Squash and Kale Pizza

INGREIDENTS:

• 1 whole wheat pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
• whole wheat flour for rolling dough
• finely ground yellow cornmeal for dusting
• 3-4 tablespoons  olive oil
• 2 cups  Tuscan kale leaves, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups  butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, cubed
• 6 ounces  smoked mozzarella
• fine sea salt (or kosher salt)
• black pepper to taste

step-by-step directions

• Place pizza stone in the oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash pieces with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15-20 minutes, tossing once or twice, until tender.
• Raise heat in oven to 500°F.
• Toss kale with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Thinly slice the mozzarella.
• Roll or toss pizza dough with extra whole wheat flour to about 1/4" to 1/2" thick circle. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pizza peel (or hard surface) and place rolled dough on top of cornmeal.
• Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté garlic until fragrant, but not yet brown. Brush dough with garlic olive oil mixture, covering the whole pie including crust. Make sure garlic is evenly spread around the dough.
• Sprinkle oiled dough with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, place a few slices of mozzarella on the crust, then the squash pieces, kale, and top with more sliced mozzarella. Gently slide pizza onto hot pizza stone and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until crust reaches desired consistency, the cheese is melted, and kale is slightly crispy.

Brushetta

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Cherry Tomates
4 tsp olive oil
2 TBL fresh basil, chopped
1 small shallot, chopped
4 slices whole-wheat French Bread baguette
1 garlic clove, halved

DIRECTIONS:
Thread tomatoes evenly onto skewers and grill for 5 minutes (turning once). Remove tomatoes from grill. Remove tomatoes from skewers; coarsely chop. Pace tomatoes, 2 tsps olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, basil, and shallot into a bowl, stirring to combine. Drizzle bread slices evenly with 2 tsp olive oil and grill for 30 seconds on each side. Rub cut sides of garlic over one side of bread slices; top evenly with tomato mixture.

Louisana BBQ Shrimp

Makes 2 Servings

If you want to make more than two servings, do so in seperate batches- one recipe fills a large skillet but serve while piping hot and stir the sauce frequently while serving. Everyone peels their own shrimp at the table and stirs the shrimp in the sauce along with dipping french bread in the sauce!

2 dozen large shrimp with shells - about 1 pound

Seasoning Mix:
1 teaspoon ground red pepper- preferably cayenne
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves crushed
1/8 teaspoon oregano leaves

1 stick plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter -total needed
1 & 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup basic shrimp stock - to make:peel 2 raw shrimp and put shells in 1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup beer at room temperature

Rinse the shrimp in cold water and drain well. In a small bowl combine the seasoning mix ingredients. In a large skillet combine 1 stick of butter, garlic, Worcestershire and seasoning mix over high heat. When the butter is melted, add the shrimp. Cook 2 minutes, shaking the pan vs stirring in a back and forth motion. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons butter and the stock, cook and shake pan 2 minutes. Add beer and cook and shake 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve immediately in bowls with lots of French bread on the side or on a platter with cooked rice mounded in the middle and shrimp and sauce surrounding it.

ie: Lagniappe: a certain percentage of oil is released when butter is melted, shaking the pan in back and forth motion and addition of stock to the butter keeps the sauce from deprecating and having an oily texture- stirring doesn't produce the same effect

Fresh Herb Pizza

I made this to go along with the Chicken, Feta, Blueberry Salads!! Perfect!!


Click HERE for the recipe!

Crockpot Chicken Nachos

This was a HUGE hit. Love it! Click HERE for the recipe for the Santa Fe Chicken... then just throw it over nachos, cheese, add some sour cream, avocado and jalapenos!

Grandma's Freezer Pickles

My grandma always makes these with cucumbers from her garden in the summer! I love that it's something I can do without canning and when I found a bulk of keiki cukes from the Big Island on sale, I knew I had to make these! So yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
8 cups sliced cucumbers
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced (I use the mandolin on those three ingredients to get them sliced very thin!)
1 TBL salt
2 cups sugar
1 TBL celery seed
1 TBL mustard seed
1 cup vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
Mix 1st four ingredients and let stand for 2 hours. Drain the mixture. Add last 4 ingredients together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Let cool. Pour liquid over the cucumbers and put in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Stir once a day. On the 3rd day you can put in freezer contains to freeze (or they are ready to eat!).

