Critty in the Kitchen

"Cream Tacos" but really...FRITO PIE!

2011-03-08T10:40:00.000-08:00

I remember the very first time I had this dish. It was at the Wright home in Arkansas. It is so delicious and my family fell in love with it! I asked my mom to make it for my birthday many years following that first night we had it! It's a crowd pleaser for sure! I'm not sure why it's called "Cream Tacos..." as it's more like Frito Pie...but whatever you call it...IT'S GOOD! Go make it today!

1lb ground beef (I use extra lean)-cooked and drained

2 cans chili hot beans

1 can rotel

1 can chili

1 lb velvetta-cubed

1 cup whipping cream

Throw all ingrediants into crock-pot. Cook for 4 hours (or less if you wanted). I usually stir now and then.

When it's dinner time...take a big bowl. Throw some fritos in there. Scoup up some of the delicious cheese mixture and put on top of fritos. Then top it off with whatever your heart desires!

Lettuce, tomato, avacado, olives, sour cream, etc.

It's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!

Bacon Potato Cowder

2011-03-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

This is a DELICIOUS soup that my entire family LOVES! It makes great left-overs AND I've frozen it before and it's just as good warmed up!

4-5 slices bacon, chopped

3-4 cups red potatoes, cubed

1 cup onion, chopped

2 cups FF Chicken Broth

2 cups FF Half & Half

1 can 98%FF Cream of Chicken Soup

1 8oz can cream corn

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp celery powder

1 tsp salt

1tsp pepper

Cook bacon in dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until soft.

Add broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Add all other ingrediants and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Sprinkle with some cheese before serving. DELISH!

Spicy Broccoli Cheese Soup

2010-12-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful recipe! Great for a cool night!

Spicy Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup (I use 98% FF)

1 small onion

2 TBLS butter

2 10oz boxes of frozen chopped broccoli (prepared)

4 cups whole milk

4 oz pepper-jack cheese

1 to 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

In a large stock pot saute onion in butter. Add remaining ingrediants. Stir constantly so cheese doesn't burn. Best if you let simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stirring often!

I can never find the frozen chopped broccoli...so I just buy regular frozen broccoli...prepare it and chop it myself. Also...if you want to reduce the fat you can use skim milk. After you saute the onion sprinkle some flour into the pot. Stir well. Then add your milk and other ingrediants. Flour will help thicken the soup. For the pepper-jack cheese....I usually buy a package of the pepper-jack slices. I add 4 or 5 depending on how spicy I want it.

DELISH!

Wassail

2010-11-30T09:27:00.000-08:00

Oh...this is by far one of my Holiday Favs! Growing up my Mom would make this at Christmas Time and Christmas music would be playing, family would fill the house, Christmas decorations would be up....such incredible memories! This recipe is awesome! Not only does it make your house smell FANTASTIC, but it tastes incredible! And it's so easy! Make it this Christmas! And every Christmas after that. Your kids will thank you for it!

WASSAIL

(recipe from my talented, incredible Aunt Dana)

1 46oz can pineapple juice

1 64oz jar apple juice

6 cups orange juice (which is a regular 12oz can frozen concentrate prepared normally)

6 cinnamon sticks

2 tsp. whole cloves

Throw ingrediants together in a LARGE stock pot. Turn on Christmas music. Warm over stove all day long! Enjoy whenever you feel like it! SOOOO GOOOD.

Green Bean Bundles

2010-11-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

Okay people. These are the best things ever! I first had them at my beloved mother-in-law's Thanksgiving spread. (It was Brian's Step-Mom...who passed away a few years ago to cancer...everytime I make these I think of her).

They are delicious and incredible! They are now a Hutchins' Thanksgiving Staple!

Green Bean Bundles
(original recipe)

2 cans whole green beans
1 lb. lean bacon, cut in thirds
Toothpicks
1/2 c. butter
2/3 c. brown sugar
Garlic powder to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Drain green beans. Roll 3-4 in each piece of bacon
and secure with
toothpick. Arrange in 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan. In
microwave melt butter
with brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Pour over beans.
Bake, coverered at 350 for about 1 hour. Uncover last
10 minutes.

