Shepherd's Pie (or Hunter's Pie as we call it)

Cool weather means warm comfort food, and one of those things is Shepherd's Pie.  Of course, since my husband is a hunter, we prefer to use ground venison instead of the traditional lamb.  We've found this is a simple meal that our whole house enjoys, and that is a WIN as far as I'm concerned.

INGREDIENTS

4 Large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl finely chopped onion
1/4 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 bag frozen peas and carrots / mixed vegetables
1 Onion, chopped
1 Lb ground venison / lamb / beef
2 Tbl Flour
1 Tbl Ketchup
1/4 Worcestershire
1 packet brown gravy
1 C Water
1/4 Shredded Cheddar
1 Tbl Vegetable Oil

DIRECTIONS

• Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and mash.  Mix in butter, finely chopped onion, and 1/4 cheese. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• In large frying pan, cook onion and meat. Drain fat, stir in flour and cook a minute.  Add frozen vegetables, ketchup, Worcestershire, gravy packet, and water. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
• In a 9x13 baking pan, spread meat and vegetable mixture and top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes, remove and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Enjoy!

Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup

This soup is PERFECT for a cool day, and can be tossed in the crock pot to greet you after a long day away.  Plus, there is that superfood kale in it, AND it tastes good.  So go ahead, make it.  Its yummy!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound bulk Italian sausage

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 large carrots, finely diced

1 large potato, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

2 (15 ounce)cans white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

2 bunches kale, stems removed and roughly chopped

52 oz. good quality low-sodium chicken stock

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

 

DIRECTIONS

 

1. Cook up sausage and drain grease.
2. Toss it and everything else into the crock pot.
3. Cook all day.
4. Eat.

Amazing Herbed Pretzels

I'm a huge snacker and sadly have to admit that snack foods are my weakness - potato chips, tortilla chips, salsa, queso, guacamole, crackers, cheese, chicken dip, hummus - you name it and at one point, I'm sure it's been in my hand. At times I attempt to fight this snacking urge, and reach for carrots and bell peppers rather than the salty goodness, but it's not often I am able to say no to such wonderful items. Luckily, I found this pretzel recipe, which may not be as great as veggies, but it HAS to be better than eating fried, greasy, salty potato chips dipped in fattening, creamy sides. Just one warning, we think some how this mixture of spices causes a reaction that leads to an addiction and quickly you'll realize that you ALWAYS want some of these bitesize munchies available.

INGREDIENTS

3 Lbs Small Pretzels (waffles tend to work the best)

1 Tbls Garlic Powder (not salt)

1 Tbls Dried Dill

1 Pkg dry Ranch Seasoning (I think its 3 Tbls)

1 C Oil

DIRECTIONS

Mix all but pretzels in a bowl.

Place pretzels in a large, oven safe dish. Pour seasoning over pretzels and stir to coat.

Bake at 250 for 15 minutes, stir, and bake another 15 minutes.

Eat.

So simple. So totally simple. And so good. I hope you enjoy!

Matty's 'Mazing Guacamole

Normally Sunday night is reserved for a grand dinner served on our china and enjoyed at the dining table ... well, not yesterday. We were all set to get our surround sound set up after being in our house for almost 2 years so we spent the day in the attic ... and lost our battle, which really doesn't matter here other than it explains why we wanted a quick dinner. Sooo - we decided on Taco Night which is one of my FAVORITE'S, especially when my wonderful husband makes his oh-so-tasty guacamole. Yum. Seriously, yum! And to think growing up I never ate guac - how crazy was I!?!?! And what makes this even better is when served with the lime Tostito chips - let's just say perfection.

***Note: all measurements are approximates, we never measure for this. Feel free to add as much or as little as you want - I like mine chunky with lots of stuff besides avocados.

INGREDIENTS

2-3 avocados
1/4 C diced red onion
1/4 C diced roma tomato
1/8 C fresh cilantro
1-2 Serrano peppers, seeded and diced (can use jalapenos)
juice of 1 lime, fresh
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

Peel and seed avocados and place flesh into a bowl. Use 2 forks to chop / smash avocados until desired consistency. Add onion, tomato, Serrano, and cilantro and mix well. Squeeze limes to add juice, watch for seeds. Add garlic powder and salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

NOTE:

Avocados should be slightly soft to the touch, enough to give way when pressed but not super soft. I think of it almost like chilled cream cheese.

Roma tomatoes are best since they remain firm even after being diced.

If using garlic SALT, omit the remaining salt.

Fresh Salsa Cheat

I love salsa almost as much as I love my husbands guacamole and over the years I have made several different batches. I use to chop everything by hand - ughh! To make it worse, I enjoyed the salsas, but the flavor was never quite what I was looking for, it was always missing layers of flavor so I kept trying. And trying. And trying.

Then I found what I was looking for - my husband's mother and uncle both made a homemade salsa with the layer of flavors I was looking for so of course I asked for the recipe. I about fell out of my chair when they told me the secret. "Start with a jar of Pace" *GASP* What? So they told me again, start with a jar of pace and add your own ingredients, them mix them all in the blender and Voila! Fresh flavored salsa in a matter of minutes. This solved so many issues for me it was unbelievable - part of the reason I don't like jarred salsas is the chunks of cooked (I DO NOT like chunks of cooked tomatoes in anything - odd, I know) AND it allowed me to have that fresh flavor I enjoy so much. Add to that how easy this is and I knew it was the end to my "homemade salsa in a flash" search. Plus, you can change the flavors by changing the salsa you start with as well as the fresh ingredients you add, but here is my basic method.

INGREDIENTS

1 average size jar of your favorite salsa

2-3 roma tomatoes

1/2 - 1 red onion

2-3 fresh peppers (Serrano, Jalapeno, etc)

Handful of fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Chop tomatoes and onions into manageable pieces to add to blender / food processor. Seed peppers. Combine all ingredients in blender / food processor and process until smooth. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Snickerdoodle Popcorn

I was looking for a sweet snack using what I have around the house and came across this recipe - and yummy! My husband said between this (crack corn as we call it now) and the pretzel recipe, we should sell this stuff. I hope to find some more popcorn recipes as well, so be on the lookout!

