce) links hot turkey Italian sausage
Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
1 pound 93% lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 (8 ounce) package button mushrooms, chopped (I used a small can)
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Cook pasta in a large Dutch oven according to package directions, omitting salt and fat: drain, return to pan, and keep warm.

While pasta cooks, remove casings from sausage. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage, beef and onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring to crumble; drain, if necessary. Add mushrooms and rosemary. Cook 5 minutes or until browned.

Stir in tomatoes; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes. Stir in milk, pepper, and salt; cook 2 minutes. Add sauce to pasta, tossing well. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size 1 1/2 cups)
Calories 324 per serving

This says it's 8 servings, but honestly, we're a family of four and it was just WAY too much, so I was able to halve the recipe, half for dinner and the other half went into a casserole pan that is going to be frozen for another meal.

Tres Leches Cake

2011-05-16T17:49:00.001-07:00

Without a doubt, my favorite cake on earth.

I make it every single year for my birthday and I eat way too much of it, then I complain that I've eaten too much and feel like a pig and then put it off for another year and then it comes around again and I complain again. It's a vicious cycle but I can't seem to break my hold on it.

If you've never tried it you will kick yourself once you have because truly, yummy doesn't even begin to describe it, it's like a party going off in your mouth.

Everytime I've made it for family or friends, the recipe has been requested.

So here it is......oh and by the way, I don't use the whipped topping, it is a bit too sweet for me, I just whip up some heavy whipping cream, add a tiny bit of sugar OR you can omit it and spread that on top of the cake. Oh boy, now I'm wanting more....I'm out of here.

TRES LECHES CAKE

1 package white cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare mix
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk
1 cup (1/2 pint) whipping cream
1 container (8 ounces) whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Bake about 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch. Remove cake from oven; cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sweetened condensed milk, milk and whipping cream in a 4-cup measure. Poke holes all around the warm cake, using a wooden skewer or toothpick.

Slowly pour milk mixutre evenly over top of holes on cake.

Let cake cool 10 to 15 minutes more to absorb all the liquid. Cover and refrigerate cake in pan at least 1 hour.

When cake is completely cool, spread whipped topping evenly on top.

Cut into pieces and serve with fresh fruit. Keep cake covered and refrigerated.

Piri Piri Sauce

2011-05-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

Piri Piri Sauce is pretty much a staple in any Portuguese home.

Just like anything else, there are a TON of variations and different ways to make this hot sauce and it pretty much depends where you are and where you get it, or who taught you how to make it.

I was born in Mozambique on the East of Africa and one of the things they're very well known for as well is their Piri Piri Sauce which goes great when you're enjoying it with freshly caught Prawns or Crab from the local market.

What exactly is Piri Piri??

"Piri-piri" means "pepper-pepper" in Swahili, the pan-African language, and sometimes the chile is called "pili-pili." It is a generic term that can apply to any member of the Capsicum genus, but in Portugal it specifically refers to a small-fruited variety that resembles a piquin. The question is: how did it get to Portugal? The answer is ironic because after Columbus brought back chile seeds to the Iberian Peninsula on his second voyage to the New World, Portuguese traders carried the seeds to their African colonies of Angola and Mozambique.

Soon, spread by birds, traders, and farmers, chiles conquered all of Africa and became an inexpensive way for people to spice up their bland foods. Sometime during this process, traders took small, hot pods back to Portugal where they were called "piri-piri," the Swahili term.

This is the way I make mine, but like I said, there are so many versions out there but if you're looking for an amazing, never to be forgotten, grilled chicken basted in the most delicious hot sauce, you have got to try it.

My fondest memories are of Galinha no Churrasco or Grilled Chicken which is something that's on the menu for this coming week, so if you're interested, keep an eye out here on the blog :)

Piri Piri Sauce

Chilies, in Portugal we call them Malaguetas, but you can use whatever you have on hand
1 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves

Remove the stem from the chilies and chop them into smaller pieces. Drop it into a small bowl. Remember to include the seeds as well. The amount of chilies you use is totally up to you, if you want it hotter add more....I only used 5 and it's hot enough for us as it will get even more heat as it steeps in the refrigerator.

Add the olive oil, garlic and bay leaves.

Using a hand blender, blend everything well, check to make sure that all the ingredients are pureed.

Pour into a mason jar, close tightly and shake well. Place in the refrigerator and let it steep for a few days, the longer it sits, the hotter it gets. Shake well after every use.

It will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Come back this coming week where I'll show you how to make the BEST grilled chicken you've ever tasted.

Homemade Guacamole

2011-05-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

Homemade goodies are healthier and tastier than store bought. PERIOD!

I don't care what anyone says but to me there is nothing like better than sitting down and enjoying one of your favorite snacks or treats when you know exactly what went into them, and know that it's full of delicious fresh ingredients.

One of my favorite treats is Guacamole and I've tried quite a few, some are good, some not so good and some just plain dreadful, so I decided to head to the internet and search and look and tweak here and there and just when I was getting tired of looking for recipes, I found this really good one at A Southern Fairytale. Wow it's good.

One thing though, I did NOT use the radishes. Also, we like very smooth guacamole so I actually go in with the hand blender and make sure it's all nice and chopped up.

Rachel’s Guacamole

Credit: A Southern Fairytale

* 4 medium avocados, halved, seeded and pulp removed
* Juice of 1 medium lime
* 1 tsp cumin
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 medium tomatoes or 8 (ish) grape tomatoes, chopped
* 1/2 a medium yellow onion, chopped
* 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
* 1 tsp kosher salt
* 1 jalapeno, minced
* 2 radishes, minced

Instructions

1. Place the pulp from the halved avocados in a bowl and cover with lime juice, toss the avocados and lime juice together with a fork until covered

2. Mince the garlic and jalapeno and radishes, add to avocado/lime mixture
3. Chop onion and cilantro and add to the avocado mixture
4. Add in salt and cumin

5. Use a fork to mix the guacamole to your desired texture

6. Set aside and allow to rest for one hour at room temperature
7. Serve with chips or veggies for dipping

Zucchini and Maple Sausage Pie

2011-05-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

If you've ever had Spaghetti pie or Baked Spaghetti, this is very similar. It's actually just something I tried for the first time tonight and we absolutely LOVED the result.

I'm a huge fan of Zucchini and I mean HUGE, like I could eat it all day long and never get tired of it, it's one of those veggies that just make me drool.

I saw a couple of Zucchini Lasagna recipes floating around the web and knew I had to give it a try. Imagine if you will a Lasagna with NO noodles featuring Zucchini which actually kinda takes the place of the pasta in the dish. Yeah, I know, Yum right?

Well I took the recipe from Finding Joy in My Kitchen, which I love, tons of great recipes over there, but don't just take my word for it, go on over and take look......where was I? Oh, yeah, so I took the recipe and adapted changed it up a bit to suit our tastes, which meant actually cheating and throwing in spaghetti noodles because my kids absolutely love spaghetti. My idea was to turn it into a spaghetti pie kinda dish and boy was it good.

Anyway, here's the recipe, you gotta try it for yourself and let me know what you think, deal?

Zucchini Lasagna

Adapted from: Finding Joy in My Kitchen

1 lb. maple sausage
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
2 tsp. Italian Seasonings
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
4 C zucchini, sliced to 1/4 inch thick (and roasted)
1 C small curd cottage cheese
2 cups cooked spaghetti noodles
Mozzarella Cheese slices
Provolone Cheese slices

The way I roast my zucchini is quite simple. I slice it up, place it on a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Then I drizzle on some olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic powder and pop it in a really hot oven, like 450 for a few minutes until it's nice and tender and brown on the bottom. You can toss it around after a few minutes, I don't, I just leave it.

Heat oven to 325. Coat an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a medium skillet, brown maple sausage; stir in tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt and garlic powder.

Arrange half of the roasted zucchini slices in the bottom of the dish. Layer half of the meat sauce, half of the cottage cheese, and top with some mozarella slices (I only used 3), layer on the spaghetti noodles (previously cooked). Repeat layers, ending with the provolone cheese (just use as many slices as you wish, again I only used 3 and cut them in half and just laid them on top).

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

La Bamba Mexican Casserole

2011-05-09T15:34:00.001-07:00

Another great recipe from Debbi.

If you like Mexican flavors and casseroles, I think you'll enjoy this one.

