Refried Bean Tostadas

These are so easy and fast and I was surprised how little it took to fill me up.  I found this recipe on myrecipes.com.  We all liked it and you can customize them to your liking.

REFRIED BEAN TOSTADAS

Ingredients:

 6 (6 inch) corn tortillas

3/4 cup fat-free refried beans

3/4 cup of your favorite salsa

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Your choice of toppings: lettuce, sour cream, avocado, salsa, etc.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F.  Spray nonstick cooking spray in every other cup of 12-cup muffin tin.  Wrap 2 tortillas at a time in a dish towel and microwave about 20 seconds or until they can bend without  breaking.  Push each tortilla in sprayed muffin cups.  Bake until golden, about 8 minutes.

Remove tortillas from oven and divide refried beans between the 6 tortillas.  Top each one with salsa and a little sprinkling of cheese.  Return to oven and bake until warmed through, about 7-10 minutes.

Place each tostada on a plate and top with your favorite toppings.

ENJOY!

Resurrection Rolls

I came across this really cool Easter idea in a few different places and decided to try it for our celebration yesterday.  Little B is really into the Easter story and always gets really excited to tell us that "Jesus came back alive!" 

Ingredients:

Big Marshmallows - Represent Jesus Christ

3 Tbsp. Butter, melted - Represent Oils that were put on His body

Cinnamon Sugar mixture, in bowl - Represent Spices that were put on His body

Refrigerator Crescent Rolls - Represent the tomb

Dip marshmallows in butter and cover in cinnamon-sugar.  Place near small end on crescent roll triangle and roll to big end.  Take corners of big end and wrap up around the top and pinch together.  Place on cookie sheet and bake according to crescent roll directions.  When they are done baking, the marshmallow will have melted and the "tomb" will be empty.  

Happy Easter Everyone!

Basil Cream Chicken

Can I say delicious?  This is so so good!  I wasn't sure about the pimientos, since the only time I've had them is in green olives, and I hate those.  The cream sauce is amazing!  We used our homemade fries to soak up whatever was left of it on our plates.  Little B loves chicken, so this was a hit with him.  I found the recipe here. 

BASIL CREAM CHICKEN

Ingredients:

¼ cup milk
¼ cup dry bread crumbs (I used Italian for a little extra flavor)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
3 Tablespoons butter
½ cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 jar (4 ounces) sliced pimientos, drained
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup minced fresh basil
⅛ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Chicken:  Put milk and bread crumbs in two separate bowls.  Dip the chicken in the milk, then dip in crumbs, completely covering them.  In skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook chick for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.  Remove from pan and keep warm.

Sauce:  Reduce heat to medium.  Add broth to the skillet and boil, loosening brown bits in pan.  Stir in cream and pimientos.  Boil and stir for 1 minute.  Reduce heat.  Add Parmesan cheese, basil and pepper.  Cook and stir until heated through.  Serve over chicken.

A very happy boy waiting for dinner to begin.  He insisted I take his picture, not just pictures if the food...

ENJOY!

French Dressing Chicken Fingers

This is so easy to make!  I visited my cousins last month and they made this.  They are delicious and don't require much work. I served them with rice and a vegetable and that was an easy dinner full of yumminess.  This would work with any dressing you'd like to use (ranch, BBQ, poppyseed)

FRENCH DRESSING CHICKEN FINGERS

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs (can use plain)

French dressing

Directions:

Cut chicken into strips.  In a bowl, whisk egg and milk.  Put bread crumbs in separate bowl.   Cover cookie sheet in tin foil and spray with cooking spray.  Dip chicken in egg then cover in crumbs and place on cookie sheet.  Drizzle dressing over each piece of chicken.  Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.

ENJOY!

"Fruit Pizza"

I have been terrible on here lately.  I have so many pictures and recipes to share, I promise to catch-up eventually.  In honor of Valentine's Day, I will share the recipe for our dessert for tonight that is currently in my fridge waiting to be eaten.  It looks delicious and I have no doubt it will taste that way too.  I found the recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  Here's the link to the recipe.  I hope you enjoy it!  I used my Springform pan, which is one of my new favorite kitchen items.

