Berries & Cream

I found this recipe in my Taste of Home magazine and it looked delicious! It was quick, easy to throw together, and tasted great! We had company over for dinner and I made this for dessert. Everyone licked their dish clean. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 loaf of pound cake, thawed

4oz. cream cheese, softened

1 + cup marshmallow creme

fresh sliced strawberries

fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Cut pound cake into 1/2" cubes. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and marshmallow creme until smooth.

2. Layer cake and berries alternately in serving dishes. Top with a dollop of cream cheese mixture and garnish with blueberries on top. Chill until serving.

Meaty Manicotti

This is the first time I've ever made manicotti, don't know why, but my family loved it so I am sure I will make it often now. This one was super easy to make and has pretty basic ingredients in it that I typically  have on hand. I made all 14 which is an entire package of noodles and it was too much for my family of four. Just one filled me up and my husband only ate 2, so super filling!

INGREDIENTS:

14 uncooked manicotti shells

1 pound Italian sausage (I like sweet the best)

3/4 lb. ground beef

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

3oz. cream cheese, cubed

1/4 tsp. salt

4 cups of meatless spaghetti sauce, divided

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook manicotti shells according to package. Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook sausage and beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer, Drain and remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes.

2. Drain shells and rinse in cold water. Stir mozzarella, cream cheese, salt, and meat mixture together. Spread 2 cups of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. 

3. Stuff each shell with about 1/4 cup of meat mixture, arrange over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake and additional 5-10 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Wraps

We've been eating a lot of salads, sandwiches, and wraps at our house lately. This particular wrap has become one of our favorites. I found it on http://realmomkitchen.com a while back and we have had it several times. I typically use the uncooked tortillas from Costco rather then buying actual wraps. 

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 lb. sliced roasted chicken, from the deli

1/2 lb. black forest ham, from the deli

4 wedges of creamy swiss cheese (we have been using whipped cream cheese)

4 Tbsp. mayo

2 Tbsp. honey Dijon mustard

spinach or spring mix lettuce

4 tortillas/wraps

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix mayo and mustard together and set aside.

2. With each tortilla, spread cheese over entire tortilla. Next place a couple of slices of chicken, followed by a couple pieces of ham. 

3. Spread about 1 Tbsp. of mayo/mustard mixture evenly over the ham. Place a few pieces of lettuce on top and roll the tortilla into a log. Slice and serve.

Quesadillas de Carmarones (Shrimp Quesadillas...yum!)

Seriously?!! Where have I been? Are you tired of staring at the Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe? It's been so long, since October long...yikes! Well, I am back and starting off with a bang, if you like shrimp. I found this recipe over at the Pioneer Women's site so there were no doubts it would be awesome! My husband loves fajitas and this recipe has a fajita twist to it so it worked out great. Super easy and super tasty.

INGREDIENTS:

flour tortillas (I prefer the Tortilla Land Uncooked from Costco, which you have to pre-cook for this recipe)

12+ whole LARGE shrimp, peeled and deveined

8oz can El Pato

1 whole large onion

1 Large Red Bell Pepper

1 Large Green Bell Pepper

2 cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese

2 Tbsp. olive oil

salt to taste

butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour El Pato over shrimp and set aside.

2. Chop peppers and onions into large chunks. Heat skillet over high heat, add olive oil. Cook veggies over high heat until they start to brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.

3. Return skillet to the high heat and dump shrimp and sauce, stirring occasionally until shrimp is opaque. (add a little water if sauce gets dry) Remove from skillet and chop into bite sized pieces. 

4. In a separate skillet, heat a drop of butter. Place tortilla in skillet and top with cheese, shrimp, veggies, and a little more cheese. Place a second tortilla on top. Cook both sides, adding a drop of butter before flipping. 

5. Remove from skillet and slice into wedges. Serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I found this recipe over at beckyhiggins.com a few weeks ago and gave it a try this past week. I love that it's not a traditional "brothy" chicken noodle soup. It's thicker and creamier which makes for a more filling meal. My kids absolutely loved it as did my nephew. This makes a great meal for cool fall day...which we are yet to have here. 

