The Snack Box!

Smokey White Bean Soup

2012-02-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

It's winter and although it's been a very odd and pleasantly warmer winter here in Indiana I still enjoy my hot soups and stews. I'll admit, I've been a bit homesick on this long vacation and one of my favorite smells is my mother's Fifteen Bean Soup and Cornbread. I always joke that I don't like it, but I actually love it. It's comforting, it's homemade, and above all it's delicious! I of course didn't have fifteen different kinds of beans on hand, but I did have some great northern beans and a little bit of navy beans leftover from another meal. Use whatever white bean you'd like, it'll turn out delicious!

This is a nice thick soup that sticks to the ribs and warms the heart. It has great flavors and my house smelled incredible while it was slow cooking on the stove. I am guilty of walking outside just to walk back in and smell the soup!

Smokey White Bean Soup

adapted from whatwereeating.com

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 sprig rosemary

1/4 cup parsley, dried or fresh

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1lb. dried small white beans, rinsed and picked through

1 smoked ham hock

8 cups of water, plus extra if needed

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a large pot heat oil over medium heat. Add diced onions and carrots to pot. Stir. Saute over medium heat 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are tender.

Add dried white beans, garlic, bay leaf, dried oregano and basil. Stir and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.

Add the ham hock, parsley and rosemary. Cover with 7 cups of water and 1 cup of chicken broth. Add salt and pepper. Stir.

Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Once you reach a boil reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 2 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender. If soup gets too thick add additional water.

Once beans are soft remove the ham hock and rosemary sprig. Taste soup and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Optional:

Remove ham hock's skin and bone. Chop up ham hock meat and add to the soup, if desired. Smokey deliciousness!

Enjoy!

Philly Cheese Steak Pizza

2012-01-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

I try to be smart and budget friendly when planning meals. Cheap and easy is the way to go, but I also want my food to taste good. Better yet, amazing! I usually go to my

trusty Taste of Home Busy Family Cookbook. It was gifted to me when I first moved out of

my parents house and it's been my trusty book ever since. I've tried many recipes and they're pretty easy and budget friendly for the most part. It has all different sections: Beef, Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Meatless, Sides & Salads, and Desserts. Most of them are 30 minutes or less which is pretty awesome! Less time preparing a meal and more time with the kids, spouse, friends, or even your pets.

I liked this pizza. It wasn't the typical Philly Cheese Steak flavor I was

used to, but it intrigued me enough to want to try it. It takes 15 minutes to prep and 15 bake. The crust was mildly sweet and really complimented the tangy Italian dr

essing and gooey mozzarella.

To save more I recommend going online to find some coupons to help you with this recipe. I personally use Couponsuzy.com or visit Pillsbury.com and sign-up to rec

eive coupons to go toward your crescent rolls. Buy the two tubes and you should have enough ingredients to make this dinner at least twice.

Philly Cheese Steak Pizza

from Taste of Home Busy Family Cookbook

1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon beef bouillon granules

1/2 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef

1 tablespoon Italian salad dressing

1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Unroll crescent roll dough into one long rectangle; seal perforations. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 13x9 inch baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the green pepper, onion in oil and bouillon until vegetables are tender; set aside.

Arrange beef over browned crust. Brush with salad dressing and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 4-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Top with green pepper mixture. Cut into squares.

Yields 6 servings.

***Cooks tip: If you have more than enough green pepper mixture, save some in a small container to store for omelettes later in the week!

I was not paid or gifted any linked products. I was not asked to link any of the above websites. I purchased the item(s) with my own personal money and any reviews and/ or recipes above are my own.

Colorful Chicken Chili

2012-01-21T16:02:00.000-08:00

I make this chili every time my work has a party and it's a big hit. It's very easy to make and it tastes delicious. I love all of the colors! This makes a nice big pot of chili that could feed a large family with no problems.

Colorful Chicken Chili

1 red or orange bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow onion

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 packet McCormick's White Chicken Chili seasoning packet

2 cups frozen corn

1 cup of water

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Chicken Broth

Salt

Pepper

Sour Cream (optional)

Shredded Cheese (optional)

In large pot heat olive oil over medium heat.

Roughly chop bell peppers and onion, add to pot. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cube chicken into bite size pieces. Add to vegetables. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink.

Add seasoning packet and water, stir to mix thoroughly.

Add can of black beans and kidney beans. Rinse beans first if desired. Use empty cans to measure out chicken broth, add two cans worth of broth to soup.

Add frozen corn.

Bring to a boil.

Cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until heated through and chicken is done.

Add more broth or water until desired consistency.

Top with shredded cheese or sour cream if desired.

Serves 8-10

I was not paid or gifted any linked products. I purchased the item with my own personal money and any reviews and/ or recipes above are my own.

Blueberry Muffins

2012-01-07T16:37:00.001-08:00

I have been craving blueberry muffins for around two weeks now. While browsing the grocery store I see them in their little plastic containers and all I'd have to do was pick one up and place it in my cart, but I didn't. They've been on my mind almost nightly, yet I nev

er just went and bought some. I knew I could make them at home and that I had the supplies, but I needed motivation. I've been spending almost every day 4+ hours at the local animal shelter helping with the kitties. I've also been fostering a couple kittens and boy do they wear me out! I'm on my fourth set and it's very enriching and warms my heart when I see their adoptive families cuddling them in joy.

Anyway, back to the muffins! I decided today was the day. TODAY I was going to make some Blueberry Muffins. I trusted Google to set me in my direction and it came up with a recipe called "To Die for Blueberry Muffins." It seemed easy and I loved the crumbly bits that went on top before baking.

I may of cooked them a little too long, but they had a slightly crunchy crusty top that was sweet and a super moist center LOADED with blueberries! I kind of like a crust on my muffins so it worked for me. I took a look at others' photos and each one varied. I think these were pretty good and will taste even better once I'm over this cold that's ruining my taste buds!

Blueberry Muffins

recipe posted by Colleen on allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil in 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with the flour mixture.

Fold in the blueberries. Fill muffin cups to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and cinnamon. Mix with fork and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

2011-12-14T14:04:00.001-08:00

My mother knows I love to cook and Food Network is a pretty good addiction of mine. I don't consider myself a culinary artist by any means. The easier to make, the better! Well....as long as it tastes good. Right? Right! Well my mother gifted me a year's subscription to Paula Deen's magazine, Cooking with Paula Deen. I love Paula. She's a little nutty, but she's funny. She's a mother-in-law I wouldn't mind having. However I don't think I could visit her often because I think my waist line would just expand and I'm working on getting that slimmed down, hehe.

I chose this recipe because it seemed easy and who doesn't love loaded baked potatoes?? Paula don't let me down!

I didn't follow the recipe exactly because I do like to make things from scratch. Can you blame me? It was really good and flavorful. I had to add more seasonings because it only called for pepper. I added more pepper and a little more salt and I even ate it with a dollop of sour cream on top! I apologize for the poor quality of the photos and the tacky tinfoil. Casserole isn't the prettiest or easiest thing to take a photo of.

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

adapted from Cooking with Paula Deen Sept/Oct 11' issue (original recipe here)

48oz. white potatoes, quartered

8oz. cream cheese

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 rotisserie chicken

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup chopped green onion, divided

1 (12oz.) package fresh broccoli florets, divided

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.

Peel potatoes if desired. Bring large pot to a boil, salting water if desired. Add quartered potatoes and boil until fork tender.

Drain potatoes. In stand mixer add potatoes and entire package of cream cheese and pepper. Beat until desired consistency.

Add in 1 3/4 cup of shredded chicken, 1 cup of cheese, 2/3 cup green onions, half of broccoli, and half of bacon. Stir to combine. Spread mixture into prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle with remaining chicken, broccoli, bacon, and remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Cover loosely and bake 45 minutes until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through. Top with remaining green onions.

Makes 6-8 servings

Enjoy! :)

Baby Bok Choy and Tofu Stir Fry

2011-05-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

So if you haven't discovered Groupon I urge you to check it out! Every day there is a local daily deal where you can get insane discounts! Most are 50% off the original price, but it varies. I snagged a deal for Glacier Valley Farm CSA, which is a community supported agriculture group based right here in Alaska!

I was pretty stoked to try this out. Alaskan grown products? Sweet! I'm trying to be more of a localite, although it's not easy (or cheap). Normally you get a box from them once a week for $35. Product varies depending on season and it's usually around 18lbs. of goodies.

Well, Groupon had a coupon for a discount so I'd only have to pay $17! Pretty sweet, right? I almost wish I would've bought a few as gifts! They sold out within a few hours. Anyway, I picked up my box today and inside I got Alaskan potatoes, sprouts, and tofu. Certified organic goods (non-Alaska): fuji apples, navel oranges, romaine lettuce, chard, baby bok choy, garlic, yellow onions, and zucchini squash. They also put in a newsletter filled with recipes so I was eager to try one! Now I've never had bok choy or tofu.

I was a bit nervous to be honest. More about the tofu than the bok choy. However after making this and trying it out I'm pretty happy with it. Bok choy isn't my favorite leafy vegetable (so far Spinach takes the lead), but it wasn't terrible! I let the tofu cook for awhile (a little too long on one side, oops!) so it got kind of crusty. Yum! The tofu was still different from say chicken. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't amazing either if that makes sense? I'd eat it again and plan on trying it grilled next. Kabobs perhaps? It's just different! It's less points on the WW program too :P

If you're a tofu lover I'm sure you'd enjoy this. I enjoyed it and it's PACKED full of good for you things! I plan on making this again!

Baby Bok Choy and Tofu Stir Fry
adapted from Glacier Grist (Glacier Valley Farm CSA), May 2011

2-3 tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. ground ginger (or 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated)
4oz. firm tofu, sliced into bite size pieces
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar, white (or honey)
2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 zucchini squash, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 baby bok choy, sliced and coarsely chopped

In a small sauce pan combine water, rice wine vinegar, sugar and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens (add a little flour if needed). Set aside until ready to use.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet or wok. Stir in onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and ginger and cook for 1 more minute.

Stir in tofu and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Add carrots to the tofu mixture and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add zucchini and bok choy to skillet and toss to coat.

Pour thickened sauce over vegetables and tofu. Serve over rice (optional).

This recipe can serve 4-6 people.

Weight Watchers Points (per serving, serving 4, does not include rice): 4

Last Minute Easter Cupcakes

2011-04-21T22:16:00.001-07:00

So whenever there's a holiday coming up I like to bake something for my co-irk...I mean co-WORKERS! They're usually gobbled up fairly quickly and everybody begins zipping around on a sugar high. Maybe I should invest in some IV's and sugar solution? Hmm...

