Love From the Kitchen

Ham Tetrazinni

2011-02-25T00:00:00.003-06:00

I've made Chicken Tetrazinni before, and we really enjoyed it! When I'm menu planning each week, I try to incorporate different kinds of meat than just chicken and beef. I got a good deal on some hams a few weeks ago, so right now I'm really enjoying incorporating ham into our meals. Since the Chicken Tetrazinni was such a big hit, I decided that the Ham Tetrazinni will most likely go over well also. I have to admit that I'm pretty sure we love the Ham version much better than the chicken version! I found this recipe over at Allrecipes - I just love their ingredient search so I can type in what I have and it spits out all kinds of great recipes for me, which is nice when I don't want to make a run to the store just for one recipe. Anyways, here's the recipe, with my changes.

No photo available, sorry!

Ingredients

2 T dried minced onion

1 T butter

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 c water

1/2 c shredded mozzerella cheese

1 c diced ham

1/2 box spaghetti

1/2 t dried parsley

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute chopped onion in butter until tender. Stir in cream of mushroom soup, water, and shredded cheese. Heat mixture until cheese melts, stirring often. Add ham, cooked and drained pasta, chopped pimento, and chopped parsley to saucepan; stir until heated through.

Monkey Muffins

2011-02-23T00:00:00.011-06:00

I like to make a "special" breakfast on the days of "special" events and holidays. Birthdays, anniversaries, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, New Years Day, Easter...you get the idea. This is something new that I've added to my list of possibilities. It is basically monkey bread in muffin form. I really like having "individual" monkey bread's to pass out because then I'm not as tempted to eat the entire pan in one sitting. And thus ruin every second of The 30 Day Shred that I've ever completed.

This recipe is a combination of two that I found - the dough portion is The Frugal Girl's recipe and the remainder of the recipe is from Pioneer Woman Cooks. You don't have to make the dough from scratch - you can buy a loaf of frozen bread or a can of refrigerated biscuits and either will work just fine for this recipe!

Ingredients

*for dough*
2 1/4 t. active dry yeast (equals one packet)
1/4 c warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 1/4 c warm milk (110-115 degrees)
1/3 c butter, melted
1/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t salt
4 1/2 - 5 c all purpose flour

*for "glaze"*

Butter

Sugar

Ground Cinnamon

Directions

In a stand mixer, let yeast dissolve in 1/4 cup of water. Add in milk, sugar, salt, eggs, butter and 3 cups of flour. Beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed for 3 minutes. Add in enough remaining flour to create a soft dough. Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes. Place dough back in bowl, cover with a wet tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft free place. Let rise for one hour, or until doubled.

Punch dough down, roll into 40 balls and set aside.

Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to muffin tins. Sprinkle in sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into walnut sized balls (or cut refrigerated biscuit dough into thirds). Place three into each muffin tin. Top with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Sprinkle on more sugar and cinnamon. Allow dough to rise for 30 minutes and then bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Basic Sandwich Bread

2011-02-22T00:00:00.001-06:00

When I found this recipe over at The Frugal Girl (over a year ago) I decided to give it a shot. We liked the occaisonal loaf of homemade bread, but I never was too keen on the whole kneading thing, so I attempted it in my bread machine. It was one big.fat.flop. So I threw it away and never attempted again.

Fast forward a year and I was itchin' to try and make sandwich bread again so I could break free from the chains of having to buy bread at the store each week. I tried it just like Ms. Frugal herself and used the KitchenAid for the mixing, and then I kneaded the dough by hand. I know. Stop.the.World.

But guess what?!? It turned out FABULOUSLY! And it was EASY! And my arm muscles are getting so much more defined now that I knead our own bread! Okay, that last one may be more credit to Jillian than to the bread, but whatev.

So, we no longer purchase bread at the store. I just make a batch of this each Monday morning and we're good to go for the week. Don't be discouraged if this bread doesn't turn out 100% wonderful after your first, second or even tenth try. It takes practice. And experience. But you'll get the hang of it. The more you learn, the better it will turn out! So get kneading!

And here are some of Frugal Girl's "pointers" posts about bread baking, which have helped to improve my bread baking skills TREMENDOUSLY!!

How to Knead Bread Dough
A Lesson on Gluten
Gluten and Kneading
Troubleshooting Yeast Bread I
Troubleshooting Yeast Bread II
Does Homemade Bread Save Money?

Ingredients

5 3/4-6 1/4 c. All-Purpose Flour

2 1/4 t. (equivalent to one packet) Active Dry Yeast

2 1/4 c. Water

2 T. Sugar

1 T. Vegetable Oil

2 t. Salt

Directions

In a large standing mixer bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups of flour and yeast. In the microwave, heat water, sugar, oil, and salt to 115-120 degrees (use a candy thermometer for this). Add hot liquids to flour and yeast. Beat at low speed until combined, then beat at high speed for 3 minutes. Add enough additional flour to make a soft, but kneadable dough, and turn out onto a floured surface. Knead for 5-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Put dough back into mixing bowl, cover with wet tea towel, and let rise in a warn, draft free place for 1 hour. Punch dough down, divide into two pieces, and roll into a rectangle, about 6″x18″. Starting from the short end, roll up jelly-roll style and place into two greased 4×8 inch loaf pans. Cover with wet tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft free place for 30-40 minutes, or until doubled. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool before slicing.

Lasagne Soup

2011-02-21T00:00:00.003-06:00

In the cold months of fall and winter, I like to serve soup at least once per week. It's such a warm me up dish that is absolutely delicious with homemade bread or rolls. However, by mid January I was getting a little tired of the same ol', same ol' soups week in and week out. It seems that my husband is rather picky when it comes to soup and I found myself making Chili, Vegetable Beef Soup and Potato Soup most of the time. Then, Real Mom Kitchen had "Soup Week" in January, and shared the recipe for this Lasagne Soup. I had to have it. I knew it was a MUST try! We love lasagne, we love soup...what's NOT to love about this recipe? I changed her recipe from being a stovetop prep to Slow Cooker and I served this soup up with Parmesan Knots (recipe coming soon!) and it was the perfect solution to a perfectly cold day!

Ingredients

- 1 lb. ground beef

- 3 T. dried, minced onion

- 3 T. Garlic Powder

- 1 t. Thyme

- 1 T. packed Brown Sugar

- 4 cups of Chicken Broth

- 2, (14.5 ounce) cans Diced Tomatoes

- 2, (8 ounce) cans Tomato Sauce

- 2 t. Italian Seasoning

- 1/2 t. Salt

- 2 c. uncooked shaped pasta

- 1/2 c. Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a skillet, brown ground beef, then add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. Drain well and put in crockpot. Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. In the last thirty minutes of cooking, add cooked pasta to soup and stir in Parmesan cheese.

Directions

Coffee Jell-O

2011-02-19T00:00:00.004-06:00

This is another recipe that I found in the most recent issue of Taste of Home. We had company over for supper last weekend - company who LOOOOOOVES coffee, so I decided that the time was right to test out this recipe. It went over well - everyone said it truly tastes like coffee, BUT (there's always a "but" isn't there?), it's too "weird". They said that coffee in "jiggly" form just isn't quite right somehow - SO, whilest it was a good attempt, I probably won't be making this dish again. But if you can get over the "weird" texture of this, then I'd say it's a keeper!

Ingredients

1 envelope of unflavored gelatin

1/4 c. cold water

1 1/2 c. brewed coffee

1/4 c. sugar

Whipped Cream

Directions

In a saucepan, sprinkle packet of gelatin in 1/4 cup of water, let stand for one minute. Stir in brewed coffee and sugar. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour into serving dish of choice. Cover and refrigerate until set. Garnish with Cool Whip before serving.

Rotisserie Style Chicken - in the Crockpot!

2011-02-18T00:00:00.002-06:00

I found some whole chickens for a very good price at Target a few weeks back, and there they have sat in my deep freeze ever since - just waiting for the perfect recipe to come and save them! That's where A Year of Slow Cooking came to the rescue (again! She is brilliant with crockpot recipes!). We LOVE us some rotisserie chicken, and I usually just purchase the marked down birds that didn't sell the day before at Fareway - only $3.99 and all I have to do is heat it up! This was was cheaper (because I got the birds on sale) and (I think) much more delicious. Probably because the labor of love was involved ;) This really couldn't get any easier (well, except for buying it hot and ready from the grocery store...but homemade wise, I mean!) and is a super delicious, moist, falling off the bone meal to make for your loved ones!

Ingredients

--1 Whole Chicken, skinned (4-5 pounds)

--2 tsp Kosher Salt (3 tsp. if you like them as salty as in the store)

--1 tsp Paprika

--1 tsp Onion Powder

--1/2 tsp Dried Thyme

--1 tsp Italian Seasoning

--1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

--1/2 tsp Black Pepper

-- Pinch of Chili Pepper

Directions

Skin the chicken and get rid of the neck and other stuff from the cavity. This takes awhile - so be prepared to spend a little time getting down and dirty with this chicken. If skin doesn't bother you - or if you'd PREFER to have it on the bird - then by all means don't skin it. Just pull the yuckies out from inside the chicken.

In a bowl, combine all of dried spices. Rub the spice mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Plop the bird breast-side down into the crockpot.

Do not add water.

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8. The meat is done when it is fully cooked and has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat.

Be sure to check out Foodie Friday over at Designs bt Gollum!

Garlic-y Potato Rolls

2011-02-17T00:00:00.005-06:00

I found this recipe over at The Frugal Girl. She is a baking whiz! I have started to work very hard at becoming as talented at bread baking as she is, and I must say that I'm catching on pretty quickly! I have even started to make all of our own sandwich bread, so we don't have to purchase it at the store anymore (I'll share that recipe soon!). These rolls are super great, and very easy to whip up a batch of! We like to eat these rolls with just about anything! They are very soft and flaky, and the garlic potato flakes add just the slightest hint of a garlic flavor to these rolls. You don't have to use garlic flavored potato flakes to make these rolls, any flakes will do, I just like to use the garlic variety for just a hint of flavor to the rolls. As is the case with any bread, these are best eaten fresh from the oven - but they are mighty delicious later on as well!

Ingredients
3-1/2 to 4 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 T. Sugar
2 1/4 t. active dry yeast (equal to 1 packet)
3/4 t. salt
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. instant potato flakes
2 eggs

In large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. Heat water, milk, and butter until very warm (120° F). Stir in potato flakes; let soften 1 minute. Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in 1 egg and beat for several minutes. Add enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Place dough in bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour.

Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Roll each piece to 6-inch rope. Coil each rope to make “snail” shape. Arrange 12 rolls in a circle on large greased baking sheet with sides barely touching; repeat with remaining rolls. Cover rolls and let rise 30 minutes.

Lightly beat remaining egg; brush over rolls. Bake at 375° F for 15 minutes or until done. Remove from sheet; let cool on wire rack

To see more great recipes, be sure to check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap over at Life as Mom!

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

2011-02-16T00:00:00.010-06:00

I found the recipe for these potatoes in the most recent copy of Taste of Home that I recieved. When hubs saw it, he said that I could NEVER make my version look as good as the picture in the magazine, and that he didn't even think he'd like them anyways. Well. Jokes on him, because his mom has been making a recipe very similar to this for a long time now, and he has always really enjoyed it! So, I took it upon myself to make these potatoes for company over the weekend, and he, of course, loved them. I may or may not have made him beg for my forgiveness over his comments about the recipe ;)

No photo available, sorry!

Ingredients

- 9 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

- 1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

- 1/2 c. sour cream

- 1/2 c. butter, cubed

- 1/4 c. milk

- 1 1/2 t. onion powder

- 1 t. salt

- 1 t. garlic powder

- 1/2 t. pepper

- 6 slices of bacon, chopped

- 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Savory Pot Roast

2011-02-15T00:00:00.003-06:00

I feel like I've tried every pot roast recipe out there. Seriously. Okay, maybe not every pot roast recipe out there, but we've tried a lot. I just have issues with pot roast. I guess I like 'em creamy - and they all just turn out juicy. I'd prefer for the roast to soak up in gravy that I can drown my potatoes in.

I have found one recipe that I make time and time again, which calls for a can of cranberry sauce. But I was out of cranberry sauce, so I turned to A Year of Slowcooking in search of another fabulous pot roast recipe. I mostly chose this one on the basis that I had everything in my pantry and wouldn't have to venture out in the -15 degree temps (yep. that's a negative sign before the fifteen there peeps!) to the grocery store. This did turn out fabulously - not creamy like I long for - but it had excellent flavor!

Ingredients

Rump or Chuck roast

1/4 c. Brown Sugar

1/2 c. Apple Cider Vinegar

1 c. Ketchup

2 c. Chicken Broth

2 c. Baby Carrots (optional)

Directions

Put the roast into of your crockpot pot, and pour in brown sugar, vinegar, and ketchup. Toss in carrots (if using). Pour broth evenly over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the meat has reached desired tenderness.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

2011-02-14T00:00:00.011-06:00

Happy Valentines Day! Here is a perfect dessert to make for your loved ones tonight! I made it for family over the weekend and it was HUGE hit - so delicious! But, really, who can turn down chocolately goodness like this? This would also make a great potluck pleaser as long as you have someplace cool to store it up until serving time! I made an Eclair Torte about this time last year, which was a little labor intensive, but TOTALLY worth it! This cake is not quite so much work, and still TOTALLY worth it! :) I found this recipe over at Cookie Madness - but made a few changes of my own to it :)

Ingredients

1 (3.4 oz) box of Instant Vanilla Pudding

2 c. Milk

1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip

1/2 a box Graham Crackers or however many you need to make 4 layers

1 c. Chocolate Frosting

Directions

Beat together pudding mix and milk for about 2 minutes until pudding starts to thicken. Fold in the tub of whipped topping.

