Chicken Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS:
1 box Refrigerated Pie Crust (2-crust)
3 pieces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
½ cup Carrots, Chopped
½ whole Onion, Chopped
1 can Cream Of Mushroom Soup (10 Ounce Can)
¾ cans Milk Or Water
½ cup Canned Corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
Salt And Pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 355 degrees. Roughly chop your chicken breasts, place in a small pot and cover with water. Add a dash of salt and the carrots. Bring to a boil and cook until chicken is done. While chicken is boiling, in a medium sized pot cook onion until translucent. Add the cream of mushroom soup and the can of water or milk. Cook until bubbly. Add the corn and peas to the soup mixture. Cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. When chicken is done, drain the water and add chicken and carrots to soup mixture. It should be very thick. Place one pie crust in your glass pie pan. Make sure to go over the edges, so the mixture doesn’t spill over. Pour the chicken/soup mixture into the pie pan. Place the second pie crust over and press the edges together. Poke holes throughout the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Turkey Cranberry Wreath

The perfect thing for leftovers this time of year! Thanks Natalie for the recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

2 (235g) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 cups cooked turkey, chopped
1/2 cup celery, sliced
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
4 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 egg, separated

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. With wide ends of triangles toward the center. arrange 8 triangles in a circle on Large Round Stone. Corners of wide ends will touch and points will extend 1 inch beyond of Baking Stone. Arrange remaining 8 triangles in center matching ends. Seal seams. (Points will overlap in center; do not seal.)

Measure mayonnaise, mustard and black pepper into Classic Batter Bowl.

Grate cheese into bowl and mix filling. Scoop filling over seams of dough, forming a circle.

Coarsely chop walnuts; sprinkle over filling. Beginning in center, lift one dough triangle across mixture. Continue alternating with outer triangle, slightly overlapping to form wreath. Tuck last end under first.

Separate egg. Beat egg white lightly; brush over dough. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut and serve. Yields 10 servings.

"THE" Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2-2 lbs bulk italian sausage (might mix in some hot sausage, or use italian turkey sausage)

1 package of no-bake lasagna noodles

1 cup chopped onion

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can (28 oz) undrained diced tomatoes

12 oz. tomato paste

2 tsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp salt, divided

1 1/2 tsp basil, crushed (or 5-6 TBL of fresh basil)

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp pepper

1 (15 oz) ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 TBL parsley flakes or 1/3 cup fresh parsley

1 cup sliced, ripe olives

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups of 3 cheese blend- asiago, romano, parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

Cook sausage, onion and garlic in a large skillet until sausage is no longer pink and onion is tender, drain. Soak the noodles in a bowl of warm water. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, 2 tsp of salt, basil, fennel seed and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low. Simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, blend ricotta, egg, parsley and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce into a 13x9 inch baking dish (ceramic or stoneware works really well). Layer 1/3 each of the lasagna noodles remaining- meat mixture, ricotta mixture, olives, mozzarella, and 3 cheese blend. Repeat layers and cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake about 20 more minutes until heated thru. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Make 8-12 servings.

Santa Fe Salad

I got a great coupon for the new Hidden Valley Salad Kits- so I thought I'd try this out! I just baked chicken breast in a pico de gallo marinade, and then topped it with cheddar cheese on a bed of butter lettuce and the kit contains. It was great! When I make it again, I'll probably add some avocado, black beans and corn. YUM!

Hearty Beef Stew

INGREDIENTS:
3 lbs beef stew meat, cut into cubes
1/3 cup Reduced Fat Italian Dressing
2 cups water
2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 10.5 oz. can of beef broth
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bag of baby potatoes
1 bag of baby carrots
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 TBL cornstarch
1/3 cup hot water

DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot, brown meat with italian dressing. Add in the next 10 ingredients and bring to a boil. Add in potatoes, baby carrots, green bell pepper and onion. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 2-3 hours. Combine cornstarch and hot water until smooth; stir into the stew. Bring to a boil until thick and discard bay leaf before serving.

Serve with parmesan cheese biscuits.

