The Kitchen-ette

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2012-02-05T12:49:00.000-08:00

It's Superbowl Sunday! Although I wish the Saints were playing again this year and feel that they were ROBBED of being in this year, I am excited to go watch the game with our dear friends from Care Group. We are having a potluck of sweets and dips and all good football food, and I can't wait. I love snack foods...it's my favorite type of gathering because you get a great variety of lots of different foods. Chips and dips. Brownies. Cookies. Veggies and more dip. YUM! Can't wait!

Anyway, tonight I am bringing my new favorite dip: Buffalo Chicken Dip.

I have been slightly obsessed with Buffalo sauce since my last pregnancy. Jonathan and I even split some wings for lunch today after church. Anyway, I heard about this dip and tried my hand at it for the first time for a Christmas party. It was gone in a matter of minutes and I have been waiting for an excuse to make it again. I'm sure you and your friends will love it too!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:
2 (8-ounce) cream cheese blocks, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned and chopped (or a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and chopped)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
chips or crackers for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, Ranch dressing and hot sauce until smooth. Fold in chopped chicken until combined. Pour into a greased baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Return to oven and allow to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and dip is bubbly. Serve hot!

**** For the Christmas party, I served the dip with Fritos and I also cut up carrots and celery into sticks to serve with it. I thought this was a way to make it seem like Buffalo wings. Also, you could have a small dish of Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing for extra dipping.

IHOP Copycat Recipe

2012-01-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

My husband LOVES pancakes. Let me rephrase that. My husband LOVES pancakes from IHOP. Any other pancake he has tried--be it Cracker Barrel, Waffle House, Mimi's--pales in comparison to those from IHOP. Me? I can't really tell the difference between any of them. However, he swears there is just something special about that International House of Pancakes. So, in an effort to show him how much I love him (and to try out a new recipe), I figured that I would search for a recipe to match them. Surely someone somewhere has spilled the beans about how to make "the" pancakes from IHOP. It didn't take but one quick search for me to find one, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. They tasted great to me....Jonathan said they tasted great too, however he didn't convince me that he liked mine more than IHOP's. That's okay, though!

IHOP Pancake Batter (Copycat)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (****key ingredient)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cooking oil
pinch of salt
butter or nonstick spray for cooking

1. Preheat skillet over medium heat. Be sure to use a pan with a nonstick surface or use butter or nonstick spray to prevent pancakes from sticking to pan.
2. Combine all ingredients with a mixer or in a blender until smooth.
3. Ladle approximately 1/3 cup of batter into heated skillet. (I use my 1/3 measuring scoop)
4. Flip pancakes when edges appear to harden, approximately 1-2 minutes.
5. Cook pancakes on other side for the same amount of time, or until both sides are golden brown.

Variations:
I love to take some ripened bananas and smash them with a fork, adding them to my pancake batter for a delicious and sweet treat. Chocolate chips and bananas are also delicious! Any fresh berry added to the batter makes for a great, fruity breakfast. And, my dad's favorite are pecan pancakes! Yum!

Carmelitas

2012-01-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

This is a Pinterest Proven recipe. That means that it is a recipe that I came across on Pinterest that I have actually tried. I saw the picture of these puppies on the website and instantly started to drool. Of course, I had to have an excuse to make them, so since we had friends over for dinner for the New Year, I decided they should have something sweet to indulge in after their meal. Boy are these divine! I will absolutely be making these Carmelitas in the future.

Photo and Recipe courtesy of Lulu the Baker

Carmelitas:

Ingredients:

32 caramel squares, unwrapped (My two oldest kiddos LOVED doing this job! Way to include the children!!!)
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until completely smooth; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.

*They should be stored and served at room temperature.
**To make a 9x13" version, simply double the amounts.

I loved how easy these were to make, and I loved that the kids got to help me out a bit. While they unwrapped the caramels, I got the batter ingredients prepared. While the crust baked, I made the caramel sauce, then assembled the rest and let it finish baking. My Carmelitas sat on the counter for a few hours and cooled to room temperature. This was a perfect amount of time to let the caramel harden up a bit. We had a few leftover to enjoy today and the caramel is still so soft and chewy! These are a definite to try. Thank you, Pinterest. And thank you Lulu the Baker for posting this recipe.

Black-Eyed Pea Dip

2012-01-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Where do I begin!? We had a wonderful weekend celebrating the New Year with our little family of five and some friends. Jonathan and I finally bit the bullet and made my grandfather's famous Seafood Gumbo recipe. Since it will fully feed an entire army, we decided we would share the love with some friends, so we invited over a few last night for dinner. Since it was New Year's Day I couldn't NOT have black-eyed peas. SERIOUSLY! So, I ran to the arms (read: website) of my steadfast Pioneer Woman for a grand recipe including the traditional New Year's Day ingredient. Lo and behold, she had a dip recipe that looked delicious, so I figured I would give it a shot. I mean, I had a steaming 4 gallon pot of gumbo on the stove. I didn't need to fix an entire pot of peas, so the dip was just what we needed. It was a huge hit and something I will definitely make again. To make things even better, apart from the can of black-eyed peas, I had everything else in the recipe in my fridge or pantry. Secondly, it took about 3.5 minutes to assemble and 20 minutes to bake. Simple. Scrumptious. Seriously, the pan was empty in now time.

Black-Eyed Pea Dip

Ingredients:

1 can (14-ounce) Can Black-eyed Peas
1/4 whole Onion, Chopped Fine
1/4 cup Sour Cream
8 slices Jarred Jalapenos
1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3 Tablespoons Salsa
Hot Sauce, to taste
Salt And Black Pepper To Taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash, leaving some whole. Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine. Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Serve with tortilla chips!

I'm Alive!

2012-01-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

I am alive. I have TONS of new recipes to post. I have long neglected this food blog, so I am going to try my best to rededicate myself to posting recipes and meal plans and other fun things over here. I have done lots of cooking, and thanks to Pinterest, I have come across tons of new recipes. Many of them I have actually tried! So, here's to more posting in 2012 and many great meals!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-10-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of family.go.com

I attempted to make my own pumpkin spice latte earlier this week! It was okay, not great! But, perhaps with some tweaking I can improve it for my tastes. Anyway, for the pumpkin base of the latte, I needed some pureed pumpkin. SO, I opened an entire can for a mere 1/4 cup of puree. Not wanting to waste such precious pumpkin, I looked through some Pinterest recipes I'd come across lately and decided to try these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. They are really yummy and very simple!

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line with paper.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, oil , eggs and sugar until well blended.
In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Add to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each about 2/3 full. Sprinkle a few more chips on top of the muffins.
Bake for 25-30 minutes* or until a toothpick, inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a rack.

*Since I have lots of little hands around, I decided to make some mini muffins. I baked 2 dozen mini muffins and adjusted my baking time to approximately 23 minutes. Start with about 18 minutes, then check for doneness. After making the 2 dozen minis, I still had enough batter left to make 5 regular-sized muffins!

Original post can be found here.

Coming Back from the Ends of the Earth

2011-10-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I confess to the obvious that I have TOTALLY dropped the ball on my cooking blog. Not that an excuse is needed, but I had a baby in June, and cooking hasn't been high on my priority list. I mean, I cook, but I haven't had the excitement and drive to cook and try new things. I have had some weeks here and there where I was really motivated to make some good, more difficult meals, but for the most part, I just haven't had the umph like I used to. So, I am hoping to change that soon. I need to be better about meal planning, not just throwing whatever random things I have in my pantry and fridge together. It's Fall which brings about my favorite season to cook because I am all about soups and chowders and chili and comfort food. I enjoy baking (easy-ish things), and there are just some wonderful seasonal recipes out there.

I have recently been inspired by Pinterest. Have you been there yet? It's amazing...and addicting....and amazing! I have pinned a ton of recipes and I am finally making myself get my act together so I can try more than just two of them. So, I am going to start taking baby steps toward Motivation-land by making a meal plan for this week. It will only include three meals because what I am planning to make will easily leave leftovers for us, but I am going to include a few breakfast items I have been wanting to try as well as a dessert (or two).

So, here is my Menu Plan for this week of October 23-28.

Monday: Pioneer Woman's BBQ Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Chicken Lasagna with Caesar salad.
Thursday: Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls with roasted potatoes and green beans.
Friday: Date Night

Breakfast Treat: Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring
Baking Treats: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The breakfast ring and muffins are new recipes, so once I have tried them out for myself, I will post the recipe and my take on how they turned out. Also, the only new meal recipe I am trying are the ham and cheese crescent roll ups which I could probably make without a recipe, but it's an idea I saw on Pinterest. I'll post about that later too.

So, let's see how this meal planning turns out for me! If it works, I may post my meal plans more often because I think it would give me a bit of accountability. I know of many people that plan their entire month of meals out, but I am not to that point yet. Maybe one day, but Baby Steps, people, Baby Steps.

Marinated Mushrooms

2011-08-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

Confession: I haven't always liked mushrooms. There is just something about their texture that I am not absolutely crazy about. However, my husband LOVES mushrooms, so in the past seven years I have tried to develop a liking for them, and for the most part I have succeeded! Now, I still refuse to eat them raw and I don't particularly love having them on my pizza, but I do eat mushrooms on pasta, hibachi, or some other yummy dishes where the mushrooms are cooked down and really soft.

One of my favorite dishes as of late is a homemade Mushroom Swiss Burger. UMMMMM. I wish I had one right now. Jonathan is burger king in our home. Seriously, I cannot tell you the last time I mixed up hamburger patties! So, we basically take his outstanding hamburger, melt some swiss cheese on top, and serve them with some marinated mushrooms. They are dynamite!

Here is my Marinated Mushroom recipe which is perfect for our Mushroom Swiss Burger, but these would also be great served along a delicious steak! These are so incredibly easy to make, so give them a try, even if you only like mushrooms a little bit.

Marinated Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced any way you like
Butter, unsalted
Dale's low-sodium seasoning

Directions: In a shallow baking dish, place prepped mushrooms. I usually purchase two square packages of mushrooms that you find in the refrigerated produce section. They are usually already cleaned, but sometimes I do have to cut them up to be the size that I would like them to be.

Pour enough Dale's seasoning over the mushrooms so that they are all coated. I think I typically use about 1/3-1/2 of the bottle for one batch of mushrooms. As they cook, the mushrooms will release a lot of their water and the sauce with become much thinner and increase in volume.

Finally, cut a few pats of butter and set on top of the mushrooms. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Pour over hot hamburgers, a grilled steak, or a steaming spoonful of mashed potatoes!

Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-08-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

We were given some garden fresh zucchini last week, and with so much on hand I decided to try these delicious muffins. My kids loved helping me make them, and they devoured these tasty muffins without even realizing the zucchini inside. What a great & sneaky way to get more veggies in!

Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1.5 cups flour (I used whole wheat all-purpose)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (I didn't have this on hand so I used a splash of orange juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used the mini-sized chips)

Directions:

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Combine the egg, oil, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

***To shred the zucchini, I cleaned the vegetable and chopped off the ends. I then took a box grater and shredded it until I had 1 cup for the recipe.