Break the graham crackers into squares and lay them across the bottom of an 8 inch baking dish. You’ll need to break some of them to cover the bottom of the dish. Spread the pudding mix across the graham crackers. Layer on more graham crackers and more pudding mix twice so that you have a total of 3 layers of graham crackers and three layers of pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers.

Soften the frosting and pour over the top. Chill for at least four hours (preferably longer) or until ready to eat.

For more great recipes, be sure to ceck out Mouthwatering Monday!

Homemade Cornbread

2011-02-12T00:00:00.004-06:00

I have a confession. I used to hate, I repeat, HATE, cornbread. I couldn't eat it. I just couldn't. I think it was because I used to make it from a Jiffy mix (*hangs head in shame*) and it always turned out dry, crumbly and tasteless. Not very appetizing, I know.

And then, The Frugal Girl and all of her bread baking wisdom shared her recipe for Homemade Cornbread. I told myself that I'd give it one more shot at cornbread. If it was a flop, then I'd give up on cornbread for life. Lucky for me, it was a total success and I just fell.in.love with cornbread. I mostly like it smothered in homemade syrup (recipe to come. It's ridiculously easy...). So maybe it isn't that I've come around to cornbread afterall. Maybe I've just found another carb to soak in sugary syrup. Hmmmmm....

Ingredients

1 c. All Purpose Flour

1 c. Yellow Cornmeal

2-4 T. Sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

1 T. Baking Powder

1/2 t. Salt

2 Eggs

1 c. Milk

1/4 c. oil or butter

Directions

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl, wisk together wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Scrape into a greased 8x8 baking dish and bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

For more great recipes, be sure to check out Meatless Monday!

Thick and Hearty Chili

2011-02-11T12:47:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, I was making a crockpot full of soup, and my husband asked if it was Chili that I was preparing. I told him no, but that I had chili planned for a night later in the month. He responded with "Good. I like Chili". Fast Forward to yesterday morning. I was pulling the ingredients out to make the promised pot of chili, and my husband walked over and asked what I was fixing. I told him chili, and he responded with "I don't like chili." WHAAAAAAAT??!??? I reminded him of the previous conversation, and he said "Well, I like chili. Just not yours. I prefer for there to be tomato chunks. And for it to be REALLY thick. And lots of hamburger". Okay. I can work with that. So I put away all of the ingredients for the original chili recipe I was going to use, and concocted this recipe for a thick, hearty, chunky chili. It was a hit!

Ingredients

1 (16 oz.) can Tomato Sauce

2 c. Black Beans

1 lb. Ground Beef, Browned

1 (16 oz.) can Refried Beans

2 1/2 T. Chili Seasoning

1 (16 oz) can Stewed Tomatoes, cut into chunks

Directions

Combine all ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and let simmer on low for one hour.

Go check out more great recipes at Foodie Friday, Friday Feasts and Fun with Food Friday.

Pea Salad

2010-10-22T10:55:00.001-05:00

Well Helloooo there! Long time, no...see(?)! Life has been pretty crazy around here!! Since I've last been around, we've had an addition to the family! So we've been buz-y! Our little mister is now 5 1/2 months old, and a little busy body! Hoo! He wears me OUT!! He was born on May 13, 2010 at 10:36 pm (after 2 days of labor!!) and he weighed 7 lb. 12 oz and was 20 3/4" long. He is also the picture of perfection! I couldn't ask for more! I quit my job as a teacher at the local daycare to be a stay at home mom, and I LOVE my job at home! There is nothing more fufilling to me than taking care of my husband, baby and household each day!

I finally decided after almost six(!!) long months that it's time to re-enter the blogging world! I was unsure at first if I wanted to, blogging can be a time drain! But, I miss it. I also miss having one go to place for my recipes!! So, I'm back! I don't promise a recipe every.single.day. I don't promise weekends. I don't promise anything. But as I have a recipe to share, I'll share. My cooking style has changed some in the past few months, but I still have lots of recipes to share with you all, and I still like to experiment! So, without further adue...a new recipe!!

I know that pea salad is a recipe that should traditionally be shared and eaten in the summer. With temps in the 40's and 50's around here, you'd think it more appropriate that I share a recipe for something more warm-you-up-inside...not for something cold and, well, summery. However, hubs loves pea salad, and since I have to pack his lunchbox each morning, I like to pack things that he likes. Plus, it's easy. Me likes easy :) Oh, and this recipe came from my Grandma's cookbook, which is a compilation of recipes from all the ladies in my (very) small hometown. We're talking a population of like 300 here. But dang! Those small town ladies sure do know what they're doing in the kitchen (how redneck did that sound?!?!?!?).

You'll only need a few simple ingredients for this recipe...

- 1 bag frozen peas

- 1/3 cup Velveeta cheese, cubed

- 2 tablespoons of sugar

- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise

The directions are pretty easy too!

Put all the ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Chill until Serving.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

2010-05-05T06:00:00.008-05:00

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!! (just a side note. I've never celebrated Cinco de Mayo before. I'm not even totally sure what it's supposed to be celebrating othen than the Fifth of May. I just always take it as a good opportunity to enjoy me some ooey gooey Mexican food!)

There is nothing better than a big 'ol creamy enchilada covered in cheese and still piping hot from the oven! Got your mouth watering yet (or are your arteries clogging just thinking about it)? I'm kind of picky when it comes to my Mexican fare, I like it spicy, but not too spicy, and I like it creamy, cheesey, ooey and gooey! So when I found this recipe over at Real Mom Kitchen, I was intrigued by the title. Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas huh? It sounded pleasantly different. Then when I read the ingredients and saw that it was a creamy, cheesy, ooey and gooey enchilada recipe I didn't even hesitate about putting this on my "must try ASAP" list!

This recipe did not disappoint! It had the perfect amount of spiciness, which surprised me, considering that there is an entire tablespoon of chili powder in here! I even contemplated cutting that amount in half, but the sour cream mixture really toned the spice down I think. It also had the perfect amount of creamy and ooey gooey...except next time I may add more cheese. Because we all know there is never too much of ooey gooey cheese when it comes to a recipe like this!

Ingredients...

...6 T. honey

...5 T. lime juice ime)

...1 T. chili powder

...1/2 tsp. garlic powder

...1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded

...8-10 flour tortillas

...1 lb shredded cheese

...16 oz. green enchilada sauce

...1 c. sour cream

Directions....

In a medium sized bowl, stir honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder and all but 1 cup of the shredded cheese into chicken until it is well coated. Let marinate for a half hour or longer. Meanwhile, prepare a 9x13 pan by greasing the sides and bottom and then pouring 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Once chicken has marinated, spoon some into a tortilla, wrap up and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat until all 8-10 tortillas are filled. To the remaining chicken mixture, add sour cream and enchilada sauce and stir until smooth and well combined. Pour mixture over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Breakfast Burritos

2010-05-04T06:00:00.005-05:00

Ingredients...

...Thinly sliced ham, chopped

...1/4 onion, chopped

...1/4 green pepper, chopped

...1/4 c. salsa

...1/4 - 1/2 c. shredded cheese

...4 eggs

...Tortilla Shells

Directions...

In a skillet over medium heat, saute ham, onion and green pepper until tender. Add eggs and stir continuously until a scrambled egg form takes place. Be sure to cook until eggs are fully done. Stir in salsa and shredded cheese and cook until everything is heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve in warm tortillas shells.

Bagel Dogs

2010-04-22T06:00:00.011-05:00

Yet another Real Mom Kitchen recipe that I just couldn't pass up! As I've mentioned before, we are big Macaroni and Cheese fans in this house! That being said, I have more macaroni and cheese AND packages of hot dogs in my stockpile than the average person eats in their entire life. Add to that the fact that I am sick and tired of macaroni and cheese and hot dogs, I knew it was time to start experimenting with new recipes to get these hot dogs used up. What I really wanted to make was Pigs in a Blanket, but I didn't have any sliced cheese on hand, and I was not about to run out to the grocery store just for sliced cheese. So I decided to give this recipe a whirl!

These are super amazingly good! A plump, warm hot dog wrapped up in a blanket of soft, chewy bagel bread just really hits the spot! Next time, I may add some cheese wrapped around the hotdog before I wrap the dough around, but otherwise, I pretty much left this recipe as is and was very happy with the results. As was hubs. Now I'm off to try and find a recipe for pretzel dogs...because this just got the ball rolling on things I can do with the umpteen meeeelion packages of hot dogs I have stored in our deep freeze (okay. not quite that many. but close.)

Ingredients...

...2 cups warm water

...4 1/2 tsp. yeast

...3 T. sugar

...3 tsp. salt

...5 1/2 c. flour

...12 hot dogs

...2 tsp. baking soda

...1 egg yolk

...Salt for garnish

Directions...

Pour the warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer and add the yeast. Let stand until foamy. Stir in sugar and salt and turn the mixer on low speed. Gradually add flour until a smooth, elastic dough has formed. Using the dough hook, knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Place the dough into a clean, well greased bowl and turn to make sure all sides of the dough are covered with grease. Cover and let stand in a warm, draft free place for an hour. Once the dough has risen, punch down and place onto a floured workspace. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until about 1/4" thick. Using a kitchen scissors, cut the dough into strips about 1" wide (approximately 10-12 strips). Wrap each strip around a hot dog, overlapping each layer slightly. Place on a greased baking sheet and cover. Let sit in a warm, draft free place to rise for about 45 minutes. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the dough has browned. Serve warm.

Zuppa Tuscana Soup

2010-04-21T06:00:00.006-05:00

I have a confession to make. I have never before in my life eaten Zuppa Tuscana soup before. Apparently Olive Garden makes a pretty mean version of this stuff, but I've never tried it! When I stumbled upon the recipe over at Finding Joy in My Kitchen, I decided that it sounded really good and I'd like to give it a try!I am soooo glad that I did! This soup is phenomenal! I've been looking for a new and different soup recipe, and here it is!

Not only is this soup phenomenal tasting, but it's super easy to make! The flavors of this soup just meld together so well! Hubs told me that he felt it was a little too "leafy" so I think next time I may tone down the spinach a notch, but otherwise this was great!! A+ soup in my book!

Ingredients...

...1/2 lb. Italian sausage

...6 medium potatoes, cubed

...1 medium onion, diced

...4 garlic cloves, minced

...4 c. chicken stock

...2 c. water

...2 c. milk

...1 c. frozen spinach

...6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Directions...

In a stockpot, brown sausage with onion until no longer pink. Add in chicken broth, water and potatoes. Let simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Stir in the milk and spinach and continue to let simmer. Mash potatoes slightly. Add in bacon and continue to let simmer until everything is heated through and ready to serve. In total, I let my soup simmer for about an hour from start to finish.

Blitz Bread

2010-04-19T06:00:00.006-05:00

This is a fabulous bread recipe that is my new go to bread for Italian food night! It has an amazing garlic-y/Italian/DELICIOUS flavor to it that just makes me want to sit and eat the entire pan in one sitting! I found this recipe over at My Kitchen Cafe and was intrigued! I have seen recipes in the past that call for adding things like garlic or cheese to bread, but have never tried them before. I finally decided to give it a go with this recipe and I'm a convert! This is a great alternative to garlic bread or breadsticks on Italian night! I served this with spaghetti (I made the sauce from scratch, watch for the recipe in a few days!) and it was delicious!

This is a flatter bread, slightly dense, so it wasn't your typical loaf of bread. It was more of a bar like consistency. Just try this, it's great!

Ingredients...

...1 1/2 c. warm water

...3 T. olive oil

...1 1/4 tsp. salt

...3 1/2 c. flour

...1 T. yeast

...1/2 tsp. garlic salt

...3 tsp. dried herbs (I used a McCormick blend of herbs & garlic powder. It was perfect!)

...Italian Seasoning

Directions...

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the Italian Seasoning. Stir until everything is well combined. Prepare a 9x13 pan by greasing the bottom and sides, and then drizzling the 3 T. olive oil on the bottom. Scrape batter into the pan, cover and let sit in a draft free, room temperature spot for one hour. After resting for an hour, drizzle the top of the dough with a little more olive oil, and then sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.

Santa Fe Skillet

2010-04-16T06:00:00.006-05:00

I love skillet dinners! They are just so easy to whip up, which makes them great for a busy night when cooking isn't your top priority...but giving your family a home cooked meal is. This recipe, which I found over at Put a Lyd on It!, (and changed quite a bit), reminded me a lot of that taco flavored Hamburger Helper. We don't eat much Hamburger Helper in this house. Only about two boxes per year, which I keep on hand for those reaallllllyyy stretched nights when I don't even have time to think. But anyways, it reminded me of that. But tastier. And homecooked.

