Crista's Kitchen Creations

Enchiladas...Es bueno!

2010-01-05T20:55:00.007-05:00

Sticking to my more veggies theme, tonight I went meatless! But no worries, I got my protein from beans and veggie crumbles! I really liked it - es bueno!

Saucy Enchiladas

3/4 cup fat-free refried black beans

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

4 (8 in.) flour tortillas

1 cup frozen burger style vegetable crumbles (I used Morning Star)

3/4 cup enchilada sauce

1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

low-fat sour cream (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the beans with taco seasoning. Spread each tortilla with 3 tablespoons of the bean mixture. Sprinkle veggie crumbles down the center of each tortilla and roll up tortilla. Arrange, seam sides down , in an 8" square backing dish. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min. or until bubbly.

Source: Cooking Light

On the side I served a salad of baby spinach, orange sections, chopped cashews, and raspberry vinaigrette. Yum!

New Year's Resolution...

2010-01-04T20:38:00.004-05:00

This year's New Year's Resolution for me is to eat more fruits and veggies! So I cracked open my trusty Cooking Light Superfast Suppers Cookbook, which has very speedy, easy, and healthy recipes, and picked this one.

You could definitely kick it up by using pesto instead of the chopped basil, or maybe just adding some garlic or hot pepper flakes. I liked it just fine the was it was, and I think it will be great cold tomorrow for lunch!

I served it with a side salad of baby spinach, strawberries, and pecans with raspberry vinaigrette.

White Bean-Tomato Pasta

2 1/4 cups uncooked penne pasta

1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (19 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Cook pasta according to package directions. Combine tomatoes and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Place beans in a colander, drain pasta over beans. Add beans and pasta to tomato mixture and toss well.

source: Cooking Light

Bust out your ugly sweaters and grab some Cream of Crap soup!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-19T13:03:00.004-05:00

Its that time of year...especially in the mid-west. The stores stock the shelves to the ceiling with all varieties of Cream of Crap soup. Mushroom, chicken, celery, etc...Cream of Crap can be incorporated into all kinds of otherwise healthy foods.

But first, to get in the spirit of making "White Trash Bash-worthy" casseroles, you must put on your Ugly Christmas Sweaters....

Alrighty then, now that you are properly dressed, bust out that can opener and prepare to cook a feast of crap for your friends....

Shown here are Green Bean Casserole, Tater-Tot Casserole and Mac N' Cheese with cocktail weenies. An amazing spread for any trashy holiday party.

Green Bean Casserole

2 (15 ounce) cans cut green beans, drained
3/4 cup milk
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (2.8 ounce) can French fried onions
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium casserole dish mix together green beans, milk, cream of mushroom soup, and 1/2 of the can of onions.
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until heated through and bubbly. Sprinkle remaining onions over the top, and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tater-Tot Casserole

2 pounds tater tots, thawed
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 dash garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
paprika to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
In a large mixing bowl combine tater tots, soup, onion, sour cream, cheese, garlic powder, seasoning salt and mix well. Transfer to casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese (use more or less according to your taste) and paprika.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until browned.

Mac N' Cheese with Weenies

1 2/3 cups (about 7 oz.) dry small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 package cocktail weenies, cut into thirds
Crushed potato chips

Prehead oven to 375° F. Grease 2-quart casserole dish.

Combine cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1½ cups cheese until melted. Add in chopped cocktail weenies. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with crushed potato chips.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

And last, but certainly not least....

A dessert that uses Twinkies in the recipe. How great is that????

Strawberry Twinkie Dessert

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 (18.75 ounce) can ready-to-use strawberry glaze
8 Twinkies
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Combine strawberries and glaze in a small bowl.
Slice Twinkies in half lengthwise, and place in a single layer over the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch dish. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth. Fold in whipped topping, and spread mixture over Twinkies. Spoon berries over cream cheese mixture. Cover and chill 30 minutes or more. Refrigerate leftovers.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Merry Christmas Gift Boxes

2009-12-19T12:31:00.005-05:00

This year I decided to whip up a few treats and put them in gift boxes for my girls! All of these recipes are very easy and quick to whip up ahead of time.

White Chocolate Covered Oreos

white chocolate chips
oreos
sprinkles

Melt white chocolate chips over low heat. Dip oreos into the chocolate and then place on parchement paper. Sprinkle holiday sprinkles over the cookies and allow to cool.

Chocolate-Marshmallow Pillows

Cookies
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® double chocolate chunk cookie mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1 egg
2/3 cup chopped pecans
12 large marshmallows, cut in half

Frosting
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water, egg and pecans until soft dough forms.
On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.
Bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately press marshmallow half lightly, cut side down, on top of cookie. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or just until marshmallows begin to soften. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in 1-quart nonstick saucepan, melt chocolate chips over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Add whipping cream, butter and vanilla; blend well. Stir in powdered sugar until smooth.
Spread frosting over each cooled cookie, covering marshmallow. Let stand until frosting is set.

source: Betty Crocker

White Trash

1 cup Cheerios
1 cup rice Chex
1 cup small pretzels
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup Peanut M&Ms
12 oz. bag white chocolate chips

Combine cereal, pretzels, M&M's and nuts in bowl; set aside.
Melt vanilla chips over low heat. Pour vanilla mixture over dry mixture and stir to coat.
Pour onto waxed paper and allow to cool. Break up into pieces.

Chocolate chip cookies! Just use your favorite recipe.

Quick and Easy Stir Fry

2009-12-03T19:17:00.006-05:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Trader Joe's? If not, well...I do. A few weeks ago while shopping at TJ's, I bought a pack of fresh Asian Stir Fry veggies in the produce department. Unfortunately, my week got crazy and I didn't get to use them right away. I tossed them in a freezer bag and into the freezer they went... until tonight! I pulled them out and rinsed them off and they were good as new. I also found a frozen chicken breast, frozen beef filet, and frozen fried rice. My freezer is a magical place! I thawed and sliced the beef and chicken and stir fried them first, separately.

Quick and Easy Stir Fry

Trader Joe's Asian Stir Fry Vegetables
Beef or Chicken (about 12 oz. total)
Salt & Pepper
Soy Sauce
Oil

Stir fry meat in a small amount of oil over high heat in a large skillet or wok until done. (Season with salt and pepper to taste.) Remove meat from skillet. Next stir fry veggies until crisp tender and add soy sauce while cooking. Serve with rice if desired.