INGREDIENTS

1 bag microwave popcorn, popped
8 Tbls butter
1/3 C sugar
1 Tbl cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Put butter, sugar, and cinnamon in the microwave for a minute. Stir and microwave another 30 seconds. Stir well again. Pour mixture over popcorn to coat well and bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees, stir, and bake another 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Sauage, Cranberry, and Apple Stuffing

Growing up, I was never a big fan of stuffing (or dressing as you may call it). We always had Stovetop Stuffing that I remember and I avoided it at all cost. It wasn't until a few years ago that I tried it again, mixed it with some mashed potatoes, turkey, gravy, and cranberry sauce - and quickly realized it had a place. Thanksgiving meals have never been the same! Being the stubborn cook I am, I had to find a homemade recipe since boxed mix just wouldn't do - and this one is my winner.

Ingredients

• 1 pound sage bulk breakfast sausage
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only, cleaned well (about 2 large leeks)
• 2 apples, cored and chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery with leaves
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 1 cup dried cranberries, rehydrated in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 6 cups boxed bread cubes
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 to 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Saute the sausage in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling coarsely with the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage and drippings to a large bowl. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning to the skillet and saute until the leeks are soft, about 8 minutes. Mix in the drained cranberries, sage and rosemary. Add the mixture to the sausage, then mix in the croutons and parsley. Next add the chicken stock a little at a time until the stuffing is very moist. Be sure not to overdo it; it shouldn't be mushy. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a casserole dish.

Bake in a 14-inch oval or 9 by 13-inch rectangular casserole dish and place, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top is crispy and the center piping hot. Remove and serve immediately.

Baked Beans for a Crowd

This recipe comes from my amazing mother-in-law, who I believe got it from someone else as well. Honestly, I don't care about the origin, I just care about them being ready to eat! I love these and as far as I can tell, everyone else who has tried them loves them as well. We usually do half this recipe since there are only a few of us, but if you need a dish for a potluck, picnic, or holiday, you could do the full recipe.

INGREDIENTS

5 cans pork and beans
5 cans Ranch style beans
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 C mustard
1 C brown sugar
2 C ketchup
4 chopped onions

DIRECTIONS

Brown ground beef and onions; drain. Combine all ingredients and bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes - or cook in a crock pot. Enjoy!

These beans freeze well, so make a batch and save some for later!

Tony P's Seafood Guac-tail

A few weeks ago I had the honor of being in my step-sisters wedding out in LA. She, of course, was a beautiful bride - but that's a different story for a different time. While there, we ended up at Tony P's Dockside Grill near Marina Del Ray for a nice lunch on the coast. After debating on whether or not we wanted an appetizer, we saw they offered a Seafood Guac-tail and knew that was the one to go for since my husband is a huge Ceviche fan and I am completely addicted to guacamole - this seemed like the best of both worlds. They brought it out in a deep sundae glass with a small fork surrounded by tortilla chips. With our first bite, we knew this was a something we wanted to try at home. It was the fresh flavors of the tomatoes and avocados and the perfect addition of the shrimp and blue crab - perfect for a nice, warm, sunny afternoon! One thing to note, I used imitation crab meat in mine since I'm not sure where to find the blue crab meat - but it was still de-lish.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 C Tomatoes, diced
1 T cilantro, chopped
3-4 T red onion, diced
juice of half a lemon
juice of half a lime
2 serrano peppers, seeded and diced
2 avocados, diced
4 oz crab meat
12 cooked shrimp, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Mixe all ingredients together, chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I tried this for the first time at a friends wedding. I was slightly nervous mixing fresh, sweet strawberries with spinach and dressing, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked together. What is even better is when I made this for the first time at home - my once McDonald's and Whataburger fiance, who was skeptical as well, tried it and enjoyed it as well. I kept finding him sneaking pieces of strawberries and spinach out of the bowl! I've learned that as my cooking skills increase and I try a larger variety of dishes, my fiance is also getting a better variety of food and is learning to appreciate a healthier and more flavorful menu. As we prepare for the wedding and beginning of our life together, there is a quiet understanding between us that before we even think about little ones, we need to clean up our eating habits - at it seems we are well on our way! So, without further hesitation, here's the breakdown.

DRESSING
2 T Sesame Seeds
1 T Poppy Seeds
2 T Sugar
1/2 C Olive Oil
1/4 C Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 T Minced Red Onion

Combine all ingredients in a dressing cruet and shake vigorously. Chill dressing for at least 30 minutes.

SALAD

10 oz Fresh Spinach
1 qt Fresh Strawberries, sliced (an egg slicer works wonders!)
1/4 C Sliced Almonds (I use the toffee ones, other nuts will also work)
1/4 C Feta (or goat cheese)

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl, top with dressing and coat evenly.

**Note: This recipe produces EXTRA dressing, you can easily double to spinach salad and still have enough.

Simple Fish Tacos

After spending my graduate school time in San Diego, where the seafood was considerably fresh and tasty, I was able to improve my taste from fish sticks and shrimp cocktail to actual seafood an adult would eat. One of the dishes I feel in love with was fish taco's, although my recipe differs from the one's I enjoyed in Southern California since I do not batter and fry them. Sure the crunch can be nice, but when you work sitting at a computer and don't spend nearly as much time being active as you did in college, your hips appreciate the lack of fried food calories.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbl taco seasoning
Juice from 1 lime and 1 orange
1 pound of white fish (mahimahi, tilapia, etc)
2 Tbl vegetable oil
1/2 head of red cabbage, chopped
1/2 C green onions, chopped
3/4 C low fat sour cream
2 Tbl fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp Hot sauce (Sriachi, etc)
8 corn tortillas
1 lime, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS:

Combine taco seasoning, lime, and orange juice. Cut fish into bite size pieces, add to juice mixture, and toss to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add fish and saute until fish is done, usually abut 5-10 minutes.