Okay...so that's the recipe I was given. Here is how I change it a bit. I usually put more than 3-4 green beans in a bundle. 5 or 6 is how I like it. You can use canned grean beans OR fresh! I like to use center cut bacon as it's less fat! If I'm making a ton...I'll double or atleast do one and a half of the brown sugar mixture to pour over pan! I make up the bundles the night before and put them in my 9x13 pan and put in fridge. That way all I have to do Thanksgiving Day for this dish is make the brown sugar mixture and throw it all together.

*Oh...and I DO NOT USE TOOTHPICKS!

Seriously so delicious! These also taste incredible as left-overs! Can't go wrong here people!

Easy Salmon Packets and Green Bean Medley

2009-12-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

I made a DELISH meal tonight! It was soooo good! It was the first time I've ever made salmon! It's now a favorite! I hope you enjoy this EASY meal! (The green bean side was AWESOME!)

Easy Salmon Packets for TWO

2 salmon fillets (4oz each)

2 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Place each fillet on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about a 12 inch square). top with mushrooms, tomato, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Fold foil around salmon and seal tightly. Place on a baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Open foil carefully; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

OMG this was amazing! I truly felt like I would eat this at a restaurant and it was so easy and GOOD FOR YOU TOO!

We had the following as a side dish...equally delish!

Green Bean Medley

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed

1 small sweet red pepper, finely chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 4-7 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, saute the red pepper, onions and mushrooms in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain beans; stir into vegetable mixture. Add the vinegar, basil, salt and pepper; heat through.

This was fantastic! I didn't have sherry vinegar so I just used some chicken stock I had on hand. VERY TASTY!

Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you try it!

Friday Night Chili

2009-12-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from a dear friend, Nicole Kinzler. I had tried many chili recipes and never found one that I just LOVED. But I LOVE this! Make it! All winter long!

Friday Night Chili

2lbs ground beef

2 large onions, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

2 (16oz) cans kidney beans, undrained

1 (16oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped

1 (8oz) can tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 TBLS chili powder

2 tsp garlic salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp ground red pepper

Cook meat, onions, and garlic in large saucepan. Add all other ingrediants and let it simmer for an hour.

*You can cut this recipe in half OR make the whole thing and freeze extra! Makes great leftovers too! And I just found out tonight...venison is great in it too! :-)

It's good to dream...

2009-08-24T09:59:00.001-07:00

I have to say I haven't always been one to dream. And when I say, "dream," I mean dreaming about the future; of what could be; to aim for something, etc. You get the idea. Actually I know that in the past I've sometimes been quick to crush a dream. My sweet hubby might come talk to me about some dream of his and I'll quickly remind him of reality and how that is NOT going to happen. I'm sorry baby!

I'm learning that it's good to dream! Even if nothing comes of it..it's atleast fun and can be inspirational and motivating. Lately Brian and I have been dreaming together. Dreaming about the future, about what God might have planned for us, about our life together. It's been VERY fun!

One of the things I've been dreaming about is starting a baking business. Nothing huge...I don't want to own a bakery or anything like that. But I do love to bake and I know it makes people happy and if I could make money doing it...well who wouldn't love that?

So, with the encouragement of my hubby and a few friends...I thought I'd give it a whirl!It has been SO MUCH FUN creating a name/logo with my husband. We'll snuggle on the couch and Brian will take my ideas and make it happen on the computer. He's awesome! We'll turn on some music and just sit and dream and talk! LOVE IT.

So....here is my new logo for my baked goods...

I'm going to be selling my yummy sourdough bread, my infamous chocolate chip cookies, my banana bread, and pumpkin bread. I might sell cupcakes too....we'll see how this goes first. If any of my friends in the Austin area wants to buy anything...leave a comment with your email address and I'll email you the info!

Even if nothing comes of this and I don't sell a single item...it's atleast been fun to dream, to bake, to work alongside my hubby! But here's hoping!

