RooRoos Kitchen

The Christmas Punch....

2011-12-26T18:49:00.000-06:00

....that my family loves. I had to make more today bc my son likes it so much ;)

I am not very sure where exactly I got this recipe or why I even decided that we needed to have some punch yesterday but here is what we enjoyed...

Fruit Punch
Cranberry Juice
Ginger Ale
Pineapple Juice

Mix all the ingredients a little at a time(I didn't measure at all, just poured half the punch, half the other juices and soda until punch bowl was full). Stir and serve. You can also add Sherbert, sorbet or ice cream to it if you want. Some of us in my family(including me) are Lactose Intolerant so I just left that out. It's a very pretty red and very yummy. Today, I just added it to a pitcher so it's easier to store in fridge.

If you've never made these....

2011-12-21T10:59:00.000-06:00

S'mores Cookies

YOU MUST. So easy and so so yummy. I made these today for my Nail Tech. What would I do w/out her??? :)

I found this recipe via Pinterest (I am in love w/Pinterest btw) and I had to tell y'all that this recipe is a keeper! So Glad I found it!

The Girl Who Ate Everything

I hope Dee enjoys these little treasures as much as I did...bc you know I had to test it out first to make sure it was a worthy gift ;) hahahahahaha

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

2011-11-03T21:15:00.001-05:00

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

1 lb ground beef/turkey
1 can tomato soup
1 chopped onion
1cup uncooked rice
1cup water
1 jar taco sauce (I used the mild bc of my son)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 tsp Cumin
2tsp chili powder
4 red peppers or pablanos
Colby Jack cheese (or whatever you like)

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef/turkey. Add the taco seasoning and water, mix well. Add the chopped onion, uncooked rice, tomato soup, jar of taco sauce, and seasonings. If it is still very thick, you can add more water. It needs to be a little thick though, too much water and your peppers will be soggy. Cook this for about 10min on the stove on low heat. In the meantime, Cut your peppers in half and clean the seeds out. Wash the peppers and dry them off. Put them in a 9x13 pan and then add the mixture to the peppers. Add some cheese on top. Then place foil over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Your cheese will be melted and the peppers will be tender.

These are very good. Joe enjoyed them I guess, his plate was licked clean :D LOL

Taco Soup

2011-10-10T18:54:00.000-05:00

This is really one of the easiest recipes ever. Really. It's also, "smack your mama" good. You can get very creative w/this, add Ground beef, Ground turkey, Shredded Chicken, Shredded pork and tons of veggies like black olives and green onions.

3cans diced tomatoes
3 cans corn
2cans great northern beans
1pkg taco seasoning
1pkg ranch seasoning
one can of water

This alone is my "meatless Monday" soup that we are eating tonight. However, if you gotta have the meat then add whatever you like. Cook this on the stove OR do what I do;

ADD EVERYTHING TO YOUR CROCK POT :0 win!

If you don't have time to cook chicken then shred it, you can use a whole cooked chicken that you buy OR leftover chicken(or pork roast) and add it. Ground beef/turkey is very good also. OUR favorite way is to serve it w/tortilla chips, and sprinkle cheese on top :) It is very very good.

*that is Aiden's second bowl :D I think he likes it.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-07-14T11:55:00.000-05:00

4 bone-in Chicken breast
one bottle(12 oz) Franks RedHot sauce
one bottle(16oz)Ranch Dressing
3 (8oz each) cream cheese
celery flakes
Shredded cheese of choice(I actually shred my own cheese bc I think pre-shredded makes this oily)
Celery sticks,crackers,chips....

In a large pan, boil the chicken breast till done. take out and let cool. In the meantime, Add cream cheese to Mixer bowl and beat cream cheese until smooth. Add ranch dressing and mix well. In food processor, I add the chicken(take chicken off bones in chunks)and shred it up. Add the chicken to the cheese/ranch mixture and mix well. Then add the whole bottle of hot sauce. Mix this together well and add about 2tsp of celery flakes.Add as much shredded cheese as you like(I add about a cup) stir well and pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 til bubbly. In the last 5min of baking add some more cheese on top if desired and allow to melt.

this is good stuff. Serve w/Celery sticks, an assortment of crackers and tortilla chips. This is spicy and children may not like it...there's your warning lol.

You can bake this in the oven, then add to a crockpot to keep warm. :)

Aiden's fav mac and cheese

2011-06-02T18:20:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know what you're thinking. It's gotta be the kind w/shells and that glop of velveta cheese right? WRONG. This is very easy and so so much better than that other stuff. You can get creative and throw extra stuff in this, will not hurt my feelings.

Any pasta you like, tonight I used Shells. I used 1/2 lb(so half of the box)
Shredded cheese. I used Colby Jack and Cheddar tonight. But have used all kinds.
Small curd cottage cheese
salt
pepper
ground red pepper

Boil your pasta until al dente. Drain water really well from pasta. Pour pasta back into pot. Add 8oz of cottage cheese, and the shredded cheese a little at a time. Stir. The Cheese will slowly melt. Keep adding cheese until it's cheesy enough for YOU. Joe and Aiden like cheesy, I like whatever(being Lactose Intolerant, I will have to take a whole box of Lactaid to eat this ROFL) Add salt,and peppers. Stir, and taste.

Now, you can use any combination of cheese you want. Be creative, try different kinds. You can add some ground turkey to this(or beef), some veggies and you have a one pot meal.

I know, I know, this is not a "magical" recipe lmao, but you don't have to use flour, and the cottage cheese helps to make this creamy. You can bake this w/some extra cheese on top or some bread crumbs.HOWEVER, Mr. Joe doesn't like baked mac and cheese. He wants creamy.

Baked Oatmeal

2011-04-18T19:59:00.000-05:00

1 1/2C of Old Fashioned Oats
1 1/2 Tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp salt
1/4tsp nutmeg
3tbsp splenda brown sugar
3tbsp maple syrup
1 banana, mashed
one large granny smith apple, diced
1/2C chopped pecans or walnuts
1 1/4 C milk(I use Soy milk)

Preheat your oven to 350. Spray a baking dish w/cooking spray. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together well. Pour and spread out into baking dish. I sprinkle a little more brown sugar on top to have a "crunch". Bake in oven for 20-25min until lightly browned.

This is where you can get creative. You can add yogurt, honey, more maple syrup, fresh fruit, warm milk, even your favorite jam. I like to warm up a half a cup of milk and pour over my oatmeal. If you've never had baked oatmeal, you have to try it. I have another recipe on here called "Amish Oatmeal" that is so so good. It's a favorite for my whole family. I serve it Christmas morning and it's the one time where there's complete silence in my house LOL. If you want to switch up, try adding diced pears instead of apples. Omit the banana if you don't have any or don't like them. Very comforting.

"Meatless" baked spaghetti

2011-04-18T18:25:00.000-05:00

I know what you're thinking. Meatless? What is SHE thinking? However, we've been doing at least one meatless night a week and love it. You can basically take any "ground beef" recipe and make it "meatless" with a very easy solution.

This stuff is amazing. You will find it in the freezer section next to the Morning Star Veggie burgers. There is no need to defrost this like you need to do w/ground beef or ground turkey. Open the bag, add to large skillet and warm up and crumble as it heats up. Then you can add whatever you want to it. You will NEVER believe that this is meatless at all.

Now, in this recipe, you can make your homemade spaghetti sauce if you'd like. If you have time, by all means go for it. Homemade is always better, right? However, tonight, I wanted a quick meal. SO I used 2 jars of spaghetti sauce.

one bag (which equals 1lb of ground beef) of Morning Star Meal Starters Grillers Recipe Crumbles
2 jars of spaghetti sauce-I like one jar of a garlic and one of a mushroom and green bell pepper
1lb of spaghetti
one small onion, diced
1-2C of shredded cheese, any kind you like(I used Colby-Monterey Jack)
*you can also add veggies like baby spinach, egg plant....

Boil the spaghetti noodles until they are al dente. Heat up the Crumbles in a sauce pan with the chopped onion. After it's heated through, add the spaghetti sauces. In a 9x13 baking dish, spread a little sauce on bottom of pan. Then add half of the noodles, add half of the sauce, cheese then layer again. Bake for 25min in preheated 350 oven. Serve w/garlic bread and/or salad. Enjoy.

Better for you crunchy fish...

2011-04-08T19:15:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you how many people I know LOVE fried fish and all the fixings. However, it's sooooo not good for you. THIS recipe is to satisfy that craving but not only that, it's so good. Give it a try, you won't be sorry, your belly and taste buds will thank you. Ours do every time we eat it.

You can use any fish you like, a favorite for us is Tilapia bc it's not a strong tasting fish. It's very mild so even you "I hate fish" folks may love it. Try Cod too bc when you use it, it taste very similar to a child hood favorite, fish sticks.

Fish Fillets of choice, tilapia, cod, catfish, even salmon would be good
no more than 1 Tsp of Old Bay seasoning
Panko Bread Crumbs

Mix the bread crumbs and Old Bay seasoning together then roll fish in it. Bake at 400 degree oven til fish is a golden color and flakes w/a fork. SO SO SO GOOD. This is all you do folks. It's not rocket science. You can make this up very fast. SO no more excuses about how cooking a healthy meal takes too long and how you don't have time to do it....NO MORE! ya hear? ;)

This is the bread crumbs that I use. They are Japanese bread crumbs. Not as fine as what you may be use to. They don't cost that much either and it just takes a little.

Veggie Chili

2011-03-28T17:39:00.000-05:00

Ok, don't knock it till you've tried it. My dear husband, who loves his meat, loves this chili. He said that he does not miss the meat in this at all. SO TRY IT. It's good for you.

1 package soyrizo-meatless soy chorizo (find this w/the Tofu at Walmart for example)
dice these vegetables: one onion, 2 celery sticks, 2 carrots, green bell pepper
1 package McCormick Chili seasoning in Original
1 package McCormick Chili seasoning in Mild
1 can Chili Beans (which ever flavor you like, mild,medium or hot)
1 can of Cannellini beans-drained and rinsed
1 can of Kidney beans- drained and rinsed
2 cans (29 oz each) Tomato Puree
1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
water if needed
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Chipotle Chili Pepper (this is spicy so add more if you like it hot but do a little at a time to test)

In a non stick pot(and use a good pot bc the soyrizo sticks very easy) add some EVOO(olive oil folks) and add all veggies. Saute till almost tender but still a little firm. Take Soyrizo out of casing, just like you would if it were Italian Sausage. Add to pot and break up. WATCH CLOSELY or it may stick. After about 3 minutes of sauteing this together, start adding beans,tomatoes, puree, and seasonings. Stir til mixed together. Now, if you like your chili thinner, add water a little at a time and stir together until it's the consistancy you want. I add about a half of a cup of water bc I don't want mine super thick. You can serve this w/crackers and cheese or whatever you'd like just like regular chili. It's done when you simply can't stand the smell any longer and you just have to have a bowl. Takes no time at all to prepare and is very very good.

