vote for me

click here

click above to find out how you can help me win a contest I joined.

breakfast bombs

These little breakfast bites are a nice change to our normal quick breakfasts. 
Maybe we will freeze them and add them to our list of quick breakfasts :)
http://www.eatsnacklove.com/2014/03/21/breakfast-bombs/

Parmesan Chicken

Here is a simple recipe but a family favorite:

Mix some mayo, parmesan cheese and oregano in a bowl. 
Spread over chicken breasts.
Bake at 350 until chicken is done (around 30 minutes)

So easy and delicious.  We have cooked this on the grill too.

The best Chocolate Peanut Butter cookies

We are heading there to  Utah visit Mike's family  so I was on pinterest looking up places to eat.
I found a women's blog where she did a post about her favorite restaurants.  While exploring her blog I was a picture of cookies that just looked so yummy. Chocolate and peanut butter in desserts are my favorite. 

So apparently there is a popular bakery called Cutlers in Utah.  Unfortunately I won't be e near it on our visit.  But this lady went there and took there classes where they learned how to make some of their most popular cookies.  So I pinned the recipe and decided I would have to try it.

These are the best cookies I have ever made.  It was time consuming since it involved baking cookies and making 2 buttercream icings.  But oh my gosh.  I wish I had some right now..  You have to make these!

Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature1 cup brown sugar1 cup white sugar1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon vanilla2 eggs3 1/4 cups cake flour ( he uses cake flour in all of Cutler's cookies)1- 12 oz bag Reese's Peanut Butter chips (no substitutions)Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.Cream together butter, sugars, salt, baking soda and powder.  Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well.Add flour and peanut butter chips. Mix just until flour and chips are blended together.Using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, or just a large spoon, scoop into 2 inch balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet about 4 inches apart.  I bake about 8 cookies per sheet.Bake for about 12 minutes, or until set.

Butter Frosting1/2 cup butter, soft-room temperature3 cups powdered sugar1/2 cup peanut butter (not natural)milk to thin to proper consistency (whole milk is best)Cream together room-temperature butter and powdered sugar. Add peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add milk a tablespoon at time, just until frosting is smooth and creamy. Set aside. *I've made these with only 2 cups powdered sugar before and it turned out good too. It was a little less sweet and a thicker frosting but it worked.

Chocolate Frosting1 cup butter or 1/2 and 1/2 blend butter/margarine5-6 cups powdered sugar1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (or less if you like a lighter cocoa frosting)1 tablespoon vanilla1/4 to 1/3 cup milkCream butter and 5 cups powdered sugar. Add cocoa and vanilla. Add milk a tablespoon at a time until frosting is smooth. If needed, add more powdered sugar.

Now it's time to frost the cookies! First, the peanut butter, then you gently frost the chocolate frosting on top of that. Try to leave a small space between the peanut butter frosting and the chocolate for a layered look.

 

from abountifulkitchen

Buttermilk pancake syrup

We love this stuff.  Its not healthy but that is ok.  It is delicious on the oatmeal whole wheat pancakes we make.

click for pancake recipe here

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

 

heat butter, sugar, and buttermilk in a small pot until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved

 

take off heat and add baking soda and vanilla.  mix

 

serve over pancakes

Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

I love philly cheesesteaks.  I haven't found a recipe to make at home that is any good.  I found this on pinterest and thought I would give it a try.  It was a huge hit.  The juice tasted just like a cheesesteak.  I think one day I may have the butcher at giant eagle shave some steak and try to make it with that instead.

REcipe:

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 softball-sized onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons steak sauce, such as A-1
1/2 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls
Cheese sauce (see below) or sliced provolone or Cheez Wiz
Optional toppings: shredded Romaine, sliced tomato, sliced raw white onion, 4 tablespoons mayo mixed with a splash of red wine vinegar and a shake of oregano

Cheese sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup provolone, shredded

In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil. Add the onion and green pepper and cook until soft and starting to brown. Add the ground beef and cook about 5-6 minutes. Drain off the fat, then stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes.