"The" Chili

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground beef (the leaner, the better)

1 lb ground pork

1 lg onion, diced

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained

1 28 oz can of tomato puree

2 cans kidney beans- I use one light, one dark

1 4.5 oz can of green chilis, chopped

1 cup of Gusiness Stout Beer

2-3 cloves garlic

2 TBL Chili Powder (or 1 TBL Chili Powder, 1 TBL Creole Seasoning)

2 tsp garlic salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 TBL cocoa powder

Hot Pepper Sauce, to taste

Toppings: Shredded Cheddar, Sour Cream, Lime Wedges

Directions:

Cook meats and onion over medium high heat until the meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain and return to pot.

Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients (not toppings, of course), Put 2-3 shots of hot sauce in at this point.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours.

Serve with desired toppings. Cook up some corn bread muffins with this chili! Also, if you don't want the beans to get too mushy- wait to put those in until the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. I always tweak this as I go- adding in different seasonings, etc. as I taste test it while it cooks. This is just the base of the recipe!

Pumpkin Sausage Ziti

I made the Richard Simmon's version of Paula Deen's Pumpkin Ziti! It was a big hit! Find it HERE.

Enchiladas

I finally tweaked a recipe for enchiladas until it's something I love!

INGREDIENTS:

1 can of enchilada sauce

1 can of chicken broth

1 TBL canola oil

1 TBL flour

Salt/Pepper

1/2 onion, chopped

1 TBL canola oil

1 can chopped olives

1 can green chilies

1 lb ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1 package of soft shell tortillas

cilantro, chopped

cheddar cheese, shredded

sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan, heat 1 TBL canola oil and add 1 TBL flour over medium heat. Whisk together to form a paste. Add in the enchilada sauce and chicken broth. Sprinkle in cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, and continue to whisk. Lower heat to a simmer.

With 1 TBL canola oil in a skillet, brown onions. Add in meat, chilies, chopped olives and taco seasoning and cook until the meat is browned.

Put each tortilla shell (one by one) into the enchilada sauce, and then spoon in meat mixture, topping with cheese and rolling up and setting into a baking dish. Cover the enchiladas with the extra sauce and cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, and then sprinkle remaining cilantro on top.

Serve with sour cream!

Bath Bombs

INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces Baking Soda
2 ounces Citric Acid
2 ounces Corn Starch
2 ounces Epsom Salts

2 tsp water
1/2 tsp essential oil (I used lavender!)
1 TBL olive oil

METHOD:
1. Add dry ingredients into a Ziploc Bag and Mix them well.
2. Now measure your wet ingredients and mix them all in a plastic bowl. They won't mix perfectly, don't worry about that. You should have a little less than 2 TBL total of wet ingredients. You might not need the entire amount.
3. Start adding the wet ingredients to the dry mix one teaspoon at a time, don't add more than that amount at once because the mix will start reacting. Continue to mix at the same time you're adding the liquid- you'll have to release the air that builds in the ziploc bag as you go.
4. When you have added two teaspoons, test the mix by pinching a little in your hand. If it stays together and feels damp, your mix is ready. It should feel like damp sand.
5. Get ready to mold- you can fill an easter egg, cookie cutters, or any mold you may have. Wait until it's completely dry until you remove the mold. (We just shaped these with our hands and put them in cupcake papers).

Enjoy in your bath!

Tomato and Artichoke Chicken Roll-Up

INGREDIENTS:

Olive Oil

Chopped Onions

1 Can Diced Tomatoes

Chopped Basil (Fresh or Dried)

Minced Garlic

Chopped Oregano (Fresh or Dried)

6 Artichoke Hearts, Drained and Chopped

1 Red Bell Pepper, Chopped

Mushrooms, Chopped

Mozzarella, Shredded/Cubed

6-8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the chopped onion, red pepper and minced garlic- cook until fragrant. Add in artichokes, mushrooms, basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste (I use kosher salt). Remove from heat and add cheese- stirring just until the cheese acts as a 'glue' for all ingredients.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Lay out chicken and put topping on- rolling up to keep the artichoke mixture inside. Put them seam side down in a baking dish. Cover with diced tomatoes and additional basil, oregano, salt and pepper, possibly some garlic powder, too! I added a few bread crumbs. Cover with foil.

3. Bake for 30-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

Great with a salad!