Lemon Dijon Chicken

2011-02-18T17:39:00.000-06:00

This is really good. Very easy and to my surprise, was just as good baked in the oven as it would be grilled.

1/3C fresh lemon juice (do not use the bottled stuff, NOT THE SAME)
1/4C olive oil
1TBSP Dijon Mustard
2tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper

Mix together and pour over chicken breast(3-4 of them). If you are grilling the chicken, marinate for at least 30min. Otherwise, bake at 400 till done-juices run clear.

Just look at that garlic on there....mmmmm so good lol.

Italian Jambalaya

2011-01-25T18:11:00.000-06:00

I got this recipe from a friend, Heather who loved this recipe so much she shared it w/me. She received the recipe from her mom who got the recipe from a

2008 Southern Living Annual -December

1 lb. Italian sausage, casing removed
2 skinned boneless chicken breasts, coursely chopped apx. 1 lb.
2 boneless center cut pork chops, chopped apx. 1 lb.
1 onion diced
1 green pepper diced
1 red pepper diced
several stalks celery chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 ten oz cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 six oz can tomato paste
light beer or White Wine(if needed)

Brown sausage in Dutch oven over medium high heat, stiring often, 5 minutes or until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove sausage using a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings. I had to add some EVOO here bc my sausage didn't have enough fat. Cook chicken and pork in sausage drippings over medium high heat, stirring 4-5 minutes or until brown on all sides. At this point, the bottom of my pan had the "gunk" on it so I deglazed my pan. I would suggest using a light beer or white wine here. Add onion, peppers and celery and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and green chilies, tomatoe paste, 1/4 cup water, Italian sausage and all seasonings. Cover and reduce heat to low, stirring often for 20 minutes.

Stir in hot cooked orzo just before serving or serve over pasta or rice.

I served ours over rice that had Saffron in it. I love Saffron yum yum. My husband enjoyed it quite a bit I'd say,his bowl was clean :)

Tex-Mex Stew

2011-01-15T17:58:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe in a Family Circle cookbook and thought that I would give it a whirl. I did change it up a bit for our taste preferences. It smells so good right now!

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef(I used ground Turkey)
2 1/4 C water
1 can (15 1/2 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1C frozen chopped onions,green and red peppers
1 can RO*Tel Mexican Lime and Cilantro
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 TBSP ground cumin (I used 1 1/2 TBSP bc I love this spice)
1/2tsp salt(I added less bc of the onion soup mix)
1/2tsp dried oregano
1/4tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
Corn chips-optional
avocado-optional
cilantro-optional

In a large pot, brown the ground turkey and break it up w/spoon. Add 2 C water,beans, corn, soup mix, cumin, salt, oregano, cayenne, peppers, and rotel. Stir til combined and let come to simmer for about 10-15min. Stir 1/4 C water into the flour and mix together til smooth. Stir into stew; cook about one minute or until thickened. If desired garnish w/corn chips,cilantro and avacodo.

* It takes no time at all to put this recipe together. It's very very easy, and like I stated, it smells so good as it cooks. Next time you are in a hurry and need to put together something fast, this is the meal to do. Very good!

This is the Ro*Tel that I used. Sorry for the blur in pictures but my Camera actually died while I was taking the pics LOL. Also, this has a kick to it, so if you don't like spicy stuff, do not add the cayenne pepper ;)

Lemon Bars

2010-12-21T18:01:00.000-06:00

Base: 2 C all pupose Flour
         1/2 C powdered sugar
         1C butter(soft)

Filling: 4 eggs
           2C sugar
           1/4C flour
           1tsp baking powder
           1/4 C lemon juice

Glaze: 1 C powdered Sugar
          2-3 tbsp lemon juice

*Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoonflour into measuring cups; level off. In a large bowl, combine all base ingredients, beat at low speed till crumbly. Press mixture evenly into bottom of 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

*In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients except lemon juice; blend well. Stir in 1/4C juice,remove pan from oven and pour filling over top. Return to oven and bake at 350 for an additonal 25-30 minutes or till the top is light brown. Cool 1 hour or until completely cool.

*Mix glaze ingredients and glaze cooled bars. Cut into bars.

Rocky Road Fudge

2010-12-21T13:30:00.000-06:00

This is a very simple and yummy fudge recipe. I have had this one for years now and it comes from a friend that we call "Ole Woman", she's not old at all and I adore her.

1 (12oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1C creamy peanut butter
3C mini marshmallows
1/2 C chopped nuts

Microwave chocolate chips and peanut butter in bowl on high for 2-3(takes me 2 1/2 minutes) till melted. Stir well until peanut butter is incorporated into the chocolate. Fold in marshmallows and nuts. Spoon into a greased 9" square pan and chill till firm and cut into small squares.

mmmmmm mmmmm good!

Crock Pot Candy

2010-12-20T19:08:00.000-06:00

32 oz jar lightly salted peanuts
1 (12 oz) pack of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (4oz) bar of german chocolate
16oz white almond bark
16oz chocolate almond bark

Put peanuts in bottom of crack pot. Put in chocolates and almond bark on top of the peanuts. I used unsalted peanuts bc we don't need anymore sodium lol. Cook on low for about 2 hrs or until ur chocolate is all melted. Stir well then drop by spoonfuls on wax paper. They will set up on their own. If you want them to set up faster, put them in fridge. I used a little cookie scoop to drop these but you can just use a spoon. They are very tasty and I think ANY nut would do for this recipe. Enjoy!

*Chuck, I know it looks like poop on wax paper, but it's good, I promise LOL

Sweet Potato Casserole, a family favorite

2010-11-24T19:06:00.000-06:00

3C mashed sweet potatoes
1C sugar
1tsp vanilla
1stick butter (melted)
1 egg

Topping:

1C brown sugar
1C chopped pecans
1/2C flour
1/3 stick butter(melted)

Grease casserole dish. Mix 1st 5 ingredients and put into a casserole dish. Mix topping. It will be a little mushy. Crumble on top of potatoes. Bake at 325 for 45min.

*I have to double this recipe for my family. This is a family favorite, especially for my uncle Jimmy. I hope y'all enjoy it as much as we do! Happy Thanksgiving.

Very Easy Beer Bread

2010-10-28T19:19:00.000-05:00

This recipe is so quick to put together. It's very yummy and goes great w/stews or soups.

2 1/4 C all purpose flour
3tbsp sugar
1tbsp baking powder
1/2tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz beer(whatever you like and have is fine)
2tbsp olive oil

In a large bowl, combine flour,sugar,baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center, pour in beer and olive oil and mix until well blended. Pour into greased laof pan and bake at 400F for 45min or until golden brown.

Enjoy :)

Monster Bread

2010-10-20T18:08:00.000-05:00

This is what we call "monster bread" in our house. It's a great way to get Aiden to eat spinach. Yes, I know, I am tricky hehe.

Italian Bread-or whatever you like
Spinach, if frozen defrost and drain water
minced garlic
butter(or olive oil, whatever you like)
salt and pepper

In a blender or food processor, add spinach,garlic,butter,salt and pepper(I don't measure, just eyeball it. It needs to spread easily on bread). Process til ingredients are mixed together well and can spread onto bread.

Bake in oven til butter is melted and bread is light brown.

Very yummy and simple to make. :)

Swedish Apple Pie

2010-09-28T16:22:00.000-05:00

SWEDISH APPLE PIE. It is a crustless pie, and therefore EXTRA simple to make. It is delicious!

* 2 1/2 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon white sugar(I used Splenda)
* 1 cup white sugar(I used Splenda)
* 3/4 cup margarine, melted
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan with margarine.
2. Fill 2/3 of the pan with sliced apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon,nutmeg and 1 teaspoon sugar.
3. In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup sugar with the melted margarine. Stir in pecans, flour, egg and salt. Mix well. Spread mixture over the apples.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 65 minutes, or until golden brown. (it doesn't take this long in my oven, so watch it.)

This is so yummy. I got this recipe from a friend last year and it has quickly become a favorite in our house. It's super easy to make and the taste is amazing. If you like apple pie, do try this!

Pineapple Banana Bread

2010-09-06T21:45:00.000-05:00

3C flour
2C sugar
3/4tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
1tsp cinnamon
if you have some whole nutmeg you can ground up, add some of that too. Otherwise, leave out.

Combine all dry ingredients. Set aside.

In a mixer on low speed blend:

3 eggs
1C oil
5 bananas
16oz can Drained crushed pineapple(you will add 8oz to bread and use the rest to top the bread with)

Then add dry ingredients to mixture. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. On the top of each uncooked loaf add 4oz of the drained left over pineapple. Also you can add some brown sugar to top if desired. Bake at 350 for 80-90 min. The timing will depend on your oven. The loaves should be brown on top and done in middle.

This bread is so yummy. I got the recipe from a friend a few years ago and it's one of my favorite breads. Very moist and best part; it makes TWO loaves. SO keep one for yourself and share the other :) I'm sending the 2nd loaf to Joe's work :)

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

2010-09-06T20:58:00.000-05:00

If you love Chicken and Dumplings but don't want to stand over a stove stirring the dumplings forever, then this is the recipe for you! It's very easy. I got a recipe similiar to this from a friend but added my own touch to make it taste like my Granny's Chicken and Dumplings that my family loves so much.

4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts
2cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 stick of butter(do NOT be a wimp, add the butter. It prevents dumplings from sticking and makes it taste good. STOP thinking about the added fat, It's chicken and dumplings for crying out loud)
1 onion chopped
3 (10 oz)cans refrigerated biscuits. Tear in half and roll into a ball.

Seasonings: salt, pepper, oregano, sage, poultry seasoning, celery seed or flakes(whichever you have is fine).

I do not measure the seasonings, I go by the way it looks and smells lol. I've been making Chicken and Dumplings for a while (Just like my Granny use to) so I don't need no stinkin' measuring spoon lol.

Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in the crock pot and fill w/enough water to cover the chicken. I usually add some of my seasonings here. Do not add all of them, just enough to start seasoning the chicken and broth that it will make. Cover and cook for 4-5hrs. I start this at like 11AM. Remove chicken from broth and cut pieces or shred it w/fork. Whichever way you like it is fine. I do this around 3-3:30PM. Tear your biscuits in half and roll into balls. Add to broth and stir w/spoon. Add the rest of your seasonings here. Go by smell and taste the broth if you want. I just go by the way it smells and looks, but I have done this a few times ;) Once all biscuits are in crock pot, stir every once in a while so biscuits will not stick together. Otherwise, you may be like my poor poor Aunt Katie. The very 1st time she made Chicken and Dumplings, she didn't stir(she did hers on the stove) and she had ONE BIG DUMPLING ;) So folks, point is, you will not have to stand over stove to stir these but you will need to stir once in a while. Cook for another 3-4 hrs. Dumplings need to be cooked and not doughy. When you first add them, they will swell up, this is totally normal. I have to say, that this is JUST AS GOOD as cooking them on the stove. We had them the other night and I baked some Sweet Potatoes w/it. It was lip smacking good y'all.

Wonderful Pasta Salad

2010-08-02T13:42:00.000-05:00

This is very simple and so much better than any pasta salad you can buy. You can use any veggies you have. But these are our favorites to use :)

1 bag mini pepperoni or larger one cut up
1 green bell pepper
1 cucumber, seeded and peeled, then diced up
1 can black olives,drained
1 small (or half of a large one) red onion diced up (or even green onions)
2 tomatoes diced
Green olives, as much as you like
Cheese of choice, optional
Pasta of choice, EX: Spiral, bow tie, elbow
1 bottle light Italian dressing

Boil Pasta according to directions on box. Drain and rinse w/cold water. In the meantime, cut all veggies and add to a large bowl. Pour in the pasta and the other ingredients and mix well. Pour the bottle of dressing in bowl and mix together til pasta and veggies are coated w/the dressing. Serve cold.

*depending on the pasta you use, you may need more dressing. Some pastas seem to soak up the dressing more than others. My favorite pasta to use is the bow tie pasta. Spiral pasta,(shown in pic) used a little more than a bottle of dressing.

This is so good on a hot day :)

No bake cookies....

2010-07-29T22:20:00.000-05:00

In the picture above, I made the No Bake Cookies and shaped them into POO lol, and put them in little napkin diapers. A friend of mine asked for the recipe to these cookies bc she lost hers.No bake cookies are one of the easiest cookies to make and HOLY COW are they good. I remember eating these as a kid. The school cafeteria ladies would make them and all the kids would be excited about these cookies. My little boy loves them as well. I don't think I know a person out there that doesn't like them! So enjoy.

No Bake Cookies aka Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies.....

2C sugar
1 stick butter
1/2C milk
3TBSP cocoa(use big serving spoons-not your cereal spoons but the larger ones-do not use a regular tbsp measure bc that isn't how the recipe was made. use heaping spoonfuls)

Put in pan and bring to boil. Boil for ONE MINUTE. Remove from heat and stir in:

1C peanut butter(creamy)
1 tsp vanilla
3C quick oats

stir together til it's mixed well and drop by spoonful on wax paper. Let the cookies cool and "set". Remove from wax paper and store in container w/a lid. If your house is warm, you may want to refrigerate the cookies.

*on really humid days, it may take them a little while longer to set. If you're having trouble w/them setting where you live, try adding more peanut butter and oats. Experiment and see what works for you in your area.

The BEST Strawberry Lemonade ever

2010-07-25T18:31:00.000-05:00

On vacation, we had dinner at Bubba Gumps Shrimp Co. and I ordered a strawberry lemonade drink with my meal. OMG it is sooooooooooooo good. I asked how they make it and was surprised that they kindly shared the recipe :)

1Can frozen lemonade
Sprite
Strawberries
water

Defrost the can of lemonade. Pour into gallon pitcher. Add half the bottle of sprite(liter bottle). You can use fresh strawberries or buy a bag of frozen ones, let them thaw and then I added them to my blender and gave them a whirl to chop them up some. Add this to the pitcher and stir. Add water to fill the pitcher up the rest of the way.

You can add some of this lemonade mixture to a blender w/some ice and make a frozen drink out of it. I made some yesterday and it's devine. I am in love LMAO. Thank you Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for the recipe and for the fantastic service. We prooved that we are the King and Queen of the Forrest Gump movie hahahahahaha.

Pulled Pork or BBQ as it's known here in the South :)

2010-07-25T18:05:00.000-05:00

This is so so so easy. I highly recommend trying it, it's super good.

1 pork roast(I got mine at Sams)
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce(we like Jack Daniels)
1 can of Root Beer or soda of your choice(you can even use a can of beer)

Season Roast w/salt and pepper. Put it in your crockpot(slowcooker) and pour the root beer over roast. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove roast from pot, and shred w/a fork. Pour out the rootbeer from crockpot and add shredded pork to crockpot. Pour one bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce and stir.

OR you can do it like we do LOL. I shred the roast, and I add BBQ sauce to half of it and the other is "naked" bc we add Starns Sauce to it :)

This is super easy, and it's very juicy and tender. You can use any soda you like or even a beer. It keeps the roast from drying out and makes it super moist. Put some on a bun and enjoy every last bite :)

Blueberry Orange Muffins

2010-07-17T10:21:00.000-05:00

1C whole wheat flour
1C All purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1tsp grated orange peel
1C orange juice
1 egg
1/3C oil
1 pint fresh blueberries
more sugar

In a large bowl combine flours,sugar,baking soda and salt. Mix together. Add egg,oil.orange juice and orange peel. Combine til lumpy wet. Add blueberries and turn slowly and mix in. Do not beat-this will crush your blueberries and ur batter will turn out blue. Plus, you never over beat muffins batter!

Spray muffin tin(12) and use ice cream scoop to spoon in muffin batter. Sprinkle tops w/some sugar. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or til muffins are brown and done in center.

Kool-Aid Pie

2010-07-01T19:23:00.000-05:00

I know what you are thinking. EWWWW right? But no, it's actually pretty darn good. AND better yet....VERY EASY. Takes not even 5 minutes to put together. This would be a awesome pie for a church event or pot luck. A friend of mine, Holly, emailed the recipe to me. You can use a packet of any kool aid mix you have. I used Blastin' Berry Cherry for this pie. I'd love to try the Lemonade bc I hear it's awesome.

1 packet of Kool Aid (any flavor)
1 can 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 container Cool Whip
1 graham cracker pie crust

Mix all ingredients together and pour into shell. Refridgerate for at least one hour before serving. :) I had to share this recipe. I tried the "mix" before I poured it into pie shell.....YUMMY lol.

Polenta and Corn stuffed Peppers

2010-05-23T20:06:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe in a magazine a while back and finally decided to give it a try. I had to share it bc they are just so pretty and it was such a simple recipe to make. Smells heavenly.

4-6 large peppers-red, yellow or green (seeded and membranes removed)
12 oz roll of polenta, cut into pieces
1 can mexican corn
3/4 cup shredded montery jack cheese
3/4 cup provolone cheese(I sliced some up)
salt and pepper
Sour Cream

Heat oven to 350. In a bowl, mix polenta,corn and half of cheeses together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mixture into peppers.Sprinkle w/remaining cheese. Place peppers in ungreased baking dish and fill pan w/water about half way up. Spray some foil w/cooking spray and cover peppers. Bake 30 min. Romove foil and bake another 20min. Garnish w/sour cream.

Broccoli and Rice Casserole

2010-05-11T17:58:00.000-05:00

I love this casserole but hate the idea of using Cheese Whiz or Velveta. To me, Velveta is way too thick and well, I am just not that crazy about it. A little bit of that stuff goes a longgggggggg way. So, I wanted to try using real shredded cheese. The original recipe for this, calls for cream of chicken, velveta or cheese whiz, frozen broccoli and lots and lots of butter.This is what I have come up with.

A bunch of Broccoli-cut up and washed
2 cups of cooked rice-I used brown
shredded cheddar cheese, or you can use maybe monterey jack w/some cheddar
1 can cream of muchroom
1can cream of celery
1 small onion,diced
butter
Chop the onion and saute it in the butter, I used maybe 2 tbsp of butter. Cut up your broccoli and steam it. DO NOT boil ur broccoli. The vitamins in broccoli are water soluble and will just leach out in the water. Your broccoli should still be a bright green. Cook your rice. Add all these ingredients to a very large bowl. mix together. Add the soups. Mix together. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but it's not. You can cut up your broccoli and onion ahead of time if you like. You can even put this casserole together ahead of time, and you can freeze it :)

Once you've mixed those ingredients together, add maybe a cup of shredded cheese to the bowl and mix together. I also added some garlic powder, red pepper,salt and cracked pepper to this. You can leave it out if you wish, but we like some spice lol. Spray a casserole dish, and pour mixture into dish. Add some more cheese on top and bake at 350. Original recipe says to bake this for an hour. BUT since I did not use frozen broccoli or processed cheese, it was done a lot quicker. You're just melting the cheese really good here, not heating up broccoli(bc I steamed it).

*if you do not want to use the "cream of soups" you can easily make ur own. I went into it a little bit in this blog post.

http://roorooskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/01/homemade-cheese-sauce.html

next time, I may just add some shredded chicken to this and see how that turns out :)

I can't tell you enough just how good this is! SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE VELVETA!!!!

Caramel French Toast

2010-05-08T23:14:00.000-05:00

I put this together tonight and stuck it in the fridge to bake for tomorrow morning. Since some of my gals asked for this recipe, I am posting it on my blog :)

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp corn syrup
1 loaf french bread
5 eggs
1 and 1/4 cup milk(I used soy milk)
1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Heat and stir until melted together. Pour into the bottom of a 9”x13” pan. Slice the loaf of French bread into 1” thick slices. Lay the bread slices on the syrup mixture in the pan, using most (if not all) of the loaf. You may need to squeeze some pieces in, or cut a couple pieces to fill in the holes, but you should be able to use most of the loaf. mix together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Slowly pour the milk mixture over top of the bread, being sure to cover all the bread. AND I used bread that was already sliced-it was whole wheat but very hearty so I thought it would work just as well. :)

You can either freeze it or put it in fride for the next morning if you want. OR you can bake it
uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cut into serving-size pieces. Serve, syrup-side up, on a plate sprinkled with powdered sugar.

*I will post pic tomorrow after I bake it, but wanted to post the recipe before I went to bed incase y'all wanted to make it tomorrow lol.

One of my favorite blogs....

2010-04-23T16:10:00.000-05:00

Some of you are a little new to my blog(you know who you are haha) and may not have checked out other blogs. This is one of my favorite blogs. If you like your crock pot like I do, you will love reading her blog and trying her recipes out. She's been on "The Today Show" so if you think, "I know her from somewhere!" that may be where you've seen her. I am pretty excited to try out her newest recipe posted of her Peanut Butter Cup.