These muffins are delicious and disappeared WAY too fast! I hope you and your kiddos enjoy these too!

Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

2011-05-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. YUM.

I saw this recipe on Tasty Kitchen just last week, and I instantly purchased the ingredients to make it. Seriously, it couldn't be easier, and we loved it.

Four ingredients + Crockpot + 6-8 hours = BBQ heaven!

Check out the original post here, or follow this easy recipe:

Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, defrosted
1 whole onion, roughly chopped
1 can (20 Oz. Size) pineapple (I used a small can of crushed pineapple and its juice, and a small can of pineapple chunks with the juice drained. I wanted a variety of pineapple sizes, not just all chunks. Altogether, I had approximately 20 oz. of pineapple. I will do it this way next time too).
1 bottle (18 To 20 Oz. Size) BBQ Sauce Of Your Choice (I used Sweet Baby Rays).
Hamburger Buns Or Kaiser Rolls

Directions:
Place chicken in bottom of crockpot. Add onion, then pineapple, and finally cover with the entire bottle of barbecue sauce. Once you are finished with those four exhausting steps, put the lid on a cook on low for 6-8 hours. At hour 7, pull chicken breasts out and shred meat, putting chicken back in the sauce afterward to finish cooking.

Serve on buns. We also had baked beans and some veggie chips with our meal! E-Z!

**Check the original post for other ideas on sauces or using frozen chicken and different recommendations with the pineapple. Above is how I prepared our Hawaiian BBQ Chicken! We loved it this way and will have it plenty more in the future!

Can I just say: CROCKPOTS RULE!

Thanks.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Fingers

2011-03-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe on the back of a Bisquick box, and I thought I would love to try it and see if the kids love it. My children love chicken fingers, and this was a yummy recipe that was baked instead of fried AND it included cheese! I mean, HELLO!? I whipped these up last night for supper and it was a huge hit. The kids enjoyed chicken fingers along with macaroni and cheese and green beans, while JB and I cut our tenders up and served them on top of a delicious Caesar salad! Two wins!

I adapted the original recipe just a little bit, but it's basically the recipe on the box. Give it a try! Chances are you have a box of Bisquick in your pantry.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Fingers

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2/3 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper; spray with cooking spray. In a medium bowl (or in a gallon-sized ziploc bag) combine Bisquick mix, cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. In another small bowl, beat egg and add milk. Stir till combined. Dip half of the chicken strips into egg mixture, then place in the Bisquick mixture to thoroughly coat each strip. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with other half of chicken. Drizzle melted butter over chicken.

Bake 12-14 minutes, turning halfway through baketime, until no longer pink in center. (My strips were pretty thick, so I ended up cooking mine about 20 minutes total).

Servings: 4

Ham & Swiss Party Sandwiches

2011-03-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hold on to your hats, ladies, because these sandwiches are SO good. My sister-in-law first introduced me to these wonderfully, rich, decadent sandwiches when we were on a girls' trip to FL this past summer. We whipped them up for brunch one morning, and they were so good! Now, I served these at her bridal shower, but you could easily makes these sandwiches for dinner one night, for brunch, or even lunch! They are so yummy, really easy, and very versatile. DELISH!

Ham & Swiss Party Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 pan of Sister Schubert yeast rolls, defrosted and cut across lengthwise
1/2-1 lb. of thinly sliced ham
8 oz. swiss cheese

Ingredients for Spread:
3/4 stick softened butter
1/4-1/2 small onion, minced
1 teaspoon of poppyseeds
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for spread: butter, onion, poppyseeds, mustards, and worcestershire sauce. Spread mixture on both sides of the Sister Schubert rolls. Cover bottom half of rolls with the thinly sliced ham & cheese. Cover with other half of rolls. Put the entire thing back into the aluminum pan. With a sharp knife, slice rolls apart, making sure to cut through the layers of ham and cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Remove pan from oven, let cool for about 5 minutes, then take a sharp knife and re-cut sandwiches apart to serve.

Tri-Colored Pasta Salad with Cheese

2011-03-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

This recipe is what I used for my sister-in-law's bridal shower a few weeks ago. I recently posted an entire menu of what was served, so feel free to visit back for more bridal shower food ideas. When looking for a recipe for pasta salad, I wanted to go more traditional. This one had a great list of ingredients and was just what I wanted: light, crisp, and not overly-dressed.

Tri-Colored Pasta Salad with Cheese

Ingredients:

32 oz., dry tri-colored spiral pasta
16 oz. grape tomatoes, whole/halved/quartered (your preference)
1 can black olives, sliced
1/2 jar green olives, sliced
1 cucumber, chopped and seeds removed
1 whole sweet bell pepper (any color), chopped
3 whole celery stalks, chopped
3 whole green onions, finely chopped OR 1/4 of a yellow onion, finely chopped
8 oz. fluid Italian or Greek or Caesar Dressing (I used Zesty Italian by Newman's)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: 16 oz. fresh Mozzarella Cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions:

Cook pasta according to box directions, making sure to salt your water and not to overcook your pasta. You want a nice bite to it! Rinse with cool water and set aside.

Drain olives, then place them in salad bowl. Add grape tomatoes, chopped cucumber, sweet peppers, celery, and mozzarella cheese (if using). Add chopped onion. Add cooled pasta into salad bowl, and pour the salad dressing on top along with dill weed and pepper. Fold together until dressing is distributed. It is best to make this the day before and let all of the flavors meld and the dressing to marinate the pasta and vegetables. Stir in Parmesan cheese prior to serving. Serve cold.

Bridal Shower Food Ideas

2011-03-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

So, my sweet sister-in-law is getting married in April, and I am the (very pregnant) maid of honor! A few weeks ago, we hosted a bridal shower in her honor and had some amazing and delicious food. I was thinking I would post the whole menu that we had in case anyone was looking for some inspiration for any upcoming showers that you may be hosting or assisting with.

Here is our menu:

Chicken Salad Sandwiches on mini croissants
Ham & Swiss Party Sandwiches (recipe to follow)
Tri-Colored Pasta Salad with Cheese (recipe to follow)
Vegetable assortment with dip
Fresh Fruit assortment with dip
Cheese and Cracker assortment
Taco Bites
Lemon and Blueberry Trifle (recipe to follow)
Petit Fours (in lieu of a traditional cake, at the bride's request)
Phi Mu Punch (recipe to follow)
Sweet Tea
Coffee
Ice Water

We had too much food, which is probably my fault. You see, I'm from New Orleans. My Momma is from New Orleans. We do food! We do LOTS of food! But, I am under the impression that I would rather have too much food than not enough, and when it comes to a celebration MORE IS BETTER!

I bought the chicken salad I used from Pimento's (a local cafe in town that has unbelievable chicken salad). I bought the mini croissants from Sam's and just made up the sandwiches the day of the shower. I am going to post several recipes that we used which are all easy and delicious. The petit fours were purchased from a local bakery! That was one of the bride's special requests, and we all know I am NOT a baker, so I wanted to get these done professionally. They were DIVINE!!!!

Here are some pictures of the food table to give you an idea of what the spread looked like:

Pasta Fagioli

2011-03-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe when digging around the A Year of Slow Cooking blog. I love soup. I love using my Crockpot. I love Italian food. When I saw this, I knew this is something that would be healthy, easy, and delicious. It makes a lot of food, so either make it for a crowd, plan on having a good bit of leftovers, or make it and freeze half. It supposedly tastes like the Pasta Fagioli soup at Olive Garden, but I've not ever had that so I can't say.

Pasta Fagioli

1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained (you could also use ground turkey)

1/2 large red onion, chopped (I only had a white onion)
1 cup carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, sliced

2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups beef broth

1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce

2 tsp oregano

1 T Tabasco sauce (I forgot to add this)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time (I used fusilli/corkscrew-shaped pasta)
Parmesan cheese, for topping at end

Directions:

Use a 6 quart or larger crockpot, or cut the recipe in half.
In a large skillet, brown the meat on the stovetop and drain well. Let it cool a bit. Finely chop carrots, onion, and celery and add to the empty crockpot (I used a food processor to cut down on the amount of time to prep). Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce. Finally, stir in browned and cooled ground meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4.

When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.
Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.
Serve with a bit of parmesan cheese.
Total Cooking Time: approx 9 hours on low, 4.5 on high

*** I did not put in the Tabasco sauce initially because I was unsure of how HOT it would be and if my kids would be able to tolerate the heat. I intended to put it on the table to allow us to add it as desired while eating. BUT, I FORGOT! I will try the Tabasco next time.
***I cooked my soup on low for 8 hours. I put the pasta in after the 8 hours, and it took the noodles only about 30 minutes to get soft enough.
***Freezing suggestion: If you plan on cooking a whole batch and freezing half of it, I would remove the half that you want to freeze BEFORE adding the pasta. If you do this, cut your pasta portion in half when adding it to the hot soup you are planning to serve that night or you will have too much pasta. My reasoning for this is that I think freezing the soup with the pasta, then defrosting it and cooking it at a later time may make the pasta too tender and soggy. I would defrost the frozen soup at a later time, bring to boil or hot simmer, and then add the additional 1/4 cup of dry pasta so it is a fresh as possible.

Nutella Chocolate Cobbler

2011-02-14T05:06:00.000-08:00


Photo courtesy of: www.savorysweetlife.com

This recipe is perfect for Valentine's Day! That is, if you love chocolate and are as OBSESSED with Nutella as I am. I made this for dessert last week, and we really enjoyed it. It's SO easy to make and if you carry Nutella in your pantry, then you probably also have everything else needed in your pantry to make this today. Give it a try! I honestly couldn't tell by taste that it was Nutella, but it DID taste and have the texture of a hot, chocolate lava cake. UGH! So good, so rich!

Nutella Chocolate Cobbler

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cocoa powder, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
½ cup milk
1/2 cup Nutella
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1-½ cup hot tap water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1/2 cup of white sugar. Stir in milk, Nutella, butter, and vanilla. Mixture will be thick like the texture of peanut butter. Spread mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup white sugar, brown sugar, and remaining cocoa (3 tablespoons). Sprinkle mixture evenly over the batter. Pour the hot water over everything and do not stir. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the center is slightly firm but not fluid like liquid.

Spoon mixture into small bowls and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

***For a step-by-step photo guide for this recipe, check out Savory Sweet Life's version.

Chicken Taco Soup (Crockpot Recipe)

2011-02-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

Here's what's for dinner at the Bradshaw house tonight! It's cold. It's damp. It's "supposed" to snow. Sounds like soup is in order to me!

Picture courtesy of Allrecipes.com

Chicken Taco Soup
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can chili beans

1 (15 ounce) can black beans

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (forgot)

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer (I used a Corona)

2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (I used mild)

1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning (Again, I went with mild for the sake of the children)

3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts

shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

sour cream (optional)

crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions:

Place onion, beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer and tomatoes in crockpot. Add taco seasoning mix and stir to combine. Add chicken breasts to crockpot, being sure to submerge them in the soup ingredients. Bake on low for 5 hours. After five hours, remove three chicken breasts onto a plate. Shred with two forks, then place the shredded chicken back into slow cooker. Continue cooking on low for an additional two hours.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips if desired.