ENJOY!

Blueberry Muffins

I have been in the mood for blueberry muffins lately, but have been too sick for the last week to get up the energy to make some.  Since I am finally starting to get my energy back, I got me some frozen blueberries and went on a search for the perfect recipe.  I have never made blueberry muffins before, but they are probably my favorite kind of muffin.  I love how the blueberries pop in your mouth and fill it with juiciness!  Well, this recipe which I found on allrecipes.com turned out well.  I made them as directed, but in the future will make two minor modifications...

1. Add at least 1/2 cup more blueberries (I love blueberries!)

2. Half the crumb topping.  It made way too much.  I don't like the top completely piled with the topping, just a light sprinkling is good for me.  

Try these out.  They are delicious!  Little B enjoyed helping with the making and eating of these.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

ENJOY!

Chicken Fried Rice with Vegetables

Seriously, who doesn't like chicken fried rice?  This was the perfect recipe.  The chicken marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil made it taste for moist and flavorful.  For the frozen vegetables, I used a bag of my home-frozen carrots and some corn, definitely more than 5 oz though.  Next time I might add some peas or broccoli.  I got the recipe off of myrecipes.com here.

CHICKEN FRIED RICE WITH VEGETABLES

ENJOY!

Salmon Chowder

This was such a good recipe and it is perfect for cold winter days (like we've been having a lot of lately).  It made plenty for our family and was good as leftovers the next day.  I found it here on allrecipes.com.  It reminded us a little of clam chowder, but I think I liked the salmon better than I would clams.  Try it and i hope you like it!

SALMON CHOWDER

Ingredients:

 

3 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups diced potatoes

2 carrots, diced (I had a bunch of carrots in my freezer that I had chopped and put in bags from the garden last Fall, and I thawed a sandwich bag full and they worked just fine)

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried dill weed (I accidentally doubled this and it tasted really good)

2 (16 ounce) cans salmon

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn

1/2 pound Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and garlic powder until onions are tender. Stir in potatoes, carrots, broth, salt, pepper, and dill. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Stir in salmon, evaporated milk, corn, and cheese. Cook until heated through.

ENJOY! 

Black Bean Tortilla Bake

This was a pretty good recipe.  Next time I make it, I'll probably top it with a little guacamole and sour cream.  This is packed full of goodness and Ben even ate it pretty well.  The recipe is from Food.com and I followed the recipe really closely, so I won't bother putting it below.  Just click on the link and it will take you to it.

BLACK BEAN TORTILLA BAKE

Turtle Cheesecake

I made this for my Hubby's birthday and it turned out rich and DELICIOUS!  I was looking for a cheesecake that was different that I hadn't tried before.  It was very rich.  I found it on allrecipes.com here.  I made some changes, so I'll make note of them below.  If you're looking for something for a special occasion this is perfect. 

TURTLE CHEESECAKE

 

Ingredients:

2 cups vanilla wafers crumbs (I used oreos, about 20 in a food processor worked) 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (I think this was a little too much for oreos, so I would cut it down by a couple of Tablespoons next time) 

14 ounces individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped (I used Hershey's Caramel Topping) 

1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk

1 cup chopped pecans

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)  


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter one 9 inch springform pan. 

Toast the pecans at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 6 minutes. Remove pecans and set aside. Leave oven at 350 degrees C (175 degrees C). In a small saucepan, melt the unsalted butter. 

Combine vanilla wafer crumbs (or oreos) with the melted butter then press into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Place the pan onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove and allow to cool. 

In a double boiler, or a bowl set over barely simmering water, melt the caramels in the evaporated milk. (** see note) Stir until smooth. Pour this over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the nuts over the top. 

In a bowl, combine the cheese, sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping down the bowl several times. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until smooth. Melt the chocolate chips in the double boiler and mix into the cheese mixture (Instead of mixing the chocolate in, I poured it over the top of the cheesecake mixture and swirled it in with a toothpick making designs.) Pour the batter over the caramel layer. 