Fruited Wild Rice Pilaf (and chicken)

2009-07-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

So my sister first made this dish for me as a side. It was incredible! Then I decided to make it and add chicken for our entree. YUMMY! Either way you make it...I PROMISE you'll love it. I also altered the recipe a bit to make it must FASTER and EASIER! So I'll write how I altered it at the end of the post.

1 small onion

1 celery rib, chopped

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup uncooked brown rice

1/3 cup uncooked wild rice

1 can (14 1/2 oz) reduced sodium beef broth or vegetable broth

1 1/4 cups water

3/4 cup golden raisins and cherries (instead of cherries I used dried cranberries)

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp rubbed sage

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

*3 cups cooked, cubed chicken~optional*

In a large saucepan, saute the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in butter until tender. Add brown rice and wild rice; stir to coat.

Stir in the broth, water, fruit, parsley, salt, thyme, sage and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Remove from the heat; stir in pecans. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. ENJOY!

***Okay here is how I made it faster and easier. I used the 90 second rice in a bag! One bag of brown rice and one bag of wild rice. I omitted the water and just added a splash of the beef broth (perhaps 1/8 cup or 1/4 cup)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Icing

2009-07-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

Okay...how incredible do these look? Yeah...they taste even better! The cupcake is super yummy and rich. The icing...light and creamy. They totally compliment each other and it was incredible! Make them! And enjoy.

Cupcakes:

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

Frosting:

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temp

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of the double boiler). Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the water and set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the melted chocolate. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is blended into the batter. Add the vanilla and beat until the mixture looks creamy and the color has lightened slightly about 1 minute. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the water. Mix in the remaining flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth. *DO NOT OVER MIX!*

Position rack in the middle of the oven. preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 18 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.

Fill each paper liner with a generous 1/4 cup batter, to about 1/3 inch from the top of liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pans on wire racks.

Carefully place a wire rack on top of pan of cupcakes. Protecting your hands with pot holders and holding the pan and rack together, invert them to release the cupcakes onto the wire rack. Turn the cupcakes top side up to cool completely. Repeat with the second pan of cupcakes.

Make the frosting: Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of the double boiler). Stir the chocolate until it is melted and smooth. Remove from the water and set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Add the butter, and using an electric mixer on low speed, beat until smoothly blended, about 2 minutes. At firs the mixture will look crumbly, but then it will form a smooth mass. Beat in the melted chocolate. Add the vanilla and cream, mixing to incorporate. On medium speed, beat the frosting for at least 3 minutes, until it looks smooth and creamy and the color lightens.

Using a small spatula, spread about 3 tablespoons of frosting on top of each cupcake, mounding the frosting in the center.

*I only put 2 TBLS frosting (although they were heaping) and that was a ton! I had quite a bit of frosting left over...delish! My uncle got mad at me for disposing of the extra frosting. Sorry Uncle Paul!*

As you can see we all enjoyed, enjoyed, and enjoyed some more!

Top -To-Bottom Crumb Cupcakes

2009-07-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

Okay so these were DELISH! I had to send them to my hubby's work so I wouldn't eat them all! However I do, personally, think they should be called a muffin instead of a cupcake. I wanted to eat them for breakfast cause they tasted like amazing coffee cake! :-) Any time of day though...they are incredible.

Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or corn oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Topping:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.

Make the topping. In a large bowl, stir the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together, breaking up any large pieces of brown sugar. Add the butter. Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer on low speed, a pastry blender, or your fingertips, mix the ingredients together until crumbs form, the largest crumbs should be about 1/2 inch in size.

Make the cupcakes: Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg and yolk and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. on low speed, mix in the oil and vanilla until blended. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. mix in the flour mixture until it is Incorporated and the batter is smooth.

Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the crumbs into the bottom of each paper liner. Spoon about 2 1/2 tablespoons of batter into each liner. Spoon the remaining crumbs over the cupcakes, using about 1 1/2 tablespoons for each, the crumb topping will come to about 3/8 inch from the top of the liner.

Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pans on wire racks.

Carefully place a wire rack on top of the pan of cupcakes. Protecting your hands with pot holders and holding the pan and rack together, invert them to release the cupcakes onto the wire rack. turn the cupcakes top side up to cool completely. repeat with the second pan of cupcakes.