Mix cabbage, green onions, and cilantro. Combine sour cream and hot sauce, then coat cabbage mixture.

Warm tortilla's according to package. Fill with fish and cabbage mixture and garnish with lime wedge. (Squeeze juice onto taco before eating - delish!)

Serving size is 2 tacos and they have about 175 calories for each taco.

Not-So-Ordinary Meatloaf

As a kid, I remember meat loaf night in a rather unpleasant sense - well basically, I hated it. That dry, cake-like meat with the ketchup top in almost a gel form - ick. It was definitely one of those meals which I swore I'd NEVER make when I grew up and cooked for myself, NEVER. The years continued to pass and while my mother quit making it, I still never forgot my feeling of disgust when the term "meat loaf" was brought up. Oddly enough, one of my Cooking Light magazines arrived one month and there on the cover was the dreaded meat loaf. It was a rather disappointing day in my home, since I have come to treasure the day each month when my Cooking Light arrives and to see that awful item some people call FOOD on the cover, well, it really ruined the moment. However, as a faithful reader, I scanned through the issue and quickly arrived at the page with the meat loaf recipes - yes, plural. Hmmmm. Several recipes for that blasted concoction called dinner? Now I was intrigued, so I continued, reading through list of ingredients after list and it hit me - with this many different options, I'm sure I could find ONE which might actually be good. As soon as the thought entered my mind I saw it, no pictures, just the title - Italian-Style Meat Loaf. I love Italian food, and this looks easy enough, so why not? Cooking Light hadn't let me down yet, so I'd keep trying! I prepared this along with some mashed potatoes and was totally shocked with the first bite - I actually liked it. Me, the one who avoided meat loaf like the plague, the one who couldn't say the term Meat Loaf without making a face, the one who swore she'd never make it, I actually took the challenge and won. Amazing. Not only was this dinner a huge success, but this menu has made it into our normal rotation and fills our bellies twice a month. Any skeptics, please, give this a try - I promise you will NOT be sorry!

INGREDIENTS

3/4 pounds 92% lean ground beef
3/4 pounds lean ground turkey
1 cup fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce, divided
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine beef, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl. Shape beef mixture into an 8 x 4-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush remaining 1/2 cup pasta sauce over top of meat loaf.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut loaf into 12 slices.

Easy, Peasy Pesto and Penne

This is one of our all-time favorite dishes, and it is so simple which makes it even better. Anytime you are looking for a great pasta recipe that you can whip up in a flash and impress anyone - this is your dish. Just follow these few key rules and you can't go wrong:

1. You need a food processor - the small one seems to work best for this, but only because I think the large one is too big so I haven't used it for this.
2. You must use fresh basil (or the fresh in a tube basil) - dried will NOT work.
3. You must use fresh parmesan, the canned spaghetti cheese is not a good substitute.

INGREDIENTS

12 ounces penne pasta
1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
2 garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan.

Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper and serve. (I never add the extra liquid)

Lasagna on a cold, winter night

After a weekend of miserable winter storms in Texas, including freezing rain and icy bridges, I woke up this morning to the smell of burning heat. Turns out the motor in our heater needed to be replaced due, luckily my husband and his father will be fixing it tonight. Meanwhile, the heater is OFF and the weather is still in the freezing range, which of course means my house is getting colder and colder. So, since my in-laws are coming over to a cold house, its only fair that I make dinner, and prevent frostbite, I'll BAKE something to help add heat - so the consensus is lasagna. What a perfect cold weather food!!!

So here it is, one of the first recipes I ever discovered AND one of the reasons I enjoy cooking so much now. The one comment for the recipe is that I'm a big fan of sauce, and I think this one is a little shy on the sauce so I always add more, but never record how much - go figure. Hopefully I can remember to take some pictures to add here before we dive into the lasagna head first!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
12 dry lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.

In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt.
Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

***I always divide the left-overs into serving size pieces and put them in the freezer; they are PERFECT to take for work lunch. I do notice the sauce seems to reduce this way and they always seem slightly drier later on. I'll continue to play with the recipe to get the perfect amount of sauce and update it on here when I do.

Penne and Vodka Sauce

On days when you want to splurge, when heavy cream is not against the diet, and bacon is for more than just breakfast, this is an AMAZING dish. Unfortunately, since these wonderful ingredients are involved, I don't make this very often for fear of needing to buy bigger clothes. Yes, this should be post at sometime OTHER than the beginning of the year when so many of us are focusing on eating healthy and avoiding foods high in fat and calories, but the cold weather just doesn't warrant a salad so, here it is.

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbls Olive oil, divided
9 oz Bacon, diced
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 C Vodka
1 1/2 C Heavy cream
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 Tbl Italian Seasoning (or basil and oregano)
1/3 C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 Tbls chopped parsley
1 Lb Penne

DIRECTIONS

Heat 2 Tbls olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy; spooning out excess fat.

Add remaining Tbls olive oil and heat. Add green onions and cook until soft (about 3-5 minutes).

Add vodka, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by about half (important to reduce/remove alcohol taste in sauce).

Add cream and again cook until reduced by about half.

Add the tomato sauce and italian seasoning, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and keep sauce warm until pasta is cooked.

Serve sauce over penne and sprinkle with parsley and parmigiano-reggiano. Enjoy!

***CAUTION: Sauce may splatter, if this happens, reduce heat.

This sauce is great over cheese stuffed tortellini also.

Mediterranean White Fish and Couscous

After my husband and I got married in October, we vowed to do "China Sunday's" to encourage us to 1) sit down to dinner together at the table and 2) use the wonderful china we received at our wedding. We are also hoping this catches on to more days of the week and becomes a normal evening dinner before we have children since I don't want to raise them with eating out all the time or eating in front of the TV. This routine of China Sunday went to the wayside for the past month or so due to a variety of circumstances, but we are eagerly trying to start it up again - and while today is Monday, it was a holiday so we considered it our Sunday.

