Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

These are from the Idea Room.



Cinnamon Roll Pancakes:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour1

teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon honey



Cinnamon swirl:

2 tablespoons melted butter (Instead of butter we used a little milk to thin it out)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon flour



1. Mix all the ingredients together to make the pancakes and set aside. Preheat your pan or skillet and lightly grease it.

2. Make the Cinnamon Swirl mixture and place it into a a small bottle with a squirt nozzle (the name is escaping me...I used one)or a small baggie with a snip in the corner.

3. Spread your batter into small pancakes on the griddle. Immediately add the cinnamon swirls. 4. Cook the pancakes until small bubbles form on the topside of the pancake and do not fill back in with batter.

5. Flip over the pancakes with a turner and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.Buttermilk



Buttermilk Syrup

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sugar1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda1.



In a medium sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, and buttermilk. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally. Take off heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Stir, and the mixture will become thick and bubbly.

Waffled French Toast

I have been meaning to post this the past two days but didn't want to without a picture... so much for that. I make them and want to eat them before I have time to take a picture. Maybe tomorrow :)
And theres not really a recipe.
Just make french toast like you usually do... Egg, milk, cinnamon, dip bread - BUT in stead of putting in on a griddle or in a pan, put it in your waffle maker!!! Oh my it is SOO good! It cooks both sides evenly so the egg doesn't seep into the one side - giving you a soggy middle. They also have a little more of a crisp, which I love. You must try it! :)

White Chocolate Pomegranite Cookies

Mmmm, I knew I had to try these when I saw them on 2peas, and boy am I glad I did. I made these beauties tonight and Kyle and I both loved them! The white chocolate goes so well with the pomegranite when it pops in your mouth. Ahh. Its like a little surprise. These are a must try, especially since pomegranites aren't around for too long!!

Pomegranate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup white chocolate chunks

1 cup pomegranate arils

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.
4. Stir in the oats and white chocolate chunks. Make dough balls-about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie. Tuck about 6-8 pomegranate arils in each cookie dough ball. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Makes about 2 ½ dozen cookies

*Note-you can gently stir in the pomegranate arils, but I didn’t want the cookies to turn pink at all. If you don’t have white chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips will work as well. Enjoy!

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Thank you, Our Best Bites, for this wonderful cookie!




Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening (I just used regular shortening cause I didn't have any butter flavored)
1/2 c. real butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
optional: 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (I didn't have this, but I did have pure mint extract which is super strong so I put like a drop in and it was the perfect amount to give it just a hint of mint.)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips (Didn't have either so just omitted)
48 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the centers are set but still soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

* I halved the recipe, but I wish I would have made the whole thing! These are so good! YUM!

Copy Cat Cheese Fondue

I listened carefully while at Melting Pot to what they put in their Cheese Fondue, then re-created it at home. SOO good. We love it. Its really good with Rosemary Artisan bread OR homemade bread with a little butter and rosemary then toasted in the oven. Some people like Apples in it (not me). Veggies would be good, crackers, even chips. Use your imagination.

I don't have exact measurments, since this was a Kaeli creation but I'll do my best to estimate.

Cheese Fondue

Using a double boiler - put water in the bottom of course.

In the top pan add (remember these are approximations I NEVER MEASURE when I make this...

1/8- 1/4 cup water

1 tsp chicken boullion

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp worchestershire sauce

a pinch of powdered spicy mustard

cheddar cheese... enough to make a smooth cheesy consistancy, but not too thick. Maybe like 3/4 cup or so, use your best judgement

flour 1/2 Tbs or so- this makes it so the cheese isn't stringy and hard to eat. It took me forever to figure this out!!! But I did it and am very proud haha

Salt and Fresh ground pepper

Stir until mixture resembles cheese fondue.

Taste it and add whatever you think it needs :)

We just eat it out of the pan so it stays warm. Nothing fancy but so good.

*TIP* When done, poor the water from the bottom into the top and let it soak. This will make clean up SOO much easier. If this isn't done the cheese is super hard to get off. Trust me.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

I haven't tried this, but I am totally going to make it during Christmas time! I had to post it so I didn't loose the recipe. Sounds so good to me - I love cheese balls to begin with, but add powdered sugar, chocolate chips and pretzels... Too good to resist, I'm a sucker for sweets.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball (courtesy of Framed Cooks)
Yield: 8-12 servingsPrep time: 15 minutes
Refrigerate: 2 hours

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
¾ cup miniature chocolate morsels
¾ cup finely chopped pecans (or other nut if desired) , divided
Graham crackers, butter cookies or pretzels

1. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, butter, brown sugar and vanilla, beating with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and ½ cup of pecans. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. (I was in a hurry and found 1 hour in the freezer was just as good.)
2. Once chilled, shape mixture into a ball and roll in remaining ¼ cup pecans. Refrigerate until ready to serve.3. Serve with graham crackers, butter cookies or pretzels.

Chocolate Krinkle Cookies

These are my absolute favorite cookie, hands down, in the entire world. Seriously.
They make me happy. Soft and chewy and chocolaty,
rolled in powdered sugar.......MMM!
They do take some time and effort, but
it is so worth it!!

Cream together:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
3 1/3 cups sugar
4 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa

In a separate bowl combine:
4 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional, I never put them in)

Add to wet ingredients alternately with 2/3 cup of milk. Dough will be sticky. Sometimes I stick it in the fridge for an hour. And depending on the weather, you might need to add another 1/4 cup of flour.

Roll into balls, drop into powdered sugar, roll around. Place on greased cookie sheet (or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper). Bake at 350 for 12-15 mins.

~Do not over bake these! They will turn out crunchy instead of soft and chewy. I find 12 minutes is about perfect, if I make them a little bigger, then 13 minutes is about right.

~ Using two small spoons is the best way, instead of using a cookie scooper. Or you could use your hands and get really messy!

~ I almost always half the recipe because it makes a TON of cookies.

* I saw these on another cooking blog and she added peppermint to it. YUM!