Pumpkin Dessert out the wahzoo!

2009-11-29T17:15:00.006-05:00

I picked out a very tasty looking pumpkin dessert recipe to try out for Thanksgiving.

Well...that would have been a great plan, but in the midst of packing all the other dishes I took to thanksgiving, I somehow forgot to pull this one out of the fridge. So now I have two 9"x13" pans of pumpkiny goodness in the fridge. They will most certainly be going to work with me tomorrow for my co-workers to enjoy!

Praline Pumpkin Dessert

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow or spice cake mix
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
Whipped cream, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan. In medium bowl, beat pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice with wire whisk until smooth. Pour into pan.
Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with pecans. Pour melted butter evenly over top.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes.
To serve, cut dessert into 4 rows by 3 rows. Serve warm or chilled with dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice. Store covered in refrigerator.

Source: Betty Crocker

Trader Joe's...oh how I love thee...

2009-11-16T21:25:00.004-05:00

I can't take credit for finding this recipe. My dear friend Sara introduced me to this delicious dish last week, and I couldn't wait to make it myself!

The beauty of this dish is that it only requires 4 ingredients! All of which should be purchased from Trader Joe's for maximum yumminess. I will never use another pie crust again! This one is amazing!!!!

This will rival any great deep dish pizza, I promise!

Trader Joe's Calzone Pie

1 package TJ's frozen pie crust (thawed)

1 package TJ's frozen fully cooked meat balls (thawed)
1 cup TJ's Tomato Basil Marinara

1 cup TJ's Quattro Fromagio shredded cheese

Thaw and follow directions on pie crust. Thaw and quarter meatballs. Put 2 tbsp of sauce on the pie crust and spread to cover. Add Meatballs and top with remaining sauce and cheese. Continue rest of pie directions for baking, for approx. 15-20 mins at 450 degrees or until top is golden.

Source: Sara Burns

Best. Chili. Ever.

2009-11-08T19:44:00.004-05:00

I love this chili. It definitely isn't a quick meal, but if you have the time, it will pay off. Things go a lot faster if you have a food processor, but if not you will get a chance to work on your knife skills. This recipe will serve a large crowd, or keep you happy all winter with lots of frozen chili in your freezer.

Hoosier Mama Chili

2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound hot bulk sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans in medium heat sauce, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 7 oz. can diced green chili peppers
1/4 cup real bacon bits
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 12 oz. beer (I used Fat Tire)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (I used Vampfire)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar

Brown beef and sausage in a skillet, drain fat. Add meat to a pre-heated crock-pot. (A big crock pot!!!) Add everything else listed and stir. Let the chili simmer on low for 4-6 hours (or longer).

Serve with fritos, cheese, sour cream, onions...or anything else your heart desires. If you don't want to use a crock pot, you can easily make this in a pot on the stove, just let it simmer as long as you can, the longer the better.

source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T12:56:00.010-05:00

If you know me at all, you know that I would never let you down on posting Halloween recipes! I hosted our annual Ghoul's Night and here are the frightful tricks and treats that I served. (Sorry the pictures aren't the best, we were in a hurry to eat!)

Snake Sticks

1 (11 ounce) can refrigerated breadstick dough
1/4 teaspoon butter, melted
herbs or spices, to taste
pimiento, for tongue sliced
black olives, for eyes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray each skewer with non-stick spray. Wrap each breadstick around the skewer and flatten out the end a bit. You will have to work with the dough a bit, but place 2 black olives on the top for eyes and a small piece of pimiento in the "mouth" for the tongue. Bake on a prepared baking sheet for approximately 20 minutes or until the breadsticks are golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the herbs/spices of your choice. Let cool. If desired, slide the skewers off the bread or serve with the skewers in for easy handling.

Source: Recipezaar.com

Green Slime Dip

1 pound pepper jack cheese (shredded or cubed)
1- 4 oz. can diced green chilis
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8-oz. block cream cheese
Green food coloring

Combine in saucepan and stir over medium heat until smooth.

Source: Lisa Graves, ghoulfriend

Crunchy Worm Salad

2 bags shredded cabbage
3 green onions
1 (3-ounce) package ramen noodles with seasoning pack
1 (6-ounce) package slivered almonds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black food coloring

Preheat the broiler.
Tear the cabbage and slice the onions, and place in a large salad bowl. Crumble the noodles into a broiler pan, add the almonds, sesame seeds, and broil for 2 minutes, being careful not to scorch the sesame seeds. In a jar with a tight lid, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar, and salt with the contents of the seasoning pack. Cover the jar and shake well to blend the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad, add the toasted sesame and almond, and toss to combine Toss the ramen noodles with black food coloring for added effect.

Source: Paula Deen

Werewolf Claws

Nonstick vegetable spray
10 chicken cutlets
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1 12-oz. can large pitted black olives, drained
Ketchup
1 head of lettuce

Spray a cookie sheet with the nonstick spray. Slice the cutlets into strips about the width of one bony finger, the more crooked the better.
Place the flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs into three separate bowls.
Dust the chicken strips with flour, dip them into the eggs, and then roll them in the bread crumbs. You probably won't use all the flour or crumbs.
Place the strips on the cookie sheet and broil about 5 minutes on each side until brown.
To make the fingernails, cut the olives in half lengthwise. Trim the halves into pointy nail shapes, and place one on the end of each chicken strip. Press them into the chicken and, if you need help in making them stick, use some ketchup as glue.
Serve the claws on a head (of lettuce, of course).

Source: www.familyfun.go.com

Spooky Pasta

1 16 oz. bag of Halloween shaped pasta
1 26 oz. jar of pasta sauce
4 oz. sliced pepperoni (chopped)
2 cups shredded mozzerella cheese

Cook pasta as directed. Mix pasta with sauce and pepperoni. Pour into a casserole dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 min or until cheese is melted.

Burried Alive Cupcakes

chocolate cupcakes
chocolate frosting
crushed chocolate cookies
baby doll arms (available at craft stores)

Bake and frost cupcakes. Push a babydoll arm into each cupcake and the top with crushed chocolate cookie crumbs.