Pasta Primavera

Another PW success! Click HERE for the recipe... and just note that I will add chicken or shrimp when I'm cooking it for my man! Oh, and I usually try to make her recipes as healthy as possible- whole wheat pasta (I used macaroni for mine because it's what I had!), low-calorie butter substitute and fat free half and half. Still delicious!

Brussel Sprouts

I just sauteed brussel sprouts in butter and added Nature's Seasoning, onions, bacon bits and garlic. I then put the lid on and "steamed" them to finish. They were so good- and fun for Ty to grab and eat! I served them as a side with corn on the cob and chicken that was marinated in caribbean jerk marinade. YUM!

Orange Chicken Rice

From Lauren

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut unto strips/pieces
1/4 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame dressing---I use lowfat and 1/2 cup, makes it juicier
1/4 cup orange juice---I use 1/2 cup, makes it juicier
3 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
1/4 cup chopped cocktail peanuts (use for garnish if you desire)

Heat large non-stick skillet on medium high heat. Add chicken, stir fry for 5-7 minutes until done.
Stir in dressing and juice. Bring to a boil. Add vegetables, cook 5-7 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Serve over rice, sprinkle with nuts.

Enjoy!

When I made this, I put it over Organic Quinoa instead of Rice. Quinoa is kind of a neat thing to try- it is high in protein, amino acids, fiber, magnesium and iron.

Mexican Pizza

Click HERE for the link! A fun, different way to eat tacos! And Ty LOVED them!

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Click HERE to go to Tasty Kitchen's site for the recipe! I have no picture, but it was good! I added some basil and oregano and used thin spaghetti noodles. Yum!

RelishRelish.Com

If you REALLY hate thinking of meal ideas, but like to cook- you might try a month's subscription to http://www.relishrelish.com/ I had a friend recommend it- I haven't personally used it yet, but I am thinking of it! She said the meals are still "gourmet" quality, and you can adjust the serving sizes, which is nice. Let me know what you think!

Candy Clay

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Powered Sugar

1/2 cup Corn Syrup

1/2 tsp Salt

1/3 cup Margarine (softened)

1 tsp Vanilla Extract (or Orange)

5-7 drops of food coloring

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until blended. If the mixture is too sticky, add more powdered sugar.

2. Sculpt with your Candy Clay to create different animals, pretend fruits, and other sculptures you can eat- looks great on cakes or cupcakes, too!

Meatballs and Alfredo

From Kara

I stole this idea from my friend, Kara- it's so easy and good!

INGREDIENTS:

Frozen Meatballs

Alfredo Sauce

Egg Noodles

DIRECTIONS:

Heat meatballs and alfredo sauce. Prepare egg noodles according to package directions. Serve meatballs and alfredo sauce on top of hot noodles. Enjoy!

Mushroom and Swiss Sliders

Okay, so I have no picture and nothing to write... because PW's recipe can be found HERE. I just wanted to remember this recipe and share with you guys because it was so good! :)

Chicken Marsala

I have found some great recipes off allrecipes.com and here is one! Click HERE for the link!

Cranberry Chicken

Recipe from Amy

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 Chicken Breasts (or you can use chicken tenderloins)

1 can of whole cranberries

1/2 bottle of catalina dressing

1 package of onion soup mix

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the cranberries, dressing and soup mix together. Put the chicken breasts in a pan and cover with sauce. Cook at 350 for 1-2 hours or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

I served over long grain rice (lemon rice would be good, too!) and with a side of steamed broccoli! Yum!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Glazed Carrots

This is a great, filling meal that is low fat!

The chicken has about 230 calories per serving and 7 grams of fat, and the carrots have 67 calories and 2 grams of fat.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN:

3 TBL Dijon mustard

1 tsp white-wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 (5 oz) skinless boneless chicken breast halves

1 1/2 English muffins (I used whole wheat)

3/4 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 TBL butter, melted

parchment paper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together mustard, vinegar, salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl and add the chicken breast halves, tossing to coat well (you could also marinate chicken up to 2 hours). Pulse English muffins in a food processor until finely ground. Add cheese, butter and remaining 1/4 tsp of pepper and pulse until well combined. Transfer to a shallow soup plate or pie plate. Dredge chicken, 1 piece at a time, in crumbs- coating completely and pressing gently to help crumbs adhere, then transfer to the baking sheet. Bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and cooked through, 15-20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS FOR CARROTS:

