The Cooking Diaries of a Wine Loving Soccer "Mom"

This blog is movin' out folks!

2008-01-29T18:13:00.001-08:00

I have finally been sucked into the world of using Wordpress for my blog instead of this site. Please change all of your links to my new blog which will be:

http://wineloverscookingdiary.wordpress.com/

Keep visiting and keep the comments coming! : )

See you all on the other side!

Random Things About Me - Part 1

2008-01-29T16:59:00.000-08:00

Many of my great foodie blog friends have been doing a "100 random things about me" blog in which basically they just shoot out a bunch of random facts about themselves. I have been literally laughing my arse off reading these random facts. I mean, who knew Amanda was afraid of lettuce? LOL So, I will split this up into 4 parts so you don't go into random April overload. : )

1. I am highly allergic to poison ivy (I have the scars to prove it)
2. I can't stand the taste of coffee but I like the smell
3. In college I got into 3 wrecks in ten days
4. My favorite Yankee candle smell is Harvest
5. My mom has a one eyed dog that she rescued
6. We had the same dog for 14 years - a black poodle named Claude
7. My brother graduated from Basic Training for the National Guard the summer before his senior year of high school
8. I have a habit of accidentally breaking wine glasses
9. I only use plastic wine glasses at home
10. I can't stand the texture of mushrooms
11. I have yet to find the perfect shampoo and conditioner for my hair type
12. I am the oldest of 5 including my brother, two half sisters, and a stepsister
13. I love expensive purses
14. I pass out very easily
15. I had braces during high school
16. I used to have the messiest room on the face of the earth
17. I am a neat freak
18. I have a really big rubber band ball at work that I have made over the past 6 months
19. I am scared of the dark
20. My favorite cake is banana
21. I don't like yellow gold
22. I will be 27 this year
23. I ran cross country all 4 years of high school and was MVP 3 of those years
24. I do not like elevators or subways
25. I have a birthmark on my right hip

More to come later... : )

Baked Good Exchange January - part 1

2008-01-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning Tommy and I were working on Sheridan's bedroom when the doorbell rang. Of course I'm thinking, "Oh crap! The house is a mess, I'm in my pj's...etc." You know, all of those things you think when the doorbell rings unexpectedly. : ) However, when I opened the door, there sat a box on our doorstep and I glanced at it and saw it was a cheesecake box!!! From New York!! I knew it had to be one of my awesome JFacie friends sending me something for our January exchange! Sure enough, there was a note on it from Kat Graz saying that even though she was sending this awesome New York famous cheesecake, she was baking me something as well. She is supposed to be my nutritionist/personal trainer friend! What is she thinking?! LOL : ) I took it in the house and yelled for Tommy to come see it and he literally started jumping up and down like a little kid. Cheesecake is his absolute favorite thing ever!

We had some of this finally Sunday evening - we were so busy that we didn't have time to really enjoy it until then - and we literally had this for dinner. LOL It was SOO good! I think it's the brownie marble cheesecake flavor - so freaking amazing! I can't get cheesecake like this around here so the fact that Kat thought to do that makes her awesome in our book! Tommy says he really likes Kat now a lot. LOL : )

Thank you Kat for this unique and awesome foodie gift!!!! You are the best!!!

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

2008-01-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

So, I have this lovely menu all typed out on my blog for this week - to make things easy on myself. Um, yeah. Except for when I don't want what is on my menu. LOL I was going to make chicken parmesan except that T and I both had baked ziti leftovers for lunch. I couldn't do pasta twice in a row, so I spent the afternoon begging my foodie friends for recipes and scouring every blog I could find. I finally found a recipe that looked pretty yummy on Katorade's blog.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and cook the garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.
In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt.
Dip each chicken breast in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Pig Rating: The pig thought this was pretty good for something different. He was just excited that I was making roasted red potatoes again. LOL

Mrs. Pig Rating: I like this for an easy chicken recipe that I typically have all of the ingredients on hand for. It had a really good flavor to it and was pretty good. I think I'll definitely save this one for the make again list. :)

Rachel's "Chicken Dorito"

2008-01-20T15:39:00.000-08:00

So, I have seen a recipe for "Dorito chicken" floating around out on foodie blogs. I was pretty leary of this. I mean, throwing Doritos on chicken seemed a little odd to me even though I love Doritos and I love chicken, therefore I never really thought much about this one.

When my friend Clara asked a question on her blog this week about her readers' favorite proteins AND made them put recipes down (geez...so needy), I found that the "Chicken Dorito" made the list from our great friend Rachel. The recipe that Rachel posted is from her grandmother and it looked a lot better to me than a lot of the other recipes I had seen for this. So, why the heck not try it right? I'm always willing to try new chicken recipes to shake things up a bit. My changes are in red.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded (I didn't shred - I cut into strips)

Cheddar cheese, grated

2 cans cream of chicken soup

milk (1/2 a soup can’s worth)

1 can diced green chilis (you decide the spicy level)

1 bag Toasted Corn Doritos

(I only made 2 breasts so I halved everything)

Directions

Combine soup, milk and green chili’s in a sauce pan and cook until blended and warm.
In a 9×13 pan (or use a casserole dish) layer 1/3 amount of the Doritos, Chicken, Soup, and Cheese. Repeat twice ending with cheese on top. Cover and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Pig Rating: The pig took his first bite and was like, "Eh, it's okay," but then he had a 2nd bite and actually got some of the "dorito crust" in it and he said it was much better. Plate was cleaned by the pig. : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: I think that this would be great with the shredded chicken and put over nachos. Now, of course, anything on nachos is good to me, but I think this would be awesome. I like it pretty well though I have to say. I retract my previous thoughts about Dorito Chicken now. Thanks Rachey : )

PS- the pictures of this suck. It's just not pretty. Sorry. : )

Roasted Red Potatoes

2008-01-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

As you have probably figured out, we love potatoes in our house - love them fried, mashed, baked, roasted, etc. While Tommy's favorite is fried, I've been trying to find a recipe that is more health friendly to make with things when we want potatoes. I love red potatoes so I went on the hunt for a good roasted red potato recipe today and stumbled across one on one of my favorite blogs to stalk - Amber's Delectable Delights. I love her blog - great recipes, great instructions and reviews, great pictures, etc. Thanks for another great recipe Amber!

Ingredients

4 red potatoes

2 Tbls bread crumbs

1 Tbls olive oil

1 Tbls Parmesan cheese

Your choice of seasonings (I used garlic power, onion powder, and parsley)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees

- Slice potatoes into wedges and place into medium bowl.

Season with all the remaining ingredients and place into preheated oven.

Cook for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are done to your desired crispness.

Pig Rating: The pig really liked these! He said they were a great substitute for fried potatoes and he couldn't believe that they were really TOO bad for him as far as potatoes go.

Mrs. Pig Rating: Like I said, I love potatoes, so these were no exception. I loved the flavor as well as how crispy they were on the outside and soft on the inside. I will most DEF be making these again and adding these as a staple on our menus.

Menu: January 20th - January 26th

2008-01-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

I so have to get back in the habit of posting my menus... : )

Sunday- L: 5 Minute Southwest Salad, D: Dorito Chicken ala Rachel, via Clara's blog, roasted potatoes, salad
Monday- (T & I both off work-woohoo!) L: Out to lunch, D: Chicken Paremesan, salad
Tuesday - Chicken Nachos (Okay, not so healthy but haven't had them in FOREVER!)
Wednesday - (Kids) Taco Pie (healthy style)/Tacos
Thursday - Crockpot ribs (from Lorena's Blog), corn on the cob, salad
Friday - Date Night
Saturday- L: Chicken & Potato pizza, D: Company Party

I'm being not SO good this week with dinners. I have some things I need to use up so back on the super healthy train next week, though hopefully I can make everything with enough substitutes to not be too terrible for us. : )

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2008-01-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

Cordon Bleu means “blue ribbon” in French, and in French culinary tradition, the Cordon Bleu is awarded to food or chefs of particularly high quality. Neat huh? : ) I have never really even thought about eating chicken cordon bleu because I am not a huge ham fan. However, I saw this on a blog a week or so ago and thought I would give it a try since I know Tommy likes it. I wasn't so sure about it but I made sure to get really thin shaved ham so it wouldn't freak me out too much... : ) I served this with corn and salad.

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices cooked ham
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 7x11 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness.
3. Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on top of each breast. Roll up each breast, and secure with a toothpick. Place in baking dish, and sprinkle chicken evenly with bread crumbs.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from oven, and place 1/2 cheese slice on top of each breast. Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove toothpicks, and serve immediately.

Pig Rating: He said, "This is good!". I told him it makes me proud when I make something and he likes it so he said, "Then you should be proud of this!", so he must really like it. : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: Like I said, I was kind of worried about the ham, but it gave it a really good taste. I'm glad I tried this one - a new chicken recipe to add to our collection of "save to make again" : )

Recipe from allrecipes.com

As for the picture...well...for some reason I couldn't hold my hand steady enough tonight to take a good picture, so I just didn't put one on here. Just trust me on this - it is good. You must try it!

Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2008-01-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

There are so many blogs that I just love to look through every day. One of my favorite's is One Tiny Pink Kitchen. She has great healthy recipes and I just love it. There was a recipe for Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts on there that looked so super yummy that I knew I had to try it. When one of my other fellow foodies Nina tried it recently and I saw it on her blog, I knew it had to be soon! So tonight I decided to try it. It was the first time I have ever made stuffed chicken of any sort but it sounded yummy so....

Ingredients

4 – 4 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/8 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. Dried Basil – divided - I used about 2 tsp total
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
1/4 cup Minced Green Bell Pepper I omitted
4 (3/4 oz) Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
2 Tbsp. Fat-Free Italian Dressing
1/8 tsp. Paprika - I used 1 tsp
1/4 cup Dry Breadcrumbs
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
Cooking Spray

Directions

Pound chicken to 1/4” thickness; sprinkle with salt, 1/4 tsp basil (I didn't really measure), and crushed red pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle each breast with 1 Tbsp. minced bell pepper. Place 1 cheese stick lengthwise down the center; roll up jelly roll fashion. Brush rolls evenly with Italian dressing. Combine paprika and breadcrumbs, and a dash of oregano and basil; dredge chicken breasts rolls in mixture, turn to coat. Place on a baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray – seam side down. Lightly coat with non-stick spray; sprinkle with remaining basil. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until done (mine took about 22 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Pig Rating: He liked this but he is kind of weird about textures and breading on the outside of meats kind of freaks him out sometimes. He said he did like it but maybe not so much breading next time.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I really liked this one!!! I love chicken and cheese and everything that is in this one! I would eat it every night. : ) Definitely try this one!

I "potato" You!

2008-01-10T16:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I decided that I would make Tommy fried potatoes. Not good for you, but he has been being really good lately working out and eating right so I thought I would treat him. So I came home and pulled out my bag of potatoes and out falls a potato and I about died when I saw it! It was in the shape of....a heart!!!!!! Or a butt depending on how you hold it, but I prefer to think of it as a heart!! I

was so excited about it that I didn't use it in the potatoes, but I saved it for when Tommy got home instead to show him. He walked in and I showed him and he said, "Aw, I "potato" you!" HA! Who ever thought you could substitute the word "potato" for "heart" and it have meaning?!

So, to all of my foodie friends....I "potato" you!!

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

2008-01-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

As part of my new "back on the wagon" phase (again, don't be fooled by "back on the wagon"...I have a glass of wine in my hand as I'm typing this), I decided to make some different recipes this week. I saw a recipe on Clara's blog awhile back that I though I should try since we like chicken and T likes mushrooms. And in my attempt to not make every meal include butter, heavy cream and pasta....

Ingredients

2 tsp Vegetable or olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 large garlic clove, crushed

1 pound uncooked chicken breasts

2 cups small halved mushrooms

1/3 cup chicken broth or white wine

1/4 tsp dried thyme

[NOTES: I used about 4-5 tbsp balsamic vinegar b/c I love the flavor.]COOKING

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix 2 tblespoons vinegar, mustard and garlic. Add chicken to mixture and turn to coat. Heat 1 tsp oil in nonstick skillet. Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. sautee chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to platter and keep warm. Heat remaining oiland saute mushrooms for about one minute. Add broth, thyme and remaining vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about two minutes. Serve chicken topped with mushrooms

Pig Rating: He said this was okay. He said it was like something I would have made before I "became a professional chef". HA! Okay, brownie points for Tommy. : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: I kind of felt the same as Tommy. This was okay - the chicken was really moist and it was good, it just wasn't anything special really to me. Maybe I needed to add more vinegar?