With this in mind and not feeling manwich and taco's are China worthy, I made a menu for the week and this seafood dish was the winner for today - partly because I felt it had the best presentation potential and partly because I didn't want to freeze the fresh fish. Knowing that my husband loves olives and fish, and my doctor (as well as the rest of the health world) has told me to eat more fish, I felt this would be a great addition to our normal meal rotation - and it was a hit.

As with all recipes, feel free to substitute and alter as you see fit, but remember that changing what is listed may not always yield satisfactory results. I hope you enjoy!

COUSCOUS
INGREDIENTS

1 C water
1 C couscous
1 C halved grape tomatoes
1/4 C chopped olives (I used green, although the recipe called for kalamata)
3 Tbl chopped red onion
2 Tbl chopped fresh parsley
Juice from half lemon
1 tsp dried oregano
1 large clove crushed garlic
1 Tbl olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Bring 1 C water to boil. Add couscous, stir, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to sit for about 5-6 minutes then fluff with a fork.

Mix couscous with remaining ingredients in large bowl, ensuring it is mixed well. Set aside while you prepare the fish.

WHITE FISH
INGREDIENTS
4 white fish fillets such as Mahimahi or tilapia
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
12 Lemon slices (about 1 1/2 lemons)

DIRECTIONS

Prepare parchment paper for fish fillets. I use the Cooking Light method of cutting a large heart shape into the paper, placing the fillet in the center and fold paper over it, then begin rolling the edges together starting opposite the point, then using the point end to seal it.

Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper and place onto the parchment paper. Drizzle about a Tbl of olive oil and top with 3 lemon slices. Seal the parchment paper and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for about 12-13 minutes at 425. Remove and serve immediately with couscous.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Roast

First off, I apologize for the lack of food pictures lately - they just have not been turning out well! I'll work on my photography skills so we can start getting better images again.

Next - I love my slow cooker! LOVE!!! I've been trying to find more and more recipes to make in it and this one is definitely a keeper! I was hoping this was going to taste as wonderful as it sounded and smelled, but I think it came out even better. I served it with a Sausage, Cranberry, Apple Stuffing (I still need to tweak the recipe before I post it) and homemade cranberry sauce - my husband and I both cleaned our plates! Luckily, we have enough to each have another full serving and I can't wait. The smell reminds me of the holidays, and I love the holidays, but this is so super simple to put together. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

INGREDIENTS

1 (3 lb) Boneless pork loin roast
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (16 oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 C honey
1 tsp Orange zest
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Place pork roast in slow cooker and season with salt and pepper.

Combine all remaining ingredients well and pour over roast. Cook on low for about 4-5 hours. Remove roast and allow to set for about 10 minutes for the juices to redistribute. Slice and serve, topping with the cranberry cooking liquid.

Taco Seasoning

Thanks to Ruby, many taco seasonings are even off limits because they contain soy. However, this is a good thing since I've been wanting to find a homemade seasoning anyhow - and I did! This one is a little spicier than the packets we normally would buy, but its delicious and is now what we will use anytime we need taco seasoning. I hope you enjoy it too!

I'll include the measurements for a single serving as well as the measurements if you want to put together a large amount and store it for future use.

INGREDIENTS

SINGLE SERVING
1 Tbl chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tsp corn starch

BULK

3/4 C chili powder
1 Tbl garlic powder
1 Tbl onion powder
1/2 Tbl crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbl oregano
2 Tbl paprika
1/4 C + 2 Tbl cumin

2 Tbl salt
2 Tbl white pepper

1/4 C corn starch

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together. Use 3 Tbl and 2/3 cup of water for each pound of browned meat.

The Best, Most Divine Chocolate Pudding Cake in the World

My favorite, most treasured recipe - this is it. I remember the taste and texture and aroma of this dessert from my childhood and it's a recipe I stumbled on accidently a few years ago. I don't think I'll even find something as delightful as this. It is great fresh out of the oven, served cold a day later, or even re-heated in the microwave - all perfect. Serve it with vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream - or my favorite - all by itself. Once you've tried this, you'll be hooked. Welcome to heaven...

INGREDIENTS

3/4 C Sugar

1 C Flour

1/4 C Cocoa Powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C milk

1/3 butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C packed brown sugar

1/4 C Cocoa

1 1/4 Hot Water

DIRECTIONS

Combine 3/4 C sugar, flour, 1/4 C cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk, butter, and vanilla - mix until smooth. Pour into ungreased 9x9 baking pan.

Mix together remaining 1/2 C sugar, brown sugar, and remaining 1/4 C cocoa. Sprinkle over batter in baking pan. Pour hot water over - DO NOT STIR.

Bake 35-40 minutes at 350. Remove from oven and let set for 15 minutes; pudding portion is EXTREMELY HOT! Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Souffle with Fudge Sauce

In the past few years I have become more and more confident with my cooking skills, but I had to try a souffle. I remember hearing as a kid how tough souffles could be and how often they would "fall" so I had always avoided this particular dessert ... until tonight. I had spotted a recipe in my wonderful Cooking Light magazine a while back and made a note to buy the necessary items for it. For some reason, tonight seemed the time to attempt it - especially since my husband had come home form work this morning and stayed up for a while, which meant he would be sleeping for a majority of the day, giving me time alone in the kitchen. So, I gathered up the recipe and all the ingredients and went to work - and much to my suprise, these little pillows of chocolate came out wonderful! If you are like I was an afraid of the flat souffle, don't be! Give these a shot, you just might be amazed!

INGREDIENTS

SOUFFLE

Cooking spray

1/2 C and 2 Tbl white sugar, divided

3 Tbl flour

3 Tbl unsweetened cocoa

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/4 C milk

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg yolk

6 large egg whites

SAUCE

1 Tbl butter

1/3 C white sugar

2 Tbl unsweetened cocoa

1 Tbl flour

1/2 C milk

1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Position oven rack to lowest setting and remove middle rack. Preheat to 425.