Dust the tops of the cupcakes with powdered sugar before serving.

Chicken Fettucini Alfredo

2009-06-10T09:34:00.001-07:00

Okay so this was REALLY good! Got it from Light N Tasty! Hope you enjoy as much as my ENTIRE family did!

1 pkg (16oz)fettuccine (I used wheat spaghetti cause I couldn't find wheat fettuccine)

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 TBLS Italian seasoning

6 garlic cloves, minced, divided

3 TBLS reduced fat butter, divided

1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms

1 medium onion, chopped

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 cups fat free milk

1 cup half -and-half (I used fat free)

1 1/2 cups (6oz) shredded reduced fat Colby-Monteray jack cheese

3 plum tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

1/4 cup plus 3 TBLS shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken, Italian seasoning and 2 garlic cloves in 1 tbls butter until chicken is no longer pink; remove and keep warm.

In the same skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in remaining butter until tender. Add remaining garlic; saute 1-2 minutes longer. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until blended; gradually add milk and cream.

Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add the cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, 1/4 cup parm. cheese and reserved chicken; cook and stir until heated through.

Drain fettuccine; serve with sauce. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tsp of remaining parm. cheese.

*I think this meal would have been even better with a bit of fresh basil on top. FYI

Chinese BBQ Chicken Wraps

2009-06-10T09:14:00.001-07:00

This recipe is so yummy! I saw Rachel Ray make it once and I've made it many times since. I actually don't know the name of the recipe so i'll call it "Chinese BBQ Chicken Wraps." Here is Rachel Ray's recipe:

2 cups, 4 handfuls, fresh shiitake mushrooms (I used white buttom mushrooms)

1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pounds thin cut chicken breast or chicken tenders

2 tablespoons light colored oil, such as vegetable oil or peanut oil

Coarse salt and coarse black pepper

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 inch ginger root, finely chopped or grated, optional

1 orange, zested

1/2 red bell pepper, diced small

1 small tin, 6 to 8 ounces, sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped

3 scallions, chopped

3 tablespoons hoisin, Chinese barbecue sauce, available on Asian foods aisle of market

1/2 large head iceberg lettuce, core removed, head quartered

Wedges of navel orange -- platter garnish

Remove tough stems from mushrooms and brush with damp towel to clean, Slice mushrooms. Chop chicken into small pieces. Preheat a large skillet or wok to high. Add oil to hot pan. Add chicken to the pan and sear meat by stir frying a minute or 2. Add mushrooms and cook another minute or two. Add salt and pepper to season, then garlic and ginger. Cook a minute more. Grate zest into pan, add bell pepper bits, chopped water chestnuts and scallions. Cook another minute, continuing to stir fry mixture. Add hoisin Chinese barbecue sauce and toss to coat the mixture evenly. Transfer the hot chopped barbecued chicken to serving platter and pile the quartered wedges of crisp iceberg lettuce along side. Add wedged oranges to platter to garnish. To eat, pile spoonfuls into lettuce leaves, wrapping lettuce around fillings and squeeze an orange wedge over.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Glaze

2009-05-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

Okay so one of my best friends got me this amazing cookbook full of cupcakes for my birthday one year! (THANK YOU REBECCA!) I love it! Here is one of my husband's favorite cupcakes. I made them for his CPA party.

Cupcakes:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

6 TBLS (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, at room temp

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk (any fat content)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar until smoothly blended and lightened in color, about 1 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Mix in the egg. Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute, or until the batter is smooth. On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions and milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing just until the flour is incorporated and the batter looks smooth.

Fill each paper liner with a generous 1/4 cup of batter, to about 1/3 inch below the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. There will be a few small cracks on top. Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack.

Carefully place the wire rack on top of the cupcakes in their pan. Protecting your hands with pot holders and holding the pan and rack together, invert them to release the cupcakes onto the wire rack. Turn the cupcakes top side up to cool completely.