I'm like so in the popular crowd now! Yippeee!

2008-01-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

Well, as of today, I have been tagged. That's right, I am now part of the cool, popular clique of bloggers who are so awesome that they are tagged by their fellow foodies. One of my fave foodies Clara tagged me along with some of our other foodie friends this afternoon.

Apparently she thinks I will NOT answer it because I have been called a blog slacker on several occasions today. Um, excuse me. Some of us actually have to work during the day and can't play with our blog. Oh, okay. Who am I kidding? My work has blocked me from updating my blog during the day! ARGH!! I would so be doing it if I could! Anyway...this one is for you C!

What were you doing 10 years ago?
10 years ago I was 16 years old! I had just gotten my drivers license and was a junior in high school. Probably doing a lot of running for track, hanging out with my friends, and studying.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Well, I had to think about this so I looked at some old emails. I was obsessively planning my wedding one year ago. I saw emails about bar costs, table cloth sizes, colors of chairs, etc. in my email. Thank goodness the planning is over. Such a great day, but man! : )

Five snacks you enjoy:
(Just a note...these are my fave snacks...doesn't mean I eat them often)
1. Cape Cod chips - my fave is jalapeno and aged cheddar
2. Chicken nachos
3. Skittles...the kind in the purple bag
4. strawberries with sugar
5. popcorn

Five songs that you know all the lyrics to:
Hmm...let me think back to the piano bar we just went to...
1. Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks
2. Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
3. Bubble Toes by Jack Johnson
4. Turn Me On by Norah Jones
5. Blister in the Sun by Violent Femmes

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Take care of my family and that means making sure they are fine financially forever - medical, etc.
2. Build our dream house
3. Buy homes in many other places and travel to them regularly
4. Buy every piece of Victoria's Secret and Louis Vuitton that I could afford
5. Donate a ton of money to the Make A Wish Foundation

Five bad habits:
1. Biting my lips
2. Leaving the caps off of pens (so my husband pointed out)
3. Breaking wine glasses (I'm such a breaker)
4. Being too much of a planner
5. Waiting to clean things like the oven and refrigerator until it is just beyond bad and it takes me forever

Five things you like doing:
1. Spending time with Tommy for sure
2. Having a relaxing weekend with no plans
3. Reading a good book
4. Having a nice dinner with good wine
5. Traveling - anywhere, whether it be somewhere with Tommy, somewhere with my mom, etc.

Five things you would never wear again:
1. biker shorts
2. tight rolled jeans
3. New Kids on the Block T-shirts
4. a perm
5. converse high tops with the slides that change colors...you know what I mean...LOL

Five favorite toys:
1. the computer
2. the DVR
3. my wine refrigerator
4. my digi camera
5. my ipod

Okay, so there you go CLARA AND NIKKI you big haters!!! ::sticks tongue out at Clara and Nikki::
At least I'm mature about things....

Now....for the next step...okay friends, you have been tagged!! GO!

Nina

Michelle

Suzanne

Menu Week of 1.07 - 1.12

2008-01-07T15:29:00.000-08:00

I guess you could say that I fell off of the wagon over the past month or so. I don't mean that in the sense that most people mean it in - what I mean is I fell off of the "I need to eat right" and "I need to workout" wagon. Not a good one to fall off of. So, now that it is the New Year, I am climbing right back up into the wagon with the help of my husband who is now getting up at 5am to go workout. Ick. Thank goodness I can go at lunch!

Anyway, I have decided I need to get back to making menus so that I have a good plan for the week and it will help me better plan out more healthy meals. I am easing back into things but here it is for this week....

Monday: Balsamic chicken with mushrooms, baked potatoes, salad
Tuesday: Pork chops, mashed potatoes, corn
Wednesday: Chicken tacos
Thursday: Italian stuffed chicken breasts (WW style)
Friday: Southwest salads
Saturday: Date night

Foodie related Christmas gifts!

2007-12-29T14:08:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas!!! : ) I love buying gifts and I love receiving new things as well, especially new things for my kitchen since that is my latest obsession. I received a couple of gifts that I was really excited about so I wanted to share those.

I asked my mother in law for a food processor. I don't know exactly how often I will use it but I really thought I needed one. I chop up a lot of veggies so I am thinking this will make things a lot easier for me. I was so excited to get it!! I used it last night for the first time. Will loves it. I think it is his favorite kitchen tool of mine. HA!

I love cookbooks. I love just looking through them. I get so excited when I get my new Cooking Light in the mail and getting a new cookbook is 10 times that excitement. Tommy and I came home late from his parents on Christmas Eve and there was a package waiting at our door. It was from my good friend and fellow foodie Clara!!! I couldn't wait to open it!! The gift was so perfect for me - a wine lover's cookbook!!! It doesn't get any better than that for me! She was so sweet to send it...thank you Clara!!!!!!

My other two favorite gifts that relate to my kitchen are a Linens N Things gift card from the kids and a Winestyles gift card from Tommy. Now I need to decide what to buy at those stores...mmm... : )

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!!! : )

Banana Pudding

2007-12-29T13:57:00.000-08:00

I had some bananas that I needed to use in something and when I asked Tommy if he would rather have banana cake or banana pudding, he said pudding. However, in his usual Tommy fashion, he said that he only liked "his sister's banana pudding". He always seems to only want his sister's or mom's recipes so I have learned to make several things like they do. : ) I have made banana pudding before, but never like this. This is his Granny's recipe so this is about as homemade as it gets. Sheridan, Will, and I whipped this up together one night and had a good time doing it. : )

This is one of those recipes though that has been passed down several generations so the measurements aren't all exact. When it calls for flour and sugar, apparently these measurements are meant to be heaping, not exact. Very heaping is what I'm told. : ) Also, I really struggled with getting it to thicken. I added some corn starch to it and that thickened it up quicker.

Ingredients
2 eggs beaten
1 c. sugar
2 tbs. flour
dash of salt
2.5 cups of milk (his Granny used evaporated)
1 tsp vanilla
4 bananas
vanilla wafers

Directions
Mix eggs, sugar, flour, salt, and milk together. Cook it on medium low heat in a saucepan until it thickens. Do not leave it unattended and continually stir it as to not scorch. Cook it until it thickens. Line a bowl with vanilla wafers. Pour some of the pudding mix over them. Add a layer of sliced bananas. Continue this pattern until finished.
You can top with whipped cream if desired.

Pig Rating: The pig is the one who wanted this exact banana pudding so that is what the pig got. : ) He really said it was good and he went on about how all the church ladies always talked about his Granny's banana pudding.

Mrs. Pig Rating: This was pretty good. Different than I am used to, but really good nonetheless. A little more time consuming than most banana puddings that I have made, but I will probably make this one from now on.

Recipe from Tommy's Granny via his sister and mom. No picture...the picture I took was horrible so I will just not even post it. You know what banana pudding looks like. : )

Breakfast Casserole

2007-12-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

We always do Christmas morning breakfast at my parent's house and there is always a variety of things to eat - homemade muffins, ham, casseroles, etc. This year I decided to brave a breakfast casserole to take. I cook breakfast all of the time but casseroles have historically freaked me out a little bit...I was never one to have a bunch of food mixed together. I grew up a very picky child and some habits die hard even though I have broadened my horizons quite a bit as an adult. Anyway, I found this recipe and decided to try it. I wanted one that I could make the night before and just pop in the oven Christmas morning so I wouldn't have to get up super duper early to fix it.

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork sausage (I used ham per Tommy's request)
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
6 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
8 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.
In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.

Pig Rating: The pig ate two or three servings of this so I think it was a hit with him. : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: I am not a big ham fan so I wasn't huge into this one, but I made it for my family so I figured I'd do something that they all like. This was okay though. Next time I want to find a casserole that calls for something other than bread though - maybe crescent rolls? It seemed to be missing that breading to me...

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen

Taco Dip

2007-12-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

I was asked to bring some appetizers for Christmas at my grandmother's house. In my mind, you can never go wrong with bringing a taco dip somewhere. Nearly everyone likes it and I personally could eat an entire pan by myself. I'm sure of it. : ) So, any excuse to make it and I will.

Again...no picture unfortunately. It wouldn't have been very pretty anyway since I just made it in a 9x13 pan. : ) I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com. You can pretty much not go wrong with a taco dip, but this is a good starter recipe - you can add or take away whatever you want from it.

Ingredients
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.
Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over the refried beans.
Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions and lettuce over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese. Garnish with black olives.

Tip: Several people added this tip on the review and I agree - do not add the salsa until last or just serve it on the side. It tends to make the dip kind of runny.

Pig Rating: The pig liked this one okay. He isn't a huge taco dip fan (can you believe this?!). He would rather just have chips and salsa. I worry about him sometimes.... : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: I love this. I could eat it until I am sick. Oh wait, I think I did. : ) This is a yummy one and easy to make. Great for parties.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

2007-12-29T13:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated my blog in so long it seems like! Christmas is such a busy time for us with all the running around and having the kids all week. Fun, but busy. I did manage to make a few new things over the past week though. However, I wasn't so great at remembering to take pictures. Usually by the time I had dinner ready I was ready to just eat and didn't really care about a picture, so sorry about that. : )

My friend Mary made these awesome quesadillas one night when we were at their house for dinner and I had to have the recipe. Again, sorry for no picture, but these are super easy and super yummy!!

Ingredients
1/4 C thinly sliced green onions (about 2)
2 T chopped cilantro
1 T chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
1 C chopped cooked chicken
4 (8") flour tortillas
3/4 C reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
Cooking spray
3/4 C salsa

Directions
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir until blended.
2. Pace 1/4 C chopped chicken over half of each tortilla. Sprinkle each with 3 T cheese and 1 T onion mixture; fold tortillas in half.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in a pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla in half. Serve with salsa.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 quesadilla and 3 talbespoons salsa).

Recipe from the Cooking Light cookbook

Pig Rating: Tommy really liked these a lot. He loved them with dipping them in the salsa. I made these and tacos and he didn't even touch the tacos.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I really loved these! They were easy to make and they tasted so good for something different. I recommend this recipe if you like chicken quesadillas.

Next Week's Menu

2007-12-18T19:16:00.000-08:00

So, I've been slacking on putting my menus on here. I have been making them still, just not posting them. Oops. : ) I know, it's only Tuesday and I already have next week's menu...crazy right?! But, next week is crazy with Christmas, both of us being off of work, having the kids the whole week, etc. so I have to get a few things organized now or I'll go nuts. LOL : )

Sunday:
Lunch - Christmas at my Grandma's
Dinner - Christmas at my Grandma's (Okay, this is at 2pm so really, it will be lunch and dinner?!)

Monday:
Lunch - ??
Dinner - Christmas at Tommy's parents house

Tuesday (kids):
Lunch - Christmas at my mom's house
Dinner - Baked ziti, salad, garlic bread

Wednesday (kids):
Lunch - Soup and sandwiches/leftover baked ziti
Dinner - Chicken piccata and pasta, bread (chicken strips for the kids)

Thursday (kids):
Lunch - mini homemade pizzas (kids can pick ingredients and help)
Dinner - Tacos (Sheridan's fave!)

Friday (kids):
Lunch: Hot turkey and cheese sandwiches, salad, chips
Dinner (my parents coming down): Kat's Fancy Fast Chicken, fried potatoes, corn

Saturday:
Probably out and about all day so eating out

Okay, so not the healthiest, but cooking for kids...well, I'm still learning. : )

This one is for you Mom : )

2007-12-18T19:10:00.000-08:00

My mom and I love to bake. One year, we both had entirely too much time on our hands and we baked literally for about 48 hours straight. We made everything so pretty and perfect and we had so much fun. Life gets busy now, but we love to bake still. This year I baked a ton of stuff and I tried to make it somewhat pretty like we did that year. We have so many pictures from all of our goodies that year and they make us tired just looking at them. HA!

Anyway, I took a picture of everything I made on Saturday and Sunday and it's kind of pretty like the stuff mom and I baked. : ) Anyway, this picture is for you mom - not quite as good as the team effort, but no too bad, right?

I ended up making truffles, spiced nuts, chocolate covered cashews, hard candy, snickerdoodles, buckeyes, chess squares, gingerbread men, puppy chow, and peanut brittle. Not too bad for my first year of really being into baking! : )

Monkey Bread

2007-12-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

Isn't the name just great?! I mean, "monkey bread"? Doesn't it make you smile? : ) It does me. And I used to make this with my Granny all of the time so that makes it even better.