SOUFFLES

Lightly coat 6 (8 oz) ramekins with cooking spray (I used shortening). Sprinkle even with sugar to give batter something to cling to when rising.

Combine remaining 1/2 C sugar, 3 Tbl flour, 3 Tbl cocoa, and salt in saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whick. Gradually add 1 1/4 milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes until slightly thick, continuing to stir. Remove from heat and add 3 oz chocolate - stir until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature (~ 15 minutes or so). Stir in vanilla and egg yolk.

Place egg whites in large mixing bowl, beat on high until stiff peaks are formed - DO NOT OVERBEAT. Gently add 1/4 of egg whites to chocolate mixture, gently fold in. Continue with remaining mixture until all egg whites are mixed in. Gently spoon mixture into remakins, filling about 2/3 or the way. (I put all this in 4 remakins - they overfilled upon cooking) Lightly tap each about 2-3 times on a hard surface to level.

Place filled ramekins on baking sheet and place into oven at 425 - immediately reduce heat to 350, leaving souffle in oven. Bake 40 minutes.

FUDGE SAUCE

Melt butter in sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 C sugar, 2 Tbl cocoa, and 1 Tbls flour; stir well with whisk. Gradually add 1/2 C milk, continuing to stir with whisk. Bring to a boilk and cook 1 minute to thicken. Remove from heat, add 1/2 oz chocolate and stir until smooth. Serve warm with soufflés.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

I had heard about this recipe over and over and over, and finally decided to try - and holy cow it is yummy!!! I made it on Christmas for my in-laws (we didn't have any leftovers) and then again on New Year's Eve (again, without leftovers). It is so simple and sooooo rich, I highly suggest starting with a small piece. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
3. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

Pumpkin Fluff

I'm a few months late in adding this, but since this is a staple in our house during the fall, I wanted to make sure I listed it! We absolutely love this, and I even shared this with a few more people who are now also Pumpkin Fluff addicts. I enjoy it with Nilla wafers, but it is also good with graham crackers or gingersnaps - or even as a topping on pumpkin pie. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Orange Julius

Alright, who remembers these? I know I sure do! We used to go to the mall and beg our parents to get one, they were always so yummy and refreshing. Then, my sister some how got a recipe when she was in high school and we would make them all the time - in orange, lemon, and any other flavors we could. Then for some reason, we stopped and the recipe was lost.

Until a few days ago anyhow. While watching Food Network (as is on so often in our house), Alton Brown was talking about them - and the craving hit me, so I searched high and low for a recipe, and came across this one. Yum! And now, thanks to blogger, I am going to immortalize it so I will never lose it again.

INGREDIENTS

6 oz Frozen OJ concentrate
1 C water

1 C milk

1/3 - 1/2 C powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

1 tsp Vanilla extract
10-12 ice cubes (or more depending on their size)

DIRECTIONS

Blend all ingredients in a blender. My special trick was to then put the mixture in my ice cream maker and bring it to a much better consistency. Yum yum!

OMG Cinnamon Toast Cupcakes

I've never been a huge cake person, as I prefer brownies, ice cream, cookies, and cheesecake, but these are freaking amazing - FREAKING AMAZING! Not only is the frosting moist and creamy, but so is the cupcake. They are sweet without being too sweet and it is almost impossible to eat just one. Consider yourself warned.

Recipe courtesy Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor by Ann Byrn.

INGREDIENTS

CAKE
1 pkg (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/4 C milk
3/4 C vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 Tbl + 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbl sugar

CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
4 Tbl butter, softened
3 C powdered sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Mix cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and 1 Tbl cinnamon. Fill lined muffin pan about 3/4 full. Bake 18-22 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool prior to frosting.

Mix cream cheese and butter in a large bowl, slowly add powdered sugar and cinnamon until completely combined.

Mix 1 Tbl sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon for sprinkling.

Use cinnamon cream cheese frosting and them top with cinnamon sugar mixture. Eat and enjoy!

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

My husband LOVES oatmeal cream pies, these are as much a staple in our home as bread, milk, and eggs are - maybe even more so! After watching him eat his THIRD cookie and calling it breakfast one day I decided I need to see if I can make these at home. I found a recipe way back in the summer and bought the ingredients, thinking to myself "I'll make them this weekend." Well needless to say, the past few months were so packed with wedding planning and finalizing everything that I was never able to get around to making them. So this past weekend, I got the baking itch (and wanted a reason to use my new Kitchen Aid Mixer) so I pulled out the recipe, gathered all the ingredients, and got to work. While I don't have a picture at this time since my camera is filled with honeymoon shots, I am hoping to add one in the near future!

A few notes:

• I don't know how I ever made cookies without a mixer, everything is so much simpler and quicker now! Highly worth the investment!
• My husband has determined that these are SO MUCH better than the store bought ones. I haven't decided if this is a good thing or not ... We'll see how often I have to bake!
• Molasses is messy. The cream filling in these ... Even worse!
• Finally - I accidentally forgot the salt in the filling, but they still came out great!

On to the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
Cookies1 cup margarine
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups quick oats
Cream Filling
2 teaspoons very hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
2) In large bowl, cream margarine, sugars, molasses, vanilla, and eggs.
3) Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
4) Add to the creamed mixture; mix in the oats.
5) Drop dough by TBS on ungreased sheets.
6) Bake for 10-12 minutes,or until just starting to brown around the edges. They will look moist; don't overcook.
7) While the cookies bake prepare the filling. In small bowl, disolve the salt in the hot water. Allow this to cool.
8) Combine marshmallow cream, shortning, powdered sugar, and vanilla in med bowl; mix on hi until fluffy.
9) Add the cooled salt water and mix well.
10) Spread filling on flat side of one cooled cookie, press 2nd cookie on top.