Glaze:

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 TBLS unsalted butter

1 cup chopped milk chocolate or milk chocolate chips

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and butter over low heat until the c ream is hot and the butter has melted. The mixture should form tiny bubbles and measure about 175 degrees on a thermometer; do not let it boil. remove the pan from heat, add the milk chocolate, and let it sit in the hot cream for about 30 seconds to soften. Add the vanilla and whisk the glaze until it is smooth and all the chocolate has melted. (Return the glaze to low heat if necessary to melt the chocolate completely, whisking constantly.) The glaze should be thick enough to hold it's shape when spread over the cupcakes. If it is too liquid to spread, let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Using a small spatula, spread 1 TBLS of the glaze over the top of each cupcake.

The cupcakes can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Dijon-Crusted Chicken Breasts

2009-05-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

Well, obviously, I haven't kept up with my recipe blog. A little after my last post I found out I was pregnant. A huge praise in my life. I got really sick during this pregnancy and pretty much stopped cooking really good meals. I'm just now getting back into the swing of things and thought it was time to use my blog again. Plus my husband and I are starting a diet next week and I plan to do some yummy, healthy meals for us! So I'm hoping to post at least one recipe a week. Sometimes it won't be anything special, but hopefully it will, at least, give you some ideas for cooking for your family.

This recipe is SOOOO GOOD! My sister made it for me and I've made it twice since then. The original recipe calls for chicken, but we made it with Tilapia and it was INCREDIBLE! I think it would also be great with pork chops. It's from the Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine.

Dijon-Crusted Chicken (or tilapia)

1/3 cup dry bread crumbs

1 TBLS grated Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)

2 TBLS Dijon mustard

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp reduced-fat margarine

Place the first 6 ingredients in a shallow bowl. Brush chicken with mustard; roll in crumb mixture.

In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil and margarine over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamin Chip

2008-07-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

Oooooh this is a good one people! While I was in Indiana visiting my aunt, uncle, and cousins this summer we had this amazing fruit salsa and cinnamin chips. It was so incredibly good! When my family came for 4th of July we decided we would try and make it all. Boy I'm glad we did! It was GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! Ya'll have to try this one. YUMMO.

Fruit Salsa:

Really you can take any fruit you want. We used strawberries, rasberries, kiwi, and peaches. I took some of the strawberries and put them in my ultimate chopper (kinda like a mini food processor) and chopped them till they became liquidfied. This was the start of the base for the salsa. Then my wonderful sister chopped some strawberries, rasberries, kiwi, and peaches into bite size tiny little pieces. Stir it all together. We added some splenda and light brown sugar. It was incredible!

Cinnamin Chips:

We bought some flour tortillas, cut them into 6 pieces. Lay them out over your cookie sheet. Put cinnamin and sugar into a shaker. I would use 3 part sugar to 1 part cinnamin. Melt some butter and then baste, heavily, each piece. Shake on, heavily, the cinnamin and sugar. Bake for 6-8 minutes. Take out of oven and then flip chips over with a fork. Baste the 2nd side with butter and shake on cinnamin and sugar again. Bake for another 6-8 minutes. Let cool on a plate.

This is a picture of my family enjoying our fruit salsa and playing chicken foot.

4th Of July Weekend

2008-07-12T18:33:00.001-07:00

Well we had my wonderful family at our place for 4th of July. And if my family knows how to do something...it's EAT GOOD FOOD! :-) I have no particular great recipe in this post, but the meal was so yummy and "pretty" I just had to post a picture. It was great! Great food, great conversation, great memories! LOVE YOU FAMILY! (missed you bobby!)

Steak: We generally always use the same marinade for our steaks. This particular steak is a ribeye...which is what I usually buy as they are nice and tender. We marinade them in Worcestershire Sauce, Cavender's, Salt, Pepper, and minced garlic (or garlic powder). I have no measurements we just eyeball it. Rub the steaks with all these ingrediants and let sit in marinade for atleast 4 hours for best results. Grill and ENJOY! (We've tried other marinades, but always go back to this one)

Grilled Veggies: We just chopped up some of our favorite veggies, coated them in olive oil, salt, and pepper and threw them on the grill in a grill pan. Delish!