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes or until barely set. (This took a lot longer on mine.  Just keep an eye on it.)  Chill over night in the refrigerator before serving. 

**if you use caramel ice cream topping, do not add in evaporated milk, unless you want it to turn out different.  I added the evaporated milk and the layer of caramel wasn’t really a layer at all and just came up around the cheesecake mixture.  It wasn’t bad, just messier.  Next time I will probably go with melting caramels.

 

ENJOY!

2 Hour Rolls

Last night I was looking for a quick roll recipe to go with the roast and veggies my Hubby had put in the crock pot.  It was only 2 hours before dinner, so I needed to find something quick.  I found this recipe and adapted it a little and they turned out great!  I love homemade rolls!

 2-HOUR ROLLS

Ingredients:

 

1 1/2 cups warm water

4 Tbsp. white sugar

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 egg

1/2 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. yeast

4 cups flour (I used 2 cups white and 2 cups wheat)

Directions:

Place all ingredients, except flour, in a large bowl in the order listed and let sit for a few minutes.  Mix in flour and knead until combine.  If too sticky, add a little more flour.  Cover with damp cloth and let rise 15 minutes.  Punch down then let rise another 15 minutes.  Punch down and make into balls (I did a little bigger than a golf ball) and place on lightly greased cookie sheet.  If you'd like, you can melt butter and lightly brush it over the top of them.  Cover with dry cloth and let rise for 1/2 hour.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Makes 24 rolls.

 ENJOY!

Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna (Crockpot)

I found this recipe on Parents.com a while back and never actually got around to making it until last week.  I followed the directions really closely, not really making any changes, so you can just follow the original.  It was really good.  You really couldn't tell that it was vegetarian.  I guess that you could add chicken or beef and it would work will in this recipe, but it really doesn't need them.  Sorry for the bad picture.  The one on parents.com is so much better!

The Best Chili...

My husband and I both agree this is the best chili I have ever made (my hubby says it's the best he's ever had).  It was so easy and delicious!  It makes plenty and I seriously ate it for lunch every day afterward until it was all gone.  I got it from Moms Who Think.  They have a great list of easy and delicious recipes, of which I have tried quite a few.  Here's the link to the recipe.  I made some minor changes and I will make note of them below.

BLUE RIBBON CHILI

 

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef (I actually just used 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey)

1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce (I used one small can tomato sauce and 2 cups chopped tomatoes pureed together in blender; healthier and delicious!)
1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
4 Tablespoons chili seasoning mix (I used this recipe)
1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans (I used all light kidney beans and once used 1 of light kidney beans and one of black beans.  Both times it turned out great!)
1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans

Directions:

1.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and sauté for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.
2. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans.
3. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour. 

Taco Pizza, yum!

I got this idea a while ago and have been wanting to try it.  We love homemade pizza and like to try lots of different toppings.  It turned out really well!  Really simple too!  Little B liked helping sprinkle the toppings and gobbled it up!

Taco Pizza

Ingredients:

1 pizza crust (my recipe)
1 lb.ground meat (I like turkey best)
Taco Seasoning (either from a packet or I use this recipe)
2 cups shredded cheese of choice
2 Plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 avacado
sour cream
chopped olives

Directions:
Prepare pizza crust.  While it's rising, cook meat and add in taco seasoning.  When dough is done rising, roll out and place on greased pizza pan.  Spread meat over crust and top with cheese.  Bake in preheated 450* oven for 12 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese in melted.  Spread remaining ingredients over pizza, slice, and ENJOY! 

Honey Pecan Pork Chops

These were so good!  I kind of felt like I was eating dessert for dinner.  It's not overwhelmingly sweet though, just enough to make it good.  I got the recipe from Moms Who Think. They have weekly easy dinner ideas that I have been trying a lot lately.  Here's the page.  It's week 1 day 5.  I'll put the recipe below, or you can get it from there.  I served it with mashed sweet potatoes and a green salad.