Excuses, excuses...

2009-11-01T12:14:00.007-05:00

So it is pretty sad that I haven't blogged since June.

But in my defense, I've been busy doing other stuff.

Here is a brief summary of things I've been up to instead of posting new recipes.

Taking Care of Sick Baby....

Having fun with friends...

Attending lots of concerts and shows... Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, Poison, Jimmy Bufftet, NKOTB, No Doubt, Brittney Spears, Billy Joel, Elton John, Beatles Love, Earth Wind & Fire, Chicago, Wicked, Mamma Mia.....

Utilizing the ol' Microwave

2009-06-02T19:35:00.004-04:00

Although microwaves are pretty popular, I rarely use mine. Maybe once a month or so... possibly because I have it on the bottom of a cart in my kitchen out of the way, or possibly because I love my gas range... who knows. Either way, it never occurs to me to use it and I almost took the stove top route when making this dish, but decided to give the microwave a try and follow the instructions. It came out great, and I had time to watch some TiVo'd stuff while it cooked.

Microwave Green Chile-Chicken Risotto

2 Tbs butter
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup arborio rice
1 (14 oz.) fat free low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cup water (divided)
1 (4.5 oz.) can green chilies, drained
1 1/2 cup chopped roasted chicken
1 cup shredded reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbs water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine the butter, onion, rice, brother and 3/4 cup water in a 2-quart microwavable dish. Cover with plastic wrap, and vent.

Microwave on high for 15 min. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup water, cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Stir green chiles and chicken into rice and let stand for 5 min. Uncover and stir in cheese, 2 TBS water, salt and cilantro.

Source: Cooking Light

Keep your baking soda handy!!!

2009-06-01T20:12:00.004-04:00

So tonight I was preparing these yummy Chicken-Pepper Tostadas for dinner. Everything was going just swimmingly. Veggies and chicken were sauteed and I was toasting the corn tortillas under the broiler as directed... and then bam! The tostadas caught on fire...guess my broiler was set a little to high! Luckily I have baking soda handy, and after tossing a handful at the flames, my tortillas were extinguished. However, they were not salvageable. So I tossed a few more in the toaster, and voila! Crunchy little tortillas, flame-free!

Chicken-Pepper Tostadas

4 6 in. corn tortillas
cooking spray
12 oz. frozen pepper stir-fry
12 oz. chicken breast tenders, chopped
2 1/2 tsp. Mexican seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat broiler. Place tortillas on baking sheet; lightly coat each tortilla with cooking spray. Broil 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp (or in my case, until your oven catches fire).

Place pepper stir-fry in a colander and rinse under cold water until thawed. Drain and pat dry.
Coat a large skilled with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat. Add peppers and saute for 4 min. Add chicken and seasonings and saute until done.

Top each tortilla with 1/2 cup of chicken mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Broil for 1 minute or until cheese melts. (or microwave for a few seconds if your oven is now covered in baking soda.)

Source: Cooking Light

Faster than delivery!

2009-06-01T19:54:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday, my friend Sara and I made plans to watch the MTV Movie Awards. We could basically care less about the awards, we were watching just to see the teaser trailer of the next movie in the Twilight saga, called New Moon. The trailer, complete with vampires, werewolves, and hot steamy kisses was awesome! Now we just have to wait until November to see the movie...

So for dinner I tried out another Cooking Light Superfast Supper recipe, and it was delish!

Chicken-Pesto Pizza

1 10oz. can refrigerated pizza dough (I used thin crust)

1 lb. chicken breast tenderloins, chopped

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

3 Tbs. Commercial pesto

2 Cups shredded skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Unroll dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes.

Sprinkle chicken with Italian seasoning and saute in a skillet over medium-high heat until done.

Spread pesto over baked crust, top with cooked chicken, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

No-Cook Fast Supper

2009-05-31T17:18:00.005-04:00

My new favorite cook book is the Cooking Light Super Fast Suppers cookbook. I'm sure you will soon come to find a lot of recipes from this cookbook on my blog, as everything is fast, healthy, and looks delicious.

The first recipe I tried came out great, and will be a staple for summer time eating in our house.

Crunchy Picante Salad

6 cups preshredded lettuce
5 cups baked tortilla chips (broken in to bite-sized pizza)
1 cup pincante sauce
1/2 cup shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
1 large lime, quartered
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place 1.5 cups of lettuce on each of 4 plates; top evenly with chips. Spoon picante sauce evenly over chips; top evenly with cheese, beans, olives, and avocado. Squeeze lime quarter over each salad. Top each salad with 2 tablespoons of sour cream and cilantro.

Source: Cooking Light

Back in the day...

2009-05-31T17:08:00.005-04:00

Back in the day of wonderful college years... I spent a summer waitressing at a wonderful little Mexican restaurant called Tortilla Flat. Unfortunately, the restaurant is no longer there, but the delicious food lives on! My favorite dish on the menu was Chipotle Chicken with Spinach in Cream Sauce served over rice. While this recipe isn't exactly how it was made at the restaurant, it tastes almost identical! It is also much faster to make this way, and is a quick and healthy dinner.

1 (7 ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
10 ounces baby spinach, rinsed
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt to taste

Combine chopped chile peppers with 2 tablespoons sour cream. Mix together and spread mixture over chicken breasts. Sprinkle lightly with salt to taste, cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Place marinated chicken in an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish and broil for about 5 minutes (rack should be about 6 inches from the top.) Pour 1 cup sour cream around edges of chicken and turn over chicken breasts. Broil for an additional 5 minutes. Sour cream should be lightly brown on the edges. Move breasts into a separate dish and cover to keep warm. Set aside.

Pour leftover broiled sour cream into a medium saucepan over high heat. Add spinach, broth and salt to taste. Boil for about 1 minute until all melted and mixed together. Pour mixture over chicken breasts and serve.

Serve over Spanish rice if desired.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Tag!!! I'm it!!!

2009-05-30T22:02:00.002-04:00

I was recently tagged by Allie of Zimmerman Shenanigans to complete this fun little questionarrie....