Couldn't.Be.Easier.

Oatmeal and M&M Cookies

2011-01-31T08:39:00.000-08:00

This is another recipe I got from This Mommy Cooks.

These cookies were fun to make with the kiddos and they just LOVED having the M&Ms as a special treat. We thoroughly enjoyed these and had so many to share!

Oatmeal M&M Cookies

from paperseed

Ingredients

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (If you don't like cinnamon, half this amount.)

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

2 cups M&Ms

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and M&Ms; mix well. I used my stand mixer for these.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Makes about 4 dozen

Ravioli Lasagna

2011-01-31T08:34:00.000-08:00

I love ravioli. I love lasagna. What's not to love about the thought of this dish. My friend Amber on her This Mommy Cooks blog posted this a while back, and I immediately knew it would be something we added into our supper rotation. What I love the most about this dish is that it is the yummy-ness and deliciousness of lasagna without all of the hassle. The ravioli takes out the white sauce step, and boiling ravioli is much easier than boiling lasagna noodles. Not only was it easier to prepare, it was wonderful! And, my daughter loved it!

Ravioli Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 bag cheese ravioli (I purchased a package of Bertolli three-cheese ravioli from the refrigerated section. My grocery store wasn't carrying the frozen cheese ravioli, but if I find the frozen, I will most likely use those as they are cheaper than the fresh.)

1-2 pounds ground turkey/beef, browned

4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 jar of favorite spaghetti sauce (I used Classico Tomato Basil)

Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown hamburger/turkey meat, drain, and add spaghetti sauce. You don't want the meat sauce to be too saucy since it's going into a lasagna. Simmer for 10 minutes or so. Get out your 9x13 baking dish and start your layers. Begin your first with half of your meat sauce. Spread it all over the bottom of the dish. Next, layer your cheese ravioli in a single layer. You can place the frozen ravioli (if using) in the lasagna; it will bake just fine. Next sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella cheese on top evenly. Next, spread the remaining meat sauce over the mozzarella cheese, then another layer of ravioli, and the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the top with a little bit of Parmesan cheese. Place in preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes tent or lay a piece of foil on top of the casserole dish and bake another 15-30 minutes, until raviolis are cooked through, and no longer frozen.

Hope you enjoy! It's a new favorite in our kitchen-ette!

Spinach Maria

2011-01-29T08:31:00.000-08:00

I have many recipes up my sleeves that I want to share. I don't know if it's the second trimester or this cold weather, but something has kicked this little momma's tail into high-cooking gear. If you feel inclined, please come and remove my Pioneer Woman cookbook. I.just.can't.stop.

Anyway, for Christmas day this year, my mother gave me a recipe for a Spinach Maria that I prepared to along with our delicious roast dinner that my mom made. It was wonderful, so I have to share. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture, but just close your eyes and imagine spinach divineness!

Spinach Maria

Ingredients:
3 packages (10 oz. each) of frozen, chopped spinach
2 14 oz. cans of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs
1.5 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup cream (light or heavy, depending on your preference or what you have on hand)
1 8oz. cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes (easier to melt)
1 stick butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Defrost spinach in microwave or follow instructions for stovetop cooking. Drain well, making sure you squeeze excess water out thoroughly. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Place spinach in a large saucepan, adding cut-up cream cheese. Stir well until melted. Add chopped artichoke hearts, Worchestershire sauce, and cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in a casserole dish, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs (and even some Parmesan cheese if you want to!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly!

*On Christmas Day, I halved this recipe because there were only about 4-5 of us eating it, and we had TONS of other food. It was wonderful!
*To be honest, I would feel free to add as much cream and cream cheese to this as you prefer. If the consistency is too thick for your preference, add some more to make it more liquidy (Is that even a word!?) or creamy. The measurements I included above are estimates, as I am the type to just make things up or make changes as I go along. (I don't always follow the recipe exactly. Don't tell anyone, ok?)
*Now that I have royally confused everyone, including myself, I hope you enjoy this yummy side dish. I just love spinach, and it is so good for you!

Guess What Santa Brought Me....

2011-01-02T05:24:00.000-08:00

A bread machine!!! I have been wanting a bread machine for almost a year now, and even though I am totally intimidated by it, I am so excited to finally have one. Now, If I can only get it out of the box......

Anyway, I hope to muster up some courage (and energy) to make some bread for our family in the near future. When I do, I'll be sure to share some photos and recipes. In the meantime, if you have a bread machine and/or some recipes that are just delicious, please share with me! I'll need all the help I can get!

I also got one of these....

Now, what am I supposed to do with this!? I am so excited, but I definitely need some recipes for stir-fry. I've never cooked with a wok, but I hear it is super simple. We'll just have to check it out, won't we. Hope you all had a great Christmas!

Chicken Fajitas

2011-01-02T05:18:00.000-08:00

Every now and then, my hubby gets a hankering to get in the kitchen with me. Typically on a day off or a relaxing weekend, he'll start craving something and he wants to "cook" it. He does really well in the kitchen, but it's definitely a team effort most of the time. A few weeks ago, we decided to make some homemade chicken fajitas (one of our restaurant favs when we go out for Mexican). So, I found this recipe on This Mommy Cooks and decided to give it a try. It was amazing! Definitely something we will make again, and to make it even better, both of my children LOVED the chicken. We served our fajitas with some PW Guacamole and Pico de Gallo and beans and rice. YUM!

Chicken Fajitas

Adapted from This Mommy Cooks

Ingredients:
Marinade:
¼ cup lime juice (about 3-4 limes or use bottled)
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons apple cider or red wine vinegar (I used red wine)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon Liquid Smoke*
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder (I didn't have this, so went without)

*Note: Liquid Smoke may seem like an unnecessary, optional ingredient but it adds a good flavor and smokiness.

Fajitas:
2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 yellow onion, cut into thin strips
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red (or orange) pepper, cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon lime juice (a quick squeeze of a cut lime)
dash of salt and pepper

Directions:
Begin by marinating chicken by combining all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Either place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour marinade over the top or add the chicken to the bowl that you mixed the marinade in. I used a bowl covered with foil. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 2-5 hours. The longer you marinade, the better flavor you'll get. (Mine actually marinated for about 24 hours....we had a quick change of plans and decided to cook the following night).

After marinating, take chicken out of the bag or bowl and discard the marinade. Cook chicken over medium-high heat in a large skillet, 4-5 minutes per side. It will cook fast since it is cut into strips. Remove from pan and tent with foil to keep warm. You could also grill the chicken if you preferred.

Once chicken is removed from skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and add the onion and peppers. Stir fry until softened but still crisp tender. Add soy sauce, water, lime juice and salt and pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Toss cooked chicken stips with the vegetables in the skillet. Serve immediately with flour tortillas and top with tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, cheese, and sour cream.

***As you can see above, this dish is so beautiful! We absolutely loved it, and had plenty for a leftover lunch the next day. I plan on making this again very soon. I hope you enjoy.

Cranberry-Orange Muffins w/ Orange Glaze

2010-12-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

Yes, I do realize that my LAST post was about cranberries, but during the week of Thanksgiving, I managed to buy about 4 bags of fresh cranberries, and I think I only ended up using 1-2. So I have fresh cranberries just sitting away in my fridge, and the guilt was getting to me. When I came across this recipe for Cranberry-Orange Muffins, I knew those berries in my fridge had a destiny.

So, we were having Breakfast for Dinner tonight, and I thought that a delicious, tart muffin would be the perfect complement to our hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, and biscuits! The kids and I whipped these up fairly quickly and without anyone getting hurt, and I thought they were delicious! The orange glaze that you put on at the end brings these babies over the top. Give them a try if you too happen to have some leftover cranberries, or if you just have a thing for deliciousness.

Cranberry-Orange Muffins w/ Orange Glaze
Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Ingredients:
For the muffins
1 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (mine was Simply Orange, not fresh-squeezed)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 sticks butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 1 orange (didn't have this)
1/2-1 bag of whole fresh cranberries (I used about 3/4 of a bag)

For the glaze
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp orange zest (Again, I didn't use this and the glaze was still yummy. May have been even better with the zest, but I guess I'll never know, will I!?)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare two muffin tins with non-stick spray or muffin liners. Whisk together the milk, OJ, sour cream, eggs, and butter. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until the flour is incorporated. Gently fold the orange zest and the fresh cranberries into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the muffin pans, filling each cup ~3/4 full. Bake ~20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool the muffins in the pans for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack.
Combine the orange juice, powdered sugar, and zest in a medium bowl. Spread over each muffin.

***Casey's Notes: As I mentioned before, I don't have a zester, so I didn't use any fresh orange zest, and my muffins were still great.
***Instead of spreading the muffins with the glaze, like the original recipe suggests, I dipped my muffins top first into the glaze to coat them. I found it easier and less messy, but be sure your muffins are cool enough to handle before you do that or you might get burned or they may fall apart on you.
***The original recipe says this yields about 15 regular-sized muffins. My kids like the mini-muffins size, so I made a dozen regular-sized muffins, and I also got 2 dozen (24) mini muffins. All from this recipe!!!! WOW! We had muffins everywhere, so I gave several to our neighbors, plus we have tons for breakfast and snacking.

***Want to make these even better, I think I may add some nuts next time: walnuts, pecans, almond slivers. YUM.

Cranberry Scones

2010-11-24T15:02:00.000-08:00


Photo Credit: Annie's Eats

I came across this recipe on Annie's Eats several weeks back, and instantly knew I wanted to try them. I, by nature, shy away from baking because it seriously.intimidates.me. However, I keep finding delicious recipes that whet my appetite to try my hand at it. So, my sister-in-law decided to try to tackle these babies together today for some pre-Thanksgiving Day baking! Now, they were not a traditional scone texture, but they were divine!

It was so simple to follow this recipe, and even though the dough didn't turn out like it should have, I have gained some confidence for baking another batch of scones! I can't wait. Until then, try these scrumptious cranberry scones. They tasted wonderful!

Cranberry Scones

Yield: 8-10 scones

Ingredients:
1½ tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 3 tbsp. sugar, divided
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1¼ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream
Additional sugar for sprinkling
Slivered almonds (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a food processor, combine the lemon zest, flour, ½ cup of sugar, baking powder and salt. Pulse briefly to blend. Add in the cold butter pieces and pulse again briefly until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the butter pieces are no larger than peas. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, toss together the chopped cranberries (I ran mine through the food processor for a brief few seconds) and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir this into the flour-butter mixture.

In another small bowl or a liquid measuring cup, combine the egg, egg yolk and heavy cream; whisk to blend. Add the liquid ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon just until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Knead gently to be sure the dough is evenly mixed, being careful not to overwork the dough.

Place a 2½- or 3-inch round biscuit cutter on the lined baking sheet. Scoop some of the dough inside the cutter and pat down gently to form a 1-inch thick round. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing the rounds 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with additional sugar.
Bake in preheated over until light golden brown for 15-20 minutes.