1 1/2 TBL packed brown sugar

1 TBL butter

1/2 cup low sodium, fat-free chicken broth

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 lb carrots (I used baby carrots)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp minced fresh parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Bring brown sugar, butter, broth, water and salt to a boil in a 10-inch heavy skillet, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add carrots and simmer covered, until just tender, 4-5 minutes. Transfer carrots with a slotted spoon to a bowl and boil liquid until reduced to a glaze. Return carrots to the skillet and cook over low heat, stirring, until heated through and coated with glaze. Stir in lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Pioneer Woman's Summer Stirfry

More PW food! Here's her Summer Stirfry! I made mine with tails off shrimp. I don't like messing with the tails. But that's just me!

Tequila Lime Chicken

Pioneer Woman's Tequila Lime Chicken is AWESOME! Try it out!!

Ellen's Creamy Beef Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground beef

8 tortilla shells

1 chopped onion

1 block cream cheese

8 oz sour cream

1 can enchilada sauce

Salsa, to taste (1 cup)

Shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef with chopped onion. Drain and add cream cheese and salsa to taste. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream and enchilada sauce. Spread 1/4 of the mixture in the bottom of a baking pan. Roll up the meat mixture in the shells and place in pan. Pour sour cream mix on top and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Tent with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 3-5 minutes longer until cheese is fully melted.

I made a couple PW recipes... just altered them a tad to fit what I had in the house! I did her Grilled Ribeye Steak with Onion Blue-Cheese Sauce... except, Andy grilled the steaks on our charcoal grill! Yum! Then I made her Creamy Herbed Potatoes, but instead of fresh sliced potatoes, I used a bag of frozen hashbrowns I had in the freezer. The herbs I used were: dill weed, sage, oregano and parsley. This meal was DELICIOUS!!!

Ja-Ja's Artichoke Dip

Our friend, Josceline (Ty calls her Ja-Ja!), makes this awesome dip at almost every gathering... it's pretty addictive, so beware!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans of artichokes, drained (you can cut them if they aren't diced already)

Mayo

Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Pine Nuts

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients together- I normally end up using about 1/2 cup of mayo and 1/2 can of parmesan cheese, but it's all eye-balled- you just want a creamy mix! Toss in some pine nuts, salt and pepper- pop it in the oven on 350 for about 10-15 minutes (just until warm) and viola! Delicious dip! You can serve this with crackers, pita chips or tortilla chips. It would be a great sandwich spread too!

Chicken Bacon Tomato Sandwich Ring

This is SO delicious! It is a recipe from Holly Coombs- she brought this to us when Madison was born, and Andy's been asking me to make it ever since!!

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups of cooked chicken (I boiled and shredded mine)

6-8 slices of bacon, crumbled

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/3 cup of mayo

1 tsp. dijon mustard

2 TBL parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 egg white

2 packages of crescent rolls

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375. Mix everything together, except the egg white and crescent rolls. Unroll the crescent rolls and start to make a wreath pattern with the wide end on the inside and the tip on the outside. Fill the wreath with the chicken mixture and fold the tips over onto the wide end. Brush egg whites over the rolls and bake according to roll directions or until the wreath looks golden brown.

Bang Bang Shrimp

This is inspired by the Bonefish Grill dish!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cornstarch
Vegetable Oil
Salt/Pepper
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sweet thai chili sauce
7-10 drops of Sirachi hot chili sauce


DIRECTIONS:
Cover shrimp in cornstarch and salt and pepper. Fry in hot vegetable oil for a few minutes and then drain. Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients to form a sauce. When the shrimp is still hot, cover in the sauce. You can serve this ontop of lettuce with green onions or scallions chopped on top. You also can grill the shrimp to make it a healthier dish.
I served with cheesy rice and grilled squash. You can also use this as an appetizer.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

From Jenny Boone

Click HERE to find the recipe. Jenny substitutes cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup for the cream of celery. She also divides it into two pans and freezes one for later.

