American Honey, Chicken Chicken, and a whole lot of Catch Up!

First off, I'm sorry that it has been awhile since I've written.  As I mentioned in a previous post, my job has taken a toll on my body putting me in a lot of pain all the time.  My hours had also increased at work, so I have had less time to post and cook.  However, I put my two weeks notice in last Thursday, and I have left my current job.  I have another job lined up that will be easier on my body and more enjoyable for me.  This also will give me the ability to cook more, blog more, and spend more time with my husband.  So now that we've got that out of the way, let's get to what you all are really here to read!

Honey reminds me of summer.  Whether it's the song "American Honey", the smell of honeysuckle, or the fact that my hair goes from mouse brown to honey blonde as soon as the sun begins to lighten it, summer means honey.

As a result, I've been on a little honey kick lately.  We've had several dishes that featured honey as a main ingredient this week, as well as a few non-honey dishes.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of this first dish.  It's a Crockpot dish.  I had to work late last week, so my Honey had to serve it up...and forgot the picture.  So you'll just have to imagine the deliciousness.

Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken

Original recipe can be found at: http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2012/08/crock-pot-honey-sesame-chicken.html

Ingredients:

• 6 Chicken Thighs (boneless & skinless)
• 1/2 c. Onion, chopped
• 1 T. Minced Garlic
• 1/2 c. Honey
• 1/4 c. Ketchup
• 2 T. Olive Oil
• 1/2 c. Less Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/4 t. Red Pepper Flakes
• 4 t. Corn Starch
• 1/3 c. Water
• Sesame Seeds
• 3 Green Onions, chopped
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Line your Crockpot with a liner.  (This is optional, but will save you so much time and hassle when it comes time to clean up!  I highly recommend using these if you don't already)
2. Season the chicken evenly with salt and pepper, and place in Crockpot.
3. In a second bowl, combine honey, ketchup, soy sauce, olive oil, and red pepper flakes.  Be sure to mix well.  A whisk works best.  Pour evenly over the chicken.
4. Cook on low 3-4 hours.  If you are in a hurry, you can cook on high for 2 hours.
5. Take the chicken out of the Crockpot.  Dice or shred it.  
6. In a separate bowl, mix corn starch and water thoroughly.  Mix in the Crockpot with the sauce.  Cook the sauce on high for 10 more minutes so that it can thicken.
7. The rest is up to you!  My husband had his chicken and sauce over rice.  I'm not a huge rice fan, so I had mine by itself.  Both of us garnished ours with green onions.  Instead of garnishing our chicken with sesame seeds, we mixed a good amount into the sauce.  This might be good over noodles or quinoa.

The following night I was still on my honey kick.  I did make one recipe without honey though...

Dilled Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Original recipe can be found at: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/dilled-cucumber-and-tomato-salad/bad12a71-dad1-4f2b-a247-0de2c3fa0148

Ingredients:

• 2 Cucumbers, sliced (the thinner the better)
• 5 Vine-Ripened Tomatoes (cut into 8 wedges each)
• 1/2 c. Red Onion, finely chopped
• 1 T. Dill, finely chopped,
• 1/2 c. Rice Vinegar
• 4 t. Sugar
• 1/2 t. Seasoned salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix tomatoes, onion, and cucumbers
2. In a separate bowl, mix other ingredients well.  Pour over veggies and toss.  Cover and refrigerate for one hour to allow the veggies to soak up the dressing flavors.  Toss again and serve.

I'll be honest.  I was super excited about this salad because it didn't have any leafy greens.  However, the dressing turned out to be a little too sweet for me.  My husband really liked it though.  He isn't as picky about salads as I am.  But back to the honey recipes...

Honey Roasted Red Potatoes

Original Recipe can be found at: http://mytastytreasures.blogspot.com/2011/07/honey-roasted-red-potatoes.html

Ingredients:

• 5 Red Potatoes, cut in bite-size chunks
• 4 T. Butter, melted
• 2 T. Chopped Onion
• 2 T. Honey
• 2 t. Dry Mustard
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Spread out your potatoes in the dish, taking care to make sure they do not overlap.  Sprinkle on the onion.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the butter, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper.  As far as the salt and pepper goes, put in as much or as little as you prefer, or even leave it out all together.
4. Drizzle the mixture over potatoes and onions.  Stir them around so that they are all evenly coated.  Spread them back out as best as you can into a single layer.
5. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender.  Stir twice during the cooking process so that the potatoes can be recoated.
6. Serve hot.

As I have mentioned before, I am not a huge potato fan.  These were good though, and my husband really liked them.  The honey gave them a little sweetness, but not too much.  To accompany our potatoes, I made...

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Chicken Breasts

Original recipe can be found at: http://www.nlrockrecipes.com/2012/04/doube-crunch-honey-garic-chicken.html

Ingredients:

1. 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2. 2 c. Flour
3. 4 t. Salt
4. 4 t. Black Pepper
5. 3 T. Ground Ginger
6. 2 T. Ground Nutmeg
7. 2 t. Ground Thyme
8. 2 t. Ground Sage
9. 2 T. Paprika
10. 1 t. Cayenne Pepper
11. 4 Eggs
12. 8 T. Water
13. 2 T. Olive Oil
14. 3-4 Cloves Minced Garlic
15. 1 c. Honey
16. 1/4 c. Soy Sauce
17. 1 t. Ground Black Pepper
18. Vegetable Oil

Directions:

I have given each ingredient above a number to make this recipe easier to follow.  The original recipe has the ingredients scattered throughout the recipe making it somewhat difficult to read.  Hope this helps!

1. Put chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap.  Use a meat mallet to hammer the meat to a 1/2 inch thickness.
2. Sift ingredients 2-10 in a separate bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix ingredients 11-12 until well blended.
4. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Dip the breasts in the dry mixture, then dip it into the egg wash.  Dip back into the dry mixture, pressing the dry mixture into the chicken.
5. Heat a skillet with about 1/2" canola oil.  Fry the breasts on medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
6. Drain on a wire rack for a few minutes.
7. In a saucepan, heat ingredients 13 and 14.  Allow the garlic to soften but not brown.
8. Add ingredients 15-17 and simmer for 7-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for about three minutes.  Drizzle over chicken breasts.  Serve.