Stephanie

Steak Fajitas and Coconut Lime Rice

2010-04-10T17:08:00.008-05:00

Steak Fajitas

3-4 Steaks(I used rib eyes)
1/2C extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP McCormick Fajita seasoning
1 1/2 TBSP Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning
1TBSP minced garlic
2 Limes
zest of one lime

In a small bowl, mix together EVOO,seasonings, lime juice, Zest, and garlic. Mix together really well. Pour over Steak and marinate for 30 min to one hour. Grill steaks til they are to your liking. We like Medium Well. Let steaks rest for 10 min. Slice steaks into strips and place them on a tortilla w/your choice of toppings.

also, I like to grill some Green Bell Peppers and Onions :)

Coconut Lime Rice

1 Can of COCONUT MILK(not cream of coconut)
1 Lime juice and 1/2 tsp of it's zest
2C quick rice
Dash of cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4C shredded coconut
In a measuring cup, pour can of coconut milk in it(u should have about 1 1/2 C of milk) then fill w/water til it reaches 3C of liquid. Pour into pot. Add two cups of rice and watch carefully. stir frequently and put lid on pot. After liquid is absorbed and rice is done, add lime juice and coconut. stir and serve. You can add a dash of cinnamon and sugar if you want it a bit sweeter and even add a can of pineapples :)

Shrimp Gumbo

2010-03-28T17:39:00.003-05:00

Olive Oil
3Tbsp all purpose flour
10tbsp chicken broth
4oz smoke ham, chopped
1C chopped onion
1C chopped green bell pepper
2/3C cup diced celery
one small bag frozen corn
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 lbs fresh okra pods, sliced
1/4C water
1/2tsp ground red pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 (28oz)can diced tomatoes, Drained(I don't drain bc we like the juice from it)
1lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf(Italian) parsley

Heat some oil(I eyeball around a tbsp) in large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add flour; cook one minute til lightly browned. Stirring constantly whisk in chicken broth. Stir til thick. Pour into a small bowl and set aside. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel.
Heat more oil(again eyeball a tbsp or so) in pan over med. heat. Add onion and ham; cook 10min, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper,celery,corn,okra,dried thyme and garlic. Cook 5min til veggies are almost tender. Add broth mixture and water. Stir together. Add ground peppers,paprika,salt,allspice,and tomatoes. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 min til veggies are tender. Stir in shrimp. Cook til shrimp is pink, or til done. Sprinkle w/parsley and serve over Rice.

I serve this over Saffron Rice, but traditionally it's served over Grits. We do not like Grits. So use whatever you like.

Chicken Spaghetti

2010-03-18T17:37:00.006-05:00

This recipe came from a friend a long time ago. It's really good. Smells like heaven as it cooks :)

4 chicken breast(or whole chicken) boiled and chopped
1 can of Ro*tel or diced tomatoes for those that can't handle the spice ;)
2 med. onion(I use one large onion)
16oz spaghetti noodles(boiled in chicken broth from boiling chicken)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth(I just use 14oz of the chicken broth from boiling chicken)
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Boil your chicken, then chop it up. I like to use a whole chicken bc I think it's juicier and the broth is better. Either way is ok. If you are going to use some chicken broth from the chicken that you boiled, take that out of the pan now, and set aside. Then add noodles to the pan of broth and boil til done. Spray a 9x13 dish. Mix Rotel(or diced tomatoes w/juice),soup, broth together. Layer Spaghetti, chicken,onions,cheese, and pour 2/3 broth/soup mixture over top. Repeat layers except do not add the rest of cheese. Bake 350 for 1 hour uncovered. Last 10 minutes add cheese and bake for remaining time.

Love to serve this with crusty rolls but you serve with whatever you like. Really good and simple to make.

Homemade BBQ sauce

2010-03-16T11:44:00.002-05:00

1 1/2C ketchup
1/2C cola or beer
1/2C honey
1TBSP butter
1/2tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/2tsp chili powder
1/2+ TBSP minced garlic

Heat in pot for 10 min. That's it :)

Really good, I am pouring it over ribs.

Tandoori Chicken

2010-03-04T18:09:00.004-06:00

I found this recipe in a magazine, Cooking Light. So, I wanted to try it out. I have to say it made the house smell heavenly. It had a really good flavor as well. It's an Indian dish that is usually cooked in a Tandoor oven but since I just have a regular oven, that's what I used LOL.

1 (6oz)container plain yogurt
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tsp garam masala
2tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together and spoon over 6 skinless chicken thighs (I used skinless,boneless chicken thighs)and under. Cover and marinate for 4 hrs. Bake chicken, uncovered at 400 for 40 minutes or til chicken is done(juice run clean internal temp of 160).

Next time, I am trying it w/Chicken breast. Recipe states that this is great on steaks :) so that may be on my list to try too. Grilling them of course ;)

The sauce:

Cookie Pizza

2010-03-04T13:07:00.004-06:00

This is so fun to make and yummy. Very easy. I wouldn't put the fruit on til you're ready to eat it or take this where ever you are going. The juice from some of the fruits can water down the pizza.

One package of Sugar Cookie mix

Mix cookie together according to package directions. Then spread into a 9x13 baking dish. You can use a pizza pan, however, using the 9x13 dish will make it very easy to transport and store in fridge. Bake til the cookie is done, a light golden brown color. Cool.

1 (8oz)pk cream cheese
1Cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together and add on top of cooled cookie.

Then add assorted fruit. Try strawberries, kiwi, oranges,apples, grapes and you can even use things like raisins,dried cranberries or chocolate chips. If you add bananas, you may want to roll the slices in some lemon juice to keep them from browning so fast.

Make this one w/the kids!!!

Monkey Bread

2010-02-27T11:02:00.004-06:00

This is a must on Christmas morning. My family has come to love this and it's now a tradition for us to have monkey bread every Christmas. Very easy to make and will make your whole house smell like heaven. If you've never had it before, you must give it a try. Also, contrary to what my son thinks, it's not made w/monkeys LOL, or does it have bananas in it. 4 year olds are funny huh? lol

4 cans (7.5 oz cans) biscuits
1 stick of butter(Jeannine that is 1/2C for my Aussie friend haha)
2C brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 C cream or half and half
1/2 C chopped pecans

In a small pot, combine butter,brown sugar,ground cinnamon,cream and pecans and bring to boil. In a greased bundt pan, layer biscuits(but in half then rolled into balls) and sauce, ending w/sauce. I use 2 cans on bottom, add half the sauce, then add the other 2 cans then add rest of sauce. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Invert onto serving plate and serve warm.

It's called Monkey Bread bc you can use your fingers to pull the bread apart. :) Try explaining this to a 4 yr old lol.

2010-02-22T19:47:00.001-06:00

Spaghetti Carbonara

2010-02-20T17:48:00.000-06:00

Once you master the technique of making this dish, you will be making it all the time. It's super yummy, cheap, and a quick meal. Craving pasta, try this recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb bacon, chopped up
1 tbsp chopped garlic
freshly ground black pepper
1 lb spaghetti (or any pasta of choice really)
4 large eggs, beaten
salt
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1tsbp chopped parsley leaves
white wine

In a large pot, boil your spaghetti noodles til they are al dente. In another large pot, saute bacon until crispy, about 6 min.Remove bacon and set aside. Drain most fat except 3 tbsp. Add chopped garlic and pepper, saute for 30 sec. Add a splash of white wine to de-glaze pan.
Meanwhile, beat your eggs and add a ladle full of the pasta water to the eggs. This will temper the eggs to keep them from scrambling. Turn down the heat to the bacon pan, add bacon and pasta to that pan. Saute for 1 minute. Stir in the eggs. Keep stirring til sauce is thickening and then add cheese. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Then add the parsley. Stir and serve.

Now, when tempering eggs, what you're doing is heating the eggs up so they won't scramble. If you notice that your eggs are trying to scramble remove the pan from heat and keep stirring. Master this technique and you will LOVE cooking this dish bc of how fast it comes together. Enjoy. This is SOOOOOO good. AND please, do NOT burn your garlic. Burnt garlic isn't very good lol.

Beef and Parmesan Pasta

2010-02-12T17:18:00.000-06:00

This is a recipe that I got our of one of my many cookbooks. It's a favorite bc it's very yummy and simple to make. You can use any veggie you like but we choose zucchini as the recipe calls for. I couldn't find any whole wheat bow tie pasta this time at the grocery so I substituted whole wheat rotini.

1 1/2 lbs of ground beef or ground turkey(guess which one I use lol)
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian style diced tomatoes
2C uncooked bow tie pasta
2C sliced zucchini (1/4 in thick)
3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

In a large skillet (or pot) brown the ground beef and remove from drippings, drain grease from pan. Return the skillet to heat and add the beef broth,tomatoes,and pasta.Stir to coat all of the pasta. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.
Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes stirring frequently. Add zucchini and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until pasta is tender(zucchini too).
Return beef to skillet and stir in 1/2C cheese; heat through. Sprinkle w/remaining cheese over each serving.

This is recipe is from the cookbook All Recipes, Dinner Tonight.

Snow Cream

2010-01-30T11:23:00.000-06:00

Don't knock it til you try it ;)

So easy to make, tastes like vanilla ice cream and kids LOVE it. You can add different flavoring to it by using different extracts(like banana,cherry,strawberry).

All you need:

Snow
Milk(for richer flavor use half and half or cream)
sugar
vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together til it's the consistency of ice cream or a slushy. Use about a TBSP of vanilla(or any other extract of choice). Serve immediately. mmmmmm there's nothing like it.

*you can sit a bowl outside while it's snowing to collect "clean" snow, please don't use the snow on the ground, you could get a bug or even snow that a bird has pooped on lol. That, wouldn't be good.

Granola Bars

2010-01-25T16:16:00.000-06:00

Ok so I tried this recipe from Melanie and I have to say that everyone that's had them has LOVED them. I encourage anyone that likes granola bars to give this easy recipe a try. I don't know if I will ever buy granola bars again!!!

Granola Bars

2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1/2 cup rice krispy cereal

1/4 cup coconut

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together until combined. Press into a square 8x8 pan.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and score into bars.

Let it set completely and then cut into bars. Enjoy!

Today, I made another batch. This time I added 1/2 C of chopped walnuts. mmmmm nuts lol.

Homemade cheese sauce

2010-01-22T18:24:00.000-06:00

There are so many ways to make Mac and Cheese. I think EVERYONE should know how to make a "white sauce" bc w/this sauce, you can do so many things to it. This is the basic sauce that you add cheese to, to make mac and cheese or a cheese sauce for veggies. (basically ladies, this is like a white gravy that we Southerners like to put on our biscuits lol, only most will cook the sausage then use that fat instead of butter.....)