Oven "Fried" Pickles

I LOVE fried pickles... yummy!! Of course, being pregnant, I can use that as a good excuse to have a craving for them, so when I saw this on Skinny Taste, I had to try it. I just used my own ranch dressing, but the pickles turned out really great! Click HERE for the recipe!

Baked Avocado Salsa

We have 3 avocado trees and since it is officially avocado season- we are SWIMMING in them! It's awesome- so I've been trying every recipe I can that includes avocados! This was super yummy, and we loved it as a salsa or topping! Click HERE for the link.

Poolside Dip

This dip was pretty easy to make- and I would suggest eating them with a tortilla multi-grain scoop chip or fritos. I tried it with crackers, and it just wasn't very good that way. It would be a good dip for tortilla wraps, too!

INGREDIENTS:
1 red pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, diced (I took the seeds out of mine)
1 small can of corn (optional)
1 small can of diced black olives
16 oz of fat free cream cheese (softened)
1 pkg of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
~I added some Accent Salt and a couple dashes of Worcestershire

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together, refrigerate and serve!

Olive Cheese Bread

Another great recipe from Pioneer Woman (and like she says- mainly for the chicks... or at least not for my husband who doesn't like olives!) HERE is the link! I made it with a Cobb Salad and it was a yummy dinner!

Jalapeno-Cilantro Hummus

I got the idea to make this from Publix- their deli section has this variety of hummus and it's our favorite! We are getting ready to move where there won't be a Publix, so I'm trying to figure out how we're going to live without our staples from there!

INGREDIENTS:
1 can of chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Lemon or Lime Juice
2 TBL Olive Oil
1 clove minced garlic
Splash of Water
1/8 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Salt
Cilantro
Jalapeno- I used the pickled kind from the jar, and just put in about
(I've used Tahini before, but I just sprinkled in a few seasame seeds and called it good- I honestly didn't notice any difference in the flavor or consistency)

DIRECTIONS:
Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with Stacey's Pita Chips... we like Parmesan Garlic and Herb flavor!

Corn Salsa

I made this to go with the Pork Carnitas, but it would be yummy for other sides/appetizers, as well! I just used regular chili powder, as I couldn't find the chiptole kind, but it was still great! Click HERE for the link.

Crackled Deviled Eggs

Thanks to Pinterest, I found a way to make our Easter deviled eggs a little more exciting! 

The day before serving, hard boil your eggs (put them in a sauce pan and fill with water; cover. Bring just to boiling, turn off heat and wait 12-20 minutes) and then let them cool. Once cooled, tap them on the counter and roll so as to thoroughly cracking the shell. Drop each in water with food coloring (don't use vinegar, as that will affect the taste of the egg) and let set over night (we used plastic solo cups). The next day, peel the shells off and prepare your deviled eggs! I made these with dijon mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and a little bit of pickle relish. They were delicious and cute!

Edamame

This is not really a recipe- just something I wanted to post to remember... this is such a good, healthy compliment to any meal- and my kids LOVE popping them out of their shells. I only found out about this a few years ago, so look for it in the frozen vegetable/asian foods section- they steam in the microwave and are so good!

Superbowl Grub

This is mostly for my memory- because every Superbowl shopping trip I make, I'm always trying to remember what I made last year- I always remember it was GOOD, just don't want to forget anything!

In the crockpots:
Rotel/Velveeta Dip (serve with Tortilla Chips)
Little Chicken Weinies (I like the chicken better than beef) with a yummy BBQ sauce- like Extra Hot Gates or Johnny Harris) and toothpicks come in handy to serve these (I forgot this year!)

Sub Sandwich:
2 tubs of Pillsbury French Loaf Bread
Non-Stick Spray
Garlic Salt
Oregano
Basil
Hard Salami
Turkey
Ham
Muenster Cheese
Baby Swiss Cheese
Onion, sliced thin
Green Pepper, sliced thin
Tomato
Lettuce (shredded)
Mayo
Salt/Pepper
Italian Dressing

I put the dough in a circle on a round cookie sheet- spray with non-stick spray, and sprinkle seasonings on top- bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. When it's done, cut the top off and layer ingredients. Cut into smaller portions... so yummy!

Wings:
I bought a frozen bag of Tasty Bird's wings- they were already fried and coated in buffalo sauce, I just had to bake them in the oven. I did pour some of my own sauce (melted butter and hot sauce, with some Tabasco) on top of half of them because I like wings really saucy (my husband doesn't!). I mix sour cream, mayo and blue cheese crumbles with salt and pepper for a dip and cut up celery to go with it.