I found this recipe on Martha Stewart some time ago when looking for holiday (Christmas) recipes. They were just so darn cute and seemed pretty easy I had to make them myself! Of course I took a shortcut with the cake (boxed), as baking and all that jazz during the week isn't really my idea of "fun" in the few hours I'm off of work. However you can always bake your own cake from scratch...I'm sure Martha has a few good ones (recipe links to a vanilla cupcake recipe)! :)

The original recipe uses buttercream, but in all honesty cream cheese frosting is my favorite and it's easier. Feel free to use buttercream if your heart (or rather your stomach) desires! I promise I won't be mad.

Spring Chick Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart

1 box white or yellow cake mix
cupcake liners (cheap ones are good, don't waste your pretty ones here!)
Pull n' Peel Twizzlers (for comb, optional)
black or brown jimmies (for eyes)
yellow or orange M&M's
Cream cheese frosting (see recipe below or store bought)
1 bag sweetened shredded coconut

Bake cupcakes like you normally would. I used cheap liners because I don't like cleaning pans. I used Betty Crocker's Supermoist White Cake Mix. Let cool completely! You must let them cool! Do not be impatient...bad! Bad!

Peel cupcake wrappers off cupcakes. When turned upside-down, each cupcake becomes the body of a chick. Spread cream cheese frosting on top of the cupcake working your way down. Martha suggests using a plate to do this, I simply cupped the chick in my hand. Do whatever you're comfortable with! Use a small offset spatula (or butter knife in my case, haha) to coat the sides thickly with frosting, and then mound more on top to create a dome shape. It's okay if you get crumbs in the frosting, the "feathers" will hide them!

Press toasted shredded coconut into the frosting -- it stands in for fuzzy feathers. Gently pat and press coconut into the frosting letting the excess fall back into the tray.

Place eyes (jimmies) on chicks using your fingers or tweezers. Use yellow or orange M&M's to create the beak. Cut Twizzler's down and place on top if you want combs on your chickies! (For other varieties visit the original recipe)

Cream Cheese Frosting
from Martha Stewart

16oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup confectioner's sugar

Put cream cheese and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Use immediately.

*Note: This is not an overly sweet frosting. Feel free to add tiny amounts of more confectioners sugar to get it to the right sweetness.

How to Toast Coconut

1 bag of sweetened shredded coconut
1 cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Spread coconut out evenly on cookie sheet and cook for about 20min. stirring the coconut every 5-7min. until the color is nice and golden brown.

Recipe made 12 cupcakes!

***I was not compensated in any way to advertise or link any items above. I am earning nothing from you clicking the links. These are items I bought with my own personal money and wish to share with you.

White Bean Soup with Sautéed Shrimp and Garlic Croutons

2011-03-15T10:03:00.001-07:00

I think this is by far one of the most complicated recipes I've made since cooking on my own. The most daunting meal I've ever made was making my first turkey for Thanksgiving! That was just an odd experience, but it was well worth the fuss and muss. This is what that recipe was all about. Time. It took a long time and careful watching, but gosh it was worth it!

It's so nice to make pretty much every layer of a meal homemade. Of course I can't conjure up shrimp on my own, but the soup and croutons were all me. That makes me proud. Someone award me a gold star!

The soup was delicious and creamy. It was perfectly seasoned, even though I didn't have a cheesecloth to bundle my herbs and I used dried instead of fresh. The shrimp although I can only use frozen here (landlocked = lack of fresh seafood) was juicy and succulent. The garlic croutons were full of flavor, crispy yet chewy. Ahhhh I could live off those croutons! I'll never buy stuff from the store again! :)

If you cannot find dry cannellini beans you can use either white navy beans or great northern beans.

Basic Beans

from Fine Cooking Magazine, January 2004

1 1/2 cup dried cannellini beans, sorted through and rinsed

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic, smashed

2 to 3 sprigs fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, and flat-leaf parsley)

1 tsp. kosher salt

Wrap the bay leaves, garlic, and herbs in cheesecloth and tie with twine. Put the beans in a large pot and cover with water by 2 inches (about 2 quarts). Add the herb bundle and the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Lower the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are tender (try biting into one) but not splitting and falling apart, 1 to 2 hours depending on the type of bean (check occasionally to be sure the beans aren't boiling and are covered with liquid; add water if needed).

Discard the herb bundle. Add the beans and their cooking liquid immediately to the soup recipe, or let the beans cool in liquid and refrigerate for up to three days.

White Bean Soup with Sautéed Shrimp & Garlic Croutons

from Fine Cooking Magazine, January 2004

Cooked cannellini beans

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; plus 1 tbsp. for drizzling

1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 inner rib celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice

Salt and ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

4 tsp. fresh lemon juice; more to taste

2 1/2 cups 3/4-inch diced country bread or baguette (about 6 ounces)

3/4lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed, and patted dry

Pinch cayenne

Cook the cannellini beans following the Basic Beans method above.

Heat a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 tbsp. of the oil, along with the onion, carrot, and celery. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and start to brown, about 7 minutes. Add half the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring.

Add the beans and their cooking liquid (there should be about 4 cups liquid; if not, add more water to equal this amount) and half the rosemary. Season well with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a bare simmer, and cook for 30 minutes so that the beans soften a little more but don't break up.

Let cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out 1 cup of the beans and set aside. Working in batches, puree the remaining beans and all of the broth in a blender. Transfer the pureed soup and the reserved beans to a clean saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Thin with water, if necessary, to get the consistency you like.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil and the bread cubes and season well with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until the bread starts to brown around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in the remaining garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute, tossing well. Transfer to a large plate.

Season the shrimp well with salt and pepper. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the shrimp to the skillet and saute, stirring often, until the shrimp is firm, pink, and slightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Ladle the soup in large, shallow bowls and dust with a pinch of cayenne. Garnish with a few croutons, a portion of the shrimp, a sprinkling of the remaining rosemary, and a drizzle of oil.

Recipe says it serves 4, but could easily serve 6.

Weight Watchers Points (per serving, serving 6): 10 points

Mocha Crinkles

2011-03-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

So for the past few weeks I've been craving something sweet and chocolate and wanted to make something. I'd recently picked up some cocoa powder to make souffles. Of course I had to find other means of using up the cocoa before leaving for Alaska. I found this super easy recipe in a cookbook my boyfriend's family had gotten me a few Christmas' ago. I love this book. Almost every recipe has a picture. Who doesn't love pictures?! I'm one of those people who likes to know what my food is supposed to look like when I'm done, hehe.

I was disappointed in myself for not reading all the way through the recipe first before getting started. Why was I disappointed? It calls for the dough to be refrigerated for a few hours so you've been forewarned! Now don't go and try to pass the fridge step, it won't be the same! Letting the dough chill for a bit will make it easier to roll into balls.

They're not overly sweet and really the coffee flavor is very light. They stayed nice and soft and were chewy on the outside. I was a little weirded out by the black pepper in the recipe, but I stuck it in anyway! I'm not sure what 1/8 tsp. of black pepper really does for these cookies, but who cares? They were yummy! I'm pretty sure these will be on the list for the holiday baking.I'm a sick sick woman aren't I? Already planning my holiday baking...

Mocha Crinkles

adapted from The Cookie Bible

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

3 tbsp. egg whites (or 1 egg)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tsp. instant espresso or coffee granules

1 tsp. baking soda

1/3 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Beat sugar and oil in a medium bowl. Mix in sour cream, egg whites (or egg) and vanilla. Set aside.

Mix flour, cocoa, espresso, baking soda, salt and pepper in another medium bowl.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; mix well. Refrigerate dough until firm, 3 to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Pour powdered sugar into a shallow bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets 10 to 12 minutes or until tops of cookies are firm to touch. (Do not overbake.) Cool on wire racks.

Makes about 5-6 dozen cookies (depending on the size you make them).

and for the close up...

oooohhhhhh...

Pilgrim's Potato Chowder

2011-03-10T07:42:00.000-08:00

I don't consider myself a soup person. Although I will eat it, it's definitely not something that I crave. My mother subscribes to Paula Deen's magazine so I always take the opportunity to browse through them. Pretty much anything the Queen of Butter cooks up looks and sounds delicious. I stumbled across this chowder and it seemed interesting. Something along the lines of a potato soup, and let me tell you I love potato soup! Especially with the little dumplings on the top!

This is an easy peasy recipe that's full of flavor. It's thick and warm and perfect for the cooler rainy days we've been having lately. Of course you can control the thickness with some water or broth, but I let the recipe lead me. It's stick to your ribs good, especially with some buttered bread!

Pilgrim's Potato Chowder

adapted from Cooking with Paula Deen Magazine, Jan/Feb 2007

1 pound of Yukon gold potatoes, cubed and divided (about 3 medium)

1 1/2 cups chicken broth, reduced sodium-fat free

1 cup carrot, sliced rounds

1 (11oz.) can corn, drained

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 tbsp. flour

1 cup half-n-half *

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 cups grated Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese

* = if you don't have half-n-half melt 1 tbsp. butter in 1 cup of milk

Combine half of potatoes with broth in saucepan with tight fitting lid. Bring to boil and simmer about 10 minutes, or until tender.

Mash potatoes with a fork; stir in remaining potatoes, carrots, corn, celery, onions and next 3 ingredients. Cover, simmer until vegetables are tender.

Dissolve flour in 1/4 cup half-and-half; stir into chowder with remaining half-and-half and parsley. Cook, stirring over medium heat to thicken slightly. Serve topped with grated cheese.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.

Weight Watchers Points (per serving): 9 points

*I am in no way affiliated with the websites/companies linked. I was not paid to use or advertise their products. I am not earning profit from linking the items. These are items that I personally pay for (WW subscription and produce linked) and will not be reimbursed.

Wordless Wednesday: Fostering & Walking

2011-03-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

Shrimp with Zucchini and Tomatoes

2011-03-03T18:00:00.001-08:00

Tell me, how can you not want to dig into this deliciously colorful dish? The best part? It's VERY quick! Okay that's not the BEST part, but it's close!

I haven't cooked anything recently that made me just go "Oh My --- Gosh!" when I take a bite. THIS is it. This made me excited to eat! This made me dribble a little on my chin while cooking...

I had to buy FROZEN shrimp here in Indiana. The only fresh seafood they had was fish (blargh!), crab, and some pre-made cake....patty things that disturbed me. After complaining to the boy about not getting fresh seafood I chucked two frozen bags in my cart and pouted awhile after coasting away to find the next items on my shopping list.