**To freeze before baking, flash freeze at this point. Place the baking sheet with the shaped scones into the freezer and chill until frozen. Transfer to a freezer-safe plastic bag and store until ready to bake.
**If baking from the freezer, add approximately 5 minutes to the original baking time.

***At the last minute, I decided to add some slivered almonds to the tops of my scones! It was a GREAT little addition if you happen to have some on hand! I'll DEFINITELY do it the next time.

Poppy Seed Chicken

2010-11-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

Image from myteenytinykitchen.com

Oh, this recipe is satisfying a pregnancy craving BIG TIME! I was first introduced to this dish when I moved to Jackson, MS, for college, and I instantly fell in love. It is definitely a casserole, but it is so comforting and delicious and buttery. Oh, I can't wait til mine gets out of the oven.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
8-10 oz. of sour cream
3 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crumbled

Directions:

First: I boiled nearly 2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in water with salt and pepper until the chicken was cooked and cooled. Then I cleaned and chopped the chicken.

Place chopped, cooked chicken in a bowl, add chicken soup, sour cream and poppy seeds. Stir to combine. Pour chicken mixture into the bottom of an 11x7" greased casserole dish. In a small bowl, combine crumbled Ritz crackers and melted butter. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serve over rice.

Adapted from Southern Living.

Ooey-Gooey Bars

2010-11-15T05:26:00.000-08:00

Ooey-Gooey is how I was first introduced to this yummy dessert, but you may know it by it's other names: Ooey Butter Cake, Chess Squares, etc. Either way, this dessert is delicious! It's a long time family favorite of ours that I remember learning to make back in junior high or high school. Add it to your menu sometime soon, and I promise it will become a family favorite for you too!

I made these last night for my husband's brand new office that is opening up today! Last night while he was away at the office finishing up last minute details, the kids and I were at home. I so badly wanted to be there with him, but couldn't. So, what did I do? I baked! I figured every new office crew needs a little sugary goodness to get them through the first big day.

Ooey-Gooey Bars

Ingredients:
1 box of yellow butter cake mix
1 stick of butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
1 8 oz. bar cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 box of Confectioner's sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine dry cake mix, one egg, butter, and pecans. Mix together with a fork, then press firmly into the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Then, in another bowl, blend together cream cheese, two eggs, and Confectioner's sugar with a mixer until smooth (approximately 2-3 minutes). Pour cream cheese mixture over cake mixture. Bake in 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into small squares. Refrigerate if desired.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

2010-11-10T12:01:00.000-08:00

My kids LOVE smoothies! Actually, Liam thinks any cup with a straw is the coolest thing ever, but since we get to drink smoothies with a straw and they taste so darn yummy, he's extra happy about that. Here is my go-to "recipe" for smoothies. I use quotation marks because it is hard for me to measure exactly how much of everything I use, but you can get the gist of it and make it yourself! It'll taste great, believe me.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2-1 banana, ripened
3-5 strawberries, depending on the size and how much you would like
orange juice
ice, 4-5 cubes

In a blender, combine ice cubes, banana, strawberries and about 1/2 cup of orange juice. Blend until smooth.

Tip: I like to make sure my ice cubes are closest to the blade, that way they get chopped up really well. Also, I often throw in whatever fruit I have lying around: blackberries, blueberries, peaches, etc. It's a great way to get fruit into their system!

Another favorite thing: We have a Bullet. It's a miniature blender that makes individual sized drinks, and that is what I typically use when making smoothies. One Bullet cup is perfect for my two kiddos to share.

Enjoy!

Honey Curry Chicken

2010-10-29T05:24:00.000-07:00

This is an oldie, but a goodie!

I first saw this recipe on the GirlTalk Blog several years ago, but I never had it until a friend from church brought us this delicious chicken dinner shortly after we had Nora. To be honest, this was my first experience with curry. We instantly fell in love with this yummy chicken, and when I got the recipe in my hands and saw how simple it was to throw together, I knew it would be an instant family favorite. I'm sure several of you have come across this recipe before, but if not, give it a try! So yummy!

Honey Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a shallow baking dish, arrange chicken pieces. In a separate bowl, combine butter, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder. Pour over chicken pieces and bake 30 minutes, or until chicken is done. Baste several times during cooking.

Serve over hot white rice.

***The sauce on this chicken is SO delicious. You could even double the sauce to make sure you have plenty for pouring over your rice or broccoli or bread or just to slurp with a spoon. Seriously good.

Loveless Cafe Pork Chops

2010-10-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, these were wonderful. I was seriously almost licking the pan. Okay, I didn't lick the pan, but I did use the leftover French bread to wipe the drippings from the pan because the sauce on these Loveless Cafe Pork Chops was delicious. It was just too good to let go to waste!

I came across this recipe on one of my best friend's blogs. Jessica shared this earlier in October and as soon as I saw the recipe, I knew it would be super simple and super delectable. And was I right! I will definitely be making this again, and I intend to try it with boneless, skinless chicken breasts as well. To make things even better, I had every ingredient for the sauce either in my refrigerator or in my pantry, which means that you probably do as well! Try these soon! Please!

And make sure you have some bread leftover to finish up the rest of the sauce.

Here is my version of this recipe:

Loveless Cafe Pork Chops

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1.5 lbs boneless, center cut pork chops (there were four thick chops in my package)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides. When oil is heated, place pork chops in skillet and brown 2-3 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mustard, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire and soy sauces, garlic powder, and water. When pork chops have finished browning on both sides, pour sauce over them. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour.

Transfer pork chops to a platter, leaving sauce in pan. Raise heat to medium-high and let sauce thicken for 3-5 minutes. Pour sauce over pork chops and serve.

***My children really enjoyed this dish. I didn't put as much sauce on theirs as the flavor was strong, but they ate plenty of it!
***The original recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce OR soy sauce. However, I figured I couldn't go wrong with either of those, so I included a Tablespoon of each.
***I served this with Oven Roasted Potatoes and steamed broccoli! Delish!

Symphony Bar Pie

2010-10-18T07:31:00.000-07:00


Photo Credit: shewearsmanyhats.com

This dessert is so yummy and so easy.

Let me break it down for you: Three ingredients.

A graham cracker pie crust.

An 8 oz. tub of cool whip.

One King-sized Symphony Bar.

Mix them all together, stick it in the freezer, and you have a rich, tasty, and crowd-pleasing dessert!

Symphony Bar Pie

Ingredients:

1 King-sized Symphony Bar

1 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip, softened

1 graham cracker or chocolate pie crust

Directions:

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat Symphony Bar for approximately 45 seconds or until just melted. Make sure that your Cool Whip is slightly softened--not still frozen--or the melted candy bar will not adequately mix when you combine them. Stir Cool Whip and melted chocolate bar until thoroughly mixed, then pour into graham cracker pie crust. Freeze for at least an hour. Serve!

Suggestions:

***If Cool Whip is still frozen in middle, microwave for a few seconds to help it thaw a bit, but don't overheat it or it will turn to liquid.

***This pie can be frozen for up to a week prior to serving. However, if it remains frozen for longer than a few hours, it may need to sit out for a bit so it's easier to serve.

***I like to buy the Symphony Bars when they go on sale and keep them on hand to throw together this dessert for last minute opportunities.

***Feel free to experiment with different types of candy bars. I like the Symphony Bar with toffee and almonds, but I'm sure any candy would be delicious.

***My pie doesn't look exactly like the one in the picture above. I think the person who made that cake may have used more than one candy bar to get it extra-chocolate-y. Feel free to try that, but I think one bar is rich enough for my tastes!

Homemade Slow-Cooker Applesauce

2010-10-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, the family and I went to the Fruit and Berry Patch in Halls, TN. Every year for the past three years we go and pick pumpkins together as a family. Since the Fruit and Berry Patch is also an apple orchard, we usually walk away with a peck or bushel of locally grown apples in all sorts of varieties! Talk about delicious. We have eaten so many apples in the past week, and instead of making an apple pie or my favorite apple crisp, I decided to try my hand at homemade applesauce when I came across a recipe on Eat At Home.

This turned out so yummy and delicious, and my house smelled wonderful and very fall-ish all day long!

Homemade Slow-Cooker Applesauce

Ingredients:
10-15 small apples (or about one bag)
juice of 1 lemon (I didn't have this on hand, so I did without)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/3 cup of apple juice

Directions:
Peel, core, and slice apples. Put apples, along with all other ingredients, in slow cooker. Toss gently to coat apples. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. About half-way through, take a whisk or potato masher and stir apples to break them up.

Suggestions: I thought that the 1 teaspoon of cinnamon was perhaps too much for my taste. Next time I make this, I will use less cinnamon....maybe 1/2 teaspoon. A little goes a LONG way, but my kids still really enjoyed it.

Also, it was a great "dessert" after dinner served warm....just like hot, baked apples! Maybe some ice cream would be a nice little addition.

Pecan Pie Muffins

2010-10-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hold on to your hats, people. These are going to blow you away!

I came across these on the Tasty Kitchen blog (a Pioneer Woman creation), and I just knew I had to make these. They are divine! And they are very simple. If you are fortunate enough to have lots of pecans on your hands (which I do thanks to my in-laws and the family pecan trees at the farm), then you most likely have everything in your pantry or refrigerator. If not, pecans may be the only thing you have to purchase special. They take 10 minutes to mix up, if that, and 20 minutes to bake. That's it, folks. So.seriously.simple.

These are my new favs, so give them a try!

Pecan Pie Muffins

1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup flour, all-purpose
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cups butter, softened

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. In a separate bowl, mix butter and eggs. Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients and gently stir until combined. Spray muffin tins to prevent sticking, then distribute mixture into tins. I got 9 muffins from this recipe.

Click here to see the original post on Tasty Kitchen, complete with pictures.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

2010-09-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hey There! It's already fall and we are merely days away from October....which means time for lots of fall baking! Here is a link to a great website called Annie's Eats that instructs how to make homemade pumpkin puree. I saw this and thought it would be fun to try, but with two little kiddos and not much free time to spend just playing in the kitchen, I don't know if I will definitely get to try this anytime soon. But, you never know with me....If I get a hankering for something, I sometimes can't be stopped.

Follow the link if you are curious to try making your own Homemade Pumpkin Puree. If you do, please let me know how it turns out!

Oven-Roasted Potatoes

2010-09-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

If you need a delicious and fail-proof side dish for dinner, this is a great go-to recipe! These oven-roasted potatoes go great with hamburgers, grilled chicken or porkchops, or even a steak! We love these, and because they are baked and not fried, I think they are a much healthier option.

Oven-Roasted Potatoes

2-5 lbs of potatoes (I prefer red potatoes, but will use whatever I have on hand)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning or lemon peppper seasoning

Directions:
Wash and scrub potatoes, removing dirt and cutting off any "bad"parts. Cut potatoes into bite-sized cubes, trying to make all of the potatoes relatively the same size. Place potatoes in a large bowl.

Drizzle a 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over potatoes, then stir until all are lightly coated (add more olive oil if necessary). Liberally salt and pepper potatoes. Add your favorite seasoning, stirring to even distribute all of the flavorings.

Place potatoes on a large baking sheet covered in foil or parchment paper; spray with a nonstick spray as they are quite prone to stick.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are soft and beginning to brown. Check occasionally and stir, if necessary.