Last week at work I was telling everyone to put in their requests for my baking weekend and my boss' only request was monkey bread. I hadn't made it in so long but it sounded great so I made it. I took it into work Monday morning and it was so good! :)

Ingredients
3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (I omitted these)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube pan.
Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.
In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I LOOVE this stuff. It's almost too sweet for me first thing in the morning but I'm not used to super sweet in the morning. Put a piece of it in the microwave though and it's sugary heaven....

Pig Rating: The pig didn't get any since I took the whole thing to work. : ) Although, he did think this picture was a must for this blog udpate....

Mrs. Pig's CW Rating: I think my co workers like this one : ) They keep eating it for breakfast so that is a good sign right?

Recipe from allrecipes.com, pictures from my kitchen

Peanut Brittle

2007-12-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

My Granny makes the most awesome peanut brittle - it is on the things I always look for when I go home for Christmas. I decided I would give it a shot this year. I thought it would be really hard - it wasn't that bad at all really! : )

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup peanuts
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside.
In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.
Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter or margarine and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces.

Tip - make sure that you have all of your ingredients measured out beforehand - there is not time for you to measure ingredients between steps - this one moves fast!

Mrs. Pig Rating: This is really good!!! Maybe not as good as Granny's but she does have a few years on me. And everything always tastes better when a Granny makes it right?? : )

Pig Rating:

Recipes from allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen

Chocolate Truffles

2007-12-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

I love the rich taste of a truffle - I can never eat that many at a time, but the chocolate is always so yummy! My friend Clara has been into making truffles this year so I thought I would give it a shot. I found a good, easy recipe that I wanted to try. I love truffles because you can coat them with so many different things according to your tastes - sprinkles, cocoa, coconut, nuts, etc. So fun to make!!!

Ingredients

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Coatings (optional):
Finely chopped toasted nuts, flaked coconut, chocolate sprinkles, colored sprinkles, unsweetened cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar or colored sugars

Directions

In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with EAGLE BRAND®. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Chill 2-3 hours or until firm.
Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in any of the listed coatings.
Chill 1 hour or until firm. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Tip - Quite a few people that used this recipe felt that the chocolate was too hard after chilling for 2-3 hours and they just left it out at room temperatue. I refrigerated for about 1-2 hours and I didn't have much of a problem.

Mrs. Pig Rating:

Pig Rating:

Recipe from allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen

Gingerbread Men

2007-12-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

I love how gingerbread men look - it doesn't get any more "Christmas cookie" than that in my opinion! :) I decided I would try this year to make some of my own. I searched through a lot of recipes and finally settled on the one that my friend Nina used - she got it from a Christmas ornament I believe!

Ingredients

½ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup molasses
2 teaspoon ginger
1 egg
2 ½ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Mix all ingredients. Roll out dough and cut out cookies. Bake in 350 degree oven. (I found 8-10 minutes was perfect).

Tip - put the dough in the refrigerator overnight so that your cookies will roll out and cut better.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I thought these would be easier than they are. I guess my patience level wavers sometimes. : ) The dough was kind of sticky which made it hard to roll. I even refrigerated the dough for awhile. Not sure what the problem was. And, I had great plans to really ice these and make them cute but I was too pooped by the time made them. So, Nina's look a lot better than my measly attempt. LOL BUT it is a good gingerbread recipe. Really soft and yummy!

Pig Rating: He doesn't like gingerbread so he hasn't eaten these.

Recipe from Nina's blog, picture from my kitchen

December Baked Goods Exchange - I got my goodies!

2007-12-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

Another month, another baked goods exchange! I got mine early in the month this time so that was very exciting for me! : ) My girl kept saying that she had sent them and I still hadn't received them and she was getting worried about the goodies thinking they might not be good when they got here. But alas! Today I finally received them which was perfect because it was right in the middle of my baking spree.

And my secret baker this month was....ALANNA!! Thanks fellow wine-o!!! : ) : ) She sent me 3 really awesome things - Pepperoni snacks (because I'm always wanting pizza), chocolate peanut butter swirl fudge, and chewy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

Pepperoni Snacks - This one is from Clara's blog so I will kindly direct you to that link

http://iheartcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2007/11/pepperoni-snacks.html

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Fudge - From allrecipes.com

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Swirl-Fudge/Detail.aspx

Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies - From allrecipes.com

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chewy-Peanut-Butter-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Recipes from allrecipes.com, etc., pictures from my kitchen

Chocolate Covered Cashews

2007-12-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

We love cashews so much so I figured I should make some chocolate covered ones this holiday -when else can I get away with that?? : ) So easy to make and so yummy.

Ingredients

1 bar of Ghirardelli bakers chocolate bar

1 can of cashews

Directions

Melt chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot simmering water. Stir occasional. Pour cashews into a medium sized bowl and pour the chocolate over them once it is melted. Put in refrigerator to cool so chocolate hardens.

Recipe from me, picture from me

Mrs Pig Rating: I LOOOVE these! I will definitely be making another batch soon.

Pig Rating: He really likes these. He said make sure and keep some of them at home and don't give them all away. HA! : )

Spiced Nuts

2007-12-15T13:00:00.001-08:00

My mom and I have been making spiced nuts for a few years now and they are one of my favorite treats around Christmas time. They smell awesome when they are cooking and I love to just snack on them.

Ingredients

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tbsp. water

1 egg white

4 cups of nuts (I use pecans. You can use pecans, walnuts, etc.)

Directions

Combine first 6 ingredients in small bowl. Beat egg white and water in medium bowl until frothy. Add sugar mixture and stir.

Add nuts and stir.

Spread on greased baking sheet. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes stirring occasionally until golden. Cool thoroughly. Store in airtight container.

Makes 6 cups.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I love these!!! So easy and so good. They smell wonderful baking!

Pig Rating: He really likes these a lot. He loves pecans by themselves so he thought this was a really good additive. : )

Recipe from my mom, picture from my kitchen

Hard Candy

2007-12-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

This weekend is my offical baking weekend of the holidays. I have been so excited about it!!! I am making quite a few different things but today is candy day. : ) I started with hard candy. I LOVE hard candy but had never made it. I was nervous to make it for some reason but it turned out really easy. The key is having a good candy thermometer and having patience : )

Also, thanks to Nikki for all of the great tips for my during the cooking process - she is like a 24 hour baking help hotline!

Here is a picture of the hard candy actually right after I poured it onto the cookie sheet to cool.

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 cup water
1 tablespoon orange, or other flavored extract (I used strawberry for this particular batch)
1/2 teaspoon food coloring (optional)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions
In a medium saucepan, stir together the white sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil. Without stirring, heat to 300 to 310 degrees F (149 to 154 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads.

Remove from heat and stir in flavored extract and food coloring, if desired. Pour onto a greased cookie sheet, and dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Let cool, and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Tips: Some Nikki tips - do not add the flavoring until the bubbles have gone down in the boiling mixture. Also, if you get some of the mixture in your pan and it gets hard before you clean it, run really cold water over it to make it crack and it will come off. I had to actually pick at mine with a butter knife to get some of it off, but it's not so bad.

Pig Rating: (Hasn't tried it yet)

Mrs. Pig Rating: I love it! : ) I think it is so pretty and it is such a great Christmas candy. I am going to make strawberry, butter rum, peppermint, and root beer. Mmmm.....

Recipe from allrecipes.com, pictures from my kitchen

Alfredo Bake

2007-12-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

I first saw this recipe on Amber's Delectable Delights and it was immediately put on my "must make" list. However, Tommy isn't a broccoli fan, so while he is traveling I figured it was a great time to try this one out.

Ingredients

8 oz pasta, cooked and drained

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup mushrooms

1.5 cups chicken, cooked and shredded or diced

1 jar alfredo sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tbls butter

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees-

Coat the bottom of the two small or one medium baking dish with a thin layer of alfredo sauce. In a medium bowl, mix the pasta, broccoli, mushrooms, chicken, garlic and alfredo sauce until combined.

Place mixture into baking dish and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter on top of the cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

Mrs. Pig Rating: OMG. This is now one of my favorite recipes ever. I am so excited that I made enough to take in my lunch this week!!! Tommy wouldn't like this one, but I think it is AWESOME!!!!

Recipe from Amber's Delectable Delights, picture from my kitchen

Snickerdoodles

2007-12-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

Snickerdoodles are such a fun cookie to make - they taste good and are so fun and easy to make. I found an amazing recipe on allrecipes.com a few years ago and I've never used another one. Sheridan loved making these and she loved eating them. : )

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Pig Rating: The Pig isn't a huge fan of sugar cookie type cookies. He liked them, but his fave is still chocolate chip : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: I absolutely love these cookies. They turn out so perfect - a little crisp on the edges, and so soft in the middle. These are awesome!!!

Little Pig Ratings: Both kids loved eating these. Sheridan had so much fun making them as well : )

Mrs. Pig's Co-workers - LOVED them! They couldn't stop eating them today at work : )

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/, picture from my kitchen

Puppy Chow

2007-12-10T19:19:00.000-08:00

I love puppy chow - one of my really good friend's mom always made this in high school and I would eat it by the huge bowl full. LOL I figured this was a good one for Sheridan and I to make together since it's easy, yummy, and to an 8 year old - has a really funny name. : )

Ingredients

9 cups crispy rice cereal squares
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate; add peanut butter and mix until smooth.
Remove from heat, add cereal and stir until coated.
Pour powdered sugar into large plastic bag, add coated cereal and shake until well coated. Store in airtight container.

Mrs. Pig Rating: Well, I already knew I loved puppy chow and I still do. It is such a yummy snack and so easy to make! YUMMMMMO! (That was for you Nikki....LOL)

Pig Rating: The Pig likes this one too - he isn't a huge sweets person but I did see him snacking on this a few times last night. ; )

Little Pig Rating: Sheridan really had fun making this one and she thought it was yummy : )

Recipes from www.allrecpies.com, picture from my kitchen

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2007-12-10T19:01:00.000-08:00

We love Cajun food and we love pasta and chicken so this one seemed like it would be really good for us to try. I usually eat a very similar dish when I am dragged to Red Lobster since I am allergic to seafood. : )

Ingredients'
4 ounces linguine pasta
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 red bell pepper, sliced (I left this out)
1 green bell pepper, sliced (I left this out)
4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Place the chicken and the Cajun seasoning in a plastic bag. Shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the chicken in butter or margarine until almost tender (5 to 7 minutes).
Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms and green onion. Saute and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat.
Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Heat through. Add the cooked linguine, toss and heat through. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Pig Rating: He thought it was too salty, but he thought if I hadn't added salt, that he really would have liked it.

Mrs. Pig Rating: This smelled so good while it was cooking, but I do agree it tasted too salty. I think that I added Cajun seasoning salt instead of just seasoning. Oops....I am definitely going to make this again with the appropriate seasoning though. I think we will love it!

Recipes from www.allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen

Lemon Meltaways

2007-12-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

I really like lemon cookies, lemon muffins, etc., so I wanted to try some this year while I was on one of my baking frenzies. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and I was so excited to try it!!

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

FROSTING:
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

Directions

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy; beat in lemon juice. Combine the flour and cornstarch; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Shape into two 8-in. rolls; wrap each roll in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
Unwrap and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-12 minutes or until the cookies are firm to the touch. Remove to wire racks to cool.
For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and food coloring if desired; beat until smooth. Frost cooled cookies.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I was not impressed with these. They received awesome reviews on allrecipes.com and I just wasn't feeling it. It was weird...they smelled and tasted too buttery for me. Not sure what I did wrong but I wasn't feeling them at all. I was disappointed. :(

Pig Rating: The Pig doesn't do lemon. : )

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/, picture from my kitchen

Fun cooking with the kids!!!

2007-12-10T18:43:00.000-08:00

This weekend we visited my parents. My mom bought the kids and the CUTEST outfits ever because she knows we all always cook together as a family. : ) I mean, how cute are these?!?! Will might hate this some day but he loves it now. He just likes to be involved. LOL

Here we are in action baking cookies this weekend:

Anyway, I love these new outfits to add to our cooking dinner/breakfast/goodies together. : ) As you can see, it's a family effort every time. We really have a good time with it.

Thanks mom for the outfits!!!!!

