Nom Nom Nom

Portobello, Broccoli and Red Pepper Melts

2012-01-27T11:25:00.000-05:00

We'll just call these YUMMMMM. And if you don't know about Annie's Eats, you need to go there. We both liked these very much. No calorie count on this one because it would depend on surface area and size of bread. And I am lazy..... it might be around 400 each. We had this with some soup and it was great.

Portobello, Broccoli and Red Pepper Melts
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
1 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 portobello mushrooms (stems removed), sliced ½-inch thick
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced ½-inch thick
¼ cup light mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
4 thick slices country bread
2-4 oz. provolone cheese, thinly sliced

Directions:
Preheat a broiler with a rack placed 4 inches from the heat source. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the broccoli on the baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Broil until the broccoli begins to brown, tossing once or twice, about 4-6 minutes.

Add the sliced mushrooms and peppers to the pan with the broccoli and toss to combine. Broil, tossing once or twice, until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes more. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise and garlic in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place the slices of bread on a work surface. Spread each slice of bread with 1 tablespoon of the garlic-mayo mixture. Top with the cooked vegetables, then the cheese. Line the baking sheet with a new piece of foil. Transfer the assembled sandwiches to the baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, 2-4 minutes.

Foil-Pack Chicken and Broccoli Dinner

2012-01-27T11:14:00.000-05:00

Matt liked this... I thought it was ok. I have a lot of commentary to make it better haha. Here is the original recipe and photo. I think the bacon gets too chewy and you need more than 1 slice, the chicken portion is large, I would rather have the savory herb flavored stuffing instead of chicken and it is kind of soggy, needs a little more cheese..... haha. And it took closer to 45 minutes than 30 to bake these suckers so maybe downsize the breast or pound it thinner.

Foil-Pack Chicken and Broccoli Dinner
Serves: 4
Calories: about 600 each

1 package Stuffing mix; chicken flavor
1 1/4 cup Water
24 ounce Boneless skinless chicken breast; 6oz each
4 cups Broccoli Florets
1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices Cooked bacon; crumbled
4 tablespoons Ranch dressing

- Oven to 400
- Spray 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil with oil.
- Combine stuffing mix and water.
- Spoon 1/4 of the stuffing mixture onto the center of each foil sheet.
- Top stuffing with a 6oz. chicken breast half.
- Top chicken with 1 c. broccoli.
- Sprinkle with 1/4 of the cheese and 1 slice of bacon, crumbled.
- Drizzle with 1 T. ranch dressing

- Bring up foil sides and fold to seal, leaving room for heat circulation inside
- Place packets on a cookie sheet and bake 25-30 mins
- Remove packets and let stand 5 mins
- Cut sits in foil for steam before opening.

Laughing Cow Alfredo Sauce

2012-01-27T11:04:00.000-05:00

Generic photo of alfredo since I was too lazy to take a picture myself

I thought this was good... I may have added a little more parm and an extra wedge of cheese... and a crap ton of black pepper. Matt wasn't a huge fan. But this was easy. I will say the serving size is small in our house and it really doesn't save that many calories over a jarred sauce and it is more expensive.... hmmm, I am not selling you on this recipe am I... oh well.

Laughing Cow Alfredo Sauce
Serves: 2
Calories: About 185

3 wedges Laughing Cow Light Creamy Garlic & Herb
1/2 cup Skim Milk
1 Tbsp reduced fat Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Tbsp Molly McButter (I used 2 Tb real butter)
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

In medium sized saucepan, combine all ingredients over a low heat, until everything is melted and is velvety smooth (approximately 20 minutes). Serve immediately over hot cooked pasta of your choice .

Summer Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder

2012-01-27T10:53:00.001-05:00

This was yummy and would be even better when corn is actually in season and awesome. Definitely a keeper. I found this recipe on Pinterest. If you don't know what Pinterest is.... it is the new, best way to waste time at work =) I posted my measurements below the original recipe.

Summer Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder

Serves: 4

Weight Watchers Points: 6

1 medium uncooked yukon gold potato(es)

1 spray(s) cooking spray
1/2 cup(s) uncooked celery, chopped
1/4 cup(s) (chopped) uncooked onion(s), chopped (or 1 large shallot)
4 piece(s) corn on the cob, kernels removed with a knife
1 cup(s) sweet red pepper(s), diced
4 oz uncooked Canadian-style bacon, diced
2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Pierce potato in several places with a fork; microwave on high power until tender, turning over once, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool; peel and mash.

Meanwhile, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Add celery, onion, corn and red pepper; sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

Stir bacon and milk into saucepan; stir in mashed potato and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce; stir to combine. Cover and simmer 10 minutes (do not allow to boil). Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

* * *

My Edits

Serves: 2

Calories: About 320

2 medium uncooked redskin potatoes
1 spray cooking spray
1/4 cup uncooked celery, chopped
1/4 cup (chopped) uncooked onion
3 pieces corn on the cob, kernels removed with a knife
1/2 cup sweet red pepper, diced
2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
1.5 cups 1% milk
salt and pepper to taste

Part 2

2012-01-27T10:45:00.000-05:00

I forgot the one new kitchen thing that will change your life!!! Totally worth it at $2 for a box of 4. Plus, here is a coupon from Reynolds.

Buy these. Seriously.

Grown Up Hamburger Helper - Revisited

2012-01-24T20:32:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe in my Rachel Ray cookbook and adapted it. I cut the recipe in half because apparently RR cooks for an army in her house. This was pretty good and much better than that boxed crap. And it really didn't take much more time or effort.

Edited 1/24/12

Grown up Hamburger Helper
Serves: 3-4
Calories: Approx 625 per 1/4 recipe

Ingredients:
-2 cups pasta (I used elbow macaroni. Cavatappi or penne would work too) Mini Penne
-1/2 pound ground beef
-2 big tablespoons of grated onion
-2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

-2 tablespoons butter
-1 1/2 tablespoons flour 2 Tb
-1/2 cup chicken stock 1 cup
-1 cup of half and half
-1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard 2 Tb
-1 1/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese 1.5 cups Kraft Triple Cheddar

Garnish:
-chopped dill pickles
-diced tomatoes or salsa

1. Boil a pot of water and add the pasta, cook per the box. Don't drain until the rest is ready.

2. In a large skillet brown the meat. Add the onion and worcestershire then some salt and pepper. When fully cooked, remove to a paper plate and get rid of the grease.

3. In the same skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Whisk in the half and half and the chicken stock. Bring to a bubble and cook for a few minutes until it thickens up. Stir in the dijon. Add the cheese and keep stirring until all melted into gooey goodness. More salt and pepper.

4. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce skillet along with the meat. Serve with the dill pickles and tomatoes/salsa if you wish.

Matt wants to add that he sprinkled on his most favorite ingredient in the world and it made the dish unbelievable. What is this secret ingredient that makes everything better? A Little Caesars spice pak of course!

Random Kitchen Things

2012-01-04T15:06:00.002-05:00

So I have been a slacker with blogging lately because of the holidays. I didn't have to take too many dishes to places and I ate meals that other people cooked.... then ate the leftovers =) So there hasn't been much cooking going on lately besides a couple recipes I don't feel are worth sharing.

But I did want to post a couple of things that I have "discovered" recently and wondered why I ever cooked without them.

Kitchen Scale
I picked up a cheapie from Meijer and it makes things soooo much easier. Especially pasta. Totally worth it. Pick one up for under $20.

Little bottles of wine
My husband and I don't really drink wine... but a lot of these fancy pants recipes call for it. What to do....I have no idea why it didn't dawn on me to pick these little guys up. Each bottle is a cup, which is perfect.

Cast Iron Grill Press
This puppy makes some deliciously crunchy grilled sandwiches and takes up way less space than like a panini press.

Squeeze bottle minced garlic
Don't laugh. I am lazy and have zero desire to use fresh garlic and mince it all up. This isn't as good as the 'real' thing, but it is way convenient and fast! Try it out.

Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer
This isn't really new to me recently... but I love this thing almost as much as the apple crisp I make with it. Totally worth it.

Yes I know none of these products is revolutionary but maybe you will discover something on this list that you haven't tried yet. Happy cooking!

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

2011-12-19T13:56:00.001-05:00

Original photo and recipe

I had every intention of making this recipe exactly as it was written, complete with the flambee... really, I did. Well, that didn't happen. And I didn't have any other dinners planned.... so I made this the lazy way. If you want the original recipe to do it right, click the link above. If you are lazy like me... see my way below. I am sure the original is super tasty.

Also, this was delicious. We had it on Friday and Matt asked for it again on Sunday. That never happens. We like things spicy so you will have to adjust the red pepper flakes to your liking.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Linguine (the lazy way)
Serves: 3
Approx. 560 calories

1/2 lb. frozen shrimp (I had the 50 ct/lb size on hand)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes, divided
4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tsp. salt
6 cloves garlic, minced (about 1/8 cup)... I have the pre-minced stuff that squeezes out of a bottle
½ tsp. sugar
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained (I had basil/oregano seasoned ones)
1/2 cup medium-dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
handful of minced fresh parsley
1/2 lb. linguine

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a pan and drop in a pinch of red pepper flakes. Throw in the frozen shrimp and cook a little on each side until you see them start to curl up a little. Remove them to a plate and rip off their tails. Take the pan off the heat and reduce heat to low. I also dumped out the contents because I didn't want all the shrimpy water.

Return the pan to the low heat and add the rest of the oil. Once heated, drop in all the garlic and more red pepper flakes, frequently. Watch for the garlic to turn golden and get foamy and sticky. Turn up the heat to medium and add the wine. Let it cook for a couple minutes. Then add the salt, sugar, and tomatoes. Let simmer until thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Squish the tomatoes with the spoon every couple minutes to break them up.

While the sauce is simmering, add the linguine to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta water in the pot.

Stir the reserved shrimp and the parsley into the sauce. Simmer until the shrimp are heated through, about 1 minute. Add the pasta and pasta water to the pan and toss to coat. Sprinkle on some parm if you want. Serve immediately.

Cakies!

2011-12-09T15:16:00.000-05:00

Original Post and Picture

Mine, in lemon and triple chocolate fudge, all packaged up and ready to party

I changed the name of these, so what? My blog, my rules. (my name for the them.. get it? Cake+Cookie=Cakie). Anyway. These are tasty and light. Pretty easy to make too, I needed something to whip up for a party and I just happened to have all these ingredients. This dough is very sticky.... so no, you didn't do it wrong.

Cakies

Yield: 3 dozen
Approx. 85 calories per cookie, depending on flavor

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 eggs
1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix (or any flavor really)
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.

Beat together the whipped topping and eggs together. Add the cake mix and continue to mix. Dough will be sticky. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Drop by teaspoonfuls into a bowl of confectioners' sugar and roll to coat. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Cool on racks.

Whiskey-Glazed Carrots

2011-12-09T14:58:00.002-05:00

Original Recipe and Picture

Another crappy cell phone picture....mostly just to prove I actually did make this stuff.

I like glazed carrots. I added some cayenne and extra black pepper to them. Honestly, if we didn't already have whiskey on hand I probably wouldn't make a special trip to get any for this recipe. I think I prefer my version with butter, honey, and a smidge of corn starch.

Whiskey-Glazed Carrots
Serves: 3
Approx. 100 calories per serving

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. baby carrots, cut into thirds
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/8 cup Jack Daniels (or other whiskey)
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a large skillet or pot with a lid, heat the butter over medium-high heat until melted. Add half of the carrots to the pan and cook briefly just to sear, 60-90 seconds. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining carrots. Set aside.

Very carefully add the whiskey to the pan and allow to evaporate for about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium. Sprinkle the brown sugar into the pan and stir. Mix in the carrots, stir well, and cover. Cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and season with salt and pepper. Cover once more and continue cooking until the carrots are fork-tender and the glaze has thickened, about 5-10*** minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter and top with minced fresh herbs, if desired, for extra color. Serve immediately.

***I prefer my carrots a little firmer, so I probably only needed the 5 minutes (or less). I had some fresh parsley on hand so I threw that on.

Bacon Lover’s Mac and Cheese

2011-12-09T13:55:00.000-05:00

Original recipe and photo

My craptastic I'm too hungry to care photo... see why I use the originals? haha

This is a love-hate recipe. It tasted delicious, Matt even said it was the best mac and cheese recipe I have made. However, this recipe is a lot of *bleeping* work and it dirties a million dishes. I will make it again, but only for a special event or something... this is not a 'make it when I get home from working all day' kinda meal. I served this with the whiskey glazed carrots (sure, add on some more work)... recipe to follow. Here is my take:

Bacon Lover’s Mac and Cheese
Serves: 4
Approx. 525 calories per serving

Ingredients:
6 oz. pasta shapes (I used mini penne)
4 oz. bacon, chopped (or more!)
4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/8 cup flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1%)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 oz. Fontina cheese, grated (I used Fontinella)
2 oz. white cheddar cheese, grated (The label said 'Holiday Cheddar' lol, it was white. Close enough)
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, cook the pasta according to package directions until just shy of al dente. Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate with a slotted spoon. (If desired, set aside 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cooked bacon for topping the baked mac and cheese.) Reserve 1 tablespoons of the bacon grease. Return the pan to the heat and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat.

To make the cheese sauce, add the reserved bacon grease to a medium saucepan with the butter. (If there was not enough bacon grease to make 1 tablespoon, replace the missing amount by adding an equal amount of butter.) Heat over medium-high heat until the butter is completely melted.

Whisk in the flour and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is golden and fragrant but not burned, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until it begins to bubble and thicken. Whisk in the salt, red pepper flakes, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the Fontina and white cheddar until completely melted and smooth. (If necessary, you can return the pan to low heat to melt the cheeses.)

Return the drained pasta to the pot. Mix in the cooked bacon and mushrooms, the cheese sauce and the chopped spinach. Stir everything together gently until well combined. Spread the mixture into a lightly greased 1.5-quart casserole dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is light golden and the cheese is bubbling. Serve warm and top with reserved cooked bacon pieces, if desired.