Oatmeal Scotchies

These marvelous cookies remind me of one of my favorite people, my stepsister Melissa. She makes cookies every year around Christmas to give out to family, and this just happens to be one of the types she makes. What I love about them is the butterscotch chips ... and the cinnamon ... and the oatmeal ... well basically everything. What I also like is that while I love chocolate, these are one of the few cookies I make which is different BECAUSE there isn't any chocolate in it. Strange, I know, but true.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 C Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 C Butter (room temp)
3/4 C Brown Sugar
3/4 C Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
3 C Oatmeal
1 pkg Butterschotch Chips

DIRECTIONS

Cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add oats and chips. Bake 7-8 minutes at 375. Allow to cool slightly then transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Oh-My-Snickerdoodle-Dandy

Who doesn't love the Snickerdoodle goodness? Cinnamon and sugar covering a soft, flavorful cookie? Yummmy! So far everyone who has tasted these thinks the are great, and what's even better is they are fairly simple (even more so now that I have my wonderful Kitchen Aid Mixer!). I tend to whip these up when I'm bored, so its a good thing my husband is a cookie monster and eats most of them before I can indulge too much. These are also part of my so-many-cookies-have-chocolate-I-need-some-no-chocolate-recipes group of cookies.

***Note: You can swap 2 tsp Cream of Tartar and 1 tsp Baking Soda for the 3 tsp baking powder if desired

INGREDIENTS

1/2 C butter @ room temp
1/2 C shortening
1 1/2 C white sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
2 3/4 C Flour
3 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp salt (reduce if using salted butter)

2 Tbls sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 C sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Blend in flour, baking powder, and salt.

Shape into small dough balls; I use about a tablespoon of dough and make smaller cookies.

Roll dough in cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on cookie sheet. Slightly flatten with back of spoon.

Bake 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees. Transfer cookies to cooling rack.

***As always, make sure to store cookies in an air-tight container after cooling.

Mmmmm! M&M Cookies

These are traditional cookies and my weakness anytime passing a mall cookie shop, not only because their so tasty, but because they add a little color and fun to the moment. What's nice about these is being able to make them to fit a theme, and in this case it was a baby shower. We were doing everything in pinks and browns (since the bundle-to-be is a little girl) so I took the packages of Valentine M&M's and picked out all the red candies, then I separated all the brown one's from a normal package to get the pink and brown mix - yes, this was rather tedious and time consuming, but in the end I felt it was worth it. I know have a bag of red M&M's which I can use for Valentine's Day, so it works out perfectly!

INGREDIENTS

1 C brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar

1/2 C butter, room temp

1/2 C shortening

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

2 1/2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 salt

1 1/2 C M&M's

DIRECTIONS

Cream together sugars, eggs, butter, shortening, and vanilla. Add flour, salt, and baking soda. Fold in 3/4 C of M&M's.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Slighty push a few candies into the top of each cookie.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and enjoy!

Lemon Spritz Cookie Press Cookies

For Christmas, I received a cookie press kit and I have to admit I had NO idea what to do with it. Luckily, it came with a few recipes, one of which I tried tonight. These are light cookies that are good plain or would be even better with a little lemon frosting - or filling if you make them into sandwich cookies. I would add the frosting, but I don't need to extra sugar! While making these cookies, I've learned a few things about my handy dandy little cookie press:

1) If the recipe calls for zest, make sure to use one of the discs with larger holes. My first attempt ended in the zest getting stuck in the holes and then the cookie wouldn't form correctly.

2) You have to clean the grease off the cookie sheets between batches. If there is the grease (butter) from the previous set, the dough won't stick to the cookie sheet.

3) Don't refill the cookie press if there is still a seal of dough at the disc - you end up with a big air pocket in the middle and the cookies again don't form correctly.

4) This is totally my fault - if your cookie sheet comes with instructions to reduce ALL recipes by 25 degrees, don't forget. My first batch got a little OVER baked. Oh well.

INGREDIENTS

1 C Butter, softened

3 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1 C Sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp Vanilla

1 1/4 tsp lemon zest (I used 1 lemon, will use at least 2 next time)

3/4 tsp Lemon Extract

2 1/2 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and mix until fluffy. Add egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon extract. Mix well. Gradually add flour and salt and mix completely. DO NOT CHILL DOUGH.

Set up cookie press (select disc) and put dough into press. Press cookies onto UNGREASED, COOL cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

***Extra's: dough can be colored by any food coloring, or you can use a mix of colors by creating various small colored logs that are placed into cookie press together. These will be great around holidays or other events where you can play with various shapes and colors.

Mom's Oatmeal No-bakes

These are great cookies to make, especially when you have something else baking and can't use the oven but still want to make cookies. These are also some of my favorite cookies from my childhood - and remain that way today. They don't have your typical cookie dough texture and remind me more of a fudge mixed with oatmeal, so how can you go wrong? These are perfect for those cookie exchanges or gift tins at Christmas, or even just satisfying a sweet tooth on a weeknight.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 C Butter

*Add a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter

1/2 C Milk

2 C white sugar

1/2 C peanut butter

1/4 C cocoa

1 Tbl Vanilla

3 C Oats

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients except oats in saucepan, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute to ensure sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add oats and mix well. Spoon mixture onto wax paper and allow to cool. Store in air-tight container.

Cran-Orange Oatmeal Muffin Drops

I have been completely addicted to orange cranberry flavors lately and came across this recipe. My husband and I ate all these within 2 days and then made another batch - they are amazing! I will be making sure I always have a bag of frozen cranberries around so I can whip up a batch of these whenever the mood strikes.

INGREDIENTS

1 C Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 C Butter, soften
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 C Milk
1 tsp Orange Zest
1 1/2 C Oats
3/4 C Cranberries, chopped
3/4 C Walnuts, chopped (optional)

GLAZE:

1 C Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Orange Zest
1/4 tsp Vanilla
1-2 Tbl Orange Juice

DIRECTIONS

Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add egg, milk and orange zest.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Mix together butter mixture with flour mixture.

Add oats and cranberries (and walnuts if you want them).

Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, until edges slightly brown. Move to wire rack an allow to cool.

Prepare glaze: mix powdered sugar, orange zest, vanilla and a Tbl of OJ - continue adding OJ until it reaches the consistency you desire.