Sweet Potatoe Hash: I love this one. It's a great alternative to mashed potatoes. Much healthier. You just cut your sweet potatoes into bite size pieces. Chop 1 onion into the same size pieces. Heat your skillet, add olive oil. Throw in potatoes and onion. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Here's the twist...add cinnamin and sugar! I'm telling ya it's wonderful! We always have a cinn/sugar shaker so I just shake it over the mixture and pop a lid on the pan; stirring occasionally until potatoes are soft.

Grilled Pineapple: Just threw some pineapple on skewers and grilled. Makes them nice and sweet.

Melt In Your Mouth Meatloaf

2008-07-12T18:21:00.001-07:00

This is a recipe I got from good ole Paula Deen. I just adore Paula and love her recipes. For Christmas my Mom gave me a cookbook called "The Lady & Sons; Savannah Country Cookbook." It's got just a TON of delicious Paula recipes. I love it. I had seen Paula make this meatloaf on her show back when we had cable. And it's in this wonderful cookbook. (I usually cut this recipe in half when making it for Brian, Olivia, and I.

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef (I, of course use the lean stuff)

2 tsp House Seasoning (Paula's "house seasoning" is made up of 1 cup salt, 1/4 cup black pepper, and 1/4 cup garlic powder. Mix well and store in shaker. OR you just just throw in a dash of salt, pepper, and garlic powder which is what I do. :-) )

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup grated Chedcar cheese

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup sour cream

1 cup crushed crackers (I use wheat or multigrain)

1 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt (off brand is fine)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients except bread slices well. Shape into loaf. Place loaf in meatloaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Let set 5 minutes before slicing.

It's soooooo yummy. This is a great recipe to take to people who are in need of a meal. So yummy. Makes GREAT leftovers too. Enjoy.

Lemon Bars

2008-06-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

This recipe is one of my Aunt Dana Russo's. It's simply delicious and super easy! Hope you all enjoy!

Lemon Bars

1 cup butter softened (I used margarine)

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

4 TBLS flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

6 TBLS lemon juice from concentrate

1 tsp lemon zest

Mix first three ingredients and press into a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients. Pour over hot crust. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar while hot. Cool before cutting. ENJOY! Great for those summer potlucks or picnics.

Mexican Pizza

2008-05-18T12:33:00.001-07:00

We love pizza! Every Sunday night we make our own pizza. It's a little family tradition we've started. Well this particular time I thought I'd change it up a bit. We made Mexican Pizza! We have a local pizza place here in Austin that sells pizza dough. So every month we go and buy enough dough balls to last us the next several weeks. Then we pile on our favorite toppings. So go and get some pizza dough from the grocery store or check your local pizza places to see if they sell their pizza dough too. It's SO YUMMY.

Mexican Pizza:

Pizza dough

Refried Beans (fat free)

1 lb hamburger cooked with taco seasoning

2 cups cheddar cheese

Assorted Toppings:

lettuce

tomato

avacado

black beans

Black olives

onion

Dollop of sour cream

Roll out pizza dough onto your pizza pan. Cook pizza dough halfway (according to package directions) then pull out and add refried beans, then taco meat, then cheese. Then bake until crust is done and cheese is melted. Add whatever toppings you would like. We did say the next time we make it we are going to add a layer of taco sauce. And in the picture the reason we left half of it w/out toppings is cause we knew we wouldn't eat the entire thing that night. We saved the rest for left-overs and added toppings then. Enjoy!

Garlic Seafood and Sausage Pasta

2008-05-06T21:04:00.001-07:00

This is a recipe I changed up just a bit from a Light N Tasty dish. It's DELICIOUS PEOPLE! Brian loved it, as did Olivia. The original recipe called for chicken, but I switched it up a bit. Hope you enjoy! It's great!

Garlic Seafood and Sausage Pasta

1 package spaghetti (I used wheat pasta of course)

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil)

1 cup boiling water

1/2 lb shrimp

1 lb smoked sausage, cut into bite sized pieces (I used turkey sausage)

3 TBLS olive oil

2 - 3/4 cups sliced mushrooms

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup reduced-sodium/FF chicken broth

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup parm. cheese

Boil spaghetti according to package. Meanwhile boil 1 cup water and pour over sun dried tomatoes for 5 minutes. Then chop.