At first I was worried that we were just going to have a fancified goulash on our hands, which worried me, because we all know about my love for goulash (eh hem). I was pleasantly surprised that this turned out ~~nothing like~~ better tasting than goulash. It had a great Mexican flavor to it while still being family friendly with the noodles and ground beef. I give this recipe two thumbs up...and so did hubs!

Ingredients...

...1 lb. ground meat

...1 package (6 or so oz.) pasta

...1 c. salsa

...1 T. chili powder

...1 packet taco seasoning

...1/2 tsp. salt

...1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

...2 tomatoes, diced

...1 c. shredded cheese

...1/2 c. sour cream

Directions...

Cook pasta in a large pot until tender. Drain. Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown meat until no longer pink. Add cooked pasta, taco seasoning packet, chili powder, salt and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salsa, sour cream and shredded cheese. Simmer for 5 minutes longer and serve.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

2010-04-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

I'm not going to lie and pretend that I've had homemade spaghetti sauce before. I haven't. I'm pretty much a Ragu kind of girl. Just give me a jar of Ragu and I'm golden. I mean, the stuff can be used on anything! Pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, the list is endless! I broke my Ragu from the jar snobbery last week though and made my own spaghetti sauce...from scratch. That's right my squeezies, I made HOMEMADE spaghetti sauce. And....I liked it! Don't tell Ragu, he'll be devastated to know that I'll only be using him for pizza (and maybe lasagna) from now on.

I found this recipe over at My Kitchen Cafe and it is a recipe that she has worked on perfecting for some time now. And then I went and just messed it all up. On purpose though. I made changes that I wanted for my spaghetti sauce...changes that I was going to find incredibly tasty (and. changes that reflected the ingredients that I had on hand). I was incredibly happy with the turnout of this sauce. It was so amazing, the tomato flavor was so real and the texture was so great! Not too thin, not too chunky, not too weak of flavor...it was all just so right on. So just be aware that you will never be able to go back to jarred pasta sauce for your spaghetti again after trying this recipe. Because you ~~might just~~ will fall in love with this recipe!

Ingredients...

...3 T. olive oil

...1 large onion, chopped (not pictured)

...1 lb. ground meat

...1 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

... 12 oz. tomato paste

...2 tsp. salt

...1 tsp. black pepper

...3 tsp. oregano

...1 1/2 tsp. basil

...1 1/2 tsp. thyme

...56 oz. diced tomatoes

...28 oz. crushed tomatoes

...1 can mushrooms

...1 beef boullion cube dissolved in 1 c. boiling water

...2 T. brown sugar

...2 bay leaves

Directions...

In a skillet, heat up olive oil and add onions. Saute onions until they are translucent. Add ground meat and cook until it is no longer pink. Stir in garlic powder, tomato paste, thyme, oregeno, basil, pepper and salt. Let cook for about 2 minutes. In a large (and I mean LARGE) pot stir together crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, boullion/water mixture and brown sugar. Add in meat mixture and stir until well combined. Toss in two bay leaves and let simmer for at least one hour and no longer than three.

To lessen the amount that needs simmered, you can freeze half of the mixture before simmering. I froze in portions equal to a jar of pasta sauce so I can easily pull them out from the freezer for spaghetti or lasagna night! This makes a HUUUGGGEE batch!

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

2010-04-14T06:00:00.007-05:00

I originally saw a recipe very similar to this on one of Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals show, and I just wanted it sooo badly! I couldn't stop thinking about those "smashed" potatoes, as she called them, and searched the Food Network Website high and low for that recipe. Alas, since it was a rerun that I had spotted that great recipe on, the recipe was nowhere to be found on Food Networks website.

In comes Allrecipes to my rescue. I spotted this recipe in my recipe box (apparently I had saved it a year or so ago) and squealed with delight when I realized how close it was to Rach's potatoes! These potatoes are sooooo good! They are every bit as good as what I was imagining in my head! The bacon flavor distributes itself throughout the potatoes, the green peppers and onions add that extra little bit of "bam!" and the cheese...ohhh that ooey gooey cheese that has melted itself throughout the potatoes! That just made this side dish!

Ingredients...

...1/2 c. onion, chopped

...1/2 c. green pepper, chopped

...1 T. vegetable oil

...4 c. mashed potatoes

...1 c. shredded cheese, divided

...1/4 c. bacon, cooked and crumbled

...1 tsp. salt

...1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions...

Saute onion and green pepper in vegetable oil. In a large bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, 1/2 c. shredded cheese, bacon, salt, pepper and sauteed onions/green peppers. Stir until everything is well combined and evenly distributed. Place mixture into a greased 2 qt. oven safe casserole dish and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Steak Hoagies

2010-04-13T06:00:00.004-05:00

When it comes to sandwiches, I'm pretty boring. Growing up, unless it was PB&J, cold meat w/ cheese or grilled cheese, we didn't have it. Which probably explains my fascination with Subway throughout high school. I especially loved Subway's Philly Cheesesteak sub, and ate it frequently as my high school job was next door in the strip mall to a Subway! I don't think I loved it because it was Philly Cheesesteak...I think I loved it simply because it was something different. Something more fancy than PB&J or bologna with a cheese slice sandwiched between two slices of bread.

So that all goes to explain why I have been on a mission lately to find lots of delicious sandwich recipes that I can create right here at home. I found this particular recipe over at My Kitchen Cafe and was very pleased with how delicious this hoagie sandwich came out! It was also super easy to create! This is another recipe that is going into my file for lighter and amazing recipes to put into rotation this spring and summer! The only downside is that this was perhaps a bit on the peppery side, which if you like pepper is a good thing! But if you don't care for lots of pepper on your food (like me) then you may want to scale it back...but don't eliminate it -- it adds a great dimension to this sandwich! I also strongly encourage that you don't skip the broiling process at the end. The way that it melts the cheese into a state of ooey gooey deliciousness and toasts the bun just a tidge makes this recipe seem completely pulled together and not just like you whipped up a filling, spooned onto cold buns and ran (even if that is, in fact, the case...)

Ingredients...

...2 medium sized steaks, cut into strips

...1 T. of equal parts pepper, salt and garlic salt (this is where you would lessen the pepper if you aren't a fan)

...2 T. olive oil

..1/2 onion, thinly sliced

...1 green pepper, thinly sliced

...1 can mushrooms, drained

...1/2 tsp. oregeno

...1 slice of cheese per sub

...sub rolls or hoagie buns

Directions...

Heat olive oil in a skillet until rippling. Cook steak strips in oil until cooked through and no longer pink. Add onion, spice mixture, green pepper, mushrooms and oregano, stirring to evenly coat with all spices. Cook until vegetables are tender and the mixture is heated through. Using a slotted spoon, spoon onto sub roll or hoagie bun and then add cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes, until bun is toasted and cheese is melted.

Cinnamon Chicken

2010-04-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

I originally discovered this recipe three years ago. I was living in a dorm room in which my only means of cooking was a toaster oven or microwave. Not exactly the tools for a gourmet meal. Actually, it wasn't exactly the means for an any kind of meal. So while I was cruising around Allrecipes one slow afternoon while working in the college admissions office, I found this recipe and immediately emailed it to my dad with the line "you should make this when I come home this weekend!". Being the good daddy that he is, this wonderful chicken was just being pulled out of the oven when I walked in the door that weekend :)

I've made this recipe on my own a few times since, and I've come to the conclusion that I just am going to have to ask Dad what he did different from the recipe, because for some reason I just don't remember it coming out this way. Don't get me wrong, this chicken recipe is positively 100% delicious! It is so moist and juicy, with great flavor...but I just don't remember there being so much spice and seasonings all over each breast. So I just really want to find out how Dad got each chicken piece packed with flavor without the spices encrusting each piece.

Or. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me and I only remember a different outcome to this recipe because I was used to cafeteria mystery meat and ramen noodles at the time. So anything and everything else seemed gourmet. It's a puzzler...

Ingredients...

...4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

...1 tsp. ground cinnamon

...2 T. Italian style seasoning

...1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

...3 tsp. salt

...1 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions...

Place chicken in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle each breast evenly with all spices. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear.

Pizza Rolls

2010-04-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

I made a recipe very similar to this about a month ago, Pizza Pinwheels. The only main difference between these recipes is that the first recipe uses canned crescent rolls and this recipe uses a homemade dough. Both recipes are equally delicious, the first recipe is actually a little richer than this one. I think it's because of the crescent rolls vs. the homemade dough.

With this recipe, I also experimented with the fillings. I made two versions - a BBQ chicken version which used BBQ sauce in place of the Ragu, chicken and shredded cheese; and a cheese pizza version which used Ragu sauce and shredded cheese. I personally preferred the cheese pizza version. Hubs preferred the BBQ chicken version. Experiment around with different fillings and see what you like best!

I also found that this recipe made more than we needed for one meal, so I actually froze a few of the loaves. Then when I am pressed for time to make supper some night, all I will have to do is pull them from the freezer and into the oven.

I found this recipe over at Jamie Cooks it Up but only very loosely followed her recipe. I actually deviated away from her recipe quite a bit and made it my own. I'm very happy with the results and how tasty these came out!

Ingredients...

...1 T. shortening

...2 T. sugar

...1 T. salt

...1 c. boiling water

...1 c. cold water

...1/3 c. room temperature water

...1 T. yeast

...5-6 c. flour

...Filling ingredients of your choice

...1 egg

...Italian Seasoning

...Parmesan Cheese

Directions...

Dissolve yeast in 1/3 c. of water at room temperature. In the bowl of your stand mixer, mash together shortening, sugar and salt with a fork. Pour in the boiling water, followed by the cold water and then the yeast/water mixture. Start mixer and add in one cup of flour at a time until the dough is smooth and elastic, pulling away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Keep adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky (it may take less than the amount called for, it may take more). Once the appropriate amount of flour has been added, let the mixer run for 8 minutes on low speed to knead the dough. Once the dough has been kneaded for 8 minutes, remove from mixing bowl and seperate into 6 pieces. Let rest on a greased baking sheet for 5 minutes. Next, flatten dough into a rectangle. Cover with sauce and filling toppings of your choice. Roll up rectangle on the long side, making sure to crease the edge and pinch under the ends. Using a greased butcher knife, cut slits into the top of each loaf. In a small bowl, beat egg until frothy. Brush egg onto the top of each loaf, and then sprinkle with Italian Seasoning and Parmesan Cheese. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes. Upon removal from the oven, let each loaf cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Ham & Pasta Skillet Dinner

2010-04-07T06:00:00.003-05:00

Once spring rolls around and the weather starts getting nicer I like to start making recipes that are a little "lighter". By lighter I mean not the creamy, comfort food like casseroles that we all like to fall back on during a bitter cold winter night. I find spring to be a great time to start experimenting with these lighter dishes, not only because the temperatures are starting to slowly climb, but also so when the boiler room hot temps hit in summer, I know which recipes I can fall back on for a delicious supper that's not going to heat up my kitchen!

I found this recipe over at My Kitchen Cafe and was wooed by it mostly for the simlicity of preparation but also for the simple ingredients it calls for. I also figured that it's a great recipe to be trying right now, as you can use some of that leftover ham from Easter this past weekend! The real winning factor was that it was a hit at the supper table! Hubs loved it, I loved it...and I'm pretty sure baby loved it judging by the kicks and increase in activity going on in his little cave of my tummy :)

Ingredients...

...4 c. pasta, cooked al dente (I used penne rigate)
...3 T. olive oil
...1 T. butter
...3 c. fully cooked ham, cubed
...1 green pepper, chopped into chunks
...1/2 onion, chopped
...1/4 tsp. garlic powder or garlic salt
...1/2 tsp. basil
...1/2 tsp. oregeno
...1 1/2 c. chicken broth (I made some with a boullion cube)
...1 T. lemon juice (freshly squeezed or bottled)
...3/4 c. shredded cheese (I have pictured grated parmesan. That is a mistake on my part. It shold be shredded)

Directions...

In a large skillet, heat up olive oil and butter until butter is melted over medium heat. Add green pepper, onion and garlic powder and cook for 5 minutes. Add ham basil and oregeno, cooking for another 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. After simmering is complete, the liquid should be reduced by half, and will continue reducing as you finish the last few steps. Stir in drained pasta to mixture and let cook a few minutes more, until entire mixture is heated through. Toss with cheese. Sprinkle with a little bit of shredded cheese before serving.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins

2010-04-06T06:00:00.004-05:00

These muffins are probably, hands down, the most tasty muffin that I have made in my life. Ever. If you love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, then this is the muffin for you!! I found this recipe in Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious cookbook and just the thought of a peanut butter and jelly muffin made me salivate! I made a few changes to her recipe (it should just be expected now that I will find something to change in a recipe!) and I have to say that not a one of them was regretted!

This muffin is best served once cool. For two reasons. Reason number one - the peanut butter and jelly flavors stand out much better once cooled. Reason number two - you will burn your mouth terribly bad from the hot jelly if you eat these muffins straight from the oven! Talking from experience here! You would think that burning my mouth pretty badly the first time around would have changed my mind from wanting to try another straight away, but no. I immedietely grabbed a second muffin and proceeded to burn my mouth again on the hot jelly! I gave up until the muffins were cooled and ate two more once they had cooled a bit. So that's 4 of these muffins within 3 hours of them being out of the oven, all to myself.