La Bamba Mexican Casserole

Credit: Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

2 4 oz. cans chopped green chilies, drained

Cooking spray
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel with chilies, undrained
2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped tomato
½ cup chopped green onions
Preheat oven to 375°.

Spray 9 x 13 in pan with cooking spray. Spread green chilies over the bottom of the pan.

Heat a large pan coated with cooking spray, add ground turkey, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, and garlic; sauté until cooked. Add diced tomatoes and refried beans; cook 5 minutes or until some of the liquid evaporates.

Spoon turkey mixture over chiles. Top with corn and black beans.

Sprinkle cheese over beans.

Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes; top with chopped tomato and green onions.

Tuna Casserole

2011-05-05T18:07:00.001-07:00

Just another version of a quick Tuna Casserole.

This was pretty much a throw whatever into the pan and see what comes out, and surprisingly, it was really good, I think the mayo just made it for me.

Tuna Casserole

3 cans of tuna
8z rotini pasta
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 small onion, diced
2 or 3 garlic cloves, sliced
tomato sauce
mayonnaise
shredded cheese

Cook the rotini pasta according to package directions.

In a saucepan, add a little bit of olive oil, the onion and the garlic cloves. Cook for a few minutes until the onion and garlic star browning, add in the drained tuna, stir well to combine, add a small can of tomato sauce, salt and pepper.

Cook for a few minutes until the flavors are well incorporated. Add the noodles to the saucepan, mix well.

Pour into a casserole dish.

Spread a layer of mayonnaise on the top. I just eyeballed.

Sprinkle on the shredded cheese and pop into a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Turkey Chipotle Wraps

2011-05-02T18:01:00.001-07:00

Another winner for us. This yet another recipe from Debbi Does Dinner Healthy, I adapted her recipe a little here and there to suit us. Thanks again Debbi.

Turkey Chipotle Wraps

Adapted from: Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

2 lbs ground turkey, 93%
3 cups medium salsa
1 can refried beans
1 chipotle pepper with adobo sauce
Salt
Soyful Heart Tortillas - 8 grain and soy (80 calories each)
Lettuce, sour cream and green onions

Brown ground turkey. Add salt as desired. Add salsa and refried beans. Stir and heat.

Chop chipotle pepper finely

and add to taco meat. I added a couple of teaspoons of the adobo sauce as well. Add as desired, taste for spicyness. Cook for 10 minutes for flavors to combine.

Place 1/3 cup of meat filling down the center of each tortilla, add 1 tablespoon sour cream, some lettuce and a some chopped green onions.

Wrap and serve.

Total calories = 2270
8 cup = 284 calories per cup
1/3 cup taco meat = 95 calories

Whole Grain Fat Free Banana Bread AND Muffins

2011-05-02T15:43:00.001-07:00

One of my bloggy friends Lori, has a great blog and she shares a lot of great recipes too. This one caught my eye the other day and it was one of those moments where I just knew I had to make it.

Banana bread is one of those things for me that I honestly have to say, I've had a hard time finding a good recipe and it's kinda turned me off it. But I figured, what's one more recipe to try and it's healthy and low calories and low fat, I may as well give it a go....and give it a go I did and it's delicious. I think I may have just found my Banana Bread recipe. Yay!

Lori got the recipe originally from Vickilynn at What's Cookin' Today?

WHOLE GRAIN FAT FREE BANANA BREAD

Recipe By :© 2001 Vickilynn Haycraft
Serving Size : 24

3 cups whole wheat flour — or Kamut
1 cup honey
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 medium egg whites (or 2 whole eggs)
2 cups banana — mashed
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup organic dried fruit (optional) We like raisins, apricots, dates and dried cranberries.

**For chocolate version, omit fruit and add 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to flour and 1/4 cup malt-sweetened carob chips — or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 8×4 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Place egg whites, bananas, honey and applesauce in a mixing bowl and mix well until thoroughly mixed.

Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Divide batter evenly between the 2prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Turn out onto cooling rack and allow to cool before slicing.
Each loaf makes 12 slices

Also can be made as one bundt cake. Bake same amount of time. Each bundt cake yields 30 slices

OR you can turn the second loaf into muffins, which is what I did.

And these only add up to 117 calories per muffin

Per Serving: 117 Calories; trace Fat (2.7% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 136mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta

2011-05-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

Another great recipe from Debbi's blog. I have made something very similar before so I knew it would be a hit because having kiddos and handing them a dish that has pepperoni in any shape, way or form, is a sure win in this household.

Hope you enjoy this one as much as we did :)

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Recipe

Credit: Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

8 oz. dry small shell macaroni, uncooked
4 eggs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, 4 oz.
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Spaghetti sauce, about 26 oz.
2 cups mozzarella cheese, 8 oz.
28 slices of pepperoni

Spray 13 x 9 in. baking pan with cooking spray, set aside. Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain, set aside.

Beat eggs in a bowl, add parmesan cheese and pepper, mix well. Stir in macaroni.

Spoon into a prepared baking dish, cover with pasta sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Top with pepperoni.

Bake 20 minutes at 375 or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Total calories = 2904 calories
8 servings = 363 calories per serving

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Alfredo and Bacon

2011-04-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

Counting calories, very rewarding but what a pain in the toosh. Ugh, I am glad I only do this once in a while and then am able to relax and go back to eating without having to count anything, other than the forkfuls that go into my mouth *snicker*

Anyway, with all this calorie counting I'm just glad that I have great blogs that I follow because Debbi at Debbi Does Dinner Healthy has saved me a ton of time but having delicious recipes at my disposal with the calorie count already factored in. YAY for Debbi.

We tried this one tonight and it was soooooooo good. I am not kidding, it was delicious. Don't let the Spaghetti Squash scare you away, I am telling you, try it and then let me know just how good it was.

I adapted the recipe a little as I completely forgot about the chicken, oh well LOL

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Alfredo and Bacon

Credit: Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

1 large spaghetti squash, 2.3 lbs.
Classico Garlic Alfredo Sauce, 15 oz.
Mozzarella cheese, 2 cups
Chicken, cooked & chopped, 9 oz.
Turkey Bacon, 6 slices
1 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper

Split spaghetti squash in half

place on baking sheet with a bit of water. Roast in oven at 375 for about 45 min - 1 hour until done. Let cool and scrape squash into a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Cook bacon until crispy. Crush when cool. Saute onions in the small amount of bacon grease in pan. Spray with a bit of cooking spray if needed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Top squash with Alfredo Sauce. Sprinkle one cup of mozzarella cheese. Top with chopped chicken, bacon and sauteed onions.

Top with remaining one cup of cheese. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes at 350 until heated through and cheese is melted.

Total calories = 1644 calories
8 servings = 206 calories per serving

Homemade Low Cal Ice Cream Sandwiches

2011-04-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

I'm sure many of you out there already know about these and probably make them for your family too. But for those who have never tried them, you're in for a treat.

They taste delicious and they're a healthier alternative to store bought ice cream sandwiches. I make the plain vanilla ones but I've also been known to throw some chopped nuts into the cool whip. Yum.

Give these a try and let me know what you think.

Homemade Low Calorie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Low Fat Honey Graham Crackers
Fat Free Cool Whip

Thaw the cool whip in the counter until it gets soft. You don't want it watery, just soft enough to be able to scoop onto the sandwiches.

Break the graham cracker in half, then spoon on 1-2 tablespoons of cool whip. Place the other half on top and gently squeeze down to distribute the filling.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Pop in the freezer until frozen solid, then remove and wrap each individually in Cling Wrap. Freezing them first before wrapping will ensure that they keep their shape.

The longer they're in the freezer, the better because it allows the cracker to soften just like ice cream sandwiches do. Enjoy :)

Alternatively, if you want bigger sandwiches, don't break the graham crackers in half, simply make them bigger :)

Notes: You can totally change these up by using different cool whip flavors like chocolate or strawberry and also changing the graham crackers you use, like cinnamon or chocolate. Of course they won't be as low calorie but if you're not looking to count calories, then just go to town and enjoy yourself :)

Mini Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

2011-04-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

These are no only delicious but make a great snack, lunch or even light dinner served with a salad.

I like to make big batches and freeze them for those days when I'm busy or need a quick meal.