Crunchy Party Mix

2010-09-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

This is a great homemade version of Chex Mix that I discovered very recently in a Better Home & Gardens cookbook that I'm borrowing from my neighbor. I cut the original version of the recipe in half because it makes a ton! It was delicious, super easy, and a big hit with our friends and the kids!

Crunchy Party Mix

Ingredients:

2.5 cups pretzel sticks
2 cups Cheerios
2 cups bite-sized wheat or bran cereal squares (Chex cereal)
2 cups bite-sized rice or corn cereal squares
1.5 cups mixed nuts
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1.5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Several drops of bottled hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large roasting pan combine pretzels, Cheerios, cereal squares, and mixed nuts. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, heat and stir butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and hot sauce until butter melts. Drizzle butter mixture over cereal mixture; stir gently to coat.

3. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on a large piece of foil to cool. Store in an airtight container.

***The recipe above makes 10 cups. So, to serve a large crowd or to make a bunch, just double!
***This recipe can be frozen for up to 4 months.
***Feel free to change things up as far as the cereal and pretzel and nuts go! I don't particularly care for the bran Chex Mix, so I used rice and corn instead.

Chicken & Creamy Chive Sauce

2010-09-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is sooooooo one of my favorite meals! It is absolutely delicious, and I am going to put this under the "fancy" category because it calls for white wine in the sauce which totally knocks it up from everyday to "fancy" (in my opinion, anyway). This is a crockpot meal, which makes even better for busy mommas like me! I love to cook this on a busy day, and I have also been known to put it together before church on a Sunday morning so that it is ready and waiting for us when we get home. It's a great meal to serve to guests as well!

Chicken & Creamy Chive Sauce

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 1.5 lbs.)
1/4 cup butter
1- 0.7 oz. package of dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 can condensed golden mushroom soup (very important to use GOLDEN mushroom)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 of an 8 oz. tub chive/onion flavored cream cheese

Directions:

Place chicken in slow cooker.
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add dressing mix, soup, wine, and cream cheese. Stir and heat on low-medium heat until cream cheese is melted and all ingredients are combined well. Pour over chicken. Cook 4-5 hours on low in slow cooker. Serve over pasta.

***You can easily substitute chicken broth in place of the white wine, BUT I think the wine adds a great kick to the flavor!
***For an even fancier touch, snip fresh chives over the chicken and pasta before serving.

Strawberry Pie

2010-09-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe on This Mommy Cooks a week or so ago! It was one of those recipes that as soon as I saw what it was and looked at the scrumptious picture, I was dying to make it. Tonight we are getting together with our neighbors to watch some UT football, so I figured now was as good a time as any to make these simple and sweet dessert. Strawberries are fairly easy to come by and are at a reasonable price right now, so it's the perfect season to try this out.

Strawberry Pie

1 refrigerated pie crust, baked in a pie plate as directed
5 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 ounces of cream cheese, softened (I used low fat)

Directions: Bake pie crust as directed, then allow to cool slightly. In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, corn starch and strawberries. Cook over medium-high heat until bubbly, then lower temperature to a simmer until the sauce has thickened, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Spread softened cream cheese on bottom of pie crust. Pour strawberries over cream cheese. Refrigerate for several hours. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Easy as pie!!!! Hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Muffins

2010-08-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

I saw these muffins on the Easy Meals for Moms blog first thing this morning. I realized that I have two overripe bananas and everything else that this recipe called for, so I immediately made plans to make these babies. They are in the oven as we speak. I'll let you know how they are, but: Chocolate. Bananas. Muffins.

Yes PLEASE!!!!

I just know they will be divine!

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Great for a snack or breakfast!

Chocolate Banana Muffins (adapted from Cooking Light)
Makes 8 muffins

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 medium mashed ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add applesauce and bananas, beating until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and remaining ingredients stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; stir just until combined. Pour into greased muffin pan cups. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan after a few minutes and cool on rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

*** I made 12 mini muffins and also got 7 large muffins out of this recipe. Maybe I didn't fill my muffin pans up as much as I should, but I definitely got more than 8 muffins out of this.

Chinese Cole Slaw or Ramen Noodle Slaw or Ramen Noodle Salad or...

2010-08-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know what to call this dish. I'm sure you all have heard of it and each of you by a different name. All I know, it's good! I don't do cole slaw, really. You see, I don't do mayonnaise, and cole slaw, by it's nature, must have mayonnaise in it. However! There is a cole slaw that doesn't have any mayonnaise in it, at all, and it's so yummy! This is a great salad to serve for summer cookouts and baby showers and birthday parties. Give it a try if you haven't! (Maybe I'll make this for Nora's 3rd birthday party!?)

Chinese Cole Slaw

Ingredients:

Dressing:
1/2 cup of canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of soy sauce (I use light)
3 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of rice wine, red wine or white vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)
1 package of Ramen noodles chicken flavor seasoning

Salad:
1 tablespoon of butter
1 pkg. Ramen noodles without seasoning, crushed
1 small pkg. slivered or sliced almonds (approximate 1/4 cup)
2 teaspoons of sesame seeds
1 (16 oz.) pkg. cole slaw mix OR 1 small head cabbage and two carrots, shredded
2-3 green onions, chopped with tops

In a small bowl, mix oil, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and seasoning packet from Ramen noodle soup and set aside. Combine chopped onions and cole slaw/cabbage mix. In a small pan, melt butter. Saute almonds and sesame seeds in butter until lightly browned. Just before serving, add dressing a little at a time to the cole slaw mix. Don't use too much or your salad will get too soggy. Then add the nuts and the crushed noodles from the soup mix.
This salad is best when mixed right before serving.

***To crush my Ramen noodles, I usually place the plain, dry noodles in a ziploc bag, then either use my hands or a spoon to break them up into pieces.
***I love to use olive oil over other oils whenever possible, but in my opinion, olive oil is just too dense and over-powering to use in this recipe.
***This recipe easily doubles.

Easy Easy Crockpot Italian Chicken

2010-08-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

The other day I defrosted some chicken breasts to cook for the kids and I one night over the weekend. Well, as our weekend unfolded, I realized that I wasn't really going to have time to cook a meal, unless I used the crockpot. Another problem seemed to unfold because I realized that I still hadn't gone to the grocery store since we've returned from our trip to New Orleans, so I had to come up with some way to cook the chicken breasts in the crockpot with things I already had on hand in my pantry. So, here's what I did. Seriously simple!

Easy, Easy Crockpot Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I'm sure you can add any other dried or fresh herbs that you like)
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: Place chicken in bottom of crockpot. Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken. Add garlic powder, oregano, and other seasonings. Stir a bit to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

***I let mine cook all day Saturday. After church on Sunday, I put the chicken and sauce in a large skillet and heated it up, breaking up the tender chicken into pieces. Meanwhile, I boiled some whole wheat rotini pasta, then combined the chicken and pasta covering it with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. It was delicious!

Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken

2010-07-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

SO, the husband has just recently started a diet. I won't go into the details, but basically I am going to be cooking some meals for just the kids and myself for the next several weeks. Can I tell you how hard meal-planning seems to me, now? How do I fix meals for 1.5 people? I guess it'll be like going back to our newlywed days! Anyway, I came across this crockpot meal over at Easy Meals for Busy Moms, and it sounded delicious. For one thing, I love all things that include the words Hawaiian. Barbecue. Chicken. Another thing, I love using my crockpot, particularly on busy days. When I saw how unbeLIEVably simple this recipe was to throw together, I knew I had to give it a try. So I did. I will have to say that it's not my favorite crockpot meal, but it was pretty yummy and definitely worthy of making again. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. (I used three large breasts, trimmed and cut into six smaller breasts)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard
1/2 cup crushed pineapple w/juice (I only had a can of pineapple chunks in juice. I used 1/2 cup juice, then added about 1/2 can of pineapple chunks. I will do this again, instead of using the crushed as recommended).
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:
Place chicken in bottom of slow-cooker. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour sauce over chicken, and cook for 4-6 hours on low. If you don't have time for the crockpot version, cook in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Serve over rice.

PW's BBQ Meatballs

2010-06-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have been eyeing these babies in PW's cookbook for months now. However, I just got to making them last night. OH DEAR! You need to make these and soon. They were divine!

You can check out PW's step by step recipe on her website, or you can follow the directions I put down below. I served these with mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. Great meal!

FOR MEATBALLS

1-½ pound Ground Beef
¾ cups Oats
1 cup Milk
3 Tablespoons Very Finely Minced Onion
1-½ teaspoon Salt
Plenty Of Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Cooking Meatballs:

1 cup All-Purpose Flour (coating For Frozen Meatballs)
Canola Oil

FOR SAUCE

1 cup Ketchup
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
4 Tablespoons (to 6 Tablespoons) Onion
1 dash Tabasco

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes.
After 5 minutes, remove meatballs from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour.
Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish.
Combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty French bread.

Lemon Raspberry Bars

2010-06-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Raspberry Lemon Bars

For the crust:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
Zest of one lemon

For the filling:
2 large egg yolks
1-14 oz. can fat free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 ounces fresh raspberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 8 by 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist. Press crumbs into the prepared pan, pressing the crust mixture one inch up the side of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once the crust is cool, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk until well mixed. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir until mixture begins to slightly thicken. Gently fold in the raspberries. Fold carefully so you don’t break the raspberries.

Pour the lemon raspberry filling evenly over the graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.

Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least one hour before serving. Cut into bars and serve. Keep bars in the refrigerator-up to five days.

*Note-use fresh raspberries and make sure you gently fold the berries into the lemon filling or you will have pink bars.

Serves 16

PW's Blackberry Cobbler

2010-06-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

Blackberries were on sale today, so I grabbed them up because I have been dying to make this recipe! Have you tried my Individual Raspberry Cobblers yet? Well, this is the big and blackberry version of those, so you know this dessert is divine!

Ingredients:

1 stick Butter
1-¼ cup Sugar
1 cup Self-Rising Flour
1 cup Milk
2 cups Blackberries (frozen or fresh)

Directions:

Melt butter in a microwavable dish. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour in melted butter and whisk it all well together. Butter a baking dish.
Now rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over the top.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. If you desire, sprinkle an additional teaspoon of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done.

Enjoy!

Bean Salad

2010-06-07T05:36:00.000-07:00

UMMMM! We had dinner last night at my in-laws, and my mother-in-law had this wonderful, cold bean salad to accompany our supper. It was so delicious, light, and refreshing! Plus, I believe this is a healthy side item including lots of fiber, protein, and very little fat. Jonathan loved it, and it just seemed so perfect for a warm, summer night!

Bean Salad

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional....we didn't have this in ours)

Directions:
Drain and rinse beans. Chop peppers, onions, and cilantro. Combine beans and vegetables in a bowl. Add red wine vinegar and cayenne (if using), and stir until salad is covered. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. The longer it sits, the better! Serve chilled!

Delicious! Light! Perfect!