Ingredients:

2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 2 tsp. granules)
2 cans chicken broth
1 c. chopped carrots
2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/2 (half) can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. milk
1/2 cube (4 Tbsp.) butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. chopped cooked chicken (2 pieces)
4-6 oz. egg noodles

Directions:

Boil chicken until fully cooked. Cook egg noodles. Dissolve 2 bouillon cubes in 1 cup boiling water. Add chicken broth and vegetables to the liquid until tender. In separate bowl, whisk a half a can of cream of chicken soup and milk until smooth. Whisk soup and milk mixture into broth and vegetables. Melt butter then stir into flour. Add to soup mixture. Add chicken and noodles. Optional: Season to taste with salt & pepper or Schillings garlic & herb seasoning.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

If you haven't tried my Cafe Rio Pork recipe yet then you are missing out! I actually get the most google hits on that post. It is so yummy! Anyways, I decided to make a double batch of pork last time and froze half of it to see how it would do. I am happy to report it is just as good. I decided to serve it over a salad this time using the cilantro lime ranch. Love it, love it! Give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:

Cafe Rio Pork (click here for recipe)

Hearts of romaine, chopped

black beans, drained and rinsed

corn

cherry tomatoes

mozzarella cheese

Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing (click here for recipe)

Directions:

Place chopped lettuce on serving plate and top with black beans, corn, tomatoes, pork, mozzarella, and drizzle cilantro lime ranch over top. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Bruschetta Pasta

Ugh! It's getting darker way too early now! Sorry for the horrible shadow...AGAIN! This pasta is definitely one for the adults, not kids. My kids just wanted to know where the meatballs were. You can make this as is or you can also add some grilled chicken in with it  for a more filling meal. It tastes great either way.

Ingredients:

1 lb. wheat spaghetti, prepared (reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid)

3-4 large tomatoes, diced

1 cup fresh packed basil, finely chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup diced red onion

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. Red Wine vinegar

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

grilled chicken (optional)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and toss to coat.

Caramel S'more Cups

I hope everyone had a fun Labor Day weekend! My family and I just got back from a fun week at Lake Powell and it's good to be back on solid ground again! I made these cookies before I left and am finally getting a chance to post them. They were as yummy as they look. You can't wrong with a chocolate chip cookie, rolos, marshmallows, and chocolate all in one! 

Ingredients:

1 pouch of Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

24 Rolos, unwrapped

72 mini marshmallows

1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Make cookie dough as directed on package. Shape dough into 24 1 1/2" balls and place into muffin cups.

3. Bake for 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the edges begin to brown. Remove from oven; firmly press one rolo in the center of each cookie and top with 3 marshmallows. Bake 2-4 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffy. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan.

4. Once completely cooled, melt chocolate chips in a ziploc bag (about a minute). Cut of a corner of the bag and drizzle chocolate on each cookie. Let stand until hardened.

Oriental Chicken Salad

Sorry for the awful shadow on the picture. It's becoming a bigger and bigger problem as we are getting closer to fall. I found this recipe over at My Kitchen Cafe, a fabulous site if you've never been there before. I thought this tasted very similar to the Oriental Chicken Salad at Paradise Bakery, which is one of my favs! This dinner is super simple to throw together for a last minute meal. Don't let the ramen noodles scare you, they actually taste really good!

Ingredients:

1 package (3 ounces) oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix 
½ cup pre-sliced almonds
 red wine vinaigrette ( simple recipe below)
1/2 package (16 ounces) coleslaw mix or broccoli slaw mix (I used the coleslaw)
1 package romaine lettuce (I used hearts of romaine, finely chopped)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 scallions, both white and light green parts, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Break up the ramen noodles with your hands and place them and the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the noodles and almonds turn light brown, 6 to 7 minutes.

Place the slaw mix (I only use 1/2 bag), romaine lettuce, chicken, and scallions in a large serving bowl.