There's nothing complicated about it. It's simple flavors. I finally get what the foodies on the Food Network always go on and on about. You know what I'm talking about. That fake "oh my this is so good" remark they always make over and over again. Then they go on to describe each thing and I get annoyed (mainly because I can't enjoy it with them), but I get it now. As you eat all different components in this dish it's an explosion of flavor! A simple garlic sauce, nice golden zucchini, cherry tomatoes that sweeten as you cook them, and the shrimp? Amaziiiinnnnng! I'll be honest, I had my doubts about my shrimp as we're in a landlocked state.

Okay okay I'm going to start gushing, let's get on with it!

Shrimp with Zucchini and Tomatoes

adapted from Weightwatchers.com

1 tbsp. olive oil, extra-virgin, divided

2 medium-small zucchinis, cut 1/4" thick

12oz. medium sized shrimp (peeled and deveined, cut tails off if desired)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half (I love Nature Sweet)

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, or to taste

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup water

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add zucchini in a single layer; increase heat to high and cook until bottoms are golden, about 2 minutes. Flip zucchini and cook until golden on other side, about 2 minutes more. Remove zucchini to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Heat remaining teaspoon oil in same skillet.

Add shrimp; sauté 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper; sauté until shrimp are almost just cooked through, about 1 minute.

Stir in garlic and water; sauté, stirring to loosen bits from bottom of pan, until shrimp are cooked through and tomatoes are softened, about 1 to 2 minutes more.

Return zucchini to skillet; toss and serve.

NOTE: If you have a lot of liquid in the bottom of your pan you can add a little flour, turn up the heat to a boil then reduce heat and let it simmer until thickened. Add thickened sauce before serving for more flavor.

Serves 4.

Weight Watchers Points (per serving): 3

By using the smaller shrimp you will get more and make your plate appear fuller.

Chicken a la Orange aka Crockpot Orange Chicken

2011-02-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

Originally this was to be a Wordless Wednesday posting, but after a recipe is asked for I must give! Here you go Amanda!

The original recipe picture was quite deceiving to my poor eyes and stomach. The picture in my cookbook displays the Orange Chicken I know and love -- breaded and fried goodness with a sweet orange sauce coating it. I had a feeling this recipe would turn out nothing like the picture...but alas I went forth!

You know what? I was right. This is what it turned out as (see delicious picture above, click to enjoy further details.) So alas, it wasn't the chicken I was dreaming of, but what it lacked in fatty deep fried breading it excelled in the yummy ORANGE flavor I was seeking. Saving you the extra fat and calories, I'd consider this the "healthier" orange chicken.

The original recipe calls for two cans of mandarin oranges, but I only used one. I found that the sauce really didn't thicken up on its own in the crock pot after 6 hours so I re-worked the recipe a bit, and this is what I came up with....

Chicken a la Orange

adapted from Easy Slow Cooker Recipes (Cookbook Resources)

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of excess fat

1-2 tablespoons salt-free garlic and herb seasoning (such as Mrs. Dash)

(1) 11oz. can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained

(1) 6oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate, pulp-free

1 tbsp. lemon juice

(1) 10oz. can fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp. cornstarch

2-3 cups cooked rice (your favorite, I used brown)

water

Place chicken breasts in sprayed slow cooker and sprinkle with garlic-herb seasoning.

Combine oranges, orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, broth, cornstarch & 1/3 cup water in bowl, mix well. Pour mixture into slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

When close to serving, spoon out some of the liquid and simmer in a saucepan on medium heat until thickened. To prevent your chicken from drowning in the remaining juice, scoop out chicken pieces and toss to coat in your thickened sauce.

Place cooked rice on serving platter and top with chicken and sauce. Add additional sauce as needed.

Serves 5 to 6.

(Points below for 6 servings)

Weight Watchers Points (per serving): 6

Update & Monterey Bake!

2011-02-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

So it's been about five months since my last post and my life has pretty much been an up and down roller coaster. I've said it before that I absolutely dislike cooking in another woman's kitchen so while being at my mother's for long periods of time I don't cook as often as I should. Or what I do cook it's nothing worth blogging about, I promise!

I've since joined Weight Watchers and I've been going since the middle of January and lost 10lbs. This is a pretty sweet accomplishment for me as I'm back to the size I was almost 2 years ago when I moved to Alaska. I think it's a great program and I like that I can plug in any recipe I want to try out and see how many points it's going to cost me. Not a bad deal, eh? That's about all I've been up to besides working my booty off (though really I'd like to keep that barely there area if you ask me) and trying to get healthier. I will try to add in the point value with every post too!

Mmmmm salsa, chicken, cheese, sour cream?! All my favorite things in a dish. I think I could go to Mexico and stay awhile as long as they feed me these staples. Some peppers and onions thrown in too and I'm a happy chica.

So this is my first recipe from my Crockpot cookbook. Oh, I'm sorry...SLOW COOKER as the title states. Whatever it is I was ready to take on anything in my ancient kitchen appliance and I knew I could trust her to do great things. My Crockpot is from probably the 1970's and is avocado green and the paint is peeling. She was found on a shelf at Goodwill after scouting the store on several occasions. She's trusty and does the job well! She doesn't BOIL the food on low like so many new cookers. She's perfect and until she retires, I'm keeping her!

I loved this dish. My only complaint is that the tortillas in the bottom got soggy and weird and the ones you're supposed to set aside didn't crisp up like a chip at the original 250 degrees as suggested. The book was pretty vague and didn't say the baked ones were SUPPOSED to be crispy, I just assumed? Ah well, everyone tweaks a recipe so here's my version!

Monterey Bake

adapted from Easy Slow Cooker Recipes (Cookbook Resources)

6 (6 inch corn tortillas)

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 (10 ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn (or 1 1/4 cup)

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans with liquid

1 (16 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream or "lite"

1 tablespoon flour

3 tablespoons FRESH cilantro

salt and pepper, to taste

1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican Blend cheese (WW cheese or a reduced fat if following points, you won't need the whole bag)

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut tortillas into 6 wedges. Place tortillas on a sprayed baking sheet. Lightly brush each wedge with olive oil. Season to taste (salt, pepper, ground cumin, seasoned salt, etc.) Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden and crisp. Set aside.

Spray inside of slow cooker and place 18 of the baked wedges in the bottom of cooker. Layer chicken, corn and beans over tortillas in cooker. Combine salsa, sour cream, flour and cilantro in a bowl and pour over corn and beans. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours.

When ready to serve, place remaining tortillas wedges and cheese on top of each serving (1/3c. cheese per serving if following points). Add additional sour cream and salsa as desired (extra points).

TIP: When cooking the chicken ahead of time sprinkle a little of McCormick's Fajita Seasoning on the breasts. Place them on a broiling pan (slits help remove excess fat) and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes or until done. If not completely done (barely pink) it's OK, the time in the slow cooker will finish the cooking process.

Serves 4-6

(Points counted for 6 servings.)

Weight Watchers Points (per serving): 10

*I am in no way affiliated with the website/company linked. I was not paid to use or advertise their product. I am not earning profit from sales either. These are items that are personally mine that I like to use and want to share with you.

Dilled Fettuccine with Whiskey-Crab Sauce

2010-09-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

So for my last day in Indiana I wanted to make something special for lunch. Browsing through one of the cookbooks I'd received as a Christmas present a few years ago I found this recipe. This looked so good in the picture and it sounded pretty unique. I'm not much of a seafood person so when it called for crab my stomach started to turn. It then went on to list 1/2 cup of whiskey as an ingredient and I was worried that the sauce would have a powerful whiskey flavor. I decided to go ahead and make the dish, but instead I used imitation crab meat instead as I don't trust seafood in a land-locked area and the price is ridiculous here. If you want great fresh seafood I'll stick to Alaska :)

It's very creamy, almost like Alfredo. I would add more dill to the dish as I didn't feel that I tasted it at all. It was good and I liked the bits of green onion that kind of burst in my mouth with flavor. We paired it with a delicious crusty bread and butter! I think I might try this recipe with chicken some day. Oh! The sauce tastes nothing like whiskey in case you were wondering ;)

Dilled Fettuccine with Whiskey-Crab Sauce

adapted from Betty Crocker's Cooking for Two

4 ounces uncooked fettuccine

1 jar (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained

1 tablespoon of butter or margarine

3 medium green onions, sliced

1/2 cup scotch whiskey, bourbon or chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried dill

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup cut-up cooked crab meat or frozen (thawed) imitation crabmeat

Cook fettuccine as directed on package

Cut artichoke hearts into halves if necessary. Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until melted. Cook 2 tablespoons green onions in butter about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in whiskey, dill weed, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all liquid has evaporated.

Stir whipping cream into whiskey mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook over medium-high heat about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened. Stir in artichoke hearts and crab meat; heat through.

Drain fettuccine. Toss fettuccine and sauce. Sprinkle with remaining green onions. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

*I have not been paid or asked to advertise the cookbook used.

Worldess Wednesday: Cobbler Cups

2010-09-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

Smothered Chicken

2010-09-13T16:19:00.001-07:00

So I've been cooking lately and either I dislike the recipe and I don't want to share it, or there's just no way to get a decent photo of it. I had some amazing Pork and Green Chiles wrapped in warm tortillas the other night, but alas I couldn't get a nice photo to save my life.

Now this, ladies and gentleman was an AMAZING dish. The only alteration I will make next time is to leave out the season salt (original recipe), which is to taste. I found even the minimal amount of season salt I did use, plus the bacon bits, was just a bit too salty for me. Other than that, the chicken was moist, the cheese gooey, and the bacon and green onions on top was excellent. It almost reminds me of potato skins on chicken without the sour cream. I bet sour cream would take this dish to a whole new level! Try it and tell me!

It's a FAST dish - 20min. tops! It's from one of my favorite cookbooks too which is for the "busier families." Try it! It's simple, cheap, and 100% delicious! We had ours with steamed broccoli and rice.

Smothered Chicken
adapted from Taste of Home: The Busy Family Cookbook

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 ounces each)
Garlic powder, to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup shredded Monterey and Colby Jack cheese blend
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup bacon bits (the real stuff, please!)

Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. Sprinkle with garlic powder.

In a large nonstick skillet, brown chicken over medium heat in oil for 4 minutes; turn.

Top with cheese, green onions, and bacon. Cover and cook 4 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear and cheese is melted.