Toast the rolls and set aside.

If making the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the cheese.

http://tasteofhomecooking.blogspot.com/2011/05/philly-cheesesteak-sloppy-joes.html

green juice

Mike got a juicer about 2 years ago.  I never used it.  He did for awhile and then it sat unused.

I pulled it out after new years in an effort to get the kids to "eat" vegetables.  Amelia will drink any of the juices we make...Hayden and me not so much.

I found this green juice recipe and everyone drank it.  So its a keeper!

It is a good recipe when you are starting out juicing and need to get used to drinking veggies.  It is not over powering.

I actually add a more kale now that they are used to it.

6 Kale leaves
1 cup Pineapple (you can use the outside shell but it makes the juice more foamy if you use too much)
1/2 cup melon

oatmeal cookie dough smoothie

I have been going to the gym every day.  This smoothie is great for when I get home and I am starving and need something.  Sometimes I throw in a few small dark chocolate chips too.

Ingredients

1. 1 small frozen banana
2. 1/4 cup raw oats
3. 1 tsp. chia seeds (optional)
4. 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
5. 1 tsp. vanilla flavor
6. 1 Tbsp. almond butter (I just used natural peanut butter)
7. 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (regular milk works fine too)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients into any standard blender and blend until smooth.

Oreo fudge bars

Wanted to take a new dessert at a party. These were easy to make and were all eaten. Got the recipe from Pinterest.

 

1 devils food cake mix
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1  can (14oz.) sweetened condensed milk
14 Oreos, broken into bite size pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place cake mix, butter and egg into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Use your hands, it works much quicker. Press into prepared baking pan. Top with broken pieces of cookies.
3. Pour sweetened condensed milk over cookies and top with chocolate chips. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from oven.

 

 adapted from pickypalate.com

Cinnamon roll caramel popcorn

I made this for all of the kids teachers, helpers,etc.  It turned out great.  I will definitely make it again. 

 

• 18 cups popped popcorn (about 3/4 cup kernels)
• 1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 ounces white chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Grease two large rimmed baking sheets and set aside.
2. Place the popcorn in a really large bowl (or two separate large bowls if you don't have an extra big one).
3. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When melted add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil while stirring. Once the mixture starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, for 3 minutes. The mixture will be slightly thickened. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will bubble so be careful.
4. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and mix until the popcorn is evenly coated.
5. Turn the popcorn out onto the baking sheets, spreading into an even layer on each sheet. Bake the popcorn for one hour, stirring and tossing every 20 minutes. Move the bottom tray to the upper rack and vice versa each time you stir. The popcorn will deepen in color and harden a bit as the caramel bakes and sets.
6. When the popcorn comes out of the oven, scrape it onto an even layer of parchment or wax paper.
7. Drizzle the white chocolate over the top (using the tines of a fork to drizzle it across or pour the melted chocolate into a freezer quart-size ziploc bag and snip a corner to drizzle).
8. Let the popcorn sit until white chocolate is set, 30 minutes or so. Break into pieces

 

adapted from melskitchencafe.com

Chicken parm minis

I love chicken parm. I order it a lot when we go out to eat I saw this recipe and thought it would good to have something different in our meal rotation. They were easy to make and tasted good. They are also a good freezer meal.

Ingredients:
1 pound of raw ground chicken
1/2 of a red pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of oregano
3 mozzarella cheese sticks, each cut into 4 pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg
1 cup of marinara sauce
1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For the topping, mix together the Italian bread crumbs, one tablespoon of the parmesan cheese, and one tablespoon of olive oil; set aside.  In a bigger bowl, lightly beat the egg, and add chicken, red pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, 1 Tablespoon of Parmesan,  salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.  Spray a regular sized  muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  Spoon heaping spoonfuls of the chicken mixture into a muffin tin. Place a cheese cube (one of the pieces of cheese stick) down in the center of the mixture.  Put one more spoonful of chicken mixture on top, making sure the cheese is covered completely. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of each chicken mini. Put the muffin tin in the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through.  Serve with marinara sauce under the minis or in a cup on the side.
Makes 10 Chicken Parmesan Minis

from sixsistersstuff.com

Cheddar bacon dip in bread

 

I love dips and this did not disappoint.  It looks pretty in the the hollowed out bread too.