Puppy Chow:
The recipe for this is on the back of the chex box- called "Muddy Buddies"... but I like using the corn chex instead of rice chex because the rice chex always taste stale to me once done. Basically chocolate chips, peanut butter, vanilla, butter and powdered sugar. Easy and fun to make! Always get more chocolate chips than the recipe calls for- it never coats enough!

Guacamole:
I use 2-3 avocados, diced onion and tomato and cilantro and a seasoning packet from the produce section. It's always a hit.


And that was it! Yummy food!! :)

Raspberry Cheese Spread

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups/16 oz. finely shredded cheddar-jack or colby-jack cheese
1 bunch chopped chives or 3-4 scallions
chopped pecans (about 1/4 cup)
Smuckers Raspberry Preserves
Hellmann's or Duke's Real Mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS:
Mix cheese and chopped chives/scallions together. Add just enough mayonnaise to hold cheese together. Roll into a log or pat into a shape on a platter. Press chopped pecans onto outside of cheese log. Just before serving, stir raspberry preserves well with a knife to break up and liquify somewhat, then spread preserves on top.

Serve with buttery crackers such as Pepperidge Farm Entertaining Trio or Keebler Toasteds Butterthins.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

I found this on pinterest, but the original recipe had too little 'stuffing' for the amount of bread- so I tweaked it a bit for my tastes. The picture isn't the best- but these were really yummy!


2 cups shredded (cooked) chicken breast
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
5 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup hot sauce (Frank's buffalo sauce is what I used)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup warm milk (I used skim)
2 1/2 cups of flour

To make the buffalo chicken mixture, in a small bowl, combine the chicken, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, softened butter and hot sauce; set aside.

In a 1 cup measuring cup, heat the milk and then add the 2 tablespoons brown sugar; stir into warm milk until dissolved; place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

Add 2 1/2 cups flour and yeast to the stand mixer and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms, adding up to 1/2 cup additional flour, a little at a time, if necessary. Allow the dough to knead in the stand mixer for 5-7 minutes. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Place dough into a clean bowl that's been lightly oiled. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and bubbles appear on surface, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hands with flour, then gently roll and stretch 1 piece of dough to form a 12-inch-long rope. Flatten dough and arrange so a long side is nearest you, then roll out to a roughly 12- by 4-inch rectangle with a lightly floured rolling pin. Gently press one fourth of buffalo chicken mixture into lower third of rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border along bottom edge. Stretch bottom edge of dough up over filling and press tightly to seal, then roll up as tightly as possible to form a rope. Cut rope into 12 pieces and transfer to a sheet pan. Make 3 more ropes with remaining dough, filling and cut into pieces, transferring to sheet pans. Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, 30 minutes (dough will rise slightly).

Bake buffalo chicken bites in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Remove from oven (some cheese may have melted out.) and brush tops with melted butter before serving (optional).

Cheesy Quesadillas

Such an easy snack or lunch- especially for my kids!

INGREDIENTS:
Butter
Tortilla Shells (I use whole wheat)
Shredded Cheese (I use a mexican blend)
Cream Cheese
Pico de Gallo or Salsa/Sour Cream

DIRECTIONS:
In a skillet, melt butter. Put cream cheese onto the shell- lay down in the skillet (cream cheese side up) and sprinkle the shredded cheese. Top with another tortilla shell. Flip as shell browns and cheese melts. Slice and serve with your choice of toppings!

Creamy Caramel and Apples

From: Anita

INGREDIENTS:
3 cans of condensed milk
Apples (Honeycrisp are my favorite!)

DIRECTIONS:
Peel the labels off the cans of condensed milk. Put in a deep pot and cover with water. Boil for 3 hours (make sure to keep replenishing water to keep cans under water). Let cans cool slightly- and carefully open. Hot, creamy caramel will be awaiting you inside! Serve with sliced apples. Delicious!!!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup of buffalo wing sauce
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheese- mozzarella, cheddar or monterey jack
12. 5 oz of canned white chunk chicken

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a baking dish, stir cream cheese until smooth. Add dressing, wing sauce, and cheese. Stir in chicken. Bake for about 20 minutes- until warm and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips (I like the scoops!).