Chicken and Potato Pizza

2007-12-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

My great friend Clara who is also a foodie (she has 3 food blogs....THREE!!!), had this pizza on her blog and it intrigued me. Her hubby likes this one from CPK and I figured that mine would as well so I thought I would give it a whirl. At first I was a little scared...I mean, potatoes on a pizza?!? But, I like potatoes and I like pizza, so why the heck not?? : )

Thanks for the recipe Clara!! I changed it a bit from her recipe so we'll call this Clara's recipe modified to April's taste.. ; )

Ingredients

1 pizza crust (I cheated and bought Pillsbury refrigerated crust)

1 jar pizza sauce

mozzerella and/or cheddar cheese

1 large potato (fry in oil until potatoes start turning golden brown)

1 chicken breast (I shredded the chicken but you can cut it into chunks if you prefer)

1/4 or 1/2 cup onion (to taste)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pre-heat oven 400F

Roll out dough on pan (I used a big cookie sheet as my crust was more rectangle than round). At this point, I baked my dough in the oven first for about 8 minutes before putting on toppings. I think it depends on the crust that you use.

Spoon on the pizza sauce & sprinkle with cheese. Add all other toppings. (Clara uses tomato chunks on hers but Tommy isn't a huge tomato fan so I omitted but I bet it is yummy!)

Bake for 15-20 minutes

Pig Rating: He really liked this a lot. He said, "Pig says this one is REAALLLLY good! Put that on your blog!". LOL Definitely a keeper (the recipe and the Pig ; )

Mrs. Pig Rating: I really liked this one a lot. I think I might try it with something other than pizza sauce....maybe a white sauce of some type. This is a really awesome easy recipe though. YUMMMM!!!

Recipe from Clara's blog, picture from my kitchen

November SBGEX - Thank you Clara!

2007-12-01T19:25:00.001-08:00

Another month, another baked goods exchange with my Facie/Foodie friends. And my secret baker this month was....Clara!!! Totally funny because she kept giving me updates on what my "secret baker" was saying about the mailing progress, etc. and I totally thought it was someone else because everyone goes to Clara with updates. Sneaky sneaky!!!

Anyway, I was so excited when I saw the box on the doorstep - so was Tommy! LOL

Lots of yummy goodies....I had 4 different kinds of cake truffles - white chocolate with rainbow sprinkles, white chocolate with cocoa powder, cocoa powder, and white chocolate with dyed white chocolate stripes. Also, she made me chocolate cream cheese cookies! YUMMO!

See links for these recipes on Clara's blog - I'm too lazy to type them out. LOL : )

http://iheartcooking-food.blogspot.com/2007/11/cake-truffles.html

http://iheartcooking-food.blogspot.com/2007/11/homemade-chocolate-sandwich-cookies.html

THANK YOU CLARA!!!!!! Now you might be Sheridan's favorite friend...if the goodies last long enough for her to see them! : )

Recipes from Clara, picture from my kitchen

Off Topic...Christmas Tree!

2007-11-29T18:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is a cooking/food/wine blog, but how can I resist putting some pictures of my favorite Christmas ornaments on here?? I don't think that I can. I am such a Christmas freak. I love putting up the tree, the stockings, listening to Christmas music, wrapping gifts, etc. Yes, I am a Christmas cheeseball. : ) I love it even more now because I have an amazing family to share it with. Growing up it was always a big deal in our house to decorate the tree and I am carrying on that tradition with my kids and my husband. He says our tree is "a happy tree" and indeed I think it is. It has random ornaments on it - from our vacations, ones that the kids have made, ones from when I was little, etc. I can't wait until we build a bigger house in a few years - multiple trees will be residing in my home. : )

This is one of my favorite ornaments. My dad painted this when he was a little boy so it means so much to me. My grandmother gave it to me last year - 4 years after his passing. I will cherish this one forever. : )

When I was about 5-6 years old my grandmother started taking me to the Nutcracker ballet which was done by our city's Philharmonic and the dance theatre. I was always so wide eyed and just amazed by the "real ballerinas" and the music. I still go every to this day. She bought me this in for me in 1986. You stick a light in it and the ballerina is under a "spotlight". Love it!

Sheridan made this ornament in school in kindergarten. Everyone needs a painted macaroni wreath that they made in kindergarten. : ) Homemade ornaments are the best ones in my mind!

Okay...so this is a start. I have way too many favorites to post in one posting. Sorry if this bores you but I LOOVE Christmas and I love my Christmas memories that I have. : )

More to come... : )

Banana Cake - Happy Birthday Tommy!

2007-11-29T05:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my husband's birthday and of course I wanted to bake his cake myself rather than buy one. His favorite cake is banana cake and I definitely wanted to attempt to make one. I was a little nervous considering that my banana bread didn't turn out how I wanted it to. However, I asked some of my friends for their banana cake recipes and my friend Jamie gave me her grandmother's recipe - it did NOT disappoint!!!! THANK YOU JAMIE!!!!!!!!

Ingredients

1.5 c sugar

1 c sour cream

0.5 c butter softened

2 eggs

3 med-lrg bananas, mashed

2 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Directions

1. preheat oven to 375.

2. mix sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs in large bowl.

3. beat in banana and vanilla.

4. gradually add in salt, baking soda, and flour.

5. spray a 9X13 pan with pam, fill and bake for 35 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.

Brown butter Frosting

0.5 c butter

2 c sugar

2 tbsp milk

1. Heat butter over med. heat in a frying pan until delicate brown.

2. remove from heat.

3. mix in powdered sugar and milk.

4. pour over cake.

Pig Rating: It was the Pig's birthday and the Pig was impressed! He kept going on about how "really good" this cake was and he ate two or three pieces I think. : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: YUMMMMMM! I love banana anything and this cake was awesome! I think next time I will cook the butter a little more for the frosting...I got impatient but it still turned out amazing!

Friends of the Pigs: They LOVED this cake also. I love impressing friends : ) Thanks again Jamie!

Recipe from Jamie's grandmother, picture from my kitchen (don't mind that it's half eaten already at this point...LOL)

Time for Christmas Baking!

2007-11-28T14:15:00.000-08:00

I love to bake for Christmas. My mom and I have an annual baking day/night where we just find all kinds of recipes that we like and we bake all day and night. It is SOOO much fun! We love giving all of our baked goodies as gifts for co-workers, family members, and some for ourselves of course! : )

I have started my list of things that I really want to make this year - I am sure that the list will grow but this will be a place for me to at least keep track as I add to it/

Chocolate Truffles
Chess Squares
Chocolate Oreo truffles
Chocolate chip coffeecake (for Christmas morning breakfast at mom's house)
Chocolate crackletop cookies
Gingerbread men
Puppy Chow
Peanut Brittle
Spiced Nuts

More later! : )

The Chicken Enchilada Incident of 2007

2007-11-26T17:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was so excited to get home and make chicken enchiladas. I had a recipe for enchiladas that I made awhile back with ground turkey and I decided this time I would try chicken. They were so good the last time I made them and we love Mexican food.

I came home at lunch today so that I could go ahead and boil and shred the chicken so it wouldn't take me so long to make dinner tonight. Good job for me for putting in so much effort huh? : ) Tonight when I got home from work I started making the enchiladas. I was so craving them all day at work and I couldn't wait for them to be finished!

I mixed the shredded chicken in with the taco seasoning and water just as the recipe said, then I looked and it said to add 2 cups of brown rice. So, me, doing ten things at once, without even thinking about what I was doing measured out two cups of brown rice and dumped it in with the chicken and stirred vigourously.

Only when I was about to put the mixture into the tortillas did I stop and think, "Oh my gosh. I am the biggest dumba** ever. I just put 2 cups of uncooked rice in to bake with these enchiladas." I mean, what was I thinking? That the rice would just automatically fluff up and cook while baking? As if rice does that?! I wanted to kick myself. But, I stuck it in the oven anyway thinking that maybe, just maybe with all of the sauce, etc. it would be okay (when in the back of my mind I knew it wouldn't).

And of course, I warned Tommy before they were finished..."Um, I think I messed up our dinner." At least I warned him. If there is one thing he hates it's crunchy rice. And, as expected, I yanked the beautiful enchiladas out of the oven, took a big bite and....::CRUNCH:: Awesome.

Needless to say, I was really unhappy with myself. I hate messing up something when I'm cooking. HATE it. So...it was frozen pizza for us tonight. : ( I am already currently in the process of boiling more chicken and COOKING brown rice so I can make this again tomorrow night...

Sorry so long. Had to vent...anyway, here is the awesome recipe!

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken) 2 cups of cheddar cheese divided
1 pack of taco seasoning 10 tortillas
1 cup water salsa
2 cups of brown rice (COOKED RICE!!) 1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of refried beans

Directions
Fry ground beef or cook chicken and shred. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in (COOKED) rice and cook until liquid is gone. Spread 2 tbsp. Of beans, ¼ cup beef, 1 tbsp. Cheese down center of tortillas and then roll them up. Place them in a 9 x 13 pan seam side down. Combine salsa and soup. Pour down center of enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Serves 6-10 depending on how many your guests can eat ; )

Pig Rating: Crunchy. LOL Update:::Second time around- The pig said they were good and even ate seconds : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: Crunchy and I am mad at myself. Stay tuned for the real thing tomorrow night...:::Second time around - Definitely yummy and super filling. I will make these again for sure!

Recipes from http://www.allrecipes.com/ (I think), picture from my kitchen

Chunky Cheesecake Brownies - JFacie baked goods exchange November!

2007-11-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

It's that time again! Time for me to bake for the great JFacie baked goods exchange! I love it : ) I have really been wanting to make cheesecake brownies and I know that my girl loves chocolate and she likes cheesecake so I thought I would go for it. I have honestly never made homemade brownies before at all so this was even more special for me. I wasn't sure how they would turn out but OMG....best brownies ever....

Hope she likes them! : )

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch square baking pan. (I used a 9 inch round pan)
Combine cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg in a mixing bowl; beat until smooth. Stir 1 cup chocolate chips into the cream cheese mixture. Set aside.

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off, and set a heatproof mixing bowl over the water. In the mixing bowl, combine butter with the remaining cup of chocolate chips; stir until just melted and blended together. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 eggs, then sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into chocolate until evenly blended.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chocolate layer. Top with remaining chocolate mixture (this doesn't need to completely cover the cream cheese layer). Using a knife, swirl the top chocolate layer into the cream cheese to make a marble pattern.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is crinkled and edges pull away from sides of the pan. Cool thoroughly. Cut into 12 to 16 squares. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Pig Rating: He thought these were awesome - that's because they are. LOL

Mrs. Pig Rating: These are SOOO good. Really rich and just yummers all the way around. Definitely a good recipe to make if you want something rich and sweet and chocolately. I will definitely be making this again.

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/, picture from my kitchen

"Best Marinara Sauce Yet"...or so they say

2007-11-26T16:40:00.000-08:00

I have really been wanting to try to make my own marinara sauce for something since we eat a lot of Italian food. I was craving chicken parm so I figured it was a good time to try out a new sauce. To this point I have pretty much been strictly a shopper who stares at all of the many varieties of jar sauce at the grocery store, but I was up for a challenge this time.

I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com and it is titled "best marinara sauce yet". I figured that sounded like a winner!

Ingredients

2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes (I used crushed)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup white wine

Directions

In a food processor place Italian tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
In a large skillet over medium heat saute the finely chopped onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the blended tomato sauce and white wine.
Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pig Rating: He thought this was just okay. He ate it and didn't dislike it, it just wasn't a favorite.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I kind of agree with the pig on this one. It was okay...definitely not a bad sauce, it just seemed to be missing something to me. Maybe sugar? Not sure...can't put my finger on it but I'll keep trying : )

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen

Chess Squares!

2007-11-21T18:01:00.000-08:00

The one thing my husband has requested for me to take to Thanksgiving dinner are Chess Squares. A lot of my friends had never heard of this wonderful little dessert. I think maybe it's a southern thing?? Anyway, I made them for the first time tonight. Super easy!

I'll post our reviews and more after we eat them...

Are you ready for the recipe? It's a toughie! ;)

Bottom Layer
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick butter softened
1 egg (slightly beaten)

Top Layer
8 oz package cream cheese (softened a bit)
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 lb box of powdered sugar

Grease a 13” x 9” pan.
Spread bottom layer evenly and then pour top layer (spread evenly).
Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pig Rating: All the pig could say was, "Oh yeah...oh yeah" when he ate it so...I guess that is good? : ) He loves them : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: So yummy! So sweet and moist and just GOOD. You HAVE to make these if you like really sweet things!