Don't judge me. At least they are healthy muffins with veggies!!

Ingredients...

...1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

...1/2 c. carrot puree (Steam or boil some carrots until soft, then put in food processor with water until it is smooth)

...1/2 c. brown sugar

...2 T. butter

...1/2 c. vanilla yogurt

...1 egg white

...1 c. flour

...1 tsp. baking powder

...1 tsp. baking soda

...1/2 tsp. salt

...1/2 c. jam/preserves/jelly (I used my homemade strawberry rhubarb jam...sooooo good!!)

Directions...

In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, carrot puree, sugar and butter until well combined. Stir in the yogurt and egg white. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir until just combined, but do not overmix (lumps are okay!). Spoon the batter into 12 greased or lined muffin cups and then create a "well" in the top of each muffin. Drop a spoonful of the jam (or preserves/jelly) into each "well". Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Egg Salad

2010-04-05T06:00:00.006-05:00

Well now that Easter is over and the Bunny has left you with tons upon tons of hardboiled eggs, what to do with them? Even though they are colored, they are still safe to eat, so why not right?!? I've always loved hardboiled eggs, but after Easter there are so many left that eating them plain gets just a little, well, boring. I suggest that you whip up a batch of this egg salad to make sandwiches. Not only will this help to use up all those eggs leftover from your hunt, but it will also give you a much needed break from those leftovers at some point. Even though Ham and Scalloped Potatoes are always delicious, sometimes you just need a break!!

As with the potato salad recipe that I'm trying to crack, my Grandma made the best egg salad ever too! I really wanted to find a recipe that was similar to hers and I found this version over at Allrecipes and decided to give it a go. While it was not much like my grandma's recipe at all, it was really good! I have to say though, you MUST let this sit in the refrigerator so that the dried onion can soften...otherwise it's just gross with hard little onion bits. But if you are impatient like me, don't say I didn't warn you!

p.s. It's also National Egg Salad Week...so now you have two reasons to make this!

Ingredients...

...8 hard cooked eggs, diced

...1 c. mayonnaise

...1/8 c. dried onion flakes

...1/2 tsp. salt

...1 tsp. mustard powder

...1/4 tsp. garlic powder

...1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions...

Place all ingredients in a bowl and gently stir until well combined. Refrigerate for at least on hour prior to serving. This step is pertinent to softening the dried onion flakes.

Macadamia Sweet Rolls

2010-04-03T06:00:00.002-05:00

As I've mentioned in the past, on special holidays we like to enjoy an extra special breakfast as a family. This is something that my family did as I was growing up (except that our "special breakfast" back then usually consisted of either Pillsbury cinnamon rolls or store bought cinnamon rolls...) and it's a tradition that I've continued on now that I'm married.

Some of our old standby's for special breakfasts include Cinnamon Rolls and Monkey Bread. I decided that it's high time I try my hand at a Sticky Bun. I usually shy away from sticky bun recipes because they call for pecans, which I never have on hand...and I find to expensive to buy when the bag usually is only big enough for one recipe. So when I stumbled upon this recipe over at Allrecipes, I finally decided enough was enough and why couldn't I substitute something for the pecans? I opted to go with macadamia nuts, as I had some on hand with the intentions of making cookies.

These rolls are soooo sinfully delicious that I couldn't stop at just one! I felt kind of guilty eating two...but then decided that a special occaison could mean calories don't count for the day, right? These rolls actually get better with age. Hubs and I both had one straight from the oven, piping hot and all. They were good, but I had one a little while later, once they had cooled a bit and the "sticky" portion of the rolls had a chance to set up and they were ten times better than piping hot from the oven!

This recipe is also super great because you can do all the prep work the night before, toss them in the refrigerator, and then just bake up the morning of! Just toss them in while your kids are hunting for their Easter baskets! And the smell that will waft through your house as these bake up is absolutely amazing! So amazing that your kids will probably (I said probably!) forget about their full of chocolate Easter baskets for long enough to get some real food in their tummies before they fill up on sugar and chocolate (well. just chocolate. these rolls are plenty high in their own sugar count!).

Ingredients and Directions...

...1 c. warm milk (heat in microwave for about 1 minute)
...1 egg
...2 T. butter
...2 T. sugar
...1/2 tsp. salt
...3 1/3 c. flour
...1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Place ingredients in stand mixer and mix until dough pulls away from the sides and is smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and let rise, covered, in a warm draft free place for one hour. (this step can also be done in your bread machine).

...1/3 c. butter
...1/2 c. brown sugar
...2 T. milk
...1/2 c. chopped macadamia nuts (but you can substitute any nut really...)

Place butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted. Add milk and brown sugar. Stir until well combined. Add in nuts. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and set aside.

...1/4 c. butter, melted
...1/2 c. brown sugar
...2 tsp. ground cinnamon
...1/4 c. chopped macadamia nuts (or other nut you have chosen)
...1/2 c. raisins

Once dough has finished rising, roll out onto a lightly floured surface into a rectangle. Spread with 1/4 c. melted butter. Sprinkle on cinnamon and brown sugar, followed by nuts and raisins. Roll up like a jellyroll on the long side. With a greased butchers knife, slice roll into 1" pieces. Place the slices in the prepared pan, on top of the sauce prepared earlier. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. If you choose to refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning, let rise and then place in refrigerator, covered. Baking time may need to be lengthened a few minutes. Once baked, turn upside down onto a platter immediately upon removal from oven. Let cool to allow the sauce to set up for a few minutes before serving.

30 Minute Rolls

2010-04-02T06:00:00.005-05:00

What would be an Easter dinner without rolls? There are a lot of really great roll recipes out there, several of which I have tried and shared with you including Sour Cream Rolls and Pumpkin Rolls. I decided this time to go the way of ease and try out the 30 Minute Rolls that I found over at Real Mom Kitchen. The idea of quick rolls really appealed to me, especially at this time of year when I feel like I am running 100 miles per minute just to get everything done. Between the Easter celebrations we have with family, baby showers, First Communions, weddings, prom grand marches, spring cleaning, yard work, and work anything that is quick and easy is much appreciated right now! To get a roll that's quick and easy like this? Priceless! Especially when it's a super tasty roll like this one!

My only suggestion to you is to use more flour than I did. My dough was pretty sticky, and I think that affected the baking time, which actually ended up being closer to 20 minutes. I also think that they would have shaped into a prettier roll had the dough been easier to handle. Otherwise, this roll is amazing and one that you should seriously consider for your Easter potluck this weekend!

Ingredients...

...1 1/8 c. plus 2 tsp. warm water

...1/3 c. oil

...2 T. yeast

...1/4 c. sugar

...1/2 tsp. salt

...1 eggs

...3 1/2 c. flour

Directions...

Mix water, oil, yeast and sugar together in a bowl. Let rest for 15 minutes. Add salt and eggs. Gradually stir in flour until a dough forms. Shape into rolls and place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

Deviled Eggs

2010-04-01T06:00:00.003-05:00

What would be a potluck celebration of any kind without at least one or two platters of these eggs sitting out? Every church potluck, family get together, holiday celebration or summer picnic that I've ever been to has always included deviled eggs, and I have always loved that! I've never made deviled eggs myself before, and was pleasantly surprised by how easy they were to make! Just toss, mix and spoon into the egg white! Done!

Ingredients...

...6 eggs

...1 tsp. white vinegar

...1 T. mayonnaise

...1/4 tsp. mustard

...Salt and pepper to taste

...1 tsp. paprika

Directions...

Hard boil eggs and let cool. Cut the eggs in half and remove yolks, placing them in a medium sized bowl and setting the egg whites aside for later. To the egg yolks add the vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard and salt/pepper. Mash and stir until everything is well combined, adding more mayonnaise as necessary. Spoon the mixture into the egg whites and sprinkle with paprika. Serve chilled.

Happy One Year Anniversary Love From the Kitchen - Let us Eat Carrot Cake!

2010-03-31T06:00:00.005-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday Love From the Kitchen!! I first started this blog one year ago today, with the recipe of Alabama Barbecue Sauce...and look how far I've come now! A lot has happened in the past year! I've tried a lot of new recipes, some I've hated but most all I've liked! I've shared with you lots of family favorites, and I've met a lot of crazy cool people!

Thank you to all my readers who stop by each day to see what I've got cooking, who leave comments (I love comments!!) and who even try my recipes! So here's to another (and more!) year of great food and fun kitchen adventures!!

To celebrate any sort of event, cake is a must, and my one year bloggy anniversary is no exception! I decided that since Easter is only 4 days away carrot cake is a very appropriate way to celebrate!

I found this specific carrot cake recipe over at Allrecipes, a little over a year ago. Last year at Easter time, I was looking for a carrot cake recipe to share at a family gathering and this one seemed to fit the bill. I kind of forgot about it since then, so when I was searching for a carrot cake recipe this year to make for Easter and I stumbled upon this one in my recipe box I knew I had to make it again! It's just too good to not make more than once! This carrot cake is also incredibly easy! What's not to love?!? This is sure to be a hit at any Easter celebration that you head off to this weekend...or any celebration on any weekend for that matter!

Ingredients...

...4 eggs

...1 1/4 c. applesauce

...2 c. sugar

...2 tsp. vanilla

...2 c. flour

...2 tsp. baking soda

...2 tsp. baking powder

...2 tsp. cinnamon

...3 c. grated carrots

Directions...

In a large bowl, wisk together eggs, applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon until well incorporated. Lastly, stir in grated carrots. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. When cake is done, remove from oven and let cool completely. Using a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter, cut circles out of the cake and frost. You can split the circles in the middle and add a frosting layer as well, if desired.

Homemade Coleslaw

2010-03-30T06:00:00.004-05:00

This is the first coleslaw recipe that I had ever tried to make on my own. I first discovered this recipe a year ago over at Allrecipes, but before I started my own search for a recipe I asked around for recipes from "foodie" friends and they all told me to just go to the store and buy the coleslaw mix, because that's what they do. If I wanted to just go buy a coleslaw mix, I wouldn't have bothered asking! This recipe would make a great side dish at any Easter celebration that you have coming up, because honestly, who doesn't love a good salad?

I decided to go with this recipe because it seemed simple, without all the crazy ingredients! It is just a simple coleslaw recipe that pairs well with just about any main dish! I decided that rather than shredding my cabbage, I was just going to chop it into very small chunks. I loved that chunkier feel to the coleslaw, it felt like it had more substance that way! However, when I've made this previously by shredding the cabbage I loved it that way too! This recipe reminds me a lot of that creamy coleslaw that you would get from a resturant off of the salad bar...simple, creamy and delicious!

Ingredients...

...1 head cabbage, shredded

...3 carrots, shredded

...1 c. mayonnaise

...1/3 c. sugar

Directions...

Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar and cider vinegar. Pour over the cabbage/carrot mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated. Let refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Skinny Scalloped Potatoes

2010-03-29T06:00:00.006-05:00

If you are looking for a great tasting potato recipe to share at your family Easter dinner this weekend then here's your recipe. I'll warn you now though, this recipe is for a "reduced fat" type scalloped potato so it isn't the creamy, ooey, gooey, decadent scalloped potato dish that you are probably used to. It's nice to have a lighter potato recipe, it kind of helps to ring in spring by not eating such heavy, comfort food that we are so used to in the winter.

This dish has really great flavor! The spices are right on and the amount of cheese that is in here is just perfect! I urge you to try this for your Easter dinner this weekend, they won't disappoint!

Ingredients...

...1 chicken boullion cube

...1 1/2 c. water

...1 c. milk

...2 1/2 T. flour

...1/2 tsp. ground bay leaf (if you don't have this basil makes a nice substitution!)

...6 potatoes, peeled

...1/2 c. shredded cheese

Directions...

In a medium saucepan, stir together boullion cube, water, milk and flour over medium heat until thickened (about 5 minutes). Set aside. Slice potatoes into 1/8 inch thick slices and layer half of them onto the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Pour 1/2 of the thickened milk mixture over the potatoes and then layer the remaining potatoes. Pour the rest of the thickened milk mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle cheese over dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken.

Sugar Cookie Bars

2010-03-27T06:00:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again! It seems around every holiday, everyone goes sugar cookie crazy and makes dozens upon dozens of cut out cookies, shaped appropriately for the holiday, and then frosts them in bright colors appropriate to the season. Don't get me wrong, I love baking and decorating sugar cookies right along with the next person, but I just don't like the mess of cleanup that comes with it. Plus I have a short attention span, so after about two cookies, I'm done. So going through all the baking prep for cookie decorating is kind of a waste for me, and we don't typically have decorated sugar cookies for holiday's unless someone else makes them for us.

I've finally found a way that we can enjoy the frosting coated sugar cookie without all of the effort. The Sugar Cookie Bar. This is a very dense bar that is basically sugar cookie dough pressed into a pan, baked, cooled and frosted. I was pretty excited to find this recipe over at Real Mom Kitchen because I just knew that this way we wouldn't be shunned from the sugar-cookie-at-holiday-time club. We could still enjoy our sugar cookies (well. you know.) like the rest of society. Even though we should have learned by now that you're supposed to break the mold and not be like everyone else.