This recipe comes from Prudence Pennywise's recipe but I just adapted it to our liking. With hubby and I counting calories I'm trying to cut here and there and the best part is that these are only 164 calories each.

Mini Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

Adapted from: Prudence Pennywise

6 English muffins split and toasted
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
12 paper thin onion slices
2 packages fully cooked chicken
Barbecue sauce
1 cup low fat mozzarella cheese grated

Preheat broiler. Line cookie sheet with foil. Spread toasted muffins with mayonnaise and place on prepared baking sheet.

Top muffins with onion slices and chicken.

Drizzle each half with barbecue sauce.

Sprinkle with cheese and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.

If you're freezing, allow the sandwiches to cool completely. Place them on a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer until solid, then take them out, wrap individually or pop into ziploc baggies and place them back in the freezer.

Don't use aluminum foil as metals from the foil may seep into the sandwich during freezing.

To re-heat, let them thaw out completely then pop them in the oven or microwave for a few minutes just until heated through, don't nuke these immediately after removing them from the freezer or you'll end up with a soggy yucky mess.

Keep sandwiches for about 2 weeks tops, no longer. :)

Teriyaki Steak

2011-04-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a quick week day dinner using just a few ingredients?

Then this one should suffice. We love Teriyaki and I always have bottles in the pantry especially for days when I want a super quick meal thrown together but don't want to sacrifice good tasting food for it.

I don't really have a recipe for this, it's just a throw together of things, so let me see if I can put it down into words, it's not easy. I grew up watching my greatgrandmother cook and she didn't have recipes or precise measurements, it came from her head, it came from her heart and she put on the table delicious meals time and time again.

Teriyaki Steak

1 lb steak (I usually use frying steak or like today, I used some cubed steak I had on hand)
1 small onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced ( you can use green pepper too)
3 garlic cloves, sliced
Teriyaki Sauce (your favorite one. I used Kikkoman's)

Cut the steaks into bite size chunks and put into a bowl. Slice the onions, red peppers and garlic and add to the steak. Pour in the teriyaki sauce, the amount totally depends on how much you want. If you only want a little bit, then only add a little, if you like it saucy like we do, then add in more.

Stir together until well combined and let sit for at least an hour or until ready to cook.

Fry on a non stick skillet until meat is cooked through and brown and onion and red pepper are cooked but still retain a little crunch.

Serve over white rice. Enjoy!

Limoncello

2011-04-28T12:38:00.001-07:00

I love a good refreshing drink and if it has a little or a lot of vodka in there, I'm all for it LOL

This is a super easy drink to make, the worst part is the waiting period while it infuses together the lemon and the vodka, but once it's done, it's SO good that you'll always want to keep a jar of it in the house, especially if you want a delicious drink to enjoy with your friends on a hot day.

I just started another batch today so I'll have to wait a week before I can continue, but I'm leaving the recipe for you and you can go ahead and start one too and we'll meet back here in a week to see how it's going. Deal?

There's quite a few recipes for Limoncello but this is how I make mine.

Limoncello

6-8 lemons
4 cups vodka
4 cups water
3 cups sugar

Wash the lemons well, then peel, only the outer yellow part, you don't want any of the white. I've found for myself that the easiest way is to use a potato peeler. Works for me.

You're going to need a big jar with a tight lid. Put the peels into the jar and pour the vodka over it, close it tightly and then place it in a cool dark place. I keep mine in my pantry. Let it sit there for a week so that the peel infuses into the alcohol.

When the week is up, your vodka should be nice and yellow and the peels will look almost white. Put the peels in a large jar and pour the alcohol over them. Put the lid on the jar, set it in a cool, dark place, and let the peel infuse for one week - you'll see that by the end of the week, the alcohol will have turned yellow, while the lemon peels will have lost their color.

In a saucepan mix the sugar and the water over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool down. Pour into the vodka and lemon peels, mix well. Close the jar again and place it back in a cool dark place for another 3 days.

When the 3 days are up, strain the peels and pour the limoncello into bottles. Close tightly. It's now ready to enjoy. It's such a delicious refreshing drink ;)

Brown Sugar and Bacon Baked Beans

2011-04-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

The warm weather means the grills coming out and BBQ's popping up all over the place. It also means Baked Beans which I just love, but have to really pace myself with these cause I can wolf down the whole pan by myself.

I've tried a few different versions but I still think that Prudence Pennywise's recipe is the best one and the one the family and I enjoy the most.

Brown Sugar and Bacon Baked Beans

Credit: Prudence Pennywise

1/2 to 1 lb bacon, chopped

1 large onion, minced

3 (15 ounce cans) pinto beans, drained

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons mustard (I've used yellow or dijon with good results)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, fry bacon until almost crisp.

Pour off most of the fat. Add onion in with the bacon and continue to fry for five minutes.

Add in all ingredients and mix well.

Pour into 2 quart casserole or 9 by 13. Bake, covered with lid or foil for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 30 minutes longer.

BBQ Turkey Sliders

2011-04-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

So my hubby and I are trying to lose weight, he because he is military and is constantly watching his weight and also has his upcoming PT test in May, and me, well, because I love the man and I want to help and support him.

But it's not always easy, I absolutely loathe the word diet and I hate being told what I can and can't eat because the minute I know I can't eat it, that's when I want it.

With that in mind, I'm doing this the easy way, I'm counting my calories, I'm drinking only water but I'm still enjoying my delicious food. It's not that hard if you cut a few things out and search for the low fat ingredients and if even if you don't, just eat in moderation.

That's the key for me, I can't diet, I can slow down and eat less but I can't stop altogether, I love food too much, cooking and eating is in my blood or I wouldn't be Portuguese :)

These wonderful Turkey Sliders only work out to 113 calories each, so they're good and healthy too :)

BBQ Turkey Sliders

1 lb ground turkey
1 green onion, sliced
paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce (whichever you like)
1/4 cup low fat mozzarella cheese

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Divide into 8 equal portions.

Grill on a medium to hot fire for about 5 minutes, turn and grill for another 5. You can baste them with some more barbecue sauce at this point but if you're going for low fat, low calorie, then skip that step like I did.

When they're done, remove and place on dinner rolls. Fry up some onion slices and top the patties with it.

You don't have to add the onions either, we like onions on ours but some people don't, matter of fact my little one doesn't like them so I leave it off his burger :)

Oven Baked Parmesan Fries

2011-04-22T18:17:00.001-07:00

Easy to make, healthier than frying and delicious to boot.

Enough said.

Oven Baked Parmesan Fries

3 or 4 medium Potatoes, washed and cut into sticks (you can peel or you can leave the skin, we like ours with the skin on)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or whatever your oil of choice is)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
garlic powder
dried parsley
parmesan cheese

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium ziplog bag, add the oil and salt.

As you cut the potatoes,

drop them into the ziploc a few at a time, close tightly and shake well to coat completely. If you're going to be making a big batch, drop the potatoes into a bowl of water so they don't become dark.

Lay the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer, try not to overlap any it will make it easier to cook.

Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Pull out, turn them over, sprinkle on garlic powder, parsley and parmesan cheese, place back in the oven for another 20 minutes or until nice and brown.

Serve immediately!

Bacon, peas and mushroom pie

2011-04-21T17:47:00.001-07:00

I love the versatility of pie crust or in this case, puff pastry which really does help me when I'm looking for a quick meal.

This is just a "throw whatever you have into a crust and bake until golden" kinda recipe and that's the beauty of it, because you can add whatever you have on hand, you can use up leftover chicken, or roast and those veggies you have in the fridge that need to be cooked up before they go bad.

I've been making these kinds of pies for many many years and this is just one of the variations. Enjoy :)

Bacon, Peas and Mushroom Pie

1 sheet of puff pastry, room temperature
half a pound of bacon, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 small can of mushrooms
3 eggs
3/4 cup fresh cream
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Place puff pastry into pie dish and press firmly against bottom and sides. If you need to, you can use the excess dough from one area to cover the other. Just make sure you press firmly to seal together.

In a skillet, add the olive oil and the butter, add the bacon and onions and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until onions are translucent and bacon is starting to crisp up. Add the peas and mushrooms and stir well, cook for a further 5 minutes for the flavors to combine.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk and cream together, stir in the bacon mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Pour into the prepared pie crust and pop into a 375 F oven for about 30 minutes or until dough is nice and golden brown and cooked through. If you wish, you can insert a toothpick near the center, if it comes out clean then it's ready.