HONEY PECAN PORK CHOPS

Ingredients:

1 ¼  pounds boneless pork loin, pounded thin

½  cup all-purpose flour for coating

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons butter

¼  cup honey

¼  cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. In a shallow dish, mix together flour, salt and pepper. Dredge pork cutlets in the flour mixture.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add chops, and brown both sides. Transfer to a warm plate.
3. Mix honey and pecans into the pan drippings. Heat through, stirring constantly.
4. Pour sauce over cutlets.

ENJOY!

"Melt in Your Mouth" Peanut Butter Cookies

This is my favorite recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies!  I got it from the cookbook The Ultimate Cookie Book, by Catherine Atkinson.  I hope you love them too.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, at room temperature, diced

3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup crunchy peanut butter (or creamy, if you prefer)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  In another bowl, mix the egg and vanilla, then gradually beat into the butter mixture.  Stir in the peanut butter and blend thoroughly.  

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and stir into the mixture to form a soft dough.  Chill dough for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease two baking sheets.  Spoon out teaspoonfuls of dough and form into balls.  Place on baking sheets and flatten with fork, making a crisscross pattern.  Bake for about 12 minutes or until lightly colored.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

ENJOY!

Angel Hair Pasta with Broccoli and Herb Butter

This is a great light-tasting pasta dish.  I found it on epicurious.com  I made it just like they suggested and it came out great.  I served it with Salmon Patties which turned out well.  I'll put the recipe below or you can get it at the link above.

Angel Hair Pasta with Broccoli and Herb Butter

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted European-style butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 ounces angel hair pasta

2 cups small broccoli florets

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl.

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add pasta and cook until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add broccoli and boil until pasta is tender but still firm to bite and broccoli is crisp-tender, about 1 minute longer. Drain pasta and broccoli; transfer to large serving bowl. Add herb butter and toss well to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing Parmesan cheese separately if desired.

ENJOY!

Black-Bean, Cheese, and Slaw Tacos

Doesn't this look delicious?  It was!  Ben ate it well too.  I got the recipe from here, but made some changes.  The recipe with what I did is below.


Black-Bean, Cheese, and Slaw Tacos

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained 

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

5 teaspoons olive oil, divided 

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 

2 cups coleslaw mix 

2 green onions, chopped 

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

4 white or yellow corn tortillas 

Bottled chipotle hot sauce or other hot sauce

Directions:

Place beans and cumin in small bowl; partially mash.  Add cheese.  Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add coleslaw, green onions, and cilantro and toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in single layer. Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture and a little slaw mix onto half of each tortilla; cook 1 minute. Fold tacos in half. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Fill tacos with more slaw. Pass hot sauce alongside.

ENJOY!

Whipped Jello Salad

This is one of my go-to recipes when I am asked to bring a salad to a potluck.  I think it has been at pretty much every one of my mom's family gatherings I have ever been to.  You can add variety by changing the flavor of Jello or fruits that you add.  In the picture I used sugar-free Peach Jello and strawberries and peaches.  You can make more or less of this by using all big or small containers/packages of ingredients

WHIPPED JELLO SALAD

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Jello

1 container whipped cream

1 container cottage cheese

1 can fruit (or you can use fresh)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in bowl.  Chill briefly before serving to let it thicken a little.  Garnish with fruit, if desired.

ENJOY! 

Chicken and Cream Cheese Crescents

This is an old recipe. I think my aunt was the first to make it for me. It's so simple and so delicious. I've had these pictures for a while and I decided to finally post the recipe. If you love cream cheese, you will love this. I have to say though, they are very addicting...

Chicken and Cream Cheese Crescents

Ingredients:

2 "rolls" refrigerated crescent rolls (you can also use biscuits or your own recipe)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large chicken breast, cooked and diced or 1 can chicken, shredded (I prefer cooking my own)
3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven according to roll package directions. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, chicken and onions until combined. Lay out crescent with large end facing you. Put about 2 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture in center of large end. Fold large sides in and around the mixture and then roll it like you would a crescent (I hope that makes sense). Put finished rolls evenly apart on greased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven according to roll package directions, or until golden.
These are great with a nice green salad.


ENJOY!