**I thought the cheese sauce was mega thick, so I ended up adding a little more milk at the end before baking. I also topped with a handful of Panko bread crumbs before baking for a little color and crunch.

Penne a la Betsy

2011-12-02T10:49:00.001-05:00

Original recipe and photo.

The Pioneer Woman blog is a good one if you are looking for some yummy recipes with step by step instructions, fyi.

This is a pretty good pasta and it isn't difficult to make. I personally think it needs a nice pinch of red pepper flakes.... but I think I say that about everything! Since the original recipe feeds more people than we have in my house, I cut it down. Plus I swapped the heavy cream for half and half. I served this with some green beans. Here it is my way:

Penne a la Betsy
Serves: 4
Calories: Approx 525 per serving

1/2 pound Penne Pasta (I used mini penne and ended up not stirring in all of the cooked pasta
3/4 pound Shrimp (I used frozen, 26-30/pound size I think)
2.25 Tablespoons Butter
2.25 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3/4 whole Onion (small)
2 cloves Garlic1/2 cup White Wine, Or To Taste
1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
3/4 cup Half and Half
Fresh Parsley, to taste
Fresh Basil - To Taste
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste

Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.

Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.

Finely dice the onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet heat 1.25 tablespoons of butter and 1.25 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).

Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 3/4 cup of half and half. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil, or if you’re feeling very proper, chiffonaded.

Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

Black Bean, Chicken and Red Pepper Stew

2011-11-28T21:16:00.000-05:00

This is the original recipe. (and not my photo)
Below are my modifications. I served it with a small quesadilla. This was super easy and healthy, so you should try it.

Black Bean, Chicken and Red Pepper Stew
Serves- 4
Approx. Calories: 220 per serving
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1.5 chicken breasts, cut up into chunks
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 (12 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1.5 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion to the pot and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Mix in the black beans, diced tomatoes, red peppers, green chiles, chicken broth, cumin, and cayenne. Return the chicken to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. When finished, remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper.

Turkey Bolognese

2011-11-10T09:24:00.001-05:00

This was adapted from the Family Circle cookbook. Excuse the camera phone picture. This recipe was originally served over polenta... we discovered we don't like polenta. So this time, pasta it is!
Note: Matt says this is gross leftover and microwaved despite being very tasty fresh.

Turkey Bolognese over Pasta
Serves: 4-6
Calories: about 333 for 1/6 of recipe

1 package ground turkey (20 oz)
4 oz restaurant blend fresh mushrooms
1 jar Marinara (I used Newman's Own)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2.5 cups dry penne pasta

In a pot, start the water boiling and cook the pasta per the directions.

Meanwhile in a 10" or larger pan, saute the mushrooms in a little oil for 3-5 minutes. Crumble in the turkey, basil, oregano, salt & pepper and cook for another 5 minutes until turkey is cooked thru. Add the marinara and reduce heat, cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream until heated thru. Serve over pasta. This is light on the pasta, heavy on the sauce, which is thick and chunky.

Chicken Ranch Ranchero Over Rice

2011-11-06T19:25:00.000-05:00

Here is another recipe I marked on Pinterest. Not a very healthy one (again), so it won't be in the regular rotation, but it was easy to make. I only had 1 pound of chicken, so I cut the recipe to 2/3... I have no idea how you would fit the whole recipe in an 8x8 because mine filled it up, so keep that in mind. Matt liked this more than I did... definitely needed more seasoning and spice.

Chicken Ranch Ranchero Over Rice
Serves: 4 (I say this serves closer to 6)
Calories: Approx 550 per serving (1/6 of recipe)

3 cups rice, cooked
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
0.25 cups onion, chopped
1 medium serrano pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
30 ounces tomatoes, diced (or be really authentic and use fresh tomatoes!)
1 Tablespoons oregano
0.5 teaspoons chili powder
0.25 teaspoons salt
1.5 pounds chicken breasts
1 cups Ranch dressing
1.5 cups Colby Jack cheese
1 deep dish 8×8 pan

In a saucepan, heat the oil and saute the garlic, serrano pepper and onions for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes for 5-6 minutes. Add in the seasonings and simmer for about 5 more minutes. Set aside. Place the cooked rice in the bottom of the baking pan. Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice in a single layer. Add the Ranch dressing on top of the chicken. Pour the Ranchero Sauce (cooked tomato mixture) over the whole dish. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve.

Freezing Directions:
Follow directions above, but instead of baking, cover and freeze. To serve: Thaw. Uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve. (Double cooking time if chicken is still or partially frozen.)

Applesauce

2011-11-06T18:53:00.000-05:00

I have never made applesauce before, but I will be doing this over and over again.. so easy and yummy!! The store had apples for 59c a pound, so the first time I made this with Cortland and McIntosh. The second time I made it with honeycrisp because they were on super sale. Both times it was delicious! You really should have an apple peeler/slicer machine thing for this.

I like my applesauce chunky so I cut the water and cooked it a little less. All I needed was a hand potato masher (barely) because they just fell apart. The second time I did cut back on the sugar some.

Homemade Applesauce
Makes about 2.5 cups

10 cups apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
0.5 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
0.5 cup sugar or Splenda (optional, or to taste)

Place apples, water, cinnamon, and sugar in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours or until apples are tender and easily mash. Mash with a potato masher, or puree in blender or food processor until you teach the desired consistency.

Freezing Directions:
Divide and place among freezer bags or containers. Seal, label, and freeze. To serve: Thaw. Serve warm or cold.

Manicotti

2011-11-01T22:44:00.001-04:00

This was borrowed from here. So was the picture. I of course made modifications... and I agree, this is definitely a keeper! Matt actually said he wouldn't change anything (well, to my version). I think next time I would add some red pepper flakes to the sauce =) And magically figure out how to cut the calories in half haha.

Chicken Manicotti with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Serves: 3-4
Calories: 640 calories in 2 pieces (ouch)

Cannelloni
9 manicotti shells
2 cups chicken, cooked and finely chopped
1 (8 ounce) container chive and onion cream cheese
3-4 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup frozen tri color pepper and onion mix from Kroger
1/2 cup mozzerella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Combine all:
7 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained, I pulsed them in my mini food processor
1 (16 ounce) jar creamy Alfredo sauce
1.5 ounces of grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Stir together chicken and next seven ingredients. (I cooked the spinach and peppers/onions in the pasta pot for a couple minutes to heat them thru and drain the liquid easier).

Put all the filling into a large plastic baggie and snip the tip. Squeeze filling into the manicotti. If you put some pressure on the pasta, the filling shoots right thru and doesn't split the pasta. Place in a 8x11 baking dish. Pour roasted red pepper sauce evenly over cannelloni.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

Mexican Baked Penne

2011-10-28T08:48:00.005-04:00

You should definitely make this. I am also "borrowing" her photo because I am too lazy to take my own photos. Click the link for the original recipe, my modifications are below (like cutting the recipe in half because I am not cooking for an army).

Mexican Baked Penne
Serves: 6
Approx 410 calories per serving

1/4 pound Garden Delight Radiatore Pasta from Ronzoni
12 oz ground beef
1 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz frozen veggies (onion and 3 pepper blend from Kroger)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 jars salsa - 16 oz of Chi Chis Thick and Chunky Hot Salsa
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
1.5 cups shredded cheese, I used 'casserole' blend and pepper jack

Preheat oven to 350*. Boil pasta according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, saute garlic, onions, and peppers in the olive oil over medium~high heat in a large non~stick skillet. Season ground beef with salt and pepper and add to pan. Add spices and additional salt and pepper to taste. Cook ground beef until browned. Drain and add to a large bowl. Add the beans, salsa and pasta. Stir to combine.

Spray a 9×13″ (I think mine is a little smaller than this) baking dish with non~stick cooking spray. Pour half the pasta mixture into the pan. Top with 1/2 of the cheese cheese. Cover with remaining pasta. Then top with remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is golden.

I topped with some green onions and sour cream... I think it definitely made the dish.

CMC 3

2011-09-25T21:49:00.001-04:00

This year's cider mill crawl was a huge success... the weather was gorgeous, the donuts and cider were awesome, and the company was so much fun.

If you missed out on previous cider mill blog posts, here is some background:
CMC 1
CMC 2

Because we have already mostly covered the southwestern metro Detroit area mills, we headed to the northwestern area. Next year, east bound! Check out a few pictures from the day here, but if we are friends on Facebook I will upload a bunch more when I am done blogging.

Place settings with judging card

Bags for this year's crawl... resuable totes from JoAnn's with little apple trees!

Jacki and Katie enjoying the first taste of the day at Spicer's in Fenton

Jill is very excited about the cider at Spicer's

While Steph and I are stoked about the donuts at Spicer's!

Second stop, Parshallville Grist mill in Parshallville just down the road from Spicer's

Very tasty... Steph had to grab a bowl of caramel apple slices too mmmmm

Jacki is impressed at Parshallville's selection of apples

Hanging out at Diehl's in Holly... Katie is excited because she just caught a bee under a cup

Slightly less excited faces at Long's in Commerce... something broke in their barn and it was closed inside.

Back to my house for tasting and judging

Katie had to leave early, but here is the rest of the cider mill gang

After all that sugar and carbs, we had a light dinner of wraps, veggies, fruit, and salad

Thanks girls for another awesome crawl! I cannot wait until next year for CMC4!

And now, for the results!!!!

Overall Experience:
1st- Parshallville
2nd- Spicer's
3rd- Diehl's
4th- Long's

Best Donut:
1st- Spicer's
2nd- Parshallville
3rd- Long's
4th- Diehl's

Best Cider:
1st- Spicer's
2nd- Parshallville
3rd- Long's
4th- Diehl's

OVERALL RANKING (120 points possible)

1st- Spicer's with 106 points WINNER!

2nd- Parshallville with 100 points
3rd- Long's with 81.5 points
4th- Diehl's with 62 points

Here are my thoughts:
Spicer's - It was very busy and seemed like there was a ton to do there. Parking sucked and the line for donuts was confusing. But... the cider and donuts were seriously amazing and would probably beat out any of the previous year's winners.

Parshallville Grist- Adorable. It was pretty empty but the other customers said that wasn't usually the case. No activities to do here, but a very nice store area. The cider and donuts were very close to Spicer's, so it is worth the visit.

Diehl's- Not very impressive. The cider was like apple juice and while the donuts were flaming hot, they were just ok. There is a large parking area with tables and play areas but it is in the middle of nowhere.

Long's- This is a little hard to judge because the barn was under repair so we could only buy donuts and cider from the stand in the parking lot. The cinnamon sugar was coarser than the other places so it was crunchy. These donuts actually held up the best over the couple days following the crawl. I would have loved to have had them fresh and hot.

Definitely try this at home!! Grab a few friends and head out to a couple places and do your own judging! Here are a few tips:
1. I highly recommend light meals before/after.
2. Don't eat more than 1/4 donut of each kind at each mill if you are doing a tasting later as well. It is hard, but limit yourself.
3. Bring napkins because most places don't have them. They usually have small cups for the cider.
4. Throw a cooler in the car if you want to keep your cider cold. Also, throw in some water because you will need something after all the cider.
5. Three mills is really what you should be doing, we added a fourth because it made sense geographically. But when you get to that fourth mill, you are a little sugared up and need a break.

Thanks for reading and good luck with your own crawls!!

Salsa Chicken Tacos

2011-09-15T13:21:00.002-04:00

So my random return to the food blog world is a fail in the picture department. Sorry, you will just have to trust me that this is delicious. I make it as often as I can but realized I never blogged it... at least I don't think so. Either way, it deserves a quick post.

Salsa Chicken Tacos

Serves: 4ish

-3 frozen chicken breasts
-3/4-1 jar salsa (I like Pace thick and chunky- hot)
-1 cup frozen corn kernels
-1/2 block cream cheese
-1 cup canned (rinsed) black beans
-shredded cheese
-10 pk taco sized tortillas
-rice (plain white instant... 1 cup water/1 cup rice)

In a crockpot, throw in the frozen chicken and dump salsa over top. Cook on low for about 6 hours.

Break up chicken in the crock, throw in the corn, cream cheese, and beans and stir. Turn up to high and cook for about 30 minutes. Stir to make sure it is all mixed up and hot.

Spoon into tortilla shells. Top with cheese if you want. We usually add some plain rice to the shell first because it can be kinda juicy and the rice will soak it up.

TA DA! Difficult right? Well it is ridiculously awesome so you should go make it (looking at you Pete). It even works great as a dip... just add more salsa to make it thinner and scoop with chips.

Steak and Potato Salad

2011-08-24T09:17:00.000-04:00

Matt insisted I blog this so we remember to make it in the future........Adapted from the Family Circle cookbook.

1 lb red-skin potatoes (3-4 large), cut into 8 pieces each
4 strips bacon
1 small red onion, chopped
1 lb steak, cut into strips
salt
steak seasoning
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1/2 tsp cold water
baby spinach
Crumbled gorgonzola cheese

In a very large pan (I think it is a deep 12" pan), boil some water and throw in potatoes with salt. Boil for about 15 minutes and drain, set aside.

In the same pan, cook the bacon until crisp, set aside to drain on paper towel. In the bacon grease, throw in the onion for a minute over medium then add steak strips, season with steak seasoning, for about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Dump in the honey and vinegar, cook over medium for 2 minutes then add the corn starch solution for a minute. Add the potatoes, steak, onion, crumbled bacon and stir to coat/warm up everything.

Spoon over a bed of fresh spinach. Add cheese crumbles to taste.

Serves 4. Per serving (approx): 450 calories; 15 g fat.