Once cookies are cooled, top with glaze as desired.

Store in air tight container, separate layers with wax paper. Cookies will increase in moisture after about 8 hours.

Butterscotch Crunchies

The first batch of Christmas cookies are complete, and this is by far one of the easiest recipes you'll come across. There is something I love about the taste of butterscotch and then add in a little salt and crunch and I'm in heaven. Yum yum!!! I came across this recipe and while I can't pinpoint where I've had these, I know I've had them many, many times and each time, they are just as wonderful.

I hope the next few weeks will bring loads of many more cookies, cakes, and baked goods for me to taste and share, considering I've already been planning some almond spritz cookies and some chocolate peppermint cookies. Here's a good way to start the holiday cooking!!!

INGREDIENTS

1 Bag (11 oz) butterscotch chips
1/4 Cup creamy peanut butter
3 - 1/2 Cups corn flake cereal

DIRECTIONS

Melt butterscotch chips in a double boiler, stirring until melted. Add peanut butter and continue to stir (spray measuring cup with Pam first will help it release). Fold in corn flakes. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper to cool. Once set, enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

This is inspired be a similar recipe I found in a magazine. One thing which irritates me to no end is when a recipe calls for some sort of cooked item with no instructions on how to cook it. The original recipe does this with the chicken, so I have included my suggested cooking method rather than write "cup of cooked chicken".

When I first read this recipe, I was hesitant to attempt it since I am not a big enchilada fan, due to the soft corn tortillas used. Luckily, I was feeling daring one night and with my recent attempt to eat healthier, figure why not give it a shot - I mean the worst that could happen is it gets tossed in the trash and we end up with Chinese Take Out. Surprisingly, with one bite, I knew this was a keeper!

INGREDIENTS
1 C chopped onion
1/4 C fresh cilantro
2 Garlic cloves
8 oz salsa Verde (can be store bought)
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 C reduced fat cream cheese
Fat-free, low sodium Chicken broth
12 White Corn Tortilla's
Cooking spray
1/4 C crumbled Queso Fresco
Chili Powder

DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350. Place chicken breasts in oven dish and add some chicken broth (I usually add enough to halfway submerge the chicken, probably about 1 C or so), this helps keep the chicken moist. I also like to season the chicken with any variety of black pepper, white pepper, red pepper, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and / or onion powder. These you can switch out to your own taste. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Flip the chicken and bake another 20 minutes or until chicken is done. This will obviously differ depending on the size of your chicken breasts. One completely cooked, remove chicken to a bowl and use a fork to shred. Discard remaining chicken broth. Set oven to 425.

Combine onion, cilantro, garlic, and salsa in blender and blend until smooth. In another bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese, and half of salsa mixture. Reserve remaining salsa.


Spoon chicken mixture into corn tortilla, using a small enough amount to allow the tortilla to be rolled into a traditional enchilada. Place rolled enchilada seem-side down in a greased baking dish (I use Pam). Continue this process until all the chicken mixture has been used.

Top enchiladas with remaining salsa (I use a spatula to cover the tortilla's completely to prevent any crispy spots). Sprinkle with crumbles queso and top with chili powder.

Bake for about 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated (chicken has already been cooked, so no worries here!). The cheese should be melted and some areas browned.





Serve these enchilada's with refried beans, black beans, spanish rice, chips and salsa or guacamole, or any other wonderful side dish you desire - or even alone. For those who prefer, a Corona with a lime would be perfect!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:
Serving size: 2 enchiladas

Calories: 327
Fat: 9.5g
Protein: 28.5g
Carb: 31g
Fiber: 3.3g
Chol: 78mg
Iron: 1.8mg
Sodium: 493mg
Calc: 149mg

Chicken Parm

One of my good friends taught me this recipe not too long after moving to Texas, and I can't be more thankful. I know some of my measurements are slightly different and I've altered it a little, but the base recipe came from Mr. Divjak so I'll give him the credit here. This is always a hit but a little time consuming so we keep it for the weekends - and make enough to have leftovers for the rest of the week! We always make our own sauce to go with this dish and then have a bunch remaining for pasta and such at a later point. Its easy to divide into containers and freeze, then pull it out and heat it up for a quick dinner on another night. You can always use store bought sauce if needed - just don't tell anyone!

INGREDIENTS

SAUCE

1-28 Oz Can Contandina Crushed tomatoes

2-15 Oz Can Contandina Tomato Sauce

2-8 Oz Can Contandina Tomato Paste

5-6 Large Italian Sausage links (mild / spicy to your liking)

Dried spices - oregano, parsley, basil, garlic powder, onion powder

CHICKEN PARM

2-3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half (to make 2 thinner breasts)

2-3 Eggs

Milk

Flour

Bread crumbs

Grated parmesan

Oil

DIRECTIONS

SAUCE

Broil sausage on both sides to cook thoroughly. Allow to cool ~10 minutes, then cut in half.

Meanwhile, combine all remaining sauce ingredients in a large pot and heat over low, add spices to taste. Add sausage after its been cut and continue to simmer. Be aware of spatter.

CHICKEN PARM

Pout milk in shallow dish, beat egg(s) in separate shallow dish, pour flour on large plate, and mix 2:1 bread crumbs to parmesan on another plate. Set up milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs near stove.

In large baking dish, put layer of sauce to cover the bottom, set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Take chicken breast, dredge it in milk, then in flour, then in eggs, then in breadcrumbs to ensure entire breast is coated. Move to heated oil and fry a few minutes on both sides. Do not over cook to burn (chicken does NOT need to be cooked thoroughly at this point). Transfer chicken from pan into baking dish. Repeat with each chicken breast, adding more of any ingredient as needed (if more oil is needed, make sure to allow it to fully heat before placing chicken in it).

Add desired amount of sauce and sausage pieces to baking dish, making sure to cover chicken breasts with sauce. Top with parmesan cheese and mozzerella if desired. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Make sure chicken is cooked thoroughly prior to eating. Serve chicken with sauce - Enjoy!