This chicken was fantastic!  I will say, ours was not very crunchy though.  Definitely worth making! At this point I had gotten all of the honey out of my system and for the next night, I needed something easy.

Original idea from Pinterest (The picture had directions, but no blog or website link)

Ingredients:

• 2 Cans Green beans
• 6 Mushrooms, sliced
• 3 Chicken Breasts
• 5 Red Potatoes, cut into large chunks
• 1 Packet Italian Dressing mix
• 1 Stick of Butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Arrange green beans, chicken, and potatoes in a 9x13 baking dish.
3. Top with mushroom slices.
4. Sprinkle with Italian dressing mix and top with melted butter.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

So easy and quite good!  My only issue was that my chicken was a little dry and the potatoes were a little under done.  However, it was a quick, yummy meal!

I will be playing catch up over the next few days as well as posting some of my current recipes.  Happy cooking!

Morning by Morning, Recipe by Recipe

If there is something I am learning right now, it is simply to take life one day at a time.  I've recently been reading Regina Brett's book "God Never Blinks".  In her book, she encourages readers to live in the present moment and that if you aren't sure where to go, do "the next right thing".  So that's where I am right now, merely taking things step by step, morning by morning, day by day.  Honestly, that's the best way to do anything and get anything done well.  Most people never achieve their goals or live their dreams simply because they did not take that first baby step.  It's heartbreaking.  I talk to people all the time who read my blog or see my posts on Facebook about the food I make.  Often I hear comments like, "your food looks so good!  I wish I could cook like that" or "I wish I knew how to cook well" or "your food has so much variety!  I wish I ate __________".  I'm always puzzled.  In my head I respond, "...Well, why don't you?".  Of course, this would be rude and blunt to say, so I usually just smile and say thank you.  But really, what's holding you back?

What would be the first step for you?  For some, it might mean taking an extremely basic class.  For others, it might be going to the library and starting with a very simple children's cookbook (some of which actually have amazing recipes!).  For others, it might mean going to culinary school or having a friend help teach you. I think for many, it is getting beyond that initial fear of failure and fear of the unknown.  I know several cooks who use basically the same ingredients all the time, because they are afraid of using new ingredients, new foods, new recipes, new techniques.

My first step was cooking the first recipe on my Pinterest board, which at the time had over 2,000 recipes.  Yep, my goal is to cook my way through Pinterest.  The great thing about this is that I will probably never finish.  That's okay.  The first step is only one recipe.

I'll be honest: I don't love everything I make.  I don't even like everything I make.  Sometimes I know I'm probably not going to like it before I even buy the ingredients.  That isn't why I cook though.  Sure, I love to eat foods that taste good to me.  I also love eating things that are healthy (which sometimes means eating things I don't like).  But most of all, I love the journey from reading the recipe for the first time to grocery shopping to making the food to arranging it on plates to serving it to blogging about it.  I love the art of cooking.

I also love a challenge.  In school when projects were assigned, I would always choose difficult topics, usually ones I knew nothing about or ones that were highly specialized.  I was looking for a challenge.  I took some of the most difficult courses offered at my college.  My freshman year, I was advised to take Spanish as my language in college because I had a solid background in it and it would be easier than some of the other languages offered.  The moment I heard that, I had it in my mind that I would take Koine Greek (which is now a dead language) and Hebrew.

I am the same way when it comes to cooking.  The more odd ingredients a recipe has, the more likely I'm going to drive the staff at my local grocery store crazy trying to find them.  The more steps a recipe has, the better.  The more terms I don't know, the more fun I have looking them up.  The more time a recipe takes, the more anticipation I get for the final product.  I love complicated.  What's so funny about cooking (and a lot of other things in life, really) is that many recipes that appear complicated at first, end up being incredibly easy.

I want to encourage you all to step out of your food comfort zone.  Try a new food.  Try a new spice.  Try a new recipe.  Write the first paragraph for your own food blog.  Buy some cute plates to display your food on.  Wash off that food processor you've never used.  Sign up for a class.  Call up a friend.  Cook that first new recipe.

I say all this because two of the things I made last night were ones that I probably would not have attempted six months ago.  One of these looked too time consuming and difficult.  The other I knew I wouldn't like.

Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Original recipe can be found at: http://www.mountainmamacooks.com/2011/02/bacon-and-cream-cheese-stuffed-mushrooms/

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. Mushrooms (I used white button)
• 4 oz. Cream Cheese
• 3 strips Bacon
• 1/2 c. Red Onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 t. Minced Garlic
• 1/4 c. Parmesan, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the uncooked strips of bacon into small pieces and cook them in a skillet.
3. While the bacon is frying, de-stem your mushrooms. (I had never done this before.  I started by trying to cut them out and that didn't work well.  Then I tried twisting the stem out.  This resulted in broken caps.  Finally I discovered the secret is to gently rock the stem and then pull straight out.)  Finely chop the mushroom stems (I also chopped the broken caps).
4. Once your bacon has crisped up, transfer the pieces to a plate covered with paper towels.  Leave the grease in the pan and put your chopped onion in to saute.  Saute for roughly five minutes, until the onion is well done.
5. Add your mushroom stems and garlic to the onion and cook for about two more minutes.  Make sure you stir frequently so that the garlic doesn't burn.
6. Turn the heat down to low, and add in your cream cheese and parmesan cheese.  I would recommend adding the cream cheese in small chunks to help it melt.  Stir continuously.
7. Once your cheese is melty, put your bacon back in the mixture.  Make sure that the bacon is evenly distributed throughout.
8. Cover a large baking sheet (with sides) with foil.  Fill your mushroom caps and place on the foil.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Serve hot.

I had always thought that stuffed mushrooms were really hard to make and super time consuming.  They are usually expensive at restaurants and I thought that taking the stem off the mushrooms and filling them would take forever!  In reality, once I figured out what I was doing, it really wasn't that hard.  They ended up being so delicious, that I would recommend doubling the recipe!

I'll be candid, I did not really like this next recipe.  My husband loved it.  Until we got married, I had never eaten an avocado, save for in some guacamole at Chipotle.  One day, my husband came home with an avocado, cut it open, and ate it right out of the peel.  I tried a bite and found that avocados were not to my liking.  My husband LOVES avocados.  If I could come up with a way to incorporate them into every meal, he would be thrilled.  Marriage is about giving up your own wants and needs for those of your spouse.  As a token of my love for him, I have been trying to incorporate avocados into our menu once or twice a week.  I'm trying to learn to like them, although so far I have discovered I like them best in guacamole with lots of lime juice.  LOTS of lime.  Even so, we had these last night (and yes, my husband loved them)...

"Grilled" Avocados with Lime and Hot Sauce

Original recipe can be found at: http://morselsandmusings.blogspot.com/2011/09/grilled-avocado-w-melted-cheese-hot.html

Ingredients:

• 2 Avocados
• 2 T. Hot Sauce
• Juice of 2 Limes
• 1/2 c. Parmesan, grated
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits.  Cut a criss-cross pattern in the fruit, like in the picture above, so that the sauces will sink into the fruit.
2. Spoon 1/2 T. of the hot sauce over each avocado.  Spoon 1/4 of the lime juice on each avocado.
3. Fill the hole with 1/2 of the parmesan cheese.  Broil for about 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and sprinkle remaining cheese over the avocados and season with salt and peppers.  Broil for 2 more minutes.
5. Serve hot.  If the avocado has not warmed all the way through, put it back in for another minute or so.

This one just wasn't my thing.  I'm just not a big avocado person.

The last thing I made really wasn't a recipe per se, more of a new way of looking at an old favorite.  I love pound cake.  So much sugar and butter...yummmmm!  I thought I'd heard of everything you could do with a pound cake, but then I saw a pin on Pinterest for "Grilled Pound Cake".  I thought it was some different pound cake recipe, so I repinned.  I came back to it later, and there was not even a recipe for pound cake, just simple instructions on how to grill it.  I found a pound cake recipe in one of my cook books and made the cake.  You could even use store bought pound cake if you don't want to bake.  Slice the cake into slices that are about an inch or two thick.  butter both sides of each slice.  Grill in a pan the same way you would a grilled cheese, until both sides have reached a golden brown color.  Serve with ice cream, strawberries, blueberries, and powdered sugar.

Grilled Pound Cake a la Mode

Original recipe can be found at: http://www.nutmegnanny.com/2013/04/03/grilled-pound-cake-a-la-mode/

It was very good!  It allowed the cake to be warm and have a little extra flavor.  And it was so simple!!  Tonight I am working late, so tomorrow I'll have a Crockpot recipe for you.  Happy eating!

It's Summertime! ...Or Close Enough.

This week has been absolutely gorgeous here in Northeast Ohio!  Summer is in the air.  I love waking up every morning to the sunlight streaming through my window, a gentle breeze, and the sounds of birds singing beautiful songs to their Creator!  As anyone in the restaurant business can tell you, with the change of seasons comes changes in taste and eating patterns.  

Growing up, I loved summer time.  My dad always planted a large garden full of all kinds of vegetables and sometimes fruits.  My family waited with anticipation for that first sun-ripened, right off the plant tomato.  Nothing excited me more than that first batch of fresh green beans my mom cooked for us each summer.  I loved when my dad would bring in the first zucchini of the season, and loved just as much when the last one was finally gone!  

Summer time meant that veggies were our staple, the grill was the number one appliance, and salads were in abundance.  Now as an adult, summer time still brings out that same excitement and anticipation in me.  In our little one bedroom apartment we don't have a garden, but veggies will still be our summertime staple!

On Thursday, I was in way too much pain to cook and had chosen a recipe that was a little involved.  My sweet husband made the recipe for me so that I wouldn't have to cook.  It was amazing!  We rarely eat something that passes our test of making again (I prefer to make and try new foods constantly), but this will definitely reappear on our menu!  It's very healthy (yes, it takes quinoa!) and incredibly good.

Stuffed Pepper Enchiladas

Original recipe can be found at: http://www.onelovelylife.com/?p=4854

Ingredients

• 4 Bell Peppers (we used red and green, but you can use any color.  We used ones that were rather large and still had some filling left over, so you may want to get an extra pepper just in case)
• 1 c. Quinoa
• 1/2 Medium Onion (diced)
• 1 15 oz. can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 Tomato (diced)
• 1 4 oz. can Diced Green Chiles (DO NOT DRAIN)
• 1/4 c. Cilantro (finely chopped)
• 1/4 t. Salt
• 1/4 t. Pepper
• 1 c. Monterrey Jack, grated
• 1 c. Cheddar Cheese, grated
• 1 28 oz. can Enchilada Sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Place quinoa and onion in a large saucepan with two cups of water and a little salt.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for five minutes, cover, and turn off heat.  Allow the quinoa to steam on the burner for fifteen minutes, then fluff using a fork.
3. Put the quinoa mixture into a mixing bowl.  Stir in black beans, tomato, green chiles, cilantro, salt, and pepper. 
4. Pour the enchilada sauce into baking dishes. (We tried a 9x13, but not all of our peppers would fit, so be had to use another small dish as well)
5. Divide the filling between the peppers, and place the peppers in the enchilada sauce in the baking dishes.  Sprinkle each pepper with cheese.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes.  Serve.

These were so good!  We had some extra filling left over and were starving.  We decided to eat the little that was left over while the peppers were baking.  It tasted like the inside of a Chipotle burrito, only better and healthier!  So if you aren't a fan of bell peppers, make the filling and place in tortillas instead!

As I said, this post is all about summer.  I normally don't associate pizza with summer, but this is a special case.  This sauceless pizza was delicious and gluten-free!  I myself am not allergic to gluten, but I have plenty of friends and family members who are (quinoa is also gluten-free, for those of you who have never tried it).  For this reason, I decided to try a recipe that was gluten-free.  I'll be honest, I was expecting a crust that tasted like cardboard.  I could not find the crust the original recipe suggested, so I decided to try a gluten-free crust mix I found at the local grocery.

One word of warning: If you are actually allergic to gluten, double check the ingredients on the cheeses you buy.  Some cheeses do contain gluten fillers, so it is always safest to double check.

Gluten-Free Pesto Caprese Pizza

Original recipe can be found at: http://www.glutenista.com/grilled-caprese-pizza-recipe--a-glutenista-gluten-free-recipe.html

Ingredients:

• 1 Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (I used the mix pictured above.  I made the crust as it said on the box, and baked it at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes.  I then took it out, put the toppings on, and placed back in the oven to finish baking)
• 7 Slices Provolone Cheese
• 1 Sliced Tomato (I would recommend using two if they are smaller)
• 4 Slices of a large Mozzarella Ball or Log
• 1/4 c.-1 c. Pesto (if you would rather skip the pesto, fresh basil leaves would work just as well)

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. (Follow above pizza crust directions if you are making the crust from a mix)
2. Salt tomato slices well and allow the water to drain from them for 10-20 minutes.  This keeps the pizza from becoming soggy.
3. Layer provolone on the crust so that most of the pizza is covered.  This will also keep the crust from becoming soggy.  Layer the mozzarella and tomato on top.  Distribute the pesto on the pizza.  Try to make sure that each piece will have some of each topping.
4. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.  Blot carefully to remove excess water and oil. Allow the pizza to sit for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

It was very cheesy and delicious!  I would highly recommend it!  Now most summer dinners just about require some kind of salad.  I personally am not very fond of leafy salads, but my husband likes them.  So I made a simple salad to go with our pizza.

Garden Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing

Original recipe can be found at: http://laylita.com/recipes/2008/02/15/garden-salad-with-lime-cilantro-dressing/

Ingredients:

• 1 Head of Lettuce, washed with the leaves torn into large pieces
• 2 Tomatoes chopped into large chunks
• 1/2 Red Onion, sliced
• 1 Avocado, sliced
• 1 T. Cilantro, finely chopped
• Juice of 2 Limes
• 2 T. Olive Oil

Directions:

1. To make the dressing, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, and cilantro.  I would recommend doubling the dressing if you are more of a dressing fan.
2. Combine other ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss, and serve.

Yes, this is one of those "recipes" I don't really consider a recipe, however the dressing was good.  I hope all of you are enjoying the summer-like weather as much as I am!  Happy cooking!

Haters Gonna Hate

I'm starting off with a smidgen of a soapbox moment.  I think one of the stinkiest things people can do is to put other people down because of the hobbies about which they are passionate.  An acquaintance recently made a point of putting me down because of my passion for cooking.  It got me thinking about how often we may belittle people for no reason other than their passions for things we may not share.  God has given us all different gifts and talents.  I'm not really into photography, sports, or a host of other things, but I think it's awesome that I have friends who are passionate about these!  Sure, I post a lot of pictures of my food.  Some people post a lot of pictures of scenery.  Some people post a lot of their kids or pets.  Whatever your passion, go with it, develop it, and seek to be the best you can be at it!  Whatever your passion, work at it and give the glory to God!

Okay...soapbox moment over.  Now on to the food!  As you may be able to tell from my other entries, I am a big fan of having appetizers as meals.  They are usually easy and super delicious.  And that is exactly what I needed last night when I got home from work at 7 pm with a migraine and had done nothing towards dinner. So I quickly whipped up this nacho dip.  It's so easy, I hesitate to even call it a recipe!

Easy Nacho Dip

original recipe can be found at: http://alittlenorthofcrazy.blogspot.com/2011/04/gone-in-blink-nacho-dip.html

Ingredients:

• 1/2 T. Taco Seasoning
• 8 oz. Cream Cheese
• 1 c. Sour Cream
• 1 Jar Salsa (You can use a large or small jar depending on how much salsa you like)
• 1 1/2 c. Mexican Blend Cheese
• 4 Green Onions, chopped
• 4 Jalapenos, chopped and seeded

Directions:

1. Mix the first three ingredients together well.
2. Layer mixture in baking dish (I use a clear glass one because you can easily see the layers, but any dish will do).
3. Evenly top the cream cheese mixture with a jar of salsa.
4. Top the salsa with an even layer of cheese.
5. Garnish with jalapenos and green onions.
6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. (You can eat it right away if need be, but this helps the cream cheese mixture to firm up)
7. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tonight I again needed something relatively quick and easy.  We have church at 7 on Wednesday nights, so after working all day, I usually want a little break between work and church.  So tonight I made BLT Roll-Ups (yes, another appetizer).  These are super easy (yet again, I'm almost embarrassed to pass this off as a "recipe").

BLT Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. Cream Cheese
• 1/4 c. Mayonnaise
• 8 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 c. Diced Tomato
• 1/2 c. Shredded Cheese (I used Mexican Blend)
• 1/2 c. shredded Romaine Lettuce
• 2 Flour Tortillas (I'd recommend using 8" tortillas)

Directions:

1. Mix together cream cheese and mayonnaise well.
2. Add bacon and tomato to the cream cheese mixture.  Mix carefully, but well.
3. Spread mixture onto tortillas.
4. Sprinkle cheese on top of each tortilla.
5. Sprinkle lettuce on top of each tortilla.
6. Roll tightly.
7. Cut both rolls diagonally into slices and serve.

See what I mean?  Barely a recipe.  Please comment below and let me know if you have tried these or others of my recipes.  I'd love to hear from you!

I'm Back!

Hello cooking friends!  First of all, I do apologize for my rather long hiatus.  Planning a wedding and getting married are rather time consuming!  While I certainly have found time to cook, I have not had much time leftover to write to you.  I absolutely love being married to my wonderful husband and could not be a happier bride!

My job has also taken a toll on my body.  As anyone who works in food service knows, it can be utterly exhausting!  I have scoliosis and had surgery for it when I was sixteen.  I have pain every day, but until recently, it was manageable.  After work, I am now in enough pain that I usually have to lay down for the remainder of the evening and use various pain medications, ointments, and heating pads to subdue it.  For this reason, I now have to stop often in the middle of cooking to sit or lie down for a few minutes to prevent unbearable pain.  Unfortunately, this means cooking takes longer, leaving less time to write.