You want a nice brown crust and top on the pie. Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving :)

Caldo Verde

2011-04-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

I have no patience or energy to be in the kitchen today, my throat is really hurting and my body aches and I just want to go to bed, but alas, I can't until the family is taken care of and that includes cooking dinner.

So, something real quick using some wonderful Swiss Chard that my friend Katrina brought over from her garden.

Typically this recipe is made with Kale but when you don't have any available you can use Swiss Chard, Collards or even Turnip greens, but do try to get some Kale if you want to make it as close to the original as possible.

Trust me though, no matter which kind of greens you use, this soup will always turn out delicious. My children love it and can't get enough, it's the one soup that I see them truly enjoying and licking their lips.

Caldo Verde - Portuguese Green Soup

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 quarts cold water
1/2 lb chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt

ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb kale, rinsed and thin cut or julienne

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons olive oil for 3 or 4 minutes.

2. Stir in potatoes and cook, stirring constantly, 3 or 4 minutes more.

3. Pour in water, bring to a boil, and let boil gently for 20 minutes, until potatoes are real mushy.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook sausage until it has release most of its fat, 10 minutes.

5. Drain.
6. Mash potatoes or puree.
7. Add the sausage, salt and pepper into the soup and return to medium heat.
8. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
9. Just before serving, stir kale into soup and simmer, until kale is tender and jade green.

10. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and serve at once.

Pork Chops in a Tomato Sauce

2011-04-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

Cebolada is just the Portuguese name for a tomato and onion sauce. I've made Bifes de Cebolada before, which is Steaks cooked with tomato and onion, it's pretty much cooked in layers, as if you were making a lasagna and layering the onions, steaks, tomatoes and repeating etc.

I've been a little under the weather the past few days and honestly haven't felt like cooking much at all. I also get a little bored with the usual pork chops and wanted something different, so I decided to use the pork chops instead of the steaks I usually use for this recipe. The result was very good.

Febras the Cebolada - Pork Chops with Tomatoes and Onions

1 lb pork tenderloins
1 medium onion, sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
paprika to taste
1 large can of tomato sauce
white wine or beer (I used a little beer this time, but if you don't want to use any alcohol drink, you can just add water)

In a large saucepan, add a little bit of olive oil and a layer of sliced onions, place the pork chops on top and season with salt and pepper, a bay leaf, paprika and the chopped garlic. Add another layer of onions and pour the tomato sauce over it all. Pour on about 1/4 cup or so of beer/wine/water. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or so until the pork chops are cooked through.

That's it. Super simple and you'll love the gravy that it makes. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes or fries or whatever you wish, just be sure to drizzle that gravy over everything....Yum.

Bitoque - Portuguese Steak

2011-04-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

Oh the memories.

I think this is one of those Portuguese dishes that everyone knows about and is so popular that you can't go to a Portuguese restaurant without seeing it on the menu.

Steak and Chips (fries) seems to be a male favorite no matter if you're Portuguese or not, I have yet to find a guy who doesn't like a big steak and a serving of fries.

Bitoque - pronounced BEE-TOCK is delicious. Everytime I went to a restaurant in Portugal or even back home in South Africa, I ordered it, very few times I requested something else.

Just as with every other dish in world, everyone has a different way of making it and there are some variations here and there but this is, for the most part, the traditional way it's served across Portugal and Portuguese communities all over the world.

Bitoque

4 frying steaks (you don't want thick steaks for this so if yours are a little on the thick side, use a meat tenderizer and pound them down a bit)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
olive oil
butter
salt and pepper to taste
bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, finely diced (yes, I'm posting it twice because these you'll need these for the marinade)
white wine (if you don't want to use the wine, you can omit it)

Fries
White Rice
Lettuce, tomato and onion salad
4 fried eggs

The morning of the day you're serving these for dinner, go ahead and marinate your steaks in salt and pepper, bay leaves (just one or two), diced garlic and white wine. (I don't measure any of this stuff so I don't have an amount, just pour a little bit of white wine over the steaks). Cover and place in refrigerator until you're ready to fry them up.

Add a little bit of olive oil to a skillet, add the 4 smashed garlic cloves and about 2 tablespoons of butter. Fry over medium heat until hot and the garlic starts popping.

Add the steaks, discard the marinade. Fry for about 15 minutes or so until they're cooked through. Remember to turn them over half way through so they fry up nicely on either side. You'll have a bit of gravy in there and that's good, we want that.

In the meantime, peel and cut your potatoes into sticks and fry them until golden brown. If you don't want to fry them you can certainly bake them in the oven, but for this dish I prefer to fry them.

Cook up a little bit of rice with a dash of salt and a little butter.

Make the salad, just a simple mix of lettuce, sliced tomatoes and onions, drizzle on some olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper.

Once the steaks and the fries are ready. In a small skillet add a little butter and fry up the eggs, one at a time.

Now let's put it together.

Place the steak on a plate, top with the fried egg. On either side of the steak and egg put fries, salad and a little mound of rice, just like I showed you a few posts below. Drizzle some of the sauce from the steak over the rice and egg and VOILA. You're done.

Now sit down and enjoy it and if you do try it, come back and let me know what you thought :)

Salt and Vinegar Chips

2011-04-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

No, not potato chips. I mean chips as in fries. Ask anyone from England or South Africa and they know exactly what I'm talking about.

I haven't had them in years, matter of fact it's been almost 13 years because the only place I used to get them was back home in South Africa and having moved to the States, I just never could find good ol' chips like you get with fish and chips or even in the corner Take Away.

I've been craving them like crazy lately though, so for lunch today I whipped up some quick Chicken Sandwiches and some Salt and Vinegar Chips.

My family looked at me kinda weird, they had never tried them but after having just one from my plate they deemed it SO GOOD and asked why I've never made them before.....guess that's their hint for "make it again soon" and that I will :)

So here you go, this is how I make them, they're so easy that there really isn't a recipe for it, the trick is in the frying of the potatoes.

Salt and Vinegar Chips

Potatoes
Water
White vinegar
Sea salt to taste

Peel your potatoes and slice them into sticks. (You don't have to peel them if you don't want to, matter of fact unpeeled potatoes are even better).

Put them into a bowl and cover with water, add about 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Let them soak for about 10 minutes.

Drain the potatoes, dry them on a clean dish towel and pop them into the fryer, fry for about 5 minutes and while they're still pale, remove with a slotted spoon onto a dish lined with paper towels. Let them sit for 5 minutes, then drop them back into the fryer for another 5 minutes or until golden brown.

In a large bowl, toss the fries with about a tablespoon of vinegar and some sea salt. If you more vinegar just add more, really you're just doing it to taste. YUM!

I actually remember that back home they would serve them on waxy white paper and you would open it up and the scent of the vinegar would rise up and tickle your nose. They're so delicious, give them a try :)

Pineapple Mousse

2011-04-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

It's hot here in Arizona, and I mean HOT already as in the upper 90's.

When the weather gets warm I love cool citrusy food or desserts, for me there's nothing like fruity ice pop, oranges and lemons and lemonade and lemon pie and all that kinda stuff.

The dessert I'm about to share with you is one that I love but I admit that I haven't made it in many many years. I misplaced the recipe and kept forgetting to ask my stepmother for it, I finally did and wrote it down and this time I won't be losing it.

I remember growing up, she used to make this delicious mousse on hot summer days and special occasions, I even recall once or twice requesting it for my birthday instead of a cake.

It's super easy to fix and I promise you will love it and boy does it taste refreshing eaten outside on the patio :)

Pineapple Mousse - Mousse the Ananas

1 can pineapple chunks (I used the one I had on hand which turned out to be crushed pineapple)
1 box pineapple jello (I haven't been able to find any around here, so I substituted for a lemon jello which works great too)
1 can condensed milk
4 eggs, separated

Drain the pineapple can into a medium saucepan, set the pineapple chunks aside and reserve. Since I only had the crushed pineapple, I poured the can into a strainer and pressed with a plastic spoon to get as much of the syrup as I could.

Add the packet of jello and stir well over low heat. Do NOT let it boil. In the meantime, beat the egg whites in your kitchenaid until stiff. (I like to turn on the kitchenaid and let it just run for me while I prepare the rest of the mousse)

In a bowl, beat together the condensed milk and the 4 egg yolks, until creamy. Add to the saucepan and stir all well, stir slowly though and again don't let it boil. Remove from heat.