Wingers Chicken Sandwhich

I know, this is way to easy to even be considered a recipe, but it's so good and so fast I had to post. We had absolutely NO food in the house this weekend (I didn't want to leave the house in the snow storm to go shopping) so I had to get a little creative when it came to something to eat. And although this really isn't that creative or that original, I have never thought of doing it before so maybe you haven't either :)

-Cut chicken breast into small/thin strips
-Mix flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper (no measurements, just tossed it in) in a bowl and coat chicken
-Fry them (make sure to get them really crispy!)
-Remove from pan, set onto paper towell to remove excess grease
-Put chicken in a bowl, drizzle with wingers amazin' sauce (the real thing, OR copy cat recipe soon to be posted) and toss to coat
-Put a little mayo on a hamburger bun, a few slices of chicken, lettuce, and salt and pepper.

Seriously, this little number is so good. The best part - the longest step is thawing the chicken! :)

Pumpkin Bread

This recipe is from "The Essential Mormon Cookbook". Its really good and SUPER easy, which makes it even better. I like it in a loaf as well as mini muffins (for some reason the muffins seem to get eaten a lot faster around here... easy access maybe?).
Today as it was snowing and blowing I got bored cooped up in my house, so what better to do than bake to make your house smell good and feel cozy than the smell of pumpkin? :)

Pumpkin Bread

*Ingredients
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I kinda like semi sweet with this)
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional.. I don't add these)

*Directions
Cream butter, sugar, and eggs. Add pumpkin, mix, and set aside. In another bowl sift dry ingredients. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamy mixture. Beat until blended. Add chocolate chips and pecans, if desired. Grease one loaf pan or four mini loaves (or mini muffin tin). Pour batter into pans. For one loaf bake at 350 for 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. For mini loaves bake at 350 for about 35-40 min. Makes one loaf or four mini loaves. (
(Its been a long time since I made them into mini muffins so I don't remember how long they bake or how many it makes. So bake them on 350 for 10-15 min then check them. Use your judgment to tell when they are done then make a note- like I should have done!! )

Mom's Slush

I absolutely love this and it is a must for our family at Christmas time!

1 6 oz package of Strawberry Jello
6 cups sugar
1 large can pineapple juice

Dissolve jello in 1 cup boiling water. Add 6 cups of sugar and 3 cups of water. Boil 7 minutes. Add 7 cups of water and large can of pineapple juice. Stir well and make sure all is dissolved. Cool and then freeze.

To serve, remove slush from freezer and let it slightly thaw. Mix with Sprite, 7-up, or Ginger Ale.

(I think I made this when everyone came up at Thanksgiving time.)

My Favorite Slow Cooker!

GE 6 Quart Digital Slow Cooker

Yes, I am devoting a post to my slow cooker. I love it! When we got married, 8 years ago, I received 2, a big one and a small one. I didn't like the smaller one because the stoneware wasn't removable, which made it a pain to clean. I didn't like the big one because it would get so hot on the outside, I was always getting burned. Then I saw this baby at Wal-Mart and I just had to have it! Lucky for me, my mom gave it to me for Christmas and I use at least 3 times a week, if not more.

Reasons I love this one:
~The outside does not get hot! It does get a bit warm, but will not burn you! A must with little kids who climb up on the counter and have to explore everything.
~Retractable cord. Love it! Makes storing it that much easier.
~Super light-weight!
~Locking Lid. Perfect for transporting meals.
~The insert it non-stick. Need I say more?
~It automatically sets to "Warm" when the time is up.
~Cooks everything perfectly. (My smaller one is HOT, so even on Low, I have to check it frequently so the food doesn't burn.)
~It's HUGE. Which is perfect for cooking large roasts or turkey breasts. I can lay about 4 chicken breasts on the bottom so I just put in frozen ones, instead of thawing them and they cook perfectly.

I ended up getting rid of both my older slow cookers when I received this one. I did buy a 3 quart one for smaller recipes, but its not anything close to how wonderful this one is.

White Chicken Chili

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 large red bell pepper, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can (15.25 oz) corn, drained
1 can (15 to 16 oz) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 jars 8 oz each green taco sauce, or 1 large 15 oz jar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh cilantro, minced
Shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack)

Spray 3-4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix all ingredients except cilantro. Cover; cook on low for 6-7 hours. Stir well and garnish with cilantro and cheese.

OR, you could serve this inside of tortillas, that's how Dallas likes it.

* I posted this last year, without a picture, but I made it on Sunday and remembered to take one so I had to repost it! Also, this time around, I just put 8 frozen chicken tenders in the bottom of the slow cooker, then mixed all the other ingredients in a bowl and poured it over the chicken. I checked it when there was about 30 mins left and the chicken was cooked all the way so I shredded it and then set the slow cooker to warm until we were ready to eat.

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting

1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375. Mix sugar, pumpkin, and shortening. Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Drop by teaspoons on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet onto cookies rack. Frost when cooled.



Brown Butter Frosting
1/4 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

Melt butter in saucepan over medium low heat until delicate brown. This might take a few minutes, but it will brown super fast so keep an eye on it. Once it browns, keep stirring constantly and remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. I usually do 3 tablespoons of milk. It will seem runny at first, but will set up quickly. Love this frosting!!


Here's a great recipe to use up that leftover pumpkin!
Pumpkin Waffles with Nutmeg Syrup

Jan's Creamy Chicken & Rice

You might have this recipe... But for those reading this blog that don't - its really good. NOT low fat, but really good *wink.

Jan's Creamy Chicken & Rice
*Ingredients
1 cup whipping cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 T worchestershire (Lea& Perrins)
sprinkle of pepper
4-5 chicken breasts (browned) *MUST be browned or the sauce will get watery and gross!

*Directions
1. Mix all ingredients, but chicken, together. Pour over browned chicken into baking dish.
2. Bake @ 300• for 2 hours. Serve over rice.