Toss to combine the ingredients well. Just before serving, pour the salad dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Scatter the toasted almonds and noodles on top and serve.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course

Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette

Whisk together:
¾ cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon black pepper
Ramen noodles seasoning packet

Shredded Beef Tacos

I love these tacos! I have been making our beef tacos this way for the past couple of years and they never disappoint. I have posted them here on my blog before with a yummy garnish that is worth trying too. It's an easy crock pot meal that requires very little ingredients. You can also substitute the beef for chicken and the beef broth for chicken broth with great results too.

Ingredients:

beef tip roast

2 packets of your favorite taco seasoning

1 can beef broth

1 small diced onion

Directions:

Pour beef broth in crock pot and mix in taco seasonings with a whisk. Place roast in crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove roast from juices and shred. Serve in warm tortillas with toppings of choice!

Recommendations:

• I love the uncooked tortillas from Costco, once you try them you'll never go back.
• My favorite toppings- lettuce, tomato, sour cream, cheese, this salsa, avocado or guacamole 
• I've used low sodium beef broth and low sodium taco seasonings and it still turns out great
• This rice (pictured above) makes the perfect side dish, but this one is good too!

Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts

This another Sister's Cafe recipe! Can you tell I recently went through their archives? They have lots of wonderful recipes, so you should check them out. This marinade can be used on chicken, fish, or beef. I marinated these chicken breasts for 8 hours and they were loaded with flavor. It is a little on the saltier side as far as flavor, but my kids and I love salt so we loved this! Super simple meal and great for not heating up the house.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oil (I used vegetable)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons mustard ( I used dijon)
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic (I used one small clove)

Directions:

Mix well. Pour over meat, then let marinate for 6-8 hours in the fridge.

Southwestern Chicken Nachos

I found this recipe on the Sister's Cafe and switched it up a little. The original recipe has you cook the chicken in Pace Picante sauce, but I chose to use homemade salsa. The toppings you could add on this are endless. I think next time I'll add black olives and green onion too. Super simple and great for a busy day meal.

Ingredients:

1 small bag frozen corn
1 can black beans
2 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 16-oz jar medium salsa, such as Pace medium picante sauce (I used homemade salsa, recipe here)
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
sour cream
chopped cilantro
diced avocado

(I also added lettuce and salsa, but I would recommend black olives and green onions too.)

Directions:
Pour bag of frozen corn in bottom of crockpot. Place frozen chicken breasts on top of corn and cover with rinsed and drained black beans and jar of medium salsa. Cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken with forks. Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings.

Grilled Cheese Supreme

So I saw an article in Better Homes and Garden magazine for variations of a grilled cheese sandwich and they looked so good, why hadn't I ever thought of it? I altered one of the recipes to my family's liking and it turned out really good. Here's what I did:

Ingredients:

french bread, thinly sliced

monterey jack cheese

crispy bacon

sliced avacado

sliced tomato

1 Tb. mayo mixed with1 tsp. honey

butter

Directions:

Butter one side of each slice of bread. On the unbuttered side add the mayo/honey spread and top with cheese and remaining filling. In a skillet or griddle cook for 3-4 minutes per side over medium heat or until toasted to your liking and cheese is melted. 

Chicken Poppy Seed Salad

I found this recipe at the Sister's Cafe and adapted it slightly to our liking. This is a wonderful summer meal. It was very flavorful and filling and you don't have to heat up the house to make it! Probably not going to be a salad the kiddos will like but I just threw some hot dogs on the grill while I had it fired up.

Ingredients: (use the following to your liking)

chopped hearts of romaine

sliced grilled chicken, (grill with lots of lemon pepper seasoning)

sliced red onion

crumbled crispy bacon

shredded mozarella cheese

candied almonds, (heat sugar over medium heat till turns to liquid, then add sliced almonds and toss till coated, cool on wax paper)

the dressing: (I halved this recipe and I had tons left over)

1 1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. dry mustard

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

3 Tb. vidalia onion, chopped

2 cups canola oil

3 Tb. poppy seeds

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a blender, then slowly add the oil. Blend until thick. Stir in poppy seeds. Top over the above salad and enjoy!

Questions Answered....