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. Dancing at my wedding
2. Going on another cruise with the girls
3. Summer flowers blooming in my yard
4. Hanging out at the Five Seasons pool w/ my new membership
5. Having a fun long weekend when Andrea comes to visit in June
6. Making strawberry shortcakes with the 7 lbs of strawberries I picked today w/Ali and Lisa
7. Posting my pile of recipes and photos I have save up, but have been slacking!
8. All of the fun summer movies, concerts, and events that Indy has to offer

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Went to Work
2. Had our weekly Friday lunch at El Rodeo w/ my coworker Beth
3. Got a phone call that something was available that hadn't been before, and it made my day!
4. Drank a lot of delicious German beer. (Spaten Lager)
5. Had some brat n' kraut balls in the bier garten at the Rathskeller
6. Listened to the zee most beee-U-tee-ful music in dee vurld (aka Polka Boy)
7. Saw some very daring fashion choices.
8. Spent what felt like hours driving around looking for parking downtown.

8 Things I Would Like to Do:

1. Repaint the house
2. Fisnish the basement (very doubtful)
3. Take a cruise around the Greek Isles
4. Spend more time in Europe and Great Britain
5. Buy a boat
6. Buy a lakehouse for my boat
7. Put a pool in at the lakehouse
8. Build a swim up tiki bar in my pool

8 Shows I watch:

1. Brothers & Sisters
2. Desperate Housewives
3. 90210
4. One Tree Hill
5. Grey's Anatomy
6. Private Practice
7. How I Met Your Mother
8. Medium

Now I tag the following people:

1. Sara Burns http://kringlebertfishtibuns.blogspot.com/
2. Julie Albert http://the-albert-family.blogspot.com/?zx=4c367dbcde059311
3. Becca Carpenter http://awkward-turtles.blogspot.com/
4. Jen Saxe http://littlesttreehugger.blogspot.com/
5. Michelle Shorter http://adamandmichelleshorter.blogspot.com/

Dos baked potatoes!

2009-05-18T20:14:00.003-04:00

I love twice baked potatoes, but they aren't always the healthiest. This recipe provides just enough cheesy creaminess, but also throws in some healthier ingredients. These were a great side dish to baked fish.

Twice Baked Mexican Potatoes

3 medium baked potatoes
1/2 cup canned black beans
1 tsp taco seasoning mix
3 TBS fat-free creamer
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1/4 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup diced onion
salt & pepper to taste

Bake potatoes (whatever method you prefer). Scoop out inside of potatoes into a large bowl. Mash with a fork to break up potatoes. Add all other ingredients and mix to combine. Scoop mixture back into potato skins and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Source: adapted from Hungry Girl

Southwestern Surprise!

2009-05-14T20:13:00.004-04:00

I've had everything on hand to make this for a few weeks now, it is a great pantry meal! I'm also looking forward to freezing about 3/4ths of the recipe, as it makes a ton! I served this with some Tastefully Simple Bountiful Beer Bread (so good!).

Southwestern Surprise

4 oz. cooked extra-lean ground beef, drained
One 16oz package of frozen sweet corn kernels
Two 15oz cans pinto beans, rinsed & drained
One 15oz can black beans, rinsed & drained
Three 14.5oz cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
One 14.5oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 envelope ranch dip/dressing mix
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup minced onions
salt & pepper to taste

Pour all ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

12 servings - per serving: 168 cals, 1g fat, 702mg sodium, 6.5g fiber, 6g sugars, 9g protein

Source: Hungry Girl

Strawberries & Cream Croissants

2009-05-02T10:01:00.004-04:00

Baby steps back into the kitchen.... Since I've been on vacation, I haven't even made it to the grocery. Luckily I did have a few things on hand to throw together for a breakfast treat. Check your fridge and you just might have everything you need to make these tasty treats!

Strawberries & Cream Croissants

1 package croissant rolls
8 teaspoons cream cheese (I used low fat)
8 teaspoons strawberry jelly (I used low sugar)

Unroll croissants as directed on package. At the larger part of the triangle, place 1 teaspoon of cream cheese and one teaspoon of strawberry jelly. Roll as directed and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake as directed. Enjoy!

Source: Me!

Bienvenidos a Miami!

2009-04-19T22:54:00.003-04:00

Greetings from sunny South Beach!

My friend Sara and I arrived this afternoon after an uneventful day of travel. After checking into our hotel and walking around the area a bit we settled on a yummy and very authentic Italian restaurant for dinner. Also because we both love the movie the Goonies, and the name of the restaurant was Fratelli la Bufala, so we figured that was a good sign.

One thing we noticed is how dog friendly the city is. There were dogs at the restaurant at dinner, and also inside a CVS we stopped into for some bottled water. Cute!

Miami is beautiful at night with all of the art deco buildings lit up in neon. South Beach is like the Las Vegas of Florida, kinda like Tulsa is the Paris of Oklahoma. (Friends episode reference)

After wandering back to the hotel, we sat by the pool with some fruity drinks and listened to the live music playing at the hotel's restaurant.

Now we are exhausted and heading to bed. Tomorrow we set sail on our Carnival Cruise!

I know...I'm slacking.

2009-04-14T13:19:00.002-04:00

I know I haven't posted anything in a while. I will resume posting more frequently (I hope) after I get back from my vacation next week.

Until then, I'll be packing, sipping tropical drinks on a cruise, and then unpacking! :)

Make Ahead Pizza Pasta

2009-03-31T20:50:00.002-04:00

This recipe is adapted from one my friend Jolene posted on her facebook page. It looked super yummy, so I adapted it based on what I already had on hand and also to make a large batch and freeze some. Turns out it made so much that I cooked one 8x8 pan for dinner the first night and froze 2 more 8x8 pans. I've already tried one of the frozen batches as I didn't want to post this recipe until making sure it worked, and it was just as great the second time around.

Penne Pizza Pasta

2 lbs of ground sausage (I used 1 hot, & 1 mild)
2 jars spaghetti sauce
16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz chopped fresh mushrooms
1 lg bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg pepperoni slices (cut into pepperoni slices into 4ths)
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 boxes dreamfields penne (or 26 oz. of other penne pasta)

In a large skillet, brown the sausage and onions. Next add veggies, seasonings, and sauce, and allow to simmer while cooking pasta. Cook pasta as directed on box, drain, and add to the sauce mixture. In a large bowl, blend shredded cheeses. Fill 3 8x8 pans half full with pasta mixture. Next top each pan with a cup of the shredded cheese mixture. Top of each pan evenly with the remaining pasta, and then the remaining cheese. cover and Freeze 2 pans for later.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees until cheese melts.