*I have been meaning to try this in the crock pot, but haven't. If I ever do I will let you know how it goes.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This is my grandma's broccoli cheese soup recipe. Its really good, and super easy. It only takes a few minutes to make and is really good left over!
*Especially good with homemade rolls toasted with butter in the oven!
I did take a picture of this, but must have deleted it. Oh well, you know what soup looks like :)

Broccoli Cheese Soup
*Ingredients
1/4 cup margarine (I'm sure you could use real butter - I used "I can't believe it's not butter")
2 T chopped onion
1 T flour
4 cups milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp worchestershire
12 oz cooked broccoli
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded carrots

*Directions
1. Sautee onion in margarine till soft, then add flour. Cook until bubbly (making a roue)
2. Add milk then heat through, DO NOT BOIL!
3. Add remaining ingredients.... and you're done. Its that easy.

Note - make sure and cook broccoli all the way before adding to soup because the soup mixture won't do the rest of the cooking if you put it in half way done. I like my broccoli in my soup super soft so.. this is just my extra note :)

Slow Cooker Stuffing

From Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups cubed day-old white bread
• 6 cups cubed day-old whole wheat bread
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Progresso ® Chicken Broth

Directions

• In a large skillet, saute the celery, onion and mushrooms in butter until tender. Stir in the seasonings. Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Add vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Stir in broth.
• Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through. Yield: 8 servings.

* I halved it since I was just testing it out. I omitted the mushrooms, used dried parsley, ground sage, and no marjoram since I didn't have it on hand. I didn't have any regular poultry seasoning so I just used McCormick Montreal Chicken.

It turned out really good! My smaller crock pot cooks really hot and fast so I checked it after 2 hours and it was done. So I just turned it to warm and stirred it every 30 mins so it wouldn't burn. I was worried it would be super soggy, but it wasn't. The edge pieces were crispy and the middle was perfect. Dallas keeps asking me when I'm going to make it again. We loved it!

Raspberry & Cream Puff Pastry Doughnuts

I made these the other day... Yum they were SOO good, and so so easy! I got them from justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com Although I just used regular raspberry pie filling and didn't have bavarian cream, they were still good. But I bet they are even better with the cream! Yum.

RASPBERRY & CREAM PUFF PASTRY DOUGHNUTS
1 Egg
1 tablespoon water
1 package (17.3 ounces) Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed
Raspberry jam or Pie filling like Raspberry, Blueberry, Strawberry, etc.
Bavarian Cream
(I used Raspberry filling and Bavarian Cream from the Prepared Pantry)
Turbinado Sugar
ICING:
1 cup Confectioners Sugar
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 tsp. Vanilla.
Now add:
*Enough Milk to make it the consistency of glaze that you like.
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Using a round cutter, cut the pastry sheet into 9 (3 inch) circles. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet. (Don’t waste the scraps – re-roll them and cut into as many circles as possible)
Place half of the pastry circles onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon about 1 tsp. each of the berry or jam filling and also the Bavarian Cream. If you are not using the cream, add 2 tsp. of the berry filling instead. Brush the edges of the pastry circles with the egg wash. Place the remaining pastry circles over the filling. Press the edges firmly to seal. (I crimped my edges with a fork) Using a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears, cut a small slit in the top of each filled pastry.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown on the top and the bottoms. Let the pastries cool slightly and drizzle confectioners sugar glaze over the top, or simply shake confectioners sugar over the tops.
*You could be creative and add just about anything to the inside of these pastry filled doughnuts!

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

I was totally out of ideas today for lunch, so I decided to do my best and make something up with the little I had in the pantry. It turned out pretty good!

Italian Chicken
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 pkg Lipton garlic & herb soup mix
3-4 chicken breasts

Mix tomatoes and soup mix together, then pour over frozen chicken in the crock pot. Cook on low for about 4 hours.

This would have been good on pasta or rice, possibly with some other veggies added. We just had it plain with rolls and spinach salad. Low fat and EASY as can be!

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

*Found this on All Recipes

1 4-5 pound boneless turkey breast
1 packet of dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 Tablespoon of Butter (or more if you want)

If your crockpot is not non-stick, then grease well. Place turkey breast in crockpot, rub butter all over the top, then sprinkle onion soup mix all over - top, bottom, and sides. I did add just a little bit of water, but its not necessary. There will be a lot of juices when its done. Cook on low for 7-8 hours until done.
(My crockpot has an automatic setting where it does the first hour on high, followed by 7 hours on low and that is what I set it on.)

Super yummy! It literally melted in my mouth when I was eating it. The turkey came with a small gravy packet, but I'm sure if you wanted to make a gravy with all the yummy juices that were left, it would be tasty. It didn't taste super onion-y so that was nice. We loved it! I also made stuffing in the crockpot, which I will be posting later on this week.

Easy Weeknight Favorites

A few of my favorite ones that we posted last year! (Click to view)

Beef Fried Rice

Crock Pot Southwestern Chicken

Pineapple Chicken Burgers

Skillet Lasagna

Turkey Pesto Sandwich

Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars

Yum! These were at my cousins reception and they were delicious! I definitely want to make some now that I have the recipe!

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bars from Betty Crocker

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

1 box (4-serving size) French vanilla instant pudding and pie filling

Mix 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs plus 3 egg yolks

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup toffee bits, finely crushed

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, pudding mix, brown sugar, melted butter, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and 1 whole egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of pan.

2. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining whole egg, 3 egg yolks and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over crust in pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set in center. Immediately sprinkle top with crushed toffee bits. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator. Makes 36 bars

Easy Shredded Chicken

Sorry, no picture, cause its just shredded chicken.....I'm pretty sure you can imagine what that looks like!

Fall is coming and I am getting that urge to deep clean my house and be organized. So many times, I realize its five o'clock and I'm unprepared for dinner, even though I try to plan ahead. I went to Costco and bought a huge bag of chicken and a case of diced tomatoes to make this since it freezes so well. I did 4 breasts and froze it in 2 cup quantities. I ended up with 4 cups and enough extra to have some for dinner. I'm planning on doing another batch tomorrow to freeze again, along with this recipe for basic shredded chicken that my sister shared with me. I hate it so bad when I pull out a recipe that calls for cooked chicken and I'm not prepared for it! I figured this is a good thing to keep in the freezer for those days!