Cider Mill Crawl 2010

2010-09-27T11:30:00.000-04:00

If you don't know what a cider mill crawl is... check out last year's post: http://lovestonom.blogspot.com/2009/10/cider-mill-crawl.html

For more pictures of this year's crawl, check out Molly's blog post: http://myhappycasa.blogspot.com/2010/09/2nd-annual-cider-mill-prep-recap.html

Cider Mill #1:
Plymouth Orchards- This was last year's winner so we decided to keep it in the rotation and add 2 other local mills. I like this place. It has a nice store, large seating area inside, hayrides, animal farm, cut outs to stick your head thru, and delicious donut and cider.

Cider Mill #2:
Wiard's- This was easily our least favorite place. However, this is the only one of the 3 that offered pasteurized cider for the preggos and their plain donuts were very cakey. Plus they had a DIY caramel apple bar! But the store was a maze and we had to walk like a million miles from the parking lot. Plus you had to pay for all the added activities on the grounds.

Cider Mill #3:
Apple Charlie's: Their freshly fried plain donuts are super delicious. Nice crunch outside and warm and fluffy on the inside. They had lots of crazy animals on their farm (like an ostrich) and they had face painting and tons of other food like hot dogs. Parking was annoying and it was very busy with children everywhere.

Here are the results:
We voted 1-5 for the overall experience of the mill, then 1-10 each for donuts and cider for a potential score of 25 points. There were 5 people voting so a perfect score would be 125.

Overall score: Apple Charlie's 104, Plymouth 103, Wiard's 83
WINNER: Apple Charlie's, new champion by 1 point!

Donut score: Apple Charlie's 46, Plymouth 41, Wiard's 34
WINNER: Apple Charlie's

Cider score: Apple Charlie's 43, Plymouth 41, Wiard's 34
WINNER: Apple Charlie's

Experience score: Apple Charlie's 15, Plymouth 22, Wiard's 17

WINNER: Plymouth

Mmmm first taste at Plymouth

Molly and Katie....

....sampling the goodies

Cute group shot... Monica, Stephanie, Me, Molly, Katie

Yes it is sideways.... Baby H's first trip to a cider mill! haha

Molly thinks tractors are the best.

Katie laughing with a mouthful of donut at Wiard's

Group shot at Wiard's (missing me)

I made little shopping bags for us....yes I am a dork.

Molly was fascinated with the donut maker at Apple Charlie's

Molly's tablescape.... isn't she awesome at this?

We had salad for lunch.... last year we had lunch then did the crawl then had dinner then did the donut tasting.... BAD IDEA

Awwww so cute!

I think I still prefer Plymouth Orchard and Cider Mill in all 3 categories, but majority rules! I can't wait until next year's crawl!!! We were already planning for next year while scarfing down the donuts this year =) Thanks girls for making this year's crawl super fun!!! Love you all.

It is that time of year again...

2010-06-30T08:17:00.000-04:00

You all were super amazing last year and submitted your votes... and Simplicity placed in the top 5 of WDIV's Vote 4 the Best Contest. Thank you soooo much for your support.

But it is that time of year where we need your help again.... we have once again been nominated for Best Wedding Planner in Detroit and we would love to have your continued support!

If you could take 2 minutes to vote for us we would be super excited. If you voted last year, you can still use the same log in information. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!

http://wdiv.cityvoter.com/simplicity/biz/334808

Remember to check out/become a follower of our blog! www.simplicitydoc.com

Cajun Pasta and Shrimp

2010-02-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

(sorry no pictures) This was pretty darn tasty and we will definitely make it again. Matt rejected my idea of Jambalaya for dinner last week so I snuck the flavors into our standard shrimp pasta we make sometimes. Evil delicious genius.

Cajun Pasta and Shrimp
Serves: 2

-2/3 box linguine
-about 18 shrimp (the 36-40/lb size), tails removed
-1 tablespoon butter
-1 garlic clove minced
-2 tablespoons butter
-2 tablespoons flour
-3/4 cup diced green pepper (I used frozen)
-3/4 cup diced onion (again, frozen)
-1/2-3/4 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
-2 cups half and half
-1.5 tablespoons cajun seasoning (I used 1 T but it wasn't enough)

1. Add 1 tablespoon butter to a 10" skillet and melt, add the garlic and the shrimp. Cook just until done and remove to a plate and dump out any liquid.
2. Start boiling a pot of water and cook the pasta according to the box.
3. Add the other 2 tablespoons to the skillet and melt, add the flour and cook over medium until it thickens. Add the onions and green peppers. Cook until done. Add the tomatoes. Add the half and half and the seasoning. Bring to a bubble and simmer over medium until thickened (about 10 minutes).
4. Throw the shrimp back into the sauce to warm up. Serve over pasta.

If you want to spice it up (because it is actually pretty mild) add some cayenne pepper or Franks Red Hot Sauce. Yum.

Marshmallow Cakes

2010-01-10T19:06:00.000-05:00

So I have baked oreos and raw cookie dough into cupcakes, I started wondering what else I could do. I had this bag of marshmallows ... I have no idea why I bought them since I don't really ever use them. Well.... that led me to thinking about baking mallows into cakes. My friends were split 50/50 on whether or not this could be done. My friend Stephanie decided to be my mallow sous chef and see if we could try a whole bunch of combinations to see if it would work.

We tried mini muffin cups, regular sized, and texas sized. We tried whole mallows, cut up ones, and marshmallow fluff. Plus we tried putting them inside the batter, on top of the batter, during the last half of baking, after baking.................. pretty much anything we could think of. We even tried squishing a mini cake between two grahams frosted with fluff.

The verdict? If you encase the mallow in batter, it mostly bakes away into the batter. If you put it on top and bake it, it blows up all huge and then loses all its air and deflates after you take it out. The best solution was a full sized marshmallow placed into the regular sized cupcake halfway thru baking. This yielded a slightly browned mallow while still holding most of its shape.

The biggest problem, surprisingly, is we couldn't get the right chocolate flavor to make it taste smore-y. We used a devil's food cake with chocolate pudding to make it more dense.... it just wasn't a strong enough chocolate flavor. I stuck with a box cake mix and canned frosting just to make it easy and concentrate on techniques of stuffing the mallow inside. We also tried putting chocolate chips inside the cakes to get more chocolate flavor. Then for the graham taste we tried straight graham crackers. Then we tried the recipe for a graham cracker topping we found on top of the box.

I still haven't tried all the different combinations yet, but overall the ones we did taste just weren't DELICIOUS. So get the real marshmallow taste you really need to put the fluff on after the fact, and then it is just a cupcake frosted with fluff.... boring. It might be tastier if I had one of those little creme brulee torch thingies to get some color on the fluff.

Chicken and Rice Soup

2009-12-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

For once Matt requested soup for dinner. I wasn't going to waste this opportunity since it rarely presents itself. I had seen something similar to this but I expanded on it. Perfect way to warm up! Definitely hearty enough to have for dinner. (sorry the picture sucks... my friend "borrowed" my kitchen light a year ago and hasn't returned it.... so the lighting in my house is really bad!)

Chicken and Rice Soup
Serves: 2+

Ingredients:
-Olive oil
-1 chicken breast cut into bite sized chunks
-salt and pepper
-1 tablespoon butter
-1/2 cup diced onion
-2 cloves minced garlic
-1 tablespoon flour
-1 tablespoon dried parsley
-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
-1 bay leaf
-1 can chicken broth
-1 1/2 cups of milk or half and half
-1 cup water
-1 cup instant rice (uncooked)
-1/2 small can sliced carrots (or fresh sliced if you aren't the lazy type)
-1 stalk celery sliced
-1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place chicken in the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes, until juices run clear. Remove chicken, and set aside.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Melt butter in the pot. Stir in onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook until lightly browned.

3. Throw the chicken back in along with the broth, milk, thyme, parsley, Old Bay, carrots, celery and bay leaf. Simmer 15 minutes. Then start step 4.

4. In a Pyrex container, put the water in the microwave and heat to boiling (like 3-5 minutes). Dump in the rice and stir. Cover with foil and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff and dump into the soup. Let it all mingle for a few minutes then serve.

**If the soup is too thick for you, just add another 1/2 cup or so of water until you get it the way you like.

Shrimp Etoufee

2009-12-15T14:57:00.002-05:00

Yum yum!! I combined a few recipes I found to make this winner. We will definitely be eating this again. (I am pretty positive I remembered the recipe for this, but if something doesn't turn out right, please let me know so I can revise it)

Shrimp Etoufee
Serves: 2+

Ingredients:

-about a pound of shrimp, tails removed
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flaks
-1/4 cup butter
-1/4 cup butter
-1/4 cup flour
-1 cup diced onion
-1 cup sliced celery
-1 cup diced green pepper
-maybe some cornstarch
-1 1/4 cup water

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, place 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup flour over medium heat. Cook until it gets as brown as you can get it. The longer the better without it burning or getting nasty.

2. Throw in the onions and rest of the butter and cook for a few minutes. Then throw in the celery and bell peppers for a couple more minutes. The onions should be translucent and the celery and peppers should be softened but not mushy.

3. Throw in the salt, pepper, and red pepper with the shrimp and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. If the mixture isn't thickened, take out some of the liquid and mix in a teaspoon or two of cornstarch, mix until dissolved, and then return to the skillet for a couple more minutes until it is as thickened as you like it.

4. Serve with rice. We used Zatarains yellow rice.

I'm back... kind of.

2009-12-15T14:40:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am a terrible person. I abandoned my food blog for over a month. To tell you the truth, it was feeling a little like homework and I was getting annoyed. I think I will start posting again, maybe just a couple things per month. The biggest problem I am facing is that after trying all these new recipes over the past year, I keep making them! So I have nothing new to blog when I am just making the same thing all the time.

My focus has also changed for the moment. I am now making a lot more recipes that are super cheap and easy. Now, this doesn't mean gourmet food... and I am betting most food bloggers don't post this kind of stuff. Too bad. So if you are gonna get all nuts on me about opening several canned foods to make a recipe... you should probably leave now. But if you are looking for some cheap easy recipes to add to your weekly routine, you may want to stick around because I have a couple saved up.

Thanks for coming back.... I plan on posting one recipe today and hoarding the rest for later.

~CONTEST!!~

2009-11-06T18:28:00.000-05:00

Simplicity Day of Coordination is having a contest!!!! Check it out.

Apple Crisp - 1

2009-10-09T17:40:00.004-04:00

I love apple crisp, probably more than apple pie which is amazing. I plan on trying several apple crisp recipes in search of my favorite so I have labeled this one as apple crisp 1. This is a classic and super delicious. I cut the original recipe in half because I am the only one with a sweet tooth in this house and I didn't want to be a piggy and eat a huge pan (ok, well I WANTED to but I knew I shouldn't).

Apple Crisp 1
Serves: 6

5 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used Jonamac... select something tart for a good baking apple)
1/2 cup white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup water

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).

2. Place the sliced apples in a 9x9 or 8x8 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and
ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.

3. Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes. Make sure you check it around 35 minutes to make sure the crust isn't burning.

**If you don't have one of those apple peeler/corer/slicer things, you should totally buy one. They work great!! BBB has them for $20 and Meijer has them this time of year for $20.

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

2009-10-09T17:28:00.006-04:00

I had a bunch of stuff to make macaroni and cheese but Matt has been pretty annoyed with all the baked mac I have been making. He wanted something a little different so I hopped on Allrecipes.com and found this one. It was pretty tasty and Matt is really into it. I miss the crunchy crust from the baked mac, but I will be making this one again.

Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Serves: 4 dinner portions

1/2 package spiral pasta (8 oz of whatever shape... I used shells)
1 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used colby jack, but I don't think it was strong enough so cheddar jack might be tasty)

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a 4-qt. slow cooker, combine the cream, soup and butter until smooth; stir in the cheese and pasta. Cover and cook on low for 2-1/2 hours or until cheese is melted.

I added an extra handful of cheese on top to make it all pretty and melty just before serving. I really only cooked it for about and hour and a half and it was ready. This is good for a potluck, just double everything =) I also threw in a teaspoon of black pepper.

~Cider Mill Crawl~

2009-10-03T22:24:00.036-04:00

What is a cider mill crawl you ask? Well, have you ever been on a pub crawl? It is kinda like that except you nom massive amounts of donuts and cider in an attempt to decide which mill is king. We got this idea to visit 3 cider mills and do a tasting, oh yeah, and wear plaid =) Why? Because it is super fun! We started the day at noon at my house for a little lunch. We will DEFINITELY be doing this again next year. It was a total blast. However next year we will not eat so much or we will have to schedule a donut coma nap in the middle of the day! This is going to be a long post (which is why I have procrastinated so long), enjoy!!

Stop #1:
Franklin Cider Mill, Franklin, Michigan
PROS: Very authetic old-fashioned cider mill feel, the donuts are amazing right out of the fryer, you get to the see the old cider press super close up, in a super cute little town, relaxing little stream, fantastic if you just want to run in and grab some goodies and go, live musicians performing
CONS: Abundance of bees, very small overall but especially by the main counter, most expensive ($21.50 for 2 dozen donuts and 1/2 gallon of cider), only one flavor of donut, not a lot of activities, donuts do not hold up well (but can be revived by popping them in the toaster)

Authentic Cider Press

Selection of goodies

Did you know you could freeze cider!? We didn't either!

Cool sign made from license plates!

Front counter

One of the outside stands

Group picture by the stream in our fabulous plaid

Stop #2:

Parmenter's Cider Mill, Northville, Michigan
PROS: Lots of activities, clean and easily walkable facility, super soft donuts that hold up well, 2 flavors of donut available, cider is pasteurized, good for kids and dogs, staff made sure we had hot fresh donuts when they heard they were being judged
CONS: More of a modern feel/not very rustic, some bees, mapquest can't give you accurate directions to it, moderate price ($20.50 for 2 dozen donuts and 1/2 gallon of cider)

Carriage rides!

