Mini Maple Pancake Muffins

As many of you know, I am always scanning magazines, websites, blogs, cookbooks, etc. for new recipes to try. I came across this one the other day on a blog. I had all the ingredients, so I decided to make them. If you have kids these are a great easy breakfast: pancakes with no flipping. And they are easy for little hands to dip in syrup. And big hands, too.

Click link to go to recipe.
Mini Maple Pancake Muffins – http://www.bakerella.com/mini-maple-pancake-muffins/


I was so excited for these to come out of the oven. I am a huge pancake lover!!! And I was not disappointed. These were sooo good. I warmed up some real maple syrup and dipped these little muffins in and could have eaten way too many of them. I did not have any trouble getting them out of the pan, but I sprayed it really, really good using Pam for Baking. My hubby liked them, too. However, my children were indifferent. Seriously. I was shocked. But it doesn’t surprise me. They don’t like change. They were having a hard time with the pancake not being round and flat. But don’t let that stop you from trying them. I will be making them again. Maybe tomorrow. It will take until they are adults and cooking for their children to realize that we have to take shortcuts in the kitchen for our sanity. But I won’t stop trying.

Microwave Chicken Tortilla Casserole

One microwave casserole just isn’t enough, is it?? So I have another one for you! Again, it’s from Pampered Chef (I swear I don’t sell the stuff, but I own a lot of it!) And I forgot to take a picture of it because I was so excited to eat it.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole - adapted from Pampered Chef

1 small onion, chopped
1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups thick and chunky salsa
4 cups broken tortilla chips
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend
Sliced Green Onions
Sour Cream

1. Combine onion, chicken, seasoning and salt in 3-quart, microwavable casserole dish. Cover dish with a large piece of parchment paper, tucking corners of paper under the dish. Microwave on HIGH 4 minutes; stir to separate chicken pieces. Re-cover and microwave an additional 4-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
2. Stir beans and salsa into chicken mixture. Gently stir in tortilla chips (I reserved a few for sprinkling on top). Sprinkle cheese over all and microwave uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
3. Serve topped with sliced green onions and sour cream!

This was another big hit with my family! The kids have been asking me when we are going to make it again!

I was skeptical of cooking the chicken in the microwave, but if someone had just given me the casserole to eat, I would have never known that it hadn’t been cooked in a regular oven! The chicken was not chewy, rubbery or dry! It was just right!

Check out my new favorite Pampered Chef dish that I made this yummy casserole in! I love it!!!
http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=30735&catId=9&parentCatId=9&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet=

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chip Cookies

My mom and I had a recipe for Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that we used for years, but I was not happy with the way they had been coming out for the past few years. So last year, I found a new recipe. Same ingredients, but in different amounts and I was much happier with how they turned out!

Pumpkin Chip Cookies - Taste of Home's Halloween Party Favorites

1½ cups butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in the pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

These are one of our favorite cookies to have in the fall! I like to frost them using a container of vanilla frosting, and if I can find sugar pumpkin decorations to put on top, then I get those, too. The frosting just adds a little extra sweetness to the cookies. But they are also good without frosting! As always, I recommend using parchment paper on your baking sheets…it helps keep the cookies from sticking and leaving a chocolaty mess!

If you do frost them, do not stack them until the frosting has had time to firm up!

Enjoy!

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

I LOVE grilled cheese sandwiches. From the very simple white bread/American cheese, to the more elaborate with fancy breads and multiple types of cheese. They are all delicious to me! These sandwiches were simple, but a step up from your everyday grilled cheese. Actually, I think this is my new everyday grilled cheese!

Gourmet Grilled Cheese – from allrecipes.com

You will need the following ingredients for each sandwich:

2 slices sourdough bread
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 slice American cheese
1 slice cheddar cheese


Heat a skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Sprinkle parmesan cheese onto the buttered sides. Place one slice buttered side down in the skillet and place a slice of American cheese and a slice of Cheddar cheese on it. Top with the remaining slice of bread, butter side up. Fry until golden on each side.


These were SUPER yummy. I would definitely make them again! We bought fresh bakery sourdough and sliced it, but they would be good with any sourdough, or any other bread for that matter. Make sure you soften the butter, or pull it out of the fridge 30 minutes or so before using. The one thing I did was mix the grated parmesan cheese with the butter, and the spread that mixture on the bread. Otherwise, I made them as directed!

Enjoy!

Cake Balls

I heard about “Cake Balls” a little over a year ago from a friend. So I did an internet search for them and, wow, did I find a lot of cake ball info! These cute little balls of cake and frosting are always a big hit. They are nice because they are finger food, fun to look at, and not nearly as messy as a cupcake!

After reading about cake balls from many different sources, and making them a few times myself, here is how I like to make cake balls.

Cake Balls

1 box of your favorite cake mix (and ingredients to make the cake)
1 container of your favorite frosting
2 bags of candy coating/candy melt disks

1. Bake the cake according to the instructions on box. It doesn’t matter what pan/pans you use. I usually use a 9 x 13 because it is easiest.
2. Cool cake in pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
3. Break the cake into chunks and put about half of it into a mixing bowl.
4. Put about 2/3 of the container of frosting into the bowl with the cake. Using a mixer, mix for a few seconds, then add in the rest of the cake. Continue mixing until well combined.
5. Put cake mixture in refrigerator and let chill for a couple of hours.
6. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment. Form cake mixture into 1 inch balls (I use The Pampered Chef small cookie scoop to measure, then go back and roll them into a tighter ball with my hands).
7. Put the baking sheets with the balls on them into the freezer for a few hours. (this may be difficult if you do not have a large freezer, so put them in whatever you can to freeze them, just keep them from touching each other).
8. After a few hours, pull out one about 1/3 to ½ of the cake balls, and dip them in the melted candy coating (follow directions on package for melting). Place on wax paper and let harden.

I have a stand mixer, and I use this for mixing them up with the paddle attachment. This is what I have found easiest. I also have a large, upright deep freezer in my garage, which is very handy for freezing baking sheets full of cake balls. I sometimes forget that not everybody has this! But really, freeze them however you can, the most important thing is for them not to touch each other while they are freezing!

These are a little labor intensive, but pretty easy. I love the ease of transporting them, and of course, eating them. My favorite flavors are chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, dipped in any color candy coating. You will have to experiment with your favorites and let me know how they turn out!

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Tarts

These cookies are SOOO easy and so good!! Every time I make them, they are gone before I know it. These are a great treat for when you need something quick to take with you to share!

I don't use store bought cookie dough very often, but the peanut butter cup candies are what make these cookies so good, so the store bought dough works just fine.

Peanut Butter Cup Tarts

Refrigerated cookie dough (I use Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter)
24 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Spray a mini-muffin thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray (I like the Pam for Baking)
Put 1 tablespoon of dough in each muffin cup.
Bake for 8-9 minutes. (They will look like they are not quite done).
Immediately push a peanut butter cup into the center of each one.
Let cool completely before removing from pan.


First of all, you can buy a roll of cookie dough, but if you just divide it into 24 pieces and put it in the muffin cups, it will be too much and you will have a hard time getting them out of the pan. Just trust me. I like to buy the tub, and then I have enough for a couple of batches. But either will be fine. To measure out the perfect amount, I use my Pampered Chef small cookie scoop. If you don't have that, just use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon.