***NOTES

Allow sausage to cool before cutting, this prevents the juices from getting out and keeps the sausage moist.

Broiling time will depend on oven and placement of sausage in oven, keep an eye on the sausage to keep it from burning. You can omit the sausage of desired.

Almond Lemon Chicken

This is one of those recipes that I wouldn't have originally tried, but with my limited diet and my husbands desire to use the almonds we had, he decided to make it. And wow. We ate it all up so quick I didn't even have a chance to get a picture ... either time! It is a little more time consuming than my husband wanted, but he didn't realize that until he was knee deep in the recipe, so he continued on. We serve this with white rice cooked in chicken broth and some sort of vegetable, and never have leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
6 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup sliced almonds
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 slices lemon, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic and white pepper. Beat in 5 tablespoons of the olive oil. Put the chicken in a shallow container and pour the lemon mixture over it. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a large skillet, saute the almonds in 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil until golden. Remove from skillet and reserve. Wipe out the skillet. Drain the chicken, reserving the lemon marinade. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, then add chicken breasts and brown over high heat until breast is brown on each side (6 to 10 minutes). Remove from skillet and reserve.

Strain the lemon marinade into the skillet. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and cornstarch/water mixture. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces by half (about 5 minutes). Add marmalade and stir over medium heat until melted. Stir in the butter a bit at a time over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in parsley and red pepper flakes. Return chicken to skillet and heat through. Add reserved almonds and garnish with lemon slices.

Simple Apple Crisp

Image from Eagle Brand
What could be better than old fashion Apple Crisp? Simple - a quick version of apple crisp with vanilla bean ice cream on top! My husband's family was coming over for dinner and I needed some sort of easy dessert (since my dinner plans were a little more involved) - this recipe was PERFECT! Of course, my husband also loves cinnamon apples, so this took that into account as well.

INGREDIENTS

2 cans apple pie filling
1 tsp cinnamon

1 C quick oats
1 C all-purpose flour
1C brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C butter, melted
honey

DIRECTIONS

Combine the pie filing and 1 tsp cinnamon - spread evenly in a baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except honey - mix well. Spread topping evenly over pie filling and drizzle with honey.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream.

Sausage Rolls

My husbands favorite breakfast item is Sausage Rolls, with the problem being that most places seem to use sausage with cheese in it. Well, that, and the fact that I don't know what is in the roll part - so we had to find a way to make these at home. And we did. These are so simple and really quite tasty, plus there are little so I'm sure it will become something Ruby enjoys eating when the time comes.

INGREDIENTS and RECIPE

Little Smokies
1 Can refrigerated crescent dough

Preheat oven according to crescent roll instructions.
Roll out dough and cut triangles in half, roll each half around a little smokie and place on cookie sheet.
Cook according to crescent dough instructions.

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

In my search for something slightly different than normal blueberry muffins, I came across a recipe for these - Blueberry Crumb Muffins - and I have to admit they are great. I made a few changes to try a healthier version, and the end result was nothing to be disappointed about.

INGREDIENTS

Muffins

2/3 C all-purpose flour

2/3 C whole wheat flour

1/3 C brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/3 C vegetable oil

3 egg whites

1/2 C milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 C blueberries

Crumb Topping

1/3 C whole wheat flour

1/4 C butter, softened (not melted)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 C brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

Combine flours, sugars, salt and baking soda. Add oil, egg whites, milk, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Gentle fold in blueberries, being careful not to smash them.

Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full (into either baking cups or greased muffin tins).

Combine the crumb topping using a fork. Place a small amount onto each filled muffin.

Bake muffins at 375 for 22-25 minutes (11-13 for mini muffins).

Not-Quite-Quiche Mini Muffins

Mmmmm breakfast foods! I love breakfast foods but actually don't eat them often because of the cholesterol in eggs and bacon, the sugar in pancakes and waffles, and with my husband working nights it just doesn't work well for us - but today was different. I tried this recipe last week actually and while it was okay, I knew I could do better. Plus, I'm always looking for a reason to use my mini-muffin pans or my pampered chef cookie/muffin scoops.

When originally searching, I was looking for a quiche recipe and realized I didn't have the pie crust or the patience to try and make one. I stumbled across this recipe and read the reviews - seeing that its not quite your traditional quiche, but its a quick and easy way to get something similar. I have a feeling this is going to be a recipe to stick around for a while since now only are they good fresh out of the over, they are good reheated as well - always a bonus!

INGREDIENTS
6 strips of Bacon, sliced (or half a package)
4 eggs
3/4 C Baking Mix (like Bisquick)
1 1/2 Tbl chopped fresh parsley
2 C FRESHLY shredded cheese (I use cheddar and muenster)
1/2 tsp onion powder

DIRECTIONS:

Fry bacon and drain on paper towel. (I use a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat)

Mix eggs and baking mix in a bowl. Add parsley, onion powder, and cheese. Notice the stress on FRESHLY shredded cheese, it tends to mix in better than pre-packaged shredded cheese. Add bacon and mix to combine.

Scoop batter into mini-muffin tin (do not use paper inserts). Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Do NOT over cook since the eggs will get rubbery.

We serve ours with Sirachi hot sauce to add a little kick to it. I was a little hesitant at first, but learned quickly that this is in fact GREAT, and is the only way I'll eat them now.

Pumpkin Bread

While on the search for a dairy free Thanksgiving menu, I found a recipe for pumpkin muffins (which I used in my dressing - recipe to come) that required no substitutions. I love pumpkin almost as much as I love banana, so I not only bought enough canned pumpkin to make these muffins once along with a pumpkin pie, I bought several more cans as well to have on hand. These will most likely become something we have often especially since I can have them for breakfast, which is the one meal that seems to be the hardest without milk.

INGREDIENTS
1 can pumpkin (not pie filling)
2/3 C vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 C Flour

2 C Sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cloves

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
Mix pumpkin, oil and eggs. Combine will remaining ingredients and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool and enjoy!