Corn Casserole

From Kara Smith

INGREDIENTS:

1 box Jiffy corn mix

1 stick butter

1 can creamed corn

1 can whole kernel corn (drained)

8 oz. sour cream

2 eggs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in microwave

2. Mix all ingredients

3. Spray pan

4. Cook on 350 for 40-50 minutes

Chicken Crescent Wraps

We have been so lucky to have many delicious meals provided to us during Madison's newborn weeks! I have to share some of the recipes I've been treated to. I don't have any pictures- we definitely ate up all the food before I could even think about it, so I apologize there are no photos!

From: Kara Smith

INGREDIENTS:

1 package of 8 crescent rolls

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 can milk

Grated Cheese

Diced Chicken Breast (about 2 chicken breasts) or Tyson diced cooked chicken breast

9 x 13 pan

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray Pan

2. Cook Chicken (boil or use precooked)

3. Open Rolls

4. Put chicken in rolls

5. Cover with Cheese

6. Roll up crescent roll and pinch closed

7. Bake 10 minutes

8. Mix soup and milk and pour over rolls

9. Cook 20 more minutes

2 Easy Box Dinners

I don't really cook out of a box very often at all... but when I need something easy to make, with a quick clean up- I have tried both of these brands with great success! I bought a few to have on hand in my pantry (with frozen chicken) for after the baby comes so I don't have to worry about grocery shopping. I always add some kind of veggie into the dishes to make them a little more healthy, and they turn out so good!

Rigatoni With Red Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1 box of Rigatoni Noodles

1 onion, chopped

1-2 tsp garlic, minced

1 TBL olive oil

1 lb hamburger or italian sausage

2-3 cans of Italian Style Diced Tomatoes

1 tsp Thyme

1-2 cups of Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan and add onion and garlic until fragrant. Add in meat and cook until done- seasoning with thyme, salt and pepper. You can add in other italian seasonings if you wish- I added extra garlic salt and parsley. Stir in the cans of tomatoes and let simmer for 30-45 minutes. In the last 10-12 minutes, cook the noodles and stir in 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. When ready to serve, make individual portions of noodles and top with the meat sauce. If you want your red sauce to be more saucy, you can substitute one can of the tomatoes for a small can of marina or spaghetti sauce.

White Chicken Chili

INGREDIENTS:

1 can white kidney beans

1 can rotel

1 can chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 onion, diced

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 TBL butter or oil

1 tsp cumin

Salt/Pepper to taste

1 tsp chicken bouillon

4 chicken breast tenders, frozen

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the onion and garlic in the butter (or oil) until the onion is translucent. Add in the beans, rotel, cumin, salt and pepper, chicken bouillon and the chicken breast tenders. Pour in the chicken broth and if needed, add some water. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the chicken tenders are cooked. Remove them and with a fork, shred the meat. Add it back in and also add the cream of chicken soup. Simmer until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Hash Brown Ham & Broccoli Quiche

I've been finding some recipes off Tasty Kitchen, and this one is SO good! Click HERE for the recipe.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

We tried another Pioneer Woman recipe and it is definitely a new favorite! I used Chef Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Magic and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning as my Cajun Spices.

You can find her recipe by clicking HERE- Trust me, you'll love it!

Fusilli Verde

INGREDIENTS:
1 box spiral pasta
1 can of italian diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce (use your favorite spaghetti sauce or marinara!)
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 bunch of asparagus
1/2 white onion, chopped

2 tsp garlic, minced

Olive Oil

Salt/Pepper- Italian Seasonings, to Taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add onion and garlic, until soft and fragrant. Add in the tomatoes and sauce. You can either steam the vegetables, or cook them in a separate skillet with olive oil- but add the cooked vegetables in last. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Toss with pasta. (If you want to add a meat- use italian sausage!)

Served with warm bread and salad, delicious!

Jamaican Shrimp and Creamed Spinach

Shrimp:

INGREDIENTS:
6 tablespoons of butter
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons finely ground black pepter
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
30 uncooked large shrimp
2 cups of jamaican lager or other lager beer
6 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of honey

DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter, add garlic, pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper and stir one minute. Add shrimp and saute 1 minute. Stir in beer.
Using slotted spoon, transfer shrip to large bowl. Add chicken broth, worcestershire sauce and honey. Bring to boil.
Let simmer for about 45 minutes until sauce is reduced to about 1 1/4 cups. Return shrimp and cook for about three minutes.
Serve over rice.