Make sure you have all your peanut butter cups unwrapped and ready to go because you need to push them in IMMEDIATELY when you take them out of the oven. You are going to want to eat one right away, but I promise you, let them cool all the way and they are so much better.

Enjoy this easy, sweet treat!!!

Banana Pudding

I have to admit, I have never been a huge Banana pudding fan. However, all that changed after eating my friend Melissa B.’s banana pudding. It is SO good. And super easy. It makes a ton, so make sure you are feeding a lot of people when you make it, otherwise you will be eating all the leftovers later!

Banana Pudding – Melissa B.
1 large instant vanilla pudding mix
4 small to medium bananas – sliced thick
1 small container cool whip
2 cups mini Vanilla Wafers (or crumbled large wafers)

In a large bowl, prepare vanilla pudding as directed and set in refrigerator for 5 minutes (or until pudding sets as normal). Add Cool Whip and blend well. Add bananas and Vanilla Wafers. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until serving. Store in refrigerator after serving. Top with sliced banana or more Vanilla Wafers for garnish.


This is SO good. The Cool Whip gives it more of a fluffy consistency, rather than a pudding/custard type consistency. Which I am pretty sure is the reason I love it so much. It made such a huge bowl, that went I went to pick my son up from his friend’s house, I took it with me to share with them. Between 5 kids and 2 adults, we didn’t even finish half of it. And that was after several of us went back for seconds. I promise you, this is a great potluck dish! You won’t be disappointed!!!

Greek Salad Dressing

This dressing is WAY easy! I love Greek salad. And if I am making Greek salad, then I know I will have Feta cheese on hand. All the other ingredients are staple items I always have. I got this recipe from my friend Tricia L. years ago. However, the instructions on this recipe call for mixing it in a blender. I have never done that. I put it in a salad dressing shaker (or jar with a tight fitting lid) and just shake it up. No need to dirty your blender and all its parts!!!

Greek Salad Dressing – Tricia L.
4 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid. Shake well. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until serving.

Of course I serve this dressing with a Greek salad. I like iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives (or regular black olives), feta cheese, and a sprinkle of pepper!

This dressing also makes a great chicken marinade!

Quick and Easy Quiche

This is a great recipe for an easy quiche that doesn’t have a crust! It’s great for people trying to watch their carbs. I got this recipe from my friend Darci Z. many years ago! I made one last night to for my hubby to have for breakfast during the week this week!


Quick and Easy Quiche – my friend Darci Z.

5 eggs
¾ cup evaporated milk (5 oz. can)
¾ cup cheese
Mrs. Dash (to taste)
Meat
Veggies

Beat eggs and milk together. Add remaining ingredients. Pour in pie plate sprayed with non-stick cooking spray! Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.


Can you believe how easy that is??? You can make this with whatever cheese/meat/veggie combo you like! And it’s low in sodium, because it uses salt-free Mrs. Dash to add flavor! Whatever meat you use, be sure it is pre-cooked!

Blueberry Muffins

Sometimes I have too much of something, so I look for recipes to use it in. This happened earlier this summer when I bought a ton of blueberries. They were so good, but we just couldn’t eat them fast enough. Of course we all love blueberry muffins, but I had never made them from scratch! So, I found this recipe and they were super easy! I would definitely make them from scratch again!

Blueberry Muffins

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
¾ cup milk
¼ cup cooking oil
¾ cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease twelve 2 ½ inch muffin cups or line with muffin papers. In a medium mixing bowl combine dry ingredients. Make a well in center of dry mixture; set aside.
2. In another mixing bowl combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in blueberries.
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm. Makes 10 to 12 muffins.

These came out really good for just a basic blueberry muffin like you would get in a mix. The only difference is that you are putting together the “mix” part yourself! And it tastes better when you do the work!

BBQ Shredded Chicken

This recipe is so easy, I know one of my kids could make it. Seriously. It’s a saucy, shredded Barbecue Chicken. YUM! And you make it in the Crock Pot!

BBQ Shredded Chicken

Boneless Chicken breast (the amount is up to you…I usually do 4 for my fam, and we have leftovers)
Your favorite BBQ sauce (mine is Sweet Baby Ray’s original)

Rinse chicken breasts and trim excess fat. Place in bottom of slow cooker. Squeeze BBQ sauce over top to almost cover chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove lid and shred chicken with 2 forks. Add more sauce to freshen up the flavor. Stir well. Let heat for about 10 -15 minutes. Serve on rolls.


I like this recipe for a busy day. I like to serve it with a big salad and baked potatoes. You can also put the chicken right on your potato instead of a roll!

That’s it for this entry! Short and sweet (like me, ha ha)!

Double Chocolate Trifle

If you love chocolate, then you will LOVE this recipe. I have made this for get-togethers many times, and people always go back for seconds, and someone always asks for the recipe. So, I know it’s a keeper. And it is very easy!


Double Chocolate Trifle – adapted from Pampered Chef

1 pkg. (18.25 oz) brownie mix
1 ¾ cups cold milk
2 pkgs. (3.4 oz each) white chocolate instant pudding mix
2 cups thawed frozen whipped topping
3 toffee bars (1.5 oz each) coarsely chopped (Heath candy bars)

Prepare and bake brownies according to cake-like package directions in 9 x13 pan. Cool completely. In mixing bowl, whisk pudding mix into milk until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in whipped topping. Cut brownies into 1 inch cubes. Chop toffee bars into small pieces. Layer 1/3 of brownie cubes into large bowl. Top with 1/3 of pudding mixture, pressing lightly, and 1/3 of chopped toffee. Repeat layers two more times. Chill 30 minutes before serving.


I am a big fan of brownies from scratch, so I usually make the recipe for Baker's One Bowl Brownies that comes in the box of the Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate, instead of using the box mix, but I used to make it with the mix, and it is still very yummy!

To chop the toffee bars, I have a Pampered Chef food chopper that I use, but I think (don’t quote me on this) that they now make toffee bits that you can buy. I believe you can find them where you find chocolate chips. I would have to think those would work…actually, I may try that next time!

Check out the Pampered Chef food chopper:
http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=240&words=chopper

I usually bake the brownies the day before I need the recipe, and then assemble it a few hours before I serve it. It needs to stay cold, so make sure you have enough room in your fridge for whichever dish you choose to serve it in!

Enjoy!

BAKER'S ONE BOWL Brownies

Brownies have to be one of my all-time favorite thing. And I used to always make them from a mix, until my friend Jessica L. in Washington introduced me to these delicious “One Bowl Brownies” that she made from scratch! I was hooked. I finally realized what a brownie was supposed to taste like! Now I don’t make them any other way!

BAKER’S ONE BOWL Brownies – adapted from the inside recipe found inside of the BAKER’S Unsweetened Chocolate Squares Box

4 oz. BAKER’S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter or margarine (you know I am a butter girl)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour


1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a 9x9 or 8x8 pan with foil (let sides overhang) and spray with non-stick cooking spray or grease with shortening.
2. Place the butter and chocolate into a large, microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes  When it's done, the chocolate may not all appear to be melted.  Just stir it for a little bit and it will finish melting.  You don't want to over heat it, so don't keep microwaving it!! Add in the sugar and mix well.  Next add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended.  Finally, add the flour and mix until incorporated. Spread into prepared pan.
3. Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan on wire rack for about 20 minutes, then lift brownies out using foil and set foil on wire rack to continue cooling.