White sauce:

2 tbsp butter
2tbsp flour
1/2tsp salt
1C milk, cream or half and half (you can use 1/2C evaporated milk and 1/2 C water if you don't have enough milk)

Melt butter in saucepan then add salt and flour. Whisk til smooth and thick.

To make Cheese sauce, you will add shredded cheese of your choice and whisk together til the cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. I like to add some pepper as well ;)

There are so many sauces you can make w/just the basic white sauce. You can saute garlic in that butter before you add flour and make a cheesy garlic sauce for pasta, you can add the cheese sauce to broccoli AND this is the basic sauce for all those "cream of" soups. ALL you do is add the celery,broccoli,mushroom or whatever to butter-saute then after sauce is thick and cool, use a hand blender to make smooth. SO EASY. Once you learn how to make this white sauce, the possibilities are endless. You can even use this to make chicken pot pies ;)

If you like your sauce thinner, add less flour. If you like it thicker, add more flour.

While you are making the Cheese sauce, boil your noodles(we like whole wheat shells) then drain water off of them. After your noodles and sauce is done, add the noodles to the cheese sauce and stir til well combined. Now, you can leave it like this,

OR you can pour into a casserole dish, add more cheese to top, even some bread crumbs, ritz crackers, whatever you like as a topping, and bake in oven til cheese is melted or top is golden brown. You can even add broccoli, chicken or whatever to this while it bakes, for a complete meal.
Just look at all that melty goodness!!! You know you wish you had some.....so go on, make some. :)

Have you seen me?

2010-01-22T17:41:00.000-06:00

This Vegetable Supreme is SO good on asparagus. It has a buttery taste and I CAN'T FIND IT ANYMORE. It's a sad sad day in my house. I have to use something different on my asparagus. So if you see this, let me know. He's missing in action and I would like to have him back in my spice cabinet lol.

Has he been replaced by this:

If so, I would like to tell McCormick that this is NOT as good on veggies. It is a bit spicy and for kids, that may not be a good thing. I want my buttery seasoning back on my store shelves PLEASEEEEEEEE.

Thank you,

just another stay at home mom trying to please her kid......

Zucchini and Mushroom bake

2010-01-21T19:00:00.000-06:00

4 zucchini's
a can of mushrooms(or fresh)
one onion cut into chunks
butter or EVOO
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the Zucchini any way you like it. Add mushrooms and onions. Add a little butter for flavor or use EVOO. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the veggies. Put in a 350 degree oven til veggies are tender.

*variations

I sometimes will add cheese to this, or even make a vinegar dressing for it. It's really yummy and so easy to make.

Taco Chili

2010-01-18T16:41:00.000-06:00

2lbs of ground beef or turkey(I use turkey)
2 cans dark red kidney beans(drained)
2 cans light red kidney beans(drained)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
water

seasonings:
1 pack of ranch seasoning
1 pack of taco seasoning mix(or 1/4C)
3 TBSP minced dry onion
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder

In a large pot, brown your beef/turkey(you hunters could even use ground deer if you wanted..yuck btw haha) then add your drained beans and tomatoes. Mix together and then add can of tomato sauce. Stir and add water til the water is over the beans and tomatoes. Add all seasonings in and simmer.

You can now add topping of choice, the same ones you like on your tacos. We like:

green onions
black olives
sour cream(joe)
shredded cheese
avocado

This is so good. You can even substitute some of the beans for black beans if you like them. I hope y'all enjoy this as much as we do.

Pineapple Casserole

2010-01-12T19:18:00.000-06:00

Tonight, I had to use 3 slices of pineapple, just 3. I had tons left so I thought, "what am I going to do w/these little babies?" Then it hit me. Joe's cousin, Chuck(if you know him, you love him. He cracks us up) loves Pineapple Casserole. His wife made it for us one night and we all loved it. SO I decided to make this. SO thank you Chuck and Amy for giving us something new :)

Pineapple Casserole

1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks-drain liquid and reserve
1/2C sugar
3 tbsp flour
3tbsp pineapple juice
1 C grated cheddar cheese
1/3C butter(or less if you don't want to use that much)
1C crushed Ritz crackers(I just crushed a half of a bag and used that LOL)

Mix 1st five ingredients together and pour into a casserole dish. Sprinkle the crushed crackers on top and then pour butter on top of the crackers. Bake at 350 for 20 min. VERY GOOD.

I know these ingredients don't sound like they would be good together. BUT they are very good. Try it and you will see :)

Fiesta Fish

2010-01-08T17:06:00.000-06:00

3-4 Tilapia fillets(or any white fish)
2 lemons or limes
Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning blend
your favorite salsa

Jasmine Rice

In a 9x13 baking dish(not metal, I use glass) lay fish side by side. Squeeze lemon(or lime)juice all over fish and if desired sprinkle fish w/the zest. Then sprinkle fish w/the Mrs. Dash seasoning and add a spoonful of Salsa on top. Bake fish at 375 til fish flakes w/a fork.

Serve over Jasmine Rice. Very yummy and healthy!!!!

Tilapia is a very mild fish. It isn't "fishy" tasting at all. If you just are not a fish person, try this w/chicken. ;)

Ravioli Casserole

2009-12-29T17:57:00.000-06:00

This is very similar to Lasagna. You can use ravioli stuff w/cheese or meat, I use cheese. It's really easy and very yummy.

Ravioli Casserole

1 large jar spaghetti sauce(any kind you like)
1 package frozen ravioli
1 24oz container small curd cottage cheese
2C mozzarella cheese-shredded
Italian seasoning
1/2C Parmesan cheese

Use one cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Boil the Ravioli til done(they will float to the top of pan). drain then layer in bottom of dish on top of the spaghetti sauce. Layer 1/2 container of Cottage cheese, then half the package of moz cheese. Add the rest of the ravioli. Layer the rest of cheeses and spaghetti sauce and sprinkle top w/Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-40 min til cheese is bubble. Serve w/some garlic bread.

Party Mix

2009-12-23T21:29:00.000-06:00

A favorite that brings back memories of Home Ec lol.

2 1/2 C Rice Chex cereal
2 1/2 C Corn Chex cereal
2 1/2 C Wheat Chex Cereal
1 1/2C nuts
1 1/2C pretzels
1 C oyster crackers(or Gold Fish Crackers, whatevers ur favorite)

Mix all together in a VERY large bowl.

1Stick butter
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t salt
5t worcestershire sauce

Melt in microwave and stir. Then pour over cereal mixture and stir really well.

Microwave cereal w/sauce for 2min, then stir. Microwave another 2 min then stir. One more time, microwave another 2min then stir. Pour out on paper towels to cool. Then store in airtight container :)

* if you do not want to use all the different cereals just buy Crispix cereal ;) and use 7Cups of it.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2009-12-23T16:22:00.001-06:00

This has to be one of the easiest peanut butter fudges ever made. It's yummy and very sweet, so a little goes a long way.

2Cups Sugar
1/2C milk( I used skim bc that's what we use)
1 1/3 C peanut butter
1 (7oz) jar marshmallow cream

In a medium saucepan(non stick) bring sugar and milk to a boil(rolling boil); boil for 3 min. while stirring. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and marshmallow cream; mix well. Quickly pour into a buttered (I use spray) 8in. square pan. Chill until set. Cut into squares.

Chess Pie Bars

2009-10-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

I made these for my uncle Bobby yesterday. I guess everyone likes them b/c there is only two left lol. Very easy and really good.

For the crust:

2C all purpose flour
1/4C Sugar
1/2tsp Salt
3/4C cold butter, cut up

For the filling:
3 eggs
1 1/2 C Sugar
6 tbsp butter -melted
1 tbsp cornmeal
1tsp vanilla
1 tsp white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9 baking dish w/cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the crust ingredients. Beat the flour,sugar,butter and salt on low speed til crumbly. You can use a good processor as well. Press mixture in bottom of pan about 1/2in up sides of the greased pan.

Bake the crust at 350 for 20 min or til very light brown.

Meanwhile,in a large bowl, beat the eggs and add sugar. Stir in the melted butter, cornmeal,vanilla and vinegar. Mix well. Pour filling over hot crust. Return to oven and continue baking 20-25min or until the filling is set. Filling may puff up during baking but will settle as it cools.

Cool the bars in the baking pan for 1 hr then cut into bars. store in well covered dish in the fridge.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2009-10-16T16:53:00.000-05:00

This has got to be one of my all time favorite cookies. I remember being in grade school and on the day we had these, everybody was so excited. I don't know anyone that doesn't like these beauties.

2C sugar
1stick butter
1/2C milk
3 tbsp Cocoa(big spoons)
This is what I mean by BIG SPOONS lol. Use a big "table spoon" not a spoon you would eat cereal with or a measuring spoon. This was how the recipe was created :)

put in pan and bring to boil. Boil for one min. Remove from heat and stir in;

3C quick oats
1/2C-1 cup peanut butter
1/2-1 tsp vanilla extract

drop on wax paper til cool

These are also known as "no bake" cookies. :) Please use REAL vanilla extract and not imitation. I mean, you're already going to use a whole stick of butter and 2 cups of sugar, so come on, use the real vanilla lol.

Taco Casserole

2009-10-03T16:54:00.000-05:00

This is a favorite dinner in my house. It is very simple and kids love it. You can experiment w/the ingredients and even add more stuff if you like.

1lb ground beef or turkey
1pkg taco seasoning(and water)
1 can Mexican Corn
1 can Nacho Fiesta Cheese soup
1 can Kidney beans or black beans(which ever you like or have)
Tator Tots

Brown your ground beef or turkey then add the taco seasoning w/water. stir til well mixed. Pour into bottom of 9x9 baking dish. Drain all can veggies. Add Beans on top of beef, then Corn, then soup,then tator tots. Bake at 375 for 45min til potatoes are golden brown.

*you can add tomatoes,different kinds of beans,and if the mexican corn is spicy for you,use a can of regular corn. Just make sure you drain all your can veggies so your casserole will not be soggy. I think canned tomatoes would be really good in this as well. If you don't have the cheese soup or don't like it, try using shredded cheese and see how that works. We like the soup b/c it adds great flavor. This actually reminds us of Taco Johns lol.

Risotto

2009-09-18T16:33:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite side dishes. Everyone thinks it's so hard to make Risotto, but I am telling you, it's not. It's simple and after it's done, you'll be glad you made it, I promise. It's soooooo good.