Spinach: I used PW's recipe that you can find HERE. Yum!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Submitted by Natalie Vertin

1 rotisserie chicken (de-boned) OR 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked in 2 cans chicken broth for about 30 minutes. Remove chicken and cut up into bite-sized pieces. Return to broth.

Combine:
Chicken meat
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans Southwest Chicken-Vegetable Soup
1 can chili beans (drained)
1 can Rotel
1 can diced tomatoes w/ onion and garlic

**Can season with fresh/dried cilantro to taste. Heat thoroughly…5 minutes before serviing, crush a couple handfuls of tortilla chips into soup.

To serve, top with crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips or Fritos, Monterey-Jack cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

Spinach Salad with Basil Dressing

Submitted by Natalie Vertin

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch spinach, torn into pieces
1 small avocado, cubed
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
4 oz feta cheese (1/2 cup), crumbled
½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Dressing:
2 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup fresh basil leaves OR 2 tbsp dried basil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp granulated sugar
½ c olive oil
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Mix salad together. Mix ingredients for dressing together and pour over the spinach salad.

Carrot Bars

Submitted by Natalie Vertin

INGREDIENTS/DIRECTIONS:

Beat 4 eggs until thick.

Add:
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix. Add 3 jars carrot baby food. Pour into greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan (or 9 x 13 pan plus a square pan). Bake 30-40 min at 350 degrees.

Frosting: Beat and spread over cooled bars.
¾ of 8 oz package cream cheese
3 tbsp butter
½ tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Chip or M&M Pudding Cookies

*Top Secret Recipe!*

INGREDIENTS:
2 sticks butter (softened)
1 small box vanilla instant pudding (use JELL-O)
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. chocolate chips or mini M&Ms or regular M&Ms

DIRECTIONS:
Mix ingredients together. Bake 375 F 8-10 minutes. Do not roll the cookies place them the cookie with a tablespoon. If making for a large group, double recipe.

Cowboy Caviar

Submitted by Natalie Vertin

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz – Zesty Italian Dressing
1 firm ripe avocado
1 can (15 oz) Blackeyed Peas
1 can (11 oz) corn kernels
1 can (15 oz) Black Beans
2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (optional)
2/3 cup chopped cilantro
½ lbs Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Salt to taste
1 Bag tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. In large bowl, cut avocado into small cubes and mix gently with Italian Dressing to coat.
2. Drain and rinse peas, corn and beans. Add peas, corn, beans, cilantro and tomatoes to avocado mix. Mix gently to coat, add salt to taste.

Submit Your Favorites!!

Hello Blog Recipe Followers!! I have been posting lots of our family favorites- so I'm wondering... what are yours!? Send me your recipes, pictures (if you have them) and directions! Leave a comment or email me at: ericadavis16@yahoo.com

Can't wait to see what we get!!

Poppyseed Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
16 oz sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 TBL poppyseeds
Salt and Pepper to taste
4-5 shakes of Hot Sauce
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crumbled
1 stick of butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix the first 6 ingredients into a baking dish until well blended. Sprinkle the cracker crumbs on top and pour the butter over top. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve with rice or pasta.

Homemade Party Mix

(Great) Grandma Allen makes this at Christmas time and it is SO good- be careful, the recipe makes a lot, but you can also easily eat a lot! She calls it Christmas Chicken Feed. I call it delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:

1 lb. butter

2 tsp. onion salt

2 tsp. celery salt

2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. garlic salt

2 tsp. kosher salt (or table salt)

2 tsp. tabasco sauce

2 tsp. hot sauce (like Crystal Hot Sauce)

Mix:

1 pkg. Kix

1 pkg. Cheerios

1 pkg. Wheat Chex

1 pkg. Rice or Corn Chex

1 pkg. pretzel sticks

1 lb. cashews (optional)

1 lb. peanuts (optional)

1 lb. walnut kernels (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter and add all seasonings. In a large bowl (or bucket!) stir together all of the dry ingredients (cereals and nuts). Mix in the melted butter sauce (keep stirring it to make sure nothing settles on the bottom) and stir throughly to ensure even coating. Put in a shallow pan or cookie sheet and bake at 275 degrees for 1/2 hour, stirring often. When partly cooled, put in a large tupperware or ziplock bags and seal- it will remain crisp.