This is my "go-to" recipe when I need a quick something to bake.  I always make sure I have the chocolate squares on hand.  And because it is all mixed in one bowl, there is very little clean up!!

Enjoy!

Feta and Spinach Dip

I made this dip several times a few years ago, and then I forgot about it. Something made me remember it recently, so I decided to make it again.

Feta and Spinach Dip

4 cups spinach, fresh, chopped (about 2 oz.)
½ cup light cream cheese
½ cup light sour cream
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup chives, fresh, minced, divided
2 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp table salt, or less, to taste (optional)

1. Place spinach in a small saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then cook for 1 minute; drain well.
2. Place spinach, cream cheese, sour cream, feta cheese, 2 tablespoons of chives, lemon juice and pepper in a blender or food processor; puree. Taste dip and add salt if desired.
3. Serve dip topped with remaining chives.

This is a pretty simple recipe…and for starters, I don’t chop the spinach. BUT, I use a food processor, not a blender to mix it all together. And the blade in the food processor is sharper than the blender…so if you are using a blender, you probably still want to chop it first.

Also, I double this recipe. My whole family loves it and we eat it with veggies, pita chips, spread it on sandwiches, etc. It is one of our faves. I am mad at myself that I forgot about it for so long! But glad to have come across the recipe again! I hope you enjoy it, too!

Festive Scalloped Corn

I am so sorry if it feels like I have abandoned you for so long! With my parents here, I don’t cook very much. My dad is VERY picky and prefers very simple meals, and often we eat out! But, they have gone back North now, so I am slowly getting back on track. This week has been nights of tried and true meals that I have already posted, but next week I have a couple new things planned to try.

Tonight we had one of our favorite meals! Tacos!!! But I made a side dish tonight that I haven’t made in quite awhile called “Festive Scalloped Corn”. It’s like corn bread, but you have to eat it with a spoon. It’s hard to describe if you have never had anything like it, but it’s very yummy.

Here’s the recipe:

Festive Scalloped Corn – adapted from Pampered Chef

1/3 cup chopped green onions with tops
3 eggs
1 can (14.75 ounces) cream-style corn, undrained
1 can (11 ounces) whole kernel corn with red and green bell peppers, drained
1 package (8 ½ ounces) corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray square pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well blended.
3. Pour mixture into pan and bake 35-40 minutes or until edges are golden brown.


I bake this in the Pampered Chef Oval Baker, which is what the recipe actually calls for. I think it would spread too thin in a 9x13 pan, so I wouldn’t recommend using that.

Both my kids liked this, and my hubby and I both love it! It’s a little sweet with a tiny, tiny kick from the red pepper!

Enjoy!!

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Last week I pulled my last jar of Strawberry Freezer Jam out of the freezer, so I knew I had to find some fresh strawberries soon so I could make another batch. I never thought I would be someone who would make homemade jam, but once I tasted it several years ago, I was hooked.

If you have never eaten Strawberry Freezer Jam, then you are in for a great treat. And if you have never made it, you will be amazed at how easy it is.


Strawberry Freezer Jam – This recipe comes straight from the Sure.Jell box!

2 cups crushed strawberries (buy 1 qt. fully ripe strawberries)
4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
¾ cup water
1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin

1. Rinse 5 (1-cup) plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.
2. Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. Measure EXACTLY 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.
3. Mix water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min. or until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)
4. Fill all containers immediately to within ½ inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.


I rinse and remove the all the stems and then quarter the strawberries and place them in a 9x13 glass dish. I use a potato masher to crush them. You want there to be tiny piece of crushed fruit in your jam. It is very important that you measure out the crushed strawberries to be exactly 2 cups. If you use too much fruit, the jam may not set properly.

I use a heatproof whisk when heating the water and pectin. You have to stir it constantly so that it doesn’t stick to the pan. It will bubbly and get foamy when it is boiling, cook it for another minute when it’s at that point. Then immediately pour it into the strawberry mixture. Use a heatproof spatula to scrape all the pectin into the fruit. Mix for 3 minutes and then fill your containers.

Depending on how often you use jam, you may want to use smaller jars. I use ½ cup containers because it’s only good in the refrigerator for 3 weeks, and I don’t want to take any chances of wasting it!

The jars must sit at room temperature for 24 hours, and then they are ready to go in the freezer! Of course, make sure you put one in the refrigerator so you can enjoy it immediately!!!

Gingerbread Muffins

I know...a lot of posts today. But it's all good stuff! I promise!

I just saw this muffin recipe on my friend Megan O.'s Facebook page yesterday. I needed a quick, easy recipe this morning to take to a friend's house, and I had all the ingredients for these muffins. They are very quick and easy to throw together, and quite yummy. I have noticed that Gingerbread from a box tends to have a lot more of a "ginger" flavor than these do, but because of that, I like these better. They are much milder, if that makes sense.

Gingerbread Muffins

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour, aerated before measuring
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dashes of: nutmeg, cloves and ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Place water and butter in small microwave dish. Heat in microwave until water boils and butter melts.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the egg well, in a medium bowl. Add sugar and molasses and mix well. Add water and butter mixture and stir well.
4. Mix the dry ingredients together BEFORE adding them to the wet ingredients.
5. Add the dry to the wet, and whisk together, just until combined. Don't over mix as that produces holes in the muffins when baking.
5. Measure about 1/4 cup of mixture into lined muffin cups (my friend got 11 muffins, I spread it to 12 but shouldn't have). Bake for 20 minutes. If doing mini muffins, bake for 10 minutes.
6. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan!

I think this would make 10 or 11 regular size muffins. I got 12 rather small ones. But they were a big hit! Instead of using a dash of nutmeg, cloves and ginger, I used a few dashes of Cinnamon Plus from Pampered Chef. It's a mixture of a bunch a different spices.

That is the only thing I did differently! Hope you enjoy them!

Chicken Crunch

Once again, I am late getting this posted because of being exhausted from staying up too late and watching the Olympics! But, at least I am not using the Olympics as an excuse for not feeding my family!

I got this recipe from my friend Tricia L. in Ohio. It is very easy, and I had it all ready in advance except for the cheese and chip topping. I doubled this recipe so that we would have leftovers for the weekend. I did bake it for about 45 minutes since it was cold when I put it in the oven, and doubled. So adjust the time depending on what you do.


Chicken Crunch

2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
½ cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup celery
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 teaspoon dry onion
½ cup shredded cheddar
1 cup crushed potato chips

1. Combine all ingredients except cheese and potato chips. Place in a small baking dish. Top with cheddar and chips.
2. Bake @ 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Note: To make ahead of time, leave chips and cheese off until ready to bake. Cover and refrigerate. Bake at the same temp but add 10 –15 minutes to bake time.


Frankie and Frank loved it and told me it was one of their favorite things. Faith did not love it, ok, she hated it. But she told me she doesn’t like “cheesy” things and didn’t like the celery in it because “it didn’t seem like it should be in there”. She likes chicken. She likes cheese. She likes celery. I could have put all of that separately on her plate and she would have eaten it. I am starting to figure out that she just doesn’t like her food all mixed up. She is just one of those people (who I don’t get!), but I just have to accept it and be ok with it! So, now I am struggling about how to cook for my family!

New challenge for me I guess!!