 

I did not put any ham in this.  Only the bacon.

It would beep great for a Super Bowl party. 

 

 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
16 oz. cheddar cheese, grated (sharp or mild)
4 oz. chopped green chilies
Green onion (suit your own taste)
1 c. chopped ham
1/2 pound chopped bacon
1 round bread loaf, hollowed outMix first seven ingredients together and put into the hollowed out bread loaf. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for one hour. Serve with leftover bread or chips…

Chicken Nuggets

There are tons of home made chicken nugget recipes.  I have made many.  This is my current favorite.  Buttermilk is always a key ingredient in breaded chicken but the pickle juice here is key.  Try it.  They are yummy.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup dill pickle juice
3/4 cup buttermilk
Tabasco sauce
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
3 egg whites
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups unseasoned panko bread crumbs
Peanut oil (or other oil with a very high smoke point like canola, although canola can impart a fishy flavor when cooked at very high temperatures)

Instructions:

Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. In a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, combine pickle juice, buttermilk, and about 10 dashes of Tabasco sauce. Add the chicken and seal the bag, then refrigerate it for 1-4 hours.

When ready to cook, whisk together 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the flour, baking soda, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, whisk together the egg whites and water. Add the bread crumbs to a third shallow bowl. Begin heating about 2 inches of peanut oil in a heavy pot (keep an eye on it…a grease fire will ruin your day).

Place a handful of chicken pieces into the flour and toss to coat (you can also coat them all at once by combining the chicken and the flour mixture in a large Ziploc bag and shaking to coat). Roll the chicken in the egg whites, then roll to coat in the Panko. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. I find it works best when I use one hand to do the flour/egg part and the other hand for the bread crumbs–it kind of keeps the mess to a minimum.

Preheat oven to the lowest setting.

When the oil reaches 350 degrees, place 1/3-1/2 of the coated chicken pieces in the pan and cook, stirring gently and frequently, until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes; use an instant read thermometer to check them if you’re nervous; the nuggets should be at least 165 degrees F in the center). Place the cooked chicken in the heated oven (or serve, if you have hungry little monkeys hanging around the kitchen) and repeat with the remaining chicken. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

from ourbestbites.com

Oven toasted Ravioli

Sometimes I don't feel like cooking.  On those days the kids usually get pierogis or raviolis.  Recently it was raviolis but I just didn't want them.  Then I remember I pinned this recipe and so I thought I  would try it to "liven" up my raviolis.

Recipe:

12 round frozen ravioli, thawed
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk
6 Tbps Italian bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together egg and milk in shallow bowl.  In another bowl or pie plate, combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.  Dip ravioli in egg and then in bread crumbs.  Place on baking sheet.  Repeat until all ravioli are coated.  Spray ravioli with cooking spray.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with warm marinara or pesto.

from plainchicken.comvio

Cheeseburger Soup

It is officially fall so that means its time to eat soup.  Ha ha.
I have a lot of different soups pinned on pinterest.  This seemed like one the kids would possibly eat.  So I tried this one.  One kid ate it.  The other did not.  But she hasn't been eating much dinner at all so I am not counting "opinion".