When preparing frozen pans, allow to thaw overnight and then bake at 350 for about 45 min, or until warmed through.

Source: adapted from Jolene Howard's recipe

Happy Birthdays!

2009-03-31T20:35:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday it was my time to host girls night. Since it was so nice outside, I did some burgers on the grill and some of the famous Mac-n-Cheese. It was also going to be the last girls night before the literal Birthday of Court's baby, and the last girls night before Ali finally enters her 30's! To celebrate both joyous occasions, I decided to make a cake. I searched for great recipes for cakes, fillings, and icings...but decided to be lazy and get help from Betty. (Crocker that is!)

Yummy Birthday Cake

1 box of Devil's Food Cake (you'll need eggs & oil)
1 jar Chocolate Frosting
1 jar Buttercream Frosting
1 pint of Strawberries

Cook cake as directed on box for 2 9" round pans. After cake has cooled, slice each cake horizontally to create 4 layers. Frost the bottom 3 layers with chocolate icing on the tops only. After assembling the layers, frost the entire cake with buttercream frosting and decorate with strawberry halves.

Source: Me

Welcome Drake Holden G. born at 6:53AM on Thursday, March 26!!!

Happy St. Patty's Day...Again!

2009-03-18T18:48:00.004-04:00

With the gigantic pile of corned beef left over from yesterday's post, I decided to throw together one of my favorite sandwiches for dinner.

Reuben Sandwich

2 slices Marbled Rye bread
Corned Beef Brisket
2 slices swiss cheese
Sauerkraut
Thousand Island Dressing
Butter

Butter bread slices. On the other side of each piece of bread spread thousand island dressing and top with swiss cheese slices. Add corned beef and sauerkraut to one slice and press sandwich together. Grill over medium heat on both sides until golden brown.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T18:28:00.005-04:00

I couldn't pass up a chance to make a Irish themed dinner! I love Ruben Sandwiches, so I had already put that on this week's menu, and thought why not make my own corned beef the day before. I found this very highly rated recipe and loved that it used a crock pot.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

1 medium onion, cut into wedges
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 pound baby carrots
3 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet, cut in half
1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges

Place the onion, potatoes and carrots in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine water, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet; pour over the vegetables. Top with brisket and cabbage. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Source: allrecipes.com

Opa! Indeed!

2009-03-17T18:14:00.002-04:00

I love Greek food, and when I saw this simple recipe for Chicken Gyros, I knew I had to try it. I love regular lamb gyros, but I'm short on lamb and a spit for the yard, so I figured a chicken breast substitution would be a little easier to prepare.

Chicken Gyros

1 lbs chicken breast

4 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

salt and pepper

sliced tomatoes

sliced red onions

4 (pocketless) pitas

feta cheese

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
Preheat the grill pan. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then grill until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending what size/type chicken you are using. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.
Meanwhile, warm your pitas. Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki (see recipe below), tomatoes, onions, and feta.

Tzatziki Sauce

16 oz. Fage Yogurt (or other plain yogurt)

1 regular cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

2 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp white wine vinegar

salt & pepper

squeeze of fresh lemon juice
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Combine and allow to refridgerate for at least 30 min. before serving.

Source: Adapted from Ellysaysopa.com

Happy Mardi Gras!

2009-02-24T21:58:00.003-05:00

In honor of Mardi Gras, I thought I would post one of my favorite cajun-creole recipes! Luckily for me, we have a great little restaurant, called Yats, nearby. And even luckier, the owner gave the recipe for his famous Chili Cheese Etouffee to a local fundraising cookbook.

Yat's Chili Cheese Etouffee

1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped green onions, plus more to garnish
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced bell peppers
1 cup diced onions
2 tsp. minced onion
1 cup Rotel Original diced tomatoes or petite dice tomatoes with green chilies
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 TBS tomato paste
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups shredded aged cheddar
8 oz. half-and-half or heavy cream
1 tsp. chili powder
Pinch ground coriander
Pinch groun cumin
Pinch ground cloves
Dash Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce
Dash Tobasco sauce
1 pound cooked crawfish, shrimp, or chicken
Cooked white rice, to serve
Dry sherry, to garnish

1. Make a roux by heating the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat and then blending in the flour, consistently stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the roux is a golden color.
2. Add the green onions, celery, bell peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes and cook until the onions have browned.
3. Add the thyme, tomato paste, basil and peppers (black, white, cayenne).
4. Add the stock, bring to a boil and simmer until the mixture becomes thick.
5. Add the cheese, half-and-half, chili powder, coriander, cumin, cloves, Lea and Peririns and Tabasco and stir until the cheese and half-and-half are blended in well.
6. Gently stir in the crawfish, shrimp, and/or chicken and serve over fluffy white rice. Garnish with chopped green onions and drizzle with dry sherry.

Source: Joe Vuskovich, owner of Yats

Super Easy, Quick & Cheesy!

2009-02-23T21:24:00.004-05:00

I was first introduced to this easy recipe by my friend Ali, back in the olden days of our downtown apartment living. This is a quick and easy weeknight meal!

Quick & Easy Quesadillas

6 Flour Tortillas
1 can diced tomatoes w/ chilies
Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
1 lb cooked and diced chicken

Place cooked chicken in a large skillet and add can of tomatoes. Cook over medium high heat until the liquid has evaporated. Place tortilla in an oiled griddle over medium high heat and top with a thin layer of cheese, then cover half with a layer of the chicken & tomato mixture. Fold in half and cook on both sides for a minute or so until tortilla is crisp and cheese is melted. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

Livin' the Dream

2009-02-09T18:38:00.004-05:00

Ok, not really...but things could always be worse. My boyfriend, Scott, bought a bicycle shop last week, so this past weekend I spent about 20 hours painting and cleaning. I was so sore last night I didn't know if I'd be able to get out of bed today...but I made it! I really need to go to the grocery, but since I'm still very tired, I thought I'd see what I could make with ingredients I already had...and it turned into a comfy pasta bake. (I've been lowing carbs, so I used Dreamfields pasta, which I give 2 thumbs up!)