1C Arborio Rice
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic salt(I use garlic powder)
1/2 C dry white wine
3 C hot chicken broth(I like chicken stock better)
3/4C Parmesan cheese, grated
freshly ground pepper

In a heavy saucepan,saute rice in 1 TBSP butter,stirring constantly.

Add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is tender. Add wine and saute until absorbed.

Slowly add 1 C hot broth, stirring frequently. As the liquid cooks down,continue to add remainder of hot broth,1/2C at a time, until all the broth is used and mixture is very creamy. Fold in the cheese,pepper and remaining butter. Serve immediately.

Now, I like using Garlic powder better than the garlic salt. I like to control my salt. I also like the flavor of chicken stock better than broth. As for the wine, you don't have to use an expensive bottle. I used what I had left in a bottle that I like to drink. However, if you don't like wine, you can buy a $3 bottle just for cooking. DO NOT buy the kind at grocery stores that are in the vinegar aisle. They are loaded w/sodium. You can add many things to risotto. Asparagus, mushrooms,pumpkin,butternut squash.....the list goes on and on.
Also, you don't have to use wine at all. If you don't like it, just use extra chicken broth/stock.

Easier Rotisserie Chicken??? whaaaa?

2009-09-18T16:25:00.001-05:00

I love Rotisserie Chicken. You can have that great flavor w/out a rotisserie though. I buy either a whole chicken or whole chicken breasts. All you need for my recipe is;

Lemons
Chicken of choice
McCormick Rotisserie Seasoning

Zest a lemon and add the juice and zest on the chicken. Sprinkle the seasoning over Chicken and bake in oven at 375 til chicken is done.
So easy and so yummy.

Homemade Hush Puppies

2009-09-14T17:01:00.000-05:00

Today, I decided that I wanted some catfish for dinner. I coated it in breading and put it in the oven b/c we all know that fried is BAD lol. Then I went out to the deep freezer for my frozen bag of hush puppies that I buy at Sams. THERE WERE NOT ANY IN THERE. ohhh no. So, off I go looking in my cookbooks for a good recipe. It never fails. If I need a recipe for something, something basic like Hush puppies, I find it in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. This thing is falling apart lol.

Here's the recipe and my adjustments

1C cornmeal
1/4C all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
1 egg beaten
1/2C buttermilk or sour milk
1/4C sliced green onions
cooking oil

In a medium bowl,combine cornmeal,flour,sugar,baking powder,baking soda,and salt. Make a well in center and set aside.
In another bowl combine egg,buttermilk and green onions. This is where I changed it a bit. I didn't have buttermilk. SO there is a recipe on how to get sour milk:

For every ONE cup of regular milk add ONE tbsp lemon juice or vinegar. Stir and let set for 5min. This recipe calls for 1/2C buttermilk so I used 1/2Tbsp on vinegar in skim milk. Remember buttermilk is actually LOW FAT!

I also didn't have green onions but remember that my granny use to use white onions so that's what I used b/c her hush puppies were always GOOD. I also added freshly ground black pepper which the recipe didn't call for but I thought it was needed haha.
Stir til moistened(batter should be lumpy).

Drop batter my tablespoons into deep, hot oil. Fry about 3min or til golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Crispy Herb Baked Chicken

2009-09-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

I adapted this recipe from one a friend gave me. I have to say that it is really good and easy. Also, my son LOVES it. You know anything your kids like is a keeper lol. You can actually add whatever herbs you like to this and make it your own. This is just what we like so far lol. I think some Basil would be really good as well. If you are sick and tired of the same ole chicken all the time, give this one a try!

Crispy Herb Baked Chicken

I use skinless chicken breast only.

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup dry potato flakes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt(I use garlic powder)
1Tbsp Parsley
1/2 tbsp Natures Seasons
Boneless Skinless Chicken breast
1/3 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease or line with foil a baking sheet or a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, combine potato flakes, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder,parsley,and natures seasons. Stir until well mixed.
Dip chicken pieces into melted butter or margarine, and roll in potato flake mixture to coat. Place in prepared pan.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until chicken is tender and golden brown.

Rolls

2009-09-10T18:07:00.000-05:00

I got this recipe from SistersCafe and I just had to try it out. I am always wanting rolls and never remember to make it til it's too late lol.

30-Minute Rolls

1 1/8 cups plus 2 tsp. warm water
1/3 cup oil
2 Tb yeast
1/4 cup sugar or honey
½ tsp. Salt
1 egg
3 ½ cups flour

Mix 1st 4 ingredients and let rest for 15 minutes. Add salt and eggs - gradually add flour. Shape into dinner rolls, or use in your favorite recipe that calls for dough. After shaped, let rest for 10 minutes. For rolls, Bake 10 minutes @400 degrees ‘till golden brown.

I do agree that these rolls need more salt and I think they could rise a little more. However, if you're in a hurry these are pretty good! I did have to add more flour as mine were pretty sticky. Thanks Melanie for this recipe, I will definitely make them again :)

Apple Dumplings

2009-09-04T17:29:00.000-05:00

These little devils are so good. Give them a try and tell me what you think.

Apple Dumplings

3/4C orange juice
3/4C sugar(I usually use less lol)
6tbsp butter
1 can of 8 crescent rolls
One LARGE granny smith apple, cut into 8 slices
cinnamon, to taste

Combine sugar,butter and OJ in a small pan. Heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat stove and set aside. Separate rolls. Place one cut apple piece in the wide end of crescent roll and roll up. Do this for others. Place in a shallow baking dish. Pour OJ mixture over rolls.Sprinkle top w/cinnamon. Bake 350 until golden brown. Spoon mixture over rolls and let set a few minutes to allow juice to thicken. mmmmmmmmm

Homemade Salisbury Steaks...

2009-08-19T18:34:00.000-05:00

These little babies are awesome. I got the idea from the Kraft magazine. I changed it a little to make us happy. They are super easy and very good.

1lb ground beef or turkey(I use turkey)
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing Mix ( I use the Savory Herbs flavor one)
1C water
one small onion chopped

Mix all ingredients together and pat into patties. I get 5 out of this. You'll have to use a large baking dish to put them in. Preheat oven to 375. Bake for 25 min or til done.

Make some brown gravy(the kind that you would use on mashed potatoes and serve on top. The original recipe used BBQ sauce but we don't care for that version.

We like to serve w/Mashed potatoes(homemade of course) and black eye peas ;)

The easiest cookies ever...

2009-08-19T15:21:00.000-05:00

Ok so I am not talking about the prepacked stuff or the ones in a roll lol. These cookies are so simple and soooo good. They are easy to make b/c you make them w/a box of cake mix. A friend (Susan ) gave me this recipe a while back and we've been having fun w/the different cookies you can make.

Cake box cookies:

1 box cake mix
1 stick butter(soft)
2 eggs
whatever you like in your cookies: chocolate chips,nuts,candy,heath bar....the possibilities are endless.

Mix the 1st 3 ingredients together( I used yellow cake mix for these cookies) until well mixed. Then add chocolate chips or whatever you like. Joe's favorite is a Heath Bar crunched up. Today, I used chocolate chip with PB chips and some walnuts. They are Aiden approved :)

OMG this IS better than sex....

2009-08-10T18:18:00.000-05:00

Ok ok, sorry dear, nothing is better than YOU lol. However, this comes pretty darn close. As a chocolate lover, this is heaven. It's super easy to make(who knew, right?) and so darn good that if my mother were here, I would have to smack her silly!!!!!!!!!!!

Chocolate Lava Cakes

4 Pieces (squares) semi sweet baking chocolate
1/2 C butter, yes that is a whole stick
1C powdered sugar
2whole eggs
2egg yolks
6 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 425.Spray custard cups w/Pam and place on cookie sheet.
Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on hig for about 1minute until butter is melted. Stir or whisk until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and yolks. Stir in flour. Divide between cups. Bake 13-14min until sides are firm but center is soft. Let stand 1min.

serve w/cream or ice cream. SO FREAKING GOOD!

Crock Pot style Swiss Steak

2009-08-07T18:13:00.001-05:00

I was looking for a simple recipe for this online today. I wanted something to do w/Round steak but didn't want to make my typical swiss steak b/c that takes a while in the oven. It is way to hot here to run my oven. SO this is the recipe I found, and I must say, it's smells devine. AND it's really good...easy too.

Round steak(I used 3 large steaks)
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup mix
1can Cream of mushroom soup, although, I used the golden mushroom soup
1/4C water

Place steak in crockpot, sprinkle soup mix on top then pour on the soup and water. Let cook for 6hrs on high.

Zucchini Bread

2009-08-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

2C sugar(I used splenda)
1C oil( I used 1C applesauce, 1/8C EVOO)
3eggs
3C flour(I used 1 1/2C whole wheat and 1 1/2 regular)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1tsp cinnamon (add to taste)
2C grated fresh zucchini(which for me was one large zucchini)
1C nuts
2tsp vanilla
1C chocolate chips

Mix ingredients together in order. Bake at 350 for 50 min.

mmm see that chocolate-y goodness? Btw, it's very good!!! Eating some now hahahahahaha.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins=Heaven.

2009-07-30T13:29:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Chocolate chip muffins

3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil (most of the time I use unsweetened applesauce)
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes

Potato Bundles

2009-07-29T16:46:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes fromPioneerWoman and I wanted to try it out. It looks amazing and so easy. We are having these little babies w/pork chops!

Potato Bundles

Russet potatoes, cut into chunks
Yellow or white onion, cut into chunks
Butter (regular, salted)
Heavy cream
Kosher salt
Paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced parsley

Pile potatoes and onions on a square of foil. Add 2 tablespoons butter, splash on some cream, then sprinkle on salt, paprika, and black pepper. Wrap bundles tightly and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until extremely tender.

Now I used Half and Half b/c that's what I had. Make sure you check out the Pioneer Woman's site, she's amazing. I love her site. oh and I did not use a whole stick of butter b/c I also didn't use as many potatoes since it's just the 3 of us lol.

Hashbrown Casserole

2009-07-25T15:10:00.001-05:00

This is a dish that is excellent any time of year. My family wants it at Thanksgiving and tonight, we are grilling steaks, it's wonderful w/steaks! I hope you enjoy it just as much as we do.

1 bag frozen shredded Hashbrowns
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (8oz)container sour cream
1 onion chopped up
1/2 stick butter or 4 TBSP
2C shredded cheese
salt,pepper, and paprika

Saute chopped onion in the 1/2 stick of butter. Meanwhile, I like to defrost the hash browns a little in the microwave. This helps the ingredients stick together better. After they are defrosted(don't have to be all the way)add the can of soup,sour cream,onion/butter mixture and 1 1/2 C of shredded cheese. Mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread in 9x13 baking dish and top w/remaining 1/2 C cheese. Sprinkle w/Paprika. bake at 350 for 45min or til bubbly.