Front counter... apparently all the cool kids drink cider slushes

This mill has a tv... we caught Katie watching the Lions game

Types of apples in that day's cider

Outside stands with crafts and snacks

They also sell wine

Modern cider press... out of the 3 we visited, only here could you get pasteurized cider for all you preggo women

I don't have a group shot at this mill but we each poked our heads into the apple cut outs... Monica was very reluctant so she gets her picture posted =)

Outside

Stop #3:

Plymouth Orchards and Cider Mill, Plymouth, Michigan
PROS: Most activities including some barnyard animals and hayrides, large property, inside area for tasting (no bees!), more of an updated farm feel, tastiest donut of the day, lots of sizes of cider jugs, most affordable ($19.50 for 2 dozen donuts and 1/2 gallon of cider)

CONS: Worst donut of the day (powdered sugar), staff was informed of the tasting but did not give us hot fresh donuts, a little stuffy in the dining area, spread out so it is not a quick in and out, on a dirt road
NOTE: This mill is relocating November 1st

More cut outs! Jill, Katie and Stephanie

We saw this cut out from the back and the girls decided to pick a spot without knowing what they were going to be... I was cracking up taking the picture (Stephanie, Molly, Monica, Jill and Katie)

This mill had some barnyard animals and we got to see some one week old goats jumping and playing

Main building

Main counter... the cider press was back there somewhere

Group shot at the inside dining area

Last Stop:
The Tasting at Molly's house

Molly is excited for the car full of cider and donuts

Molly made us a crock pot dinner... tasty!

Martha Stewart... err... Molly's beautiful fall tablescape. We were going to have a 4th mill for tasting but Tricia was super sick (and we missed her terribly!) and she wasn't able to come, and she was going to bring something from a mill by her house.

I made little voting cards to decide the tasting winner

Franklin Cider Mill's platter: cider and plain donuts

Parmenter's Cider Mill's platter: cider and plain and spice donuts

Plymouth Orchard and Cider Mill's platter: cider and plain, powdered sugar, and cinnamon sugar donuts

I made super cute take home bags for everyone to share some yummy donut goodness with our husbands at home

A toast! To next year's cider mill crawl!

Parmenter's Cider, Franklin's Cider, and Plymouth's Cider

OFFICIAL TASTING RESULTS

70 Possible points per category

CIDER
1st Place: Parmenter's (59)
2nd Place: Franklin's (55)
3rd Place: Plymouth's (52)

DONUTS
1st Place: Plymouth's (62 for the cinnamon sugar)
2nd Place: Franklin's (53 based on immediate consumption)
3rd Place: Parmenter's (52)

I voted Plymouth's cider and Franklin's donuts (only when eaten immediately so they are still crunchy) as the winners. Apparently I like sweet cider versus everyone else who preferred the tart cider.

Pet Parade

2009-09-17T11:23:00.004-04:00

My little Murray is in the pet parade at the DIY Showoff's blog.

Check it out!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

2009-09-14T17:29:00.003-04:00

I found this recipe and it sounded so cool and I had to make it. The cake turned out really moist and had a great texture... however it just tasted like lemon cake to me. I think this would be WAY more fun with some kind of crazy drink concentrate like fruit punch, blue raspberry, or even margarita or daquiri mix. I will definitely make this again, except only use the concept of the recipe and change it to a different flavor.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
Yield: 20 cupcakes

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
4 egg whites
2/3 c. thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
1/2 c. buttermilk
Pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with liners. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites and lemonade concentrate. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until just smooth.Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of pink.Scoop batter into liners (fill about three-fourths full). Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting (see below).

Lemonade Buttercream
3 c. + 3 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. pink lemonade concentrate
Milk to reach desired consistency
Pink food coloring

Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, lemonade concentrate, and a few drops of food coloring to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined. Turn the speed to med-high until the buttercream is fluffy and uniformly pink. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

**I didn't have a ton of confectioner's sugar so I made it more like an icing rather than a buttercream frosting....just remember to use the milk to thin the frosting rather than adding more concentrate.

Voted Top 5 for BEST OF DETROIT!

2009-09-14T17:27:00.001-04:00

HOLY SMOKES!! Simplicity has been voted a top 5 Winner for the 2009 WDIV BEST OF DETROIT contest in the Wedding Planners category! We were #4! A hundred thank yous for everyone who voted for us and for the support and motivation to keep doing what we do. Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!

http://www.simplicitydoc.com/

Vote for Simplicity!

2009-08-29T18:47:00.003-04:00

Ok so this is not food related.... but I could really use your support!

Please vote for Jill and I at Channel 4's Vote for the Best contest!

http://wdiv.cityvoter.com/simplicity/biz/334808

It only takes a minute to hit the vote button then confirm your vote in your email. Simplicity DOC is a young company and we are working hard to get our name out. We are very close to finishing in the Top 5 which would be a huge honor for us. So if you have a minute, please vote!
Thank you soooo much.

I promise to return with more yummy recipes soon.

p.s. Become my Facebook fan! You can find me at Simplicity Day of Event Coordination and I also have a travel agent page called Shelly Andrus, Brookside Travel. On the travel one I am doing a giveaway! So check it out.

Oreo Cakes

2009-08-26T20:48:00.004-04:00

Conceptually, the oreos had a lot more to do with this cake than they actually did. These still turned out delicious and everyone raved about them at the party I made them for. They were even good and moist for at least a week after. Basically, I wanted to use my mini bundt cake pan so I came up with this idea.

Oreo Cakes
Yield: about 24 cakes

*Cream Cheese Cake
3/4 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 package cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and cream cheese. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add flour, salt and baking powder and mix until combined. Scoop into a large zipper bag and set aside.

*Chocolate Cake
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cups all-purpose flour
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, vanilla and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in some flour/cocoa/powder/salt then some buttermilk, then flour, then buttermilk etc. Scoop into a large zipper bag and set aside.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray baking spray in a mini bundt pan (If you want to be boring, I guess a cupcake pan could work, but my way is so much prettier!).

2. With your mad Oreo seperating skills, seperate some oreos. Eat the cream and put the cookies in a baggie. You will need about 12 cookie halves at least. Crush the cookies. Sprinkle about a teaspoon and a half into the bottom of each bundt cup.

3. Snip a small hole in the corner of each cake bag. Pipe a ring of cream cheese cake over the oreos. Then pipe a ring of chocolate cake over the cream cheese cake. You want to fill the cups about 3/4 full.

4. Bake about 20 minutes** or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

5. Once cool, put some powdered sugar in a bowl and mix in a little milk at a time just until drizzly. Drizzle icing over cakes as desired. YUM.

**Confession. I made these a couple weeks ago and totally forgot how long I baked them for. For some reason 18 minutes is sticking out in my head but I am not sure. So, use your baking judgement!

Awesome Jambalaya

2009-08-26T20:34:00.006-04:00

Ok so this isn't a true jambalaya, but I don't have a better name. If you want to make yourself feel better, add some chicken, shrimp, okra whatever. It doesn't matter anyway because this turned out awesome. Now, I really hate it when bloggers say "you must try this" because I always get suckered into trying it and usually it doesn't live up the to the expectations the blogger has built up in me. BUT.... you should probably try this =)

Awesome Jambalaya
Serves: 3

1/2-3/4 rope of Italian Style Smoked Sausage sliced (I thought it really made the dish)
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 cup onion diced
1/2 cup green pepper diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on taste and freshness of flakes)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Franks hot sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 3/4 cups instant white rice
1 can chicken broth

1. Heat a little oil in a large fry pan and saute the sausage, onion, and pepper until tender. Add the garlic for a couple mintes at the end.

2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, cajun seasoning, red pepper, black pepper, salt, Franks, Worcestershire sauce and broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and then bring to a boil.

3. Stir in the rice and remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes until rice is done.

**Depending on how much the liquid reduces, the rice/liquid ratio may be off a little. I originally used 2 cups rice and thought it might be a little too much.

Cheesy Chicken Skillet

2009-08-26T20:28:00.005-04:00

I found this on Loves to eat's blog. It was really easy, I had all the ingredients on hand (which is huge for me... I love recipes like that), and it was yummy. We will definitely eat this again on a night when I have no clue what to make because chances are I will have all the ingredients!

Cheesy Chicken Skillet
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
2 cups of pasta (I used radiatore)
3/4 lbs chicken, cut into pieces (I used 2 breasts)
1 can Healthy Request cream of chicken soup (I used regular ol' Campbells)
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used Hunt's w/ Basil and Oregano and DRAINED them)
1 1/2 cup of milk (I used 1 cup)
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions: Cook the pasta as directed. Heat 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken & cook thoroughly. Reduce heat to medium; stir in soup, tomatoes, milk and seasonings. Stir in cooked pasta. Cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until bubbly & heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat, cover & let stand about 5 minutes.

Chicken Tenders

2009-08-26T20:18:00.004-04:00

I needed to use up some buttermilk. Yup, that's how I decided to make this. What? Necessity is the mother of invention. And it tastes good too.

Chicken Tenders
Serves: 2-3

1 pound chicken tenderloins
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
spray butter

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. In a plastic resealable bag mix together the bread crumbs, grated cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

3. Dip each chicken strips into buttermilk mixture, then into bread crumb mixture (about 4 strips at a time), and toss to coat well. Place strips in a single layer on a sheet pan. Throw them in the refrigerator and let them sit for awhile so the coating sticks.

4. Remove from fridge and spray on a little butter (don't drench it or the coating will come off). Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown, turning once about halfway thru.

Snow Peas

2009-08-26T20:12:00.003-04:00

I needed a new side. Something simple and yummy. I made these with the Chicken Finger recipe above. They weren't the most delicious veggie side I have ever had in my life, but they were very good. You should try this too if you are looking for something a little different than a can of green beans or something.

Snow Peas
Serves: 2

-2 servings of fresh snow peas (I don't know how much!), cleaned and tips snipped
-2 tablespoons butter
-1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
-salt to taste

1. Boil a small pot of water. Throw in snow peas. Boil until desired tenderness (we like 5 minutes). Drain and set aside.

2. In the same pot, melt the butter. Throw in the cayenne and the peas and mix to coat. Sprinkle in some salt. Serve. See? Easy.

Elephant Ears

2009-08-26T20:02:00.005-04:00

These were really easy, really quick and pretty tasty. I didn't think they were terribly authentic (I did grow up in the town with the world's largest free fair!)... but I think these would make a great dessert component, like with some ice cream or some apple pie filling or drizzled with caramel/chocolate/icing. Imagine the possibilities! Thanks Molly.

Elephant Ears

Ingredients:
* Refrigerator biscuits - 1 roll
* 1 cup cooking oil
* 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (I made a mix of 1/2 c sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon)
* Paper lunch bag

Directions: Place cinnamon sugar in paper lunch bag. Heat cooking oil in large (10"+) frying pan. Test for hot enough: Drop of water will sizzle. Separate dough into individual biscuits-"ear". Stretch each biscuit until they just about have holes in them. They do not have to be perfect. Gently drop each "ear" into the hot oil. As soon as one side becomes golden, flip them and let second side get golden. DO NOT WALK AWAY. They burn quickly. Place "ears" on paper towel to soak up excess oil. Shake "ears" in paper bag of cinnamon sugar. Serve warm with ice cream or just plain. Make lots, they will go quickly.

**I just used premade cinnamon sugar and sprinkled it on both sides because I didn't have a paper bag. These really only take like 2 minutes per side. I used regular buttermilk biscuits.

Spicy Red Sauce Pasta

2009-08-12T21:01:00.006-04:00

Make this. Just do it. Then invite me over so I can have some. It is delicious. I think Matt would eat this every night. Ok, maybe every other night.

Spicy Red Sauce Pasta
Serves: 2

2 cups penne pasta
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup red onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes (Del monte with green peppers and onions) UNdrained
1/4+ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more depending on how new and potent)
1/4+ teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup half and half
Parmesan or mozzarella cheese

1. Cook the pasta like the box tells you.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skilled combine olive oil, garlic, and onion. Saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the cooked bacon for a couple minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and red pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, squishing the tomatoes as you cook. Add the half and half and stir.

3. Plate the pasta and pour sauce over top. Sprinkle on parm or mozz as desired.

Shrimpalicious pasta

2009-08-12T20:20:00.008-04:00

Sorry for the crappy picture. We couldn't wait to dig into this and we were not disappointed. This will definitely be a reoccuring meal. I hope I remember the recipe correctly, when I make stuff up I tend to forget what I did. =/

Shrimpalicious Pasta
Serves: 2

half bag shrimp, thawed and tails removed (the 30-40 count size)
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 box linguine pasta
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup half and half
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon dried parsley

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water like you are supposed to.

2. Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan. Add the clove of garlic and the shrimp. Cook shrimp until no longer pink. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, melt the rest of the butter and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until soft. Stir in half and half, pepper, and parsley. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Add the cooked shrimp.

3. Plate the pasta, top with the sauce, sprinkle liberally with parmesan. Eat with garlic bread. Go into a pasta coma.

Apple Pancakes

2009-08-12T20:10:00.006-04:00

Ummmmmm.... yum. That is pretty much all I need to say. Oh, and I am really irritated that blogspot randomly rotates my pictures and I can't get them back right.

Apple Pancakes
Serves: 1-2

1. Heat up your griddle to 4 out of 10 if you have an electric stove like me. You know when it is ready when a drop of water dances on the pan.

2. Take a medium/large apple and peel, core, and slice it. I used Pacific Rose because that's what I had on hand. Any apple suitable for cooking will work. You will need 4 slices, but don't make them mega thick.

3. Mix the following: 1 cup pancake mix (I like Krusteaz), 3/4 water, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon white sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. If it is too thin, add more pancake mix a tablespoon at a time until you like the thickness.

4. Place 2 slices of apple on the pan for about 15 seconds and flip over. Pour 1/4 of the pancake mix over each slice. You know it is time to flip the pancakes when there are tons of popping bubbles and the edges start to dry out. Flip over and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Repeat with 2 more slices.