Recipe from a friend at Tommy's work, picture from my kitchen

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken Pasta

2007-11-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

I am always looking for new ideas for chicken and pasta dinners. We love them! I found this one on the blog of Orange Kitchen and it looked really different and really yummy.

(I am copying straight from her blog)

Ingredients

1 cup chicken broth

1.5 tbls lime juice (adjusting amount to your liking)

1 tbls corn starch (I used more like a tbsp and a half)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I used a lot more than this, I like things spicy!)

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder (I used dried onion flakes instead)

1/4 tsp dried thyme (I ommitted this)

1/4 tsp dried parsley (I ommitted this)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)

1 tbls butter

Few drizzles of olive oil

8 oz pasta (I used whole campanelli)

1-2 cups broccoli florets

Optional - Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1) Bring pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. During the last 5 minutes of pasta cook time add the broccoli into the boiling water. Drain.

2) Mix together all the sauce ingredients (chicken broth through parsley) and set aside. (I actually cut the chicken into pieces and then put the spices right on the chicken like a dry rub)

3) Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add bite size chicken pieces into heated pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Pour the sauce ingredients into the pan with the chicken and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened. (When the chicken was finished I added the cornstarch then when that was dissolved I added the lime juice and then the chicken broth)

4) Toss cooked broccoli and pasta with the chicken and sauce (I let it simmer for another 2 minutes in the sauce!). Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired and serve.

Pig Rating: The pig took one bite of this and almost threw up. No, seriously. LOL I ended up making him a sandwich for dinner. I think the lime probably freaked him out.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I liked this one! Not my favorite, but definitely not bad. I ate leftovers the next day even. : )

Recipe from Orange Kitchen, picture from my kitchen

"Best Ever Banana Bread"...supposedly

2007-11-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

I had 3 bananas this past weekend that were beyond ripe and I didn't want to waste them. So, I thought I would look for a good banana bread recipe and see what happened. Tommy and I both like bananas, so why not? I looked on my "go to" www.allrecipes.com and found "Best Ever Banana Bread." See ratings for how it turned out...

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed bananas
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray one 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray coating.
Blend together the eggs, buttermilk, oil and bananas.
Sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir in pecans. Mix well.
Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pig Rating: He said this was not moist enough and that there was something missing that usually gave banana bread a little "kick"

Mrs. Pig Rating: I agree with the Pig. I don't know why this was tagged as "Best" because I didn't think it was moist enough at all and not near flavorful (is that a word?! LOL) enough for me. I won't make this one again. : ( Boo! I had looked so forward to a good banana bread!

Recipe from allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen

Fried Potatoes

2007-11-12T18:12:00.000-08:00

So, Tommy and I were talking about fried potatoes yesterday so they were on my mind. I know, not the healthiest thing in the world, but oh so good for an every now and again thing. They are super easy to make - I didn't really follow a recipe so I'll just post what I did. You can certainly adjust the seasonings to your taste. : ) (What I post makes 2 servings)

Ingredients

2 large potatoes, peeled

salt, pepper, red pepper, onion powder - to taste

Shortening, butter, olive oil, etc. About 3 tbsp

Directions

Peel potatoes and slice into thin slices. Pour oil/shortening into skillet on medium heat. Salt, pepper, red pepper, and onion powder to taste - I really just shook a little of each on the potatoes. Fry them for about 10-15 minutes until potatoes are soft. I taste tested. : ) I like mine a little crispy on the edges. Pour some ketchup over them and YUM!!! (You can also slice up some onions and add them if you prefer).

Pig Rating: He LOVED these. He wanted more but I told him no. We pigs can only have so much fried food you know. : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: OMG. So good. Just like my dad used to make them. I will definitely make these again!

My baked goods arrived!!!

2007-11-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

My wonderful foodie/Facie friends and I decided to do a baked goods exchange every month since we are all so into cooking now. It is so much fun! Anyway, mine arrived today from Lori and they are so yummy looking! She said she was making enough for our family and I know she had to have thought of the kids as well when she made these treats which is so sweet. :) They arrived at the door and Sheridan looked in the box and said, "Which friend sent you these?!" and I said, "Lori did," and she said, "Well, Lori is my favorite friend of yours now!" LOL : ) So whoever gets my name in next month's exchange has something to live up to according to my kids!

Goodies were:

Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 pkg. jet puffed mini marshmallows

1 pkg. (13 oz) of Rice Krispy Cereal

Directions

Microwave - butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH for 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows. Toss to coat. Microwave 1 - 1 1/2 minutes or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 45 seconds.

Add cereal, mix well...(it may look like it is never going to stick together, but it will). Press firmly into a greased foil lined 13x9 inch pan.

Cool completely to firm and cut into squares.

Wrap leftovers tightly and store cool

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

Ingredients

1 bag of chocolate chips

Sprinkles

Pretzels, fruit or anything you want dipped in chocolate

Directions

Microwave one bag of chocolate chips in a small bowl on high for about 1 1/2 minutes stirring at the 45 second mark. Chocolate should be completely melted. Dip in pretzels one at a time. Drip off the excess chocolate and immediately sprinkle. Lay to dry on piece of wax paper.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup of sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees after the dough has been chilled. Combine 2 tbsp. of sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar - cinnamon combination to coat. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until edges are golden, transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

I'll update the ratings once we eat some of this awesome stuff!!!

Pig Rating:

Mrs. Pig Rating:

Little Pigs Rating:

Recipes from Lori, pictures from my goody box! : )

Chocolate Trifle

2007-11-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

My mom insisted that I needed a trifle bowl as one of my many wedding gifts from her, and at the time I wasn't much into cooking so I was thinking...um, okay. However, now I am happy that I have it! I love how pretty desserts look in a trifle. We are having dinner with some friends and their kids tonight so I wanted something yummy and kid friendly. We have the kids this weekend so Sheridan actually did most of this on her own - I kind of instructed her and helped her with the presentation of it, but she was super proud of herself. : )

Ingredients

1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup water
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free)
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (I used light)
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (1.5 ounce) bar chocolate candy

Directions

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. Cut into 1 inch squares.
In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth, then fold in 8 ounces whipped topping until no streaks remain. (A tip that I read and used was to use heavy whipping cream instead of the cool whip to fold in. I used 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, whipped it for 10 minutes and folded that in with about 3 tbsp. of cool whip).

In a trifle bowl or glass serving dish, place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture and half of the 12 ounce container of whipped topping. Repeat layers. Shave chocolate onto top layer for garnish. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

I'll update the ratings after we eat it tonight : )

Pig Rating: The pig liked it. I think it was pretty sweet though and he isn't a huge sweets person.

Mrs Pig Rating: AWESOME. :) If you like chocolate and sweet, rich desserts, than you HAVE to try this one. So good. It looks pretty, it's easy to make, and it tastes good.

Little Pigs Rating: They both liked it. Sheridan was ready to eat it the next day again : )

Friends of the Pigs: Loved it!! They had seconds and their kids loved it as well. They couldn't quit talking about how good it was. Success! : )

Recipe from allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen

Kat's "Fast Fancy Chicken"

2007-11-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

My friend Kat always has great recipes on her blog -I have so many on my list that I want to try! She is a nutritionist so the good thing about most of her recipes is that they are healthy. And yummy! Double score! : )

Tonight we tried her "Fast Fancy Chicken". My menu is all out of order this week, but oh well.

Ingredients

6 Boneless Chicken Breasts
6 Slices Swiss Cheese
1/4 lb. Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 Cup White Wine
2 Cups Herbed Stuffing Mix
1 Stick Butter/Margerine

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350. Place chicken in lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Top each piece with a slice of swiss cheese. Arrange mushrooms over cheese. Mix soup and wine and pour over chicken. Sprinkle stuffing mix over top and drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Note: I only cooked 2 chicken breasts as it was just DH and I. Therefore I halved the wine, margarine, and soup.

Pig Rating: The first thing he said was, "Wow baby, that looks impressive! Did you take a picture?" LOL : ) He really REALLY liked this a lot. He said it might even be better than smothered pork chops which is his favorite thing I have made so far. Thanks for the recipe Kat! If the Pig is happy, I am happy!

Mrs. Pig Rating: This was REALLY good. I will definitely be making this one again. I served with zesty red potatoes and corn. Such a good meal. The chicken turns out really juicy and full of flavor. If you like chicken, you HAVE to try this one.

Recipe from http://anirishgirlwhocancookanddrink.blogspot.com/; Picture from my kitchen

Menu: Week of November 4 - November 10

2007-11-06T16:08:00.001-08:00

Sunday: Chicken Marsala
Monday: Kids - tacos
Tuesday: Chicken & Mushrooms in roasted garlic sauce, salad, bread
Wednesday: Kids - Catfish, baked potatoes, something else... ?
Thursday: Spicy marinated pork chops, spicy red potatoes, salad
Friday: Kids - Kat's Fancy Fast Chicken, mashed potatoes, another veggie
Saturday: Kids - Chicken nachos

Chicken Marsala

2007-11-04T17:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, another pasta and chicken dish...no surprise there, huh? : ) And pasta and chicken with wine nonetheless...how me! Tommy eats this sometimes at our favorite Italian restaurant and I came across a recipe for it on another foodie blog so I thought I would give it a shot.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 2 but used the same amount of sauce)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

kosher salt (I used regular salt)

ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 slices of bacon or pancetta, chopped

2 cups white or cremini mushrooms

2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tbsp.)

1 tbsp. minced shallot

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 1/2 cups Marsala wine (sweet)

1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (1 small lemon)

4 tbsp. unsalted butter cut into 4pieces, room temperature

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place large heatproof dinner plate on oven rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot (you can hold your hand 2 inches above pan surface for 3 to 4 seconds), about 3 minutes. Pat chicken breasts dry. Meanwhile, place flour in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Season both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper; working one piece at a time, coat both sides with flour. Lift breast from tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside.

Add oil to hot skillet and heat until shimmering. Place floured cutlets in single layer in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets and cook on second side until golden brown and meat feels firm when pressed with finger, about 3 minutes longer.

Transfer chicken to heated plate and return plate to oven.

2. Return skillet to low heat and add pancetta; saute, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel--lined plate. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; saute, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and shallot Saute for 1 minute. Add cooked pancetta and tomato paste. Stir while sauteing, until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Off heat, add Marsala; return pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom, until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from chicken; whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

My tips: I will add some cornstarch and cold water next time after the butter to make the sauce a little thicker. I will also use thinner chicken breasts next time (or beat them a little more than I did with the mallet) as they were not finished cooking in the oven on only the 200 degree heat. I had to crank up the oven a bit to get them to cook all the way through.

Pig Rating: He thought this was really good! He agrees that thicker sauce and thinner chicken breasts would make this dish perfect. Definitely a keeper.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I liked this one pretty well. My tips are above but I think those will make this a real winner. It is in my box of things to make again!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2007-11-01T16:47:00.000-07:00

I have been dying to make these iced pumpkin cookies that Nikki has on her blog. I have had the stuff for awhile and just haven't had the time to do it, but I got off of work early yesterday and it was Halloween, so what better day to do it?! :) I made these and took half of them to my in-laws on Halloween evening and I took the other half to work today. I can not tell you how many compliments I got on these cookies. People at work could not stop talking about them. I will definitely be making these again in a week or two I have a feeling!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners’ sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Pig Rating: The Pig doesn't like pumpkin too well so he wasn't chomping at the bit to try these. He now says he wishes he would have tried one just to see what all the fuss is about. Maybe next time Pig! : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: Oh.My.Gosh. This is the best cookie that I have ever made. So moist and full of awesome flavor. I love pumpkin bread, pumpkin bars, etc. and this is just another good one to add to the list. These are my new favorite dessert. I only allowed myself 3 of the whole batch, but I think that was the hardest thing I've done in a long time. I will be making these again VERY soon!

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

2007-11-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

I made these cookies for Kat for the BGEX because she told me that she really liked oatmeal and she really liked peanut butter, so what better cookie than this?! These cookies are super duper good and Kat said they were great for dunking :)

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup quick cooking oats
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions

In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1/2 cup peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and beat well.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir. Add oatmeal and stir.
Drop by teaspoons onto greased baking sheet, and press each mound down with a fork to form 1/4 inch thick cookies. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or until cookies are a light brown.

To Make Filling: Cream 3 tablespoons butter or margarine with the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, and the cream. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.

Pig Rating: The pig didn't eat any of these - he isn't a huge peanut butter fan. More for me (and Kat!)