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

2010-06-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, I AM still alive and kicking over here. I apologize for the lack of posts, but we've had some traveling, sick kids, potty-training, and plain ole life going on in the Bradshaw household. For more on that, you can check out our family blog. Anyway, I came across this recipe on my friend Amber's blog called This Mommy Cooks. Amber posted this delicious recipe for Fresh Strawberry Muffins, and it immediately stood out to me because I had an entire pint of strawberries just about ready to rot that I wanted to use up. Ta-da!

Nora and I spent some time together baking these delicious muffins, and they are just wonderful. They do taste like muffins, but I also think you could call these Strawberry Short Cake Muffins because that is exactly what they taste like! Whip up some cream and instant Strawberry Short Cakes!

Do yourself a favor and make these soon. I had everything on hand and didn't have to make an extra trip to the grocery.

Fresh Strawberry Muffins
makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened (I used unsalted.)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries (or more....the more the better)
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well.
In a separate, smaller bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture, ending with milk. Add vanilla. Gently stir in strawberries.

Spoon batter into greased or paper lined muffin pans.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 400º for 18-22 minutes.

***These are totally my new fav! I want to try them with raspberries too, because if you haven't noticed, I am obsessed with raspberries.

Banana Pudding

2010-05-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

This banana pudding recipe is not your typical banana pudding recipe. This one is a much sweeter version, and a bit more rich than a "traditional" banana pudding, but it is really good. (Seriously? What dessert containing an entire can of condensed milk isn't just divine?) We got this recipe from a dental school friend and amazing cook, Lauren V. Davis. She fixed it for us once during the dreadful days of dental school, and since it's been a favorite of Jonathan's. I hope you guys enjoy!

Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

1 large box of instant vanilla pudding mix (not prepared, just the dry mix)
1 can of condensed milk
1 12 oz. container of Cool Whip (I use the fat free....every little bit helps here)
Splash of milk, if needed
Vanilla wafers
1-2 large bananas

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the dry packet of pudding mix, Cool Whip, and condensed milk. If mixture is too thick or grainy for your preference, add a splash of milk to thin. (Not too much though). In a dish, layer vanilla wafers on bottom, followed by a layer of banana slices, and half of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers: vanilla wafers, banana slices, pudding. Top with vanilla wafers. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

2010-04-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

This dish is divine. Fancy, schmancy it may seem, but this is simple to make and is so delish!
I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman (see her version called Penne a la Betsy. And, as usual, it is so wonderful, and don't fret if shrimp is not your thing. Try it with chicken and get another great meal!

Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 lb. of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 cup of half and half (PW uses heavy whipping cream, which is that extra touch of richness)
1/2 cup of white wine (optional)
6-7 fresh basil leaves
fresh parsley (I used dried)
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 lb. of short cut pasta (Penne, rigatoni, fusilli, etc.)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, but be careful not to over cook!

Peel, devein, and rinse 1 lb. of large shrimp. (Keep in cool water until ready to use).

In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pat shrimp dry with paper towel before putting in heated skillet so that they will sear instead of steam. Place shrimp in skillet and cook on each side approximately 2 minutes, until the outsides are pink and most of the shrimp are opaque.

Remove from saucepan.

Add the other 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to skillet and heat. Add onion and garlic, cooking until translucent (about 3 minutes).

Add 1/2 cup of white wine and deglaze the pan, stirring gently. Allow the white wine to evaporate a bit, then add the tomato sauce. Stir gently until combined.

Reduce the heat to low. Slowly add the half and half, gently stirring until your sauce turns that creamy peachy color!

Add in fresh basil and parsley. Allow sauce to simmer on low for several minutes.

(Quick tutorial on how to chiffonade basil.
Place basil leaves on top of each other.

Roll leaves up and hold together with your fingers.

Cut small strips of basil using a sharp knife.

While sauce is simmering, cut your shrimp into bite-sized pieces.

Add to the sauce and tenderly stir. Taste, then add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, either add cooked pasta to saucepan and stir until combined. Or plate pasta, then generously pour Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce over the pasta.

Hashbrown Casserole

2010-04-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen hashbrown potatoes (2 lb. bag)
4-6 tablespoons of butter, melted
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I use 98% fat free)
8 oz. sour cream (I use reduced fat)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Allow hashbrown potatoes to thaw for several hours or defrost in microwave until no longer frozen. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, soups, sour cream, cheese, butter, salt and pepper. Stir gently until fully mixed. Pour potato mixture into a 9x13" casserole dish. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1.5 hours, or until bubbly and golden on top!

Optional Topping: 1 cup of cornflakes combine with 1/4 cup of melted butter. Pour over top of potatoes before baking.

Easy Cheesy Salsa Dip

2010-04-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

Want to change up your typical chips and salsa experience?

Mix together one bar of cream cheese, softened, with a jar of your favorite salsa. That's it!

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips, and refrigerate leftovers. So yummy and so easy!

Sloppy Joes. Slop, slop, slop, Sloppy Joes!

2010-04-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

YUM!

Sloppy Joes are a childhood favorite of Jonathan's, so if I am ever needing to throw dinner together in a hurry, I grab my ever-present can of Manwich out of the pantry, brown my ground meat, and TA-DAH! Dinner is served.

Sooooo, when The Pioneer Woman posted her homemade recipe for Sloppy Joes sometime within the past two weeks, I looked at the ingredient list, saw that I had everything in my refrigerator or pantry, and decided to give them a whirl.

They were phenomenal and probably one of the quickest meals to make. Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground beef or turkey
1 Tablespoon of butter (optional)
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped finely
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I was out and probably wouldn't have used them anyway because Nora was eating, too. But, if you like heat, add these in!)
Worcestirshire sauce, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Hamburger buns, buttered and toasted if desired

Directions:

1. Add butter to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown, then drain.
2. Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.
3. Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
4. Spoon meat mixture over the buns.

Serving suggestions: Jonathan likes his bun with mayo (YUCK)! However, I skip the mayo and add a slice of cheese, melted just enough to make it gooey! Delicious! We had these with French fries and corn.

Oh, and check your face in the mirror before heading out of the door to Home Depot or Target, because chances are you'll have Sloppy Joes stains on the corners of your mouth from devouring such a delicious supper. Your welcome!

Strawberry Cake

2010-04-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is a landmark recipe in the Bradshaw family. I was first introduced to it just weeks after meeting Jonathan and his family. His mom is known for this cake recipe, and it will definitely haunt you once you serve it to your loved ones, so if you are not prepared to make this cake often or pass on the recipe to your dearly beloved, stay away.

Ingredients:

1 box of Strawberry cake mix, baked as directed (so you'll need the eggs, oil, water, etc. that the cake mix requires)
1 box of Strawberry jello
Water

Directions:
Bake strawberry cake as directed. Let cool. While cake is cooling, mix up jello and water as directed on package. Take a knife and poke holes all over the top of the strawberry cake, making sure you poke through to the bottom. Pour strawberry jello mixture into the holes. Ice cake with Homemade Cream Cheese Icing, then refrigerate until jello sets up in cake, about 2 hours. Serve!

This cake is just PERFECT for summertime! You can also change things up by doing a yellow cake with orange or lemon flavored jello. The options are endless!

Grocery List for Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Icing:

Strawberry Cake Mix
Strawberry Jello
1 stick of butter
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 box of powdered sugar
Eggs, oil, water, etc. that cake mix calls for

Homemade Cream Cheese Icing

2010-04-08T13:16:00.001-07:00

1 stick butter, softened
1 package of cream cheese, softened
1 box of confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese together until combined. Slowly add in powdered sugar until mixed well. Add vanilla extract and mix one last time.

***Seriously, this is the easiest icing to make, and once you try it and make it once, you'll realize that it is so simple and so delicious, store bought will sound ridiculous!

Easy Mexican Skillet Meal

2010-04-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand if you thought I'd disappeared forever?

(Both hands raised)

Raise your hand if you like really simple meals?

(Both hands waved again!)

Raise your hand if you like Mexican food?

(Both hands raised and waving vigorously)

So, I tried this yummy recipe last night, and let me tell you: new.favorite.food.

A. It was delicious.
B. It was cooked, start to finish, in 25 minutes!
C. It's Mexican.

Jonathan loved it, and thought that the meat mixture was so yummy that I need to leave the noodles out and serve it with tortillas. I might just do that!

Easy Mexican Skillet

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 onion, finely chopped (optional)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used lowfat)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used lowfat)
1 cup salsa
1 package of egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

1. Brown ground beef with seasonings and onion in a large skillet. Drain. Stir in cream cheese, sour cream and salsa until cream cheese is completely melted.

2. Add cooked egg noodles to the skillet and toss to coat. Serve and enjoy!

Bread Pudding

2010-03-25T06:22:00.001-07:00

Bread Pudding is one of my all-time favorite desserts. Anytime we go out to a fancy restaurant and bread pudding is on the menu, I am always tempted to order it! Being from New Orleans, I have been privileged to some of the best bread puddings in the world, and for some reason, I have always considered it to be one of those desserts that is out of my league when it comes to cooking it. It just seems complicated. The bread, the custard, the sauce.

However, that is no longer the case.

My mother-in-law came across this bread pudding recipe a few months back. She is just as enthusiastic about bread pudding as I am (if not more so), so she was determined to give this one a go. I am so glad she did! It's incredible, and incredibly simple to prepare.

Bread Pudding

Ingredients for Bread Pudding:

3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint whipping cream
1 package Hawaiian rolls or 1 loaf of sour dough bread

Directions for Bread Pudding:

Spray a 9x13" pan.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Add whipping cream and mix well. Pour into bottom of pan. Tear bread apart into bite-size pieces and saturate in custard mixture. (You can add as much bread as you like. The less bread, the more custard-like the bread pudding will be. I used Hawaiian rolls and used about 3/4 of the package. I didn't use all of the rolls.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Ingredients for Sauce:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 Tablespoon self-rising flour
1/4 can evaporated milk
1/2 stick butter, unsalted
3/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Directions:
Bring all ingredients except extract to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring constantly. Once it's at a boil, add the extract. Remove from heat and pour over warm bread pudding.

Serve immediately or let set until room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers. (If there are any).

***We have tried both the vanilla and almond extract flavorings for the sauce. I prefer the vanilla. In my humble opinion, the almond over-powered the dessert and that's all you tasted. The vanilla is much more subtle!
***This recipe is easily doubled, so if you are serving a large crowd, just double everything, ESPECIALLY the sauce!

Bon Appetit!

Spaghetti Pie

2010-03-13T12:39:00.001-08:00

Spaghetti is one of those meals that just screams comfort to me. It's simple to prepare, and it is always so satisfying and warming. Another reason I love spaghetti is that it's a guarantee that Nora will eat it. She's a girl after her mother's heart in that she, like me, LOVES Italian food. So, if we're in a bind or need to throw together a meal in a hurry, spaghetti is one of my go-to meals.

A few weeks ago, a came across a recipe for Spaghetti Pie from the Easy Meals for Busy Moms Blog. It seemed really simple to make, and the added ingredients that it calls for sounded DIVINE. Cream cheese--chive and onion cream cheese, mind you-- and sour cream. It's like spaghetti only heavenly spaghetti. Cream cheese and hot, melted cheese. Um.