~Simple Shredded Chicken~
3-4 chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
2 tablespoons McCormick Montreal Seasoning
Place everything in crockpot,
cook on low 8-9 hours
high 4 hours.
Freeze!
(You can use Montreal Steak or Montreal Chicken,
just depends on your preference
or what you have on hand.)

So many uses for this! Use this recipe instead of buying a rotisserie chicken at the store.

Cheese Stuffed Shells

From foodnetwork Magazine.

I made this last night. It's a pretty good vegetarian meal (youre supposed to use tofu but I opted NOT to use it). It's not quite as good as Jan's Lasagna but thats because it's better for you :) Imagine that! I halfed it and it made plenty for us, we have a little more than half a pan left. I'll let you know how leftovers are.

Ingredients
For the Sauce:
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Freshly ground pepper

For the Shells:
1 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
8 ounces silken tofu, mashed (I just omitted this and added more mozz cheese :)
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, zucchini, onion and celery and saute until soft but not brown, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the basil, oregano, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, prepare the shells: Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes; drain. Mix the tofu, spinach, cottage cheese, parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, the egg and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about 1 cup of the sauce in the dish. Stuff the cheese mixture into the shells and place in the baking dish, open-side up. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Peach Scones

Mmmmm more peach recipes :) These look so good. They would be good with raspberry jam (I have always loved the combination of raspberry and peach), or maybe even some peach jam. Or would that be peach over load? No, not possible. haha

Peach Scones (from TwoPeas)
2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup diced, peeled peaches
4 tablespoons heavy cream, for brushing the tops of the scones

2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Drop the cubes of butter over the flour mixture. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender, or your hands. Work until the mixture resembles course meal.
3. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Pour over the flour and butter mixture. Mix with a spatula or wooden smooth just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix. Carefully fold in the chopped peaches.
4. Transfer the dough to a flour surface and gently form into a ball. Flatten the dough into a round disk, about 3/4 inches high. Using a biscuit cutter, cut scones into circles and place on a baking sheet. You can cut scones into wedges.
5. Lightly brush scones with heavy cream and sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let scones cool on a wire rack before serving.
Makes 14 small scones

Peach Vanilla Syrup

*From The Sisters Dish

Ingredients:

• 5 cups peaches(pureed)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 2 t. vanilla

Directions: Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and stir well. Pour into hot, sterile jars and screw the hot lids and rings on tight.
Process the syrup in a boiling hot water bath for ~15 minutes, to make sure that any bacteria is killed. Start timing when the water comes to a full boil. Set jars out and listen for the pop to ensure they have sealed.

*This is what I will be doing tomorrow with my sister so I will post a picture when we are done! I'm super excited, I think its going to be way yummy!!

**Okay update! We made this and it was so good! The first batch, we forgot to add vanilla, oops! But it still tastes good. In the other batches, we put it in, but you can't really taste it, so if you want a stronger flavor, add more. We doubled it, so 10 cups of pureed peaches, and we got 7 pints out of it. We ended up with about 21 pints when it was all said and done.

Buttery Onion Corn on the Cob

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 4 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine butter and soup mix; rub over corn. Place each ear of corn on a 12-in. x 10-in. piece of heavy-duty foil. Fold foil over corn and seal tightly.
• Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes or until corn is tender, turning once.

*Dallas was a little skeptical when I told him this is what I wanted to make, but we loved it! It's baked in butter, you can't go wrong with that. I baked the corn for about 17 minutes and it was perfect! I halved it for us, and just used half a stick of butter and there was plenty. I think next time, for just 2 ears of corn I will do about 2 tablespoons of butter.

Blueberry Muffins

From Taste of Home Baking Classics Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 
  TOPPING:
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine oats and orange juice; let stand for 5 minutes. Beat in the egg, oil and sugar until blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; stir into oat mixture just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.
• Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: about 1 dozen.

Note: If using frozen blueberries, use without thawing to avoid discoloring the batter.

*Dallas made these for breakfast yesterday, can you believe it! We've been married for 8 years and this is the first time he has ever baked anything!! They were really good too! Be generous with the topping.

Raspberry Lemon Whoopie Pies

*From Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine
I couldn't get the picture to download so just click on the link to see what they look like!

Makes 15

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup fresh raspberries (4 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, 1 cup brown sugar, and lemon zest until light and creamy. Add vanilla and egg and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk and ending with flour mixture (scrape bowl as needed). Beat well to combine.
2. Drop batter in 2-tablespoon mounds, about 2 inches apart, onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until puffed and pale golden around edges, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cakes cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
3. In a large bowl, whip cream and 3 tablespoons brown sugar to soft peaks. In a small bowl, mash raspberries with a fork, then fold into whipped cream. Divide raspberry cream evenly among bottoms of half the cakes, then sandwich with remaining cakes. Dust with powdered sugar.
   

Mmmmm! So good! It says to drop in 2 TBS mounds, but stay on the smaller side. Ours turned out huge.

Strawberry Limeade

Must be summer... Look at all the cold drinks we're putting on here :)

This is from 2peas and looks yummy. I think I might try it with Raspberries and Lemons (since thats what I have).

*Ingredients

1-1/2 cups quartered fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh lime juice
5 cups cold water

3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar (depending on how sweet the strawberries are)

Ice cubes

Lime slices-for serving, if desired

*Directions
1. Blend strawberries and lime juice in blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Pour strawberry and lime mixture into a large pitcher. Add cold water and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Add in ice cubes and pour into individual glasses. Garnish with lime, if desired.
4. Pour over ice cubes in tall glasses; garnish each with strawberry or lime wedge, if desired.

Banana Orange Icee

1 banana
1 1/2 cups orange juice
tray of ice cubes

Mix well in blender. Yum!

* This is what I make for the boys instead of giving them popsicles on hot days - its just a little bit healthier.

Easy Greek Salad

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Yellow Peppers
Orange Peppers
-Chop into bite size pieces. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle with Italian dressing or olive oil. Mix well.

Optional:
Feta Cheese
Kalmata Olives

I make this almost every night. We love it!

Sweet and Spicy Crockpot Chicken

Sweet and Spicy Slow-Cooker Chicken

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I used 1/4 teaspoon)

Coat the inside of your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours, or until chicken shreds very easily with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Chicken will absorb liquid after it is shredded.)