Mrs. Pig Rating: These were super yummy! I love peanut butter cookies as well as oatmeal cookies. I will definitely make these again!

Recipe from allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

2007-10-29T16:52:00.001-07:00

Some of my friends have raved about this crockpot salsa chicken recipe that has been floating around. I loved the sound of it because I love to use the crockpot and we really like Mexican food so I thought this would be a winner. And it is beyond easy. It smelled SOOO good when I got home from work today. YUM! : )

This is taken from my friend Nikki's blog...I believe she got it from Sparkpeople.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts - put in frozen if you’re worried about overcooking

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning

1 16 oz jar salsa

1 can corn (I didn't use corn)

1 can rinsed and drained black beans

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

PS - this recipe makes a ton. I will half it next time.

Directions

Mix soup, salsa, and taco seasoning together and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken, add corn, beans, and sour cream. Cook for a few more minutes until everything is heated through. Serve with tortilla chips or in a tortilla.

Pig Rating: He said it was good but it wasn't something that he will crave. He said it was a little too Tex Mex for him. He says that a lot lately - all that is in this is taco seasoning and he likes regular tacos, so who knows. : ) Anyway, he thought it was okay but he likes my chicken nachos way better.

Mrs. Pig Rating: Super easy recipe which is always good. I liked this one pretty well, but I probably won't make it again for awhile. Not my favorite, but I didn't hate it either. I am still getting used to chicken in Mexican food so maybe that was why I wasn't in love with it.

Recipe from Nikki's blog, picture from my kitchen

Pasta with Sausage and Vodka Sauce

2007-10-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

As you can probably tell, I love pasta. I could live on it - I am convinced of that. I do try to limit it though and I always use wheat/whole grain pasta to try to convince myself that it's still okay to eat it often. HA!

My friend Amanda posted a pasta recipe that I have been dying to try. I have heard this recipe before (Rachel Ray maybe?) but had never heard how good it was. If Amanda says it was good, that was good enough for me!

Ingredients

1/4 pound spaghetti (I used penne pasta)

1tablespoon olive oil

1/4 pound Italian sausage, removed from the casing and crumbled or chopped

1/2 cup chopped yellow onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons vodka

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 to 2 tablespoons chiffonade of fresh basil leaves

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

Sprig fresh basil, for garnish

*Note: I doubled the sauce on this per Amanda's recommendation and I agree with her. Doubling the sauce led to the perfect amount. I would say this is about 2-3 servings depending on how much you eat.

Directions

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned and all pink has disappeared, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until thick, about 2 minutes. Add the vodka and cook until the sauce reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and remove from the heat.

I served with salad and crusty Italian bread.

Pig Rating: The Pig thought this one was so-so good. In Tommy language that means it was good :) He asked for some leftovers for his lunch.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I ate so much I felt like I was pregnant. HA! Does that tell you anything? I really liked this one a lot - I really liked the heat from the red pepper flakes mixed with the sausage and the sauce. Definitely a keeper in my book. YUM!

Menu: October 28 - Nov 3

2007-10-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Amanda's Vodka pasta with sausage, bread, and olive oil dipping sauce
Monday: Nikki's crockpot salsa chicken with spanish rice
Tuesday: Smothered pork chops, mashed potatoes, corn, steamed broccoli
Wednesday: Halloween - eat dinner at Tommy's parent's house
Thursday: Jambalaya
Friday: Date night
Saturday: Out to eat for a birthday party

Easy week for me! :)

Mushroom Pork Chops

2007-10-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

Now that I have decided that I can tolerate pork chops in an effort to switch things up for my husband, I am always looking for new chop recipes that we will both like. Tommy loves mushrooms...me, not so much but I don't mind to make them in recipes that I can pick around them. : )

Ingredients

4 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch garlic salt, or to taste
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Directions

Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.
In a large skillet, brown the chops over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms, and saute for one minute. Pour cream of mushroom soup over chops. Cover skillet, and reduce temperature to medium-low. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until chops are cooked through.

I actually followed the reviews online and changed some things up a bit. Intstead of cooking them in the skillet, I first browned them a bit and finished cooking them in the oven, covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Not sure how this changes it as I have only done it this way but everyone seems to like it better that way. : )

Pig Rating: The Pig says that this one is a keeper. He still likes the smothered chops better but says this one is a goodie as well.

Mrs. Pig: I am still getting used to pork chops, but this one is definitely good as far as pork chops go. : )

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/, picture from our kitchen

Mexican Pizza

2007-10-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

We love Mexican food (as you can probably tell) and Sheridan's favorite food is tacos so any variation of that is usually a winner. I found a recipe for Mexican pizza - we like Mexican, we like pizza, so I thought I would give it a shot.

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 medium tomato, chopped
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce

Directions

Unroll crescent roll dough and place in an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Flatten dough to fit the pan, sealing seams and perforations. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown; cool. In a small bowl, blend cream cheese and sour cream with a wire whisk; spread over crust. Chill 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown beef; drain. Stir in taco seasoning. Add water according to package directions and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with olives, tomato, cheeses and lettuce. Cut into serving-size pieces. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Pig Rating: Just so-so. He said having that kind of crust with Mexican food was kind of weird.

Mrs. Pig Rating: Just so-so also. It was good but it just kind of tasted like soft tacos to me, nothing really special.

Little Pigs: Sheridan didn't like it. She likes tacos but the crust she didn't like. Will ate, well, the black olives. : )

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com and picture from my kitchen

My Fave Bread Bowl

2007-10-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

I loved getting cool new stuff for the kitchen for our wedding - even if I didn't really NEED it. :) One of our gifts was an awesome biscuit basket made by Eucalyptus Stoneware (http://www.eucalyptus-stoneware.com/).

This basket is awesome if you eat a lot of bread, biscuits, etc. You put it in the oven for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees. Then you wrap your bread, biscuits, etc. in a cloth napkin, place them in the basket and serve. The "ropes" on the basket will cool off in a few minutes, but the base stays hot for a really long time. It's a great way to keep bread warm on the table!

Broccoli, Potato, & Cheddar Cheese Soup

2007-10-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

My friend Nikki gave this recipe to our friend Clara as one of her first "cooking dinner for my husband" recipes. Clara said it was awesome and of course Nikki likes it, so I had to make it. What could be better than loads of cheese and potatoes??? YUM! It has been such a cold, rainy, icky day today so I am glad that it was on the menu for tonight's dinner!!

Recipe taken directly from Nikki's blog: http://crazydeliciousfood.wordpress.com/

Ingredients

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cans chicken broth (the regular soup size cans)

2 cups broccoli florets chopped (I usually just use frozen broccoli … I heat it for a minute so I can cut it, then I chop it up)

1 1/4 cups milk

8 oz of shredded cheddar cheese

3 peeled and cubed potatoes
you can also top with cooked bacon and green onions (I usually skip the onions, but the bacon is good)

Directions

Mix 1/3rd cup of chicken broth with the 1/4 cup of flour until smooth and set aside
Combine remaining chicken broth, potatoes and broccoli in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook for 8 mins or until potatoes are tender. (now here I usually wing it and just leave it uncovered and let it cook until the potatoes are soft … you will need to taste test here so pay attention. Also sometimes I put a few more potatoes and/or broccoli in so I make sure that the broth covers them and if I use more I throw a little bit more milk in …. not half a gallon)
Then you’re going to gradually stir in the flour mixture from step 1 and cook for another 3-5 mins
Then stir in the milk and cheddar cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese is melted and your done.
When you serve it put a little bit of cheese on top and break up a piece of bacon

The only things that I changed - I was out of broccoli so I skipped that but next time I will use it. Also no onions on ours.

Pig Rating: He said "It's good." He isn't a huge soup fan, but he did clean his bowl and he seemed to like it pretty well.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I really liked this a lot!! I love potatoes and cheese...a goody for cold rainy evening for sure!

Recipe from Nikki's blog, picture from our kitchen!

Flatout Bread Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza

2007-10-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

I love Flatout brand flat breads. I eat them all of the time for wraps for lunch. I recently discovered that their website has a ton of neat recipes on it! http://www.flatoutbread.com/. Awesome!

My favorite food is pizza but I try to be somewhat healthy most of the time, so recently I started making these for lunch whenever I am craving pizza. They are pretty healthy and pretty tasty and quick.

Ingredients

1 Flatout flat bread

1/3 c. pizza sauce

18 pepperoni slices (I use turkey pepperoni)

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (I use lowfat)

1/4 tsp. Oregano (optional)

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lay Flatout on nonstick cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Spread pizza sauce evenly over partially baked Flatout. Top with pepperonis, mozzarella, and Oregano. Bake 15 additional minutes or until mozzarella melts.

Recipe from http://www.flatoutbread.com/ and picture from my kitchen

Weekend Winery Trip

2007-10-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took our annual fall long weekend trip to Lexington, KY. Tommy is a UK grad and we love going back there for a weekend to go to Keeneland, a walk around campus, a UK football game, etc. This year while Tommy was planning the trip he surprised me by suggesting that we go to a winery while we were there. I knew I married him for a reason! HA! : )

I chose Talon Winery. It is out in the country in a very quaint setting. It was a super windy day so we didn't walk around too much but I did get one pretty funny picture in front of the vineyards with my hair blowing as if though I had stuck my finger in a light socket. : )

Moral of the story is that the wine was really good. I love Traminette and they had one and that was all I needed to hear for me to choose them. They also have one called "Sweet Evening Breeze" which is like a Reisling. Both of them were so good! I definitely bought a couple of bottles to bring home. : ) If you haven't tried a Traminette before...do it!

Check out this winery at: http://www.talonwine.com/

Spanish Rice

2007-10-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

We can eat rice with pretty much anything. I love the rice that is served at Mexican restaurants so I was interested in finding a recipe that was similar to what they cooked. I found an awesome recipe on allrecipes.com for Spanish rice. If you like this type of rice at all, this is the best, easiest recipe for rice that I have found. I will definitely be making this more often with our Mexican dinners!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil (I used olive oil)
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chunky salsa

Directions
Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Mix rice into skillet, stirring often. When rice begins to brown, stir in chicken broth and salsa. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed.

Pig Rating: He loved it! He said it was better than the rice that we get in Mexican restaurants. I will definitely be making this one again for him. : )

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com, picure from my kitchen

Salsa Chicken

2007-10-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

We love Mexican food but it always makes us feel so full and well, let's be honest - it isn't really that good for you most of the time. But, I found this awesome recipe on another foodie blog (One Tiny Pink Kitchen) and it is actually a WW recipe. We really liked this one a lot - I really recommend cooking it if you like Mexican food and chicken. It's really good and not too bad for you.

With my new cooking phase, Tommy has kind of been the "guinea pig" for a lot of things. I always shorten this and just call him the "pig" and we think it's pretty funny. When I bring out something new I always say, "Okay, you get to be a pig tonight again" and he knows that he is going to have something new. : ) So, I will now be adding a "pig rating" to all of my new foods that he tries. I mean "pig" in the most lovable way possible : )

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, skinless

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup low fat cheddar cheese

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tbsp cumin

1 green pepper, sliced (I used chopped up jalapeno pepper instead)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Brown chicken in skillet (no need to cook through). Toss chicken with seasonings, then add to casserole or baking dish. Add salsa and green pepper. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Add cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

I served this with Spanish rice (recipe to come).

Pig Rating: Really good but he doesn't like "Tex Mex" food and the chili powder was a little too "Tex Mex" for him so next time I will leave that out. He cleaned his plate though so...he liked it pretty well. : )

Recipe from "One Tiny Pink Kitchen", picture from my kitchen

Menu: October 21 - October 27

2007-10-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Salsa chicken (I didn't get to make it last week!!) & spanish rice
Monday: Kids - tacos
Tuesday: Broccoli, cheddar, potato soup, fresh bread
Wednesday: Kids - mushroom pork chops for us/chicken for the kids, mashed potatoes, corn
Thursday: Amanda's pasta with vodka sauce & sausage
Friday: Kids - Mexican pizza
Saturday: Will's bday party - chili

My Kitchen

2007-10-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

I know some of my friends have gotten into posting pictures of their kitchens on their blogs so I figured that I would join in. I have a fairly small kitchen but I like it nonetheless. We have done a ton of work on it - laid hardwood ourselves, Tommy knocked out a wall, we recovered our chairs, painted, etc. It's pretty homey if I do say so myself. I love it right now because my fall decorations are out and they match my kitchen perfectly : )

Here is one view - our kitchen table. My camera was being weird, but you get the idea. The signs on the wall say "Pinot Noir" and "Bordeaux" - how "me" : )

We recovered our chairs recently with the help of my mom. The chairs look a ton better than they did!