Parmesan Chicken

The Olympics have all my attention right now, so I did not get a chance to post this last night! So, for the next couple of weeks, bear with me!!

We had crock pot night a couple nights early this week. Normally it is Wednesday, piano lesson night. But this week is Ash Wednesday and we have church that night after piano, so there won’t be time to come home and eat first. So it’s going to be a quick (meatless) dinner somewhere before church!

Here’s what we had Monday night:

Parmesan Chicken – I think I got this recipe from allrecipes.com years ago

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup converted long grain white rice (I use Uncle Ben’s)
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 ½ cups milk
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper

1. Mix together rice, onion soup mix, mushroom soup and milk in medium bowl.
2. Lay chicken breasts in the bottom of a lightly greased slow cooker. Place ½ tablespoon of butter on each breast and pour soup mixture over all.
3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cheese.
4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

This is another ultimate comfort food dish. A couple of notes, I use Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup to lighten up the sodium in this dish. The onion soup mix already has a lot, so you don’t really need it. I also don’t add any extra salt, just pepper and parmesan cheese.

When this dish is done cooking, the chicken will basically fall apart. You can just scoop up a bowlful of it and serve it alongside a hot vegetable dish or a tossed salad.

Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken and Broccoli Cornbread

When I got up this morning, I had a plan for dinner tonight, but I wasn’t happy with it. I don’t know why, but it just didn’t feel right. I hadn’t even bought the items yet (I was going grocery shopping later in the morning). So, I checked out one of my e-mails from Kraft Kitchens and checked out the slow-cooker recipes and I found this recipe, Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken. It sounded perfect. I always like to read some of the reviews people write and by doing that, I can make modifications where necessary. Once I made up my mind to make this, I knew immediately that I wanted to make the Broccoli Cornbread recipe I got from my friend Jodi a few months back. I added all those items to the list and went to the store!

Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken adapted from a Kraft Kitchens recipe

1 lb. chicken breast tenderloins
1 to 2 packages of taco seasoning
2 Tbsp. flour
1 each green and red pepper, cut into thin, fajita-style strips
1 cup frozen corn
1-1/2 cups Salsa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Rotel original
Mexican Style Finely Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream

1. Toss chicken with taco seasoning and flour in slow cooker. Stir in vegetables, beans, Rotel and salsa; cover with lid.
2. Cook on Low 6 to 8 hours.
3. Serve over Spanish Rice (I made a package of Knorr Fiesta Sides Spanish Rice).
4. Top with cheese and sour cream.

Broccoli Cheese Cornbread (I got this recipe from my friend Jodi M. here in Alabama)

10 oz. Chopped Broccoli, cooked and drained
2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
4 eggs
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1/2 stick butter, melted
Cheddar Cheese

1. Pour butter in 9x13 pan.
2. Mix other ingredients and pour on top of butter.
3. Cook for 25 min @ 350°F.
4. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and cook 5 more min.

When I got back from the store I got busy getting everything in the slow-cooker. I cooked it for a little over an hour on high, then switched it to low for another 4 ½ hours. Normally, I would have put it in earlier and cooked it on low all day.

The kids and I got back from Faith’s piano lesson and it smelled soooo yummy in our house! I got started right away on the Cornbread, and once that was in the oven, made the rice. At this point, I was hoping the chicken dish was going to be everything I had hoped for. I just couldn’t imagine how it could be bad. But, you know, those thoughts of doubt start to creep in!

I let the Cornbread cool for a few minutes after it came out of the oven. I put rice on the dishes and placed a scoop of chicken and veggies on top of it. Then I sprinkled on some of the cheese, and put a dollop (I love that word) of sour cream on top. After making sure everyone had a piece of Cornbread, we said prayers and started eating!! My kids went straight for the Cornbread and they loved it! Frankie’s words were, “Mom, you HAVE to try the cornbread, it’s so buttery and cheesy. It’s AWESOME!”. I love him. Faith loved it, too, I knew that by the way she kept saying, “Yum” between bites! I love her, too! Neither of them were big on the red and green peppers (they like them raw, but not cooked), but they really liked the chicken, rice and other veggies. I thought all of it was delicious. Frank didn’t get home from work until late, so he got his reheated, but he liked it, too. And we all agreed it was going to be on our “make-again” list!

It’s so nice when new recipes work out…I hope you and your family enjoy this as much as we did!

Valentine Cookies - 2 different kinds!!!

Most of you know I love to bake cookies! And of course, it’s Valentine’s Day this weekend, so I wanted to make some Valentine cookies with the kids. We made 2 different kinds tonight, heart shaped Cut-Outs and heart shaped Spritz. How did we do all that?? By prepping in advance, of course! Well, I did the prepping while the kids were at school, so that we could get right to cookie making after homework!

First, the recipes…

Grandma F.’s Cut-Out Cookies – (my Grandma used to make these for my dad and his brothers when they were kids, and they have become a staple in our family!)

Cookies
3 Cups sifted flour
½ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
½ cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup butter

Frosting
2 tbsp. water to 1 cup powdered sugar (adjust water/sugar to get desired consistency)
Food coloring

1. Combine first three ingredients and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and egg and mix until well blended.
3. Add dry ingredients ½ cup at a time until all mixed together.
4. Roll out on floured surface, cut out, place on ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350°F for approx. 11 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned. Frost as desired.


Spritz

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. almond flavoring
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Food coloring

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Add butter, sugar, egg yolks, flavoring to a large bowl, and mix well. (If you are planning to tint the dough, I recommend adding the food coloring now. It’s much easier to work it in at this point, then after you have mixed in all the flour)
3. Mix in flour.
4. Place dough in cookie press and press onto ungreased baking sheet in desired shape. Bake 7 – 10 minutes or until set, but not brown.


Ok, here’s how I prepped:
This afternoon, I went ahead and made the dough for the cutout cookies. After it was made, I pressed it into about an 8x4 inch rectangle and wrapped it in saran wrap. It has to be brought back to about room temp before you can roll it out, so the thinner you make it, the faster it will warm up.

I didn’t want to make the Spritz dough in the afternoon, so I measured out the sugar and flour into small bowls and covered them. I separated the egg yolks and whites (saving the whites for breakfast tomorrow, of course!) and placed the yolks into a small covered bowl in the refrigerator. I pulled out the almond flavoring and food coloring and set them by my mixer.

As the kids were started their homework, I took the cut-out cookie dough out of the fridge to warm up. I gathered up the rolling pin, mat, flour shaker, cookie cutters and spatula that I would need and got them to the table. By the time the kids were done, the dough was ready to roll out. My kids have been helping me do this for years, but tonight I let them do most of the rolling and cutting. I helped a little to make sure the dough wasn’t too thick or thin. But while they were prepping those cookies, I started the dough for the Spritz.

We got the Cut-Outs all baked, got the Spritz in the oven, and started frosting the Cut-Outs. The frosting is the key to these cookies. They are not all that sweet when they are plain, but after adding the frosting, they have just the right amount of sweetness!

Faith was done helping by this point, she wanted to read. Frankie frosted a few cookies, but was having a hard time and said his arm hurt. So, I basically finished it up. But it was worth it! I got to spend some good quality time with my kids, got some yummy cookies out of it, and didn’t feel totally wiped out….thanks to the prepping!