*picture is taken BEFORE casserole was cooked. *

What's for dinner tonight? Stuffed Peppers!

2009-07-18T15:17:00.001-05:00

Stuffed Peppers
uncooked:

cooked:

1lb ground beef or turkey(I use turkey)
1Can diced tomatoes
1 onion diced up
1C rice
3-4 green bell peppers
Tomato Soup(big can)

eyeball these seasonings:

natures seasons
paprika
pepper
garlic powder

Worcestershire sauce
Brown meat. Add all spices,rice,can of tomatoes,tomato soup, and the Worcestershire sauce. Let come to simmer. In mean time, cut your bell peppers in half, and clean the seeds out. Set them in a baking dish. Then stuff the peppers w/the meat mixture. Bake covered w/foil at 375 for 45min or til rice is cooked and peppers are tender. At the end, if desired, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top.

This is one of my son's favorite dinners. He loves stuffed peppers.

Salsa Chicken in the crockpot...

2009-07-02T11:57:00.000-05:00

If you have never made this, you must try it. It's soooo versatile. You can use it for tacos,tostadas, enchiladas....you get the point. It's super easy and one of our favorites. One, b/c it's so easy, two, b/c it's soooo good.

Salsa Chicken:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/2 jar(big one) of salsa, any kind you like
1 packet or 1/4C taco seasoning

add all ingredients to crockpot and cook til chicken is done. I like to put it on in the AM then by 5pm, it's done. I shred it up w/a fork(still in crockpot) and then use for tacos,or whatever we want.

You can add whatever toppings you like. We are having this tonight (tacos) and Aiden is going to be so happy lol!

Homemade Pizza....

2009-06-24T17:55:00.001-05:00

....Is so much better than the other stuff. If you can find a good dough recipe, stick w/it. Then add the toppings of your choice. The possibilities are endless.

Pizza bread

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional as needed
2 teaspoons sugar (1/4 ounce)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1/4 ounce package)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading (11 3/8 ounces)
1/2 cup white or yellow cornmeal, plus additional for forming (2 3/8 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (1/8 ounce

To make the dough: Stir the water, oil, and sugar in a liquid measuring cup until the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface over the liquid and set aside without stirring until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the center, and add yeast mixture. With a wooden spoon or your hand, gradually stir flour into liquid to make a rough dough. Pull dough together into a ball. Turn onto a work surface dusted with flour. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 to 6 minutes, using a little flour if necessary to keep it from sticking. Shape dough into a ball.

Brush a large bowl with oil and turn dough around in bowl to coat lightly. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, trace a circle the size of the dough on the plastic, and note the time -- let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Turn dough onto a work surface; knead briefly to release excess air, re-shape into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover, and let rise until soft and puffy, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Bake for about 5-6 min. Then add sauce and any other toppings that you want. Put back in oven and bake til cheese is melted and dough is golden brown.

This is really yummy!!!

2009-06-10T19:04:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes from a fellow blogger. SimplyRecipes

I decided to give it a whirl and it is sooo good. The dough is very light and doesn't taste heavy at all. A perfect summer dessert.

Cherry Clafouti Recipe

Traditional clafoutis recipes call for using cherries with their pits still in, which are supposed to lend some almond flavor to the dish. In this recipe the pits are removed, making the clafouti easier to eat, but you can do it either way.
Ingredients

* 2 cups of fresh sweet cherries, pitted
* 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
* 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, sifted
* 1/8 teaspoon of salt
* 1 cup of whole milk(I used soy light)
* 1 Tbsp of Amaretto -or- 3/4 teaspoon of almond extract
* 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
* Powdered sugar for dusting

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and lightly flour a 9X9 or 10X7 baking dish. Toss in the cherries and slivered almonds.

2 Whisk the eggs, sugars, salt, and flour together until smooth.

3 Add the milk, Amaretto (or almond extract, if using), and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour into the baking dish.
4 Bake for 40-50 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When you pull it put of the oven it will wiggle a bit which is normal. Place on a wire rack to cool. The clafoutis will have puffed up quite a bit and will deflate while cooling. When cool dust the clafoutis with powdered sugar. Serve.

Serves 6.

yummy!

Banana Streusel Muffins

2009-05-28T20:32:00.000-05:00

These are so good. I recommend them w/a tall glass of milk, or soy in my case :)

1 3/4C all purpose flour
1/3C sugar(I used Splenda)
2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
1 egg beaten
1/2C milk(I used soy vanilla)
1/4C oil(I used unsweetened applesauce)
3/4C mashed banana I didn't measure this, I added 4 bananas lol

Grease 12 muffin cups. In a medium bowl combine, flour,sugar,baking powder,and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture and set aside. In another bowl,combine egg,milk,oil,banana and I also added some vanilla and butter extract. Since I didn't use butter or oil and used the applesauce,the extract gives it a nice flavor. Pour into well, and stir just til moistened. Overbeating will make muffins chewy. Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full.

To make the streusel topping:

3tbsp all purpose flour
3tbsp brown sugar
1tbsp oatmeal
1/4tsp cinnamon
2tbsp butter

mix all together til it looks like course crumbs. Sprinkle on top of muffins.
Bake muffins at 400 degrees for 18-20min or til golden brown on top.

If you make these as "jumbo muffins" you'll need to lower your oven to 350 and bake about 30min!

Enjoy!

OH MY MY!

2009-05-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

I got this recipe from Melanie over at The Sisters' Cafe and I wanted to try it tonight. This was so simple to put together and very very good. You all know how I love Banana Bread lol, so having chocolate in w/that, OMG, I was thrilled lol. I did tweak the recipe a little(I usually do lol).

Double Chocolate Banana Bread
submitted by Melanie
Recipe adapted from Cooking Pleasures

1 cup sugar(I used 1/2 C splenda and 1/2C granulated sugar)
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/3C unsweetened applesauce)
1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3)---(I used 5 bananas b/c that's what I had lol)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1C flour and1/2C whole wheat)
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Beat sugar, eggs, and oil in large bowl at medium speed until combined. Beat in banana and vanilla at low speed. Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda in medium bowl; beat into banana mixture at low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3 Spoon batter into pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

I took it out of the oven, and instantly had to have me a taste lol. I have to say, it is SUPER yummy and Joe will be mighty thrilled when he sees what I have made lol. I plan on having a piece of it w/a glass of soy light vanilla milk later ;)

Strawberry Raspberry jam...

2009-05-04T16:20:00.000-05:00

I had some strawberries that needed something to be done w/them before they started to mold. I also had a package of frozen raspberries....so I made jam lol.

This is what is known as freezer jam. This brand, you don't have to cook on the stove. There is another freezer jam that you do have to cook but only for a short time. I have to say, I LOVE THIS idea. And the jam, ohhhhh it's so good. Very fresh tasting and so easy to make. Plus,I have noticed that you do not use as much sugar!

I have a wonderful Cuisinart Food Processor and that's what I used to mix this all up. I put the fruit pectin and sugar in the Cuisinart and pulsed for a few seconds. Then I cut and washed the strawberries, washed the raspberries and added those. I also added some lemon juice/zest. Turn that bad boy on and go to town. When it's all smooth, ladle into plastic jars so you can freeze. I had some glass ones and plan on giving those to family.

It's easy,pretty and taste way better than the store bought. not to mention, it's healthier!

A lifesaver for me...

2009-05-02T12:36:00.000-05:00

If you're a Southern gal, you know how much we love our pecans. Those little boogers can get expensive during the holidays. I buy huge bags of them from Sams and then FREEZE them. That's right, you can put those babies in the freezer, pull them out anytime you need pecans and they are perfect. I also NEVER buy chopped pecans. When you buy them in bulk, you can chop them up in your food processor or by hand. Then freeze them and pull those out anytime you need chopped pecans. I have been doing this for years and it's been such a life saver for me. I always have pecans on hand and they don't go bad this way!

Another tip:

We country girls love our green beans w/bacon. Well ok, we like black eye peas w/bacon, white beans w/bacon....you get he point. I like the flavor bacon gives things when you cook w/it. Buy a big thing of bacon, then cut the bacon stip into thirds. Lay those strips of bacon(say three pieces at a time)on a Freezer Press n Seal and seal around the bacon-individually. Put in a zip lock bag and label w/name and date. Then anytime you need bacon to flavor beans, taaa duuuuh you have it!

It's Derby time!

2009-05-02T12:22:00.001-05:00

In honor of the Kentucky Derby,I will share a recipe for a Kentucky Derby Pie. It's rich and very good w/a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My sister adores this pie as well as some other chocolate lovers in my family. It's super easy to make,I promise, anyone could make this pie!

Kentucky Derby Pie

1C sugar
1stick of butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2C all purpose flour
1C chocolate chips
1tsp vanilla
1 C nuts(I use pecans)

Mix all ingredients together and put into an unbaked pie shell. Bake at 325 for one hour or til golden brown. It will form a crust on top.

See how easy that is??? I told you anyone could do it! It takes maybe 5 minutes to put together.

Another Banana Bread...

2009-04-30T15:34:00.001-05:00

This has to be a favorite recipe for banana bread. It is super moist and Aiden will not stop asking for more lol.

1 1/4C all purpose flour
11/4C whole wheat flour (or 2 1/2 cups of either one)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4tsp ground nutmeg
1/4tsp salt
5 large ripe bananas
2lg eggs
3/4 C sugar(I used Splenda)
1/2C(one stick)unsalted butter, melted
chopped walnuts or pecans
confectioners' sugar for dusting(optional)

Heat oven to 350. Coat two loaf pans w/nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl,combine flour,baking soda,cinnamon,nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in the center. Mash bananas in a medium size bowl.Add eggs,sugar and butter and beat until fairly smooth. Pour banana mixture into well in dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Divide batter evenly between prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle top w/walnuts or pecans(I used pecans).
Bake at 350 for 35minutes until browned and tops spring back lightly when gently pressed. Remove to wire rack, dust w/confectioners' sugar if desired.

It should be called "sin"

2009-04-26T17:54:00.000-05:00

Because it's sinfully delicious. This recipe is for incredible Double Chocolate Brownies. They are easy(which by now, you all should know that I love easy!) and to die for! Give them a try soon!