*I am in no way affiliated with the website/company linked. I was not paid to use or advertise their product. I am not earning profit from sales either. These are items that are personally mine that I like to use and want to share with you.

Saj Bread

2010-09-08T12:06:00.001-07:00

I've had this recipe available for quite awhile. I've hrmmed (that's a word, right?) over it for awhile. I think part of the reason I didn't upload was because the photo quality isn't ideal. Maybe one day I'll make it again and update the photo, yes?

I decided that the bread was just TOO good not to share. There was absolutely no leftovers once I made this and I was quite disappointed I didn't have enough yeast to make it again. The boy and I were like lions fighting over the last piece :P

I'd never heard of Saj Bread before, but thought it would go excellent with the curry I made it with. It's flat, chewy, and just plain delicious.

You could even make it like a dessert by adding cinnamon sugar and honey on top. Maybe a couple squirts of whipped cream? Anyone? Anyone? ;)

Saj Bread

from cheescakeforall.com

1 tbsp. active dry yeast

1 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 c. warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

oil for coating the dough

Mix all the ingredients using a blender, except the flour and the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Then pour the mixture in a big bowl, sift the 3 1/2 cups of flour on top and start mixing until smooth and no longer sticky (also add the 1/2 cup of water in this step.)

Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour the dough should be doubled in bulk. Knead with hand for a few minutes, then start to divide the dough into medium sized balls.

Using a floured rolling pin (you can also flatten with your hands if you prefer) start rolling the balls into circles on a lightly floured service (in this step use the oil for coating).

Put a skillet on low heat. When it becomes hot, put the flattened dough in it. Bake for 30 seconds to 1 minute until golden. Flip the bread to the other side for another 30 seconds. Pile your bread and cover to keep them soft.

Serve immediately.

Barbecue Macaroni Beef

2010-09-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

I have landed in the land of cornfields and you know what that means? I finally get to cook again! I quickly dived into my very few cookbooks for ideas and honestly, I wasn't that impressed with what I found. Nothing seemed to satisfy my need to feed. I'm blaming the cold that seems to slowly taking up residence in the back of my throat and nose. Bah!

So I found this recipe and tweaked it to my liking as I felt the original recipe just called for too much barbecue sauce (28 ounces!) and didn't call for the veggies to be cooked. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be chewing on soft macaroni...warm ground beef...and then practically breaking my tooth off on some hard celery. No thanks! It also didn't call for any type of seasoning. Anyone who knows me and knows my cooking knows that I LOVE seasoning, especially pepper and garlic powder! I just had to add seasonings into this recipe. :)

I hope you enjoy this quick meal with simple ingredients. Overall with our trip to the grocery store last night and this meal cost $8.22 (not including the cost of spices if you might use them/need them or BBQ sauce as we already had some) and the recipe says it serves 4. My biggest pot is very full and could easily do 6 servings or more! It's a inexpensive meal even if you calculate in spices and BBQ sauce it'd be under $10 total! :)

Barbecue Macarnoi Beef

adapted from Taste of Home: The Busy Family Cookbook

8oz. elbow macaroni

1lb. ground chuck

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Dean Jacob's 4-1 Gourmet Seasonings (using: Char Grill'n Broil Spices & Herbs), to taste

Cook the macaroni as directed on package. Drain and place back in large pot with some olive oil (optional) to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile, in large skillet cook beef over medium heat. Season with the Char Grill'n Broil Spices Herbs as desired, or use another seasoning. Drain the meat and place in same pot as noodles. Stir together.

In same skillet heat some olive oil and cook chopped vegetables until soft. Add salt and pepper to vegetables if desired. Add to noodle and meat mixture.

Depending on how much barbecue sauce you like, I'd start with a little at a time and add as little or as much as you'd like. I used about 8-9oz. of my 18oz. bottle and was satisfied. Again, it's all about personal taste.

Heat through and serve with buttered bread! Enjoy!

*I am in no way affiliated with any of the products or websites linked. I was not paid to use the products linked. These are items that I personally use and like and would like to share.

Navy Bean Soup with Turkey Sausage

2010-04-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

I find it hard to conjure something up after working for ten hours, but tonight I managed. With stress washing over me and the rain drizzling down outside all I could think of was warmth and a good book. Do you ever get like that? Sometimes a good cup of coffee works, but tonight I wasn't looking for something to drink...

But there is always vodka in the freezer :P

This is a delicious inexpensive soup. It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but believe me it's well worth it! I just love all the depths of flavors this soup has.

I used turkey sausage, you can use whatever you'd like. Got some ham frozen from Easter? Great! Use it! Add bacon, salt pork, summer sausage, whatever you so desire! Or keep it meat-free, that's always nice too :) (Even though the ham bone or shank to flavor is meat...eep! You know what I mean!)

This recipe does not include soaking time. Please rinse your beans and check for pebbles and other debris the night before. Soak overnight in water.

Navy Bean Soup with Turkey Sausage

16 oz. bag of navy beans (soaked overnight), drained

14 oz. Hillshire Farm Smoked Turkey Sausage (one package), diced

8 cups of water

2 large carrots, finely diced

2 large stalks of celery, finely diced

1 large onion, finely diced

1 cup potato, finely diced

3oz. of tomato paste (should find a 6oz. can)

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 bay leaves

1 cube chicken bouillon

1 leftover ham bone or shank

1 tbsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Rinse soaked beans and set aside.

In large stock pot drizzle some olive oil and on medium heat add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic to pot. Sweat for 10 minutes. Do not brown!

Add in navy beans, water, potatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, chicken bouillon cube, and garlic powder.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce to low and let simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add dried parsley.

Add in sausage and heat through. Remove bay leaves and ham bone/shank before serving!

Enjoy with a thick crusty bread :)

*I am not paid to advertise any of the product(s) I have linked. I have not been asked to advertise them or create recipes using them. These are just some of the product(s) I love to use and love to eat and want others to know about them too!

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

2010-04-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

I used to really not be a big fan of Mexican cuisine until we found this local hole-in-the-wall place down the road from our house. It's run by a few brothers and they're always kind and generous to us as we're pretty active customers. The food is great and you get TONS of it for a decent price! Unfortunately with my parents being gone and me to fend for myself, I wasn't about to go dine alone when I craved Mexican early this morning.

Searching my mothers spice drawer I found a packet of Lawry's Enchilada Sauce seasoning. I'm a big fan of McCormick and Lawry's so I trusted their little packet to get me through and make this dish semi-homemade. Honestly I just didn't want to deal with all the steps to make a homemade enchilada sauce, hehe. The sauce itself was easy to create (packet + water + time) and it has a real authentic taste with an ever so slightly kick, if you want to call it that. I'd say it's more of a pinch from your kid sister :)

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Beef Top Round Roast, 1.5-2lbs.

1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped

1 packet of Lawry's Enchilada Sauce

Flour or corn tortillas

Shredded cheese (Mexican blend, Cheddar, whatever you desire)

2-2 1/2 cups of water, divided

3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. of Mrs. Dash's Extra Spicy seasoning blend (or you could substitute with chili powder)

2 tbsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. oregano

6-8 cloves worth of Spice World's Minced Roasted Garlic (you could also use fresh minced)

Sour cream, guacamole, salsa (optional)

Cut roast into manageable pieces if it won't fit in a large heavy pot as a whole (I had to cut mine into 3 pieces, this also helps for shredding later). Turn heat to low-medium and add in 2 cups of water, red wine vinegar, Mrs. Dash's Extra Spicy seasoning, cumin, oregano (when used dried herbs crush between your fingers when adding to get the full fragrance and flavor), onion and garlic.

On a gentle simmer (do not boil!) cook roast for 2-4 hours until meat is cooked through, tender, and falls apart easily. You could always do this in a crock pot. If water gets too low after cooking for awhile, add half a cup of water to the pot. You don't want to drown the meat, but just give it a little more juice :) Once cooked, turn off the heat and use two forks to shred the meat. You don't want big chunks in your enchiladas!

Follow the instructions on the Lawry's Enchilada Sauce packet to create the sauce.

If your flour or corn tortillas are cold, I would recommend zapping them in the microwave for about 20 seconds so they have less tendency to break or tear. Be sure not to dry out the edges.

Once sauce is completed cooking you're ready to assemble! In a 13"x9" baking dish pour 1 cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. On your work service spread a large spoonful of enchilada sauce in the center of your tortilla and spread out to the edge of the tortilla, saving about 1/2" (you don't want it to gush out all over the counter). Make sure your meat is well drained, but not dry, before placing it on your tortilla. Assemble meat and cheese, fold tortilla, and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat as many times as necessary.

Pour more enchilada sauce over your tortillas (reserve some for after they come out of the oven). Top with shredded cheese and pop into a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly!

Serve hot with sour cream, guacamole, salsa (may I recommend Chachie's Peach & Mango Salsa as it has a great compliment to the spicy sauce), etc. Rice and beans work great too :)

*I am not paid to advertise any of the products I have linked. I have not been asked to advertise them or create recipes using them. These are just some of the products I love to use and love to eat and want others to know about them too!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T16:18:00.001-07:00

butter cake with cream cheese frosting, topped with sweetened coconut flakes.

Sticky Meyer Lemon Rolls

2010-04-01T21:36:00.001-07:00

So these didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped. Some days just really aren't baking days. On top of that I tried to cheat out of making the actual cinnoman roll dough by replacing it with pre-made crescent roll dough that comes in the can at the supermarket. Although they weren't perfect, they still tasted lovely and I'd totally make them again (the correct way of course, LOL!)

Although I was worried about the fact that 2 lemons went into this, it wasn't overly lemony. In fact, the roll part was just lightly hinted with lemon. I added cinnoman along with nutmeg in my version, but not much as I wasn't sure how lemon and cinnoman would pair. I think it was just enough though :) (1 tsp. or less I believe I added.)

Now let's talk about the glaze. PHENOMINAL! Oh man, I could just whip that stuff up and eat it out of the bowl. I slathered that gooey sugary goodness onto my little rolls and was in heaven. I'm totally looking forward to baking with lemons again in the future and I'm 100% certain anything baked and sweet will get a heavy dosing of this SWEET glaze! :) 5 stars from this fat kid! Hehe.

Sticky Meyer Lemon Rolls
from Dishing Up Delights

Lemon Roll Dough
1 1/4 teaspoons yeast  (not fast acting)
6 tablespoons milk, warmed to about 100 degrees
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Scant 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Scant 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg

Sticky Lemon Filling
1/2 cup sugar
Dash of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 lemon zested and juiced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Zest of 1/2 lemon

To make the dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a couple minutes. With the mixer paddle, stir in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of the flour. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable.
Spray the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise until nearly doubled, about an hour.
To make the lemon filling:
In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, and butter.