Sausage-Cheese Balls

Last summer, I attended a “Southern Living at Home” party with a couple of friends. I am sure most of you have heard of SLAH, they sell home décor, kitchen items, and my favorite, cookbooks! While we were there, the consultant would show items and give us ideas of how we could use it in our home. Several times while showing different serving platters, she mentioned they would be great for serving “Sausage Balls” at a party. After hearing this over and over, I had to lean over to my friends and quietly ask, “What the HECK are Sausage Balls???”. I was told there a snack food/appetizer sort of thing made from sausage, cheese and Bisquick. I had never heard of them! I thought it must be because I grew up in the North, but the way they were talked about down here, I thought maybe EVERYONE had heard of Sausage Balls but me. So I asked several of my friends from the North…none of them had heard of them either. So, it wasn’t just me, WHEW!

This morning, I decided I would tackle the Sausage Balls and take them to my prayer group that I attend every Friday. I found the recipe earlier this week, and made sure I had all the ingredients to make them. They were relatively easy to make and made a ton.

Sausage-Cheese Balls - adapted from Bisquick
3 cups Original Bisquick mix
1 pound bulk pork sausage
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, or cheese of your choice (I used Mexi blend)
½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
½ teaspoon dried parsley


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray bottom and sides of a shallow pan with non-stick spray.
2. Use your hands to mix all ingredients together. (Trust me, a spoon just won't cut it) Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Place them in the pan so they aren't touching...they can be close, just don't have them touch!
3. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown. Immediately remove from pan.

Makes: approx 7-8 dozen

These were extremely yummy, and very easy to eat, too easy actually. They were less greasy than I thought they would be, and really delicious with the barbecue sauce I served them with for dipping.

To make sure I made them all the same size, I used my Pampered Chef small scoop (looks like a tiny ice cream scoop) and scooped them all first and place them on a pan. Then I went back and used my hands to form them into a compact ball. They were a little time consuming, but super easy.

I did read that you can make these up, and freeze them (up to 1 month) before cooking and just pull out what you need when you want to cook them. I had already thawed the sausage, so I didn’t think that would be a good idea. I only cooked up around 30 of them this morning, and refrigerated the rest to cook up this weekend. They will be good breakfast finger food or football watching food. And with the Superbowl coming up next weekend, these would be great to take to a party since it makes so many!

So I am counting on my Northern friends to spread the word about Sausage Balls! Ok, so that doesn’t sound so great when I put it like that. But seriously, the Southern cooks know a good appetizer: anything that involves a little fat, a little grease, and biscuits!

I am looking forward to trying some more Southern food this year and sharing it with you!

Yummy Meatloaf

I am definitely in comfort food mode lately, maybe because it’s winter. Or maybe I always am in that mode. Either way, tonight is no exception: It’s Meatloaf and Mashed Potato night!!! As a young child, I don’t remember eating meatloaf. I think my mom made it for the first time for us when I was a teenager. I always remember thinking that it sounded awful. I mean just the name itself isn’t very appealing. But, I was sure glad I tried it that first time, because it is definitely one of my favorite things to eat now!

I like making Meatloaf for several reasons. You already know the first one: I can make it in advance! It’s also very easy, and most of the ingredients I always have on hand. You really can’t mess up a Meatloaf. So, if you think you can’t cook, this is a great recipe to start with.

I got this recipe from my mom, not sure where she got it, but I added the “Yummy” to the name!

Yummy Meatloaf

Meatloaf:
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 cup tomato sauce
¾ cup uncooked oats (quick or old-fashioned)
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

BBQ Sauce Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. mustard

1. Mix topping ingredients and set aside.
2. Combine all meatloaf ingredients in large bowl.
3. Place in 9x13 baking dish and shape into 4x8 inch loaf.
4. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, brush sauce over top and bake 10 more minutes.


Now, as far as the mashed potatoes go, I love homemade ones! But, I also love instant ones. It seems like a lot of people are totally against instant mashed potatoes, but they are seriously one of my all time favorite foods. I won’t tell you how often I make them…I mean, they are good for a late night snack, or when you’ve had a bad day! Anyhow, that’s what I made tonight…good ol’ Hungry Jack's! Also a little side of frozen peas (cooked, of course…I have to specify because my daughter likes them right out of the freezer), and some canned green beans.

So, not the most difficult of meals, but certainly "yummy", at least in my book!

Italian Panini Sandwiches

For Christmas, I received a Panini grill from my parents! I don’t know why it makes sandwiches taste so yummy, but it does. Today, I made grilled Italian sandwiches for dinner and amazingly, everyone liked them! Frankie did decide to remove the tomatoes and peppers just prior to eating, but I won’t complain about that.

I also made some good old Ore Ida French fries as well. Not exactly the healthiest dinner, but a tasty dinner for an afternoon of watching football!

If you have a George Foreman Grill, you can also grill your sandwich on that. If you have neither, then you can cook it on an electric griddle or skillet.


Italian Panini Sandwiches (Yield: 4 sandwiches)

1 loaf soft Italian bread
½ lb. sliced provolone (I used Sargento Reduced Fat Provolone slices)
½ lb. thin sliced ham (not shaved)
¼ lb. salami
¼ lb. sandwich pepperoni
1 tomato, sliced
Mild Pepper Rings
Your favorite Italian dressing (I used Kraft Light House Italian)
Olive Oil

1. Heat your Panini or George Foreman grill according to the product manual.
2. Cut loaf of Italian bread into 4 equal portions. Slice each portion in half horizontally.
3. Turn the bread “inside out”, so the outsides of the bread will actually be on the inside.
4. Starting with the bread “bottoms”, layer in this order: 1 slice of cheese, 2 slices salami, 2 slices ham, 2 slices pepperoni, 1 slice cheese. Top with other slice of bread.
5. Brush both sides of bread with olive oil. Having the bread “inside out” will help the oil to seep into the bread.
6. Place 2 sandwiches at a time on the grill, and cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Watch sandwiches carefully! Your grill may require more or less time! Repeat with other 2 sandwiches.
7. Remove carefully and open sandwiches and place on 2 tomato slices, pepper rings, and spread with Italian dressing. Cut sandwiches in half and serve!


Happy Grilling! And GO COLTS! AFC CHAMPS!

Semi-Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This morning my husband mentioned that Chicken Noodle Soup sounded good to him. I am not sure why, because no one is sick in our house and it wasn’t cold today, but he said it just sounded good. I really didn’t have a plan for dinner today (can you believe it?) so I decided to make him some Chicken Noodle Soup.

Normally, I would make chicken stock after I roast a chicken, but I didn’t have any chicken, so I had to start with what I did have. And that was chicken bouillon granules. Not exactly what I think of when making soup, but it would work for a quick pot of soup. I did realize then that I did have chicken…canned chicken. Basically, I scraped together some semi-homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with items I had on hand. It turned out amazingly well. Everyone liked it and we still have leftovers for tomorrow!

Here is my quick and easy recipe:

15 cups water
5 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
½ small onion chopped
3 celery stalks, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
½ bag egg noodles, cooked according to directions on package
1 large can chicken, drained and broken up
Pepper, to taste

1. Bring water to boil in large stock pot. Add bouillon granules and stir.
2. Add onion, celery and carrot. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to directions on package.
4. During last 5 minutes of simmering soup, add noodles and chicken. Add pepper to taste.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

The first time I had this mac & cheese, was right after my son was born when my friend Kim L. , her husband and daughter came to visit and see our new baby. She brought this dish ready to be baked and once I tasted it, I was hooked. It was delicious! And could be made in advance (which you know I love)!