So, I did what any good hostess is NOT supposed to do. I cooked this brand-new recipe for some company without trying it out beforehand. (You are NOT supposed to do that!) But, the company was just my sister-in-law and another good girl friend of ours, so I knew that even if the recipe was a flop (which, seriously, how could it be?), things would be fine.

Lordy me. Was it good! Everyone loved it, so we will DEFINITELY be having this Spaghetti Pie in the near future. Try it out, folks. Comfort Food. To the max.

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground meat
1 jar prepared spaghetti sauce (or any homemade tomato sauce you like)
1 lb. thin spaghetti, cooked according to directions
1/4 cup chive and onion cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups low far sour cream
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish or any casserole dish of your choice.
2. Prepare pasta as directed, making sure you don't overcook pasta as it will go into the oven for 20-30 minutes and continue cooking. I left mine a bit al dente, and it was just right after baking.
3. Prepare tomato sauce just as you would for regular spaghetti. I browned the ground beef in a skillet with a small onion, drained the fat, added the spaghetti sauce and some other seasonings (Italian seasoning, garlic, black pepper, etc.)
4. Combine cream cheese and sour cream in a small bowl.
5. Layer: Place cooked spaghetti in bottom of casserole dish. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. Spread spaghetti sauce/meat mixture over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and turning golden brown.

*** Serve with a salad and hot bread!

Our Favorite Snack: Homemade Popcorn

2010-03-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

Last night, Jonathan made some homemade popcorn for us to snack on while we watched LOST! (Can you believe this is the last season? I'm so sad and yet still so confused at the same time).

Sigh.

Anyway, I snapped a few pictures as he was cooking, planning to do a step by step tutorial of how to make your very own homemade popcorn. However, I had a pure stroke of genius earlier today because I have decided that I am just going to VIDEO TAPE Jonathan making popcorn so that you can see how simple it is to do this in your own kitchen, using just a simple pot with a lid, and some very simple and predictable ingredients.

I regret to say that I don't have the video yet. I will try to talk the hubs in to making more popcorn tonight, but I WILL give you a few teasers.

First, the ingredients:

Oil and popcorn kernels.
Let me add a must-have: SALT. Make sure you also have salt on hand.

Second, the results:

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UMMMMmmm!!! Once you make this, you will never settle for out-of-the-bag popcorn again. We were so blessed to have some friends introduce us to this method of making popcorn and we have never looked back! I'll be back with the video, so stay tuned!

Asparagus: Grilled or Roasted

2010-03-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

Hands down, our favorite vegetable is Asparagus! Fresh asparagus, might I clarify!

I grew up eating asparagus occasionally, but most of the time it was out of a can or steamed with a lemon-butter sauce. It wasn't until Jonathan and I got married that we started grilling it or roasting it in the oven. Let me tell you: DIVINE!

The best part is that this is fool-proof. The preparation is literally seconds. The cook time is about 30 minutes TOPS. And even better, you can do this with SO many yummy vegetables out there if asparagus just isn't your thing. This is my method of seasoning all kinds of vegetables that I roast in my oven or throw on our grill.

Ingredients: asparagus, olive oil, salt, pepper
Cooking supplies: Foil, cookie sheet/grill pan/iron skillet
Directions:

1 bunch of asparagus, cleaned, dried, and stems trimmed.

You want your asparagus cleaned but not damp or they will not cook properly. They'll steam instead of roasting and you don't want that. Roasting gets them to be that lovely brown, crispy, yumminess.

To trim your asparagus, pick up one stem. Hold one end in each hand and bend it. The lower end (not the tree-looking part) should break off with a snap! Where it snaps is where you want to trim your asparagus.

If you didn't trim it, the very ends would just be hard and stringy and not very tasty. You really should only be cutting away about 1/4 of each stem.

After I snap one asparagus stem, I usually use a knife and just cut the same amount off of the entire bunch.

For roasting: You can do this one of two ways:

1. Line your baking sheet with foil. Lay your cleaned and trimmed asparagus on baking sheet in a single layer (or as close to a single layer as you can). Drizzle olive oil over the top of the asparagus, approximate 1-2 tablespoons. Using your fingers, toss the asparagus stems in the oil until it is distributed evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until asparagus are starting to crisp at the tips! You want them slightly firm, but not crunchy!

2. Place cleaned and trimmed asparagus in seasoned iron skillet. Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus stems, approximately 1-2 tablespoons. Using your fingers, toss the asparagus until oil is evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 25-30, checking once or twice and tossing asparagus to make sure they are cooking evenly. They are done with crispy at the tips and slightly firm. If you want them more tender, keep on cooking!

For grilling: Line a grill tray with foil. Lay your cleaned and trimmed asparagus on baking sheet in a single layer (or as close to a single layer as you can). Drizzle olive oil over the top of the asparagus, approximate 1-2 tablespoons. Using your fingers, toss the asparagus stems in the oil until it is distributed evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Place grill tray on preheated grill over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring and tossing occasionally so as not to char them. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

***I follow this process exactly with broccoli, squash, and zucchini! So delicious! We LOVE to grill out in the summer and springtime, so the next time you are going to throw some steaks or chicken on the grill, try out some vegetables! You won't regret it!

Pear Crisp

2010-03-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

Did your mouth just start watering? Mine did!

This recipe is soooooo yummy.

Picture it: Hot, gooey pears covered in sugar and cinnamon bliss. Cold, velvety vanilla ice cream, beginning to melt as it comes into contact with the hot deliciousness that is pear crisp. Ummmm. Do yourself a favor and make this!

Pear Crisp

Filling:
4 to 5 large pears
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, very finely chopped
1 stick butter(8 tablespoons), melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel, core, and dice pears. Place into a bowl and stir together with 2/3 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Stir together. Drizzle melted butter gradually, stirring with a fork as you go until all combined.
4. Pour pears into a baking dish; top with crumb topping.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
6. Place pan on top rack of oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

***This recipe can be made the exact same way using apples. Actually, if I have both pears and apples in my fruit bowl, I usually use both! Great!
***I bet you could do this with fresh peaches too! Hmmmm, might have to try that when peaches come in season this summer.

***Okay, if you are still reading you deserve a funny story. I made this dessert this past Friday night when we had some friends over for dinner. I've made this SEVERAL times, so I guess I was getting a bit cocky. At the very end of the cooking time, my crisp was ready except the top wasn't browning as quickly as I wanted it to. Instead of being PATIENT, I went ahead and decided to put the oven on Broil for a few seconds so that my pear crisp would turn nice and golden brown in an instance.

Two minutes later, as I was engrossed in some topic of conversation, this light bulb goes off in my brain that, "Oh yeah, I am about to catch the house on fire!" I ran mid-conversation over to the oven, opened the door, and there stood my pear crisp AFLAME! Yes, in flames.

I quickly shut the door, turned off the oven, and then screamed, "What do I do!?" The men at the table rushed to my aid and took over the fire situation. I was so upset that my dessert was ruined, but being the sweet dinner guest that he was, our friend Jason scraped the charred crisp topping off, insisting it was still delicious and edible. Surprisingly, he was right. Every once in a while we would get a crunchy, charcoal-y bite. But, all in all, it could have been worse!

So, after you do yourself a favor and make this delicious recipe, do yourself ANOTHER favor and don't be impatient as it bakes. Let the crisp do it's thing and don't burn down your house, okay?

This is Casey with your public service announcement for the first week of March.

Spinach Quiche

2010-02-28T13:57:00.000-08:00

I love spinach! Spinach dip, spinach pizza, spinach salad, creamed spinach, spinach Florentine. Ummmm. It's so good! This Spinach Quiche is a wonderful and delicious recipe that is great as a vegetarian dinner option, a side dish, or a tasty dish to bring to a brunch or party. I originally got this recipe from a friend of mine from New Orleans, Heather. Once I tasted it, I just had to have the recipe for my own use. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
1 deep dish pastry pie shell
1 pack frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
3/4 cup white onion, chopped
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, (optional)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 cups loosely packed grated cheese, Swiss or Gruyere
1/3 Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Prick pastry shell and bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees.
3. In medium sauce pan, melt butter, then saute onions and parsley. Add spinach and cook 2 minutes. Add flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, and Worcestershire. Mix well.
4. In a bowl combine eggs, cheese, and milk until thoroughly mixed.
5. Add spinach mixture. Mix well and pour into pastry shell and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

***This recipe is easily doubled and easily frozen!

Taco Soup

2010-02-22T14:12:00.000-08:00

Many of you may have this in your cooking arsenal already, but just in case you don't, you MUST try this recipe! I promise you it will quickly become a favorite, not only because it is delicious, but even more so because it is the EASIEST supper. Ever. I'm not kidding.

My 2.5 year old absolutely LOVES taco soup and actually requests it. I am more than happy to oblige most times because we love it as well, and because it is extremely healthy and packed with protein. This soup has many variations that I have seen from various websites, etc., but this is my take on it. I hope you enjoy it sometime soon.

TACO SOUP

1 lb. of ground meat (or ground turkey for an even healthier and just as tasty version)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained (I use the mild for Nora's benefit)
1 14.5 ounce petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can corn, undrained
1 can pinto beans, undrained
1 can black beans, undrained
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 package of taco seasoning mix (I use the low sodium version)
1 package of dry Ranch salad dressing mix (This is the secret ingredient and shouldn't be left out!)

Directions:

Simply brown your ground meat of choice with the onion until meat is no longer pink and onions are soft. Drain meat and return to soup pot. Add (DUMP) your cans of vegetables and tomatoes. Add the packets of taco seasoning mix and Ranch dressing. Stir and let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour.

Serve with sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips. Feel free to top with other favorite toppings like green onion, jalapeno, etc.

A few other things worth mentioning:

***If you like your soup spicier, you can choose a spicier version of Rotel tomatoes and/or add some jalapeno to the soup pot.

***Even though this is a mild-ish soup, I usually add a dollop of sour cream to Nora's bowl to make it more creamy and a bit less fiery. Actually, I do this with many foods that I think may be too spicy for Nora....I just love sour cream!
***You can simmer this soup for as long as you like, but make sure it is at least 30 minutes. As with many soups, stews, etc., the longer they simmer, the more the flavors meld together. This soup is even tastier for leftovers.
***If you prefer your soups to be a bit more brothy, add a can of low-sodium beef broth. Sometimes I do this, sometimes I don't. It just depends if I have beef broth on hand and whether or not I am in the mood for a chunkier soup. Both ways are delicious, and the broth has a meaty flavor that doesn't water-down the great flavor of the original recipe!

A Little Seafood Math Equation for You

2010-02-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

Hello.

Here on the Kitchen-ette, we like to keep things spunky. We like to keep learning. Keep challenging. Keep things FRESH!

So, since I am quite the math genius (ahem, hack, cough), I thought we would have a little bit of math fun today here on this cooking blog.

You ready?

This

plus this

plus this

equals?????