Lower Carb Pasta Bake

1 box Dreamfields spaghetti (13.25 oz)
1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
26 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
4 oz. cream cheese
12 oz. shredded Italian cheese blend (I like Trader Joe's)

Pre-heat oven to 375. Cook pasta as directed on the box. Meanwhile, brown the turkey and onions. Add the seasonings, garlic, and cream cheese and mix well until cheese has melted. Next add the spaghetti sauce and simmer until pasta is finished cooking. Drain pasta and add to sauce mixture, mix to combine.

Pour pasta mixture into a prepared 9x13 pan and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

The Ol' Switcheroo!

2009-02-03T21:45:00.006-05:00

Wow. I love lasagna as much as Garfield, but I try not to eat a lot of pasta. I'd always heard you could substitute zucchini slices for lasagna noodles, but was a bit skeptical. Not anymore! I may never make "normal" lasagna again! This is awesome. Feel free to use any lasagna recipe you like, and just substitute the pasta with zucchini.

Zucchini Lasagna

2 1/2 cups zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 3 medium)
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 small tomatoes, cut up

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook zucchini until tender, drain and set aside. Fry meat and onions until meat is brown and onions are tender; drain fat. Add next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered 10 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups. In small bowl slightly beat egg. Add cottage cheese, and half of shredded cheese. In (2-qt.) baking pan arrange half of the meat mixture. Top with half of the zucchini and all the cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining meat and zucchini. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes.com

SNOW DAY!!!

2009-01-28T17:34:00.003-05:00

It started snowing last night, and didn't stop until it dumped over a foot of snow here in Indy. Luckily I had my work laptop with me at home, and opted to work from the sofa today. Scott took full advantage of his day off by sleeping in until almost 11, so I thought I'd make a breakfast casserole to surprise him. One of my favorite recipes on this blog is another awesome breakfast casserole, and while this one is great, I don't know if it surpasses the other one. I think next time I might make a combo of the two.

Sausage & Egg Casserole

3/4 pound ground pork sausage
1 tablespoon butter
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
10 eggs, beaten
1 (16 ounce) container low-fat cottage cheese
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chile peppers, drained
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, melted

Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside. Melt butter in skillet, and cook and stir the green onions and mushrooms until tender. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, cottage cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and chiles. Stir in the sausage, green onions, and mushrooms. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the melted butter. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake 40 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Source: allrecipes.com

I love anything you can dip grilled cheese in!

2009-01-28T17:22:00.004-05:00

I love grilled cheese sandwiches. But I love them even more when I have a hot bowl of soup to dip them in. This recipe was originally a Tomato Tortilla soup recipe, but I left out the tortilla portion of the recipe and made it more of a spicy tomato soup. It was quick and yummy!

Spicy Tomato Soup

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans no salt added diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoons of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice.
Remove the pan from the heat and puree with an immersion blender or in 2 batches in a regular blender until the soup lightens in color but chunks of tomato remain, about 30 seconds. Serve the soup topped with the tortilla strips, a dollop of sour cream.

Source: Adapted from Ellie Kreiger

Just Wingin' It

2009-01-28T17:12:00.003-05:00

We love chicken wings, and they are obviously a very simple dish. I've always wanted to make them at home, but didn't want to drag out the deep fryer for one batch of wings.

I found a recipe that had a ton of great reviews, so I thought I'd give it a try. They came out pretty good, however I'd probably reduce the time on the second side when broiling, but I might have had the pan too close.

Either way, these are great to make at home and satisfy your wing craving.

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

1 lb chicken wings 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup Louisiana hot sauce
1 tablespoon margarine

Fill a large pot half way with water and then add the first 4 ingredients. Bring water mixture and wings to a boil and then boil for 15 minutes. Transfer wings to an oven safe container coated with cooking spray. Bake wings on "Broil" for 15 minutes on each side.(For crispier wings, cook longer on each side, maybe 20 minutes per side). While waiting for wings, combine the Hot Sauce and Margarine in a microwave safe container and cook in microwave for 2 minutes or until melted. When wings are done, shake 'em up with the sauce and enjoy!

Source: Allrecipes.com

Rustic Turkey Chili

2009-01-19T18:25:00.003-05:00

Nothing beats a big pot of chili on a cold winter night! This one is packed with veggies and I substitute turkey (but you are welcome to use beef) to make it even healthier. The best part is, you can easily make this in under 30 minutes, which is handy when you come home to a hungry boyfriend.

Rustic Turkey Chili

1 lb ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 T olive oil
29 oz. can tomato sauce
29 oz. can whole tomatoes (drain and quarter)
14.5 oz. can kidney beans in medium chili sauce
1 packet chili seasoning mix

Put olive oil in pot, add onion, pepper, and celery and cook until soft over medium high heat. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add chili seasoning packet and mix well. Next add beans, sauce, and tomatoes. Simmer over low heat for 10-15 min.

Warm up with some Chilies

2009-01-18T13:49:00.005-05:00

It has been unbelievably cold this week, with wind chills creeping to 35 below! I thought I'd spice some things up with some Sante Fe Style Chicken roll-ups. These are great re-heated for lunch also.

Sante Fe Roll-Ups

1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon onion (minced) 1 garlic clove (minced)
2 anaheim chilies (cut into strips & chopped)
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
4 chicken breasts
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies (chopped)

Melt butter or oil in a skillet over med heat, add onions, garlic and anaheim chilies, saute until onion is soft, set aside. Pound chicken between sheets of plastic wrap until flattened, spread 1/4 of vegetables over each chicken breast & place 1 tablespoon cheese mix in the middle of each chicken piece. Roll tightly to enclose cheese completely, secure with wooden tooth picks. Chill covered for 8-24 hours, then place in a baking pan and bake 350 degrees fro 30 minute or until cooked through. Remove to a serving platter, scrape baking pan drippings into a saucepan, add sour cream and green chilies, cook over med. heat until heated through, pour over chicken.

Source: www.recipezaar.com

Low-Carb Deep Dish Pizza

2009-01-18T13:02:00.004-05:00

This recipe had some rave reviews, so I thought I'd try it out. It is a similar concept to another recipe I've posted, The Low-Carb Taco Bake. This wasn't bad by any means, but I'm not a huge egg person, so if I made this again, I'd most likely cut back the eggs to 3 instead of 6, and do a thinner crust. It is a great way to satisfy that pizza craving with out over doing the carbs though.