I don’t make it much anymore, however, and here’s why: my daughter doesn’t like “homemade” mac & cheese, she only likes the blue box stuff with the powdered cheese mix; and my husband has recently become severely lactose intolerant, so a bunch of cheese and milk isn’t really going to help him have a good night’s sleep. My son, on the other hand, LOVES this, and asks for it all the time. So, I thought tonight would be a good night to make it since my daughter would be at a friend’s house and my husband had non-cheesy leftovers from last night he could eat. My son, his friend, and I had all the mac & cheese to ourselves.

Because this is such a heavy dish, I like to serve it with raw veggies or salad. Tonight I just served a bunch of fresh carrot and celery sticks with Ranch dressing. There is something about eating something cold and crunchy, with something hot and squishy. It just works. You know what I mean.


Baked Macaroni & Cheese – courtesy of Kim L.

2 quarts water
8 ounces elbow macaroni
4 Tbsp. Butter, divided
3 - 4 slices bread, cubed
1 small onion, minced (I use even less…maybe ½ of a small onion)
1 Tbsp. All-purpose flour
1 tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Dry mustard
1/8 tsp. Pepper
1-1/2 cups milk
8 ounces shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese
4 ounces shredded swiss cheese
(these are the cheeses I like to use, you can use any combination of cheeses that you like!)

1. Cook macaroni. Drain and set aside. Grease 2 qt baking dish (or use cooking spray). Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. While cooking macaroni….In 2-qt saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter, add onion and cook until tender. (5-10 minutes).
3. Blend in flour, mustard, pepper and salt. Stir in milk. Cook, stirring until thickened. Add a little extra flour if needed. Remove from heat and stir in cheese
4. Place macaroni in baking dish. Pour cheese mixture over macaroni and mix well.
5. Using pan you cooked macaroni in, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add bread cubes and toss to coat.
6. Place bread cubes on top of macaroni & cheese mixture.
7. Bake in oven 20 minutes or until bread cubes are lightly browned.

I think this is a great recipe to make for a family you may be making a meal for. It is easy to double, and can be baked in a heavy duty disposable foil pan, so that you don’t even have to worry about getting your pan back. If you prepare it ahead and refrigerate it for yourself or someone else, be sure to add 10-15 minutes to the baking time!

Definitely experiment with different types of cheeses. I haven’t done this because we have been happy with it the way it is. But if you do, please let me know! I would love to know which cheeses you try!

One last thing, don't be ashamed if you are a "box" Mac & Cheese kind of family. I still buy the 12 pack of it at Sam's all the time. There are some nights when I grab a box of that to make for the kids because there was no plan in place for dinner. Plus, that is still my daughter's favorite...for now. Hopefully one day, she'll realize that mom's is the best! ;)

Kristina vs. Chocolate Chip Cookies

I enjoy baking. I enjoy cooking, too, but I think I like baking even more. Over the years, I have had this battle with Chocolate Chip cookies. They never turn out very good. Seriously. I will admit, they are one thing I struggled with baking for a long time. It’s shocking, even to me, because Chocolate Chip cookies are such a common thing to bake. But it is true.

My mom always made the “Nestle Toll House” recipe that can be found right on the back of the bag of chocolate chips. They always turned out great, not to crunchy, not too soft, and just the right thickness. However, whenever I tried to make that recipe, my cookies came out flat, and I mean SO flat that they were just like pancakes, except super crispy, not at all looking like something you would want to give away, let alone eat yourself. The first time this happened, I figured I messed something up. But it kept happening over and over through the years. I started analyzing, OVER analyzing, what I was doing. Was my butter too soft or not soft enough? Should I use insulated cookie sheets or non-insulated cookie sheets? Maybe I should mix them by hand instead of using my mixer. Maybe I am over mixing. Should I chill the dough? Is the oven heating to the right temperature? And on and on and on. You get the picture. I would try something different every time I made them, and get the same results. I would be SO angry when I would peek in at the first pan I put in the oven and saw that they were flat, that many times I would just throw the rest of the dough in the trash (well, I’d eat some of it first).

Eventually, I started trying other recipes, and they would come out better, but I didn’t love the way they tasted. I kept searching and searching, and then I would think, I will try the Nestle recipe again…of course with the same results. Finally, I came to the conclusion that for whatever reason, it wasn’t meant for me to make chocolate chip cookies. I was very disappointed. How would my kids grow up normal without homemade chocolate chip cookies? I started looking for a therapist for them…they were going to need it, I was sure.

But one day, I bought some “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” Cooking and Baking sticks. They have 50% less saturated fat than butter and are supposed to be great for baking. On the back of that box, there was a recipe for One Bowl Chocolate Chip cookies. I was tempted. I really wanted to try them, but all those feelings of anger and disappointment from my previous attempts came back. I decided I had to try them. I had to overcome this feeling of failure when it came to chocolate chip cookies.

It turned out to be a happy day in my house. Seriously, I think I cried tears of joy when I realized that not only were they the thickness that I had been hoping for, but they tasted great, too! I highly recommend this recipe! I don’t think you will be disappointed! Even if you are one of those gifted bakers who have the ability to bake the “Nestle Toll House” recipe to perfection!


One Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Cooking and Baking sticks
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
½ tsp. baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Beat butter with sugars in large bowl with electric mixer or wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in vanilla, egg, and baking soda. Stir in flour until blended. Stir in chips.

Drop mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove cookies to wire racks and cool completely.


Pour yourself a big glass of milk and enjoy these cookies!!!!

Steak & Shake Chili

I have always loved chili, especially with kidney beans. It’s not something that I usually order when I go out to eat, though. But sometimes my husband will order it, and after he gets it, I will think, “Gosh, I wish I had ordered some of that, too”. Well, about a year and a half ago, I met my husband for lunch at Steak & Shake. I was having a miserable day, and almost didn’t feel like eating. But then I saw Chili on the menu, and I knew I had to have it. So for once, I actually ordered it. And at that moment, it was the best chili I had ever eaten. Sure, I think part of it was emotional, but it really was good chili!

When I got home that day, I knew someone had to have come up with a copy-cat recipe for it. So, I started searching on the internet, and came across this recipe, which I modified a bit. And it is now our favorite here at home! It has a couple of strange ingredients in it…believe me, I was shocked when I read the recipe, too. But, trust me, it is yummy and very simple. And the best part is, you make it in the crock pot!


Steak & Shake Chili

1 1/2 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1/2 tsp salt
1 can (10 ¾ oz) Campbell’s condensed French onion soup
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp cocoa
2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans, drained
1 can (6 oz) Tomato paste
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup cola (not diet!) – I use Coke.

1. Brown ground beef and salt. Drain.

2. Put soup in blender. Blend for 1 minute

3. Add all to crock pot.

4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 2-3 hours.


I promise, you will not taste this chili and think it tastes like chocolate or Coca-Cola. It’s not sweet, not spicy, but has a good flavor. We like to serve it with shredded cheese and sour cream on top. Occasionally (not today), we have Fritos to add in, too. But those are a rare treat, for obvious reasons!