Eh. I guess we are anyways. Not many people get excited over decorating their sugar cookie BARS each holiday. I sense a new holiday tradition coming on...

Ingredients...

...1 c. butter

...1 c. sugar

...2 eggs

...1 tsp. vanilla

...2 1/2 c. flour

...1/2 tsp. salt

...1/4 tsp. baking soda

Directions...

Place butter in a medium sized bowl. Place in microwave for 1 minute, to melt slightly. Add sugar and wisk together until creamed. Add eggs in one at a time, wisking between each to completely combine. Lastly, wisk in vanilla, set aside. In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until everything is well incorporated. Lightly press dough into a well greased 9x13 pan and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Let cool before frosting.

Lasagna

2010-03-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

I did something the other day that I have never in my life done before. I used a recipe off the back of a box. Honestly. I have never used a back of the box recipe before! I don't know what made me do it. Maybe it was because I didn't have all the ingredients for my Mom's Lasagna, but I did for this one. Or maybe it was because I was eager to try something new. Or maybe...it was both.

I can't tell you how this recipe turned out, taste wise, because I gave it to my dad. Much against my husband's will. However, if the smell wafting through my house while this was baking in the oven is any indicator of how good this lasagna is then it is a mighty tasty dish!

Ingredients...

...1 pkg. lasagna noodles
...1 lb. ground meat, browned
...2 eggs, slightly beaten
...2 c. shredded mozzerella cheese
...1 (30) oz. ctr. Cottage Cheese
...1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
...1 tsp. dried basil
...1 (26 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
...1 c. water

Directions...

In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 1 c. of the Mozzerella cheese, 1/4 c. of the Parmesan cheese, eggs and basil. Mix well. In another medium bowl, combine spaghetti sauce, water and ground beef. Mix well. In a 9x13 pan spread 1 1/2 c. of the meat sauce. Cover with lasagna noodles. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over noodles, followed by 1/3 of the meat sauce. Repeat layering once, top with noodles and then remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzerella and parmesan cheese. Wrap the pan tightly with foil and bake at 375 for 55-60 minutes. Upon removal from oven, let stand, still covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

Banana Bread Waffles

2010-03-25T06:00:00.006-05:00

I love banana bread and I love waffles. So it made perfect sense to me to find this recipe over at Annie's Eats where the two were married into breakfast bliss. Hubs told me he thought that these tasted like potpourri...how he knows what potpourri tastes like is beyond me! But he could not be more wrong! I think he was just intimidated and thrown off by so many spices in a waffle. The only waffle he's ever known is the plain jane waffle with no spices.

This waffle is soooo delicious! It was such a nice change of pace from the regular waffle, it had a distinct banana bread flavor to it that just warmed me from the inside out! Topped with some maple syrup and banana slices....mmmmmm! Heaven! What a great change in pace to start off the day!

Ingredients...

...4 T. butter, melted

...1 c. plus 2 T. warm milk

...1 tsp. vanilla

...2 c. flour

...1 T. brown sugar

...1 1/2 tsp. yeast

...1/2 tsp. cinnamon

...1/4 tsp. nutmeg

...1/8 tsp. ground clove

...1/8 tsp. ginger

...2 eggs, lightly beaten

...3 ripe bananas, mashed (you know. those ones that are really brown and hanging out in your freezer!)

...2 T. sour cream

Directions...

In a small bowl, wisk together the butter, milk and vanilla. Set the bowl aside, and in a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, yeast and spices. Once the dry ingredients are well combined, stir in the wet ingredients until everything is moistened. Wisk in the egg until it is well incorporated. Cover with the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours and up to 24 hours. When you are ready to cook the waffles, remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This will cause the batter to double in size and have little bubbles on the surface. Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream, wisking lightly. Cook in a preheated waffle iron until cooked through, about 4 minutes.

To see more delicious recipes for baked goods be sure to check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap going on over at Life as Mom!

Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu

2010-03-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have never eaten chicken cordon bleu. Ever. I've heard great things about it, and I've been interested in giving it a try, but it seems that every recipe I've found calls for bleu cheese. I don't like bleu cheese. So I've steered clear. But when I found this particular recipe over at A Year of Slow Cooking that didn't call for even a HINT of bleu cheese, I jumped on it! I mean chicken wrapped around ham and gooey cheese? I'm all over that (have you noticed yet that I really love me some ooey, gooey cheese?)

The sad part? I didn't use presliced cheese. I used block cheese that I sliced myself. Apparently too thick. Because the cheese all melted right out of the chicken and into the sauce. So I couldn't even tell it was there. It was a sad moment when I discovered that. Next time I'll know. Use thin (like paper thin) slices if you want that ooey gooey goodness.

And oh how I long for that ooey gooey goodness!

Ingredients...

...4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

...4 slices Ham
...4 slices Cheese (I used mozzerella)
...1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
...2 T. milk

Directions...

Prepare your crockpot by greasing the bottom and sides with cooking spray. One at a time, place each chicken breast in a gallon size Ziploc bag and pound thin. Remove from the bag and place 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese on top of each breast. Roll up chicken breast and place seam side down in the crockpot. In a small bowl, wisk together the milk and cream of chicken soup until smooth. Pour mixture over the chicken breasts. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Patio Potato Salad

2010-03-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

I'm a true lover of potato salad. I don't know why I don't make it more often. Maybe because I'm so very used to my Grandma's recipe, which was never written down and was one of those recipes that she just tossed and tasted until it was right. I have yet to get it right. But I'm still pressing on.

I found this particular recipe from Taste of Home. I figure that considering my Grandma owned every issue ever printed of that magazine, it's my best bet for finding something close to her potato salad recipe. I came close with this recipe last summer, but it just wasn't it. Neither was this one. This one was super good though, and if I ever decide to give up on the quest to recreate Grandma's Potato Salad, this will be the one that I stick with (as of right now).

This recipe also marked a first in cooking for me, as I have never made a potato salad that required the "sauce" to be cooked prior to mixing. As far as I knew, all potato salads required just tossing and mixing of ingredients. So it was interesting to try things this way, and I was very pleased with the results!

Ingredients...

You're gonna laugh at this. Really, you will. I had all of the ingredients for this salad staged and ready to photograph...and then halfway through the cooking process I realized that I never actually took the picture. I just staged it. So....my intentions were good but there is no ingredients photo. Sorry!

...1/3 c. Sugar

...1 T. cornstarch

...1 to 1 1/2 tsp. ground mustard

...1/2 tsp. celery salt

...1 tsp. salt

...1/2 c. milk

...1/4 c. vinegar

...1 egg, beaten

...1/3 c. butter

...1/4 c. onion, chopped

...1/4 c. mayonnaise

...7 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
...3 hard cooked eggs, chopped

Directions...

In a saucepan combine the sugar, cornstarch, ground mustard, salt, celery salt, butter, egg, vinegar and milk. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes until thickened and bubbly. Cool. Stir in onion and mayonnaise. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and hard cooked eggs. Add dressing and toss gently to evenly coat everything. Refrigerate, covered, for at least one hour prior to serving.

To see more great recipes, be sure to check out Tuesday's at the Table over at All the Small Stuff, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed with Grace and Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!

Healthy Mac & Cheese

2010-03-22T06:00:00.009-05:00

We love macaroni and cheese in our house. Correction. HUBS loves macaroni and cheese more than anyone in our house! Serve it with hot dogs and you'll be his best friend for life I tell ya! Typically, macaroni and cheese is my meal to fall back on when I'm not in the mood to cook, because how easy is it to open a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese, boil a few hot dogs and take it easy? Don't deem me a bad wife for serving the blue box...hubs loves it!!

I've decided lately though that it's time to start experimenting with homemade macaroni recipes. Mostly because I'm getting really sick of boxed macaroni. There's only so much of it that a person can eat in their lifetime. Unless, of course, you are my husband. I've made homemade mac and cheese before, but never have found a recipe that I truly loved. I had this recipe saved in my recipe box over at Allrecipes and decided to give it a shot since I had everything in my cupboards.

I personally thought that it turned out kind of bland. It needed some more flavor. Hubs, however, loved it! I just sprinkled some salt on my serving and that seemed to do the trick, so next time I think I'm going to add more salt to the cheese mixture. Plus, this cheese is a little healthier than your typical homemade mac and cheese recipe thanks to the reduced amount of cheese and the addition of cottage cheese! Homemade mac and cheese that the family loves, plus it's healthy?!? Sounds like a winner of a recipe to me!!

Ingredients...

...1 c. fat-free milk

...1 1/4 cs shredded cheddar cheese

...2/3 c. cottage cheese

...pepper to taste

...salt to taste

...2 1/2 c. cooked macaroni

...1 T. onion powder

...paprika to taste

Directions...

In a food processor, blend the milk, cheeses, salt and pepper until smooth and creamy. Pour into an oven safe casserole dish and add macroni, onion powder and paprika, stirring to evenly coat pasta. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

To see more great recipes, be sure to check out Meatless Monday over at My Sweet and Savory!

Pineapple Carrot Bread

2010-03-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

I'm a pretty big quick bread fan. I started out just making Banana Bread, but soon started trying recipes like Zuchinni Bread, Pear Bread (a recipe I've not shared yet, but is delicious!!), and there are many other quick bread recipes that I've bookmarked and am anxious to try! Quick breads are just too easy, not only to make, but also to have on hand for snacks, as a tasty breakfast and even as dessert!

This quick bread recipe, which I got from an acquaintence, really got my attention! Carrot bread seems so very appropriate for this time of year being spring and Easter time and all, but adding pineapple? Now there's a concept I never would have thought of on my own! I knew this was a must try recipe, and now I'm sharing with you that this is a must. try. recipe! This bread is so moist and delicious! It reminds me a lot of carrot cake, but with that extra addition of fruity pineapple really kicks it up a notch! This bread is super great warm, fresh from the oven with a little butter on it, and because I can't eat it that way every time (isn't it so sad that food can't stay warm fresh from the oven all the time?) I have a tendency to toss a slice in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time or so to sort of mimick that warm from the oven taste. It does the trick well enough to satisfy me :)

Ingredients...

...3 cups all-purpose flour

...1 tsp. salt
...1 tsp. baking soda
...1 tsp. ground cinnamon
...3 eggs
...2 c. sugar
...3/4 c. applesauce
...1 c. shredded carrots
...1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
...2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions...

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. In a seperate mixing bowl, wisk together eggs, sugar and applesauce until well combined. Then add in carrots, pineapple and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until everything is wet and well combined. Pour batter into two greased loaf pans and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the loaf comes out clean.

Cinnamon Applesauce

2010-03-19T06:00:00.003-05:00

As a child I always marveled over the pink applesauce on the grocery store shelves, but mom would never let us buy it. She said it was plain applesauce or none. I'm not really sure on her reasoning behind that...

So when I found this recipe in a Taste of Home cookbook I decided to whip up a batch. I should take a side street here and mention that I can no longer stand store boughten applesauce of any kind. I had a jar in my refrigerator a few weeks back and poured some to go with my lunch and I just wasn't satisfied. I guess once you go homemade you just can't go back. So I guess I have no idea how this version of homemade "pink" applesauce compares to the boughten kind...but I'm guessing it's probably better.

I was pleasantly surprised by how the red hots weren't "hot" once they were cooked into the applesauce. Only a nice cinnamon flavor shone through. And of course the pink color. This applesauce is a great change of pace from the regular stuff, and what a fun twist, being pink and all!

Ingredients...

...8 tart apples, peeled and quartered
...1 c. water
...1 c. sugar
...1/4 c. red hot candies

Directions...

Place apples and water in a large saucepan. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Mash apples once simmering is completed, and stir in sugar and red hots over heat until both are well disolved.

To see more delicious recipes, be sure to check out Friday Food over at Mom Trends, the Recipe Swap going on over at And Baby Makes Five, Foodie Friday over at Designs by Gollum and Food on Fridays over at Anne Kroeker!

Tangy Cranberry Pork Chops

2010-03-18T06:00:00.004-05:00

I have had a lonely can of whole cranberries sitting in my cupboard ever since Thanksgiving. I've actually been really eager to use them in something, because I really do enjoy cranberries, but it seems that every recipe that I've found calling for them also calls for a meeelion other ingredients that I don't have on hand, so I'd end up buying all kinds of stuff just to use up that one stinkin' can!

While flipping through a Quick Cooking cookbook the other day, I found this recipe and decided to give it a go since I had everything on hand, and had actually been wanting to prepare pork chops for supper anyways sometime soon.

I was really happy with how this recipe turned out! I was really nervous that the catalina dressing wouldn't pair well with the cranberry sauce, and even breifly considered leaving it out. I thought better of it though, and just (sort of) followed the recipe like a good little girl. I'm glad I did, because I'm sure this would not have been nearly as good with the cranberries on their own...

I will warn you, however, that this recipe makes waaaay more sauce than you'll need for the recomended 4 chops. So I urge you to either make mashed potatoes with this, and use the leftover sauce as a gravy, or scale back how much sauce you make...by like half.

Ingredients...

...4 boneless pork chops
...1 T. vegetable oil
...1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
...1 c. catalina salad dressing
...4 tsp. dry onion soup mix

Directions...