Lightly grease an 8x8 inch baking dish with baking spray or butter. On a floured surface pat the dough out into a large yet still thick rectangle. Spread evenly with the butter-lemon mixture. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Cut the long dough roll into even rolls, about 2-inched wide, and place them, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.

Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. If you want to prepare these ahead of time, place them in the refrigerator, then let them rise at room temperature for an hour before you want to bake them.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the rolls in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into a center roll reads 190 degrees.

While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. With a mixer or by hand, whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and blend until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy.

When the rolls are done and slightly cooled, smear them with the cream cheese glaze, and sprinkle the zest of 1/2 a lemon over top to garnish. Serve while warm.

Peanut Butter Poppers for Pups!

2010-03-12T17:52:00.001-08:00

I'm a complete animal lover, so when a co-worker asked if I'd be interested in helping out with a bake sale to help raise money for a Pug they rescued I was all about it. Poor Sherman needed knee surgery and it cost about $1,500! This is a rescue that pays for everything based off donation and is run strictly by volunteers! 100% non-profit! Although Sherman has had the surgery and is doing well, they're hosting a bake sale this weekend at their Pug party to help raise money to pay for the very expensive bill :) If you'd like to check out the rescue (and possibly donate or even ADOPT a Pug!) visit their website: Polar Pug Rescue.

In addition to people food I made these super easy peasy dog treats too for Fido :) Of course they're people friendly in ingredients, but I don't think you'd enjoy them as much, lol! I altered the original recipe slightly because I found the original recipe's dough to be dry and impossible to keep together to roll out to do cutouts!

Peanut Butter Poppers
from my lovely friend Ericka J.

2 cups whole-wheat flour (you must use whole wheat)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky
1 cup milk
approx. 1/2 low-sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. If batter doesn't come out smoothly and doesn't stick together in a nice dough add a few splashes of chicken broth to help bind it all together.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. I found with my cookie cutter I got about 22 dog bones and a few extra treats (excess dough) that I rolled into balls and then slightly flattened.

Bake for 18-20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container. (They keep longer if left in the fridge) --- Make sure you watch your cookies as these can burn easily!

Just realized my tags say "baking soda" eep! It is actually baking powder! Sorry!

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup, Olive Garden Style

2010-03-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

The boy and I really do love Olive Garden! Especially if we can make it early for lunch and have the unlimited soup, salad and bread sticks deal. Yummm! Unfortunately with my trip back I didn't get a chance to visit the Italian place, so I found this wonderful recipe through handy dandy Recipezaar posted by Anne G. Now, I can't say it's EXACT like the talented chefs at Olive Garden, but I will say it's pretty darn close and totally cured my ache for the stuff!

I changed the recipe a bit by chopping instead of shredding my carrot and dicing my celery. I'm one of those people who like big chunks of stuff in their soup (except for the garlic, eep!)

If you don't want to use frozen gnocchi or can't find it at your local grocery store Ken at A Food Year has a great homemade recipe that is minimal ingredients and is very simple! Check out his other stuff as well, he's got plenty of good eats that are on my to-do list! :)

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
adapted from Anne G.'s recipe at Recipezaar

3-4 chicken breasts, cut into pieces and cooked to "nearly done" (see note)
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups half-and-half
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 carrot, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper
16 ounces potato gnocchi, frozen
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)

Saute the onion, celery, garlic, carrot in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.
Add chicken, chicken stock, half and half, salt and pepper, thyme.
Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi. Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Add spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted. (Heat to boiling and add cornstarch dissolved in 1-2 Tbsp water at this point if you want a thicker soup.)
Ladle into bowls and enjoy! (Original recipe says it serves 8-10, but I'd say around 4-6 depending on your household and how many boys in it that loooove food!)

Note: The original recipe called for the chicken to be already pre-cooked, but I feared it would be dried out and over cooked by the end of the soup making process. On medium-high heat I cooked my chicken until nearly done and set aside until the recipe called for me to plunk the suckers in! The results? Deliciously tender chicken!

Enjoy!

Fajita Chicken Bowl

2010-02-27T07:53:00.000-08:00

Honestly who doesn't love fajitas? The sizzling meat and peppers you cram into soft and steamy flour tortillas and wow, it's just amazing. A local Mexican place here in Anchorage has amazing fajitas that they cook in the oven on a skillet. Unfortunately I don't have dishes for that sort of cooking so I sought help elsewhere. I landed on the healthy site that has intrigued me for months, Hungry-Girl.com and I found her "Need a Fajita Chicken Bowl" recipe and found that it's about 390 calories per serving with her recipe. SWEET! I can't say I followed her recipe to a tee, but pretty darn close. It looks like a big ol' mess in a bowl as I'm not the best food photographer, but it was delicious! Her recipe is for 1 serving, so I doubled if not tripled in some areas to save myself from having to cook again the next day, hehe.

Need a Fajita Chicken Bowl
adapted from Hungry-Girl.com

2 cups cooked brown rice (prepared without added fat), kept hot
Squirt of lime juice
Squirt of lemon juice
4 raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into small strips
2 peppers, chopped, any colors you want (green and red...orange and red...)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4-1/2 packet of McCormick fajita seasoning mix
1 (15oz.) can of canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can or frozen package of corn (optional), drained or steamed if using frozen
shredded fat-free cheddar cheese (optional, for topping)
salsa (optional, for topping, this house loves Old El Paso)
salsa verde (green salsa, optional, for topping)

In bowl, combine chicken, peppers, onion, lemon juice, and lime juice. Sprinkle evenly with fajita seasoning. Add 3-4 tbsp. water and mix well.

Bring a pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add chicken-veggie mixture and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

Heat black beans in a microwave-safe bowl until hot.

Place rice in a microwave-safe bowl. If needed, microwave until hot. Top with black beans, corn, and chicken-veggie mixture. Add your desired toppings and microwave if you want bubbly gooey cheese on top!

Enjoy!

Pineapple Sweet and Sour Chicken - A Less Than 30min. Meal!

2010-02-25T18:10:00.001-08:00

Now I'm one gal that loves to go out for Chinese food and sweet and sour chicken really is after my own belly! I found this recipe while reading a cooking magazine and it looked pretty appetizing, plus it came with two coupons you could use toward the meal! Score one for this penny pincher! :)

This is a quick meal that takes about 25 minutes in prep and cook time. Great for mom's on the go with kids everywhere and crying for food, hehe. Or just for the lady that wants something quick so she's not slaving away in front of a hot stove all day!

I do have to add though that when you're looking for a pre-made sweet and sour sauce at the store please avoid Kikkoman's Sweet and Sour sauce! I had the displeasure of buying the overpriced stuff and being very upset with the results. It cost around $5.00 + tax and I used pretty much the whole bottle for this dish. I highly recommend reading other reviews on sweet and sour sauce's to help pick the best one, or if you're feeling creative how about making your own!

With more in depth browsing of websites I found Kraft's version of the stuff got 6 reviews and 3.5/5 stars! Read a review on the sauce here. It also seems nicer on the wallet at around $2 a bottle) I think next time I make this yummy dish Kraft will be my next choice!

Anyway, enough of my babbling, onto the recipe!

1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks

1 medium green or red bell pepper, cut into chunks

1 medium onion, cut into chunks

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (you can save time by switching out fresh with a small can of mushroom pieces)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup prepared sweet and sour sauce

2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce

4 cups cooked rice, any color you desire

Drain pineapple; reserve 2 tablespoons juice

Over medium heat in a large skillet cook pepper, onion and mushrooms (if using canned mushrooms wait until the re-adding of the vegetables as not to over cook them) in hot oil, until tender-crisp.

Remove vegetables from skillet; set aside.

Cook chicken in same skillet, until chicken is browned. Add vegetables back to skillet with sweet and sour sauce, soy sauce, pineapple chunks and reserved juice. Heat through. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Serves 6. Approximately 500 calories per serving. YUM!

Thick and Creamy Potato Soup

2010-02-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

I apologize in advance on the image quality. I finished this up at around 8pm and the lighting in my kitchen really fails when it comes to photos.

So we bought this big ol' 10lb. bag of Yukon gold potatoes and I had to find a use for them before I left otherwise the boy would likely forget them and they'd grow eyes and I'd come back to an overgrown alien potato kitchen. So I thought well, why not potato soup then? I'd made it once before, but wasn't too thrilled with the thickness of it, or lack there of. I've re-vamped the recipe and was ready to dig into a hot bowl of goodness!

I started these out in the slow cooker because I was lazy, but then realized I'd have to transfer to a large pot later on, so a slow cooker isn't recommended!

1 tsp. dillweed
pepper, to taste (recommend 1 1/2-2 tsp.)
salt, to taste (recommend 1 1/2-2 tsp.)
2 tbsp. parsley
1 to 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
2 cups water
3 cups milk
1 celery stalk, cleaned and chopped
2 medium carrots, cleaned and chopped
4-5 medium to large size Yukon gold potatoes, cleaned and chopped
frozen gnocchi (optional)

butter and flour (to make a roux, not required but highly recommended, or you can use cornstarch)

A roux is very easy to make, I promise! In a large pot (the biggest you've got) heat butter over medium heat. Now the point is to add equal parts fat and equal parts flour (one tablespoon of flour equals about ¼ ounce. One tablespoon butter = ½ ounce. ) Slowly add flour and cook 2-3 minutes until there is a consistency of cake batter. For this recipe cook mixture until golden in color.

To the pot add onion, potatoes, carrots, celery, dillweed, salt and pepper. Cover all veggies with water and chicken broth. You may need to add more broth or water, if there's some veggies sticking above the surface it's alright :) Cook on medium-low until potatoes are tender.

Stir in milk and parsley and bring to a boil. Switch heat to medium-low and let simmer until soup has reduced down (20-25min.)

Ladle out 1 to 1 1/2 cups of soup and place in blender. Blend until a smooth consistency. Add mixture back to pot and stir in.

At this point if you desire gnocchi added to your soup or want to add your own dumplings feel free to do so. :) Add as little or as much as you so desire! I like lots so I added about 2 cups worth. Stirring every so often, turn heat to medium and stir gnocchi in until it is warmed through.

Serve immediately and enjoy :)

Slowcooker Rich Veggie Soup

2010-02-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

The best thing about being back home in Indiana on vacation is the fact that I get to cook again. It's just not right to cook in another woman's kitchen, am I right? I've cooked in my mother's and grandmother's kitchens, but it's just not the same.