Add in the pineapple chunks and stir to combine.

Pour the prepared mixture into a large glass bowl. Fold in the egg whites carefully until everything is combined well.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 to 3 hours until set.

I think it's time to go have another little bowl, this stuff is addicting but oh so good. Enjoy!

Revisiting Monterey Chicken

2011-04-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah....one of my favorite dishes and I just got a craving for it tonight, so that's what we had.

Recipe was posted back in 2006 when I first started this blog, it's been forever and a day, but well worth revisiting.

Enjoy!

Monterey Chicken

Slow Cooked Sticky Chicken

2011-04-10T12:16:00.002-07:00

I've seen many a variation for this recipe. Some call for chicken wings, some drumsticks, but I went with what I had on hand which is chicken thighs.

I don't really think there is a rule you have to follow, so go ahead and use whatever chicken you have on hand or whatever pieces your family prefers.

Aside from the greatness of the slow cooker, it's just a good tasting chicken dish, it's sticky and yummy and I think your family will like it.

I'm using Lynn's Kitchen Adventures recipe.

Slow Cooked Sticky Chicken

Credit: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons of minced ginger ( I did not have any ginger, so I used 1 teaspoon of ground ginger)
* 4 cloves of garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne or red pepper
* 3 lbs chicken, breast, thighs, legs, etc.
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/4 cup tomato paste

Combine 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoon soy sauce , ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper.

Add chicken and toss to coat.

Place in a slow cooker and cook on low for about 4 hours or until done.

When done place chicken in a broiler proof dish.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, water, and tomato paste, and remaining soy sauce.

Brush on chicken and cook under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until chicken is slightly crisp.

But keep in eye on this while it is cooking under the broiler, things can cook quickly when broiling. (You may be tempted to skip the broiling, but it really does help give this a nice sticky and good texture.)

This is how I like serving mine, with a cute little mound of rice. The kids think it's the coolest thing on earth.

Just scoop the rice into a little bowl or whatever shape you want to use, press it in well, then invert it onto the plate nice and slow. Tada!!! Nothing to it :)

Now drizzle a little of the sauce on top....

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

2011-04-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

I love philly cheesesteaks, just love them so much but truth be told, it's kinda hard to find a really good one.

Luckily here on base we do have Charley's which make really good sandwiches, but I want to be able to make it for myself at home.

I have tried so many recipes and I don't we'll ever be able to make it exactly like you would get in Philly, but some do come close.

This one is pretty good, at least for me, you'll have to judge for yourself.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Credit: Gooseberry Patch Homestyle Family Favorites

2 T. butter
1 lb. beef top or ribeye steak, thinly sliced
seasoned salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
Optional: 1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 lb. provolone cheese, Gouda or Swiss cheese, sliced
6 hoagie buns or baguettes, split

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat until slightly browned.

Add steak; sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper and saute just until browned. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, if desired, and green pepper; stir. Cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes or until onion and pepper are tender.

Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat; set aside. Place 2 to 3 cheese slices in each bun; top each with 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls of steak mixture. Top with additional cheese, if desired.

Wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil; bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

Fried Chicken Strips

2011-04-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

I remember growing up there were special occasions where the dinner table would be set full of food and when I say full, I mean FULL, overflowing with an arrangement of savory and sweet goodies. Usually around Christmas time and New Year's Even.

One thing I used to love were the fried chicken pieces, and it wasn't anything special, just a couple spices, garlic and salt and pepper etc and then fried on a skillet.

But it got me to thinking that maybe I could just add tweak it a tiny bit and soak them in some buttermilk first and then drop them in flour and yada yada yada, you know where this is going.....instead of wings and drumsticks, I went with Chicken Tenders and the result was really good, especially when you squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the chicken.

Fried Chicken Strips

1lb chicken breasts or about 4 or 5
buttermilk
salt and pepper
parsley
garlic powder
paprika
flour

Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch thick strips. Season with salt and pepper, parsley, garlic powder, paprika.

Pour buttermilk over just enough to cover the chicken and pop in the fridge until dinner time. (if you forget to do this in the morning, it's fine, trust me, just put it all together but let it sit for a few minutes at least).

Put some flour into a ziploc bag and toss in the chicken strips one at a time, shake bag to coat well.

Fry the chicken strips in a deep fryer for about 5 or 6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove, keep warm while you cook the others. When they're all done, slice a lemon in half and squeeze some of the juice onto the chicken, you don't want too much but just enough to give it taste. Alternatively, you can just serve with lemon slices and let your family or friends do it themselves.

Quick, simple and so good.

No Bake Cookies and Cream Bars

2011-04-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

I love a good Rice Krispy treat but I often want something different, not just the same ol' same ol'. So I started thinking, why can't we just make them using different cereals or cookies, I know some people have made them with Fruit Loops and some even tried Cheerios but what about cookies???

I went in search and came upon this super quick recipe from Picky Palate, I knew what I wanted and it's exactly what she came up with, how neat is that? This way I didn't have to worry about finding the right amounts or trying until I got the perfect recipe, it was all worked out there for me. She has some amazing recipes too so be sure to stick around there for a bit and look around.

I'll be the first to tell you that mine don't look like hers, one of the main reasons is that I didn't have an 8x8 pan at my disposal, it was being used for something else, so I went with a slightly bigger which resulted in more cookie bars but not as thick as hers.

They are SO so good and now I'm determined to make more. Next up will be the Golden Oreo cookies, then I'm going to make these bars using my leftover Girl Scout Cookies. I can just imagine some Peppermint Cookie Bars or Samoas....YUM!

No Bake Cookies and Cream Bars

Credit: Picky Palate

One 16 oz package of Oreo
5 cups Large Marshmallows
4 tablespoons butter

1. Place Oreos in food processor and pulse until ground.

Melt marshmallows and butter in microwave until puffed, about 1 1/2- 2 minutes.

Remove and pour in ground Oreo Cookies.

Stir to combine then transfer to a foil lined 8×8 inch baking pan.

Let set up for 10 minutes. Remove bars out of pan with edges of foil and cut into squares.
Makes 9 large bars

Root Beer Freeze

2011-04-03T20:21:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had one?

Do you know what they are? A Freeze is like a shake, but you use your favorite soda instead of milk.

Now most people go for Root Beer or Coke Floats but honestly, I don't get the appeal. You are left with a blob of ice cream floating around in your glass, do you slurp that up with a straw? Do you eat it with a spoon? Or do you stab it with the straw and eat it that way? Or wait is that only me who does it?

Needless to say I'm not really a fan of the floats. But give me a Freeze and Ahhhh, yes, now that I can go for.

You can make these just using root beer and ice cream, but I love adding root beer syrup, and I didn't even know about adding this until I was over at Prudence Pennywise's blog. She also uses rootbeer for many other yummy recipes, go on over and take a look.

For the Root Beer Syrup:
3 cans of root beer

In a big sauce pan, over high heat, bring the root beer to a boil. Boil until reduced by half and syrupy, it will take about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

For the Root Beer Freezes:

Root Beer
Vanilla Ice Cream
Root Beer Syrup

In the bowl of a blender, combine 1/4 root beer, 1 and 1/2 cups of ice cream and 3 tablespoons of root beer syrup.

Blend well. Transfer to a chilled glass or mug or whatever you wish, I even use mason jars to serve in. Drizzle with some extra root beer syrup.

Enjoy!!!

Now remember, you can make these with Coca Cola or Orange Soda or whatever you wish. Matter of fact you can make Coke syrup using the same method as the root beer syrup above.

Homemade Salsa

2011-04-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

Do you love Salsa??? I mean do you really love Salsa like we do????

I could sit and eat a jar of salsa in one sitting, literally, I have to control myself and hide the chips and the jar, or find someone to share it with.

But, I don't really care for store bought salsa's, one look at the list of ingredients in the back and it makes me cringe, if I can't pronounce it why would I want to eat it???

Here's the homemade salsa I make, it's SO quick, SO simple and SO delicious. You can adjust the heat, you can make mild by omitting the jalapenos OR make it hotter by adding more. Totally up to you.