Double Chocolate Brownies

3/4C (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 oz (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate
2C sugar (I used one cup splenda and one cup regular sugar)
4large eggs
1 1/4 C all purpose flour(I used one cup white and 1/4 C whole wheat)
1C chopped pecans
1 bag(12oz) chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Line 13x9 baking pan w/nonstick foil, leaving overhang.
In large glass bowl, heat butter and chocolate squares in microwave on HIGH for 2min. Stir until smooth then let stand for 5 min to cool.
Whisk in sugar,eggs,vanilla and flour. Mix well. Stir in pecans and half bag of chocolate chips. Pour into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the rest of the chips on top. Bake at 350 for 35 min until top is dry to touch. Let cool completely in pan. Lift brownies from pan w/foil. Cut into squares and serve.

per brownie: 279 calories, 17g fat,4gprotein,33g carbs,2g fiber,14mg sodium,50mg cholesterol

I am telling you, if you don't smack your mama, then something is dreadfully wrong w/you!!!!!

lip smacking good!!!

Amish Oatmeal

2009-04-23T15:56:00.000-05:00

This recipe is out of a cookbook. It's the Taste of Home, Prize Winning Recipes book. This is my husbands favorite oatmeal. It's super easy and you can put it together the night before then bake the next morning.

1 1/2 C quick cooking Oats
1/2C sugar(I use splenda)
1/2C milk(I use vanilla light soy milk)
1/4C melted butter
1 egg
1tsp baking powder
3/4tsp salt
1tsp vanilla extract

warm milk
fresh fruit
brown sugar,optional

Combine the 1st eight ingredients;mix well. Spread evenly in a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25min or until edges are golden brown. Immediately spoon into bowls; add warm milk,brown sugar and fresh fruit.We like bananas and strawberries the most!

Potato salad with Cream

2009-04-23T14:34:00.000-05:00

I got this recipe from a friend. It is soooo good. I highly recommend it and give it 5 stars!!! It's so good.

2 1/2 lbs potatoes
1/2 C vinegar,boiling
4 eggs,beaten(I just used 3)
1 tbsp butter
1C heavy cream(I used half and half)
4tbsp chopped fresh parsley
half chopped onion
2tsp dry mustard
1tsp salt
1/2tsp black pepper
1 pinch red pepper

Peel potatoes and boil in water til tender. OR for a fast way, wash red potatoes, steam in microwave til tender. Drain, and let cool.

In a double boiler, bring vinegar to a boil. Beat the eggs. Then once the vinegar is boiling, temper the eggs. Then pour in tempered eggs into the rest of the boiling vinegar. Cover and let simmer til thickened, occasionally stir to prevent scorched eggs. Stir in Butter,and cook one minute. Whisk in cream,parsley,onion,mustard,salt,pepper,and red pepper.Pour over potatoes and combine.Cool and sprinkle w/Parsley(or bacon bits) and refrigerate til ready to serve.

Pizza Burgers

2009-04-09T18:05:00.000-05:00

A very kid friendly meal, that makes everyone happy. This is my own recipe but feel free to "tweak" it any way you like. Joe and I both were served these as kids and it's a simple and fun thing to share w/other kids.

1lbs ground beef or turkey
1-2 jars pizza sauce(or you can make homemade)
mozzarella cheese
any veggies you like on your pizza, you can even use pepperoni

Brown your ground beef/turkey(you can use sausage too)then add sauce and veggies. Serve over hamburger buns and top w/cheese.

Warm Steak Salad

2009-04-08T19:02:00.000-05:00

Warm Steak Salad

This recipe is in a cookbook of mine. It sounded super yummy and a great idea for a quick dinner. It's from The Family Circle Cookbook.

1lbs of red potatoes
3 strips of bacon
1 red onion, chopped
1 lbs sirloin steak, cut into strips
1/4tsp salt
5TBSP honey
5TBSP cider vinegar
1/2tsp cornstarch mixed w/1/2 tsp cold water
1bag baby spinach
1C grap tomatoes,halved

Place potatoes in medium sized pot and cover w/cold water. Salt lightly and bring to boil. Simmer for 15min or til tender.(I steamed potatoes in microwave)
Meanwhile,in a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to paper towel. Add onion to bacon drippings and cook for 3min. Add steak and salt. Cook about 2 min or til steak is no longer pink. Transfer steak and onions to plate and keep warm.
Add honey and vinegar to skillet; cook over medium heat for 2min. add cornstarch/water mixture cook and cook for 30 sec. Remove from heat.(I skipped this part and used a balsamic vinaigrette instead. )
Drain potatoes; run under cold water. Cut potatoes into quarters and place in bowl along w/the crumbled bacon and steak-onion mixture and tomatoes. Add spinach and dressing and then toss well to coat.

This was good, however, I don't care for the skillet method on the steak. I think next time I will grill the steak! Would be awesome to use left over grilled steak for this! Also, I didn't think we would like the cider vinegar as much as a balsamic one. We love balsamic lol

we just love...

2009-03-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

+

=

HEAVEN

The Puffs Plus w/Vicks. They are soooo wonderful. Not long ago, we were all sick w/URI and these were sooo nice. I could just curl up w/one and sniff it and it made me feel better lol. Now Joe says that for all he cares, these can be the only tissues we ever buy! He likes them that much. I NEVER would have thought that he would like them so much, he typically hates Vicks on him!

If you have not tried them, do! My allergies have been bugging the heck out of me and I have been using the heck out of them lol.

I wish I had a scratch and sniff on here hahahahahahaha.

Have you tried it yet?

2009-03-26T17:29:00.001-05:00

Stevia that is? The all-natural sweetener Sun Crystals, is made from a blend of pure cane sugar and sweet stevia.

I bought a box of the little green packets. I am usually a Splenda or just plain ole sugar, kind of gal. However, I am in love w/the Stevia! It is crystals like regular sugar, not powdery. Also, one packet was plenty in my big glass of ice tea! It does have 5 calories, however, w/new studies saying that artificial sweeteners can actually make you crave more sugar, this seems to be a great choice. I do not think it's that much more expensive than the other artificial sweeteners sold. So price wasn't an issue to me. All in all, this is great. It's also a wonderful sweetener for diabetics!

Bendaroos

2009-03-26T10:01:00.000-05:00

Get a five star rating from our house. Aiden got a set for his bday and had enjoyed them so much. They are far better than play dough b/c they don't make a mess. When you make something w/all different colors, unlike play dough, you can easily pull the colors apart and start over. They are fun for the whole family and are excellent for imagination!

Banana Bread

2009-03-19T15:00:00.001-05:00

1C all purpose flour
3/4C whole wheat flour
1/4tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2tsp baking powder
2/3C white sugar

Preheat oven to 35o. Lightly grease loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, put the above ingredients in and whisk together(sifting).

1/3 C butter, softened
2 eggs
5 bananas (ripe)
cinnamon
freshly ground nutmeg
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2C nuts if desired

beat above ingredients til mixed together than add four mixture and mix all that together. Add to pan and bake for about 1 hr or till done. It will be a very pretty brown and very moist.

This bread is super yummy. SO moist. I did use quite a few bananas but honestly, I had 5 very ripe bananas that needed used lol. You can make an icing for the top by mixing powdered sugar and milk together than spreading on top. OR my favorite thing to do is mix oats,brown sugar and some butter together and sprinkle that on top before you put it in the oven. This bakes on top and makes a very yummy topping. Aiden LOVES it and keeps asking for more lol. It won't last long in our house, especially when Joe comes home and finds it haha.

Obama's Chili-crockpot style

2009-03-13T19:15:00.000-05:00

Obama’s Chili

Barack Obama's Chili (crockpot style)

1 can kidney beans (and the goop!)
--1 lb lean ground meat (I used ground turkey)
--1 green bell pepper, chopped
--1 large onion, chopped
--5-6 medium tomatoes, chopped (include seeds and all)
--4 chopped cloves of garlic
--1 tsp cumin
--1 tsp oregano
--1 tsp basil
--1 tsp turmeric
--2 tsp chili powder
--1 tsp salt
--3 T red wine vinegar

Brown meat on stove. Drain juices off.

Chop up the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Add to the crockpot. Open the can of beans, and pour in the whole thing. Add the ground meat. Stir in all of the spices and the red wine vinegar.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. President Obama serves his over rice so we did too. It was good. Aiden loved it.

This recipe comes from: Crockpotlady

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2009-03-11T17:06:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe that is called "Favorite Chicken" in a recipe book, however, it's not a favorite of ours and when Joe would ask, "what's for dinner?" and I said, "favorite chicken!" he got confused lol!
He says it reminds him of Sweet and sour chicken, so that's what I call it now so that he knows what chicken recipe I am talking about.

Here's the recipe,so you can try it out yourself:

*Boneless, skinless chicken breast(I only use two b/c that is plenty for us, but use as many as you need, I don't like to waste!)

*1 bottle French salad Dressing

*1 pack of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix

*1 can whole cranberry sauce

Mix dressing,soup mix, and cranberry sauce together. Pour half into bottom of pan and the rest on top of chicken. Bake at 350 til chicken is done.

I serve over rice and usually Broccoli is our veggie w/this. It is good. You wouldn't think those ingredients together would be, but it is. It's super easy to make.

Try it and let me know what you think!!!

after it's done:

McAlisters Deli yum yum

2009-03-10T17:11:00.000-05:00

Our area just got a McAlisters Deli not too long ago.On my bday to be exact ;) . Let me tell you, this place is super yummy. The employees are super friendly and you get great service. I highly recommend everyone is my area to try it out. The make wonderful cookies, they are also HUGE lol. The potato salad is really good and Joe seemed to enjoy is Rueben sandwhich :)

Info: Hours: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Phone: 442-0203.

menu

Those Green Bags...

2009-03-09T21:12:00.000-05:00

You know the ones. WELL, guess what??? They suck. Yep that is right, they SUCK. I tried them several months ago and I was so disappointed. I bought them mainly for strawberries and bananas. On the commercial, they show the strawberries looking almost new, bananas too. You have to take the produce out of the bags several times to wipe moisture out of the bag. THIS IS AS PAIN IN THE BUTT! Who has time for all that???

I was not happy w/them at all. I don't advice you to waste your hard earned money on these bags!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

2009-03-09T19:49:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes from Bakerella . Wonderful website btw! I made these little boogers tonight and they couldn't have been easier. They are pretty and VERY SWEET. If you do not have a sweet tooth, stay away lol. The recipe makes a large 9x13 pan of them so sharing is a must. I am taking some to my best friend tomorrow. She's had a rough week, with a sick little boy. This should make her feel a bit better,wouldn't you say??

Do not make these if you have a whiny toddler at your side b/c you must cook the sugar for 4min and toddlers don't like to be told TO HOLD ON lol. They are very yummy but a small piece is enough for me! I can't wait til Joe tries them!!!

Thanks for the recipe Bakerella, it will be one that I make again! Probably at Christmas time, for sure!!!