While being back I've had to clean out my cupboards and make use of the food before it all goes bad. The boy isn't a cook so I take pride in whipping up delicious meals that we can enjoy together and I can freeze leftovers for him to eat when I'm gone. This is one of the dishes I created and it's sort of a play on the lovely French Onion Soup, but with lots of extras and TONS of flavor! I would make this again and again through the winter. I can't wait to get my garden started to use fresh vegetables in this. :)

1 1/2 cups of Swanson's chicken broth
1 can of Swanson's beef broth (14 oz.)
2 envelopes Lipton's Recipe Secrets Onion Soup & Dip Mix (one box worth)
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen
2 stalks of celery, cleaned and chopped
3 medium carrots, cleaned and chopped
3 Yukon gold potatoes
thick slices of homemade bread or a thick bread, slightly hard
shredded cheese

In slow cooker pour Onion Soup mix into the bottom. Place frozen chicken breasts on top.

Add in veggies and broth. Place on low overnight and cook for 8+ hours. If you have one of the newer slow cookers I've noticed they tend to boil on low, which is not good! If this is the case then I recommend cutting the cooking time in half or shorter. My cooker is ancient so it doesn't have this problem, hehe. :)

The next day use forks to dig out the chicken breasts and they should fall apart and be incredibly tender. Help pull them apart with forks and place back into the soup. Cover and keep on low until ready to serve.

When ready to serve ladle into soup bowls that are broiler and/or oven safe. Place a thick piece of bread on top of soup and pour on as little or as much shredded cheese as you so desire. My opinion? The more gooey cheese the better!

Place under broiler and heat until cheese is hot and bubbly! Watch carefully as broiling can overcook and burn the cheese so keep your eye on it :) You can also bake in the oven instead, but I find it takes considerably longer.

Check back soon and I'll be adding my homemade bread recipe!

*I am in no way affiliated with the products used or websites linked. I was not paid to use the products. These are items I use and like and would like to share.

Kitchen Sink Frittata

2010-02-21T19:21:00.001-08:00

This golden fluffy flavor packed treat from Italy is worth the wait for it to rise up in the oven. I had a full bag of fresh spinach to use up and plenty of eggs to try this unique dish. What is a frittata exactly? According to Wikipedia it is "A frittata is a type of Italian omelette, either simple or enriched with additional ingredients, such as meats, cheeses, vegetables, and even pasta. It may be compared to a crust-less quiche or, in America, "scrambled eggs." Feel free to click the Wiki link for more information on it, or just take my word for it and try this recipe!

By "Kitchen Sink Frittata" I mean that you can put any sort of combination you can think of into this and it's bound to taste good! It's great for that leftover ham, extra cheese you need to get rid of, an onion that may go bad soon, even shredded carrots fresh from the garden that you're just sick of steaming and eating by themselves! This is the recipe I used, but you're more than welcome to adapt to fit your needs keeping the egg base the same :)

Also, most chefs bake on the stove top in a very large, slightly deep sauce pan on low until the egg sets up and then they finish it off in the broiler. My recipe is 100% in the oven in a 9" round baking dish :)

8 eggs

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, reduced fat

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp. milk

1 handful fresh spinach

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1 stalk of celery, cleaned and chopped

Salt, for taste (optional)
Pepper, for taste (optional)

Sour cream, for garnish

Salsa, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Chop celery into bite size pieces. Tear spinach into smaller pieces and remove any large stems. Dice onion.

In stand mixer beat together all of the ingredients with whipping attachment on medium high until eggs are light and fluffy (lots of bubbles, then stop) you don't want to over whip!

In greased round pan, or square if you dare to be different, pour in egg mixture.

Place in oven for 15-20min. or until top is golden brown and butter knife comes out clean when poked in the center. If need be, reduce heat.

Remove, flip out onto serving dish and cut like a pie or pizza :) I serve mine with sour cream and salsa.

Could easily serve 4-6 people when served with a side. Fried potatoes anyone? Yum!

Hungry Girl's H-O-T Hot Boneless Buffalo Wings

2010-02-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

So I found this website from my lovely friend Miranda :) Hungry-girl.com takes all the bad food in our lives and gives us healthier options. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? This is the first recipe of HG's that I found and really just wanted to make. The ingredients are simple, the preparing and cooking fast, and let's face it buffalo wings ARE amazing. I have changed the recipe to fit my own needs and feel that it needs more tweaking. Maybe I should of followed hers first and then changed it, who knows.

However, after making this dish it doesn't remind me of boneless buffalo wings. I'd still rather take in the extra calories and fat at Buffalo Wild Wings instead of eating this replacement. It was good, but not enough of the wing experience for me and I have a feeling the boy would feel the same way. They should be coated in sauce and be delicious and you MUST have bleu cheese dipping sauce. Sorry ranch lovers, it's bleu all the way! HG gives you a dipping sauce that is nearly guilt-free with a combo of sour cream and BBQ sauce, but it wasn't all that thrilling. In fact after awhile it was kind of nauseating and I ate the chicken on it's own. The sauce is the main event in the chicken wings. It should stick to your fingers so you have to lick them clean and get more of that kickin' hot sauce!

Perhaps I can concoct a low-calorie low-fat dipping sauce to toss these puppies in?

HG's H-O-T Hot Boneless Buffalo Wings

original recipe can be found here.

the following recipe includes the changes I made:

8 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into 10 nugget-shaped pieces

1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original), ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency

1 oz. (about 14 crisps) Pringles Light Fat Free Potato Crisps, original (though the suggest BBQ could be better, my local food mart did not have this flavor)

3 tbsp. Safeway Select Buffalo Wing Marinade

dash ground cumin

dash garlic powder

dash Mrs. Dash's Extra Spicy Seasoning Blend - No Salt Added!

dash black pepper

dash salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Crush potato crisps completely and, in a small dish, mix with cereal crumbs.

Add a dash of each of the seasonings and mix well.

Place chicken pieces in a separate dish, and cover and toss with hot sauce or marinade.

Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray.

Give each chicken piece a shake (so it's not dripping) and then coat it evenly with the crumb mixture.

Lay the battered nuggets on the baking pan.

Place in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes.

Then flip the wings over, and return them to the oven for 10 more minutes, or until outsides are crispy and chicken is cooked throughout.

Makes 2 Servings.

Hungry Girl's Guilt-Free Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup of fat-free sour cream

1 tsp. dry ranch mix

1 1/2 tablespoon of BBQ sauce

mix together and serve alongside your wings :)

Wordless Wednesday: Trash or Treasure? A Review Coming Soon

2010-02-03T21:47:00.000-08:00

image credit to russellstover.com

Soft Molasses Spice Cookies

2009-12-25T20:46:00.000-08:00

When it comes to spice cookies and gingersnaps I'm in love. I could eat a whole box of them to myself and it'd be totally worth the belly ache. I made these soft darlings for goodie bags I gave to my co-workers :) I rolled them in brown and then white sugar and I definitely have to say I prefer white sugar as it sparkles a lot better. These had the spice flavor, but I didn't find them too overpowering like some store bought cookies. Also be sure to give them enough room to expand as you can see I didn't and got a few Siamese twins :P That was okay by me though, more for me to eat!

Soft Molasses Spice Cookies
from The Great American Cookie Cookbook (Publications International, Ltd.) - buy it here on amazon.com

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and cloves in medium bowl.
Beat 1/2 cup butter in large bowl until smooth and creamy.
Gradually add brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until fluffy.
Beat in molasses and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.
Beat in flour mixture at low speed alternately with 1/4 cup milk until blended.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls (sprinkle or roll in sugar if desired) of dough about 1 1/2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet.
Bake 12 minutes or until set. Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 5 minutes; transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-12-20T11:17:00.001-08:00

I am one of those people who go completely nuts for pumpkin, so these are no exception whatsoever. They're not perfect and circular, but who cares? They're pumpkin AND chocolate, best combination ever. Pumpkin is such a great ingredient due to the fact it makes food extremely moist. These are moist and sweet with that touch of chocolate. Go ahead, make them! They didn't last long in my house, and no I didn't eat them all. But now that I think of it, I should of...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Old Fashioned Country Cookies (Gooseberry Patch) - buy it here at amazon.com

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon salt

1 lb. margarine or butter

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla

16 oz. can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt and set aside.

Cream the margarine and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin.

Stir in dry ingredients and chocolate chips.

Drop by desired spoonful size and bake for 15min. or until done.

Sour Cream Cookies

2009-12-19T16:03:00.001-08:00

My mother tends to always have an obscene amount of sour cream in her fridge so I wanted to make use of some if not most of it. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the stuff! But one container is enough for me :) I found this recipe and was curious at how they would taste and turnout! They aren't thtat sweet for being a cookie, but I find just a drizzle of icing is all they really needed. Not too powerful, not too weak, but just right! So let's get started on this easy peasy recipe:

Sour Cream Cookies
from Old Fashioned Country Cookies (Gooseberry Patch) - buy it here at amazon.com

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup chopped nuts (optional, I made mine without due to co-worker's with allergies)

Mix together thoroughly the shortening, brown sugar and eggs.
Stir in sour cream and vanilla.
Sift flour, soda, baking powder, and salt; stir into sour cream mixture. Add nuts.
Chill at least 1 hour. Drop by rounded teaspoonfulls about 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake until delicately browned, about 8 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

I drizzled mine in festive colors but the possibilities are endless! The book recommends slathering these cookies with a Burnt Butter Icing. Recipe is as follows:

Burnt Butter Icing:

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons hot water

Melt butter until golden brown. Blend in powdered sugar and vanilla.
Stir in hot water until icing spreads smoothly.
Icing for about 30 cookies.

Edible Christmas Wreaths

2009-12-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! Time to crack open those cookbooks and find what sweet treats you're going to make this holiday season. Every year my mother and I bake up a storm to make goodie bags for our co-workers. Last year I was left to making it all on my own! So i did and it was tiring but well worth it in the end. Some of my co-workers don't have family anymore so it's sometimes all they get for Christmas. It breaks my heart but warms mine as well because I know they appreciate it and are grateful for our gift to them.

This is your typical "rice krispie treat" but I used Special K for this as it's what I had one hand. Honestly, you can't even taste the difference between the two cereals after you pile on all that sweet gooey marshmallow :)

I used red icing for the holly berries, but feel free to let your imagination wander! Sprinkles...red hots...crushed candy cane...