While I have not fallen off the face of the earth like some of you might think, I am just wrapping up the summer and adjusting back into a real schedule again. The summer was fun and very busy. I think we were either out of town or had family in town for the entire month of July. It's now August and school is back in session. I am hoping to catch back up to blogging again. My camera cord has been missing and I finally gave up looking and ordered a new one so hopefully my next post will be soon! And yes, I did remove the comments from my blog, only because I have a hard time getting back to your blogs to return the comment. You can always e-mail though if you have any questions. Thanks for sticking with me! Be back soon....

California Grilled Veggie Sandwiches

So before you think, gross veggie sandwich, (at least that's what I was thinking), you have to give this one a try! I promise you will not miss the meat, it has so much flavor, and GOOD flavor! I loved these so much that I served them at my 4th of July BBQ too. Oh yeah, and did I mention, super quick and super simple to make? Great summer time meal.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise 

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/8 cup olive oil

1 cup sliced red bell pepper

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

1 small yellow squash, sliced

ciabatta bread

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. Mix mayo, garlic, and lemon juice together. Chill in refrigerator.

2. Brush veggies with olive oil and grill for about 3 minutes, turn and grill for an additional 3 minuted. (If you have a grill basket it is super handy for this meal.)

3. Spread mayo mixture on cut sides of bread and top with feta. Grill bread, cheese side up, until lightly toasted and cheese melts, BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN THEM!

4. Remove bread from grill and top with grilled veggies. These can be open faced or as a normal sandwich. Enjoy!

Marinated Grilled Shrimp

Some of you may or may not know my husband is doing P90X right now and there is a nutrition plan that goes along with it. If you've spent anytime on my blog then you know I am NOT a healthy cook! My husband has been after me to cook a few healthy meals a week for him and this is when this recipe came into play. He asked me to cook fish...well this is about as close to fish as it gets in my house. I don't eat sea creatures. They stink and they still look like the original creature when you buy them! I will however eat shrimp. It doesn't stink or have eyes looking at me when I buy it. Anyways, we grilled these up the other night and man were they good! Even my kids devoured them. These are definitely worth trying.

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup tomato sauce

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 

2 Tbsp. fresh chopped basil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and de-veined

Directions:

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Add shrimp, cover and refrigerate for an hour. Preheat grill to medium heat. Thread shrimp on skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

We love buffalo chicken at our house, so when I ran across this recipes at allrecipes.com, I knew it was a must try. It's was a great busy day meal because it cooks in the crock pot. It was definitely too spicy for the kiddos but my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts

1 bottle of Frank's Red Hot BUFFALO Wing Sauce

1-2 Tbsp. dry Hidden Valley Ranch mix

2 Tbsp. butter

6 hoagie rolls

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker, and pour 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix over top. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, then shred the meat with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls and add a splash of remaining sauce if desired.

*I topped ours with lettuce, tomato, mozzarella cheese and drizzled ranch dressing over each one. Yummo!

Yummy Fruit Dip

This is another dessert I made for the baby shower I threw a week or so ago. Super simple, only two ingredients!

                              

Ingredients:

1 7oz. container of marshmallow creme

1 8oz. container cream cheese, (I used plain, but you can use strawberry too)

Directions:

Using a hand mixer beat the two ingredients together until well combined. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Southwestern Rice Bowls

I found a recipe on favfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com for Southwestern Rice Bowls and I made my own variation of them. These were super good! Everyone in the family enjoyed them. I will definitely be making these again.

Ingredients:
Spanish Rice, prepared (click here for my recipe)
2 chicken breasts, cooked (cook in taco seasoning and chicken broth for about 4 hours in the crock pot, then dice or shred)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
shredded lettuce
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced black olives
tortilla chips, crumbled

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. Hidden Valley Ranch mix
(mix above ingredients and chill)
Just prior to serving, add 1/3 cup homemade salsa (click here for my recipe) and mix till combined.

Directions:
1. Heat corn and black beans.
2. Layer the following in 3-4 bowls:
Spanish rice
black beans
corn
chicken
cheese
lettuce
olives
drizzle dressing over top and garnish with crushed tortilla chips, enjoy!