This is where the magic happens....the cooking magic! : ) Nothing fancy, but it serves its purpose. Don't mind all of the clutter...my kitchen is in desperate need of a good cleaning.

This is the other side of the kitchen - basic sink, dishwasher, etc. I like that it opens up to our living room though. It makes the room seem so much bigger!

My favorite wedding gift and addition to our kitchen - my six bottle Cuisinart wine refrigerator! I love it!

I still have some work to do on it but this is the room where I spend a lot of my time!

Breakfast for Dinner

2007-10-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

We had the kids tonight and I wanted something different and fun for dinner. I can remember when I was little I always thought it was cool when my mom made breakfast for dinner. The kids love helping me cook breakfast on Saturday mornings, so why not on a Wednesday night? : ) So, Sheridan did the eggs, Will set the table and helped me stir the eggs, and we did it.

I cooked bacon, scrambled eggs, biscuits with jelly and honey, and hash browns. It was super yummy for something different. Now only if it were really Saturday already.... : )

Faux Jerk Chicken

2007-10-15T17:24:00.001-07:00

Tommy and I went to Jamaica a couple of years ago and had such a fabulous time. One of the things we remember most about the trip is the tour bus ride that we took to Dunn's River Falls. On the way back to the resort we stopped at this random little road side shack/bar/restaurant. I do mean shack. Well, the guy cooking was standing over this grill looking thing saying, "We have jerk chicken, jerk pork, jerk goat, jerk this, jerk that..." and we thought it was hilarious. The hilarious part was when at that time a wild goat chose to cross the road. Uh...no way was I going to watch my dinner cross the road then become "jerk".

But, I do love chicken so I decided to try this recipe for "Faux Jerk Chicken" that I found on http://www.allrecipes.com/. We will be having this for dinner tomorrow night, but it has to marinate for 24 hours so I just completed that part of the process.

I will update tomorrow night once this is a finished product!

UPDATE: We had the jerk chicken tonight with rice and beans. The chicken was just okay in our opinion. I don't think we liked the cinnamon flavor that it had. It was decent though...we both cleaned our plates so it couldn't have been too bad. :)

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 scotch bonnet chile pepper, minced (I couldn't find this so I used a jalapeno)
1/4 cup minced green onions with tops
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

In a large dish, mix the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir in the scotch bonnet pepper, green onions, and garlic. Pierce chicken on all sides with a fork, and place in the dish. Cover, and marinate up to 24 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.
Preheat the grill for high heat.
Lightly oil grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill chicken 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Baked Ziti

2007-10-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

We love Italian food. If we have a date night, typically we end up at our favorite Italian restaurant in town - Angelo's. Yum. I try not to make a habit of cooking pasta too often, but even when I do, I use wheat pasta most of the time so I don't feel quite so bad about it.

Tonight I tried the baked ziti recipe that I found on Amber's Delectible Delights (love her blog!). I modified it a bit - I didn't use cottage/ricotta cheese. We aren't fans of it so I just doubled the mozzerella. Also, I didn't have any penne pasta, so I used wheat rotini. We both agreed that this one is really good and we have leftovers for our lunch tomorrow - bonus!

Ingredients

1 box (16 oz) Ziti pasta1 jar spaghetti sauce

1/2 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1/2 lb pork sausage

Salt, black pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes (all to taste)

12 oz cottage cheese (or ricotta if you prefer)

1/2 cup (4 oz) mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

8 slices provolone cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 casserole dish.- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season water with salt, boil pasta till al dente; drain and set aside.- Meanwhile brown sausage and ground beef in skillet and season with desired amounts of salt, black pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes. Drain excess grease away from meats and return back to skillet. Add the jar of spaghetti sauce and let simmer until you are ready to assemble the dish.- Place enough sauce mixture on the bottom of the pan so the noodles won't stick. Then assemble the rest of the dish- half of the cooked noodles, all of the cottage cheese, 4 slices of provolone cheese, 1/2 of the remaining sauce, remaining noodles, half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, remaining sauce, remaining cheese.- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let set 10 minutes to cool before serving.

Recipe from Amber's Delectible Delights, picture from my kitchen

"Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie"

2007-10-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

I am in the baking mood this weekend - I think it is the fall weather that is making me want to bake. Anyway, tonight I made the "Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies" according to allrecipes.com and several other bloggers. We typically are big fans of the Pillsbury break and bake. HA! Lazy, maybe, but they are always so good!

The cookies I made tonight are pretty good. I liked them a lot and so did the kids - they were a little too cakey for Tommy, which is odd because a lot of the reviews on this recipe said that they were too flat. Who knows...anyway, I might do something different next time to make it not quite as cakey. They definitely are big and fat though. :)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/ and picture from my kitchen. (I have to get better at picture taking...)

Menu - October 14 - October 20

2007-10-12T08:55:00.000-07:00

Another week, another menu! I didn't stick completely to this past week's menu because things kept coming up so some of those things are going to carry over. A short week of cooking for me since we are taking a long weekend to Lexington next week! : )

Sunday: Baked ziti, salad, garlic bread
Monday: Smothered pork chops, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans
Tuesday: Faux jerk chicken, rice, veggie of some sort ??
Wednesday: We have the kids...not sure yet on this one.
Thursday: Salsa chicken, rice,..??
Friday: We will be in Lexington
Saturday: We will be in Lexington

Chicken with Cream Cheese Sauce

2007-10-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

I love pretty much anything with chicken so I thought this would be a good one to try - cheese and chicken? What's not to like right?? : ) I liked this one okay. Not my favorite, but definitely a keeper nonetheless. I served this over brown rice and had a side of sauteed mushrooms (well, my husband did anyway...I can't deal with mushrooms just yet).

I think I will try serving it over wheat pasta next time - I am much more of a pasta person.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

1 can of chicken broth (or about 2 cups

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

Crushed red pepper flakes (a good shake! Probably about 1/4 tsp. - you can add as much or as little as you like)

4 ounces of cream cheese (I used light)

1 1/2 tbsp. flour (I ended up adding a little extra to help it thicken up)

2 tsp. white wine

Extra-virgin olive oil

Cooked pasta/egg noodles/rice

Directions

Season chicken and cook in a large pan with some of the olive oil (medium heat).

Add the red pepper flakes and crushed garlic to the chicken. Cook about 1-2 minutes more, then add the white wine and 3/4 of the can of chicken broth. Bring this mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked (if you use thin chicken breasts or strips, it might only take 10-15 minutes)

Remove the chicken breasts from the broth and place them on a plate with a cover to keep them warm.

Mix the remaining broth with the flour. Add this mixture to the broth in the pan and mix well. Add the cream cheese and mix until the sauce is thick and bubbly. You may need to add some more flour to help it thicken - do so a little bit at a time.

I cut my chicken into small strips, placed the strips on top of a bed of rice.

Original recipe from Amber's Delectable Delights (or at least where I saw it first!), picture from my kitchen

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

2007-10-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

As I've said a million times, I am not a big meat fan at all. However, I am learning to tolerate pork chops more than I used to as to add some variety to our menu. Last week I made smothered pork chops and my husband thought he had died and gone to heaven. I wanted to try a different pork chop recipe this week - I knew he wouldn't like this one as well, and I was right. He said they were really good, just not as good as the smothered. I actually liked this one a little more though...I like things "crusted" more than he does though. : )

Ingredients

2 large eggs

¾ cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan

4 pork chops

salt and pepper

3 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

Whisk the eggs in a bowl to blend. Place the bread crumbs in a plate. Place the parmesan cheese in another plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the egg, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to a plate and serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, picture from my kitchen

Zesty Red Potatoes

2007-10-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was looking for a side to go with our pork chops and I found this awesome red potato recipe. These are super yummy!! We love anything spicy and "zesty" so I knew this would be a winner and I was right! I seriously think I could eat potatoes all of the time.

Ingredients

4 medium red potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
2/3 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt to taste

Directions

Arrange potatoes and onion in an ungreased 9-in. square baking dish. Combine butter, pepper flakes and salt; drizzle over potatoes and onion. Cover and bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

*Note - Next time I will use more red pepper flakes than this recipe called for as we like our food pretty "zesty". It is good as the recipe reads, but if you want a little more "zest" add a little more.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen : )

Chicken & Mushrooms in Roasted Garlic Sauce

2007-10-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

I LOOVE pasta so I am always willing to try out a new pasta recipe. I am not a mushroom fan but my husband is so I have learned to just pick around them when I add them to recipes. : )

I made this recipe tonight and I can't remember where I found it - on someone else's blog, but not sure which one. This is a pretty good recipe. We both liked it a lot and I will be making it again.

I doubled the sauce in this as we like quite a bit of sauce. Doubling it led to the perfect amount for us.

Ingredients

1 pound of chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
2 tbsp flour

1 tsp dry sage

1 tsp dry parsley flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 bulb of garlic roasted (400 degree oven for 1 hour with a drizzle of EVOO)

2 tbsp butter

a drizzle of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1 tbsp flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 bag of No-Yolk egg noodles

Directions

Start by combining the flour, sage, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss the bite size chunks of chicken in the flour mixture to coat. In a large skillet melt 1 tbsp of butter and a drizzle of evoo. Saute the chicken for a minute then add the mushrooms and some of the roasted garlic (I think I squeezed in 3 cloves for this part). Continue to saute for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover in foil. (Now is also a good time to cook your egg noodles)

To the skillet add the remaining tbsp of butter and flour. Then add the chicken broth, white wine and remaining roasted garlic. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Slowly add the half and half and let it reduce. When the sauce has thickened return the chicken and mushrooms to pan and let simmer. Serve with the egg noodles.

Menu for Oct. 7- Oct. 13

2007-10-05T08:17:00.001-07:00

My menu for next week is still tentative at this point but I need to get started on it : )

Sunday: Parmesan crusted pork chops, garlic red potatoes, salad
Monday: Cream cheese chicken, rice, and ??
Tuesday: Baked ziti, salad, garlic rolls
Wednesday: Have the kids. Probably will make Sheridan's favorite meal - tacos
Thursday: Jerk Jamaican chicken, rice, and ?? (Maybe..not sure about this one yet)
Friday: Have the kids. Turkey (slow cooker), mashed potatoes, and green beans
Saturday: Have the kids. Probably will go out to eat that evening.

I am sure this will change 100 times. I know last week's change slightly here and there, but this is a start anyway.

Nachos craving!

2007-10-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

So, if I had to eat three foods for the rest of my life and I wouldn't gain weight or be unhealthy, they would be: french fries, pizza, and nachos. I can't even tell you how much I am craving nachos this week!! Tonight in honor of the UK football game, I am going to make chicken nachos. I have never made them before but I can't wait to get home and do it! I'll update with the recipe and pictures this evening... : )

Update: I have now made the nachos...and YUM!!!!!! These are so good. I know that there are probably countless ways to make chicken nachos. I followed a recipe on allrecipes.com and added a few things to it. We are loving these! Definitely not an every week thing but a good treat for a middle of the week football game!

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 green onions, sliced, white parts and tops separated
3 tablespoons canola oil (I used olive oil)
1 shredded, cooked, whole chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup salsa
1/2 (12 ounce) package tortilla chips
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese blend
1/2 large tomato, diced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a 12 inch skillet over medium heat, cook and stir the garlic and white parts of the green onions in canola oil until tender. Mix in shredded chicken, salt and pepper. Toss until well coated with oil. Stir in the salsa.
Arrange tortilla chips on a large baking sheet. Spoon the chicken mixture over tortilla chips. Top with Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese blend and tomato. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove from heat and sprinkle with green onion tops before serving.

Notes: I heated the chips for 5 minutes before cooking the nachos to avoid sogginess. We also added jalapenos, fat free sour cream, and I added about a teaspoon of taco seasoning to the chicken mixture. Mmmm...

Smothered Pork Chops

2007-10-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made smothered pork chops - my first time cooking pork chops actually! This was Tommy's favorite meal that I have cooked so far. He LOVED these pork chops and he can be a tough critic sometimes ; ) He said he could have eaten about 5 more. HA! These will definitely become a regular on our menus.

Ingredients

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, 3/4-inch thick, bone-in

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions

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 buttermilk 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 and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

I served these with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. Super yummy meal! :)

Recipe from Tyler Florence; Food Network, Picture from my kitchen!