Edible Christmas Wreaths

10 oz. marshmallows
6 cups of corn flake cereal (crush with your hands) or rice krispie cereal
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. green food coloring, or to your desired green-ness
bagged red frosting or other candies for decorating the wreaths

Melt butter and marshmallows over low heat stirring constantly.
When completely melted add vanilla and green food coloring.
Add in corn flakes. Stir until they are completely coated and green!
Grease hands with butter or cooking spray and start shaping into little O's on a silicone baking mat or wax paper. CAUTION: Very Hot!
Repeat steps until all of the mixture is used. Cool before serving.

Sticky Chinese Wings

2009-11-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

I saw these on Fake Ginger and thought they sounded super easy and looked delicious. Five ingredients and all I have to do is throw them in a crockpot for a few hours? YES! Normally I'm very eh about using anything with bones in it and I regret being frugal when I bought these. We normally eat the store brand boneless skinless chicken breast, but wings are just another story. The quality wasn't there, so I blame the store not Amanda

Amanda is 100% right that they are sticky, salty, and a little tiny dash of sweet. I was too impatient when it came to letting the sauce simmer forever, but it still was thicker than started. I served this with just plain white rice and butter. They smell AMAZING while cooking, I had to keep slapping the boy's hands away everytime he went toward that crockpot to lift the lid.

Next time I may cut down on the soy sauce since it was a tad too salty for my taste. I also might create the wings and strip them of their goodness and add veggies to the mix such as green peppers, onion, etc. and serve all that over rice.

Sticky Chinese Wings
from Amanda at Fake Ginger.

3 lbs chicken wings
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic powder together. Toss wings in the mixture and allow to marinate overnight. In the morning, put wings and marinade in slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove wings from slow cooker and transfer marinade (now sauce!) to a small saucepan. Allow to simmer until thickened. Pour over wings and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Bars

2009-11-19T18:34:00.000-08:00

It's nearly that time of year again when the sweets get delivered by the bucket loads and they are wrapped in bright colors to match the season and holidays. Now I know that some of you out there just aren't the greatest bakers, and that's fine. Perhaps you're better at math than I am, though that's not hard to do :P This is a very simple tasty treat that you can make for your holiday goodie bags, gift jars, work parties, or just for you and the kids to enjoy. Honestly, who DOESN'T love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate??

I found this recipe from Betty Crocker, and it actually called for butterscotch chips as well, but I passed as the family doesn't much care for them :)

Remember, this is a quick and easy recipe and calls for you to cheat a bit by buying store bought cookie mixes....but they are delicious! Though feel free to try it with your own peanut butter cookie recipe and if you do leave a comment on how yours turned out! I much prefer scratch to anything :)

Peanut Butter Bars

1 pouch (1lb. 5oz.) of Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.
In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms. Press into pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.
In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips on High 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until completely melted. Spread evenly over cookie base. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set.
Cut and wrap or serve this delicious treat! :)

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

2009-10-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

So while browsing one of the forums I frequent I found a contest for Fall/Halloween goodies. I could make a sweet or savory dish and of course I pounced on savory. I'm not 100% sure this is what I want to enter in the contest as I have something else in mind (chocolate pumpkin cake with dulche de leche!!). So for now these are my Plan B and will be served tomorrow at my job for our little Halloween celebration :)

The Pumpkin Whoopie Pie part was a recipe I found on Recipezaar posted by Mitra. I loved the adorable pumpkin faces and it got 5/5 stars and seemed like a fairly easy recipe. I added more pumpkin spice than what she called for, but that's just because I'm mildly obsessed with the stuff! These are EXTREMELY moist and delicious.

The Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from Martha Stewart. :) It is delicious and so much better than store-bought icing/frosting. I originally wanted to do some sort of sweet marshmallow fluff, but had none to throw into the mix. The icing wasn't overly sweet and did have that deliciously addicting cream cheese flavor. So if you're not big on cream cheese in general, this isn't the recipe for you! :P

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie

3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (i recommend about a 14-15oz. can)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Use a non-stick baking sheet or silicone mat
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth.
Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet.
Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Whoopie Pie Filling

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make the filling: Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.

Add cream cheese and beat until well combined.

Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
Assemble the whoopie pies: When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

enjoy and have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Wordless Wednesday: Alaska

2009-09-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

Peach Pie and Pie Pops

2009-09-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

Now I'm not exactly why I decided to start baking at 10pm, but I made my first ever pie! I was really inspired when I came across these Pie Pops by scoochmaroo. I thought it was such a cute idea..who wouldn't love a little mini pie for that craving every now and then and then on top of that it was on a stick! Every thing's better on a stick, right *wink* ;)

I tried creating the little mini pies, I made probably around 10 and really got sick of the tedious process. I would've had to of had tons of dough, more than the recipe called for...so I decided that I was going to make one nice big juicy peach pie. Though I have to say they make a really good breakfast snack (though I'm sure the sugar in it all isn't great for you, it's not too overpowering). I kind of played with the recipe and cheated a little (store bought pie dough), so I encourage you to do the same! (Play with the recipe, not cheat!) :P

Peach Pie (Whole)

5 peaches

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. butter

1 box of ready made 9" pie crust (box must come with 2, or make your own pie crust)

1 egg

cinnamon, to taste

nutmeg, to taste

Bring pot of water to a boil and place peaches in for 5min. to cook. Immediately place them in ice water to stop the cooking process. This helps make peeling the peaches easier! Peel and chop peaches to whatever size you desire (I love big chunks in my pies). Toss with sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg until thoroughly coated. Place pie crust in pie tin or glassware and follow directions on box or recipe. Toss in the filling, place top pie crust and do some pretty slits in the center. Pinch edges together in a scalloped shape (I failed in this part, could of been sleep deprivation!) I added cinnamon and sugar to an egg and whipped it up and brushed it along the top of the pie. I then sprinkled the top with more cinnamon and sugar to give the dough some taste. Bake at 375o for 30 minutes or until your pie crust is deliciously golden brown!

Pie Pops (exactly how scoochmaroo posted)

2 fresh peaches
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
Fresh nutmeg and cinnamon to taste
Two pie crusts
Lollipop sticks

1 egg

To peel peaches (and accelerate cooking), bring a pot of water to a boil.Add peaches and boil for 5 minutes. Remove peaches with a slotted spoon and immerse immediately in ice water. Now your peaches will peel easily! Peel, pit and finely chop peaches. Cut together flour, butter and sugar. To the peaches, add dry ingredients. Stir to coat. Season with fresh ground nutmeg and cinnamon!

Cover your workspace with plastic wrap or a fine dusting of flour or cornstarch. Roll out pie crusts as thinly as possible - otherwise you'll be eating a mouthful of crust! Cut with a circle cutter or something similar - I used the lid off of a small jar. Gently press sticks into crust. For added security, you can use a scrap of crust to cover the stick. Add a small dollop of filling to the center. Cover with another circle of dough, and press edges together securely. Using the end of a lollipop stick or a fork, crimp the edges.

Transfer pops to a baking sheet. Mine is covered with a silicone sheet. Brush beaten egg white onto crusts. Cover the sticks with foil to prevent burning.Bake at 375o for 15 minutes. Pops are done when they are golden brown!

Cuban Mojo Grilled Pork

2009-09-06T00:16:00.000-07:00

Or broiled in our case since we haven't got around to buying a grill :) money is rather tight around here. This is another delicious recipe I got from Slim Fast. If you know of any other websites or blogs I should visit for low-calorie dinners please don't hesitate to throw me that way! I need as many options as possible. :) My next goal is to order one (or all!) of Hungry Girl's cook books. I've really got my eyes set on 200 Recipes under 200 Calories. Their website is stuffed to the brim of good healthy food. They take fast food options and turn them into HEALTHY options. Go check it out!

Now back to the meal, hehe. This was awesome even though it was broiled and not grilled. It had a nice little kick to it with the jalapeno in the glaze, but not so strong that I couldn't bare.

Cuban Mojo Grilled Pork

2 tablespoons mayo

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 cup cilantro, fresh

2 garlic cloves

1 jalapeno pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

4 pork chops, boneless

Chop cilantro, garlic, and jalapeno (remove ribs and seed first). In medium bowl combine all ingredients except chops. Season chops with salt and pepper if desired, then brush with mayo mixture. Grill or broil chops, turn and coat often with mayo mixture until chops are done.

Stir-Fried Ginger Pork with Asian Green Beans and Classic Rice Pilaf

2009-08-31T18:21:00.001-07:00

Now I'm the kind of person that if I had to choose one meat to live off of for the rest of my life it wouldn't be pork, it'd definitely be chicken. B'gawk! Hehe. This meal though, it sways me ever so slightly to the pork side. Haha, it's like going to the dark side, but tastier! It's a filling and comforting meal and it really is a belly pleaser. Nothing is more enjoyable than to listen to people's "mm's" as they chew their way through their plate of food. The contented sighs of full bellies....oh it's just fabulous! Try this, the whole meal is only 440 calories per serving!

Stir-Fried Ginger Pork

2 tablespoons of soy sauce, low sodium
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1lb. pork tenderloin, raw

Finely chop garlic. Cut pork into thin strips (about 1/2"). In medium bowl blend soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and ginger. In non-stick skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat and brown pork. Add garlic mixture and cook for 7 minutes or until pork is thoroughly cooked.

Asian Green Beans

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1lb. whole fresh green beans
3 tablespoons Lawry's Marinade Teriyaki with Pineapple Juice
1/4 dry cup chow mein noodles

Finely chop garlic. In non-stick skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat and cook garlic 30 seconds. Add green beans and marinade and cook 10 minutes or until beans are tender. To serve, top with chow mein noodles.

Classic Rice Pilaf

2 teaspoons of butter
3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
1/3 cup white onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
1 3/4 cups of chicken broth, low sodium
1 teaspoon of parsley, fresh, chopped

In 2-quart saucepan melt butter over medium high-heat and cook rice, onion, pepper, and thyme for 4 minutes or until rice is golden. Stir in broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and let simmer 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes and then stir in parsley.

Tasty Turkey Burgers

2009-08-31T18:12:00.001-07:00

Nothing is better than homemade burgers, mm. My stomach is growling and I think these sound fantastic again for dinner. I get a lot of mixed feedback for turkey used in burgers. My opinion? What's wrong with it? It's delicious and it's healthier for you! :) This is a simpler version of what the boy and I normally eat. We have it at least once a week...or twice with leftovers :P

Tasty Turkey Burgers

1lb. ground turkey
3 tablespoons of green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder w/ parsley (Lawry makes this, or just use garlic powder.)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 red onion, medium sized. (I use only about half, but if you love em' pile em' on!)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
4 pieces of American cheese, low-fat.
4 whole wheat hamburger buns

Cut onion into slices. In large bowl combine turkey, soy sauce, garlic powder, and pepper; shape into 4 patties. Evenly brush onion with olive oil. Grill or broil burgers and onions until burgers are to desired done-ness and onions are tender. Top burgers with cheese and cook until cheese is melted. Top with onions and enjoy!