In a large heated skillet pour olive oil and saute sausage, mushrooms, and garlic together. Saute until mushrooms are cooked. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are done. Add broth, wine, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and red peper flakes. Let simmer for few minutes. Stir in reserved tomatoes and then toss with cooked spaghetti. Add cheese and toss. DELISH!

Marinated Beef Brisket

2008-05-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

This is a YUMMY marinade! I hope ya'll enjoy it. I've used it both with brisket and roast.

2 lb beef brisket (not corned style)

2 cups fat free beef broth

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup packed ligh brown sugar

3 cloves garlic

1 cup onion

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup LaChoy Lite Soy Sauce

Mix all ingrediants and pour over meat in large zip lock bag. Seal and set in fridge over night.

Set brisket in crockpot with marinade. Set crockpot on low for 8-10 hours. Enjoy!

I usually take some of the marinade after it cooks and put in a small sauce pan. Then mix in a seperate bowl some corn starch and water and wisk into boiling marinade. It will thicken and made a yummy gravy to go on your meat.

Parmesan Catfish

2008-04-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Light N Tasty. They say to bake it, but I like to fry it. :-) hehe I know that means more fat and calories, but it's just so much better. No matter which way you decide to cook it...I know you'll enjoy it.

Parmesan Catfish

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 TBLS cornmeal

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 egg white

1/4 cup fat-free milk

4 catfish fillets (approx 6 oz each)

In a shallow dish, combine the flour, Parm. cheese, cornmeal, paprika, salt and pepper; set aside. In another shallow dish, beat egg white and milk. Dip fillets in milk mixture, then in flour mixture. Place in a 13x9 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. OR if you want to fry it...heat oil to 350 degrees and fry till golden brown and fish flakes easily with fork.

I served this with roasted potatoes, steamed broccoli, and of course cocktail sauce. YUMMO PEOPLE!

My Mamma's Banana Bread

2008-04-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

I LOVE banana bread! My Mom made it all the time growing up and I seriously think I could eat a whole loaf if I let myself. :-) I learned SO MUCH of my cooking and baking skills from my wonderful mother! Thank you Mom! Today my sweet daughter helped me make this bread.

This recipe is just a standard banana bread recipe that my Grandmother used to make, but it's OH SO GOOD! Go bake some, add some butter, and enjoy.

Banana Bread

4 TBLS margarine, softened

1 Cup sugar

2 eggs

3 large, ripe bananas

2 Cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbls water

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream Marg. and sugar. Add eggs and bananas. Add remaining ingrediants and mix thoroughly. Pour into sprayed loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. (time may vary due to oven differences)

Smoked Sausage with Pasta

2008-04-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

Let me preface that I know SO MANY incredible cooks! I have friends who are able to just make up a recipe. I do not have this talent. I can follow directions well and can add a few things here and there, but inventing something is totally new to me. So to all my friends that can cook...make a blog too so you can inspire me! :-)

Okay here is SMOKED SAUSAGE WITH PASTA (from Light N Tasty)

4 oz uncooked angel hair pasta (I use wheat pasta)

1/2 lb reduced fat smoked turkey sausage, cut into bite sized pieces

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp dried basil

1 TBLS olive or canola oil

2 cups julienned seeded plum tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 pinches of red pepper flakes (depends on how hot you want it)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, saute the sausage, mushrooms, garlic and basil in oil until mushrooms are tender. Drain pasta, add to the sausage mixture. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper; toss gently. Heat through. YIELD: 4 servings

I served this with garlic bread and salad. Hope you all enjoy! MAKES GREAT LEFTOVERS.

Learning how to work this blog world

2008-04-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

Well I'm just now learning how to work all this blog stuff so have patience with me. But I had this great idea from a friend about starting a recipe blog and I had some spare time so I thought I'd go for it! I hope that you find this a useful tool to find some yummy recipes for your friends and family!