Homemade Salsa

1 (14.5 oz.) Can Tomatoes and Green Chilies, undrained
1 (14.5 oz.) Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes, undrained
1 Tbsp. Jalapenos (I use the canned type, you can even use the ones that are for nachos)
1/4 cup (half a medium) Onion, diced
1/2 Garlic Salt
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/4 tsp. Sugar
Fresh Cilantro

In food processor place jalapenos and onions, both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar, and cumin. Process for a few seconds at a time, you don't want to puree it. Add a few leaves of fresh cilantro, again, just go with how much you want in there or according to your family's taste. We love cilantro so I add quite a bit.

Process all ingredients until well blended but do not puree. Place in covered container and chill. A couple of hours of chilling will help blend and enrich the flavor.

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

I love serving mine in this beautiful dish that I purchased from this little store chock full of Mexican Handmade pottery.

Slow cooker Chicken Parmesan

2011-03-27T18:05:00.001-07:00

Parmesan Chicken.....in the slow cooker. Not only is it delicious, but if you worry that cooking cheese and sauce for hours is going to cause it to burn or get crunchy, then stop worrying this minute because not only does that not happen, the end result is moist, tender cheesy gooey chicken that your family will enjoy.

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan

Credit: Recipe Shoebox

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I cut mine into strips, to make them into more reasonable serving sizes for the kids)
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 egg, beaten
4-6 slices mozzarella cheese
1 jar (28-ounces) favorite marinara sauce

Directions: Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the bottom of the crockpot stoneware.
In a medium bowl, beat egg. In second medium bowl, mix the bread crumbs, spices, and grated Parmesan cheese all together.

Dip chicken in beaten egg and then toss into bread crumb mixture to coat completely on both sides. Place chicken breasts on bottom of crockpot. Place a layer of mozzarella slices on top of breaded chicken breasts. Cover cheese layered chicken with entire jar of sauce.

Place lid of crockpot securely on and turn heat to LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Serve over cooked pasta of your choice.

Spaghetti Casserole

2011-03-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

My family LOVES Spaghetti and it doesn't even have to be homemade or from scratch, they just love it in any way, shape or form.

But sometimes I want something more than just the usual noodles and sauce, I want to give it a little kick, change it out, dress it up etc.

I've got a few variations on Spaghetti dishes here on the blog, like Virginia's Baked Spaghetti which continues to be one of our favorites, or Spaghetti Pie or even Spaghetti a la Philly, so I figured, what's one more to throw at you, you won't mind right?

I have to thank my friend Mari for giving me this recipe, she shared it during one of my Cooking Thursdays on my main blog Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

Spaghetti Casserole

1 pkg (16 ounces) angel hair pasta
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce ( I use Hunts 4 cheese)
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
16 ounces sour cream
4 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Cook pasta for a slightly shorter time than directed on pkg, until just done.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown beef and drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce. (I added in some fresh basil)

Remove from heat. Stir together cream of mushroom soup and sour cream.

In two 8x11 freezer pans, layer half the meat sauce, pasta, sour cream mix and cheese.

Repeat layers. Cover tightly with foil and freeze up to 3 months.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cheater Chicken and Dumplings

2011-03-23T18:28:00.001-07:00

I love Chicken and Dumplings and I've made so many variations on this incredible dish. This latest one is pretty much just a cheat using ingredients you may not think about using otherwise.

Cheater Chicken and Dumplings

olive oil

1 medium onion, diced
2 cups diced celery
1 can of chinese vegetables, drained
1 can green beans, drained
2 packages cooked chicken, cut into bite size chunks
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 tablespoon salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper (plus more to taste)
6 cups chicken stock
4 big biscuits (Pillsbury Grands Frozen Biscuits), cut into fourths

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they're soft, add the celery, chinese vegetables, green beans and white wine.

Cook for about 6 minutes, add the chicken to the pot, add the chicken stock and cover, cook on medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

If the broth is not as thick as you would like, whisk in about a tablespoon of corn starch.

Break the biscuits into fourths and drop into the pot.

Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, until the dumplings are cooked through. Serve immediately.

Hearty Nachos

2011-03-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

I have been craving nachos for days now, I mean, literally salivating over the thought of nachos and no clue why.

But, I didn't want to go spend money at Taco Bell when it's something that is so easily made at home.

This recipe may be a little different to what you're used to getting, for one, there are no refried beans and once the family and I got over that shock, we dove right in and finished that whole casserole dish in record time. The hubby and kids announced it was better than Taco Bell.....I'll just let you be that judge of that :)

Hearty Nachos

1 pound lean ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 small onion, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 sliced, jalapeno
Shredded Cheese, I like Cheddar or the Monterey Jack mix
Tortilla Chips
Sour Cream

In a skillet, brown the ground beef with the taco seasoning

On a casserole dish (mine was slightly smaller than a 9x 13 but you can also use a deep pie dish), layer the nachos as follows:

Tortilla chips, about 1 cup of cheese, beef mixture, diced tomatoes, diced onions, jalapenos. Sprinkle more cheese on top, again this is up to you how much depending on what your family likes.

Pop under the broiler until the cheese is nice and melted. Serve with a few dollops of sour cream.

NOTE: I love that with this recipe, I can make more or less nachos as is needed. I can make a single serving or I can make double or even triple the batch if I have more people coming over.

Creamy Rotini with Ham and Asparagus

2011-03-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

We love a good pasta dish and the creamier the better, but I get tired of the same ol', same ol' and it was time for a change.

I knew I wanted to use my tri-color rotini and I wanted it to be creamy, the rest just kind of fell into place.

Creamy Rotini with Ham and Asparagus

1 package Tri-Color rotini
Ham, diced (amount will depend on how much or little you want)
2 small shallots, diced
Asparagus, cut into thirds
olive oil
salt and pepper
garlic powder
heavy cream
flour (just about a tablespoon to thicken sauce)
shredded cheese

Cook rotini according to package directions, drain and pour into a casserole dish.

Drizzle a little bit of olive oil into a skillet, add the asparagus, ham and shallots and cook until asparagus are cooked through but still have a little bit of crunch to them. Add the spices, just eye ball it is what I do.

Cook for a minute longer, then add some heavy cream, I added about 2 cups. Stir well and let it heat through, add the flour and using a whisk cook a little longer just until the sauce begins to thicken.

Remove from heat and add to the pasta, mix well.

Add shredded cheese and pop under the broiler until the cheese is melted and starting to get nice and brown.

Serve immediately.

Beef and Veggie Pot Pie

2011-03-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite dishes, I think what makes it for me is the flaky crust. Give me a good buttery crust and throw in either a savory or a sweet filling and I'm yours....really, I'm yours.

This one was a modge podge of throwing together whatever I had on hand, there really is no method to this pot pie madness.

Some may have a certain way of doing things, some may have a taste for a specific ingredient, some like a creamy filling, others like myself are perfectly happy with a good ol meat and veggie mixture.

I don't have a recipe for this recipe, I literally just threw it together, but I can tell you that I used a pound of ground beef, one small diced onion, salt and pepper, garlic, worcestershire sauce, a little bit of beer for taste and a small can of tomato sauce. I also added in about 1 and half cups of mixed frozen veggies.

Brown the ground beef, add the spices and the tomato sauce, stir well, then add in the frozen veggies. Pour in a bit of beer, you don't want too much. Cook for a minute or two until the liquid reduces.

I used a box of pie crusts, the one that brings two crusts inside. Unroll one and cover the bottom of a greased pie pan.

Fill with the meat filling. Unroll the second pie crust and place over the meat, fold in the edges and press to seal. Cut two or three small slits on the top to vent.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the dough is nice and brown.

Let sit for 5 minutes and cut into wedges.

Serve with a salad!

Baked Beef Ravioli

2011-03-10T17:46:00.001-07:00

I'm all for easy recipes that I can throw together quickly, but somewhere along the line, I find that if I just take a few more minutes and add a few more things, even something plain like frozen ravioli can turn into a delectable meal.

But don't take my word for it, try it for yourself and then let me know the verdict.

It it's anything like my family's they will be too busy smacking their lips and you won't get many coherent words other than some ooooohhhh and aaahhhhh's.

Baked Beef Ravioli

Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

2 9-ounce packages refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 10.75-ounce can condensed tomato soup
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain. Return to pan; cover and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook ground meat, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is brown and onion is tender.