In a large skillet, cook pork chops in vegetable oil for 15 minutes per side, until no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear. In a large, microwave safe, bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Cover and microwave on high until heated through, about 3 minutes. Cover chops with sauce before serving.

To see more great recipes, be sure to check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap going on over at Life as Mom and the Recipe Swap going on over at The Grocery Cart Challenge!

Irish Lamb Stew

2010-03-17T06:00:00.006-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm by no means Irish, and I don't even really enjoy "pretending" to be Irish around the holiday, but I do love me some Irish Lamb Stew! I attended college in a very small, very Irish town, and St. Patricks Day was a bigger deal than any other day of the year! Actually, the weekend before St. Patty's Day was the biggest deal of the year, but you get the picture :) Anyways, my first year living in this small Irish town, I worked as a waitress in an Irish Pub located inside the casino in town. One of our menu specialities was Irish Lamb Stew. For the first portion of my employment there, I was scared to try this stew. The whole "lamb" thing kind freaked me out. I'd never eaten lamb before! One night, I was tired of eating the same thing day in and day out so I decided to give this stew a try! Mmmmm! It was love at first taste! This stew was so thick and rich! The meat and veggies were in large chunks and the seasonings were spot on!

I was the only server there that liked the stuff! I really wanted to recreate that recipe on my own, with the exception of using lamb, as I don't have access to any around here, just beef. I didn't really succeed in creating an exact replica of said stew, but I did created a mighty great tasting alternative! This stew wasn't as thick, I think the "sauce" needs work, and I chose to chop the veggies and meat into smaller, bite size, chunks.

I found this recipe over at Allrecipes and it reminded me a lot of my crockpot beef stew recipe that I already make (and apparently haven't shared with you, shame on me!), with a few changes. To make it "Irish" I suppose. I'm going to continue to make this recipe and play around with it a bit. I really want to try and get the thicker, rich sauce like the first Irish Stew I ever tried!

Ingredients...

...1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and diced

...3 lb. of steak or roast, cut into 2 inch pieces (or lamb, to be traditional)
...1/4 tsp. salt (not pictured)
...1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
...1/4 c. flour
...1 tsp. garlic powder
...1 large onion, chopped
...1/4 c. water
...2 c. beef broth (I used 2 cups of water and 2 beef boullion cubes)
...2 T. sugar (not pictured)
...2 c. carrots, sliced
...2 c. celery, sliced
...4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
...1/2 tsp. dried thyme
...1 bay leaf
...1 c. water (or you can use white wine in place of this water)

Directions...

Coat steak/roast/lamb (whatever you choose to use) with salt, pepper and flour. Place in a skillet with some oil and cook until meat is cooked through. Place in greased slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and stir well to mix ingredients and evenly distribute spices. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

To see more great crockpot recipes, be sure to check out Crockpot Wednesday over at Dining with Debbie!

Irish Soda Bread

2010-03-16T06:00:00.005-05:00

St. Patricks Day is tomorrow, do you have your Irish meal all ready to celebrate? I shared a most delicious cupcake recipe that is in no way, shape or form Irish, on Saturday, and now I've made some Irish Soda bread. This bread would make a great side to the dish that I've made for tomorrow...Irish Lamb Stew...yum!

This bread was...different. It appears to be a yeast bread, but it is actually a quick bread. It also appears to have the density of a yeast bread, but it actually eerily reminds me of cornbread. Very much so. It also doesn't bake up "pretty". As you can see in the picture, it's a pretty lumpy loaf of bread. Now, I realize that you're just going to slice it up and slather it in butter, so looks don't really matter, but I'm just weird like that. I like my loaves of bread to be smooth and pretty :)

Despite the lack of "pretty" in this loaf of bread, it really did taste very good. Once you get used to the cornbread consistency, this bread is quite enjoyable! Next time, I think I'm going to try and make this bread in loaf pans though. While the round loaf is fun and different, it makes for some really hu-uge long slices of bread! I found this recipe over at Allrecipes and was very eager to try it! You should whip up a loaf or two for St. Patricks Day, it's always fun to celebrate a holiday with the appropriate foods!

Ingredients...

...4 c. flour

...4 T. sugar (not pictured)

...1 tsp. baking soda

...1 T. baking powder

...1/2 tsp. salt (not pictured)

...1/2 c. butter, softened

...1 c. buttermilk (I made my own by adding 1 T. lemon juice to 1 c. regular milk)

...1 egg

Directions...

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to evenly distribute all ingredients. Cut in softened butter. Stir in buttermilk and egg until all ingredients are moistened. Knead dough lightly until everything is evenly incorporated. Shape dough into a round loaf and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cut an "x" in the top of the loaf and brush with milk and butter if desired. Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes.

To see other really great recipes, be sure to check out Tuesday's at the Table over at All the Small Stuff, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday over at BlessedwithGrace and Tasty Tuesday over at Beauty and Bedlam!

Thin Mint Cupcakes

2010-03-13T06:00:00.002-06:00

I'm typically not a huge mint fan, but when it comes to Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies I just can't get enough! I ordered two boxes this year, and then instantly regretted it. Two boxes of Thin Mints sitting in my cupboard? Do you know how hard it is to resist eating them ALL myself?!?!?

Must.

Show.

Restraint.

In all honesty though, I'm very proud of myself. In the first week of having these two boxes of cookies in my posession only 1 sleeve of cookies disappeared. With the exception of the ~~1/2~~ 3/4 sleeve that I used in this recipe. So I guess that means that almost a whole box disappeared in the first week. But only half of that box was because I ate them. How's that for restraint!

I found the concept for these cupcakes over at Real Mom Kitchen (she just has the best recipe ideas, doesn't she?!?) and decided to run with it. You have two options here, you can either use a box cake mix (which I did. mostly because I have 20 some boxes of cake mix in my stockpile, so why not, right?) or you can make your own homemade cupcakes. I am also going to mention that this frosting recipe didn't work out for me. I wish better luck to you. I was hoping for a fluffy frosting that I could pipe onto these cupcakes. I somehow managed to create frosting water, despite that I followed the recipe exact. It actually tasted fab and I totally fell in love with the way it drizzled down the sides so for this time, I was 110% content with what should have been considered a flop. Someday I'll figure out how to make amazing frosting...

Someday.

Ingredients...

Cupcakes...

...1 boxed cake mix
...1/2 sleeve of Thin Mint cookies (I used 3/4 sleeve)

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Crush cookies and stir into batter. Bake according to package directions.

Frosting...

...1 tsp. vanilla

...2 c. flour

...2 1/2 c. blended oatmeal (place oatmeal in blender or food processor and process until it reaches a fine powder)

...1/2 tsp. salt

...1 tsp. baking powder

...1 tsp. baking soda

...12 oz. chocolate chips

...1/2 chocolate bar, grated (4 oz.)

...1 1/2 c. chopped nuts (I used cashews)

Directions...

Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in wet mixture. Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

To see more great recipes, be sure to check out Mouthwatering Monday over at A Southern Fairy Tale!

Tuna Burgers

2010-03-05T06:00:00.002-06:00

This is a story of the misfortunate tuna burgers. Which hubs was leery about. Ever since I made carrot burgers two years ago, he is skeptical of any recipe that is titled "____ Burger". Especially when ground beef isn't the main ingredient.

Well, I guess I failed him again. I'm pretty sure after this tuna burger fiasco he will never again eat anything entitled "____ Burger". The first recipe, for Carrot Burgers...not my fault. The recipe was just rotten and I was attempting to be frugal with a meatless meal. This recipe...okay, kinda my fault. No, totally my fault. Because I made a substitution. And when hubs found out that bit of information he responded with "why do you do that?" I guess that means I make too many substitutions for the sake of frugality. Maybe I should stop that.

I found this recipe in one of the cookbooks I got from the cleaning out of my grandma's house, and I'm sure that as written, this recipe is quite tasty. Maybe even downright good. Just don't make a substitution like I did.

Don't do it!!!

Ingredients...

...1 can tuna

...3/4 c. salad dressing (this is where I messed up. I read it as actual salad dressing. Upon reviewing the recipe after eating this disaster, I realized that they probably meant the mayonnaise like salad dressing. Yeah. Use the mayonaise. Not actual salad dressing. ESPECIALLY not 3 Cheese Ranch Dressing. Don't buy that stuff, ever. BLECH!!)
...1/2 c. diced pickles

...1 c. shredded cheese

Directions...

Mix together all ingredients and spread on a slice of bread. Spread a second slice with butter. Place on a baking sheet and place under broiler until tops are browned and cheese is melted.

To see more great Recipes be sure to check out Colleen's Kitchen Recipe Swap over at And Baby Makes Five, Foodie Fridays over at Designs by Gollum, Food on Fridays over at Anne Kroeker and Friday Food over at MomTrends!

Sour Cream Rolls

2010-03-04T06:00:00.005-06:00

I have a confession to make. Back in September my mother in law found a KitchenAid stand mixer at a garage sale at a GREAT price, and picked it up for me, knowing that I wanted one in the worst way. Here's the confession.

It took me until a week ago to use it for the first time.

*runs and hides in the corner shamefully*

I mean, it's not like it was hidden in a cupboard for those 6 months and I forgot about it. No, no. It was sitting on my kitchen counter in all of it's glory. Unused. I don't know what finally posessed me to use it. Actually, I do. It was this recipe. I found this recipe over at Real Mom Kitchen, and she mentioned that she used her KitchenAid to do the kneading for her. I was dumbfounded.

You mean I've had this thing for 6 months, and haven't used it to aid with bread making?!? What have I been doing, hiding under a rock?!?!?!?!?

This roll recipe was phenomenal! I couildn't decide between making this one for the first time, or repeating the wonderful Pumpkin Roll recipe that I discovered at Thanksgiving. I opted to try this one, because I love rolls and like experimenting with new roll recipes. I'm so glad I opted for something new, because even though the Pumpkin Rolls just may be my favorite food, EVER, this roll was super great!!

Ingredients...
...2 1/2 - 3 c. flour (I used more than this. Use your best judgement)

...2 T. sugar

...2 1/4 tsp. yeast

...1 tsp. salt

...1 c. sour cream

To see more great recipes, check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap going on over at Life as Mom!

Chicken A La King

2010-02-24T06:00:00.004-06:00

There are lots of recipes for chicken served over pasta, but one I had never heard of before was Chicken A La King. This title baffled me. What does "A La King" mean exactly? My only guess was "for the"...Chicken for the King? I could believe it. I decided I'd better translate it though, or curiosity was going to get the best of me. So I found an online translator and typed in "a la", which is apparently french for "with". Chicken with King? I still don't get it. At least with "a la" it sounds fancy and not confusing. Well...sort of not confusing.

I found this recipe in my Taste of Home Slow Cooker Favorites Cookbook. I strive to use my slow cooker two times a week, and to have chicken once or more per week. So I figured why not give this a shot. The slow cooker part of it is just for the chicken portion...and then was served a la (teehee...) rice.

Ingredients...

...1 can Cream of Chicken soup
...3 Tbsp. flour
...1/4 tsp. pepper
...dash cayenne pepper
...1 lb. chicken, cooked and cut into cubes
...1 celery rib, chopped
...1/2 c. chopped green and red peppers
...1/4 c. chopped onion
...1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen peas

Directions...

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 2-3 hours, until the mixture is bubbly and heated through. Serve over rice.

To see more great crockpot recipes, be sure to check out Crockpot Wednesday over at Dining with Debbie and the Crockpot Carnival going on over at Smockity Frocks!

Hidden Ingredient French Toast

2010-02-23T06:00:00.004-06:00

I don't know about you, but I often find getting the proper servings of fruits and vegetables (mostly vegetables) into my husband to be a challenge. He's just not that into his veggies. So I really feel for you with kids...because then you are nagging more than just one person at the dinner table to "eat your vegetables! pleeeaassseee!!". But at least you guys only have to nag at kids...I have to nag at a grown man!

In comes Jessica Seinfeld with her book Deceptively Delicious. I had heard wonderful things about this book, mostly when it was first realeased. I saw a segment she did on Oprah when the book was first released showing Jessica feeding kids all kinds of their favorite foods like brownies and macaroni and cheese that had the hidden vegetables like squash or cauliflower in them. And the kids were gobbling them up! Could it be true? 5 and 6 year olds eating broccoli....and liking it?!?!? I was enthralled!!

At the time I didn't give it much more thought than that. But when I stumbled upon her cookbook at the local library, I figured it couldn't hurt to try! Especially with my own munchkin on the way, I figured it's never to early to start practicing on how to sneak those vegetables that will inevitably be tagged as "yucky" into our diets. I started simple. With french toast. Who's hidden ingredient is bananas. And you know what?!? I couldn't even taste a hint of banana in my french toast. Nor did hubs...he just thought it was my everyday french toast recipe!

So now onto bigger and better things...like hiding that broccoli and those brussell sprouts!!

Ingredients...

...French bread, sliced into thick pieces
...4 eggs
...2 T. banana, pineapple, sweet potato, carrot or butternut squash puree. Or 2 T. canned pumpkin. (I, of course, used the banana puree)
...1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions...