Mesquite Chicken and Veggie Pouches

2009-08-30T09:16:00.001-07:00

Now this just doesn't seem like diet food at all! This meal was so easy to do, I really love "pouch" meals where i can throw it all together and forget about it. Isn't that a quote from some infomercial? :P There's tons of flavor in this dish and the colors are vibrant and appetizing. What else? The entire meal, including the carrots is only 420 calories and you feel FULL. Most dieters don't know what "full" is, hehe. I hope you try it! It's not spicy for those who may be afraid of it. I think pepperoni on my pizza is too spicy LOL so this is a-OK for me. :) I even included the carrot recipe for you.

Mesquite Chicken and Veggie Pouches

1/4 cup Lawry's Marinade with Lime Juice

1lb. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

1 onion, yellow

1 bell pepper, red

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon of cilantro, fresh

2 cups of rice, cooked (I use brown as it's better for you, but feel free to use whatever you'd like!)

Pre-heat oven to 425°. Cut chicken into 1/2" cubes. Chop onion and pepper (I threw mine into the food processor for little bits, but you can keep them 1/4"in. to 1/2"in. if you so desire). In large bowl toss chicken with marinade, beans, red pepper, and onion. on four 12 x 18" of heavy-duty aluminum foil, evenly divide mixture. Wrap foil loosely around chicken and seal the edges with a double fold. On baking sheet, arrange pouches seam side up. Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve over hot rice.

Maple-Dijon Baby Carrots

1 bag of baby carrots (approx. 1lb.)

1 tablespoon of butter

1 1/2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons of syrup, maple

In medium saucepan, add carrots and enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high-heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 6 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. In the same saucepan toss carrots with remaining ingredients.

Turkey Burgers with a Basil-Red Pepper Mayo

2009-08-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

Oh my, this picture just makes my stomach growl because homemade turkey burgers are probably the best thing I discovered for the boy and I's dinners. I've always loved turkey burgers, but these were better than your average frozen patty. I mean c'mon they're thick and juicy and all these flavors packed inside just makes my mouth water. We used to just slap cheese and onions on em' but then I found this mayo recipe and whoa momma, my mouth had a party at first bite :) People go "ew" when I say Turkey and Burger together, but please please try them!

Turkey Burgers with a Basil-Red Pepper Mayo

2 tablespoons light mayo (I use light miracle whip.)

2 tablespoons basil, fresh, chopped

2 tablespoons of soy sauce, low sodium

2 tablespoons of green onions, chopped

1 oz. red peppers, flame roasted (Come in little jars at your local super market, though I used the sweet roasted peppers :P)

1lb. ground turkey

4 whole wheat turkey buns

4 pieces of tomato, optional (Mine pictured doesn't, but the boy's did.)

4 slices of yellow onion

4 slices of romaine lettuce (I didn't have any but though I'd throw it in there!)

In medium bowl combine ground turkey, green onions, and soy sauce. Divide and shape into 4 patties.

Chop roasted peppers. In small bowl combine peppers, mayo, and basil. Grill or broil burgers until desired done-ness. Spread mayo mix over top half of buns. Top burger with onion (try them grilled or broiled for more flavor!), tomato, and lettuce.

Chimmichurri Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Salad

2009-08-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make, I am addicted to Slim Fast's recipes they offer for free through their site. There really is such a variety to choose from? Don't like chicken? Fine, try grilled halibut or Caribbean jerk steak. Even if you're not into dieting, it's a great site for dinner options and healthy options together as one :) This entire meal pictured (including the potatoes) is only 430 calories per serving, wow! I didn't include the potato recipe but can if enough people show interest in it?

Chimmichurri Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Salad

1/2 cup of Italian dressing

1/4 cup white onion

1/4 cup parsley, fresh, chopped

1 garlic clove

4 chicken breasts, boneless

3 bell peppers, any color

2 small zucchinis

1 bag of salad mix, (I used the Spring Mix as recommended by the recipe, but use what you wish!)

Cut peppers into quarters and zucchinis lengthwise.

To make chimmichurri dressing: in food processor or blender combine Italian dressing, onion, parsley, and garlic. Makes about 2/3 cup. Coat chicken and veggies with dressing and grill veggies and chicken until the chicken fully cooked and veggies are tender (I broiled mine since we don't have a grill...YET!)

Arrange lettuce on serving platter or individual plates and top with chicken and drizzle with remaining dressing and serve.

Crisp Greens and Warm Ginger Chicken Salad

2009-08-29T15:25:00.001-07:00

sorry for the poor picture quality, bad lighting at our old place.

Mmm nothing is better than a salad piled high with food! I snagged this recipe from Slim Fast and gave it my own twist since I didn't have some of the ingredients on hand. This is great for a lunch or to accompany with something starchy like homemade bread sticks (recipes anyone?) or some dill bread. My stomach is growling now!

Crisp Greens & Warm Ginger Chicken Salad

1/4 cup of light mayo (I use light miracle whip, use whatever you prefer)

2 teaspoons of vinegar, red wine (white works too)

2 teaspoons soy sauce, low sodium

2 teaspoons of honey

1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

4 large oranges (ex: California navel)

12 cups of spring greens (Dole makes this mix)

4 chicken breasts, boneless

8 oz. snow pea pods, fresh or frozen, optional. (I use the frozen steamers, they keep longer)

Place your chicken under the broiler for fastest results but you can also bake or grill. I seasoned the breasts lightly with salt and pepper first.

Peel and section two of the oranges, set aside. Slice remaining oranges in half and squeeze juice into a small bowl. Combine mayo, ginger, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and reserved juice.

In large bowl toss greens with dressing, serve and top with snow peas, chicken, and orange slices. Add a hard boiled egg if you so fancy, yummy! This recipe is good for 4 servings.

Pesto Rubbed Chicken (Homemade Pesto Sauce)

2009-08-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

So the recipe is called "pesto RUBBED chicken," but there was so much pesto I basically just evened out the portions and piled it on top. My pesto is homemade too baby! It's really amazing stuff and although it's green it's excellent! I say this because I myself am not fond of green veggies much (I do force myself to eat them though). Try it if you haven't or come on over for dinner and I'll make it for you! *wink* ;)

Pesto Rubbed Chicken (Homemade Pesto Sauce)

for the chicken:

2 tablespoons of olive oil.
4 chicken breasts, boneless.

for the pesto sauce:

3 cloves of garlic (yes, the fresh stuff! no minced jar garlic!)
2 cups fresh basil
3 tablespoons of pinenuts
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, grated

It's easiest to make this in a food processer (Wal-Mart has a mini one for like $15) It's not the exact one I use, maybe they don't show the off-brand ones on their website but they do have the mini ones! Or you could use a blender if you want to save your cash for a night out on the town! :) Peel and chop your garlic. Place garlic, pinenuts, basil, and parmesan cheese into food processor. Place about 1/4 cup of your oil into the processor and let it do its job. After a couple of seconds you'll probably have to scrape down the sides and such, at this time go ahead and place the rest of your oil in and let it spin again for a few more seconds until completely blended. *NOTE: Sometimes I like to just use 1/4 cup of oil since sometimes 1/2 cup will seem to much. Just use your best judgement.

You can grill, broil, or bake the chicken at this point. I chose to broil my chicken so I used a baking sheet (you can use a broiling pan too) and placed the chicken breasts on, scooping even amounts of Pesto to cover the entire chicken. I have to say I didn't really keep tabs on how long it took to cook thoroughly, but broiling is the fastest method in my opinion. So I would say 8-10 minutes maximum if you choose to broil. Just keep an eye on it! :)

If you're in a rush to get dinner on the table Knorr brand makes a Pesto Sauce Mix that you can blend with olive oil for a quick sauce. You should be able to find it at any local super market.

Jamaican Pork with Creamy Lime Salsa

2009-08-29T10:24:00.001-07:00

I picked up this recipe by signing up at Slim Fast as it has tons of new and exciting recipes that you can pick and choose from and they're all about roughly 500 calories per dinner serving. Most recipes make 4 servings so that's great for couples like James and I because I can cook one night and take a break for the next by just eating leftovers. I'm not sure how much I loved the lime salsa, it could be the fact that it's made with mostly mayo that throws me off, or it was just too much for one small piece of chop. I think if I do make this again I'll use less of the mayo and maybe add a little bit more lime juice to it as I didn't get the full punch of that flavor either. Needless to say, the actual chop was amazing! I suppose you could use a tenderloin or something instead, but I figured chops were easy enough. :)

Jamaican Pork with Creamy Lime Salsa

1/2 cup light mayo (or whatever your preference is)
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup onion, red, chopped
1 garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound pork chops, boneless (or bone in if you prefer)
1 tablespoon Caribbean jerk seasoning (made by McCormick if you need help locating it in the spice aisle)

Chop the garlic. For Creamy Lime Salsa, in medium bowl, combine mayo, lime juice, onion, garlic, and pepper; set aside. Evenly season chops with jerk seasoning. Grill or broil chops until done. To serve, arrange chops on serving platter, then evenly garnish with Creamy Lime Salsa. Serve with remaining salsa.

Smothered Chops.

2009-08-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe over at Amada's delicious blog, Fake Ginger. It seemed simple enough to make so I placed it on the grocery list and set out to create this delicious food, haha. I must have my mothers curse with homemade gravy as it took me forever to create the ever so slightly thickened sauce that was to "smother" these chops! maybe i needed more flour, or to let it boil longer, I'm not sure. Although it wasn't a thick gravy like my mouth constantly waters for, it was delicious. I would definitely make this again as it's just such a comforting food to me. Reminds me a lot of home with my momma in the kitchen. Next time though, I won't forget the applesauce!

Smothered Chops.

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 pork chops, boneless (or bone in if you prefer.)

1/4 cup olive oil1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup milk (i used fat-free, but feel free to use whatever you'd like)

Put the flour in a shallow platter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture and then dredge them in the seasoned flour; shaking off the excess.

Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is nice and hot, lay the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a little sprinkle of seasoned flour to the pan drippings. Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir in the milk to make a creamy gravy and return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper before serving.