Low-Carb Pizza Bake

6 eggs
6 oz cream cheese (3/4 package) at room temperature
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1½ teaspoon oregano or other Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
pinches of black and/or cayenne pepper
1 cup (or a little more) shredded Italian cheeses, at least half of which is a hard cheese (Parmesan, Assagio)

Heat the oven to 350° F.
Be sure the cream cheese is at about room temperature. Using a regular blender, food processor, or stick blender, mix the egg and cream cheese until well blended. Add the salt and spices and blend again.

Spread cheese in bottom of well-buttered 9X13 pan. (use an Italian blend such as Trader Joe's Quattro Formaggio) Pour egg mixture over the cheese, and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the top is browning.

Remove from oven, add pizza toppings, and bake until done - about another 10-15 minutes.

I topped the pizza with 6 oz. of tomato sauce, fresh mushrooms, pancetta, and the remaining cheese.

Source: www.lowcarbdiets.about.com

Mexican Addiction

2009-01-14T18:50:00.004-05:00

My co-worker Beth and I are Mexican food addicts. We could probably be happy eating lunch at the little nearby Mexican restaurant everyday and be happy. My favorite lunch special there is the Acapulco Chicken. This isn't quite the same, but it is pretty good!

Chicken Acapulco Tortillas

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon chili powder, divided
salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large tomato, cut into chunks
10 drops hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup cream

Season chicken with 1/2 tablespoon chili powder, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute seasoned chicken for 3 to 4 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and keep warm. In same skillet, stir fry bell pepper and onion until soft. Add tomatoes, remaining 1/2 tablespoon chili powder, hot pepper sauce and cream. Cook, stirring, for an additional 3 to 5 minutes; add chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes more.

Serve with tortillas and desired toppings.

Source: Adapted from Women's Health

Ultra Comfort Food

2009-01-14T18:34:00.005-05:00

After all the holiday excitement died down, Scott and I both managed to pick up some bug. We felt blah for a few days, so I decided comfort food was in order. I thought a big pot of chicken and noodles sounded good, and I had some extra time, so I made a batch with homemade broth and slow cooked chicken.

Crista's Easy Chicken & Noodles

1 whole chicken
1 onion, quartered
3 celery stalks, chopped

water
salt & pepper
(any other seasonings you like)
Wide noodles (I like the Amish brands)

Put onions, celery, and chicken in a pot and fill with water (just enough to cover the chicken). Bring to a boil and cook on a high simmer until chicken easily falls off the bone. Strain and reserve the broth. Cook the noodles until tender in the broth. Meanwhile, pick the chicken from the bone. Add chicken back to the noodles and serve over mashed potatoes if desired.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T13:43:00.013-05:00

I guess I'll start off the new year by catching up! The holidays are busy, and most of my time is spent shopping for and wrapping gifts for my large flock of nieces and nephews. So sadly, my blog was pushed aside...

But now I shall dazzle you with some highlights of the Carpenter Family Christmas!

We go way back...

This photo was taken circa 1950 (I'm guessing). It is my Aunt Marge, My father Noble, my Uncle Max, and my Aunt Mary.

And here they are this year!

Every year on Christmas day, about 30-40 of my Aunts, Uncles, & Cousins join us at my parents house for Christmas. It wouldn't be the same with out some old family recipes.

Challah

Makes 1 large loaf

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1-1/4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup salad oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 T. water

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Stir in salt, sugar, oil & eggs. Gradually
beat in about 4-1/2 cups of the flour to make a stiff dough.

Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and satiny (5 to 20
minutes), adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cover and let rise in warm
place until doubled (about 1-1/2 hours). Punch dough down; knead briefly on
lightly floured board.

Divide into 4 equal portions and form strands about 20 inches long. Place the
4 strands lengthwise on a large baking sheet (at least 14x17). Pinch tops together, then
form a 4-stranded braid.

Let rise again for 1 hour. Using a soft brush, spread egg yolk mixture over braid.
Back at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Source: A very old bread cookbook my mom keeps in the cabinet above the stove.

Broccoli-Rice-Cheese Casserole

9x13 dish

In a large mixing bowl, melt 1 stick of oleo and 1 8 oz. jar of Cheez Whiz in microwave.
Stir in 2 cans of cream of celery soup, and 1 can of cream of mushroom soup.
Mix well.

Add 1/3 cup chopped onions, 3/4 cup chopped celery, 2 cups of Minute Rice (not cooked)
and 1 large package broccoli cuts (20-24 oz).

Stir together and pour into buttered 9x13 dish. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour, or until
top is lightly browned and dish is bubbly.

Source: Mom

Noodles

6-10 servings

Combine turkey broth, chicken broth and a little water to make about 6 cups of liquid.
Add salt and bring to a boil.
Add 1 12 oz. package of wide egg noodles, and reduce heat to a low simmer.
Add more broth as needed to keep the noodles slightly covered. Cook long and slow
for great flavor. Do not boil hard or noodles will fall apart. Keep them at a low simmer
and they will be done in about 30-45 minutes. Yummy!!

Source: Mom

Make Ahead Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

Serves 15-20 people

5 pounds white potatoes
Salt to taste
1 stick of butter, no substitute
2 cups (16 oz) sour cream
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

The day before serving: Peel and boil potatoes in salted water. Mash potatoes in large
mixing bowl.

Add butter, cream cheese and sour cream one at a time and mix well before adding the
next ingredient. Check taste for seasoning, and adjust salt if needed. Do not add milk under
any circumstances.

Spoon into crock pot insert, cover and refrigerate.

Four hours before serving time, remove from refrigerator and place in crock pot on LOW.
Do not remove lid until time to serve. Stir gently prior to serving.

Turkey Dressing

Makes deep 9x13 pan

2 loaves white bread, broken into pieces and air dried overnight
1 stick butter
2 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped onion
4 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
4-6 cups of turkey or chicken broth (or a combination of both)

Melt butter in medium pan and add celery & onions. Add some of the broth and
let the vegetables cook until soft (10-15 minutes). Add the cooked vegetables
to the bread and stir. Beat 4 eggs and add to the bread mixture, add seasonings.
Keep adding broth (not hot) and stirring until all of the bread has absorbed some of it and the
dressing has the consistency you desire.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. If the top gets too brown, cover it with
foil until baking is complete.