2010-02-16T06:00:00.005-06:00

I love breakfast pizza! It's an illness, really...but I just can't help it...it's love! In college, I worked at a convenience store as an assistant manager, and one of my duties was kitchen duty during the breakfast and lunch times. One of our claims to fame was our pizza...and our breakfast pizza just couldn't be beat! I would sneak a thin slice here and "accidentally" mess up a small section there, just so I could eat some (and if my former boss is reading this right now, there's my confession for ya!).

So I finally decided that it was high time to try and recreate this breakfast pizza on my own. I was very happy with how it turned out, this recipe is a keeper!

Ingredients...

...Pizza Dough to make crust
...scrambled eggs (I used about 4 eggs and some skim milk to whip some up)
...cheese sauce
...ground sausage
...mozzerella cheese
...cheddar cheese

Directions...

Form pizza crust with dough to desired size. Spread cheese sauce over the dough, following with a sprinkling of ground sausage and the scrambled eggs. Top with mozzerella cheese until toppings are covered. Sprinkle a small amount of cheddar cheese on top of the mozzerella cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Note: You can also use crumbled bacon in place of or with the ground sausage.

For more great recipes be sure to check out Mouthwatering Monday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday!

Eclair Torte

2010-02-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

Let's talk delicious for a moment. I don't mean just run of the mill "oh those cookies were delicious" delicious...I mean roll your eyes to the back of your head with each bite delicious. If you haven't decided what kind of sweet to make for your sweet on Valentines day, this MUST be the recipe that you choose. It's just too good to pass up! Plus, you'll get mega brownie points for having made this from scratch as well!

I usually shy away from desserts like this, that have a "complex" sounding name. I get worried that since the name sounds like it would be a complicated recipe, then it just must be. That is soooo not the case here. Not only was this recipe mouthwatering, can't get enough...no I seriously just CAN'T GET ENOUGH good...it was really easy. Which could be both a good and bad thing. Good, because then you can make something elegant and delicious whenever the occaison calls. Bad, for the very same reason (but with the whole calorie factor thrown in there!)

I found this recipe over at Real Mom Kitchen. She has an obsession with eclairs, and I even debated going for the real thing...but decided maybe I'd go the way of ease this time around and save all the piping and TIME for another day by making the torte version. I promise, you will not be disappointed. I've never had a real eclair before, but if they are anything like this Eclair Torte, then I can promise you that they will be the number one new favorite on my list (although perhaps coiming in second to this recipe...)!

Ingredients...

...1 c. water
...1/2 c. butter
...1/4 tsp. salt
...1 c. flour
...4 eggs
...1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
...2 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix (not pictured)
...3 c. cold milk
...1 carton (8 or 12 oz.) whipped topping
...Chocolate Syrup

Directions...

Bring the water, salt and butter to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Once brought to a boil, add the flour all at once and stir until a soft ball forms. Once the ball forms, remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Then, add in the eggs, one at a time, beating the dough with each egg addition with a spoon. Beat until smooth, and then spread into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely (I let it cool overnight before moving on).

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese. Add in one cup of milk at a time, beating in between each addition to ensure no lumps. After all 3 cups of milk and the block of cream cheese are beaten until smooth, add both packages of pudding mix, and beat once more until smooth. Spread over the pastry puff. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before topping the pudding mixture with the carton of cream cheese. Garnish with chocolate as desired right before serving.

Buttery Peas with Thyme

2010-02-12T06:00:00.001-06:00

Day 3, the side dish!

I don't have a picture for this one quite yet -- which makes me feel like a bad food blogger. Pictures are coming. But for right now my computer has (yet another. yes. ANOTHER) virus. Hopefully this time we'll be back up and running in a week or so, but until then I am blogging from the local library. Which doesn't have a spot for plugging in memory cards that I'm aware of. Luckily, thanks to some extreme organization on my part, I had already uploaded pictures for other recipes into the day I wanted to share each one with you for the next few weeks, so today SHOULD be the only photo-less day! And HOPEFULLY we'll have our computer back FOR GOOD in a week or so!

Anyways. I'm not gonna lie to y'all. I'm getting tired of just plain old veggies. I want something different. No. I need something different. Something to add a little zest, so to speak. So when I found this recipe over at my Kitchen Cafe, I knew it was a must try! I'm glad that I decided to start with peas. They are the one veggie that I have the hardest time getting hubs to eat. One time he took a bite of canned peas and gagged. Yes, he literally gagged. That is the last I've gotten him to eat canned peas. Which is fine by me, I prefer the frozen variety anyways. I still had to fight him though. I found, through this recipe, however, that dolling up the peas really works! Hubs loved these!

I think I need to find new ways to doll up other veggies. Except for the whole butter and brown sugar laden method...I've been there done that. I can't seem to find any healthful benefits to vegetables dolled up with loads of BUTTER...

Here's the recipe. As soon as I get my computer back, I will share photos with you!

Ingredients...

...2 tablespoons butter
...1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 medium onion)
...2 teaspoons sugar
...1/4 teaspoon salt
...1/4 tsp. garlic powder
...3 cups frozen peas
...1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
...1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions...

2010-02-03T06:00:00.003-06:00

This is a surefire crowd pleaser. Men and women alike will be gobbling up this dip faster than you can blink an eye. I don't know why it tastes so good. One look at the ingredients list, and I thought to myself, "what?!? This can't be good!" But it is. I recently took it to a family function to test out before the big game, and I was thanked...yes thanked...for bringing it. Simply because it was so good. Not because they had ever had it before and it was a favorite. Just because it. is. that. good.

I found this recipe over at A Year of Slowcooking, where Stephanie lovingly refers to this dip as Mommy Crack. I've tried recipes that are loosely similar to this one, but never with these ingredients, so I was eager to give it a go. Plus, the tag of "Mommy Crack" just had me interested...

Ingredients...

(no picture, sorry!)

...1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese

...1 lb. ground sausage, browned and drained

...1 can tomatoes and green chiles, drained

...Tortilla Chips

Directions...

Plop it all into a slow cooker (if you have a mini slow cooker, that is the perfect size!) and cook until melted and heated through. Serve with tortilla chips.

To see more great recipes, check out Crockpot Wednesday over at Dining with Debbie!

Taco Salad

2010-02-02T06:00:00.007-06:00

For some reason, foods like taco salad just scream party food to me. I don't know why, but this recipe especially just seems very Super Bowl Party appropriate. Not only that, but it's also a great way to get a more "healthy" food into your loved ones systems than just plain chips and dips.

I love making taco salads this way, all mixed up in one bowl. All you have to do is just scoop and serve. Usually, I just lay out a buffet of taco salad makings, but then we end up with people who put almost all meat on their plates, leaving only lettuce and tomatoes for the rest. This way, when it's all mixed together, at least everyone has fair game for every ingredient!!

This recipe was originally printed in a hometown church cookbook, but the ingredients called for are a little different than what I list. I remember once, when I was 12, we had a church picnic one Sunday evening to celebrate the beginning of summer. As farmers, I believe we had been baling hay all afternoon, so when it came time to get ready for the potluck picnic, my mom got worked up because she didn't have anything to take! She took a quick glance at this recipe and then started pulling things from the cupboard and refrigerator to make it work, while still loosely following the recipe. This was the first time I had eaten a taco salad like this (growing up, we did them like previously mentioned, as a build your own) and I remember that I loved it!! So when I was making this recipe, I used the changes that we made in that particular rushed church potluck salad (yes. I still remember!) and still loved it!!

Ingredients...

...1 lb. ground beef
...1 pkg. taco seasoning
...8 oz. catalina dressing
...1 T. taco sauce
...1 head lettuce, broken up
...1 onion, chopped
...3-4 medium potatoes, chunked
...1 green pepper, chopped
...6 oz. shredded cheese
...Taco Chips (Doritos)

Directions...

Brown ground beef with onion and taco seasoning. Stir together all ingredients in a large bowl until everything is well covered and combined. Can be served cold, but is better when taco meat is still warm.

To see more delicious recipes, check out Tempt my Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed with Grace and Tasty Tuesday over at Beauty and Bedlam!

Louise's Bars are Better Bars

2010-01-30T06:00:00.002-06:00

Seriously. That's the name of these bars. Another hometown cookbook recipe find. Growing up, my mom made a bar that was pretty much these exact same ingredients...but not this exact same bar. I was a little disappointed when it came out not the bar I was thinking of. But none the less, this was a really good bar!

Plus, it's really fun to tell the people the bar's name...and then watch them stop mid bite as if digesting the information they've just been presented with.

Ingredients...

...1 c. flour
...1 c. oatmeal
...3/4 c. brown sugar
...1 stick butter
...1 can sweetened condensed milk
...1 pkg. chocolate chips

Combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar and buter until well mixed. Reserve 1 cup and spread remaining mixture on bottom of 9x13 cake pan and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Pour can of sweetened condensed milk over the baked mixture, and then top with chocolate chips and remaining oatmeal mixture. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.

Enchilada Stacks

2010-01-29T06:00:00.004-06:00

I recently inherited many of my grandmothers cookbooks. All of the books were ones put together by local organizations, so they are chock full of good down home cooking and recipes from the wonderful women (and men!) of my grandmothers' and parents' generation.

One cookbook in particular has been a favorite of mine to peruse and use recipes from. It was published in 1995 by the ladies of our small town (population: 300. Maybe. You think I'm joking!) I know just about every woman whose name is listed under a recipe...which is understandable considering the population count. Not only that, but a lot of these recipes I remember my mom and grandma making from this very cookbook while I was growing up.

So it's easy to understand why I couldn't wait to get going making recipes from this cookbook...recipes that we ate growing up and that I forgot about. This recipe is no exception. My mom made this recipe for supper often, and it was a favorite among my sisters and I. I wasn't disappointed with it this time around either...it's so delicious!

Ingredients...

...Tortilla Shells (you will need 3-4 per stack)

...1 lb. ground meat

...1/2 c. onions, chopped

...1 pkg. taco seasoning

...sour cream

...salsa

...shredded cheese

...peppers (I used green)

Directions...

Brown ground beef with onions and taco seasoning. In a greased circle cake pan lay one tortilla down, and top with ground beef mixture, shredded cheese and peppers. Add another tortilla and repeat previous step. Add a third tortilla and top with remaining ground beef, sour cream and salsa. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.

Hobo Beef Stew

2010-01-28T06:00:00.004-06:00

While my computer was away getting all fixed up, I had a craving for beef stew. I have one tried and true recipe that I found on the internet and had bookmarked, but with no computer, I didn't have access to that recipe. I started to scrounge my many, many, many cookbooks and found a lot of recipes that sounded delicious, but none that I had all the ingredients on hand for at the time.

In comes my trusty Taste of Home Slow Cooking Cookbook to the rescue! This recipe was originally called Hobo Meatball Stew...but I was in no mood to make meatballs. So I just eliminated the meatballs and replaced them with some cut up steak. Wa-la! Hobo Beef Stew!

I also made a few other changes, but that's typical of any recipe I try...

Ingredients...

...1 lb. steak or stew meat
...4 medium potatoes, peeled and chunked
...4 medoum carrots, peeled and chunked
...1 1/2 tsp. salt
...1/2 tsp. pepper
...1 medium onion, chunked
...1/2 c. ketchup
...1/2 c. water
...1 1/2 tsp. vinegar
...1/2 tsp. dried basil

Directions...

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and stir until well combined. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on low for 4-5.

Homemade Cheese Sauce

2010-01-27T06:00:00.003-06:00

This is one of those things that it never really occured to me could be homemade. I have so many recipes sitting in my "to try" file that call for cheese sauce (better known at the supermarket as Cheez-Wiz) but I just can't bring myself to spend $3+ on a single ingredient.

The other day, while cruising through The Tightwad Gazette, I found this recipe for homemade cheese sauce! I was ecstatic to say the least! Not only is this recipe far cheaper to make than the store boughten alternative, but it is just as tasty when used in recipes! Oh happy day!

Bring on the cheese recipes...

Ingredients...

...2 T. butter

...2 T. flour

...1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

...1 c. milk

...salt, pepper

Directions...

Melt butter in a saucepan. Blend in flour and combine with 1 cup of milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until sauce thickens and then add shredded cheese. Cook until smooth.

Apple Muffins

2010-01-26T06:00:00.005-06:00

I have been craving a moist, spicy, nutty apple muffin for weeks now. I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and make one. I've made lots of muffins before, but never an apple cinnamon muffin. So I searched high and low over at Allrecipes and finally decided that this particular recipe was the chosen one.

I'm not going to lie.

This was nothing like I was hoping for. While it was good...there just wasn't enough "spice" to it. And I forgot to add in nuts. And there was too much apple.

However, for what it's worth, despite that this muffin didn't meet my craving, it was pretty good. Kind of a dense muffin, not so much a light and fluffy muffin.

Ingredients...

...2 c. flour

...1 T. baking powder

...1/2 tsp. salt

...1 tsp. ground cinnamon

...3/4 c. milk

...2 eggs

...1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

...1/4 tsp. garlic powder

...1 T. olive oil

...2 T. cider vinegar

...1/4 tsp. salt

...1/4 tsp. pepper

...1 pkg. taco seasoning

Directions...

In olive oil, saute peppers and onions until tender. Add corn, tomatoes and beans to the skillet and then add garlic powder, cider vinegar, salt, pepper and taco seasoning and stir until all ingredients are well coated. Bring mixture to a boil and continue boiling for about 5 minutes. Serve over rice or on a tortilla shell. Add shredded cheese if desired.