Ingredients

• ½ pound ground beef (use 1 pound)
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• ¾ cup shredded carrots
• ¾ cup diced celery
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups of Velveeta processed cheese cubed (I used 16 ounce)
• 1½ cups milk
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup sour cream

Instructions

1. Brown the ground beef in 3 quart saucepan. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same saucepan add 1 T butter and add onion, shredded carrots, parsley flakes, basil and celery. Saute until tender.
3. Add the broth, potatoes and beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. In small skillet melt remaining butter (3 T) and add the flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
5. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.

http://therecipecritic.com/2012/12/cheeseburger-soup/

Mexican Corn

This corn salad goes great with tacos, burritos, enchiladas, you name it.
It is quick and simple so you can make it anytime.  I didn't have jalepenos and it was still delicious.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups corn (about 4 ears), cut from the cob
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 glove garlic, grated
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juice
• 2 tablespoons cotija (or feta), crumbled
• chili powder to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the corn, toss and let it sit cooking until charred, mix it up and let it char again, about 6-10 minutes.
3. Add the jalapeno, saute for a minute and remove from heat.
4. Mix everything and serve warm or at room temperature.

http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/08/esquites-mexican-corn-salad.html?m=1

Cashew Chicken in the Crockpot

 A nice quick and easy meal. 

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders or chicken breast tenders*

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews
Directions:
Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.
If you want like sauce and want to have some to pour over the chicken and the rice, double the sauce ingredients.
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/10/slow-cooker-cashew-chicken.html

Honey Whole wheat Bread

Working with yeast is not my forte but this bread turned out great.  It  was perfect for sandwiches or just to eat.

I plan on adding more wheat flour next time to make it healthier.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 3 Tbs. powdered milk
• 1 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 3 Tbs. honey

Instructions

Add both flours, yeast, powdered milk, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the water, oil, and honey to the dry ingredients and turn the mixer to medium low. Mix with the dough hook just until the dough begins to form a ball. Turn the mixer to low and allow the dough to knead for 8-10 minutes, or until the ball of dough is smooth and pliable.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and cover with a towel. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size, or for approximately 1 1/2-2 hours.

Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and shape it into a log. Place the log of dough into a lightly greased 9×4 inch bread pan. Cover the dough log with plastic wrap and allow it to rise again until it has doubled in size (1-2 hours) and the top is puffed over the top edges of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350, and bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, covering the top of the bread with a tent of foil halfway through baking. Bread is done when the top has turned a golden brown, the bread sounds hollow when you knock on the top, and the internal temperature of the bread has reached 190 degrees.

Once the bread is cool enough to handle, remove it from the loaf pan and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely. Slice as needed.

http://jcocina.com/honey-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread-and-creepy-emails/

Monster Cookies Take 2

In one of my past posts I made monster cookies.  They were good.  But these are our new favorite.  Everyone loves them and asks for the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened to room temperature*
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1 /4 cups all purpose flour (are you measuring flour the correct way?)
• 1/2 cup quick oats (not instant or whole-rolled oats)*
• 3/4 cup M&Ms 
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
2. In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed, about 3 minutes. Mix in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla (in that order). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly mix in the baking soda and flour. Do not overmix. Fold in the quick oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chips. If the dough is very soft and unmanageable by hand, chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling.
3. Rolls balls of dough, about 2 Tablespoons of dough per ball, onto prepared baking sheet. Press a few extra M&Ms on top for looks, if preferred. Bake for 9-10 minutes - do not bake past 10 minutes. The cookies will appear undone. I too mine out at 9 minutes, which is recommended. Slightly press down the baked cookies with the back of a spoon, since the cookies only slightly spread in the oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cookies will firm up as they cool. Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cookies freeze well.

Read more from the source: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/01/15/soft-baked-monster-cookies/#ixzz2XVovDuaT
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
Follow us: @sallysbakeblog on Twitter | sallysbakingaddiction on Facebook

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/01/15/soft-baked-monster-cookies/

Charleston Cheese Dip

Lots of cheese and bacon... what is not  to love?  This was another hit from our Memorial Day picnic.

Ingredients:
1/2 - cup mayonnaise
1 - 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 - cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 - cup grated Monterey jack cheese
2 - green onions, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
8 - Ritz crackers, crushed
8 - slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish.Top mixture with cracker crumbs and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove the pan from the oven and top with the bacon. Serve immediately with corn chips, bagel chips or crackers.

http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2011/01/charleston-cheese-dip-potluck-sunday.html