* I found this on My Kitchen Cafe a while ago and made it a few times, but I had forgotten about it until I saw it again on Sisters Cafe. Simple and easy! If you wanted to give it more flavor, you could probably use one of the many different types of diced tomatoes. I use it for chicken tacos and quesedillas. The first time I made it, the chicken absorbed all the water, but today it was really watery. Go figure. We like it best in just plain old chicken and cheese quesedillas, dipped in your Cafe Rio Creamy Cilantro Dressing.

Home Made Granola

This is absolutely delicious with yogurt and fresh fruit (raspberries, strawberries, even peaches). I have had it almost every day for breakfast. I have eated 2 batches ALL BY MYSELF!

Mix and set aside
- 4 cups oats
- 1 cup sunflower seeds (can add other nuts or leave out entirely)
- 1 cup wheat germ
- ½ cup wheat bran or blend up All Bran)
- 1/3 cup powdered milk
- ½ t salt
- 3 t cinnamon

Over medium heat, mix until sugar dissolves and boil for 2 minutes*.
- ¾ cup oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tsp. vanilla

1. Poor the mixture over the dry ingredients and place in a 9 x 13 pan.
2. Cook at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Stir and cook an additional 15 minutes. Feel free to add raisins and dried banana chips after the first 10 minutes

*if you want crunchier granola in larger clumps boil the sugar mixture longer.

Haggen's Chicken Panini Sandwich

When we lived in Portland, there was a grocery store down the street from us called Haggen. Best store ever! We loved it. They always had the best sandwiches in their deli and this was one of our favorites. I have been craving it lately, but couldn't remember what was in it, so I emailed the store and they sent me the recipe. I was too hungry and excited that I forgot to take a picture!

Pesto Mayonnaise
-1 Lb Best Foods Mayonnaise
-2 Ounces Pesto
*Obviously I didn't do this much, I just mixed a small part of each.

CHICKEN PANINI
1 ea Soft Hoagie Roll
Pesto Mayonnaise
Shaved Asiago (I splurged and bought Asiago and it was worth it!)
Avocado sliced
Red Onion, sliced
Chicken Breast (from the deli counter)
sprinkle Kosher Salt
sprinkle Black Pepper, ground
Pesto Mayonnaise

Layer ingredients in order given. Super yummy!

*Maybe I'll remember to take a picture tomorrow when I make these again for lunch!

Emeril's Kicked-Up Tuna Melts

From Everyday Food

Serves 4

* 4 cans (5 ounces each) solid white tuna packed in water, drained
* 1/3 cup mayonnaise, plus more for spreading
* 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
* 4 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1 teaspoon ground pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled between your fingers
* 4 slices crusty bread
* 8 thin slices tomato
* 4 slices provolone

Directions

1. Heat broiler, with rack in highest position. In a medium bowl, combine tuna, mayonnaise, onion, capers, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano and stir until thoroughly combined.
2. Arrange bread on a baking sheet and spread a little mayonnaise on each slice. Divide tuna salad evenly among slices, then top each with 2 slices tomato and 1 slice cheese. Broil until cheese is golden brown and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

~Simple, yummy, and perfect for a fast summer night dinner!

~I halved it, only using 2 cans of tuna and omitted the capers, yuck!, and I got 6 sandwiches out of it. I just used a small loaf of sourdough bread - next time I will toast the bread a little first. It would probably be good with canned chicken too.

Easy "Ice Cream"

From "Our Best Bites" (Click for better for instructions)

Ingredients:
Frozen Bananas

Pulse in food processor until resembles crumbs.

Watermelon Lemonade - Part II

So after having that watermelon juice at Jan's house, I was thinking....

-Cubed watermelon
-1 or 2 TBS frozen lemonade concentrate
-Splash of Watermelon Juice (Do you remember the brand, Tropicana?)
Ice cubes (Or make ice cubes out of the juice)

Blend well!

Anywho, I have yet to try it. Chime in with your thoughts!

Jan's Barbecue Sauce for Chicken

Mmm, the best sauce ever!

Brown a few chicken breasts; set aside.

Saute in 2 TBSP of butter:
1/2 c celery, finely chopped
1/2 c onions, finely chopped

Then add:
2 TBSP vinegar
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c lemon juice
1 cup ketchup
1 cup water
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp salt
Bring to a simmer then pour over browned chicken breasts. Cook on low, covered, for about 2 hours.

-OR-

Crock Pot Instructions:
I place about 7-8 frozen chicken tenders in the bottom of my crock pot. I follow the sauce recipe, except I reduce the water to 1/4 cup, but I think it would be okay without any at all. Cook on low for 6 hours. I always serve mashed potatoes on the side cause we like to put the extra sauce on them.

~Yum! I made this on Sunday and my mouth is watering just thinking about it again! Definitely one of our favorites.

Peach Spritzer

(Not the best picture, oh well!)

1 liter Peach flavored Sparkling Water
1 can Peach Nectar
Fresh Mint for garnish, optional

Chill both (or serve over ice); Mix 1/4 peach nectar and 3/4 sparkling water, stir well. Enjoy! For a little stronger flavor and thicker drink, mix half and half.

Nothing fancy, but sooo yummy! I love peach ANYTHING and this tastes especially yummy on a hot day. You can usually find the nectar in the Mexican aisle.

Toasted Artichoke Sandwiches

Another recipe from Simple and Delicious

• 4 Servings
• Prep/Total Time: 20 min.

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil (I used olive oil)
  
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
• 8 slices Italian bread (1/2 inch thick)
• 8 spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions

• In a large skillet, saute the artichokes, pepper and onion in oil until tender; stir in cheese. Remove from the heat.
• In a food processor, combine mayonnaise and tomatoes; cover and process until finely chopped.
• Spread four bread slices with half of the mayonnaise mixture; layer with a spinach leaf, artichoke mixture and remaining spinach. Spread remaining bread with mayonnaise mixture; place on top. Butter outsides of sandwiches.
• On a griddle, toast sandwiches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until bread is lightly browned. Yield: 4 servings.