PW's Drip Beef

This has become one of my go-to recipes! Super easy and really yummy! We do the italian one (first one shown). If you click HERE, it will give you the link to the recipe!

Sausage Cheese Mini Breads

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground sausage

1 lb velveeta

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp oregano

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 loaf of mini rye-bread

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 400. Brown sausage and drain. Add remaining ingredients (besides rye bread) and mix together until cheese has melted. On a cookie sheet, spread the mini rye slices and top with the cheese/sausage mixture. Cook for 8-10 minutes. They are best when warm!

Spinach and Cranberry Salad

INGREDIENTS:

For Dressing:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1 cup oil

1 tsp poppy seeds

For Salad:

Baby Blend Spinach/Lettuce

Feta Cheese

Croutons

Purple Onion, sliced

Dried Cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

Mix salad ingredients together. For dressing, add everything into a blender but the oil and poppy seeds and mix it up. With the top open on the blender, while running, drizzle the oil into the mixture. Add poppy seeds also. Pour on top of salad.

Spaghetti Squash

This squash is so neat- it looks like spaghetti! A great way to fool kids into eating their veggies!

INGREDIENTS:

1 spaghetti squash

Olive Oil

Water

Basil

Can of Diced Tomatoes

Feta Cheese

Onion, Chopped

Garlic, Minced

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice squash in half and remove seeds. Spread olive oil onto a cookie sheet and lay the squash (cut side down) on the cookie sheets. Place a pan of water on the lower oven rack, and the cookie sheet with the squash above it on the upper rack. Cook for 35-45 minutes until the squash is tender. While that is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet. Cook onion and garlic until tender and fragrant. Add a can of diced tomatoes and let simmer until squash is done. With a fork, scoop out the squash into strands from the shell. Top with tomatoes, onion and garlic. Put basil and feta cheese on top.

Fruit Cheese Pie

INGREDIENTS:

1 graham cracker pie crust

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened (I use fat free)

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups Cool Whip (I use fat free)

1 (21 oz) can of fruit pie filling (I used strawberry)

DIRECTIONS:

Beat together cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in cool whip and blend until mixture is smooth. Spread into graham cracker crust and spoon pie filling over top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours before serving.

Brisket Rub

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 TBL pepper

2 TBL Paprika

1 TBL Ground Red Pepper (less if you don't like spice!)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix spices together well. Rub onto brisket, wrap in saran wrap and let rest in fridge for atleast 4 hours. Sear 5 minutes on each side in a hot skillet, and then put in roaster and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 325 for about 3 hours (for 4 lbs of meat).

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

This recipe is meant for 2 people- if you are feeding more, please double the quantities!

INGREDIENTS:

2 (6-8 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast

Salt/Pepper

2 TBL vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced (about 3 TBL)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 tsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

5 ounces tortilla chips, broken into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups)

1 tomato, cored, seeded and chopped

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

2 TBL chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

1. Adjust an oven rack to be about 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 TBL of oil in a 10-inch ovensafe skillet over med-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. Add the remaining 1 TBL oil, shallot, garlic, chipotle, and 1/4 tsp salt to the skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.

3. Stir in half of the tortilla chips. Nestle the chicken into the broth and chips, cover, and cook over med-low heat about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and when cool enough to handle, shred (pull apart) it into bite-sized pieces with 2 forks.

4. Return the chicken to the skillet, along with the tomato, 1/2 cup of the cheese and 1 TBL cilantro. Stir in the remaining chips until moistened.

5. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and broil until golden- 2-3 minutes. Using potholders, remove the skillet from the oven. Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes, and then sprinkle the remaining cilantro on and serve.

Roasted Asparagus

INGREDIENTS:

Asparagus

Olive Oil

Salt/Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse and take off the tough ends of asparagus. Lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet and pre-heat the oven to 425. Coat asparagus with olive oil and salt/pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, until at the preferred texture (some people like crunchy asparagus, others like soft).