Corn bread is always a must, too. Today it’s good old Jiffy Mix…it’s cheap, easy and yummy. One of these days I will branch out and try some corn bread with some mix-ins in it, like cheese, or peppers, or even broccoli! If you have a recipe you would like to share, please do!!!

Pork Chop & Potato Scallop

Every time I cook this meal, it reminds me of being a kid. My mom used to make this and it was one of my FAVORITE dishes. So, I guess this is a true comfort food for me, because it takes me back to when life was so simple, although I didn’t realize it then! Hopefully, someday, my kids will make this for their families, and it will remind them of simpler times…the time they are experiencing right now.

Tonight was no different than the other times I have made this: everyone loves the pork chops, and everyone, except Frankie, loves the potatoes. But he has to eat one bite of them every time. Faith complains about the cream of mushroom soup…she likes the flavor, but not the mushrooms! Faith did tell me that her two stuffed pigs were angry at me for cooking up some of their relatives. I told her they should be madder at her because she ate them and enjoyed them very much!

Here is the recipe:


Pork Chop & Potato Scallop – not sure where this originated…I got it from my mom!

1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup (I use Campbell’s Healthy Request)
½ cup sour cream (I use light)
¼ cup water
½ tsp. dill
4 cups thinly sliced potatoes
4 pork chops (or more if you need)
Salt/pepper

Blend soup, sour cream, water and dill. In a 2 qt. casserole, alternate layers of potatoes and sauce. Cover and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in skillet, brown chops; season with salt and pepper. Remove potatoes from oven after 30 minutes and place pork chops on top of potatoes. Replace cover and bake 45 more minutes.


This recipe is so easy! I love it. I sliced the potatoes up early in the day today, because that is the most time consuming part! If you do this, be sure to put them in a bowl of cold water that covers the potatoes completely. Just drain the water before using! Otherwise, everything else is pretty simple and can be put together in 15 minutes or less! There really isn’t much more to say about it! I served this tonight with a can of green beans…my kids' favorite!

If you like pork chops, potatoes, and cream of mushroom soup, this is a quick easy meal with minimal prep. If you have a bigger family and need to cook more pork chops, you may need to use a larger casserole dish. Mine fits the 4 pork chops in, just barely!

Happy Cooking, friends!

Tortitos

Yesterday was a crazy day for us, so I didn’t get a chance to post. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I was even going to cook yesterday. Our 9 year old son was having some minor outpatient surgery in the morning, (all is well now!) and we had to wake up at 4:15 am. UGH. Those of you who know me, know I like my sleep! Anyhow, what we were having for dinner wasn’t even close to be the first thing on my mind, and I wasn’t sure what my little guy would feel like eating by dinner, so I just didn’t make a plan!

By the time 5:30 pm rolled around, I was ready to decide. And for whatever reason, I decided to cook and make a mess of my kitchen. I know…I was not thinking clearly.

My son likes this one hot lunch at school called “Crispitos”. From what he has described to me, it’s some kind of taco meat mixture rolled up in a corn tortilla and baked until crispy. I have also had something called “Taquitos” years ago, which were sort of the same thing, but they were purchased from the frozen food section, and you just reheat them in the oven until crispy.

I had purchased the ingredients to make this last weekend, so I decided that tonight was the night. First, I browned the ground beef (I had 2 ¼ lbs. on hand), seasoned it with taco seasoning, and then I put all the beef into the food processor to grind the texture down really fine. It’s like the beef at Taco Bell (but better, of course.) After that, I had to assemble them. I had a package of 30 small round corn tortillas (not flour). I had a small skillet on the stove over high heat where I heated both sides of the tortilla for a minute or so until it was soft enough to work with. I would take that one out of the pan, put the next tortilla in, and start spreading the beef on the first one. I put a heaping tablespoon of the meat on the tortilla, spread it out thin, and left it about an inch away from the far edge. Next, I flipped over the tortilla that was in the pan. Then, I rolled up the tortilla I had been working with as tight as I could, and since I kept the meat away from the far edge, it didn’t ooze out all over as I rolled it up. Then, I placed it edge side down on an ungreased baking sheet, and took the next tortilla from the pan, and placed in another. Repeat for all the remaining tortillas. I ended up with 28 altogether when I was done.

NOTE: Watch the tortillas in the pan closely if you are heating one while working on rolling one at the same time. I tend to be uncoordinated, and was having trouble remembering to flip it and you don’t want to cook it so long it starts to get crispy; you just want it to be heated through so it’s very soft and easy to work with!

I baked them for 10 minutes at 400°F. I served them with a cheese dip I made from a block of Mexican White Dipping Cheese (it’s like a white “Velveeta” found in the Dairy section near the tortillas) mixed with a can of Rotel. I also made some Spanish rice (Knorr Fiesta Sides – not my favorite, but easy), heated up some refried beans, and had some leftover raw veggies from the night before to serve, as well.

When we sat down to eat, the cheese dip, while it tasted good, thickened up too quickly as it cooled and made it impossible to dip into, so next time we eat these, I think I will make a salsa/sour cream or salsa/ranch dip. But, everyone liked them! So that made the mess worth it. The best part, is we only ate about 10 of the 28 I made, so I put all the rest of them in a Ziploc freezer bag, and now I can pull out as many as I need whenever and reheat them in the toaster oven to make them crispy! They will be a great after school snack, or quick dinner when needed.

The dinner conversation revolved around what we were actually going to call these. Like I said, the school cafeteria refers to them as “Crispitos”, and I have seen them at the store called “Taquitos”, but I think my favorite name for them came from my son, when he couldn’t remember what to call them, and he said, “Can I have another ‘Tortito’, please?” We all burst out laughing! And then we knew we had our own name for them: Tortitos!!

As you can imagine, I used several pots, pans, baking sheets, food processor parts, etc. My kitchen looked awful, and the kicker was, my dishwasher was still full of clean dishes, which I would have normally emptied in the morning. I wanted to cry looking at my kitchen, but decided that I would just get everything rinsed off quickly, so that it wouldn’t “bake on” overnight, and I would deal with it in the morning (and I haven’t dealt with it yet). Which again reminds me, of why I like to “advance prep”…see my post from 1/14/2010, if you haven’t already, for more info on that!

Once I get my kitchen cleaned up today, my head will be clear enough for me to start thinking about tonight’s dinner and my meal plan for next week! Grocery shopping happens tomorrow!!!

Looking forward to sharing more kitchen adventures with you!

Tuna-Noodle Casserole and Advance Prepping

I like to “prep” before I cook. I know we all have to do that, but I mean ADVANCE prep. Like maybe the morning of, or even the night before. It doesn’t work for everyone, and it takes the same total amount of time to cook whatever you’re cooking no matter when you prep it, but I find it just makes a difference in my state of mind. The reason I like to advance prep is because at my house, the after school hours are my “witching” hours. So the less I have to do in the 4:00-6:00pm time window, the better for everyone. Sometimes we aren’t even home during those hours, which makes prepping for me even more important. And sometimes my kids have a day where they need more help on their homework after school, or just need some one-on-one time with me. Whatever it is, knowing part of my work of cooking dinner is already done, I can relax, even if it’s just a little.

I am going to post the recipe now, and then I will tell you what I did to “advance prep” it! Even if you aren’t a Tuna-Noodle Casserole kind of person, I hope you will find my prep tips helpful!