Menu for Sept. 30 - Oct. 6

2007-10-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

My mom is really good at making menus for her week so she always knows exactly what to buy at the grocery store and what she will be cooking for dinner. I have never been this disciplined and organized...until now. I made my first menu this past weekend and I am loving knowing what I will make for dinner and knowing that I bought all of the right things at the grocery store in advance. I know a lot of people are interested in menus of other bloggers so here is/was ours for this week:

Sunday night: chicken parmesan, linguine pasta (wheat), and salad
Monday night: slow cooker pot roast, mashed potatoes, and corn
Tuesday night: smothered pork chops, garlic red potatoes, and salad
Wednesday night: soccer game - out to eat with the kids
Thursday night: chicken nachos in honor of the UK game
Friday night: chicken and mushroom pasta in a garlic cream sauce, salad, garlic bread
Saturday night: date night

I am already working on next week's menu. I'm loving it! :)

My first pot roast

2007-10-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned, I am not a big "meat eater" by any means. But today I made my first pot roast. It was awesome coming home and smelling it when I opened the door. YUM! We both thought it was really good and it goes in the "will have again" list. : ) This is a good easy recipe for a nice home cooked meal.

Ingredients

2/3 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/3 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon water
1-3/4 pounds pot roast

Directions

In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

(Recipe from www.allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen! Meat does not photograph well...HA!)

Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Parmesan

2007-09-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight I decided to try chicken parmesan. I LOVE eating chicken parmesan in restaurants but I had never tried to make it. Turns out, it is pretty easy and really yummy! I served this with linguine, a salad, and of course white wine. :) Robert Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc-delish!

I will definitely be making this one again. I think my brother would be impressed with it, so maybe I'll make it for him sometime if he makes the time to come visit me ever again (He is 18 and WAAAY too busy for his big sis now...ha!) Maybe this is how I can get him to come...hmm...

(The picture does this no justice - I should have taken a picture of it on our plates, but I took one when it came right out of the oven.)

Ingredients

boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 per person)
italian breadcrumbs (comes in a large canister, with the shake n bake at the store)

powdered parmesan cheese (the kind you sprinkle on spaghetti)

garlic powder

large bowl or plastic storage bag

a glass baking dish

marinara sauce (any kind)

mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix crumbs, cheese, and garlic powder together (enough crumbs to cover the chicken) in bowl or plastic bag

Rinse chicken breasts, then coat in crumb mixture. Put in pan and set timer for 45 minutes. After baking for 30 minutes, pull out chicken and cover each breast in sauce. Return to oven for 10 more minutes.

Final touch: in the last 5 minutes, add the cheese so that it will melt. Do not worry about skimping on the cheese.

When finished, serve with pasta in marinara, garlic bread, and a good green salad.

Helpful tip: If you're making the pasta side dish, start your water when there's 10 mins. left on your timer and it should be ready when you are!

Recipe from Jessi, picture from my kitchen!

My new kitchen toys

2007-09-30T16:17:00.001-07:00

In honor of my new love for all things cooking, this weekend I purchased two new kitchen toys that I "needed".

Saturday morning I attended a silent auction for a charity that I belong to. Many of the items were things I would never want in my house, can't imagine using, etc. However, there was a Pampered Chef pie pan that I had my eye on. And I won it! :) Now, I just have to find some great recipes to use it!

Also on a completely different spectrum, I bought a meat tenderizer. I am not a big meat eater at all. However, I am trying to broaden my horizons, so we'll see how it goes. You know in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" when Tula tells her aunt that Ian doesn't eat meat and the aunt says in disbelief, "What? You don't eat no meat??", I am pretty sure that is how a conversation with myself and that aunt would go. : ) Anyway, I used it tonight on chicken breasts and I liked it. I enjoyed the pounding. Something therapeutic about it. HA!

Cookie Pizza

2007-09-27T19:06:00.001-07:00

I love, love cookie pizza. I love cookies, I love pizza - what better than mixing the two?! This is a great recipe to make for work events, family gatherings, etc. I made this last year to take to my in-laws for Christmas and it looked so pretty. : ) I made it, covered it in plastic wrap then tied red and green ribbon all around it. Wish I would have taken a picture now! I will this year. Anyway...on to the good stuff:

Ingredients

Cookie Pizza Crust
½ cup of hard margarine
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups of flour

Topping
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
½ finely chopped pecans (optional)
½ cup candy coated chocolate candies (I use M&M’s-it's fun to use holiday ones!)

Directions

For the crust: cream margarine and brown sugar together. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour, stir, turn onto flour surface. Knead and put on a pizza pan as if you were rolling out a pizza crust.
Topping: Sprinkle onto “pizza” crust – chocolate chips, marshmallows, and pecans evenly. Pour condensed milk evenly over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until crust is golden. Immediately place candies on top while hot. Cool completely in pan. Cuts into about 16 “pizza” wedges.

Recipe from an awesome cookbook - Favorite Brand Name- Gifts From the Kitchen

Saturday morning family breakfast...

2007-09-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ignore my PJ's and my horrible morning hair and no makeup...it's breakfast time people! :)

We have our kids every other weekend and we love the time that we get to spend with them. One thing about me is that I hate getting up in the mornings. Hate it. However, on Saturday mornings when we have the kids, they come in, wake me up, and the three of us fix breakfast together. It has become a tradition and they absolutely love to help me cook. It's what makes me get up with a smile at 7:30am on a Saturday morning. We all fix breakfast in our PJ's - Sheridan has recently learned to crack the eggs, Will hands me the ham and puts the bread in the toaster, etc. We all have our roles. :)

If you have kids or plan to, I think doing things like this with them is absolutely fantastic. These are the types of things that will remember someday - not what kind of shirt you bought them, or what color their backpack is. I remember cooking with my grandma and I love those memories.

::insert cheesiness here:: : )

Cajun Style Blackened Catfish

2007-09-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I am allergic to seafood. I can cook it, be around it, love the smell of it, even tried to eat it a couple of times, but no dice. However, my husband likes fish from time to time and he also likes Cajun style food so this recipe was a must try. He really seemed to like this recipe (or he was just really hungry when I made it....hmmm....I keed, I keed!).

(Insert picture here)

1 lb. boneless catfish fillets 1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. ground red pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. oregano
1 tsp. paprika ½ tsp thyme
butter or oil (for cooking-margarine will NOT work)

A large cast iron skillet works best for this, but any large non stick skillet will work.
This recipe will also work with any type of boneless fish fillets, but catfish seems to be the best. This recipe might also produce some smoke, so do not be alarmed.
Mix all dry ingredients together. Coat fillets evenly with dry mixture.
Heat small amount of butter or oil in skillet until hot. Place fillets in skillet.
Cook 3-5 minutes on each side. Change butter or oil if it gets too black.

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Better Than Sex (almost) Cake

2007-09-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge "sweets" person but I love them from time to time. One of my favorite cakes to make for work dinners, etc. is Better Than Sex Cake. I don't know about better than sex, but this cake is pretty darn good. If you like really sweet, chocolately, rich things then you HAVE to try this cake. You will NOT be diappointed. I get asked to make this every time we have a work event. : )

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1/2 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces caramel ice cream topping
3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits across the top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom.
In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended.

Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits; then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm.
Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate and serve right from the pan! Keep refrigerated until serving.

Recipe and photo found on http://www.allrecipes.com/

Easy Mashed Potatoes

2007-09-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

I love mashed potatoes - I love any potatoes really, but mashed are so comforting and yummy. : ) Tonight I made mashed potatoes from an easy recipe that I found online and they turned out perfect!

(Insert Picture Here)

Ingredients

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/3 cup warm milk
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper

Directions

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil; cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender. Drain well. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper; mash until light and fluffy. Finish up by mixing with a mixer on low if they are not creamy enough.

NOTE: You can add more butter and more milk if needed for your taste. I added 4 tablespoons of butter to mine. I like buttery goodness : )

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/
Makes 4 servings.

Southern Style Green Beans

2007-09-27T15:45:00.001-07:00

Tonight I am trying out a tradtional style dinner for my husband and I - baked ham (complete with pineapple slices!), mashed potatoes, and southern style slow cooker green beans. To us, this is the only way to cook green beans so it was only fitting that I find a good recipe to try them out. : ) It isn't time for dinner yet but I have had a taste of the green beans and they are pretty good! Love the smell of food in a slow cooker when I get home from work....mmm....

Ingredients

4 cups water
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 ham hock
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Place the water in a large pot, and mix in the green beans, ham hock, onion, garlic, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to low, and simmer 4 hours. Remove the ham hock, and slice the meat into small pieces. Return meat to the beans, and serve.

NOTE: I followed the recipe except that instead of cooking stovetop, I put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker on low for 7 hours. YUM! Also, I did NOT use a ham hock. Instead, I used some slices of ham from a ham that I baked and let that simmer in the crock pot all day. Much healthier than a ham hock. : )

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/. Picture from my kitchen :)

My "Bad Day" Go-To Wine - Fetzer G

2007-09-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned, I love wine. Pretty much all of it - not so fond of merlot or chardonney, but I am willing to try any and all things wine before forming an opinion. Coming home after a hard day at work and having a glass (or two...or three...) of wine is a fabulous thing. My favorite go-to wine for this is Fetzer Gewurztraminer.

Gewurztraminer is kind of long name for a wine so a lot of people just refer to this one as "gevurtz" or I refer to it as "G". This is a white, semi sweet wine. You can taste the honeyed apricot and peach flavors in the glass, and breathe deeply to capture the aromas of rose petals and honeysuckle. Mmmm..... The Fetzer vineyard is located in Hopland, Mendocino Co., CA. I love this wine because not only is it good, it is extremely reasonably priced. It is ~$10 a bottle. The bottle is usually gone before I know it because it is easy to drink. : )

You can check out the Fetzer website which has awesome recipe links for dishes that will go well with this particular wine if you want to pair it with dinner. I like to drink it alone typically but I am sure they know what they are talking about! Enjoy!

http://www.fetzer.com/

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

2007-09-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

I am going to try to have a closer relationship with my slow cooker than I currently do. We are in the beginning stages of our relationship with one another and I hope it progresses into something beautiful. For someone as busy as me, a slow cooker is a wonderful thing. I love coming home from work and the house smelling like someone has been cooking all day - only they haven't really been! It's great!

I tried this as my first slow cooker recipe a couple of weeks ago. My husband and I both liked it so I will likely make it again soon.

Recipe and photo from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1/8 cup margarine
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

Pasta/noodles of your choice (I used linguine noodles)

*I added a couple of tablespoons of light sour cream when adding the cream cheese, but that is optional.

Directions

Put chicken, margarine and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. (I cooked this for about 7 hours on low and it was fine).
Add cream cheese and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.

5-Minute Southwest Layered Salad

2007-09-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

Recipe from www.kraftfoods.com

I like to make my own lunch on most days instead of going out to eat - much cheaper and much healthier. Right now I am craving my favorite salad that I found in Kraft Foods "Food & Family" magazine. This salad is super easy, super yummy, and has a touch of one of my fave things - Mexican food. Mmmm.....

Ingredients

6 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
3/4 cup salsa of your choice
1/2 cup Mexican Style Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing (I use light)
1 cup tortilla chips, broken (I use Baked Tostitos)

Directions

ARRANGE lettuce in bottom of glass serving bowl or on serving plate. (I just throw it all in a big bowl when I am at home by myself eating it :)

LAYER beans, corn, salsa and cheese evenly over top.

DRIZZLE with dressing; sprinkle with chips.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

My first blogging attempt...

2007-09-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks to some friends of mine, I am now obsessed with looking through cooking blogs. Granted, some of them make me feel like I am slacking as a wife when it comes to making dinner, but I love to see new ideas and I am even more excited to start trying some of them!

Don't get me wrong, I do cook from time to time now and I enjoy it. Finding time to cook what I actually want to cook? Now that is a different story altogether. After a day of working and running to a soccer game, a charity event, a cheer camp performance, etc., it is hard to get motivated to cook a nice meal. Thankfully I am not that busy every night as we have the kids part time only so I do have some nights where I could prepare a decent meal. I don't think my husband expects June Cleaver or anything, and if he did, well, he would be sorely disappointed wouldn't he? :)

My new goal is to start actually cooking something new at least once a week from here on out. We'll see how it goes. :) Some weeks are busier than others, so you never know what will REALLY happen.

At the end of the day, I just want to sit down with a nice big glass of wine and relax...can I add cooking into the mix as well?? Wait and see....