Drain off fat. Stir in tomatoes, soup, basil, and oregano. Gently stir in cooked ravioli.

3. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until heated through. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Italian Sausage Pie

2011-03-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

What can I say, other than Yum???

This dish is almost like an Italian Torta. The minute I saw it in one of my cooking magazines, I ripped it out, added it to my binder and set it aside to try. Then I forgot about it. Then I found it again a week ago and knew it had to go in my Menu Plan and it did and that's what we had for dinner tonight.

Goodness, sausage, onion, cheese, pepper and dough, all the things that make this girl really really happy.

Just a little warning, when you cut into it, the juices tend to ooze out, so make sure you do so over a baking dish or plate with rims or something of that kind.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE PIE

Credit: Better Homes and Garden

1 1/2 lbs sweet or hot bulk Italian sausage
1 C red pepper, chopped
1/2 C onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 – 16oz pkg hot roll mix
5 eggs
3 C shredded mozzarella
1/2 carton (15 oz) ricotta cheese (I accidentally forgot and added the whole carton and the world didn't come crashing down)
1/2 of a 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1 egg
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

In an extra large skillet, cook sausage; sweet pepper, onion and garlic over medium heat until sausage is brown; drain off fat.

Prepare hot roll mix according to package directions through kneading. Cover; let rest for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat the five eggs. Stir in 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese and spinach. Stir in sausage mixture.

On a light floured surface, roll three-fourths of the dough into a 15-inch circle. Fit into bottom and press up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle dough with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese.

Spoon sausage mixture over cheese. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese; press into sausage mixture.

Roll remaining dough into a 9-inch circle; place on cheese. Fold edge of bottom dough over top dough; pinch to seal.

In a small bowl, combine the one egg and the water. Brush over top of pie; allow to dry for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, score top of pie in a diamond pattern, being careful not to cut all the way through the dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

Using a small spatula, loose pie from side of pan; remove side of pan. Cut pie into wedges.

Makes 10 servings.

Portuguese Pork Chops and Potatoes

2011-03-08T10:18:00.001-07:00

I already have another version of this recipe up on my blog but Portuguese cooking as with many other ethnic dishes, is all about places, people and different parts of the country.

I haven't really been making Portuguese food lately and I've been craving it and missing it like crazy, so I've decided that the next two week menu will be a trip of sorts, down memory lane for me. Appetizers, Main Dishes, Desserts, you name it. Hope you're up for it.

Here's just a little preview of the kind of food I'll be serving to the family and to you, if you wish to try.

Minho (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈmiɲu]) is an historical province of Portugal. It was established as an official province in 1936 and dissolved in 1976. It consisted of 23 municipalities, with its capital in the city of Braga. Today, the area would include the districts of Braga and Viana do Castelo. Minho has substantial Celtic influences and shares many cultural traits with neighbouring Galicia in Spain. The region was part of the Roman Province and early medieval Kingdom of Gallaecia. Historical remains of Celtic Minho include Briteiros Iron Age Hillfort, the largest Gallaecian native stronghold in the Entre Douro e Minho region, in North Portugal.

Costeletas de Porco a moda do Minho

Pork chops prepared in the traditional Minho way

Ingredients:
Pork Chops
Garlic
Bay Leaf
Salt
White Wine
Onion
Olive oil
Bacon, thinly sliced

Potatoes for frying
Parsley

I like doing this in the morning so it has a few hours for the flavors to really sink in, but you can also do it an hour or so before cooking. I put the pork chops in a bowl and add the spices, garlic, bay leaf, salt and the white wine.

Chop the potatoes into cubes OR you can use baby potatoes if you wish. Fry them until nice and golden, set aside.

In a skillet, add a little bit of olive oil, fry the pork chops on both sides until nice and brown. (do NOT throw out the marinade, keep that you're going to need it). Once the chops are cooked, remove them and keep them warm.

Add the sliced onion and the bacon to the skillet and cook until bacon is done but not crispy. Add the marinade to the skillet and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.

At this point, you're going to add the fried potatoes and let them cook for a minute or so, just to soak in all that good gravy.

Right before you serve, you can add the pork chops to the skillet too so they can warm up a bit more.

I like to serve mine all together in one dish and sprinkled with parsley. Enjoy!

Chocolate Popcorn

2011-03-04T17:44:00.001-07:00

Remember the Caramel Popcorn from a few months ago????

Well I figured it was time to change it up a little, so this afternoon, I brought out the chocolate chips and made chocolate popcorn. I swear it was like I placed a batch of GOLD nuggets in front of my family, the way they looked at it, their twinkly eyes, the licking of the lips and the "Oh THAT is good" comments that ensued.

Guess it's a winner and I'll be making a bunch more just to keep around in mason jars, for snack time.

Chocolate Popcorn

12 cups popped popcorn
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Spread popcorn on a cookie sheet, if it's too much, just bake it in batches or use two sheets.

Preheat oven to 300 F.

In a medium saucepan, add sugar, corn syrup and butter. Stir and cook over medium heat and mixed well and boiling. Remove from heat, add the vanilla extract and the chocolate chips and stir until chocolate is melted.

Pour over the popcorn and stir to coat. Bake for 45 minutes, stir every 15 minutes or so. When done, remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Quick and Easy French Toast

2011-03-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Weekday breakfasts usually consists of Muffins or cereal, toast etc. But Friday's usually mean a special breakfast, something to kick off the weekend for us.

Today it was a simple French Toast, a recipe that I've been using for years now and it comes from the McCormick website.

Quick and Easy French Toast

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground
4 slices bread
1 egg

1. Beat egg, vanilla and cinnamon in shallow dish. Stir in milk.

2. Dip bread in egg mixture, turning to coat both sides evenly.

3. Cook bread slices on lightly greased nonstick griddle or skillet on medium heat until browned on both sides.

Creamy Chicken - Broccoli Bake

2011-03-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is one of those yummy casseroles that stick to your bellies. It kind of reminds me of Chicken Spaghetti with the taste being very similar.

The original recipe came from a cooking magazine, forgive me for not knowing exactly which, I collect so many and can't remember which one it's from.

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Bake

6 oz egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 lb chicken tenders cut into 1 inch cubes
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup of fresh mushrooms, sliced
small red pepper, chopped
1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup
1/4 cup chicken broth
8 oz sour cream
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a skillet, add a little bit of olive oil and the chicken. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Add the green onions, mushrooms and red pepper, continue cooking over medium heat until veggies are tender. Scoop the chicken and veggies into a bowl.

To the skillet, add the broccoli soup, chicken broth, sour cream and salt and pepper,

stir well and simmer for just a minute or so until heated through. Add the cooked noodles and the chicken and veggies to the skillet and combine well.

Transfer to a casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and the melted butter, sprinkle over the chicken mixture.

Pop in a 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

2011-02-27T18:55:00.001-07:00

We love a good pasta dish here in my house so this one has always been a standby for days when I don't have much time to be in the kitchen.

I'm in the middle of unpacking our last box and being able to sigh a sigh of relief and be done, so while I was doing that, I threw this quick meal together.

Trust me, you probably have all the ingredients already on hand and before you know it, you can serve up a dish that will have everyone smacking their lips.

Let me tell you, my kids are not fans of peppers of any kind, yellow, green or red, orange, doesn't matter, if they see it in their food they crinkle their noses, they remove every last piece and if I'm lucky they'll still eat it. This dish has red pepper and they don't say ONE word, they devour it and tell me it's delicious.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE RIGATONI

Credit: Johnsonville

1 pkg. (19.76 oz.) Johnsonville® Italian Mild Sausage Links
1 pkg. (1 lb.) rigatoni pasta
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lg. sweet red pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
1 jar (26 oz.) of your favorite pasta sauce
Shredded cheese, your choice (this is optional, I add it but you don't have to )

Slice sausage links into 1 inch chunks.

Slice and dice the red peppers

and onions. Add Sausage, red pepper, onions and garlic to the skillet. Drizzle the olive oil over and stir well.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions, drain and set aside.

I'm using my new Pasta Boat, decided to give it a try and really like it.

Cook for a few minutes until vegetables are tender and sausage is browned. Stir in pasta sauce; heat through.

Pour rigatoni into a casserole dish, pour the meat sauce over and stir well to combine. Cover with shredded cheese and pop in the broiler for a minute or two to melt the cheese.