Steamed Potatoes

Don't let the Crystal Hot Sauce fool you in these recipes- they are not spicy- just adds flavor!

INGREDIENTS:

Red Skin Potatoes

Melted Butter

Crystal Hot Sauce

Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Scrub the potatoes and slice into 1/4-1/8 cubes. Put into a steamer for 20-30 minutes until soft. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, hot sauce and lemon juice. Pour over potatoes when done steaming. Top with salt and pepper and coat evenly- toss potatoes.

Pork Tenderloin with Black Cherry Sauce

This meal is so easy- and so great! It actually would be a delicious date meal (Valentine's Day!) although it's one of Tyson's favorite, too- he even at all his meat!! I got the recipe from one of my music professors who is also an awesome chef!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2-1/4 lb of pork tenderloin per person

Crystal Hot Sauce

Salt and Pepper

Sauce:

8 oz. jar of Polaner All Fruit (Smuckers) Black Cherry (you can use other flavors, but black cherry is the best!)

4 TBL soy sauce

3 TBL red wine vinegar

1 TBL dry mustard

1/4 tsp allspice

DIRECTIONS:

Set the pork tenderloin out until it reaches room temperature. Rinse it and pat dry- and trim all extra fat. Slater in hot sauce and salt and pepper.

Preheat a cast iron skillet on high and saute on each side for 3 minutes. Move the meat onto a baking tray and cook on the top rack in the oven for 17-20 minutes at 425. (The meat thermometer should read 150 degrees when it's fully cooked). Take out and cover pan with aluminum foil and let rest. Slice diagonally with a good knife.

While the meat is cooking in the oven, mix the sauce ingredients in a pan on low until it simmers. Stir very well. When ready to eat, pour over the meat and enjoy!

We love to enjoy great bread with our dinners- I sometimes brush olive oil over the loaf of bread and add italian seasonings before I bake it to give it a crispy, delicious taste. For this meal, I made Parmesan butter and cut the bread into slices- spreading the butter inbetween each slice and also on top. Then I wrapped it in foil and baked until warm and the butter was melted. I usually use french or italian loafs. Here is the butter recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick of butter (or you can use margarine, or I can't believe it's not butter)

1 TBL Romano/asidago/Parmesan shredded cheeses

1 TBL lemon juice

1 TBL white wine- use penogresso or chardonnay

Salt/Pepper

Garlic Powder or Garlic Salt

Put all ingredients into a food processor and mix. You can also mix by hand- just be sure everything mixes up evenly! This is SO good on bread- either before or after you've cooked it!

Josceline's Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 small box of noodles (I used macaroni noodles)

1 can of tuna, drained

1/4 purple onion

2 stalks celery

1/2-3/4 cup of mayonnaise

Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Cook noodles according to the box. Put the tuna, purple onion and celery into a food processor and chop until very fine. When noodles are done, rinse in cool water. Combine noodles, finely chopped tuna, purple onion, celery, mayo and salt/pepper to taste. Refrigerate for several hours.

Vinnie's Spinach Salad

My favorite spinach salad of all times- recreated at home!!

INGREDIENTS:

Spinach leaves, washed and drained

White Onion, Sliced

Mushrooms, Sliced

Black Olives, Sliced

Banana Peppers, Sliced

Tomatoes, Sliced

Feta Cheese, Crumbled (optional)

Balsamic Vinagerette Dressing (I use a seasoning packet and make my own)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

Calzone

INGREDIENTS:

Pizza Dough (refrigerated or home-made)

Pizza Sauce

Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Ricotta Cheese (optional)

Pizza Toppings (Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon, Green Peppers and Onions is what I used)

Italian Seasoning

Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS:

Roll out pizza dough into small circles. Mix pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings in a bowl and then spread on 1/2 of the dough circle. Fold the crust over, and brush with olive oil and sprinkle on italian seasonings. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes (or follow directions on dough package).

Tasty Kitchen BCRC

Still on the search for 'our' Chicken, Broccoli, Rice Casserole... here's one we tried off the Tasty Kitchen. It was good- Andy and Tyson loved it.... still not what I'm looking for. Not sure how to explain what I'm looking for!! Anyways, if you haven't checked out Tasty Kitchen, YOU SHOULD! Here's the recipe for this: