One Day At A Time - From My Kitchen To Yours

So one night last week we ended up having dinner with my parents then the other night we had tons of left overs so we ate those instead which means you will see some familiar stuff from last week on this week's menu.

Sunday - Chicken and Cheesy Rice Casserole with Roasted Broccoli

Monday - Girls Night at my House! I'm making a Taco Ring

Tuesday - Swiss Chicken with Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday - Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Thursday - "Best Burger Ever" with Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - 5 Spice Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot with Baked Beans

5 Spice BBQ Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot

2012-01-25T08:07:00.002-05:00

We love pulled pork in our house! I'm sure you have realized that if you have been reading this blog for any amount of time. This latest recipe smelled awesome while it was cooking in the crock pot then it tasted even better when it was dinner time! I did add an ingredient but over all I kept the amounts the same from the original. I found this recipe over at I Wash...You Dry.

1 Boston Butt
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Chipotle Chile Powder
1/2 cup Apple Juice

Mix the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and chipotle chili powder together. Rub all over the Boston Butt. Place the pork in the crock pot. Pour the apple juice in the bottom of the crock pot. Turn on low and cook for 6 to 8 hours.

Crock Pot Creamy Mushroom Chicken

2012-01-23T08:16:00.001-05:00

I love my crock pot. I love easy. I love mushrooms. and I love this recipe. I found it over and Chef Mommy and tweaked it a tiny baby bit.

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup butter
1 Italian dry salad dressing mix (.7oz)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup dry white wine or milk
4 oz chive and onion cream cheese

Over the stove melt together butter, cream of mushroom soup, milk, cream cheese and Italian dressing mix. Place the chicken breast and mushrooms in the crock pot. Pour the sauce over. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Menu Plan Week 106

2012-01-22T13:39:00.001-05:00

Sunday - Buffalo Chicken Crescents with Carrot and Celery Sticks

Monday - Oatmeal Waffles with Fruit

Tuesday - Swiss Chicken with Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday - Frijoles de Farmer's Wife with Cornbread

Thursday - "Best Burger Ever" with Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

Friday - I will be at the Created for Care Conference. G is having Mozarella Baked Gnocchi

Saturday - Still at the conference. G is having Taco Soup

Toffee and Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-18T08:11:00.000-05:00

The second I saw this recipe I knew I had to find a reason to make it! Watching the Bachelor with the girls was the perfect excuse. Have to say they were great, who doesn't love toffee? The recipes is from Your Homebased Mom.

1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup toffee pieces

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 300. In a medium mixing bowl cream butter on medium speed for a minute. Add in the sugar, baking powder and salt and mix well. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour then add toffee bits and milk chocolate chips. Shape into 1 inch balls and bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 15 to 18 minutes.

Pork Chops in Onion Sauce

2012-01-17T08:13:00.001-05:00

I always have a hard time finding pork chop recipes that don't dry out and end up being bad. This recipes was good though! Gray and I both liked it and I will be making it again for sure! I found this recipe on Pinterest and it's from food.com.

4 pork chops
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions (sliced)
1/2 cup beer
1/2 cup hot beef broth
1 tbsp cornstarch

Season pork chops with salt and pepper then dredge in flour. Heat oil, add the pork chops and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Add onions and cook for 5 more minutes, turning at least once. Add beer and broth to the pan. Remove pork chops and place in a 350 degree oven. Add salt and pepper to season the sauce. Blend cornstarch with a bit of water then add to the sauce to thicken, cook until bubbly and desired consistency. Remove pork chops from oven and top with sauce.

Dipping Bread

2012-01-16T08:09:00.001-05:00

This is the best bread ever. It's very similar to a certain Italian chain restaurant's famous bread but according to Gray it's better than theirs! I found the recipe over at In Katrina's Kitchen. It's also crazy easy to make and taste like you worked forever on it when really most of the time it's sitting the kitchen while you are doing other things!

1 tbsp active dry yeast (or one packet)
1 tbsp sugar
1 Cup warm water (105°-115°F)
2 1/2 cups flour (separated)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 tbso olive oil
Sea salt

Place sugar, water and yeast in a bowl. Let it sit for 8 to 10 minutes until foamy. Add 2 cups of flour, salt and Italian seasoning. Mix with a dough hook attachment or by hand adding flour as needed for around 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise for an hour. Punch down and let sit for 5 minutes. Punch down again and divide into 4 pieces, shape and place on a greased sheet pan, brush with olive oil and let rise for 25 more minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake at 400 for 12-16 minutes. Once out of the oven brush again with remaining olive oil.

Menu Plan Week 105

2012-01-15T15:18:00.002-05:00

Sunday - Mushroom and Swiss Chicken with Herbed Potatoes and Green Beans

Monday - Three Cheese Beef Stuffed Shells

Tuesday - Pinto Beans and Corn Bread

Wednesday - Crock Pot Pineapple Chicken over Brown Rice

Thursday - Homemade Pizza using Honey Wheat Pizza Crust

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Tomato Tortellini Soup with Devine Breadsticks

Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2012-01-12T07:32:00.001-05:00

These potatoes go with the Bacon Rosemary Chicken but they would be a great addition to lots of meals! Super easy, tons of flavor and ready to impress your guests! This recipe is from Cassie Craves.

3 medium or 2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
4 tbsp maple syrup (divided)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp heavy cream or half and half
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Boil the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for 20 minutes. White the potatoes are boiling, melt the remaining ingredients over medium heat in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Continue to cook for 5 minutes to thicken it, stir often. Drain potatoes, return to pan and mash with a potato masher. Slowly add and stir in the maple mixture. Add as much or as little as you like until you get the desired consistency for the potatoes. Serve right away.

Bacon Rosemary Chicken

2012-01-11T08:18:00.001-05:00

The second I saw this over at Cassie Craves I knew I had to make it!!! She raved about it and she was sooo right. This is one of the best meals I have ever made. Gray and I both couldn't get over how perfect the flavors were and moist the chicken was! Tomorrow I am posting the perfect side for this recipe! Thanks Cassie for another winner!

2 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
5 slices bacon (chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tbsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp butter
1 cup chicken broth

Fry bacon in a pan until crispy. Remove bacon leaving about 2 tablespoons of grease in the pan. Place flour in a bowl and coat the chicken. Add butter to the pan and heat over high. Once the butter has melted turn the temperature back down to medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove chicken, place on a plate and cover. Reduce heat to medium. Saute onion with salt and pepper until the onions are tender. Add garlic, rosemary and red pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, do not let garlic burn. Add chicken broth and let thicken into a sauce, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken and bacon back to the pan. Turn chicken at least once so it gets soaked in the sauce. Cook for 4 to 6 more minutes. Serve hot with sauce.

Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts with a Cinnamon-Maple Glaze

2012-01-09T07:53:00.001-05:00

My mom got me a doughnut pan a while back! I have only made this recipes so far, I really need to start pulling it out more because these were great!!! I have found so many doughnut recipes that look good. I found this recipe over at Taste and Tell.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp maple extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp milk

Heat oven to 350. Use non-stick spray to coat the doughnut pan. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl. In a separate bowl cream together the pumpkin, brown sugar and butter. Add in the eggs and mix well. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and combine. Place the batter into a ziplock bag and cut the end off. Pipe the batter into the doughnut pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the doughnuts from the pan and let sit for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the glaze. When the doughnuts are ready dip them into the glaze. Let the glaze set for about 5 minutes.

Menu Plan Week 104

2012-01-08T09:20:00.001-05:00

Sunday - Pork Chops in Onion Sauce with Honey Glazed Carrots

Monday - Bacon Rosemary Chicken Sandwiches with Herb Roasted Onions with Garlicky Baked Fries

Tuesday - Mozzarella Baked Gnocchi with Dipping Bread

Wednesday - Using a gift card to a local food truck

Thursday - Crock Pot Bacon Corn Chowder with Herb Drop Biscuits

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - "Best Burger Ever" with Smokey Baked Beans

Cheesy Sausage Dip

2012-01-06T07:21:00.001-05:00

Ohhhh cheesy sausage dip. My mom makes this often and while the thought of processed cheese makes me feel slightly ill, this is good. Really really good. It creamy and filling and delicious. Gray loves this as does my brother. It seems to always big a big hit with the male population.

1 large package Velveeta Cheese block

1 can Rotel

1 lb Spicy Sausage Cooked

1/3 to 1/2 cup milk

Mix together all the ingredients in the crockpot and set to low. Stir every so often. It takes a little while for the velveeta to melt down so allow 30 minutes to an hour for this to take place before serving.

Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

2012-01-04T08:56:00.002-05:00

I got the way to cook these from Gimme Some Oven. I use different seasoning though. That's the great thing about fries, you can season them the way you like them and try something new every week! Gray and I both love our sweet potato fries seasoned like this though.

2-3 sweet potatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

fresh black pepper to taste

1 tsp lowery's seasoning salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Heat oven to 450. Cut potatoes into skinny fries. Toss with olive oil and seasoning. Place in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes turning twice while cooking to ensure even baking.

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

2012-01-02T07:59:00.001-05:00

This is one of the most delicious recipes I have discovered in a long time. It's easy, comforting and just the perfect kinda good that you need after a long day. The recipe is from Plain Chicken. Make it tomorrow, you won't regret it.

3-4 cups of cooked and shredded chicken
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 can cream of chicken soup

Heat oven to 400. Melt butter and pour into the bottom of a 9x13 pan then top with chicken. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Add the milk and stir. Pour or drop the batter over the chicken. Do not stir it. Whisk together broth and cream of chicken soup. Carefully pour over the top of the casserole. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

Menu Plan Week 103

2012-01-01T14:29:00.001-05:00

Sunday - Chicken Club Tacos with Chips (this is one of our new favorites)

Monday - Homemade Pizza

Tuesday - Five Bean Soup with Cornbread

Wednesday - Panko Crusted Salmon with Herbed Potatoes and Green Beans

Thursday - Slow Cooker Mushroom Chicken with Brown Rice

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - 5 Spice BBQ Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker Sandwiches with Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

Top Eleven Recipes of 2011

2011-12-29T12:00:00.002-05:00

It has been really fun to go back through all the recipes from 2011 and remember what was made this year. Gray and I set down and talked about the different recipes and this is the list we came up with for our top Eleven recipes of 2011.

11. Durkee's Chicken

10. Mini Toffee Rolls

9. Cream of Tomato Soup

8. Self Frosting Nutella Cupcakes

7. Bruschetta Chicken Bake

6. French Dip Sandwiches

5. Black Bean Hummus

4. Creamy Chicken Lasagna

3. CocaCola Cake

2. Quick Beer Pizza Crust

1. Panko Crusted Salmon

I'll be back at the start of 2012 with some great recipes!!! Thanks for all your support this year friends. I love having this blog and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Menu Plan Week 101

2011-12-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

Sunday - Creamy Minestrone and Meatball Soup

Monday - Pizzadillas with Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday - Three Cheese Beef Stuffed Shells

Wednesday - Baked Pork Chops with Roasted Asparagus in a Balsamic Brown Butter

Thursday - Baked Potato and Broccoli Soup with Cheese Biscuits

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Christmas Eve with family

Menu Plan Week 100

2011-12-11T14:11:00.001-05:00

Sunday - Creamy Chicken Lasagna with Parmesan Garlic Bread

Monday - Slow Roasted Pork Sandwiches with Potato Casserole

Tuesday - Creamy Minestrone and Meatball Soup with Garlic Cheese Bread

Wednesday - Bistro Chicken with Oven Roasted Asparagus

Thursday - Birththanksmas Celebration with friends: Fried Chicken, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Biscuits and Smores.

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Plans

Spinach, Mushroom, Sundried Tomato Boursin Pasta

2011-12-07T11:20:00.001-05:00

The idea of this recipes came from Baked Bree but I gave it a big makeover based on what we had and what sounded good for us. Hints the slight name change. This was awesome pasta!!! I love boursin so I had very little doubts that it wasn't going to be great.

1 package bowtie pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bag baby spinach
1 package Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
fresh pepper

Cook the pasta according to the directions. In a pot saute the spinach in olive oil with garlic and place in a bowl. Combine the milk, chicken broth and boursin in the pot. Once it's melted add sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, dill, fresh pepper and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Stir well. Stir in pasta and spinach. Let the mixture sit together for 5 minutes. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

BBQ Chicken Crescents

2011-12-05T08:31:00.001-05:00

The recipe for these babies came from Plain Chicken. They are so quick and fun! We had them for dinner one night but they would be perfect for a party!

8 fully cooked fried chicken fingers
4 slices provolone cheese, cut in half
1 can crescent rolls
1 cup BBQ sauce

Heat oven to 375. Roll out the crescent rolls into triangles. Put bbq sauce in a bowl. Dip a chicken finger into the bbq sauce. Top the chicken finger with half a piece of cheese. Roll up the crescent and place on a greased cookie sheet. Continue until all the chicken fingers and crescent rolls are gone. Bake for 18 to 2o minutes.

Menu Plan Week 99

2011-12-04T22:15:00.000-05:00

Sunday - The MM Sandwich PW Style with Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

Monday - Chicken and Dumpling Casserole with Creamy Corn

Tuesday - Bacon Mushroom Honey Dijon Chicken with Baked Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday - Family Date Night Out

Thursday - Turkey Apple Bacon Grilled Cheese with Chips

Friday - Five Bean Soup

Saturday - Homemade Pizza

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2011-12-01T08:39:00.001-05:00

I love love love Broccoli Cheddar Soup but I am kinda picky about it. This soup was amazing! Warm, cheesy and filling! The recipe is from Cassie Craves.

6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion (chopped )
1/4 cup AP flour
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups broccoli florets
1 large carrot (diced )
2 1/2 cups grated sharp white and/or yellow cheddar cheese (plus more to top with)

Melt butter in a pot, saute the onion until tender. Add the flour and whisk it in, cook until golden brown. Slowly whisk in the half and half until smooth. Add the broth, bay leaves and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Add broccoli and carrot, simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves. Place soup in blender and puree until smooth. Add it back to the pot. Add cheese and stir in. If soup is too thick, add water to thin it out. Pour into bowls and top with cheese.

Chicken Fried Steak

2011-11-30T08:17:00.001-05:00

Yum. Yum. Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum. This is PW's recipe. Did I mention it is good?

3 pounds Cube Steak
1-1/2 cup Whole Milk (plus 2 more for the gravy)
2 Eggs
3 cups All purpose Flour (plus 1/3 cup for gravy)
Seasoning Salt
1/4 tsp Cayenne
Black Pepper (and plenty of it!)
Canola Oil
Salt

In one boil mix the eggs and milk together. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, seasoning salt, cayenne and lots of black pepper. Place the meat on a dish then have a clean dish to place it on once you get it all coated. Dip it in the milk mixture then the flour mixture then back in the milk mixture and back in the flour mixture and place on the clean plate. Continue with each piece of meat. Heat oil in a skillet. Drop in a a bit of flour to test if it's ready. Once it's ready place the meat (a few batches at a time) into the oil. Cook until crispy and brown on both sides. Repeat with all the meat, adding a little more oil if needed.

If there is lots of grease remaining then remove all but 1/4 of a cup from the skillet then whisk in 1/3 cup of flour. Cook until a golden brown color. Add milk and cook until thick, if it gets too thick add a little more milk. Season with salt and lots of pepper.

Top the steak with the gravy and serve right away!

Mini Garlic Monkey Breads

2011-11-29T08:48:00.001-05:00

Real Mom Kitchen, at this point, need I say more?

2 (7.5 oz) cans Grands Biscuits
6 tbsp butter (melted)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Mix together the remaining ingredients. Dip each biscuit into the mixture and place into muffin tin. Place 3 pieces into each tin. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

Fireside Coffee

2011-11-28T08:34:00.001-05:00

My BFF Bekah passed this recipe along and said I HAD to try it right away! It took me a few weeks to get around to but I finally did! In fact I forwarded the recipe to my mom and told her to grab the ingredients and we would mix it up together and split it! It makes a good amount and we ended up making several rounds for gifts after we heated up a cup! Oh it's so so so good! The recipe is from The Dudley's blog.

1 cup instant coffee
2 cups Swiss Miss cocoa (try to find the large container, makes it easier)
2 cups Cremora (you can only get this at Wal-Mart, hints getting mom involved, I DO NOT GO to Wal-Mart. Ever. Period. Except once and that's a long story)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar

Mix everything together in a bowl. Mix 3 to 4 tablespoons with one mug of boiling hot water. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Week 98

2011-11-27T14:52:00.001-05:00

Sunday - Bacon Rosemary Chicken with Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Monday - Boursin Pasta

Tuesday - Rush's again with football tickets. Gray went to the game and snagged my brother's ticket so we could get another free dinner :)

Wednesday - Bacon Mushroom Mozzarella and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Thursday - Chicken and Dumpling Casserole with Creamy Corn

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Family Wedding

Buffalo Chicken Pockets

2011-11-25T08:37:00.001-05:00

Gray loves buffalo anything! I am not always a huge fan but these were good! I knew he would love them and I always try to make a meal or two a week that I know he will really really enjoy so I am glad I tried these. The recipes came from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch.

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
5 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
1-2 tbsps Frank's Red Hot sauce
2-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Heat the oven to 350. Mix together the cream cheese, hot sauce and worcestershire sauce. Add the chicken and stir well. Separate the crescent rolls into four rectangles. Spoon the chicken mixture on the crescent dough and seal the edges well. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot.

Easy Crock Pot Potato Soup

2011-11-23T07:50:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't love potato soup? Who doesn't love their crock pot? Easiest dinner ever created and perfect for a cold winter night! The recipe is from Pearls, Handcuffs and Happy Hour.

42oz of chicken broth

1 30z bag of shredded hashbrowns

1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 pkg cream cheese

Place everything in the crock pot but the cream cheese. Stir together and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. 1 hour before cooking cut the cream cheese into pieces and stir into the soup. top with cheddar, chives, bacon, sour cream, ect. Serve hot.

Savory Chicken and Broccoli

2011-11-22T08:21:00.001-05:00

Oh Yum. This was a great dish. I really wasn't sure about it while I was making it but it ended up being warm and gooey and absolutely wonderful, I adapted it a bit and made it to fit our taste. The recipe is from Confabulation in the Kitchen.

1/2 cup butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 can chicken broth
Black pepper and salt to taste
1 baguette

2 tbsp olive oil
1 package frozen broccoli (steamed until bright green)
2 large chicken breasts (cooked and sliced)
1/2 cup grated cheddar

Heat oven to 375. Cut the baguette into crouton pieces. Heat olive oil over medium high heat and saute the bread, cook bread until toasted. Season with salt and pepper. In a pan melt the butter, add the flour and cook for a minute. Season with pepper. Add the chicken broth and turn off the heat. Stir until thick. Layer the baguette, broccoli and chicken. Pour sauce over. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Mini Toffee Rolls

2011-11-21T08:08:00.001-05:00

I posted the recipe for Mini Cinnies a few weeks ago and these are similar but with TOFFEE! Real Mom Kitchen hit another home run. Gray devoured these and I had to fight to get some. Oh my goodness. They are chewy, sticky, messy goodness! They would be so fun and easy to make for the holidays. I cut the recipe in half since it was just two of us eating them but I am posting the full recipe.

6 tbsp butter (softened)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup toffee bits
2 80z cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
4 1/2 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Cream together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir in the toffee bits. Separate the crescent roll dough into 4 rectangles. Spread the toffee mixture on the dough and roll up. Cut into 1 inch pieces and place in a greased glass dish. Bake at 375 for 14 to 16 minutes.

In a bowl combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and drizzle over the toffee rolls. Serve warm.

Menu Plan Week 97

2011-11-20T18:13:00.001-05:00

Sunday - Creamy Chicken Lasagna

Monday - Taste Like Lasagna Soup with Cheesy Bread

Tuesday - Durkee's Chicken with Jill's Cheating Potatoes

Wednesday - Rush's with our Football tickets (it's a local restaurant that does a free burger if our team rushes for 100 yards)

Thursday - Thanksgiving

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Taco Soup

Pretzel M&M Cookies

2011-11-15T08:11:00.002-05:00

My brother LOVES pretzel M&Ms so when he came home from college one weekend I made these for him. They were really good!!!! My brother called me once he was back at school and said he had to hide them from his roommate :) The recipe is from Two Peas & Their Pod.

2 1/2 cups AP flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups pretzel M&M's
Sea salt (for sprinkling on cookies)

Heat oven to 375. Combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate bowl cream together the sugars and butter until smooth. Add eggs then vanilla extract. Slowly add the flour mixture on a low speed until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and M&Ms. Drop spoonfuls of the batter on to a parchment lined baking pan two inches apart. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

2011-11-14T08:06:00.001-05:00

This is the BEST chicken for tacos. So flavorful and so easy!!!! This recipe is from Stephanie Cooks!

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 tsp cumin

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove from crock pot and shred. Serve with taco shells and all the fixings.

Menu Plan Week 96

2011-11-13T14:46:00.002-05:00

Sunday - BBQ Chicken Crescents with Warm Bacon Potato Salad

Monday - Cheesy Vegetable Chowder with No Knead Onion Rolls

Tuesday - Meatball Sandwiches with Chips

Wednesday - Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken with Steamed Broccoli

Thursday - Tastes Like Lasagna Soup with Easy Cheesy Rolls

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Homemade Pizza

Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers

2011-11-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

Oh yes, this was good stuff. What I love about orzo is it always makes a ton! We eat leftovers for lunch every day so I try to make a meal or two that I know is going to give us lots. This was a great dish that we will be making again. The recipe is from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Chicken Breasts (cooked and shredded)
1-2 red bell peppers (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp dried thyme
3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
1 lb orzo pasta
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 tbsp dried parsley
Squeeze of lemon juice

Boil pasta and when it is done reserve a cup of water. While pasta is boiling heat a pan with olive oil and saute peppers, mushrooms and thyme. Add chicken and garlic and cook for about a minute. Add cream cheese and melt then add the cup of pasta water and bring to a boil. Stir in salt and pepper. Add the orzo, Parmesan, parsley and lemon juice. Stir and let heat for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Spinach Dip

2011-11-08T07:55:00.001-05:00

I love a good spinach dip but never made one before the other night. I found a particular recipe online and told Gray about it, his first question was if the spinach was fresh or frozen, it was frozen. He asked me to find one with fresh spinach. I found this one that I had pinned on pinterest from The Comfort of Cooking. Oh.My.Goodness. There were 4 of us and we ate the entire thing. It was amazing. I think this is my new favorite dip recipe!

2 tbsp olive oil
6 oz. baby spinach
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded, plus some extra for the top)
1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1 cup sour cream
5-6 cloves garlic (minced)
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend together cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan and sour cream. In a pan heat the olive oil then saute the spinach and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach to the cream cheese mixture and blend together. Pour into an 8x8 pan. Top with more mozzarella. Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Apple Toffee Blondies

2011-11-07T07:25:00.001-05:00

After we went apple picking I knew these were one of the first things I wanted to bake with them! These are sweet, like REALLY sweet, but delicious and crumbly, crumbly in a good way. This recipe is from Cookies and Cups.

Bars:
2/3 cup Butter (room temperature)
2 cups Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
2 cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup Apple (peeled and chopped)
1/2 cup Toffee Bits

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Beat together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla until fully blended. On low add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in apple and toffee bits. Pour and spread into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Do not ice until completely cooled.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter in saucepan. Add milk and brown sugar then bring to a boil. Whisk in powdered sugar. Let the frosting cool until it is thick enough to spread. Spread on to the bars and let cool before slicing.

Menu Plan Week 95

2011-11-06T09:17:00.001-05:00

Sunday - Crock Pot Salsa Chicken for Tacos with Unfried Black Beans

Monday - Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Jim n' Nick's Cheesy Biscuits

Tuesday - Buffalo Chicken Pockets with Chips

Wednesday - Three Cheese Beef Stuffed Shells with Cheese Breadsticks

Thursday - Pinto Beans and Cornbread

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Leftover Pinto Beans and Cornbread

Cream of Tomato Soup

2011-10-31T13:03:00.001-04:00

This is hands down one of my favorite soups. It is SO easy, I mean simple simple simple easy! Gray and I both love this and we make it often during the winter. This recipe is from Real Mom Kitchen, if you didn't know, I am a big fan of her recipes!

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups tomato juice or V-8 juice
1/4 tsp baking soda
2-3 cups milk
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried basil (optional)

Melt the butter then add flour and whisk until smooth. Add the tomato/V-8 juice. Stir until it thickens. Whisk in baking soda, 2 cups of milk, sugar and salt. Cook until heated and desired thickness. Taste, add more milk if needed. Stir in dried basil. Serve hot.

Menu Plan Week 94

2011-10-30T22:41:00.000-04:00

Sunday - Savory Chicken and Broccoli

Monday - Dinner with my mom before we take A Trick or Treating. The hubs has to work :(

Tuesday - Easy Crock Pot Potato Soup with Mini Garlic Monkey Breads

Wednesday - Lemon Rosemary Meatballs with Outback's Steamed Green Beans

Thursday - Pan Fried Salmon with Cream Cheese Pesto and Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Lemon, Sage and Garlic

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Homemade Pizza (?) not totally sure yet.

Lunch Lady Bars

2011-10-28T09:05:00.001-04:00

I think these are Gray's new favorite little treats. They are super moist cookie bars and are all kinds of amazing. The recipe is from Delicious Meliscious.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine the oil and sugars. Add one egg at a time and combine then add the vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry then fold in the chocolate chips. Grease a baking dish. Pour the batter into the dish, spread evenly and bake until golden brown.

Crock Pot Roast

2011-10-27T10:44:00.001-04:00

I love my crock pot. It makes dinner easy breezy and turns out some delicious meals that seem like they would take hours to prepare. I love love love a roast in the crock pot. This is a nice solid roast recipe, nothing crazy just ultra flavorful and very tender. This recipe is slightly adapted from Crepes of Wrath.

3 to 4 pound boneless chuck roast
32oz low sodium beef broth
1 6oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp paprika
3 tsp allspice
10-15 baby carrots
1 onion (sliced thinly)
8-10 red potatoes (quartered)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the beef broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and sugar in the crock pot. Add the paprika, allspice, salt and pepper. Add half your veggies then place the roast down over them then add the remaining veggies. You want the roast to be almost fully submerged in the liquid, if it's not then remove some of the veggies under it and place them on top. Cook on low for 7-10 hours.

Cheese Breadsticks

2011-10-26T07:26:00.001-04:00

Who doesn't love cheese sticks? These were good, easy, and just the right addition to a big bowl of pasta. I found this recipe over at My Recipe Box.

Dough:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tso salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp oil

Topping:
1/4 cup prepared Italian salad dressing
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
dash black pepper
1 to 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a mixing blow combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Combine the water and oil in a separate bowl then add to the flour mixture. Mix and add flour as needed to form a soft ball in the mixing bowl. Knead the dough for several minutes on a flat surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl combine salad dressing, sugar, salt, garlic powder, oregano, thyme and black pepper.

Once the dough is ready, punch it down. Place on a greased pan and pat down until you reach the desired shape. Brush the dressing mixture over the bread then top with cheeses. Bake at 450 for 11 to 13 minutes. Slice and serve warm.

Creamy Caprese Pasta

2011-10-25T07:06:00.001-04:00

Just looking at this picture is making me hungry for this pasta! This yummy recipe was found over at How Sweet It Is! This recipe is all kinds of delicious and was a big hit with both Gray and I!

1 lb whole wheat penne or ziti pasta
1 cup tomato/pasta sauce
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 oz fresh mozzarella (cut into cubes)
1 pint of grape tomatoes (cut in half or quartered)
5-5 fresh basil leaves (chopped)

fresh mozzarella cut into thin slices (enough to top some of the dish)

Heat oven to 350. Boil the pasta according to directions. As the pasta cooks, heat the pasta sauce in a saucepan. When warm add the cream and parmesan. After the pasta is cooked and drained, add to the sauce. Stir in the mozzarella cubes, tomatoes and basil. Pour into a baking dish. Top with fresh mozzarella circles. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm.

Stuffed Baked Apples

2011-10-24T07:27:00.001-04:00

These were such a quick and fun dessert to make for Gray and I! I found this recipe over at the Jane Deere blog, I adapted it to fit our taste and what we needed.

3 Apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tbsp butter (softened)

1/2 cup quick cooking or old fashioned oats
1/2 cup Heath Bits O’ Brickle
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup apple juice

Heat oven to 425. Cut two of the apples in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the apples in a dish. 4 tbsp of butter and the remaining ingredients except the apple juice. Fill the apples with the mixture. Cut the remaining 2 tbsp of butter into 4 pieces, place on top of the filling of each apple. Pour the apple juice into the bottom of the dish. Bake in oven until the apples are fork tender, around 20 minutes.

Menu Plan Week 93

2011-10-23T09:30:00.001-04:00

Sunday - Cream of Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Monday - Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Red Peppers

Tuesday - Chicken Fried Steak with Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday - Family Date Night Out

Thursday - Veggie Scramble with Buttermilk Biscuits

Friday - Black Bean and Beef Chili

Saturday - Homemade Pizza

Tomato Bacon Grilled Cheese

2011-10-18T12:37:00.002-04:00

It's fall. I love fall. And I love this grilled cheese. It's simple and easy and can be attributed to know one because I have seen it on tons of menus. My love for it comes from my mother though, I'm not sure I have ever seen her eat it but whenever she sees it on a menu she would always talk about how it's one of her favorite sandwiches. It really is devine.

2 pieces of bread

4 strips bacon (cooked)

2-3 slices of tomato

1 piece sliced cheddar cheese

1 tbsp butter

Melt half the butter in the pan over low-medium heat. Place on piece of bread down, lay down bacon, tomato then cheese and top with the other piece of bread. Let it cook on one side until it is nicely browned, lift from pan and melt remaining butter. Flip and let grill on the other side until brown. Serve warm.

This recipe was also linked over at the Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight for Bacon.

Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice

2011-10-17T07:03:00.003-04:00

Easy Easy Easy!!!! This recipe is from Southern Plate, it's the perfect warm, filling and easy recipe to make on a busy night! Did I mention it is easy?

3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Onion (chopped)

1 Box of Long Grain and Wild Rice with Seasoning (cooked)

Place chicken in crockpot, add onion and cream of mushroom soup. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Before serving add cooked rice and stir in. Serve hot.

Menu Plan Week 92

2011-10-16T08:54:00.001-04:00

Sunday - Leftover Pinto Beans with Cornbread

Monday - Chicken and Roasted Garlic Lasagna with Cheese Bread

Tuesday - Crock Pot Roast

Wednesday - The MM Sandwich PW Style with Jo Jo Potato Wedges

Thursday - Date Night

Friday - Cream of Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Saturday - White Chicken Chili

Mini Cinnis

2011-10-13T07:09:00.001-04:00

Real Mom Kitchen has some of the best easy breakfast recipes I have ever seen. I have posted many of them already. I love being able to fix breakfast at home on the weekends but truthfully, I am only going to put in so much effort on a Saturday morning, all these recipes are super simple and very delicious. I adore these little mini cinnamon rolls and could eat WAY more than I should. I also cut this recipe in half for our family.

2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated crescent creation dough or the rolls
6 tbsp butter (softened)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Create rectangles out of the crescent roll dough. Combine the butter, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Spread the butter mixture onto the crescent roll dough. Roll up and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place in a 8x8 greased pan. Bake at 375 for 14 to 17 minutes or until done. After removing the pan from the oven make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract by whisking until smooth. When the cinnis have cooled for 5 to 8 minutes, drizzle with glaze. Serve warm.

Parmesan Garlic Bread

2011-10-12T07:22:00.002-04:00

This is another adapted recipe from Simply Scratch. Gray and I both thought this bread was the perfect addition to any meal, it was flavorful and still had a nice crunch. It would be wonderful to dip in a good pasta sauce!

1 loaf of Italian Bread
2 stick of Butter (softened)
3 cloves of Garlic (minced)
2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese

1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Dried Parsley
Salt and freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Combine the butter, garlic, parmesan cheese, onion powder, and parsley. Add salt and pepper, mix until combined well. Cut Italian bread down the middle and spread the butter mixture on it. Broil until desired doneness is reached.

Baked Penne with Chicken and Tomatoes

2011-10-11T06:53:00.002-04:00

This is a great great recipe for the fall and winter, it was so gooey and cheesy! Yum. The recipe is from Cinnamon Girl and very very slightly adapted.

6 tbps butter
salt and pepper
1 pound penne pasta
1 tsp olive oil
2 chicken breast (cooked and shredded)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 garlic cloves (minced)
6 cups whole milk
1 can diced tomatoes (drained well)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

Heat oven to 400. Boil pasta. In a deep pan, melt butter. Add flour and garlic, whisk for 1 minute. Continue to whisk and slowly add the milk, 1 cup at a time. Bring to a simmer and whisk often. Add tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Stir in mozzarella and immediately remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper. Add chicken and pasta to the mixture. Pour into a grease 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining parmesan cheese and bake for 25 minutes.

Bacon and Cheese Red Potatoes

2011-10-10T07:14:00.002-04:00

This was another quick invention when I realized that I was missing an ingredient for a different recipe! Gray and I both loved these and I will be making them again and again!

8-12 red potatoes (quartered)

4 tbsp butter (melted)

4 pieces bacon (crumbled)

1/4 cup diced onion

1/2 tsp lowery seasoning

1 cup shredded cheddar

Heat oven to 375. Mix all the ingredients together, pour into a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, top with cheddar and return to oven for 10 to 15 more minutes. Serve warm.

This recipes was linked over at the Eat at Home ingredient spotlight for bacon.

Menu Plan Week 91

2011-10-09T11:35:00.002-04:00

Sunday - out of town

Monday - out of town

Tuesday - out of town

Wednesday - out of town

Thursday - French Dip Sandwiches with Chips

Friday - Chicken and Roasted Garlic Lasagna

Saturday -Pinto Beans and Cornbread

Swirled Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

2011-10-07T06:51:00.002-04:00

I love anything with a pumpkin cream cheese combinations! These were wonderful, just as I expected! This awesome fall recipe is from The Baker Chick.

6 tbsp butter (melted and slightly cooled)
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup water
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 container (8 oz.) cream cheese (room temperature)

Heat oven to 350. Put the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a bowl and mix until smooth with a mixer. Beat in two eggs, pumpkin and water until combined. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and nutmeg. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. In a small bowl beat the cream cheese, 1 egg and 1/4 cup of sugar until smooth. Spoon the cream cheese mixture on top of the pumpkin mixture then swirl together. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

Pesto Green Beans

2011-10-06T07:19:00.001-04:00

I feel like I am posting the easiest recipes in the world right now, I love easy! Who doesn't love easy? I found this recipe over at 400 calories or less.

1 lb green beans

1 tbsp prepared pesto

Steam the green beans until desired tenderness. Toss in pesto and serve right away.

Honey Mustard Club Sandwich

2011-10-05T06:48:00.001-04:00

This is my version of the BLT Club from Simply Scratch. I'm not a huge deli meat fan but I do love a good club sandwich as long as the deli meat is cut thin. In my opinion this is the perfect turkey sandwich! This recipe is for 1 sandwich.

2 pieces white bread (toasted)

2-4 slices of turkey

1 slice cheddar cheese

1 slice provolone cheese

2 slices tomato

3-4 rings red onion

4 slices of bacon (cooked)

Mayo

Honey Mustard

Coat both slices of bread with mayo. On the bottom piece layer cheese, then turkey, then bacon, then onion, then tomato. On the top piece of bread add a thick layer of honey mustard. Slice and enjoy!

Crock Pot Coke Marinated BBQ Pork

2011-10-04T07:12:00.001-04:00

Everyone does the rootbeer pork all the time and I have tried but it's just too sweet for me. The other day I had a boston butt and knew that I wanted to use it to make BBQ and I had a bottle of coke, so I went for it. Also if you are wondering what in the world that is on top of my pork, it's Orangeburg style BBQ sauce. It's a South Carolina thing and it's a sweet and slightly tangy sauce. Oh I could just drink it, it's my favorite with a mustard based sauce being my second runner up. Gotta love the south and all our different BBQ sauces.

1 Boston Butt Roast

3 cups Coca Cola

Salt and Pepper to taste

Marinated the boston butt for 1 to 12 hours in 2 cups of Coca Cola. Place the meat in the crock pot, put a fresh cup of coke in the bottom. Salt and pepper the meat. Set to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours. Shred and serve with your favorite sauce.

Perfect Party Cookies

2011-10-03T06:58:00.001-04:00

I made these adorable and delicious cookies for my son's 5th birthday party! They were a huge hit, I love that they were fun and festive sitting on the table. The recipe is from Stephanie Cooks and she hit a home run when she created this recipe!

1 cup flour
1 cup yellow boxed cake mix
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup butter (melted then slightly cooled)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
4 tbsp colored sprinkles

In a bowl stir together the flour, cake mix and baking soda. In a separate bowl beat together the butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until creamy. Add the sugar and brown sugar and stir in. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir. Stir in the chocolate chips and sprinkles. Heat oven to 350 and refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Keep dough cool if not being baked. Cool for 5 minutes on pan then place on a baking rack.

Menu Plan Week 90

2011-10-02T11:11:00.002-04:00

Sunday - Our friends Leslie, Ryan, Leigh and Houston are all coming over for dinner. So excited to hang out with all of them, A know Leslie and Ryan because they are here a lot and he has seen Leigh and Houston several times so we feel nice and safe with them. Leslie is bringing dessert and Leigh is bringing an appetizer and I am making: Coffee Chili with all sides: Fritos, Cheese, Onions and Sour Cream

Monday - Creamy Caprese Pasta

Tuesday - Biscuit Tostadas

Wednesday - Pinto Beans and Cornbread (I just won my husband's heart with this one)

Thursday - Buffalo Chicken Nuggets with Jo Jo Potato Wedges

Friday - date night

Saturday - Homemade Pizza

Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

2011-09-30T07:08:00.001-04:00

When I saw this recipe on Plain Chicken I just knew that I wanted to try it! I love these quesadillas and next time I think I might use a spicy ranch instead of regular ranch. I love making quesadillas, they are just too easy.

Tortillas

1/3 cup mushrooms (sliced)

1 cup chicken (cooked and diced)

1/4 cup ranch dressing

5 - 6 pieces of bacon (chopped)

1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese

Spray pan with cooking spray. Lay tortilla on pan, on one half of the top with cheese, bacon, mushrooms and chicken then drizzle with ranch dressing. Fold the empty half over and press down. Flip after a few minutes and cook until both sides have browned and are crispy. Repeat until all the quesadillas are done.

Grilled Broccoli and Lemons

2011-09-29T07:33:00.001-04:00

We love broccoli but normally we just steam it, when I saw this recipe I knew we had to try it right away! I loved it and would eat it this way every time, Gray liked it but wasn't as crazy about it as I was. This recipe is from the Noble Pig blog.

1 bunch of broccoli, sliced into large pieces
2 lemons, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper

In a bowl, coat the broccoli and lemons with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, rotate the broccoli as needed. Remove from grill when tender and slightly browned. Squeeze the lemon over the broccoli before serving.

Peach Cobbler

2011-09-28T06:56:00.001-04:00

This is the peach cobbler recipe my mom has always made! It reminds me of 4th of July at the beach.

5 to 7 fresh peaches, diced

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup and 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup self rising flour

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350. Toss the peaches with 1/4 cup sugar. Place in a 8x8 baking dish. Mix together butter, 1 cup sugar, flour, egg and vanilla. Pour over peaches. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cover with foil if it starts to brown quickly but isn't done. Serve warm with ice cream.

Cinnamon Biscuit Fritters

2011-09-27T07:05:00.001-04:00

I love an easy, semi-homemade breakfast recipe! Real Mom Kitchen as the best ones! These were simple and delicious for a lazy Saturday morning and I think they will go into heavy rotation at our house.

Fritters:

2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
6 tbsp butter, melted
1 16.3 oz pack Grands Biscuits

Glaze:

1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1- 1 1/2 tbsp hot water

Heat oven to 350. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Dip Biscuits into butter then completely into the sugar mixture and place on a greased pan. Repeat until all the biscuits are done. Bake for 13 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven. In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over the biscuits. Serve warm.

Quick Beer Pizza Crust

2011-09-26T06:57:00.002-04:00

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, I figured it would be good enough pizza. Gray and I both loved this recipe and it could not be more easy. We will be making this a lot! I found the recipe on pinterest and it's from Bluebonnets and Brownies.

4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

1 12 oz beer (room temp)

Combine four, yeast, baking powder, salt and olive oil. Add beer and mix by hand or with a mixer using the dough hook. Mix for 7-9 minutes if using the mixer, longer if mixing by hand. Form a ball out of the dough and let rise for 30 minutes to 2 hours. When you are ready heat the oven to 450. Roll the dough out on a pizza stone or baking pan. Place the rolled out dough in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and top with desired topping. Place back in the oven until the pizza is golden brown. Remove and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes before cutting.

Menu Plan 89

2011-09-25T09:24:00.001-04:00

Sunday - Slow Roasted Pork with Honey Roasted Red Potatoes

Monday - Cream of Tomato Soup with Bacon Avocado Grilled Cheese

Tuesday - Bruschetta Chicken Bake with Pesto Green Beans

Wednesday - Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice with Garlicky Roasted Asparagus

Thursday - Bowtie Lasagna with Parmesan Garlic Bread

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

New Potatoes with a Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

2011-09-22T07:38:00.002-04:00

This is one of my favorite new side dishes. They were soooo good and they seemed kind of fancy but are way easier than how fancy they seem to be! This recipe is from A Farm Girl's Dabbles.

3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt (divided)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (divided)
7 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
3 lbs small red potatoes (quartered)
3 tbsp minced chives
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Heat oven to 400. Combine 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, garlic, and potatoes. Spread over a lined sheet pan. Bake for 1 hour, flip after 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes after coming out of the oven. After the potatoes come out of the oven remove the garlic and squeeze out the pulp into a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and whisk well. Toss the potatoes in the vinaigrette. Serve warm.

Cream Cheese Pie

2011-09-21T07:11:00.001-04:00

Some people might call this cheesecake but it's not, it's a pie and it is deliciously not cheesecake. Slightly similar but different yet totally amazing. I found this recipe on blogging...it's what's for dinner.

1 Graham Cracker Crust (homemade or store bought)

Filling:

16 oz cream cheese (softened)

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

Topping:

1/2 pint sour cream

3 1/2 tbsp sugar

Heat oven to 350. With an electric mixer beat together cream cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice and sugar until smooth. Pour into the pie crust. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the pie is set. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk together the sour cream and sugar and pour on top of pie. Bake for 5 more minutes. Remove and refrigerate for at least 5 hours before serving.

Apricot and French Dressing Crock Pot Chicken

2011-09-20T07:12:00.005-04:00

I saw this recipe on Pinterest a while ago, it's from Pennies on a Platter and apparently everyone already knew about it but I missed the boat. This recipe so so easy, I love crock pot recipes and this is one of the easiest ones I have ever made! Make some rice and you have a quick and delicious meal!

3 -4 boneless chicken breast

1 cup french dressing

1 cup apricot preserves

1 package of onion soup mix

salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken in the crock pot. Mix together the dressing, preserves, onion soup mix, salt and pepper. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.

Mozzerella Basil Bread

2011-09-19T07:00:00.001-04:00

I created this one day when I had some fresh mozzarella hanging around. What's better than fresh mozzarella, basil and tomatoes in the summer? I need to make this again soon!

1 Slice of French Bread

2 Slices of Tomato

2 Slices of Fresh Mozzarella

2 Chopped Fresh Basil Leafs

1 tbsp butter

1 chopped garlic clove

Set oven to broil. Mix together butter and garlic, spread on bread and broil until slightly brown. Layer tomatoes, basil then cheese and broil until cheese is melted.

Menu Plan Week 88

2011-09-18T11:50:00.001-04:00

Sunday - Cream of Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Monday - Baked Penne with Chicken and Tomatoes with Cheesy Garlic Herb Bread

Tuesday - Coca Cola Ribs with Cheesy Overstuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

Wednesday -Creamy Chicken Bacon Pockets with Steamed Broccoli

Thursday - Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza using this recipe for the dough.

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - BLT Club Sandwiches with Chips

Triple Chip Cookies

2011-09-16T07:39:00.001-04:00

These amazing little guys are from Bakeralla. She doesn't just make fabulous cake pops but she has awesome recipes like this! I had all three of these chips in my kitchen so it was easy to make them. They were all of my favorite things rolled into one. Really, who wouldn't love these cookies?

2 3/4 cup ap flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup white chips

Heat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl combine together the butter, brown sugar and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and combine well. Add half the flour and mix in, scraping down the sides as you go, then add the second part of the flour and mix well. Mix the chips together in a separate bowl. Add the chips to the dough mixture and stir in just until they are evenly spread out. Spoon the batter onto a parchment lined pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Fajita Grilled Corn

2011-09-15T07:12:00.001-04:00

I came up with this one night when we were grilling out. I was suppose to make a different kind of corn and couldn't find one of the ingredients at my house so I just went with this instead.

4 ears of corn

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp fajita seasoning

Mix together the butter and the fajita seasoning. Spread all over each piece of corn. Wrap in foil and grill on the top wrack for 10 to 15 minutes or until the corn is done.

Panko Crusted Salmon

2011-09-14T08:58:00.001-04:00

I love salmon! It's a bit of a treat around our house and we were so excited to learn that a nicer grocery store in our area was doing 1/2 off salmon on tuesdays for the month of August, sadly we learned it with only 2 week left but we took advantage of it both weeks. I searched for some recipes and came across this on Annies Eats. I think this is one of my new favorite ways to make it.

2/3 cup panko
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp olive oil (divided)
4 (6-8 oz) salmon fillets (with skin)
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges (for serving)

Heat oven to 425. In a bowl combine the panko, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and mix together well. Brush each piece of salmon with mustard then season with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture onto the salmon. Add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to a pan. Heat the pan to medium high heat. Add the salmon, skin down, to the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven for 5 to 7 more minutes. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let the salmon rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with lemon.

Menu Plan Week 87

2011-09-11T10:12:00.001-04:00

Sunday - Dinner at my parent's house

Monday - Spaghetti with Garlic Bread

Tuesday - Baked Havarti Chicken with Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday - Coca Cola Ribs with Cheesy Overstuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

Thursday - Spinach Tomato Tortellini with Bacon Garlic Breadsticks

Friday - A's Birthday Party! Not positive what the menu is going to be yet...

Saturday - Greek Festival Food!

Lemon Zest Asparagus

2011-09-07T07:06:00.003-04:00

I found this recipe on Pinterest. So it's where I got the idea for this recipe but I sauteed mine which makes it different from the one I originally found. Gray and I both love asparagus and this was a very simple recipe for it! I love the combination of lemon and asparagus.

1/3 lb. asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the ends off the asparagus then cut it in half. Heat a pan to medium low heat and add olive oil then add asparagus. Saute until the asparagus is fork tender. Remove from heat a toss with lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Bread

2011-09-06T07:56:00.004-04:00

I got this recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen but changed it up. It turned out so well, it was a big loaf and we ate off of it for several days. I kept saying how it reminded me of something that would be served at a baby shower or wedding shower. It was delightful!

1 1/2 cups and 1 tbsp flour (divided)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp grated lemon zest (2 or 3 lemons)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries

For the Syrup:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

For the Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
2 to 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Heat oven to 350 and spray a 9x5 pan with nonstick spray. In a bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl mix together the sour cream, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Toss the blueberries in the 1 tbsp of flour then stir them into the batter. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan then remove. While the loaf is cooling, combine the lemon juice and sugar in a pan over medium low heat. Keep stirring until all the sugar has dissolved then continue to heat for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. With a tooth pick poke the loaf all over then brush the bread with the syrup. Once the bread is cool whisk together the lemon juice and sugar. It should be thick but still pourable. Pour over bread. Wait 15 minutes before serving.

Bacon Bit Burgers

2011-09-05T07:32:00.006-04:00

We made these one night when we were suppose to have something else and at the last minute said, screw it, we want burgers. This is what I came up with in a pinch and they were awesome! We will be making them again soon.

1 lb ground beef

1/2 tbsp lowery's seasoning

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup bacon bits or chopped bacon slices

1/2 tbsp ketchup

1 egg

Mix together all the ingredients and form 3 to 4 patties. Grill until done. Top with your favorite toppings. I suggest cheddar, mayo, ketchup, mustard, tomato and pickles...because those are my favorites.

This recipe was linked up over at the Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight for Bacon

Menu Plan Week 86

2011-09-04T06:58:00.003-04:00

Sunday - Dinner with Leslie and Ryan! Easy Cheesy Hot Bean Dip, Hot Dogs with Mrs. Kathy's Hot Dog Chili and Grilled Corn with Cream Cheese Pie Leslie is also bringing her yummy pimento cheese!!!

Monday - Apricot and French Dressing Crockpot Chicken over Brown Rice with Roasted Garlic Zucchini
Tuesday - Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas with Roasted Red Potatoes
Wednesday - Greek Burgers with Grilled Broccoli and Lemons
Thursday - Mexican Pizza with Unfried Black Beans
Friday - Date Night
Saturday - TBD Depends on where we end up watching the game

Loaded Hash Brown Potato Cups

2011-09-02T07:09:00.004-04:00

The idea for these come from The Yummy Life. I just sort of went crazy with these and Gray and I both really enjoyed the outcome!

1 (20 oz) bag Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns
1/4 cup onion (chopped)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup crumbled bacon
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoon olive oil

Heat oven to 350. Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray. Mix together all ingredients. Fill each cup with the mixture and press down. Bake for 25 minutes, remove from oven and press down. Place back in the oven and bake for 30 more minutes. To remove run a knife around the edge of each cup and flip the tin over.

Grilled Caprese Chicken

2011-09-01T07:16:00.005-04:00

I threw this together one night when I wasn't in the mood to make anything more difficult! This was such an easy summer dish with tons of favor!

3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

1 cup Italian Dressing

3-4 Basil Leafs

1 Tomato

1/2 Fresh Mozzarella Ball

Marinate chicken in Italian Dressing for at least 3 hours or up to 24. Slice the tomato so that you have one slice per piece of chicken. Chop a basil leaf per chicken breast. Slice two pieces of mozzarella per chicken breast. Grill the chicken over medium heat until done. While the chicken is still on the grill top with basil, then mozzarella and finally tomato. Remove once cheese has slightly melted.

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

2011-08-31T07:12:00.005-04:00

This is a Hershey's recipe! I really didn't know what to expect when I made these, I knew they would be rich but they were REALLY rich! When I read the recipe it said to cut into 48 bars and I laughed out loud because seriously, those would be so tiny but then I tried them. Don't get me wrong, they are great just rich!

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 egg (slightly beaten)
2 cups (12 oz pack) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cups (8 o. pack) Toffee Bits (divided)

Heat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9 pan with nonstick spray. Mix together flour and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg and stir well. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set 1 1/2 cups of the mixture aside. Press the remaining dough into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and pour sweetened condensed milk over the cookie. Top with all but 1/3 of the toffee bits. Crumble the remaining cookie dough over the top and bake for 25 to 30 more minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining toffee bits. Let cool completely before cutting.

Cheesy Zucchini and Squash Bake

2011-08-30T10:05:00.000-04:00

I saw this recipe on pinterest and just had to try it! It's from Kalyn's Kitchen, it was a great summer side dish! We will be making it again before all the squash and zucchini are gone! I only made half a recipe of this for Gray and I and it was plenty for us!

2 zucchini (sliced and quartered)
2 medium (sliced and quartered)
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp green onion (sliced)
1/2 ts. dried thyme
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup of Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350. Coat an 8x8 dish with nonstick spray. In a mixing bowl mix together zucchini, squash, basil, green onion, thyme, garlic powder and 1/2 cup of mozzarella. Make sure everything is mixed together well. Pour into baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes.

Creamy Chicken Lasagna

2011-08-29T07:34:00.004-04:00

This deliciousness was found at Cassie Craves! I have made this several times now, it's one of Gray and I's favorites! It's so creamy without being super overwhelming! I also froze this before A came home and then thawed it and baked it, it was perfect!

1 lb chicken breast (cooked and shredded)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 cans cream chicken soup
1 8oz package cream cheese
2 cups sour cream
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded colby jack cheese

Heat oven to 350. Saute the garlic in olive oil over medium low heat, add the cream of chicken soup, cream cheese, sour cream, milk and broth to the pan and stir until everything is melted and combined. Add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and stir. Add chicken and let the mixture simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Put a layer of the mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, then do a layer of noodles, then the mixture then cheese, repeat until everything is done making sure to end with the cheese. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until bubbly.

Menu Plan Week 85

2011-08-28T07:34:00.002-04:00

85 weeks. that is A LOT of weeks!

Sunday - Grilled Caprese Chicken with New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Monday - Meaty Cheesy Lasagna

Tuesday - Greek Burgers with Parmesan Butter Grilled Corn

Wednesday - Brown Sugar Salmon with Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

Thursday - Chicken Broccoli Divan with Roasted Baked Potatoes

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Taco Burgers with Un"fried" Black Beans

Oatmeal Butterscotch Muffins

2011-08-26T07:29:00.004-04:00

Have you ever read How Sweet It Is? It's an awesome food blog that will make you so so hungry. A while ago she posted a recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip muffins, I knew right away that I wanted to make them but with butterscotch! These muffins were gooey and messy and amazingly delicious!

1 cup AP flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 cup butterscotch chips

Heat oven to 350. Line and grease muffin tin. Place the oats in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup milk. Let them stand for at least 5 minutes while preparing remaining ingredients. In a bowl combine brown sugar and egg. Whisk until a smooth caramel color. Whisk in butter and vanilla. Add oat mixture, flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir in the remaining milk. Fold in butterscotch chips. Fill each muffin cup with about 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

Un"fried" Black Beans

2011-08-25T10:02:00.001-04:00

My friend Leslie brought these over one night and Gray and I both flipped out over them. We love black beans and this recipes is easy with a lot of flavor!!! Also, Gray and I can eat a whole recipe of these by ourselves, when we have guests over we triple or quadruple the recipe. It's very simple to multiple.

1 14oz can black beans
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp garlic (chopped)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh pepper
1/4 cup onion diced
1/3 cup shredded pepper jack (optional)

Combine everything in a pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the beans and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans and add back as little or much liquid until you get the consistency that you like. Optional: Place in a dish and top with cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese is bubbly.

Tomato Basil Grilled Cheese

2011-08-24T08:55:00.004-04:00

I got the idea for this sandwich on pinterest from The Mobile Cook. They did it a little different over there but same idea. This sandwich was amazing and gooey and delicious. I believe I will have it again for lunch today. Seriously divine.

Bread

Tomatoes

Fresh Basil

Fresh Mozzarella

Butter

Heat a pan to medium low heat. Butter two pieces of bread on one side. Slice the tomatoes thinly, you need 3 or 4 slices per sandwich. Slice the mozzarella and again 3 or 4 slices for each sandwich. Chop 1 basil leaf per sandwich. Place the 1 slice of bread, butter side down in the pan. Layer the tomato, basil and then the cheese. Place the other slice of bread, butter side up, on the sandwich. When the bread on the bottom is golden brown, turn it over and grill the other side until done.

CocaCola Cake

2011-08-23T07:33:00.004-04:00

I made this for the first time around 2 years ago. Oh. Em. Geeee. Seriously sooo good! Gray has requested it for both birthdays since then. Unfortunately last year I was on the phone dealing with some major adoption drama while trying to make it and I ended up pouring the batter in the wrong since pan and it started overflowing into my oven. Lovely. This year, I made it right and we greatly enjoyed it! I have seen a few different recipes for this cake but I have always used the on from Love at First Bite.

Cake:

2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
1 cup Coca-Cola
1 cup butter
1 and 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing:

1/2 cup butter
1 tbsp cocoa
6 tbsp Coca-Cola
1 pound box powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan. In a mixing bowl combine flour and sugar. In a saucepan melt together the butter, coke, cocoa and marshmallows and bring to a boil. Combine with the flour mixture in the mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine the eggs butter milk, baking soda, and vanilla. Combine with the flour mixture. Pour into the pan and bake for 35 minutes.

After the cake has been removed from the oven make your icing. In a saucepan combine the butter, cocoa, and coke. Bring to a bowl. Add the powdered sugar and mix in well. Pour the icing over the cake while the icing and the cake are still warm.

Jalapeno Dip

2011-08-22T07:16:00.001-04:00

This first time I ever had this dip was at my cousin's house! It was delicious and wonderful and I had to have the recipe! She told me it was from Plain Chicken and I bookmarked it right away. I just now got around to making it myself and it's so easy and so yummmmmmy. It's a great summer treat to serve with tortilla chips but it would also be amazing with tacos or quesadillas!

16 oz light Sour Cream
1 pack 1 oz Ranch Dip Mix
2 jalapenos (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1 whole lime (juiced)

Place the garlic, cilantro and jalapenos in the food processor and process until well chopped. Add sour cream, lime juice, and ranch mix. Process until everything is combined. Place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.

Menu Plan Week 84

2011-08-21T11:16:00.000-04:00

Sunday - Cheeseburger Flat Bread Melts with Baked Beans

Monday - Slow Roasted Pork with Roasted Red Potatoes

Tuesday - Panko Crusted Salmon and Lemon Zest Asparagus

Wednesday - Stuffed Border Burgers with Mexican Grilled Corn

Thursday - Slow Cooked Sticky Chicken with New Potatoes with a Garlic Vinaigrette

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Meaty Cheesy Lasagna with Basil Garlic Bread

Smothered Chicken

2011-08-19T07:28:00.005-04:00

I was suppose to make something totally different on this night, but then I reread the recipe. No white wine and I was missing something else that I can't remember now. It was 5:15 and so I just had to wing it. So this was me winging it and Gray and I both loved it!

3-4 chicken breast

1 cup mushrooms

1/2 medium onion (cut into strips)

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

6-8 slices of bacon (cooked)

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 slices of cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400. In a skillet heat a 1 tbsp olive oil to medium heat. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breast in the skillet and cook for 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Place chicken in a baking dish, cover with foil and place in the oven. Lower the heat on the skillet to medium low. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and saute the onion for 3 minutes. Add mushroom and worcestershire. Saute until mushroom are soft. Remove chicken from oven, top each chicken breast with two slices of bacon, the mushroom mixture and a slice of cheese. Place back in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 more minutes or until the juices run clear.

This recipe was linked up over at the Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight for Bacon.

Banana Cream Cheese Muffins

2011-08-18T07:18:00.002-04:00

We seem to have a lot of bananas that get overly ripe around here. Mainly because A has love hate relationship with them. Some weeks he eats as many as possible and others he won't touch them. That only means one thing, I MUST bake with them! These muffins are from How To:Simplify.
For the muffin batter:
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 bananas (mashed)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter (melted)
1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the filling:
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg

For the topping:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp butter (melted)

Heat oven to 375. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together. In a separate bowl beat together the mashed bananas, egg, vanilla and melted butter. Combine the flour mixture and the banana mixture until just moist. Spoon half of the batter into muffin cups. In a bowl combine cream cheese, sugar and egg. Spoon into muffin cups over the batter. Top the muffins with the remaining batter. In another bowl mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter. Crumble over each muffin. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Cheesy Baked Tortellini

2011-08-17T07:00:00.003-04:00

Tortellini always reminds me of growing up. My use to fix it for the two of us for lunch or when my dad and brother were gone. It's one of the comfort food things. This recipe came from Real Mom Kitchen and Gray and I both thought it was good. I just love simple recipes and this one is pretty dang simple.

1 (19oz) bag fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
1 (24 oz) jar of marinara sauce
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (divided)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 350. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the tortellini for 3 minutes. Mix together the marinara sauce, cream and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish and top with remaining parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is starting brown and the sauce is bubbly.

Black Bean Hummus

2011-08-16T06:59:00.004-04:00

I love hummus! All kinds, really but my very very favorite is black bean. I don't know why I have never made my own hummus sooner because it is amazingly simple and tastes a million times more fresh. I got this recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen.

1 15oz black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic clove (peeled)
1/2 small jalapeño pepper (seeded)

Put everything into the food processor, process for several seconds. Scrap everything down and process for several more seconds. Transfer to a bowl and serve or refrigerate.

Twice Baked Broccoli and Cheddar Potatoes

2011-08-15T09:04:00.000-04:00

When I saw this recipe I was kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. We eat a lot of broccoli in our house and we always have some leftover! I was originally going to use the recipe from Cate's World Kitchen but then our internet was down so I just had to wing it and make up my own. These were so good and easy, I heated one up for lunch the next day and it was perfect again!

4 potatoes (baked)

1 cup of chopped broccoli (steamed)

4 tbsp butter

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup milk

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella

Heat oven to 350. Scoop out the middle of the potatoes leaving only the shell. Add the broccoli, butter, 2/3 of cheddar, milk, salt and pepper. Stir and mash together. Refill the potatoes and top with remaining cheddar and mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes.

Menu Plan Week 83

2011-08-14T09:16:00.000-04:00

Sunday - Chips and Salsa Chicken with Black Beans

Monday - Creamy Chicken Lasagna with Garlic Bread

Tuesday - Lasagna Buns with Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday -Chicken Tenders with Homemade Honey Mustard and Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

Thursday - BBQ Chicken and Southern Slaw Sandwiches with Parmesan Hash Brown Cups

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Cheeseburger Flat Bread Melts with Baked Beans

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

2011-08-12T07:32:00.002-04:00

I've had these cinnamon chips hanging around my house for a while now. They were all the rage last fall and I couldn't find them in any grocery store, it was so frustrating! I finally found them a few months ago but just got around to using them. I had to find the perfect recipe just in case I can never find them again. I saw a recipe for oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies on Pinterest from I <3 Naptime, so I just used my own oatmeal cookie recipe and added cinnamon chips. They were amazing. Gray and I devoured them.

3/4 cup soften butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup cinnamon chips

Heat oven to 375. Cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until stirred well. Add oats and cinnamon chips. Drop onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.