Golden Potato Rounds

2010-01-02T06:00:00.002-06:00

Do you love curly fries from a resturant? There is just something about them that I just can't pass up, they're sooo delicious! I found a recipe that is seriously JUST AS GOOD! Seriously! Plus, they're much healthier since they're baked and not fried. Next time I have a craving I am just going to whip up a batch of these instead of running out for a take out batch! Mmmmmm....I'm salivating just looking at the picture!

Ingredients...

...4 large potaotes washed and peeled

...3 T. butter, melted

...1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

...1 cup Rice Krispies cereal, crushed

Directions...

Slice potatoes into 1/4 inch thick rounds. In a medium bowl combine crushed Rice Krispies and seasoned salt. Dredge potato rounds through melted butter and then cover completely in Rice Krispie mixture. Place potatoes in a greased glass baking dish and bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes.

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

2010-01-01T06:00:00.001-06:00

This is supposed to be a muffin. I swear. But it came out more like a cupcake. Actually. This probably should be titled "Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes". But can we pretend not so that I can still eat these for breakfast guilt free?

Just don't judge me if I choose to add some chocolate frosting...

These muffins/cupcakes are really moist. Almost too moist. They fell apart very easily, and didn't cut in two as easily as I please for a muffin to for buttering purposes. But ohhhh was it sooo goooodd!!

Alright. I give. Eat these for breakfast. Every. Day. Because they're good. And if you need a cupcake recipe too, then these will do.

Let's just call these the Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcake Muffin and call it good.

Ingredients...

...1 chocoalte cake mix
...1 can pumpkin
...2 eggs
...1 tsp. cinnamon
...1 tsp. vanilla

Directions...

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined and there are no dry pieces left. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Tortilla Pinwheels

2009-12-31T06:00:00.002-06:00

If you are looking for a quick, easy and low maitenance appetizer for an upcoming event (*cough*cough* perhaps a new years countdown?) then this is your recipe. Not only is is quick and easy, but once it's made...you can pretty much put it on a serving plate on the table and forget about it. No worries about how to keep it warm, keep it from melting...just fix it and forget it. Well, don't entirely forget it. I do hope that you'll remember to at least eat it! But that shouldn't be a problem, because not only are these quick and easy little appetzers...they're delicious too!

These would work for any occaison as well...not just a new years party! You could make them for family gatherings, a picnic, a potluck, just for fun...the possibilites are endless because you will never find an occaison to which these will not be a perfectly acceptable addition to the culinary spread!

Ingredients...

...10-12 tortillas
...6 green onions, finely chopped
...1/4 c. salsa
...8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
...4 oz. shredded cheese

Directions...

In a large bowl, stir together green onions, cream cheese, salsa and shredded cheese. Spread over a tortilla, which has been microwaved for 30 seconds (this option is not entirely necessary, but makes the rolling process that much easier). Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for several hours and then slice into rounds.

Mini Sliders

2009-12-30T06:00:00.003-06:00

This is the most perfect starter for a night out for two reasons. First, they are small enough not to count as a full meal. Second, they are big enough to put enough food in your stomach so that you aren't snacking on the super calorific appetizers all night! Not only would these make a great starter for any party or night out, but they also make a fun and easy meal. The only downside to this recipe? I don't measure. I just guess. So figuring measurements out is up to you and what looks good!

Ingredients...

...1 lb. ground meat
...2 eggs
...Shredded Cheese
...Seasoned Salt
...Minced Onion
...Garlic Powder

Directions...

In a large bowl, combine ground meat, eggs and cheese. Add in seasoned salt, garlic powder and minced onion until the flavor is to your liking. Form small patties from the mixture and cook in a hot skillet until browned all the way through. Serve on rolls or small hamburger buns with the appropriate condiments!

Bacon Quesadillas

2009-12-29T06:00:00.003-06:00

New Years Eve is in just a few short days...are you ready? Whatever your plans are...going out, staying in, hosting a party, attending a party...here is your solution. This tasty and different quesadilla would be a great tummy filler before heading out on the town for the night...or a great appetizer to contribute to any party you may be hosting/attending for the big countdown. And if you're planning on sitting at home and watching the ball drop, then this would be a great addition to your snacking fare for the evening!

Ingredients...

...Tortillas (two per quesadilla)
...Bacon (one slice per quesadilla)
...Cheese (the amount can be determined by you)

Directions...

Cook bacon, according to your own preferences (I cook mine in the microwave). In a skillet, warm a small amount of olive oil. Place one tortilla in the pan and cover with cheese, leaving room around the edges. Cut bacon into pieces and top cheese with it. Put second tortilla on top and cook until cheese is melted. Flip, to brown top tortilla just a little bit. Cut into fourths and serve.

Beef Gravy over Noodles

2009-12-26T06:00:00.001-06:00

Hubs always begs me to make sausage and gravy over biscuits. Except for one thing. I don't like sausage. I know, I know. It can't be natural to not like sausage. But I don't. So when I found this recipe for beef gravy I figured that maybe I was onto something! Hubs gets his gravy to eat over whatever he pleased...and I don't have to eat sausage. If you are a huge sausage gravy fan, then I'm warning you now that this isn't the dish for you. You will be disappointed by the lack of spice in this recipe compared to sausage gravy. I however, thought that this was absolutely fab! The spice was just right for me, it is great served over just about anything, and it's super simple to make, which is great for a busy night!

Ingredients...

...1 lb. ground meat
...1/3 c. flour
...3 1/4 c. milk
...black pepper
....salt
...garlic powder (not pictured)
...minced onion (not pictured)

Directions...

In a skillet, brown the ground meat. Once the meat is done, add the flour and continue cooking until the flour is no longer white. Add the milk and cook over medium high heat until thickened. While the milk is thickening, add salt, pepper, garlic powder and minced onion until it is the desired taste. Serve over noodles, mashed potatoes, biscuits, rice, or anything else that you please!

Pecan Pie

2009-12-25T06:00:00.003-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I hope that you are all enjoying the day, and remembering the true meaning! And just so you know, no, I am not blogging on Christmas. I sneakily scheduled this one to post on it's own so I can spend the day competely and entirely with my family! But I figured I best share a last minute pie recipe with you, just as I did on Thanksgiving with the Pumpkin Pie...because I know that there are a few of you out there hurridly searching for a last minute recipe for...something...to take to that family gathering today...or maybe to put your kids in a sugar induced coma with so you can sneak in a nap (sneaky little you!). So here. Make this. Because you can never eat too much pie at this time of year...and with New Years in a week (and that inevitable resolution to lose weight come the new year) you better get all the pie in while you still can! This is pretty different recipe from your typical pecan pie. It doesn't call for Karo syrup. And it's still delicous. Perhaps even more so. Give it a try. I bet you'll like it!

Ingredients...

...1 unbaked pie crust (9")
...1 cup light brown sugar
...1/4 cup white sugar
...1/2 cup butter
...2 eggs
...1 T. all purpose flour
...1 T. milk
...1 tsp. vanilla extract
...1 cup chopped pecans

Directions...

In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy and then stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and flour until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla and then stir in the nuts. Pour into the unbaked pie shell and bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 and bake an additional 30-40 minutes.

Monkey Bread

2009-12-24T06:00:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas Eve! I'm sure today finds you hurridly finishing last minute details for tomorrow! I thought it most appropriate that today I share a recipe for a breakfast delight that you can make tomorrow morning for after church or while you open gifts with your littles. Growing up, we always had a tradition of having cinnamon rolls on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter mornings. I've decided to keep with this tradition now that I am starting my own family, and this year I am making this delicious monkey bread for our Christmas morning breakfast! It's so gooey and delicious warm from the oven...mmmmm...I'm salivating just thinking about it!

Ingredients...

...1 cup white sugar
...2 tsp. cinnamon
...1 pound bread dough (or 3 cans of refrigerator biscuits)
...1/2 cup. butter
...1 cup brown sugar, packed

Directions...

In a small bowl, stir together white sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Divide bread dough into small balls (if you are using refrigerator biscuits, divide each biscuit into four pieces) and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place coated balls into a well greased bundt pan. In a small saucepan, melt butter and then stir in the brown sugar. Bring to a boil and continue to let boil for 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the dough in the pan and then bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Once removed from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes before turning the pan over on a plate and dumping the bread out.

Layered Chocolate Pie Dessert

2009-12-23T06:00:00.009-06:00

If you are plum fresh out of ideas for something to take to a soon coming Christmas gathering, then I urge you to take this. This, Heaven in a Pan, AKA Layered Chocolate Pie Dessert. AKA Robert Redford Dessert. AKA DELICIOUS NO MATTER WHAT YOU CALL IT!! It's creamy, it's rich (but not too rich!) and it's a refreshing change from pies and cookies (not that I'm complaining about pies and cookies!). I doubt you'll have leftovers when you do make this for your family gathering, and if...IF you have leftovers, it's a perfectly acceptable next day breakfast.

At least that's what I told myself...

Because over the holidays calories don't count :)

And because I'm 5 months pregnant, so that kind of thing is acceptable ;)

Ingredients...

Crust:
...2 c. flour
...1 1/2 sticks butter
...1/2 c. nuts (I used chopped pecans, and they're not pictured)

Mix all three ingredients together and lightly press into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Filling:
...8 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)
...1 c. powdered sugar
...1/2 tub Cool Whip

Mix these three ingredients together and spread over top of the cooled crust.

Pudding:
...2 (3 oz) boxes of chocolate pudding mix
...3 c. milk

Mix pudding and milk together according to package directions. Spread over the cream cheese layer.

Topping:
...1 tub Cool Whip
...Crushed Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (or nuts, shaved chocolate...anything goes really)

Spread Cool Whip over pudding layer and then sprinkle crushed (insert what you're using here) over the Cool Whip. Refrigerate until serving time.

Chocolate Peanut Clusters

2009-12-22T06:00:00.003-06:00

This is another of the candies that my Grandma always made in her Christmas candy spread each year. This isn't her exact recipe, it's actually one that I just made up on the fly this year, but I'm very happy with how they came out! This is a very simple candy that even the most novice of candy makers can make to share with family and friends during the holiday season! Just be sure to make extra, because they will disappear fast!

Ingredients...

...1 pound of chocolate (again, I used Hershey's Kisses because it's what I had on hand. You can use chocolate chips or baking chocolate as well!)
...2 T. shortening
...peanuts

Directions...

Melt chocolate in the microwave and then stir in shortening until smooth. Add in peanuts until the mixture is the consisstency you like. You can really make these however you want, more chocolate, more peanuts or an equal amount of each. Just keep adding peanuts until it is how you want it. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper to harden.

To see more delicious recipes check out Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed with Grace.

Pecan Tassies

2009-12-19T06:00:00.002-06:00

This is yet another of my childhood favorites when it comes to Christmas candy! We used to make these every year growing up, but then in my teen years we stopped for some reason. And then I kind of forgot that they even existed until I stumbled upon a recipe a few months ago. I instantly bookmarked it, knowing that I was planning to recreate several of my grandma's candies this year. These little tassies are like a bite size pecan pie. So sweet and so yummy!

Ingredients...

...6 oz. cream cheese
...2 c. flour
...1 c. butter
...1 egg
...3/4 c. packed brown sugar
...1 T. butter, softened
...1 tsp. vanilla
...1/4 tsp. salt

...3/4 c. chopped pecans

Directions...

In a medium bowl, soften 1 c. butter and cream cheese. Stir in flour and mix with fork until ingredients are well combined (dough will be crumbly). Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight. Make balls from dough and flatten in the palm of your hands. Press into mini muffin tins. In a seperate medium bowl, cream together egg, 1 T. butter and brown sugar. Stir in vanilla, salt and pecans. Spoon mixture into crust in muffin tins, to about 3/4 full (to prevent bubbling over). Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Let cool in tins before removing.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

2009-12-18T06:00:00.003-06:00

Would it even be Christmas time without a plate of fudge to snack on? Fudge is just one of those candies that epitomize Christmas food! There are so many varieties out there...versions with nuts, versions that can be made entirely in the microwave, versions with marshmallows, white chocolate versions...and versions like this that call for the beautiful marriage of chocolate and peanut butter. This was incredibly simple to make, I know that candy making can be intimidating...especially to beginning candy makers, but this was really easy. Not a bit intimidating.

Okay, I lied.

It was a little intimidating.

But that was only before I learned what soft ball meant. Once I learned that candy making phrase and it's meaning it wasn't so much intimidating anymore.

Ingredients...

...3 cups white sugar
...1 cup evaporated milk
...1/4 cup cocoa
...1/2 cup peanut butter
...1 T. butter

Directions...

In a saucepan stir together the sugar, evaporated milk and cocoa. Stir over high heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Lower heat to medium and continue stirring until it reaches softball stage (240 degrees F with a candy thermometer. Mine had a nifty little arrow that pointed to where the mercury should be for the soft ball stage!). Remove from the heat and add peanut butter and margarine. Stir by hand until well combined and creamy. Pour into a greased pan (I used a 9x13. For a thicker fudge, use a 9x9 or 8x8) and let harden.

To see other delicious recipes, check out Foodie Friday over at Designs by Gollum!