My momma came in town earlier this week since she had some time off for Mardi Gras. When she comes to visit, she typically brings us all sorts of goodies. And, because she loves us, especially my husband, she almost always makes us a fried shrimp dinner complete with fresh shrimp, homemade french fries, and homemade cocktail sauce. Ugh! It's divine and quite disgusting how much we eat when she's here. Anyway. As a belated birthday gift to Jonathan, we had a shrimp supper on Tuesday!

Are you ready for the answer to my little math quiz?

Here it is:

THIS!!!!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2010-02-18T13:17:00.001-08:00

Oh, man, is this good!

I saw this a few weeks back on---can you guess?---The Pioneer Woman's website. (I know, I'm obsessed. But seriously, she hasn't proven me wrong about a recipe yet!)

Anyway, I saw her recipe for Cajun Chicken Pasta, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Simple. Delicious. Cajun.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

1-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (I, naturally, used Tony Chachere's)
1 lb. fettuccine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine (if you don't have white wine or don't wish to use it, just increase your chicken broth to 2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste
parsley, for sprinkling, if desired

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

2. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

3. Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for several minutes, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional minute. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

4. With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

5. Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

This was so delicious! I had some of the leftovers for lunch today, and I think they tasted even better than it did last night. Since the hubs will be out of the house for dinner tonight, I think I might finish it off for my supper. Shh, don't tell!

Preparing this recipe gave me an inspiration for another one that I hope to try out sometime next week. If it comes out tasty, I'll be sure to share it with you guys.

YEAH for PASTA!!!!!

Lasagna

2010-02-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

I have a wonderful Chicken Lasagna recipe that has been in my repertoire for a few years now, but I have never had a true, traditional Italian meat lasagna recipe.

Until now.

For Jonathan's 30th birthday dinner, I made The Pioneer Woman's lasagna from her new cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks! It was amazing. It was phenomenal. It was so delicious, and heart-warming, and filling, and ugh. We just loved it! This is now my go-to recipe that I'm sure I'll cook for my husband and kids till I'm a little old woman. This will be the recipe I pass on to my grandchildren. It may even be the first meal Nora cooks for her future husband. Who knows! It's in the family now.

I invite you to try it out yourselves and make it part of your family, too!

Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
10 ounces lasagna noodles
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1.5 lbs. hamburger
1 lb. hot breakfast sausage
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 14.5-ounce cans whole tomatoes
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper
10-12 fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the olive oil and a dash of salt. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the noodles and lay them flat on a piece of aluminum foil.

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the hamburger, sausage, and garlic until brown. Drain off excess fat.

4. Add the tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground pepper.

5. Stir together well. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Cut the basil into a chiffonade by stacking leaves on top of one another and rolling them tightly, then cutting across. Finely chop parsley. Add half the herbs to the meat mixture and stir together.

7. In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, beaten eggs, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and the other half of the herbs. Stir together well.

8. Now time to assemble: Begin by laying 4 lasagna noodles in the bottom of a deep rectangular baking pan. The noodles should slightly overlap.

9. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture onto the noodles. Spread to distribute evenly.

10. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top of the cottage cheese mixture.

11. Spoon just under half of the meat mixture on top of the cheese. Spread evenly, being careful not to disrupt the layers below.

12. Now repeat the process: noodles, cottage cheese mixture, shredded mozzarella cheese, and finally the remainder of the meat mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over the top.

13. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Serves 8 generous portions.

***Lasagna can be fully assembled and frozen, unbaked.
***You can view the Pioneer Woman's step-by-step process for her lasagna on her website by clicking here.

Sweet and Sour Pork

2010-02-13T12:48:00.001-08:00

I came across this recipe in a New Orleans Cuisine cookbook I have. It sounded yummy and fairly simple, but I adapted it a bit based on what I had on hand. This would probably be just as yummy using chicken if you don't have pork on hand. We'll definitely be having this again.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs. boneless pork, cut in 1-inch cubes
Flour, all-purpose
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup vinegar (I used white)
1/2 cup water
1 bell pepper, rough chop
1 (12 oz.) jar of pineapple preserves (***I couldn't find pineapple preserves, so I used a small jar of crushed pineapple in pineapple juice, plus 2-3 heaping tablespoons of some apricot/pineapple jam I just happened to have in my pantry. I think it would have been fine with just the crushed pineapple though, if you don't have any pineapple preserves available to you.)

Directions:

In a bowl or shallow dish, pour about one cup of flour and season with salt and pepper. Coat the meat with the flour. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the pork, and brown on both sides. Add the barbecue sauce, vinegar, and water. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add the bell pepper and pineapple and simmer for 10-15 minutes more, until the bell pepper is tender.

Serve it over rice.

Serves 4-6

Pinto Beans

2010-02-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

My daddy was born and raised in Texas. He didn't move over to Louisiana until his 20's, but he soon after met my momma, and they settled down together in New Orleans. Growing up, the meals I ate were heavily influenced by the amazing New Orleans cuisine and the abundance of seafood that was available to us. But, our home was also heavily influenced by the foods my daddy grew up eating. To put it mildly, he is a meat-and-potato guy. He loves steak, meat, roast, meat, brisket, and more meat.

In addition to the meat, there are the beans. I can remember that at almost every meal we ate there were beans. Seriously. Most of the time, my mom would make a pot of beans "from scratch," but even if there wasn't time for that in the hectic schedule, my daddy would just open a can of Ranch-style beans and warm them up on the stove.

My momma can make a mean pot of navy beans, red beans, and most importantly, pinto beans. I think pinto beans are the official bean of the state of Texas. They are vital to the Texan's diet. Every time we arrived at my grandmother's house--which was just outside of Dallas, TX--there was, without fail, a pot of pinto beans simmering away on the stove. Even today, these beans hold such a place in my heart. When we go home to visit my parents, we always manage to cook a pot, and my heart is warmed with nostalgia as I pour myself a bowl.

Now, for those of you who weren't raised eating these lovely legumes on a regular basis, beans can seem boring or overwhelming, but let me tell you, they are so simple to make and are delicious. Not to mention, beans have major healthy points!

Here is my version of my mother's bean. I say "my" because my momma has her bean-cooking down to such an art that she doesn't use measurements. She just does it. (Which makes me question: When will I get to that point as a cook?)

Pinto Beans

1 bag of dry pinto beans, rinsed and sorted (pull out any dirty or ugly beans)
6 cups water, plus more as needed
3 slices of bacon
2-4 tablespoons of chili powder (season to your tastes)
1-2 teaspoons of salt, more or less depending on your tastes)
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Rinse and sort beans with water, making sure that you adequately remove the dirt. No one wants dirty beans.
2. Place rinsed beans in a bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak overnight or for 6-8 hours, before cooking. (If you aren't able to do this, most bags that the beans come in have a method for quick-soaking. Just follow those directions.)
3. After beans have been soaked, rinse them one more time for good measure. There are lots of nooks and crannies for dirt, people.
4. Place CLEAN beans in a large pot or dutch oven. Cover beans with 6 cups of water (Be sure there are at least 1-2 inches of water over the beans). Bring to a boil.
5. Once water is boiling, add the bacon, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Recover pot.
6. Cook/simmer at a soft-rolling boil for 2-3 hours, being sure to stir frequently and add water as needed.

It is imperative that you continue to add water to your beans as they cook. The beans soften as they absorb the water; therefore, the amount of liquid in the beans will diminish as the water is absorbed. You need to keep replenishing the amount of liquid so that it doesn't evaporate completely and cause your beans to stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.

Been there. Done that. It stinks. Bad.

I suggest tasting the beans about half-way through to see if you need to adjust your spices. You may need to up the salt, and if they seem a bit bland, add more chili powder.

So, watch your beans carefully. Add a 1/2 cup of water to it every now and then and stir. The beans are done when they are soft and don't have a bite to them.

When done, serve up the beans in a big bowl and serve with bread. (Growing up, we always served it up with some white, sliced bread. Simple, but delicious).

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

2010-02-05T17:59:00.000-08:00

Nothing says New Orleans like a big ole bowl of Jambalaya.

First, let me explain how you SAY this word.

It's NOT Jam- (as in Strawberry Jam)- ba-lie-ya.

It's Jum-ba-lie-ya.

Chicken and Sausage Jum-ba-lie-ya to be exact.

This dish is so yummy and delicious, plus it makes a ton of food which makes it perfect for a large crowd. I often fix this dish when I am making supper for another family (maybe they just had a baby or there was a death in the family). This recipe makes so much that I can give half of it, or more, to the family I'm making it for plus have PLENTY leftover for my family to eat for two meals. Seriously. TON.OF.FOOD.

Now, there are several variations of jambalaya. Some have a red/tomato base, but not this one. Honestly, I like this brown version of jambalaya because it's really not at all spicy which sometimes turns people off who aren't from New Orleans. We love spice, but I understand that not everyone feels that way. This recipe isn't spicy at all, but there are a few ways you could add some kick if you wanted.

Here we go:

Ingredients:
1/2 stick of butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1.5 lbs. chicken, uncooked and cut into bite-sized chunks
2 packages of smoked sausage, sliced into medallions or half moons
2 lb. box of white, long grain rice (I use Uncle Ben's)
3 cans French Onion soup
3 cans beef broth
Cajun seasoning, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Saute onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic in butter until vegetables are softened, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Transfer sauteed vegetables to whatever pan you will be cooking the jambalaya in. You will need something quite large. If I am making an entire batch of jambalaya, I typically buy a disposable aluminum roasting pan.
4. Add the chicken, sausage, and rice to the vegetables in roasting pan. Pour three cans of French Onion soup and two cans of beef broth over the ingredients. Stir gently with a spoon, sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, and cover tightly with foil.
5. Bake jambalaya for approximately one hour. Remove foil and check the moisture level of the rice. Add the final can of beef broth and stir. Recover with foil and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
6. Remove foil and stir. Check the done-ness of the rice. Cook, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes or until all remaining liquid is gone. (Your total oven cooking time is approximately 2 hours).

Serve with some hot, French bread and a green salad. Set out a bit of Cajun seasoning for sprinkling on a bit of heat if desired.

***One way to kick up the heat in this recipe is to use hot sausage instead of smoked sausage.
***Another alteration is to use Turkey sausage instead of pork or beef for a lower fat version. Still wonderful (honestly, you can hardly tell!)

This is what we'll be having as we watch the SAINTS win the Superbowl!!!!!

Superbowl Food Ideas

2010-02-05T05:14:00.000-08:00

I have a great recipe I am going to share that I'll be making on Superbowl Sunday. I've shared it before on the Easy Meals for Busy Moms cooking blog before, and it's my go-to meal for feeding a crowd. What makes this recipe even more perfect for this Sunday's big game? It's a New Orleans dish!

That's right! The Saints are going to the Superbowl!

GEAUX SAINTS!

Who Dat! Who Dat! Who Dat say they gonna beat dem Saints!

Seriously, I know I'm from New Orleans and all, and sure, I'm biased, but if you aren't rooting for the Saints, you are just sad. I know all of you TN people are in love with Peyton, but seriously!?

Ok, my special recipe will be up later today, but I wanted to see if you guys had any other ideas for great Superbowl recipes! I know Pioneer Woman does, so share away if you have any great dips or desserts or other wonderful snacky food ideas.