Tuna-Noodle Casserole - adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

4 ounces egg noodles
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup fine dry bread crumbs, or crushed Ritz crackers
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped onion
3 tbsp butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp dry mustard
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 – 5oz. cans of tuna, drained and broken into chunks

1. Cook noodles according to package. Add frozen peas during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, combine the bread or cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon of melted butter; set aside.
2.For sauce, in a medium saucepan, melt 3T. of butter and cook celery and onion till tender. Stir in flour and dry mustard. Add milk and chicken broth; cook and stir till slightly thickened and bubbly. Watch closely, you don't want to scorch. Combine sauce, tuna and cooked noodles in a 1 ½ quart casserole. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 375°F for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.


Ok, now that all that is out of the way, let me tell you about how I prepped it. Last night, after cleaning up dinner, I actually still had some energy (shocker, I know) and decided I would chop the celery and onion for tonight’s dinner. I put them together in a small bowl, covered it, and stuck it in the fridge. Then I measured out the bread crumbs into a small prep bowl, combined the flour and dry mustard into another small prep bowl, and measured out the noodles and put them into a small bowl. I covered all of them with plastic wrap and left them on the counter. Now, some people may not be ok with all that on their counter until the next day…you can stash it anywhere that works for you, of course! Or, maybe this prepping stuff isn’t for you, and that’s ok. Lastly, I filled a pot with the water I was going to use to boil the noodles, put the lid on it, and set it on the stove. Set another empty one on another burner that I would use to cook the sauce. And I was done for the moment.

Now, some of you may be thinking, “Wow, that’s a lot of work to do that…she could have just measured out the flour and dry mustard right when she was ready to add it to the sauce!” or, “Getting the pots out isn’t that hard to do right before you start”! And that’s true, that might be a little easier. But trying to grab all those things, measure them, get them in the pots all at the right moment all the while my kids are asking me questions, telling me they are hungry, and the pets are chasing each other around…it doesn’t always work for me.

Today, around lunch time, I cooked the noodles, made the sauce, and assembled all of it, so now all I have to do is put it in the oven and bake it. I will have to extend the cook time 10-15 minutes since it will be coming out of the refrigerator. We are also going to have some raw veggies and dip as a side dish. Carrots, celery, orange and yellow bell peppers are all some of my kids faves. And it’s easy. That is something I can do while they are working on homework, or asking me a thousand questions.

Well, I need to wrap this up so I can go wash all the dishes that I used in making this dinner. That is the other nice thing….then after dinner, the only clean up is the dishes we ate off of! Not a huge pile of pots/pans/utensils!

Happy prepping!!!

Make Ahead Oven-Baked French Toast

We like having breakfast for dinner at our house. Especially my 7 year old daughter. Every couple of weeks I ask the rest of the family to think of a couple meals that would like to eat so I can work them into my menu and grocery shopping plan. And EVERY time, my daughter says, “Pancakes”. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love pancakes, but I also love to mix it up a little. So this time, she and I compromised with this Oven-Baked French Toast. For her, it’s still a breakfast food that you can eat with syrup on it, but for me it’s different enough than pancakes, and WAY easier.

I made it up this morning before 9 am, and will probably put it in the oven today between 5:00 and 5:30pm. This is great, because it’s Wednesday: piano lesson night. So when we get home dinner will just be waiting for me to pop it in the oven!

Ok, about the recipe….the most important part (to me) of this recipe is the bread. I mean, that is the main ingredient to French Toast. Without the bread you just have…well, scrambled eggs, I guess…sugary ones. Anyhow, where I live in Alabama, we don’t have “top-notch” grocery stores with gourmet bakeries and deli’s. Let me put it this way, in the other 3 states I have lived in, Wal-Mart was my least favorite store. Here, it is my favorite store. Where am I going with this? Well, I have found that Wal-Mart actually HAS a decent bakery. Really. They make lots of delicious breads that cost a lot less than what I used to pay for them at a “fancier” grocery store. For this recipe, I like the large, soft French Bread loaf (not the hard crusty baguette), which at Wal-Mart costs $1.00 for a 16oz. loaf. I think that is a great deal! And a lot of times, it is still warm when you buy it. Bottom line: if you haven’t checked out the Wal-Mart bakery, do it…I think you may be surprised. I know I was.

Along with this French Toast, I plan to serve bacon. We LOVE bacon! Crispy bacon. I buy the Center Cut bacon because it says it has 25% less fat, but seriously, who are kidding here, it’s bacon. I do not like cooking bacon on the stove-top, though, because of it’s mess-factor. So, I cook it in the microwave. I do this using a 9x13 or 10x15 glass (Pyrex) dish. Line the bottom the dish with 2 layers of paper towels. Put as many slices of bacon on top the paper towel, that will fit, without over lapping them (or they will be stuck together when they are done cooking). Put one layer of paper towel on the top and put the dish in the microwave. MAKE SURE you find the setting on your microwave to “Turn Off” the turntable, if your microwave has one. You don’t want it to try spinning this dish around. Set the microwave for 4 mins – 5 mins on High. I always say less time is better, you can add more time at the end to get it to the crispy-ness you want. Once you do it a few times, you’ll know how long to cook it. Once it is done, carefully remove your dish from the microwave. It will be very hot. Carefully move the bacon to a plate to cool, and take the grease filled paper towels and put them in the trash!!! Yes, it’s that easy.

I also like to serve some fruit with our “breakfast” dinners. Tonight, it will be some frozen mixed berries that I am thawing out now. That way they can be eaten by themselves, or used as toppings for the French Toast!


Oven-Baked French Toast - adapted from Pampered Chef

1 loaf (8 oz) French Bread
6 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
Ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar

Coat 9x13 dish with non-stick cooking spray or vegetable oil. Cut bread into 1” thick slices, placed in single layer in dish. Beat the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt with a whisk; pour over break. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle bread with cinnamon. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!


If you have never had the Pampered Chef Korintje Cinnamon, you really need to try it! It has a richer taste than the store brand cinnamon that I use for most things. It's pricey, so I save it for special things that have cinnamon as one of the important ingredients! Check it out...
http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=13845&catId=12&parentCatId=12&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet=


Two last things….1) I double this recipe for my family of four. One batch is not enough, two will leave us some leftovers. 2) I just realized I was typing the recipe, that I forgot to spray my dishes with non-stick cooking spray before I put everything in. UGH. Oh well, I tried….and isn’t that what it’s all about anyway!?
Happy Cooking!

Leftovers!!!

I love leftovers....thankfully, for the most part, my family does, too. The best part about the leftovers we are having tonight, is that I didn't have to cook them the first time! We went out for Italian food at Ricatoni's in Florence for Frank's birthday and ended up with LOTS of food to bring home!

So tonight's dinner will consist of, 2 different kinds of brick-oven pizza, some pasta dish that I couldn't pronounce, but has chicken, sundried tomatoes, and lots of garlic, chicken wings (yes, I am aware that doesn't go with the "Italian" theme, but they were VERY yummy).

I will put together a Caesar salad to add to all that - which at our house means a bag of pre-washed and chopped Romaine lettuce, some parmesan cheese, and what we think is the best Caesar dressing ever, Girard's Light Caesar (it comes in the triangle shaped bottle).

Of course, there is some delicious Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cake leftover from last night's celebration as well. I am sure we will be able to finish that off.

Like, I said...I love leftovers....it will be easier to get all that ready, than it was for me to type about it! :)

Ciao!