*I used a yellow pepper cause that's all I had, I'm sure it doesn't matter either way, I wonder if roasted red peppers from a jar would be good in this. I didn't stir the cheese into the veggies, I waited until I put the veggies on the sandwich and then sprinkled the cheese on top of that. I got 3 sandwiches out of this and I think I have enough leftover for 2 more for lunch tomorrow. I bought a loaf of Italian bread already pre-sliced at the store so the slices would be super thin and then I skipped the butter part and just grilled these on my panini grill. I couldn't find sun dried tomatoes packed in water, so I just bought the ones packed in oil and rinsed them off.
*Dall was skeptical when I was making them, but he loved them and said this recipe is definetely a keeper! I loved them too, by the way.... :)

Chicken Taquitos

From Our Best Bites (link)

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated Mexican blend cheese

small flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

*I cannot say enough good things about this, we loved loved loved them! Even Carter ate them! I didn't have kosher salt so I just used regular salt. I made the whole batch of filling and just made enough taquitos for us then the next day I used the leftover as filling in quesedillas.

She included a dipping sauce recipe, but its pretty much the same as your Cafe Rio dressing recipe.

*For easy shredded chicken, I put 3 frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot with 1 cup chicken broth and sprinkled some McCormick Montreal Chicken Seasoning on them, just cook on low all day or until chicken is done. This made about 3 cups so I had some leftover. So now I have leftover to use for BBQ Chicken Pizza!

Taco Macaroni

From Simple and Delicious

* 6 Servings
* Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

* 1 package (16 ounces) elbow macaroni
* 1 pound ground beef
* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
* 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
* 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
* 1 envelope taco seasoning
* Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

* Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
* Stir in the tomatoes, soup, tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until thickened.
* Drain macaroni; stir into meat mixture and heat through. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

I know it sounds kinda weird, but we love this. It makes a lot for just the 4 of us, so I will make the whole batch of sauce and freeze half of it, and then just make enough noodles for us.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

From my Simple and Delicious magazine...

Shrimp and Avocado Salad
-Serves 4

1 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp olive oil
5 cups of heart of romaine salad mix
1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced

Cilantro Vinaigrette:
7 TBSP olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

In a large skillet, cook the shrimp, garlic, chili powder, salt and cumin in oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine romaine, corn, peas, and red pepper; divide among 4 serving plates. Top each with shrimp and avocado. In a small bowl (or my Magic Bullet) combine vinaigrette ingredient and drizzle over salads.

*I halved it for us. I already had frozen cooked shrimp in the freezer so I just thawed it a bit and then warmed it up in the skillet with the spices.

EASY Peasy Muffins

This is a pretty crappy picture... but I guess its all you get. :)

This recipe was in my Taste of Home Magazine. It was meant to make blueberry muffins with plain ol pancake mix (bisquick or something) and fresh blueberries. I on the other hand had the tasty Raspberry Sour Cream Pancake mix from Prepared Pantry in my cupboard and NO fresh blueberries so I opted to use the above pancake mix and give it a try. YUM. They turned out good. Although I may use a little less pancake mix than it calls for (or add a little extra water) becuase the original recipe calls for fresh blueberries which add a little moisture, which I lacked becuase I didnt use fresh fruit so they could have been a little more moist. ALSO the recipe says to add muffin liners and bake at 400 degrees for 14-16 min. I chose to use mini muffin tins without muffin liners so I bumped down the temperature to 350 and only baked them for 10-12 min. I also added a glaze, just for fun. Anywho - heres the recipe. Give it a try! Its SUPER GOOD and just as fast.

*Ingredients

2 1/2 C. Pancake Mix

1/2 C. Sugar

1 Egg

2/3 C. Water

1/4 C. Canola Oil

1 1/2 C. Fresh or Frozen Blueberries (if frozen dont thaw, or they will turn the batter blue).

*Directions

Whisk egg, water and oil. Then stiry in sifted try ingredients just until moistened. Fold in fruit.

Regular sized muffins (with muffin liners) Bake 400 for 14-16 min

Mini Muffins Bake 350 for 10-12 min.

If you want to put a glaze on... I just mixed milk, vanilla and powdered sugar to make a thin frosting and put on after the muffins cooled a bit. Nothing too exciting, but it sure was good :)

Southwestern Pizza

My pictures just aren't the best, oh well

1 package pizza crust (2 crusts inside)
1 cup jarred tomato salsa
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
1 1/3 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small sweet red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Heat oven to 450. Coat a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place crusts on baking sheet. Spread each with salsa, cheese, beans, red pepper, and scallions. Top each with 2 TBSP cheese. Bake at 450 in lower third of oven for 13-15 mins until cheese is melted. Garnish with cilantro.

Now here is the way I did it, haha!

I used this recipe for the crust: Easy Pizza Crust. This time around, I poked with a fork all over (I have no idea why?!) and popped it in the oven at 450 and let it bake for a few minutes while I prepped my other ingredients.
I didn't measure anything, just put some salsa, cheese, and beans on (I didn't use all the beans, that would have been way too much). All I had on hand were mini peppers so I used a red one and a yellow one. I only baked it for about 8 minutes I think. We loved it!

Magic Cookie Bar Cookies

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I cheat and the buy the ones at the store instead of making my own)
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/3 cups coconut
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Combine well together crumbs, flour, baking powder, milk, and butter. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges just start to brown ever so slightly.

Sooo yummy! Definitely my new go-to recipe when I need to make something quick. Just like the Magic Cookie Bars but in a cookie form! I used mini chocolate chips and I think next time I will just do one cup, I don't like my cookies super chocolaty. And I kind of formed the dough into small balls so they would have better shape instead of just dropping them on the cookie sheet, I need to get a cookie scooper thingy.

Charred Corn Guacamole

My latest find - Better Homes and Gardens Ultimate Mexican cooking magazine. Found it at Costco, LOVE IT! It has lots of yummy recipes!