HOWEVER, I am back!  I will be doing my best to post regularly.  I will be doing some catch up by posting some of my requested recipes, as well as posting my current concoctions.  I am so excited to be back with you!

I am going to start out with a recipe that has been requested by one of my husband's coworkers.  I made these last week and they were delicious!  I will warn you, if you aren't a big fan of lemon flavor, these are not for you.  They tasted very lemony.

Lemon Supreme Rice Krispie Treats

original recipe can be found at: http://www.sweetasacookie.com/2013/04/lemon-supreme-rice-krispies-treats.html

Ingredients:

• Vegetable Shortening (enough to coat your baking dish.  Seriously, this makes the treats not stick and makes cleaning a breeze!)
• 4.5 T. Butter
• 15 oz. marshmallows (Use the small ones, not the jumbo size)
• Zest of 1 lemon (If you've never zested a lemon before, it isn't too hard.  Just use a cheese grater and grate off the bright outside layer.  Do not grate too deeply.  The white part is more bitter)
• Juice of 1 lemon (Yes, you can use the same lemon)
• 2/3 c. Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix (If you aren't as keen on lemon as I am, cut this down to 1/3 c.  Use the mix dry.  DO NOT follow the directions on the box)
• 6 c. Rice Krispies

Directions:

1. Coat a baking pan or dish with your vegetable shortening.  I used an 8x8 baking dish.  My treats came out thick, so if you need more, I would use a 9x13 and make thinner ones.
2. This really is simple.  Promise.  Melt the butter in a medium to large sauce pan over low heat.
3. Add the lemon zest and juice to the butter.  
4. Add the marshmallows.  Stir until completely melted.
5. Slowly stir in the cake mix.  The marshmallow mix may not look very yellow, but resist adding more mix to it.  If you would like a more yellow color, add a few drops of food coloring.
6. Stir in the Rice Krispies.  Mix well.  It will be sticky and difficult to mix, but if you don't mix it well, the lemon flavor will not distribute evenly.
7. Press into your baking dish with a GREASED spoon or spatula. (I forgot to grease mine and ended up with a very sticky mess.
8. Let cool and enjoy!  Yep.  It really is that easy.

Now on to what I made last night!

Ally's Hot Crab Rangoon Dip

original recipe can be found at: http://www.sweetandsavoryfood.com/2012/11/hot-crab-rangoon-dip.html

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Cream Cheese
• 2 c. Crab Meat (I used imitation of the flaked variety.  I have no idea what this means, but this is what the lady at the grocery told me would work best.  Plus the real stuff was $50 per can.)
• 1 c. Mayonnaise
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 1/2 t. Minced Garlic
• 1 t. Cayenne Pepper (If you have people in your family who are not big fans of spicy heat, cut this in half)
• 1 t. Salt
• 1 t. Pepper
• 4 Green Onions
• Handful of Breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Finely chop the crab and green onions.  Put in a large mixing bowl.  (I used my KitchenAid Mixer to make the dip)
3. Combine all ingredients except breadcrumbs.  Mix well.
4. Place in baking dish (I used an 8x8 glass one) and top with bread crumbs.
5. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
6. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

This was so easy and probably my favorite part of the meal.  I had never eaten crab, much less bought and cooked it, so I was surprised at how wonderfully this came out!  Now onto our entree...

Asian Fried Quinoa

original recipe can be found at: http://livlifetoo.blogspot.com/2013/03/asian-fried-quinoa-book-club-post.html

Before I go any further, let me just say that I LOVE QUINOA!  

If you have never tried it, you need to.  It is gluten free, has tons of fiber and protein, and still tastes delicious!  Best. Grain. Ever.  If you are nervous about trying it, I would recommend adding it to a rice dish, which makes it less intimidating. Okay, on to the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. Dry Quinoa
• 3 c. Water
• Olive Oil (when I saute things, I don't measure.  Just splash.)
• 2 c. Diced Onions
• 1/4 c. Shallot
• 1/4 c. Minced Garlic
• 2 T. Fresh Grated Ginger (Let me just say that grating ginger was a pain!  I would recommend just buying minced ginger and using that or even using ginger as a powder.)
• 1 c. Finely Chopped Green Onions
• 1 c. Diced Carrots
• 2 c. Shredded Bok Choy
• 2 c. Shredded Napa Cabbage
• 1 c. Finely Chopped Celery
• 1 c. Diced Sugar Snap Peas (probably could be left whole)
• 1 c. Sliced Mushrooms
• 3 T. Soy Sauce
• 2 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten

Directions:

1. Cut up all your veggies.  Yes, this is time consuming.  If you're like me (super impatient with little time), I would recommend cooking the quinoa while you chop, slice and dice (.  
2. In a large dry skillet, toast the quinoa over medium-high heat for about five minutes, stirring often.  The quinoa will take on a more golden color and eventually you will hear little popping sounds, like baby popcorn kernels popping.  At this point, reduce heat to medium, add the water and cover for twenty minutes.  When the quinoa is done cooking, transfer to a large bowl to cool.  You do NOT need to drain!  All the liquid should be absorbed.  You can tell that the quinoa is done if the white ring around the grain has opened.
3. If you are also a multitasker like me, cut the onion up first.  Place in a large skillet (or medium if need be.  You can always transfer to a larger skillet after your quinoa is done) and saute until well browned and soft.
4. Are your veggies all cut up? Good!  Now add the shallot to your onions and cook for another two minutes.
5. Add your garlic, ginger and green onions.  Cook for another 3 minutes or so, stirring frequently.
6. Add the remaining veggies and stir until they are just wilted.  Add your soy sauce and mix well.  Allow to cook for another minute or so.
7. Place veggies in a separate bowl and cover.
8. You may need to clean your biggest skillet at this point.  You're definitely going to need it!  Splash in some olive oil, heat over medium-high heat and put your quinoa in this skillet.  Once it has been heated through, pour the eggs over the top (My quinoa never completely cooled to begin with, so this really didn't take long).  Stir until the eggs have cooked.  
9. Add the veggies to the skillet, mix it all up, and serve!

This recipe makes a ton, but it is so good!  I encourage you to get creative with this one!  There are all kinds of veggies you could add, or even spices you could throw in.  Take it and make it your own! If you are one of my vegetarian/vegan friends, just take out the eggs.  It won't alter the taste much, if at all.

Okay, now I'm at the part you all have been waiting for...

Caramel Cake with Crunchy Chocolate and Toffee Frosting

original recipe can be found at: http://swirlandscramble.blogspot.sg/2012/09/caramel-cake-crunchy-chocolate-toffee.html

First, let me say that half of the process for this recipe was converting the measurements from metric to US.  If you decide to check out the original link, you will find all metric measurements.  However, if you are an American like me, I have done all the hard work for you.  This is why some of the measurements may seem odd (like 14 T. of butter.  That was just the easiest way to convert it!)  If you ever need to convert measurements, this calculator was great! http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/cooking/

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 14 T. softened butter
• 1 t. Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 c. Sugar
• 2 1/3 c. Flour
• 4.5 T. Caramel Syrup (I used Caramel Ice Cream Topping)
• 1 t. Baking powder
• Pinch of salt

Frosting Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Cream Cheese
• 2 T. Butter
• 1/4 c. Sugar
• Milk
• Toffee Bits
• Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix eggs, butter, vanilla, sugar, and caramel. (I used a mixer)
3. Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix until smooth.
4. Transfer to a greased and floured 9 in. Round cake pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Check the center with a knife to see if it has cooked through.  Mine ended up needing a total of 45 minutes baking time.
5. Place cake on a cooling rack and allow to cook completely before frosting.
6. To make frosting, mix cream cheese, butter, and sugar.  Add in some milk if needed to smooth frosting.  Slowly add in toffee bits and chocolate chips, to your preference.  Frost cake.

And now it's time for me to go to work!  I hope you all enjoy these recipes!

An Apology to my Readers...

To those of you who check my blog regularly for updates and are wondering why there haven't been many lately:
           I am getting married on Friday!!  As exciting as this is, getting ready for the wedding has not left me much time to blog any new recipes for you guys.  After the wedding, I should be back to our regularly scheduled blogging!  Thanks for your patience!  God bless!

My Little Cooking Addiction

I love cooking.  Seriously, cooking is my art form.  I love making meals for my love and my family and friends.  Cooking makes me happy.  So yesterday and today I have gone on a cooking/baking binge.  And by binge, I mean I was at the grocery store buying raspberries at 9:00 last night because I felt the desire to bake.  But before I get to that, I'll start with what I made for dinner.

Easy Crockpot Pork Tenderloin

• 2-2/3 lb. Pork Tenderloin
• 1 c. Water
• 2 cans Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup
• 1 Onion (sliced)
• Black Pepper

Place pork tenderloin in Crockpot, and cover with Golden Mushroom Soup and the cup of water.  Add a dash of pepper.  Place the sliced onion on top of the pork loin.  Cook on High for 6 hours.

Yes, that is the whole recipe.  Simple, I know, but so good!  The loin came out very moist and had tons of flavor!

Confession Time:  I don't like potatoes.  I'll eat them, but I don't love them.  At least I didn't until this next recipe.  They were by far the best potatoes I've ever had.  They are super easy to make, but they do take about an hour to cook.  However, they are most definitely worth the wait, and one of my new favorite dishes!

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

• 4 c. cubed Russet Potatoes
• 3 T. Olive Oil
• 1 t. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 t. Salt
• 2 t. Paprika
• 4 T. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Spray your baking dish with cooking spray (otherwise, these WILL stick!)  Place the potatoes in the dish.

2.  Top with the remaining ingredients.  Use either your hands or a spoon to mix the potatoes with the seasonings, making sure to coat them completely.

3.  Bake for 30 minutes, then take them out of the oven.  Toss the potatoes with tongs, making sure to coat with remaining seasoning left in the pan.

4.  Bake for another 20-25 minutes until golden colored and crisp.  Serve while hot!

After dinner, I wasn't done cooking.  I had only begun.  I decided to try making a fruit-filled pastry

Chocolate-Raspberry "Hearts"

• 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated
• 1/2 c. Nutella
• 24 Raspberries
• 2 T. Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1 Beaten Egg
• 1 T. Powdered Sugar

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

2. Unroll the dough and slice into four squares

3. Spread 2 t. of Nutella onto each square.  Place three raspberries and four dark chocolate chips in the middle of each square.  Fold the dough over them, making sure to seal the edges tightly.  Brush with the beaten egg.

4. Bake 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

5. Mix 1 T. of Nutella and 1 T. of the dark chocolate chips and microwave for 45 seconds until melted.  Stir well.  Use a fork to drizzle the chocolate mixture over each pastry.

These were incredible!  The fresh raspberry filling is fantastic, and goes perfectly with the chocolate and Nutella!  However, (as you can see from the picture) very few of the pastries ended up even vaguely resembling a heart.  They tasted fantastic, and anything drizzled with chocolate looks fantastic anyways, but I wouldn't bother trying to make them into hearts or expect them to come out like hearts.

Today, my fiance and I spent a good portion of our morning buying ingredients for other things I want to cook (yes, I have a problem.  yes, I love my problem.), and ended up nearly forgetting to eat!  I whipped up some easy and healthy dip to go with some cut up fresh fruit!

 Peanut Butter and Yogurt Dip

• 1/2 c. Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread
• 1 c. Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt

Mix the two ingredients together well, until it becomes a light and creamy texture.  Serve with a variety of fresh fruit.

Because we ate our brunch so late (almost 2 in the afternoon), I decided to only make an entree for dinner.  I mean, we need to make sure we have room for dessert, right?  So I settled on making...

Simply Great Chicken

• Chicken Breasts (I used 2, that weighed about 1.7 lbs together)
• 1/2 c. Brown Sugar
• 1 packet Italian Dressing Mix

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Grease a 9x13 baking dish, then line with foil.  (The brown sugar will become very sticky and difficult to clean.

3. Mix brown sugar and italian dressing mix in a bowl, then dip the chicken breasts in the mixture, making sure to coat them well.  Place in baking dish, then sprinkle remaining mix on top of the chicken breasts.

4. Bake for 50 minutes.  Take them out of the oven periodically to flip and spoon more sauce over them.

This chicken was incredibly flavorful and moist!  It was so easy to make!  The only thing I would change about this recipe, is possibly doubling the brown sugar and italian dressing mix.  I loved the sauce, and would have been perfectly happy to have more!

Then for dessert, we made...

Sugar Cookie Fresh Fruit Tacos

• 1 pkg 18 oz. Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough (the kind in a roll, NOT the precut dough)
• 1 T. Cinnamon
• 2 c. Fresh Fruit of your choosing (we used berries)
• 1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/4 c. Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cover paper towel tubes with foil.  You will use these to drape the cookies.

2. Cut cookie dough into thick slices.  Press down on the slices so that they spread a little, then sprinkle with cinnamon.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 7-9 minutes, then immediately drape onto the foil-covered paper towel tubes.  Allow to cool for about 2 minutes or until firm.

4. While the cookies are baking and/or cooling, beat the whipping cream and sugar until it forms stiff peaks.

5. Fill your cookies with the whipped cream and add fresh fruit on top.

These tasted delicious, but most of the cookies ended up breaking while we were draping them.  The one pictured above, along with several others turned out perfectly.  We ended up just frosting the remaining broken cookies with whipped cream and eating them with fresh fruit on top.

As you can see, I may have a slight baking/cooking addiction.  6 new recipes in 2 days?  I can live with that.  

Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips with Chipotle Ranch Sauce and Strawberries filled with Almond Cream

It has been way too long since I posted on here!  Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to cook or bake lately because I have been working a lot, and planning my wedding!  18 more days until I'm Mrs. Metcalf!  This weekend was supposed to be a girls' day out, but when plans fell through, I decided to cook instead.

Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips with Chipotle Ranch Sauce

• 3-4 medium Russet potatoes
• Cooking Spray
• 1 1/2 c. finely shredded cheddar, colby jack, or mexican cheese
• salt
• pepper
• 4 slices of bacon (to sprinkle on top.  Bacon bits would work fine)

Scrub potatoes well, and slice into 1/8" slices (imagine two quarters stacked on top of one another, and that is about how thick your slices should be).  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Boil the sliced potatoes in salted water for 5 minutes.  Drain the slices and carefully pat dry with a paper towel.  Be careful, they will be very hot!

Grease a cookie sheet with the cooking spray and lay the potato slices out so that they overlap.  Spray the potatoes lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle on some salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the bacon and cheese evenly over the potatoes, then bake for 14 minutes until the cheese is hot and bubbly  

This recipe was fantastic!  It would be great for a football season appetizer.  My brother, fiance and I made a meal out of this!

Now for the dip...

• 3 T. Ranch Dressing
• 9 T. Sour Cream
• 3/4 t. Chili Powder
• 3/8 t. Cayenne Pepper
• 3/8 t. Salt
• 3/8 t. Garlic Powder

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and stir.  This dip also is great with regular potato chips, celery, etc.  

Strawberries Filled with Almond Cream

• About 25 large Strawberries
• 3/4 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
• 3/4 c. Milk
• 1 small box Vanilla Instant Pudding
• 1/2 tsp. Almond Extract

Wash berries and dry with a paper towel.  Slice off the stem end of the berries.  Slice an X into each berry, but do not cut all the way through.  Beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  In a different bowl, mix the milk and pudding well, then add to the whipped cream along with the almond extract.  Mix well.  Fill a Ziploc bag with the mixture and cut off the corner.  Use this to fill the berries.  As you fill each berry, spread the pieces open to fill more.  You can serve these right away, although we found that they were better after they had been refrigerated awhile.

The plate of these strawberries (pictured above) was gone in less than 10 minutes.  These were really easy and delicious!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders, Maple Carrots, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes

I have most of this week off from work, so I'll be cooking quite a bit!  Tonight I tried three new recipes and all came out great!  This first recipe came from Martha Stewart.  Everyone loved them, but Jared said that these were the best thing he'd ever tasted!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders

• 2 pkgs. raw chicken tenders
• 1 pkg. bacon
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Cut each strip of bacon in half.  Wrap each chicken tender in a half strip of bacon.
2. Put a splash of olive oil in your skillet and place as many of the tenders in the skillet as possible.  Let them cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the bacon looks done and crispy.  Flip and allow the other side to cook.
3. Remove and place on a wire cooling rack over a cookie sheet to drain the grease.
4. Serve.
5. This next recipe was one that no one anticipated liking.  I was given quite a bit of grief for even thinking of making these carrots, but after tasting them, they were eating their words!

Maple Carrots

• 1 bag of baby carrots
• 2 T butter
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1/2 t ground black pepper
• 1/2 t salt

Directions:

1. Spread baby carrots across bottom of a skillet.  Put just enough water in the skillet to cover the carrots.  Bring the water to a boil and then allow them to simmer until the carrots are tender and the water has evaporated.
2. Mix in the butter, brown sugar, pepper, and salt.
3. Serve.
4. The last recipe was also one that no one wanted me to make.  I will admit that none of us at my house are cake people, but I love making cakes and cupcakes.  There is something so fun about the precision of baking along with the creativity that goes into decorating cupcakes.  These were absolutely fantastic!  

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes
Cupcake Batter:

• 1 French Vanilla cake mix
• 1/2 c melted butter
• 3 t vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 c milk
• 1/2 c water
• 1 T cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Put cupcake batter into cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.  Bake 20 minutes.
2. Allow to cool while making the frosting.

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 c. butter
• 1 3/4 c. Cinnamon Toast Crunch crumbs
• 5 t. vanilla
• 1 t. Wilson butter flavoring
• 4 c. confectioners sugar
• 2 T. sweetened condensed milk
• 4 T. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1. Mix ingredients together to desired consistency.  Frost cupcakes.
2. Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over the cupcakes and garnish with a piece of Cinnamon Toast Crunch  Cereal.

Mexican Lasagna

I haven't posted lately because I started a new job last week and have been getting used to that.  But I'm back!  Thursday I made Mexican Lasagna.  I got this recipe from Taste of Home, and tweaked it to fit our family.

Mexican Lasagna

• 1 lb. ground beef (we use venison)
• 16 oz. refried beans
• 4 oz. chopped green chiles
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 2 T mild salsa
• 4 c. shredded mexican cheese
• 12 oz. uncooked lasagna noodles
• 16 oz. medium salsa
• 2 c. water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan.
2. In a large skillet, cook beef or venison over medium heat until brown. (Drain if using ground beef) Stir in beans, chiles, taco seasoning and mild salsa.
3. In the 9x13 pan, layer 1/3 of the noodles, then 1/3 of the meat mixture, then 1 c. of cheese.  Repeat twice.
4. Combine medium salsa and water and pour evenly over the top.  Cover with foil and bake for one hour.
5. Top with the remaining cheese.  You can garnish individual portions with sour cream, onions, tomatoes, black olives, and/or hot sauce.

Note: If using whole wheat noodles, increase the water.  It is also best to let this cool for 10 minutes or so before cutting.

Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa

Quinoa.  Ever heard of it?  I hadn't until I read this recipe.  It turns out that it's pronounced keen-wa, and it's a super healthy grain!  We decided that we are now quinoa fans!  See if you are too by trying this recipe!

Heart Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb butternut squash.
• 4 c chicken stock
• 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 t mince garlic (4 cloves)
• 1 1/2 t Italian seasoning
• 14 oz. canned petite diced tomatoes
• 2/3 c uncooked quinoa
• 1 t ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Peel the squash and chop into .5 inch chunks.  Steam about 10 minutes until just tender.  Set aside half of the squash.
2. Steam the rest of the squash for 6 more minutes.  It should be tender enough to mash.  Do so with a fork.
3. In another pot, bring the chicken stock to a simmer.  Cut the breasts into strips and add to the broth.  cover and allow to cook (covered) for 15 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken from the stock and set both aside.  Simmer the onion on medium heat in the olive oil.  Do so for about ten minutes, until the onion begins to turn brown.
5. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and stir constantly for one minute.
6. Add the above mixture to the chicken stock, along with the tomatoes, the mashed squash, and the squash pieces.  Combine well.  Add the quinoa and allow to simmer (covered) for about 15 minutes or so.
7. While the mixture is cooking, shred the chicken.  When the mixture is done cooking, add the chicken and ground black pepper.  Stir, allow to cook for 5 more minutes, and serve!

**If you have never steamed squash before, I did it by putting the squash in an inch of water in a pot, covering, and cooking on medium high.

Enjoy and let me know how it turns out!

You win some, you lose some

For the past week, the youngest member of our household has been begging me to make Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake Brownies.  I finally got the ingredients and made them this morning.  They taste good, but I would not call them Red Velvet Swirl.  I put in 6 drops of red food coloring, and ended up with brownies that were so slightly tinted red, you would never guess they were supposed to be red velvet.  The swirling also did not turn out very well.  Below is my modified recipe for the next time I make these:

As you can see, not very red and swirly.

Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients:

• 10 T butter
• 3 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 c sugar
• 2 lg. eggs
• 2 t vanilla
• Red food coloring
• 3/4 c all purpose flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 t unsweetened cocoa powder

Cheesecake Layer Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 lg. egg
• 2 t vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 (325 if using glass).  Spray 8x8 pan and also parchment paper cut to the size of the pan.  Leave extra paper on two sides for easy removal of the brownies.
2. In a small bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter in the microwave until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, vanilla, sugar and red food coloring.  ADD FOOD COLORING UNTIL THE BATTER IS DEFINITELY RED!
4. In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, and salt.  Mix with the rest of the batter.
5. Pour batter into pan.
6. Beat the cheesecake layer ingredients until smooth in a separate bowl and poor over brownie batter.  Add a couple of drops of food coloring and swirl with a fork or a sharp knife.
7. Bake for an hour (check around 50 minutes though).  Remove from the pan using the parchment paper and allow them to cool on a cooling rack.

If you try this recipe, please let me know how they turn out!

Crockpot Enchiladas

Wednesday evenings are always hectic in our household.  Everyone gets home at different times, we have Wednesday night church, homework, etc.  As a result, dinner ends up being pizza, leftovers, or something from the crockpot.  On this particular Wednesday, I decided to try making Crockpot Enchiladas.

Crock Pot Enchiladas

Serves 6

1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, chopped 
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can (15 ounces) Ranch Style beans, drained
1 can (10 ounces) rotel tomatoes mild, drained
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded colby jack cheese
8 flour tortillas

1 can (15 ounces) red enchilada sauce

-Cook beef over medium heat until done; drain. 

-Meanwhile saute onion and bell pepper in oil until tender. Add onion and pepper to beef. 

-Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, salt, cumin, pepper and garlic powder. In a slow cooker place two tortillas side by side, overlapping if necessary. 

-Layer with a fourth of the beef mixture and a fourth of the cheese. Repeat layers three more times. Pour enchilada sauce over all. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until heated through.

These were super easy and tasted great!  I did modify the recipe a bit to better suit our family.  I swapped the beef out for venison.  I also discovered that 15 oz. cans of enchilada sauce are extremely difficult to find, so I ended up using 20 oz. instead.  This is definitely going to become a new family favorite, and is a great meal for nights when you're pressed for time!

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Tonight I made Garlic Cheddar Biscuits to go with some soup for dinner.  These turned out wonderfully!

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Makes 10-15 biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups buttermilk biscuit mix (like Bisquick)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Method:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.

-In a large bowl, mix together biscuit mix, cheese and garlic powder. Add in milk, and stir until well mixed. (Heads up – the dough will get very sticky!)

-With a spoon or with your fingers, shape the dough into biscuit-sized clumps, and drop onto the baking sheet. (Note that the dough will pretty much hold its shape when baked, so feel free to pat down random peaks in the dough if you’d like them to look more uniform!)

-Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until biscuits begin to brown slightly around the edges.

-While the biscuits bake, prepare the warm butter mixture by mixing together the melted butter, Italian seasoning and garlic salt in a small bowl. As soon as the biscuits are removed from the oven, brush the biscuits (while they are still on the baking sheet) with the mixture until they are well-coated.

-Serve warm.

If you want a delicious, quick, and easy biscuit recipe, this is it!