Serve immediately.

Menu Plan - Week February 28 to March 6th

2011-02-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

Alright, after a full week of winging it and eating out, we're back to routine and back to my menu plan.

I tell you, I'm so used to it that I feel completely lost when I don't have a plan to follow. So here is the menu for this week, lots of new recipes to try and I'll be posting them as I make them :)

MENU PLAN

Monday 28th
Spaghetti Bolognese

Tuesday 1st
Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches with Onion Rings and Curried Aioli

Wednesday 2nd
Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Bake

Thursday 3rd
Baked Beef Ravioli

Friday 4th
Hot Tamale Pie

Saturday 5th
Chicken Pot Pie in Puff Pastry

Sunday 6th
Italian Sausage Pie

French Dip Sandwiches

2011-02-25T19:08:00.001-07:00

Easy meals that I can throw together while getting this house back to normal.

French Dip Sandwiches. I know you've heard about them and I'm sure even tried them before, but usually to make them the traditional way you would have to cook the meat for a long long time, but I honestly don't have time for that and I also like using shortcuts.

So here is my version of this great sandwich, it's delicious, it's filling and it's very quick to put together.

French Dip Sandwich

4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely diced
2 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup whiskey (you can also brandy or sherry)
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 pounds deli sliced roast beef
salt and pepper
6 sandwich rolls, split
provolone cheese

In a large skillet melt butter. Add diced onion and saute for a few minutes until the onion is cooked through. Add the flour and whisk,

then add in the whiskey and the beef broth, whisking constantly until smooth. Simmer over a low heat for a few minutes.

Add the roast beef to the skillet and heat through. I like to separate the slices instead of just dropping the big chunk in there.

Pile the roast beef onto rolls, top with provolone cheese

and then pop into the broiler so it melts and gets all toasty and gooeye.

Scoop the remaining sauce into ramekins and serve with sandwiches, for dipping.

Enjoy!

Crispy Onion Chicken

2011-02-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

I've been going non stop for a whole week now. This move has proven to be overwhelming in more ways than one so I'm tired, I'm mentally and physically drained and I'm in serious cooking withdrawals.

One of the worst things for me is not being able to get into my kitchen and cook.

One week of moving, one week of yucky take out food. I have burgers and fries coming out my ears and do NOT want to see another greasy meal for a very long time.

Tonight, I finally got to finish getting my kitchen organized and packed and the first thing I did was put together a quick homemade meal. Even my kiddos licked their lips and declared it the best meal they've had in a week.

It's nothing special, nothing difficult to prepare, just a quick meal using pantry staples but it's comforting. The house may be a shambles, there may be boxes covering every inch of the floors, but our tummies are full with home cooked food and THAT is better than anything else.

BTW, I got this recipe many years ago and can't even remember where from but it's on our list of favorites :)

Crispy Onion Chicken

* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon ground mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1 can (6 ounces) cheddar or original french-fried onions, crushed
* 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Directions

In a shallow bowl, combine the butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, add 1/2 cup-fried onions. Dip chicken in the butter mixture, then coat with onions.

Place in a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Top with remaining onions; drizzle with any remaining butter mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Yield: 4 servings.

Turkey Parmigiana Sliders

2011-02-13T17:14:00.002-07:00

Holy cow were these phenomenal.

I love sliders, I think mostly because I love the versatility of making whatever I want in a little bite, or two, sized burger.

In my attempt to find new Slider versions, I ended up finding this recipe over at What's Cookin, Chicago. I've tried a few of her recipes and they are delicious so I knew this one would be too, but boy was I in for a surprise.

Super tender with all these great italian flavors, yummy melted cheese and a kick from the spaghetti sauce, pair it all up with some sweet Hawaiian rolls and you'll be sighing.

Turkey Parmigiana Sliders

Credit: What's Cookin, Chicago

1 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste
4 slices mozzarella cheese, each slice cut into quarters
1/4 cup pasta sauce - homemade or store bought
1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce
12 dinner rolls, split and toasted (I used Whole Wheat Hawaiian rolls, nice and sweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl combine the ground turkey, all the spices, cheese and salt & pepper. Form large meatballs and flatten to create small patties.

Brown each patty on both sides in a skillet with a little oil and transfer the patties to a baking sheet.

Top all browned patties with a teaspoon of pasta sauce and a couple slices of cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for a few minutes until cheese begins to melt.

While the patties are baking, spread a teaspoon of pasta sauce on the bottoms of the split dinner rolls.

Transfer each patty onto the bottoms of the rolls and top the burgers with shredded lettuce and the tops of the dinner rolls. Serve immediately.

Chicken a la King!

2011-02-03T17:40:00.001-07:00

I have to say that this was one of the first dishes I learned to prepare when I was a teenager.

Most of my love for cooking has come from watching the women in my family in the kitchen, mostly my greatgrandmother, grandmother and stepmom. They love cooking and they love preparing dishes for their family, and when I say family I don't mean just a small family of 4 or so, we were a big Portuguese family, sitting around a huge table filled with some of the most delicious food you'll ever taste.

Chicken a la King for me means comfort, means home, means a happy childhood and everytime I eat it, I am immediately taken back in time.

There are quite a few variations and recipes for it, but this is how I learned how to make it, it's simple, it's quick enough to make on a busy weekday and it's very filling.

Chicken a la King

1 lb shredded chicken ( I buy the big bags of Tasty Bird drumsticks or thighs and then shred them)
olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
Mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
Heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

In a big stock pot, fill halfway with water and add the chicken thighs or drumsticks. Boil until chicken is cooked through, once done, remove chicken to a bowl, let cool down and then shred. Don't throw out the stock, we'll be using it.

Now I like serving my chicken a la king with rice, so in a microwave rice cooker, I add 3 cups of the chicken stock, a little bit of salt and 1 1/2 cups of rice. Cook it on HIGH for 6 minutes, then cook for another 15 minutes on MEDIUM. Gives you nice clumpy steamed rice.

Back to the chicken. In a cast iron pan or a skillet (I prefer my cast iron though), add a little bit of olive oil to the bottom. Add the onion and garlic and cook stirring frequently until onion is transparent, using a ladle, add a little of the stock and stir well.

Add the rest of the veggies....the mushrooms, green pepper and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and the bay leaf, stir well and add a little more chicken stock. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the veggies are cooked, remember to keep checking and adding a little stock at a time, you don't want it to burn and you don't want it to dry out either.

Once the veggies are done, add the shredded chicken.

Cook for another 5 minutes, then add about 2 cups of heavy cream, turn the heat down and simmer for just a few minutes for it to thicken.

I like making mine a little thicker, so I save a bit of the heavy cream, pour it into a small bowl, add about a tablespoon or 2 of flour, whisk well then add to the pot and stir well until it's as thick as I want it.

Remove the bay leave and serve over the rice. Enjoy!

Simple White Bread

2011-01-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

I love homemade bread, there is just nothing like a thick slice slathered in butter and watching it melt and drip down your fingers as you take a bite.

Baking bread at home does not need to be intimidating or difficult, matter of fact, all the bread recipes I use are easy and always turn out well. Trust me, anyone can bake bread.

The recipe I'm sharing with you is not for a bread machine.

Simple White Bread

1 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tbsp (or 1 packet) of quick rise yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cups flour (plus more for kneading)

1. Mix together the water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl.

2. Add the salt to the 3 cups of flour in a large bowl.

3. Mix the liquid and the dry together and then add the oil.

4. Mix until it comes away from the sides of the bowl, sprinkle some of the last cup of flour on a wooden surface, and knead. Keep adding flour as needed, kneading for about 10 min.

5. Scrape the big bowl clean and coat it with a small bit of oil. Add the dough and cover with a clean tea towel. Place it in a warm spot to rise till doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

6. When it has risen, punch the dough down and tip out onto the counter. Roll it out into a rectangle. (about 9 inch x 18 inch)

7. Roll it up, tuck in the ends, and place it into a greased bread loaf pan or glass baking dish.

8. Cover and let rise again, till doubled in size. 45 min - 1 hour. (it takes time!)

9. Once risen, brush the top with a bit of beaten egg, and bake for 30 min at 375 (f).

10. Once cooked, remove the bread from the pan immediately and place on a rack to cool.