Charred Corn Guacamole
1/2 cup fresh corn kernals (1 ear) or frozen whole kernel corn
2 tsps olive oil
2 tsps lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp salt
Mix in small bowl. Preheat broiler. Spread corn mixture in a shallow baking pan. Broil corn mixture 4 to 6 inches from heat for about 5 minutes until lightly charred and tender; set aside.

2 very ripe small avocados, halved, seeded, and peeled
2 TBS lime juice, or lemon juice
2/3 cup finely chopped, seeded tomato (about 2 small)
2 TBS finely chopped red onion and/or green onion (I just used green)
1 fresh jalapeno chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 TBS snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp kosher salt or sea salt or 1/8 tsp table salt
Few dashes of Tabasco

Place one avocado in a medium bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocado with lime juice, mixture will be lumpy. Chop remaining avocado. Stir chopped avocado, corn mixture, tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and Tabasco into mashed avocado, stirring until well mixed. Serve immediately or cover well and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Makes about 2 cups.

* Ummm, this was SUPER yummy! Seriously, it was. We just had plain old tacos and this really added some great flavor. Took a bit of time to prepare, but soooo worth it. I didn't have a jalapeno and it still tasted great!

*And an update on the Chicken Tostada recipe, I have started added a little bit of chipotle flavoring to it to spice it up a bit. Makes it sooo much better.

Lemon Buttermilk Cookies

From 2peas (I used her picture too). I love her recipes. They always seem so light and fresh. Yum!

These cookies were super good. They were so moist and had just the right hint of lemon, I will be making them again! Perfect for spring :)

For the cookies:
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flourZest of two lemons (I added extra, I love lemon)¼ tsp. baking soda¼ tsp. salt6 Tbsp. (3 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature¾ cup granulated sugar1 large egg½ tsp. vanilla extract1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
For the glaze:¾ cup confectioners sugar, sifted1 ½ Tbsp. well-shaken buttermilk¼ tsp. vanilla extract
Lemon zest (I added this)

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, zest, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter briefly, until creamy. Add the sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat well to mix. Add the vanilla, and beat briefly again. Mix in the flour mixture and the buttermilk in batches at low speed, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Drop the dough by level tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 ½ inches between each cookie. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, for about 11 minutes per batch. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 1 minute; then transfer them to a wire rack.

For the glaze:

Whisk together the sifted confectioners sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla. I also added in lemon zest. Brush or spoon the glaze onto the warm cookies. Allow cookies to sit on the rack until the glaze is set.

Spring Shells and Cheese AKA Grownup Macaroni :)

This grown up mac & cheese from food network is SUPER good. I didnt know if Kyle would like it much, but what do you know he ate ALL the leftovers and then asked me to make it again 1 day later and ate all those leftovers too. Yes, I think this one is a keeper!!

I halfed it and it was enough for 2 meals. And I also added chicken to make it more of a complete meal and we had fruit on the side. It was a pretty satisfying meal :)

Ingredients
2 pounds medium zucchini
Kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 pound medium pasta shells
4 shallots, minced
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten (I just used one whole egg even when I halfed it, for extra protein)
4 ounces parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
4 ounces gruyere cheese, grated (about 1 1/4 cups) *** I used Muechester because greyere is SOO expensive!
4 ounces baby spinach

*Directions
Grate the zucchini into a colander using the large holes of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon salt, then place in the sink to drain, about 15 minutes. Squeeze out the excess liquid.
Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, nutmeg, cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt, and black pepper to taste and mix with a wooden spoon to make a paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste puffs slightly, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, then add the thyme, bay leaves and lemon zest and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened slightly, about 25 minutes. Strain into a bowl; discard the herbs.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and add to the sauce.
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, until almost tender, about 4 minutes. Add the zucchini mixture to the pasta along with the egg yolks and all but 3 tablespoons of both cheeses; stir to combine, then add the spinach.
Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the reserved cheeses. Bake until browned on top and heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving

Mom's Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

This is the BEST Lemon Poppy Seed Cake. It is SOO moist because of the pudding and the cinnamon and sugar crust on the outside is delicious!

But I MUST warn you - This is very addicting!! My Mom made it once and I think I had 5 pieces.... Be ware!

Mom's Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients
1 Yellow Cake Mix
1 sm Package of Instant Vanilla Pudding
4 eggs
1/2 C. Oil
1 C. Water

Mix 10 min in Bosch or Kitchen Aid on Level 1 speed
Add 3 T Poppy Seeds
After spraying bundt pan with pam, sprinkle a heavy amount of cinnamon and sugar to coat the pan pretty thick.
Pour 1/2 mixture into bundt pan, sprinkle more cinn and sugar, then pour in remaining batter
Bake at 375 for 40 min
Remove immediately to a wire rack after baking.

ENJOY ! :)

Chicken Tostadas

I am giving up on taking pictures! It just doesn't look good on my glass plates.

Chicken Tostadas
*courtesy of my Better Homes and Gardens Ultimate Slow Cooking

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
8 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
3 Tablespoons lime juice
1/4 tsp bottled hot sauce
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

-Place chicken and onions in slow cooker. (I used my smaller one and greased it.) Combine jalapeno peppers, garlic, chili powder, lime juice, and hot sauce and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, high 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
-Remove chicken and onions from slow cooker, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking juices. Using two forks, shred chicken. In medium bowl, combine chicken, onion and reserved juice. (I didn't have that much juice left so I just shredded it in the crock pot and turned it to warm until Dall got home.)

1 can fat-free refried beans (I warmed mine first)
Tostada shells (I used the crunchy stand and stuff taco shells)
Shredded cheese
Lettuce
Salsa
Sour Cream
Olives

-Spread beans on shell, top with hot chicken mixture and cheese, and then layer ingredients however you want!

*Don't skimp on the spices! I only used 1 jalapeno and dumped in a bunch of chili powder and garlic and while it still had good flavor, but it was pretty mild. Next time, I will do it all! I have started adding some chipotle spice to add more flavor. You could use the powder or about 1 TBS chopped of the chipotle in adobo sauce.
*Tonight we are having leftovers and I am making your yummy rice to go with it!