5. Serve with syrup or whatever else you like. Makes 4 large pancakes.

Naanwich

2009-08-12T20:04:00.003-04:00

According to Wikipedia: "Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread. It is one of the most popular varieties of South Asian breads and is particularly popular in northern India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan." According to me: "Naan is super soft garlic bread.... don't get the curry flavor, it is nasty."

We had a bunch of garlic naan bread from Trader Joe's and we needed to use it up. This was pretty damn good.

Naanwich
Serves: 1

1. Slice one piece of naan in half the short way. Butter one side of each half like you are making a grilled cheese. If you don' t know how to make grilled cheese, maybe you should take a cooking class instead of reading blogs.

2. Make it exactly like a grilled cheese sandwich. Ta-da. Pictured is ham, provolone, and roasted red peppers. We also tried turkey, bacon, and provolone.

Creamy Pasta - Hold the Cream

2009-08-12T19:53:00.006-04:00

I found this recipe on Molly's 'things I want to try list'. She found the recipe here. To be honest, I thought this was pretty boring. We don't like feta, so I changed it out for mozzarella. I would definitely cut back on the amount of pasta... there isn't enough "sauce" and it makes way more than two of us could eat.

Creamy Pasta - Hold the Cream
Serves: 3-4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
One 16 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
One box whole wheat penne
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a medium heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the peppers and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Transfer the red pepper mixture to a food processor, add the broth and all but 2 tablespoons of the feta (I added all my feta). Process until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.

Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding the pasta water by the tablespoon if needed. The sauce should cling nicely to the pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among serving bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and reserved feta (or parm!) and serve.

Deep Fried Cookie Dough

2009-08-12T18:47:00.008-04:00

One time I asked a carnie at a fair who was selling deep fried oreos what the batter was. She said its basically funnel cake batter, you can deep fry anything as long as you coat it in funnel cake batter. So I decided to see if that is in fact true. I would only advise eating this if you are really into the raw cookie dough flavor. I am not so much so I only ate like one or two of these. If you are pregnant or have a medical condition or whatever, you shouldn't eat these because there is potentially raw egg in them... I don't know how well they get cooked thru to make them super safe.

Deep Fried Cookie Dough
Yield: 12-15 balls of gooey-ness

1. Make a standard chocolate cookie dough recipe. Get out your cookie scoop and form about a dozen or so cookie balls and place them on a small tray or baking sheet, don't let them touch. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze solid, at least 2 hours. I am sure you could use the refrigerated cookie dough as well.

2. Make the batter by whisking together the following:
1 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The result should resemble pancake batter. Adjust the flour as necessary.

3. Heat up your deep fryer. Coat each cookie ball in the batter. If you do not cover it completely the dough will leak out... not good. So coat it well. Drop a couple at a time into the fryer and fry for about 2 minutes until golden. Drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Everbody in the Pool Chicken

2009-08-12T18:44:00.006-04:00

One skillet? Perfect. This is great when you don't want to dirty a bunch of pots and pans.

Everybody in the Pool Chicken
Serves: 2-3

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup diced onion
1 can mushrooms, drained
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 medium redskin potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
1 can cut green beans, drained
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf

1. Heat the oil in a skillet and place the chicken breasts in and cook about 7 minutes and turn over and cook another 7 minutes (or until cooked thru). Add the onions and butter when you flip them. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. Leave it all in the pan and add everything else. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Most of the liquid will be absorbed. It is done when the potatoes are cooked thru. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

2009-07-17T14:30:00.008-04:00

Yep I said cookie dough cupcakes. I saw this recipe and HAD to make it. I read all the reviews and there seems to be 2 complaints: they are dry and the cookie dough cooks instead of being raw dough. Well I fixed the dry problem and think I eventually fixed the raw issue, but I will have to make them again. See the last 2 pictures? The one at the bottom is putting the dough top and center, the one with the hole in it was from me pushing the raw dough into the batter which worked much better. Next time I might try putting the dough in first then the batter.

I didn't use the actual original recipe, just the concept. So here is my version:

Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Cookie Dough:

Make one recipe Nom Cookies but do not bake them. Instead take a small cookie scoop and fill it just barely full and place on a pan. Repeat 23 more times. Freeze at least 2 hours (I froze them overnight).

Batter:
-1 box Devil's Food cake mix (or whatever flavor you like)
-1 small box chocolate pudding and pie filling (I think it is around 3 oz)
-4 eggs
-1 cup water
-1/3 cup veggie oil

Mix all the ingredients together. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups. It is probably best to do this in 2 batches of 12 so that the oven will bake properly. Fill each cup 2/3 full of batter. Press a frozen dough ball into the middle of the batter and push all the way down. Or try 1/3 batter, add the dough, 1/3 batter... see if that works better. Bake in the oven for 16 minutes. If you bake it too long, the dough will cook ruining the point of this recipe. Cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely. After fully cooling, frost.

Frosting:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream. You may want to refrigerate this for a little while to try and firm it up a bit. Put a big blog in a Ziploc sandwich bag, cut off a small corner and use it like a piping bag to get the frosting on there.

I really like these cupcakes refrigerated. Plus with the halfway raw dough and the cream cheese frosting, you should probably serve these immediately or refrigerate them anyway.

Chicken Penne Al Fresco

2009-07-17T14:25:00.005-04:00

I got this easy recipe from Molly. I just copy/pasted it so I will leave her notes in. Yes I am feeling lazy right now. My only change was that I used canned basil/oregano/olive oil seasoned tomatoes.

Chicken Penne Al Fresco
Serves: 2-4 depending on which way you follow the recipe

INGREDIENTS
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 4 cloves garlic, sliced (2 cloves)
* 2 cups cherry tomatoes (1 medium tomato, chopped)
* 3 cups penne pasta (1 cup)
* 3 3/4 cups chicken broth (1 can, about 1 3/4c)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
* 1 1/4 cups fresh basil leaves, (1/2 tsp dried +5 small fresh leaves)
* 2 cups diced cooked chicken (1 x-large breast cooked in olive oil)
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I probably used even more than that)

1. Coat a microwave-safe casserole dish with olive oil; stir in the garlic and tomatoes. Cover and microwave on High until tomatoes begin to burst, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Remove garlic and tomato mixture from the microwave and crush the remaining tomatoes with a fork. Stir in pasta, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.

2. Cover and return to microwave. Cook on High until pasta is tender, 16 to 18 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Remove pasta from the microwave, then stir in the basil, chicken, and Parmesan cheese.

*1st cook time only took about 3 minutes for me. Second cook time took about 13.

Grilled Pizza

2009-07-17T14:22:00.006-04:00

I had been thinking about trying to grill pizza for awhile and then it showed up on Lindsay's blog so I decided to try out her recipe. It was kind of successful We had the grill on as low as it could possibly go and cooked for wayyyyy less time and the crusts still got burned... especially the buffalo one because it was closest to the tank. I don't know why our grill is super mega inferno hot.

Grilled Pizza

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients
* 1 tube pre-made pizza crust (we used Pillsbury)
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1 cup pizza sauce
* Meat and veggie toppings of your choice (We had thin sliced lunchmeat pepperoni, fresh basil, green and red peppers, mushrooms, and onions)

Directions
1. Preheat an outdoor grill for low heat and spray grate with cooking spray

2. Roll out prepared pizza dough to a size that will fit your grill (we used 1 tube of dough, cut in half, for 2 individual pizzas).

3. Place on grill for 5 minutes, or to desired doneness, and flip over. Now add the sauce, cheese, and other toppings. (OURS TOOK LIKE 3 MINUTES)

4. Cover the grill and allow to cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. (WE FLIPPED THEM OVER AND TOPPED THEM, TURNED THE GRILL COMPLETELY OFF AND CLOSED THE COVER, THEY STILL ONLY TOOK 5 MINUTES TOPS)

-Notes: I had heard that if you don't cook up the toppings before grilling, they won't cook enough. So I sauteed the veggies beforehand.

I made a Buffalo chicken version that was topped with:
-Mix 1 small can chicken (drained) with 1/2 cup ranch and 1/2 cup buffalo sauce, spread on crust
-Top with cheddar or colby jack cheese

Grilled Whole Chicken

2009-07-17T14:20:00.003-04:00

This is only kind of a recipe. I wasn't overly thrilled with the marinade so I am not going to bother including it. Just find a marinade that you want to try and use that... this is more about how to cook the chicken.

Grilled Whole Chicken
Serves: 3-4

1. Kind of butterfly a whole chicken (3.5-4 pounds is good). Place a rinsed (and guts removed) chicken on a cutting board, backside up. Take some good strong kitchen scissors and cut down one side of the backbone. Now for the gross part... grab the chicken and yank it open so you kind of crack the breastbone area so that the chicken will kind of lay flat. If this is confusing... go to youtube.com and look up 'butterfly a chicken'.

2. In a large roasting pan, place the chicken guts side up. Take a couple cups of marinade and pour it allllll over. Let it soak in for a few hours (in the refrigerator of course).

3. Preheat the grill to low. Place the whole chicken on the grill guts side down. No need to ever flip the chicken. You will want to take some of the leftover marinade and brush it on a few times while cooking. It should cook for about an hour, maybe an hour and half depending on the size of the chicken. If you do not have a digital meat thermometer, buy one. The chicken is done when it is at least 160 degrees in the thick part of the meat around the "armpit" area.

Basic White Sauce

2009-07-17T14:18:00.003-04:00

For the millionth time... no clue what to make for dinner... use what is around. I found a recipe for a basic white sauce on allrecipes and modified it. It was ok, not a ton of flavor, but it was a good base.

Basic White Sauce
Serves: 1 pasta dish for 2

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons stick margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 boullion cubes, smashed to bits
1 cup boiling water
1 cup milk
2 cloves minced garlic
1 handful of mozzarella cheese
pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, melt margarine. Stir in flour and bouillon until blended. Add garlic. Gradually add water and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Throw in the mozzarella and stir. Season with pepper.

-While I was making a half box of linguine, I tossed in about a dozen frozen shrimp into the boiling water for the last 2-3 minutes of cook time and drained the pasta and shrimp. Then I added a box of my favorite veggies to the white sauce (after microwaving the package) then topped the pasta with the sauce. Serve with garlic cheese bread.

~Mod 4 Photographic~

2009-07-17T14:02:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite photographers has had two really awesome posts lately....

Murray was nominated for a super sweet contest, so vote for #3!!!
http://mod4.com/blog/2009/07/help-choose-the-winner-of-a-boutique-photo-handbag/

Also, they posted about Simplicity! How sweet is that? We are honored.
http://mod4.com/blog/2009/07/simplicity-day-of-coordinating-special/

Beer Can Chicken

2009-06-29T13:23:00.006-04:00

We got a new grill, and this was the first thing we made on it. At Lowe's we found this nifty stand for $4 to make this recipe so much easier since you don't have to figure out how to make the chicken balance anymore! I highly recommend picking one up!

Beer Can Chicken
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients
1 whole chicken, guts removed, rinsed and patted dry (about 3.5 pounds is a good size)
1 hunk of onion
1/2 can of beer
1/4 cup of worcestershire sauce
spray butter

2-3/4 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-3/4 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions
1. Preheat the grill to about 375. Mix up all the spices in a small bowl.

2. Chug half a beer and leave half. Pour in the worcestershire sauce. Place can in the stand. Violate the chicken and shove the cavity over the can and press down as far as it will go. The drumsticks should just barely touch the grill grate. I usually tuck the wings close to the body and tie a piece of string around the entire bird to keep them tucked so they don't dry up and burn.

3. Shove about half of the spices underneath the skin wherever you can. Shove the chunk of onion into the neck hole of the bird as far as you can. Spray the bird with butter all over then rub the remained of the seasoning all over.

4. Carefully place on the grill and cook over 375-400/medium heat for about an hour. Chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 180 with a meat thermometer.

5. Remove from grill and let stand for about 5 minutes before cutting into it.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

2009-06-29T13:11:00.006-04:00

Yet again we were faced with nothing in the fridge and no good ideas for dinner. What we really wanted to eat was Buffalo Chicken Dip, but that is not really a meal. So I made it into one. It was freaking good. Please note, I found this recipe for the pizza dough and it is a no-wait, no-raise recipe, which is awesome when you are in a hurry. It makes the dough pretty dense so don't you dare complain about it or say that I missed a step because I didn't let it raise... that's the point!

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients
* 8 oz cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)
* 6 oz Frank's buffalo sauce
* 4 oz Ranch dressing (I used Hidden Valley)
* 1/2-3/4 pound ground chicken
* 1 cup shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese

*3 cups all-purpose flour
*1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
*2 tablespoons vegetable oil
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 tablespoon white sugar
*1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly spray a pizza pan with non stick spray.

2. In a skillet, cook the ground chicken until no longer pink and add the cream cheese, buffalo sauce, and ranch and heat over low until combined.

3. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Squish into a ball and then roll out onto the pizza pan. The crust is decently thick if you use a regular sized circular pizza pan. Squish up the edges to make an edge crust. Bake for about 10 minutes.

4. Remove the crust and dump on the chicken mixture and spread out. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is done.

Chicken O'Brien

2009-06-29T13:02:00.007-04:00

This was another one of the 'what's in the fridge that I can throw together and make a casserole' recipes. It was pretty good, but definitely needs more seasoning. I'm sure you can think of something that will make it even more tasty.

Chicken O'Brien
Serves: 3-4

4 chicken breasts (or thin sliced breasts or tenders)
1 can condensed cheese soup
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
2+ cups of frozen potatoes o'brien hash browns
1 cup shredded cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375. In a 9x13 pan, spray with non stick spray and lay out the chicken in a single layer. Mix together the soup and milk and spread over the chicken. Add the corn and a layer of potatoes then the cheese.

2. Bake for about 45 minutes, depending on the cut of chicken. You may want to broil for the last 2-3 minutes to crisp up the cheese. Just watch it or it will burn.

Ideas on how to kick up the seasoning?

Hot Potatoes

2009-06-29T12:45:00.003-04:00

Mmm tasty. Another good grill recipe. You can adjust the fire by taking all, some, or none of the seeds/membrane out of the jalapenos.

Hot Potatoes
Serves: 3-4

6-8 medium to large sized red potatoes, washed and dried
2 jalapenos, deseeded/membrane if you wish, cut in a large dice
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
Grill seasoning and garlic salt to taste
Handfuls of shredded cheese (mexican, colby jack, cheddar etc)

1. Layout a length of foil. Spray with some non stick spray. If you have a mandolin, get that puppy out, otherwise do it by hand. Slice the potatoes decently thin and place on foil. Throw in the butter and jalapenos and sprinkle with the salt and seasoning.

2. Fold up the foil and place on the grill. Cook on a medium heat grill 30 minutes, turning once. Cooking time will vary depending on how thin the potatoes are... this is a trial and error.

3. Remove from grill and carefully open the foil. Sprinkle on a layer of cheese and cover lightly with the foil so it gets all melty. Serve.

Fabulous Corn

2009-06-29T12:33:00.004-04:00

We make this a lot when we grill. It is an easy and awesome side dish and we can't get enough of it. Try it, you will like it.

Fabulous Corn
Serves: 2-3

1 can corn, drained
1/2 cup of diced onion, red pepper, and green pepper... don't measure, just dice up a couple small hunks
1 tablespoon butter
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Garlic Salt
2 tablespoons chive & onion cream cheese (or plain if you have that)

1. Over medium heat in a small pan, saute the onions and peppers in the butter for a few minutes until they soften some. Add the corn and continue to cook, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with the steak seasoning and garlic salt to taste (maybe like 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of seasoning). Cook for about 8 minutes.

2. Add the cream cheese and stir to coat. Cook for another couple minutes and serve. YUM

Easy Grilled Asparagus

2009-06-29T12:27:00.007-04:00

This is barely a recipe... but sometimes you, dear reader, need some ideas on what to make for dinner, so maybe this will help.

Easy grilled Asparagus
Serves: 4-6

1 bunch asparagus
spray butter
steak seasoning

1. Lay out a chunk of foil. Bend the asparagus until they snap (easier than trimming) and place on the foil. Use spray butter and coat spears. Sprinkle with Montreal Steak Seasoning.

2. Fold up packet and place on a medium heat grill for about 8 minutes, flipping once. Cook time depends on how firm you like your asparagus.

Taco Rice Skillet

2009-06-29T12:21:00.005-04:00

I needed to use up some ground turkey and we needed a quick meal. So I looked up some recipes as inspiration and started throwing whatever into a pan. Worked out great and the leftovers made a great midnight snack... the guys at it as dip! I think it would make a better dip if you switched out the shredded cheese for a big hunk of Velveeta... might try that in the future for a yummy party dip.

Tace Rice Skillet
Serves: 3-4

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 package taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup salsa
1 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
1 cup shredded cheese

In a skillet, cook turkey and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain if necessary.

Stir in taco seasoning, water, salsa and corn; bring to a boil. Add rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand until the cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Apple PB Cookies

2009-06-29T12:11:00.006-04:00

These are tasty and almost healthy! You definitely need to eat these within 24 hours or they will fall apart from the moisture content. I actually cut the recipe in half and made like 10 cookies (yes I cut an egg in half haha). I found this recipe at Pennies on a Platter

Apple PB Cookies
Yield: About 2 dozen

1 stick softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 Cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
3/4 Cup granola clusters (Or Just Bunches cereal, I would add more next time)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup diced apples, about 1/4 inch, I used granny smith

1/2 Cup sugar to roll cookies in

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until light mixed well. Beat in peanut butter until combined then add the egg and vanilla until well combined.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, granola, baking soda and salt. Slowly mix into the wet ingredients following the apples until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough, roll into sugar then place onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. With tines of a fork, press down slightly making an X on top of each cookie. Bake for 8-9 minutes, cookies should look somewhat soft inside when you take them out. Let cool/finish baking out of oven for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack

It is an honor just to be nominated....

2009-06-25T21:25:00.004-04:00

Friends and Family...

As you may or may not know, one of my many talents is wedding planning!! I am able to indulge this, well, obsession really, thru my very good friend's company Simplicity Day of Event Coordinating where I am an assistant DOC. Well Simplicity has been nominated for the best wedding planner in Detroit in the Click on Detroit's Vote 4 the Best contest! If you could take a minute of your time and vote for us, we would truly appreciate it!

Just click here to cast your vote... you can only vote once per email account.

http://wdiv.cityvoter.com/simplicity/biz/334808

THANK YOU!!!!!

P.S. I also support Kreativ Imaging for best photographer if you happen to wander over to that section of the voting =)

Italian Pasta Salad

2009-05-27T21:34:00.003-04:00

Yep, yet another italian pasta salad recipe. I doubt it varies much from most others. But hey, at least the picture makes it look tasty!

Italian Pasta Salad
Serves: the hungry drunk boys who ate all the rest of the other pasta salad

Ingredients:
+1 box (12 oz) tri color rotini, cooked according to the package and drained
+handfuls of sliced pepperoni (cut in half)
+1/2 can of black olives
+4 oz monterey jack or mozzarella cheese cut into tiny cubes
+1/4+ red onion, diced
+1/4+ green pepper, diced
+1/2 package grape tomatoes
+zesty italian salad dressing, to taste

1. Mix everything together. Add as much dressing as you need to coat it but not drown it. Tada.... difficult right?

Creamy Pasta Salad

2009-05-27T21:26:00.005-04:00

The boys needed something to eat on their man weekend up north for Memorial Day so I made up a couple of pasta salads. Apparently they LOVED this one... go figure, the health nuts haha.

Creamy Pasta Salad
Serves: hungry drunk boys

Ingredients:
+1 (12 ounce) package elbow macaroni
+3/4 package of thick cut bacon
+1 cup mayo (not miracle whip)
+1 packet dry ranch salad dressing mix
+1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
+1/2 teaspoon pepper
+1/2 cup milk
+1/2 package grape tomatoes
+1/2 can sliced black olives
+1 cup shredded colby jack cheese

1. Boil up a big pot of water and cook the pasta per the package. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Cook the bacon until crispy. I find it easiest to cut up the package and the cook it in pieces in a pot. It works better than cooking then crumbling. Drain bacon on paper towel and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix mayo, ranch dressing mix, milk garlic powder, and pepper. Throw in the bacon, tomatoes, black olives and cheese in bowl and toss to coat with dressing. Pour over pasa and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Oven Fried Honey Chicken Nuggets

2009-05-27T21:20:00.004-04:00

Ok so I was mad, the dinner I planned on making tonight was gonna take a lot longer than I expected (since when does asian food take over an hour!?) so I tried out these nuggets from Lindsay . Lindsay, Molly, and Stephanie all gave them thumbs up. I thought they were pretty good... a little sticky and honey tasting for me personally. But they were easy and quick. Thanks girls.

Oven Fried Honey Chicken Nuggets
Serves: 2 the way I made it

Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup honey
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs (I used Panko)
* Appx 1 lb fresh boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces (I used 2 regular sized chicken breasts)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray foil-lined baking pan large enough to hold all chicken pieces in one layer. (you will probably need a half sheet pan)

2. In shallow bowl, whisk together honey and vinegar. Set aside.

3. Place bread crumbs in a small saute pan and toast lightly over low heat for about 3-4 minutes until lightly golden brown. (I skipped the step.)

4. Pour bread crumbs a little at a time into separated bowl. Roll chicken pieces in honey mixture, then in bread crumbs; place in pan.

5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly. (I baked at 400 for 25 minutes)

Sauteed Apples

2009-05-27T21:14:00.005-04:00

I needed to use up a granny smith apple and I needed a side dish... bingo. With more sugar and cinnamon and a little longer cooking time, this would be an excellent ice cream topping. It is a pretty standard recipe.

Sauteed Apples
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
+1 medium granny smith apple, sliced thinly
+1 tablespoon butter (no substitutes)
+1 tablespoon brown sugar
+4 drops vanilla extract (the real stuff)
+sprinkling of cinnamon

1. In a small fry pan, heat the butter and vanilla until melted over medium heat. Toss in the apples and everything else. Saute for about 5 minutes (or until desired firmness). For a side dish, I recommend cooking briefly unless you like mushy apples.

Potato Pizza Casserole

2009-05-27T21:06:00.003-04:00

This was another I-need-to-use-up-the-hamburger casserole. It was pretty tasty! Matt thought the potatoes were strange instead of pasta, but I liked it! Another find on allrecipes.com

Potato Pizza Casserole
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
+1 pound ground beef
+1 small onion, chopped
+salt and pepper to taste (I used montreal steak seasoning instead)
+1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (see above)
+5 cups peeled and thinly sliced potatoes (I used about 4 large red potatoes... or one good layer in th 9x13 pan)
+1 (3 ounce) package chopped pepperoni (I used slices... 1 layer in the pan)
+1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
+1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
+1/2 cup milk
+1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I omitted)
+1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I used more)
+1/2 teaspoon brown sugar (I omitted)
+8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cook the ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

2. Spread the sliced potatoes in a layer on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the ground beef and onion over the potatoes. Place slices of pepperoni over the ground beef. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the tomato soup, Cheddar cheese soup, and milk. (I did this in a 4 cup pyrex measuring cup in the microwave) Season with oregano, Italian seasoning, and brown sugar. Mix well, and cook until heated through. Pour over the contents of the baking dish.

3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the aluminum foil, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Parm Garlic Potatoes

2009-05-27T21:02:00.004-04:00

I found this recipes on allrecipes.com, one of my favorite sites for recipes or inspiration for my own recipes. I thought these were decent, but I am not a huge fan of parmesan. They made an easy side dish and I needed to use up some potatoes =)

Parm Garlic Potatoes
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered (I used about 5 large cut into bite sized pieces)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Place potatoes in an 8x8 inch baking dish.

3. In a small bowl combine melted butter, garlic, salt and lemon juice; pour over potatoes and stir to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over potatoes.

4. Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown. (I found that I needed more like an hour to get them to the texture I wanted).

Corn on the Cob

2009-05-18T14:53:00.005-04:00

I loooove corn on the cob, even if I have to floss 10 times afterwards. I think this easy little recipe makes the corn even better!

Corn on the Cob
Serves: 2-4

1. Shuck the corn and clean off all the silky things... gross. Get a big pot of water boiling. Once boiling add 3 tablespoons of Old Bay fish seasoning. Put the corn in the pot and boil for 15 minutes. Yes, that's how long I like my corn boiled.

2. Remove corn and place on a platter/place. Melt a tablespoon or two of butter and add 1/4 teaspoon of old bay. Drizzle over the corn and serve. Yum.

Hellfire Chicken

2009-05-18T14:46:00.005-04:00

This is a spicy rub for chicken. You can obviously adjust the heat on this pretty easily, but below is just a standard mixture.

Hellfire Chicken
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
-4 thin sliced chicken breasts (these work best, but you can use regular breasts or tenderloins)
-1 tablespoon paprika
-1 tablespoon garlic powder
-1/2 tablespoon salt
-1/2 tablespoon onion powder
-1/2 tablespoon thyme
-1/2-1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (depending on your desired heat level)
-1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1. Mix the spices up on a paper plate. With some tongs, throw the chicken breasts onto the seasoning and flip over to coat each side. Shake off excess. Repeat with remaining breasts.

2. In a pan, heat a couple tablespoons of veggie oil over medium-high heat. Place the breasts in and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side (until chicken is no longer pink).

**Note: These can also be grilled, but I would use regular breasts then.

Beefy Casserole

2009-05-18T14:40:00.005-04:00

Yet another recipe to use up ground beef. It was pretty good. Matt added a spice pack yet again. He loves that stuff on pretty much everything haha.

Beefy Casserole
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
-3/4-1 pound of ground beef
-2 1/2 cups of elbow macaroni (uncooked)
-1 cup sour cream
-4 oz cream cheese, softened

-half onion, diced

-1 can tomato sauce
-handfuls of shredded cheese (colby jack or cheddar)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Get a pot of water boiling and cook the macaroni per package directions. Drain and dump into a 9x13 baking pan.

3. Meanwhile, brown up the beef and onions. I added a little Montreal Steak Seasoning. Drain the grease. Dump in the tomato sauce and cream cheese, reduce heat and cook until the cream cheese is pretty much melted in. Add the sour cream and stir.

4. Dump the mixture over the macaroni. Cover with handfuls of cheese and bake for about 15 minutes. I broiled it for an additional 2 minutes to get the cheese all bubbly and browned.

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

2009-05-11T22:13:00.004-04:00

Molly gave me this suggestion for Easter/mom's birthday. Everyone loved how cute and bite sized these little cakes were. It was a huge pain in the butt having only one 12-mini muffin pan so I suggest having more than that if you plan to do them this size. Yes you can use regular muffin pan size, just increase everything accordingly.... but they won't be this cute and bite sized!

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
Yield: About 48 cakes?

Ingredients:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (18.25 ounce) package pineapple cake mix (Duncan Hines has a Pineapple Supreme flavor)
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
maraschino cherries, quartered

1. Preheat the oven to 350. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter; mix well. Spoon a tiny bit into greased mini muffin cups. Place a small piece of cherry in the center of each cup. Spoon a little bit of pineapple around each cherry. Yes mini muffin cups are tiny... so you only need a tiny bit of everything.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oils and mix well. Spoon over pineapple, filling each cup almost full. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Watch them!! Time may need to be adjusted for the size of the cup.

3. Immediately pop out onto wire racks to cool. This can be messy and you can burn your hand if you don't have mad baking skillz like I have. Yes these will be a bit sticky... what can you expect from sugary pineapply goodness?

**I made one larger cake in my 4" round pan with a full sized pineapple ring and cherry to place in the center of the tray with all the mini cakes around it. Super cute.

General Tso's Shrimp

2009-05-11T22:10:00.007-04:00

Confession: I cannot make asian food from scratch. I can't make it well anyway. So I cheat and use seasoning packets. This one Matt really liked. Yeah yeah, it is supposed to be General Tso Chicken... but I didn't feel like it.

General Tso's Shrimp
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
-12 large shrimp, thawed and tails cut off (yeah yeah I know I didn't)
-1 can of La Choy stir fry veggies, drained
-1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
-1 packet of Sun Bird General Tso's Chicken seasoning

1. Prepare the shrimp per the chicken directions on the packet. They only need to cook briefly. When they are just about done, dump in the veggies & chestnuts and cook until hot.

2. Serve with rice and eggrolls.

Ravioli

2009-05-11T22:07:00.007-04:00

I have mixed feelings about these. I am not sure I will do them again because I think it is just easier to get premade that taste better. Matt liked them but I was kind of neutral. So I will post this anyway.

Won Ton Ravioli
Serves: 3

-1 package won ton wrappers (I found them at Meijer by the refrigerated bagged salads & mushrooms)
-Filling of your choice (I just made a lasagna filling of beef, onion, ricotta, and seasonings)
-Sauce

1. Get a large pot of water boiling. Turn down the heat to a slow boil.

2. Lay out half a package of won ton wrappers in a single layer. I used my cookie scoop to place a small scoop of the meat mixture in the center of the wrapper. Take your finger and dip in some water and paint any exposed edges of the wrapper. Place another wrapper on top and press down to seal. It is important to seal it otherwise you will have a ravioli explosion in the pot of water and make a mess.

3. Drop the ravioli a couple at a time into the water. Lightly boil for a couple minutes. They will float when they are done. Carefully scoop out and drain and place on a plate. Top with sauce and cheese as desired.

Plantain Chips

2009-05-11T22:04:00.004-04:00

I was making one of our favorite semi-Cuban style sammiches
and I wanted something more fun that fries or tater tots to go with them. I have seen plantain chips on many cooking shows and decided to give them a try. Matt said "I would definitely eat these again" so I guess that means success! Please be advised... plantains are not the same thing as bananas... so buy the right thing and don't take a bite of one thinking it will taste the same.

Plantain Chips
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
-1 large plantain (should be kinda green still)

-Veggie oil
-salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper

1. In a small fry pan, heat up enough veggie oil so it covers the bottom of the pan about 1/4" deep. Medium high heat should work.

2. Peel the plantain (you will need a knife, cut off the end and carefully slice the length of the peel). Slice in very thin slices... thin as you can get without being like paper. Place the slices in the oil (carefully!) a few at a time. Fry for about 2-3 minutes and flip over and repeat. You want them to be browning but not blackened.

3. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to your tastes.

Mojito Punch

2009-05-11T22:03:00.004-04:00

My mom is the punch queen. Problem with that... the queen doesn't use any recipes. She always tells me the ingredients and says "I dunno, just mix it til it tastes right". This is one of those recipes.... good luck! =) This is definitely trial and error. I personally dislike lime, so I can't really tell you if this is anything like a mojito or if it is any good haha.

Mojito Punch
Serves: a party

Ingredients:
-1 can frozen limeade
-club soda
-drops of mint extract
-lime slices and mint leaves for garnish
-light rum if you want to make an alcoholic punch

1. Dump in the mostly thawed limeade. Add a bottle of club soda and a couple drops of mint extract. Taste. Repeat as necessary until "it tastes right".

2. Add the rum, lime slices, and mint leaves as desired.

Enchiladas

2009-05-11T22:01:00.003-04:00

Mmmmm Cinco de Mayo... the one day a year I can make mexican food and Matt cannot complain. I just tell him to kick back with some mexican beer and eat whatever I make. My parents recently went on a trip to New Mexico and brought back a packet of enchilada sauce mix and it sounded delicious....... so I made a New Mexico style enchilada dish. This is not your rolled up variety. My sorority big sister LeighAnn made this style a lot, but I am sure hers are a lot better. By the way... the enchilada sauce was so friggin hot... wow. So I am just going to recommend using something else.

New Mexico Style Enchiladas
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
-6 small soft taco sized tortillas (corn is best, but I like flour)
-Oil
-Pre-made red enchilada sauce (1 can should be fine)
-1/2 pound ground beef
-1/2 onion, diced
-Shredded mexican blend cheese
-Fried egg or sour cream to top it (optional)

1. In a small pan, heat up a little veggie oil. One at a time, place a tortilla in for about 30-60 seconds and flip it over and repeat. You want it lightly fried but not super crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

2. In another pan, cook the beef and onion together until done. Drain the grease.

3. In yet another pan, heat up the enchilada sauce. You can get fancy and make your own, but canned will suffice if you are feeling lazy.

4. Place one tortilla on a plate and top with a little meat and a little cheese and a little sauce. Layer again with a tortilla then meat, cheese & sauce. Repeat once more. Traditionally, it is topped with a fried egg, but I don't like those so I used sour cream. Make a second stack on another plate. Serve with rice and/or beans. Yum.

Easiest Chicken Ever

2009-05-11T22:00:00.003-04:00

This is seriously the easiest thing ever.... and is actually pretty tasty. It is great when you have chicken to use up and you don't have much else in the house.

Easiest Chicken Ever
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:
-1 package chicken (1 pound-ish tenderloins, thin sliced breasts, regular breasts... whatever)
-2 tablespoons butter, melted
-1 packet dry soup mix (Lipton onion flavor is the BEST, but I happened to have a garlic & herb packet this time)

1. Preheat the oven to 350. In a baking dish large enough to accomodate however much chicken you have, lay out the chicken in a single layer.

2. Dump the melted butter all over the top of the chicken. It shouldn't be swimming in butter, but the top should be coated. If you have more or less chicken, you may need more or less butter.

3. Sprinkle the soup packet over the top. I usually use about 1/2 packet for the onion flavor since it is strong, and at least 3/4 packet for the garlic & herb.

4. Bake until the chicken is done... depending on the cut it could be 45-90 minutes. Ta da!

Itali-Mexi-Nese Skillet

2009-05-11T21:57:00.005-04:00

This was just a concoction I made up with stuff around the house... we were hungry and needed to eat. It actually turned out pretty tasty despite the fact it has italian, mexican, and chinese ingredients haha. You can definitely adjust the proportions based on what you have to use up. I didn't measure anything... so everything below is a guess.

Itali-Mexi-Nese Skillet
Serves: 3

1/2-3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup soy sauce (or less)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 box of shaped pasta (I used rigatoni)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon butter
8 oz. cheese (I used monterey jack and cheddar blocks, 4 oz. cubed each)
1/2 cup salsa

1. In a large skillet, cook beef, onion, soy sauce and garlic. Drain.

2. While beef is cooking, boil some water and cook your pasta according to package directions.

3. Throw the butter and cheese into the beef mixture to melt (smaller cubes are better). Add the salsa and sour cream until hot. Then stir in the pasta. Top with some extra shredded cheese if you like, serve.

Mini Cupcakes

2009-04-08T21:22:00.012-04:00

I got this idea from the fabulous Bakerella http://bakerella.blogspot.com/ You could spend all day looking at all the amazing things on her blog. She is really talented. These little cupcakes were really easy once I got the hang of it, but wow what an undertaking without any helpers! It literally took me all day to do this plus the night before to bake the cake. Apparently Bakerella visted one other fabulous blogger The Pioneer Woman, which is actually where I found the recipe. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/03/quick-and-easy-cupcake-bites/ These have more of a chocolate covered truffle taste than cake because the cake and frosting combine completely. They are very sweet, very adorable, and quite a lot of work. Try them... if you dare!

1. Bake a box cake according to the directions, 9x13 works fine. I used confetti cake and devils food cake. Red velvet is also recommended.

2. When cake is cool, crumble into a bowl. Mix in about 3/4 can of frosting (cream cheese is recommended). You want the cake to stick together when smooshed.

3. Roll cake into small balls and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. I used a small cookie scoop to gauge the size. They need to fit into your candy mold. Refrigerate for several hours.

4. In a small bowl, melt some chocolate brown Wilton candy melts. Microwave for 30 seconds stir, repeat one or two more times as necessary. You don't want to overheat the chocolate. Take a candy mold (the ones that look like Reese's PB cups) and fill half of them with the chocolate halfway. Press a cake ball in and rock it slightly to make sure the chocolate slides up the mold to the top edge all the way around. Repeat with remaining cups. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes until cooled. I recommend getting AT LEAST 2 trays of mold ($2 each), 3-4 is even better.

5. Melt the colored chocolate (directions in my chocolate pretzel entry), about a half bag will work. Carefully pop out each cake ball cup and dip into the chocolate. Press down until the colored chocolate barely touches the brown chocolate cup. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place an M&M on top and some sprinkles. Repeat... over and over and over and over (about 50+ times). Put back in the refrigerator to cool completely.

6. Take a nap. You will need one.

Chocolate Pretzels

2009-04-08T21:13:00.003-04:00

I had some extra chocolate from the mini cupcakes so Matt was wonderful enough to take little Murray up to 7-11 to grab me some pretzels. I need all the practice I can get for Katie's wedding! These are really easy to make and you can get really crazy with all the stuff you can sprinkle on them. Just a couple notes on a makeshift double boiler:

1. In a small saucepan, heat about an inch to 2 inches of water on low (I used a 1.5-2 on a burner tha goes up to 10). You want some small bubbles to form but you don't want it simmering or boiling. While the pot is still room temperature, place a room temperature pyrex bowl on top.

2. Place a handful of Wilton candy melts (my fave) in the pyrex bowl and stir until melted.

3. Dip the pretzel in and shake off the excess. Put on wax paper to cool. Immediately add sprinkles or whatever if you are going to. It is reeeeally easy if you don't dip 100% of the mini twist pretzels and they look cute. Just hold the bottom and do a scooping motion in the chocolate. Cool completely before removing from the wax paper.

HAVE FUN!

Party Punch

2009-04-08T21:05:00.004-04:00

Gotta have a yummy punch to wash down all the baby shower goodies! My mom is the queen of party punches.... the secret? Just start mixing! Taste along the way and adjust as necessary.

Party Punch
Serves: about 20

Mix together the following:
+1 bottle cranberry pomegranate
+1 can frozen lemonade
+1 can frozen orange juice
+3 cans water (from juice cans)
+1 bottle (can) pineapple juice
+1/2 bottle 7-Up

To keep it cold in the bowl, make a pretty ice ring! Get a cool jello mold or a bundt cake pan and fill with the blended punch or just plain 7-Up. You can add slices of fruit too. Make sure to freeze overnight. Don't make the ring too big to fit in the bowl! Enjoy.

Wheel... of... Fortune!

2009-04-08T21:01:00.005-04:00

I had some leftover cake from making mini cupcakes for the baby shower and my mother-in-law's birthday had just passed... hmmm... what to do?? Well, her favorite gameshow is Wheel of Fortune and I happened to see a cool WOF cake... so ta da! I didn't feel like getting out all my pastry bags and tips, so this isn't pristine, but it is super cute and eveyone got a kick out of it. It is a single tier 9" confetti cake with a crumb coat of cream cheese frosting. Then refrigerate to firm up the frosting. Then I mixed a bunch of colors and went to town! Happy birthday Deb!

Shrimp Prima-scampi

2009-04-08T20:40:00.007-04:00

I wanted pasta primavera and I wanted shrimp scampi... sooooo tada! This was tasty! Just remember this isn't supposed to be sop-it-up-with-garlic-bread saucy.

Shrimp Prima-scampi
Serves: 2

+1/2 box linguine
+1/2 bag shrimp, thawed & tails removed
+4-5 tablespoons butter
+Splash of olive oil
+4 cloves garlic, minced
+palmful of dried parsley
+fat palmful of dried basil
+1 box of Green Giant Immunity blend veggies
+Sprinkle of red pepper flakes

1. Cook the pasta per package directions.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, saute the shrimp and garlic in 2 tablespoons of butter and a splash of olive oil. Add in the remaining butter, herbs & veggies and the red pepper flakes (to taste). Add the 5th tablespoon of butter if you deem it necessary.
3. When the shrimp and veggies are cooked thru, toss in the pasta.
4. Serve. Top with a little sprinkling of parm if you like.

Almost Carbonara

2009-04-08T20:31:00.005-04:00

I didn't have much in the house (again) so I had to come up with something. The only meat we had was bacon... so I thought some kind of pasta would go well. Now this doesn't have egg in it so it's not a true carbonara... but it was yummy!

Almost Carbonara
Serves: 2-3

+1 bag frozen cheese tortellini
+8 bacon strips
+4 garlic cloves, minced
+1 1/4 cups milk
+4 ounces cream cheese
+1/2 cup butter
+1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain, then crumble. Remove drippings from the pan (leaving just a tad for some taste but not tons of fat) saute garlic until tender. Add the milk, cream cheese and butter; stir until smooth. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and bacon; heat through. Drain pasta; toss with sauce.

Chicken & Asparagus Risotto Skillet

2009-04-08T20:20:00.005-04:00

This is a Pampered Chef recipe from Molly at http://myhappymeals.blogspot.com/ Matt liked this and even ate it leftover. I am not a huge asparagus fan so I thought this was just ok. I think I would like it more if I swapped the asparagus for broccoli, but I don't think Matt would be as happy! This was definitely an easy one.

Chicken & Asparagus Risotto Skillet
Serves: 3-6

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts I used 1 pound of tenderloins
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 oz. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1 T lemon zest I omitted
2 cups milk
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces I used a half bunch, don't know if that was 1/2 pound
2 cups instant long-grain rice

Season chicken with 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in skillet and cook chicken 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm. Add milk, soup, asparagus, onion, garlic, cheese, lemon zest and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt to skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in rice; top with chicken. Cover pan; remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.

Lemon Tea Cookies

2009-04-08T20:10:00.005-04:00

I got these from fellow blogger http://senoraespanola.blogspot.com/ I needed a non-chocolate dessert for my sister-in-law's baby shower and these sounded perfect and portable. They are definitely that. They are a little on the crumbly side because they are a tea cookie, so don't expect a large gooey cookie. Thanks Ashley!

Lemon Tea Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies

+1/2 cup butter softened
+2 tablespoon granulated sugar
+zest of 1/2 lemon
+2 tablespoons lemon juice
+1 1/4 cup flour
+1/4 teaspoon baking powder
+1/8 teaspoon salt

Icing
+1/2 cup powdered sugar
+juice of 1 lemon

In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and whisk to combine well; set aside. In bowl of stand mixer, combine butter, sugars, lemon zest and beat in high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and beat to combine well. Turn mixer to low and slowly add dry ingredients. Slowly turn mixer up to medium to incorporate all the of the dry ingredients into the dough (this will take a couple minutes, but it will come together well - if you live in a dry climate, you can add 1 Tbsp water to make it come together). Remove bowl from mixer and roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls (no bigger) I used my small cookie scoop filled completely but no more, it was perfect. Place cookies onto a large plate or cookie sheet and place into fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment. I only used one sheet lined with a silpat mat and I fit 24 cookies. Remove cookies from fridge, place on lined baking sheets and place into oven to bake for 10-12 minutes (do not cook anymore - they may look underdone but they are not, do not them them brown). Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheets.Once cooled, make icing by placing powdered sugar in a small bowl and, add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice. Stirring constantly, add additional 1/2 tsp lemon juice at a time until icing just comes together and is barely pourable. I added one small dot of yellow food coloring. Using a spoon, drizzle a small amount of icing over each cookie and let run down sides. Garnish with zest of lemon, if desired and serve.

Zesty Mac

2009-03-24T20:36:00.008-04:00

Well once again we didn't have any food in the house, so I had to think up something that didn't have any meat. We didn't want plain old mac & cheese again, so I spiced it up. We liked this a lot. It wasn't GREAT as leftovers, but it fed us. We will make this again.

Zesty Mac
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
+3 cups dry penne pasta
+1 12 oz can evaporated milk (yes, I had this 'on hand')
+1/2 cup chicken broth
+2 tablespoons butter
+2 tablespoons flour
+2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
+1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
+salt & pepper
+4 oz. cubed pepper jack cheese
+4 oz. cubed cheddar cheese (I think I had medium laying around)
+2 teaspoons chili powder
+2 teaspoons cumin
+1/2 cup salsa
+1/2 can chopped green chilies

1. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Add salt and pasta. Cook per the package and drain, set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Microwave the milk and chicken broth in a 2-cup or larger Pyrex measuring cup or bowl until hot and steamy (not boiling). Melt butter in the empty pasta pot; whisk in flour, then hot milk mixture. Continue to whisk until thick and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add in mustard, Parmesan, cubes cheeses, spices, salsa, and chiles.

3. Add drained pasta to sauce, and stir until everything is well combined over low heat.

4. Dump everything into a casserole dish (like 9x13) and sprinkle just a little shredded cheese on top (optional.. just for looks). Pop in the oven for like 5 minutes, then set to broil for 3-5 minutes. WATCH IT. Broil unil it is browned and as crunchy as you like it. If you walk away, you will burn it and be very mad.

5. Serve with a green veggie or some fruit. Yum.

Tot-sserole

2009-03-24T20:24:00.007-04:00

In trying to keep with the 'spend less, use up more' philosophy, I looked thru our cabinets and started dragging out some old standbys. I thought this was pretty darn good. Matt however was ALL OVER IT. He ate it for dinner then leftovers twice and loved it each time. Sure he kept dumping Franks red hot sauce on it... but he still loved it! He said "Put this on the regular rotation please!" Oh, and I don't know what the crap happened to the pictures I thought I took.. sorry! It basically looks like a hot mess of delicious slop!

Tot-sserole
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
+1 can drained french style green beans (peas would work too)
+3/4-1 pound ground beef
+1 onion, chopped
+salt and pepper to taste (lots!)
+about a half bag of tater tots (like 16 oz? I used Schwans tater rounds)
+1/2-3/4 can cream of mushroom soup (just do it)
+1 can condensed cheese soup
+1/2 cup milk
+1 1/2 cups shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large pan, brown the ground beef with the onions and salt & pepper. Drain fat.

3. In a 9x13 pan, spread the green beans evenly. Top evenly with beef. Arrange as many tater tots as you can/want over top.

4. In a bowl, mix the soups and milk. Dump over top of casserole. Sprinkle handfuls of cheese over top.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes plus, or until cheese is as browned as you would like.

6. Serve! Matt says to add hot sauce =)

Cookies By Design!

2009-03-24T20:21:00.005-04:00

Awwww, my friends love me! As a thank you for a favor, some friends had a basket of cookies delivered to me from Cookies by Design. So sweet! It came with 2 decorated sugar cookies, and I think 3 each of oatmeal raisin, m&m, chocolate chip, and peanut butter cookies. I will say while they were all good, I pretty much wolfed down the peanut butter ones! Thanks girls!

Follow up to Best Lasagna

2009-03-24T20:10:00.003-04:00

Ok so I made an extra lasagna to freeze. It was loaf pan sized and I got it out today. I wasn't sure how long to bake it but it turned out great. Sure it wasn't as good as it was fresh, but totally worth it! Much better than the Stouffers ones. When I made it, I left it uncooked (the noodles and meat were cooked) covered it in plastic wrap then in foil.

So, for a completely frozen loaf pan sized lasagna:

-Preheat oven to 350
-Remove plastic wrap, replace foil. Place lasagna on a cookie sheet
-Bake covered for 90 minutes. Remove foil, bake for 15 minutes.

Apple Dumpling

2009-03-02T20:17:00.005-05:00

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. That's all I have to say about that.

Apple Dumpling
Serves: 6 (or just me)

Ingredients:
+1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into 6 slices
+1 roll of BIG crescent rolls (there are 6 inside)
+1/2 stick butter
+3/4 cup sugar
+3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
+2/3 cup Mountain Dew

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x9 or 8x8 baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Toss in the apple slices to coat. Roll out and divide the crescent rolls. Take an apple slice (shake off excess goo) and roll up inside the crescent, starting at the small end. Pinch the ends closed. Place in the pan. Repeat with the remaining 5.

3. Spoon the rest of the delicious butter goo over top each of the rolls. Pour the Mountain Dew over top of all of it.

4. Bake for 35-45 minutes (until golden brown). Serve after cooling for about 5 minutes.

Best Lasagna Ever

2009-03-02T15:16:00.005-05:00

Whether or not you agree that any food can be "the best ever"... who cares. This is really freaking good. You should definitely take the time, effort, and money to make this. I made a little extra of all the ingredients and froze a small lasagna and cooked a big one. Seriously awesome.

This came from one of the best food blogs The Pioneer Woman. Here is the link to her recipe... http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_lasagn/ It is very detailed and there is a downloadable PDF so I am not going to even bother copying the recipe to here.

I think this recipe is fantastic because it uses all readily available ingredients. They may not be the premium ingredients that some little old Italian lady uses, but who cares. Delicious is delicious. ENJOY!!!

Pulled BBQ roast beef

2009-03-01T15:28:00.003-05:00

Ok so that is not my picture. I didn't take a picture of this one... sorry!! I threw this in the crockpot for Matt because I wasn't going to be around for dinner. He actually liked this pretty well and ate it leftover. I just wanted to use up the frozen chuck roast in my freezer.

Pulled BBQ roast beef
Serves: 3

1. In a lightly greased crock pot, place a 3 pound beef roast. In a small bowl, mix together the following and pour over the roast:
+3/4 cup Open Pit original flavor BBQ sauce (or just a spicy classic sauce)
+3/4 cup sweet Carolina type BBQ sauce
+1 tablespoon vinegar
+1/4 cup water
+2-4 tablespoons Frank's red hot sauce (to taste)

2. Cook on low for about 8 hours. Pull apart and eat with a fork or slap some on a bun.

Matt's No-Bean Spicy Venison Chili

2009-03-01T15:16:00.008-05:00

Most of the time I make dinner at home. But one day Matt was sweet enough to say the HE wanted to buy the ingredients and make an awesome dinner... and boy did he ever! I am actually quite impressed with his skills. We both were! I told him if he is going to show me up in the kitchen like this he might have to take over cooking full time... apparently he didn't think that was funny. Warning: This is spicy. If you can't handle it, don't whine that I didn't warn you.

Matt's No-Bean Spicy Venison Chili
Serves: 4-6

1. In a large skillet, brown 1 pound of ground venison (or ground beef), 1 medium onion diced, 1 red bell pepper diced, and 1 green bell pepper diced. Drain the fat.

2. In a large pot, throw in the following:
+Meat mixture
+1 diced jalapeno pepper, seeds and all
+1 can (14.5oz) of diced tomatoes w/ green chiles
+2 cans (15oz) tomato sauce
+1 tablespoon ground cumin
+2 tablespoons chili powder
+1/4-1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (depending on how potent they are)
+salt & pepper to taste

3. Mixture will appear thick... don't think you are smart and add water or more sauce. Just wait. You can add this in about 10 minutes if you still think it is too thick. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.

4. Serve plain with some kind of starch (elbow macaroni, bread, biscuits etc). I like mine with some sour cream and shredded cheese. Delicious!

Ranch Parmesan Chicken and Lindsay’s Red Lobster Biscuits

2009-03-01T15:05:00.006-05:00

I needed to use up some chicken and only use the stuff I had already (since it was too cold to go out to the store). I went and pillaged Foodislove's Weblog and found this. It was pretty good.

Ranch Parmesan Chicken and Lindsay’s Red Lobster Biscuits
Serves: 3

Ranch Chicken Ingredients:
+4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
+1 cup panko breadcrumbs
+1/4-1/3 cup parmesan cheese
+1 teaspoon seasoning salt
+1 teaspoon ground black pepper
+1 teaspoon garlic powder
+1 cup Hidden Valley prepared ranch salad dressing
+1/4 cup melted butter (no substitutes)

Directions:
Set oven to 400° degrees (set oven rack to lowest position).
Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
In a shallow bowl mix together the dry breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
Dip the chicken into the ranch dressing to coat both sides (allow any excess to drip off).
Coat in the breadcrumb mixture.
Place in a single layer onto a greased baking sheet or line with non-stick foil (do NOT bake in a smaller baking dish or the bottom of the chicken will be soggy). If you have a cooking rack you can place on the baking sheet it is even better)
Lightly drizzle the melted butter over each breast (for low-fat option omit the butter or use a diet alternative).
If desired you can sprinkle black pepper over the chicken pieces .
Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked).
**At the end of cooking, I set it to broil for about 2-3 minutes to crisp up the top.

Biscuit Ingredients:
Makes: 12 biscuits

+2 cups Bisquick mix (Matt didn't tell me we were out of Bisquick so I used buttermilk pancake mix haha, turned out fine!)
+1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (MORE)
+2/3 cup milk
+1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
+1/2 teaspoon parsley
+1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Mix bisquick mix, milk, and cheese until moist **I added 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley here too.
Drop onto greased cookie sheet
Bake for 8 minutes or until golden
Melt butter, then mix in parsley and garlic powder.
Pour melted butter over hot biscuits, then serve!

Dill Pot Roast and Potatoes

2009-03-01T14:54:00.005-05:00

This was pretty tasty and very easy! Mad props to my crockpot for doing all the work.

Dill Pot Roast and Potatoes
Serves: 3

+3 pound beef pot roast (I found a chuck roast on sale)
+1 tsp. salt
+1/4 tsp. black pepper
+1 tsp. dried dillweed
+1 tsp. dried dillweed (yes a second tsp)
+1/4 cup water
+1 Tablespoon vinegar
+3 Tablespoons flour
+1/2 cup water
+1 cup sour cream
+3 large redskin potatoes

1. Place potatoes (scrubbed clean but not dried) in bottom of a lightly greased crock pot.

2. Sprinkle both sides of the meat wth the salt, pepper, and 1 tsp of the dill and rub in. Place in the crock pot, try to nestle the meat down in with the potatoes. Add 1/4 cup water and vinegar.

3. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or until tender. Make sure the meat isn't drying out on top, turn it over if it is.

4. Remove the meat and potatoes to rest and cover with foil to keep warm. Turn on the crockpot to high. Dissolve the flour into the 1/2 cup water and stir into the meat drippings. Add the remainder of the dill and cook for about 5 minutes then stir in the sour cream and cook until hot (about 5 minutes).

5. Slice the meat and serve the sauce with the meat and potatoes.

Mac-n-cheese-n-weiners

2009-02-03T19:52:00.003-05:00

Another grown up version!! In an effort to save money, I decided to skip grocery shopping this past week and just use up what we had. It has been difficult and I just stopped once at Kroger for some protein... but everything else we had. *pats self on the back* This one turned out pretty darn good actually.

Mac-n-cheese-n-weiners
Serves: 3-4

-8 oz smoked turkey sausage, sliced
-1 14.75oz can diced tomatoes WITH liquid
-8 oz package of Green Giant seasoned carrots and broccoli steam fresh
-2 cups elbow macaroni
-1 cup chicken broth
-3/4 cup water
-1 literal cube Velveeta (cut it as long as it is wide & tall), cut into pieces
-salt and pepper and oil

1. In a large deep pan, add a little oil over medium high heat and brown the sausage.

2. Add tomatoes with liquid, broth, and water. Bring to a boil. Add the macaroni (mix well) and reduce to medium low. Cover and simmer for about 5-6 minutes, stirring once.

3. Pop the veggie package into the microwave for about 50 seconds to defrost. Add the veggies to the pan, recover, and simmer for 6-7 more minutes, stirring a couple times.

4. When the macaroni is fully cooked, add the Velveeta cubes and stir. Recover for a minute or two to help the cheese melt. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir until the cheese is fully melted.