Healthy, almost fat free, Fries

A co-worker told me that her husband makes these all the time, and I had to try them. They are actually super good. I can never get baked fries to turn out crispy enough for us, and these did the trick! And one of the best parts is they are almost totally fat free!! The only oil you use is the pam (I use olive oil spray) for the pan. Yum! And its so simple its hardly even a recipe.

*Directions
Beat the white of one egg until frothy.
Toss sliced potato into egg white until evenly coated. (one egg white is enough for one med-large potato, or 2 small ones.)
I like to sprinkle on a variety of salts and seasonings before baking.

*Bake at 400 for about a half hour or until crispy. (the more potatoes, naturally the longer it takes.)

Enjoy!

Mexican Rice

Another success from Food Network Mag.
This was SOO good! Sadly I am pictureless again.. Oh well. You have to try this! Its so easy and so good. I half the recipe and its perfect for us.

*Ingredients
2 c. long grain white rice (I admit... I use minute rice and it works just great)
3 T vegitable oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
4 plum tomatoes (although I could only find cherry tomatoes so I used quite a few of them)
1 jalepeno pepper, halved (or a more mild pepper if you dont want the heat)

*Directions
- Soak rice in a bowl of hot water, about 5 minutes, drain, rince, and shake dry (omit this step if you use minte rice!)
- Heat the vegi oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the rice and toast, stirring for 8-10 min.
Meanwhile puree the garlic, onion, and tomatoes in a blender (it doesnt say to but I also add the jalepeno in this step, it seemed to give it more flavor). Add to rice mixture and cook until absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add 3 1/2 c. water, the jalepeno (if you didnt add it to the puree mixture), and a pinch of salt (I added more... it needed it!). Cover and cook until rice is tender, about 10 min.
- Remove from heat, uncover and place a towell over the rice then recover. Let stand 15 min. (I didnt do this step once and it turned out fine. I think its just to make it more sticky)
-Fluff rice with a fork.

Poppy Seed Dressing

This is the dressing I use for the spinach salad. Its really really good! It seems like we always have a bottle of it in the fridge.

3/4 T. Poppyseeds
1/3 c White Vinegar
3/4 c Oil
1/3 c Sugar
1/4 c Grated Onion (I put the onion in my mini food processor and pulse until SUPER fine)
3/4 tsp. Salt
2 T. Prepared Mustard

Mix well until blended. Serve with salad. This makes quite a bit but it lasts a really long time!

Veggie/Chip Dip

I know you have this recipe, but I thought I'd put it on for those who check it besides me and you :)

Ingredients
1 cup Mayo
1 cup Sour Cream
1/2 tsp Dill
1/2 tsp Accent
1/2 tsp Onion Salt
1 tsp Bon Apetite'

Serve with fresh veggies and/or ruffles original chips.... SO GOOD!

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

Filling

4 egg yolks

4 tsp lime zest

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup freshley squeezed lime juice

Pie Crust

9 grahm crackers

2 Tb sugar

4 Tb melted butter

Directions

Put egg yolks and lime zest in a non reactive bowl and whisk until green (about 2 min).

Slowly add sweetened condensed milk. Then lime juice.

Set aside and let thicken at room temperature for 30 min.

Mean while pulse grahm crackers in food processor (or blender) until smooth, add sugar and pulse again. Slowly add melted butter while food processor is on and mix until the consistency of wet sand.

Form into a pie pan and bake at 325 for 8-10 min.

Let the crust cool completely before adding filling.

Once the filling is added, Bake for 15-17 min at 325.

Let cool for AT LEAST 3 hours before serving. Top with Whip Cream.

Restaurant Style Salsa

Courtesy of Pioneer Woman

• 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
• 2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
• ¼ cups Chopped Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
• ¼ teaspoons Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
• ½ cups Cilantro (more To Taste!)
• ½ whole Lime Juice

Preparation Instructions

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

*I half it, cause it makes a lot for just 2 people. Instead of using stewed tomatoes, I've just been using a can of diced tomatoes. I've made it this way quite a few times, but lately I kinda made up my own just due to having a very empty pantry and fridge!

1 can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1 can Rotel
Cilantro to taste (I use a TON!)
Dashes of Sugar, Lime juice, Onion Powder, Garlic Salt to taste
Small sprinkling of cumin

Pulse together in food processor. Done! My mouth is watering, I think I'll go make some right now....

Coconut Peaks

Courtesy of Marci Harward.
I don't have a picture of these.... I will take one next time I make them. But I have told you I would put them up and its taken me long enough! They are a bite size of heaven these little things are!!!!! This recipe makes about 3 dozen (believe me you can eat them all!!) depending on the size you make them. But it is easiest to double the recipe and use an entire bag of coconut because it is 14 oz. That way you dont have to weigh out 7 oz.

Ingredients
1/4 c Butter (real)
2 c Powdered sugar
1/4 c Evaporated milk or Heavy cream (Heavy cream tastes a little better.... surprised?? haha)
1/2 tsp Vanilla
7 oz Coconut (weighed)
3/4 c Chocolate Chips (Ghirardelli is best... so they say)

Directions
Melt butter in a saucepan until bubbling. Remove from heat.
Stir in milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar until blended, then add coconut.
Drop by spoonfulls onto wax paper, cool and shape into peaks.
When they are set up (they will never be hard just set up enough to handle) twirl the bottom in melted chocolate and return to wax paper to let the chocolate set up.
Store in an air tight container. They store for a very long time... but trust me - they will be eaten before they go bad!!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cans (10 oz each) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained 2 cans (14 oz each) chicken broth 1 can (16 oz each) Rosarita® No Fat Traditional Refried Beans 1/2 cup drained canned whole kernel corn 2 cups shredded cooked chicken Tortilla chips, broken, optional Shredded Monterey Jack cheese, optional

Directions

Combine undrained tomatoes and broth in medium saucepan. Stir in beans and corn; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken; heat through. Serve topped with tortilla strips and cheese, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per Serving

Calories

184

*This was really good! I had the leftovers for lunch today and I think it tasted even better! I honestly didn't think Dallas would like it, but he said it was a keeper! The Rotel makes it a little spicy so you could add a dollop of sour cream I suppose. And I halved it and got 4 servings out of it.