Source: Mom

Magic Cookie Bars

Makes 2-3 dozen bars

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1 14 oz. can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chocolate chips
1-1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 for glass dish). In small bowl, combine
graham cracker crumbs and butter. Mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly
on the bottom of a 9x13 pan

Pour Eagle Brand milk evenly over crumbs. Layer evenly with the remaining
ingredients; press down firmly with fork.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired.

Source: Eagle Brand Milk

Pretzel Salad

8x8 dish (9 servings)

Mix together and press into dish:
1 cup crushed pretzels
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick melted butter

Mix together and put on top of pretzel layer:
1 pkg. dream whip, or 8 oz. container of cool whip
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar

Drain the juice from 1 #2 can of crushed pineapple and mix with
2 T. of corn starch. Heat juice until clear and thickened. Let cool.
Add the pineapple to the thickened juice and spread over top of
the other layers.

Source: Mom

Mr. & Mrs. Claus say "we out."

Mmmm...Leftovers!

2008-12-13T23:15:00.005-05:00

No kidding, these leftovers were awesome! I got this idea from one of the other cooking blogs I read, Good Thymes & Good Food, where Rachel posted her recipe a while back. I had some leftover chicken from last night's Saucy Honey Mustard Chicken, so I shredded that and followed Rachel's recipe from there. So good! You could fill these pockets with almost anything, and they'd be great!

Puff Pastry Chicken Pockets

1 chicken breast, bone in, skin on - roasted and shredded
1/4 c. cream cheese, softened
juice of 1 lemon (I omitted this)
puff pastry sheet
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 c. breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Shred chicken and mix with cream cheese, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Cut puff pastry sheet down fold lines so that you have three sections. Pile 1/3 of the chicken mixture in the middle and wrap ends in. Fold gently. Repeat until mixture is gone. Dip in melted butter and then breadcrumbs. Bake according to puff pastry directions. (I baked for 20 min)

Woo Hoo, my 100th post!

2008-12-12T21:17:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since I tried out a recipe from Kraft's website. Everything I've tried from the site has been easy, quick, and very good. This recipe was no different. I had dinner on the table in about 20 minutes, which was nice after and extreemly long week!

Saucy Honey Mustard Chicken

1 Tbsp. oil
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1/4 cup Cream Cheese

1/4 cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
2 Tbsp. Grey Poupon Savory Honey Mustard
1 Tbsp. honey

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 5 to 6 min. on each side or until chicken is cooked through (165°F).
Mix remaining ingredients; spoon over chicken.
Cook 2 min. or until sauce is heated through, stirring occasionally.

Source: Kraftfoods.com

Yummy Pasta Bake

2008-12-09T20:14:00.003-05:00

Tonight, after a wonderful 2 week hiatus, I finally went to the grocery. I had picked this recipe out after seeing it in issue of Better Homes & Gardens. It won a prize, and sounded great. It was delicious, I highly recommend it!

Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake

8 oz. dried bow tie pasta

1 small onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. butter

2 eggs

1-1/4 cups milk

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz.)

14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In medium skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.
In bowl whisk together eggs, milk, seasoning, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Stir in chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, half of the Parmesan, cooked pasta, and onion. Transfer to 3-quart rectangular baking dish.
Bake, covered, 20 minutes. In small bowl combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika, and melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over pasta. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes more or until golden. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source: Better Homes & Gardens

I've been busy!

2008-12-07T18:50:00.004-05:00

Confession....I have not been to the grocery since before Thanksgiving. What can I say? I've been busy! It seems like my life is going non-stop!

So today I was going to go to the grocery, but it is soooo cold outside. I just didn't feel like going out. So I headed into the fridge and pantry to see what I could come up with for dinner...

I managed to whip up the following from things in the cupboard and freezer!

Chicken & Noodles

3 small frozen chicken breasts

1/2 bag of small egg noodles

1 carton + 1 can of chicken broth

2 TBS corn starch

salt & pepper

I cooked the frozen chicken breast in the chicken broth for about 30 min, and shredded with a fork. Next I cooked the noodles in the broth w/ the chicken for 10 min. I added the corn starch to about 1/4 cup water and then added the mixture to the broth to thicken. Season w/ salt and pepper.

I served the chicken & noodles over Trader Joe's Instant Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and brussel sprouts on the side. It hit the spot!

Good morning pumpkin!

2008-11-30T10:16:00.005-05:00

After doing some fall baking, I always seem to end up with half a can of pumpkin puree in the fridge that ends up getting tossed. So this morning I thought I'd see what I could do to use it up. I dug deep into my pantry and found some Hungry Jack pancake mix, the "just add water" kind, since I rarely keep milk on hand. I added the pumpkin, and some spice and voila! tasty pumpkin pancakes!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 Cups Hungry Jack "just add water" Pancake Mix

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Prepare as directed on box. Yum!

Thanksgiving Dessert Extravaganza

2008-11-27T09:18:00.006-05:00

I'm going to give you some terrific recipes to turn your kitchen from this:

To this:

First up, is our Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookie Pie.

I found this irresistible recipe on a fellow food blogger's page. Priscilla's Baking Adventures always has some great looking recipes, so I had to pick one.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® Create 'n Bake® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup water
2 cups milk chocolate chips, melted

Heat oven to 350°F. In bottom of ungreased 10- or 9-inch springform pan, break up cookie dough. (I used a 9" pie pan) With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter and water until well blended. (If necessary, add additional water 1 teaspoon at a time until mixture is smooth.) Drop spoonfuls of mixture over baked cookie crust; press evenly to cover crust. Spread melted chocolate chips over peanut butter mixture. If desired, carefully swirl chocolate with fork. Garnish with pecan halves. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chocolate is set.

Next up is our pumpkin pie. We are going to two Thanksgiving Dinners, and both requested that I bring a pumpkin pie. Well of course I didn't want to just "bring a pumpkin pie." I had to spice it up a bit and make it something special. I found a recipe that incorporated a streusel topping with the pumpkin pie. So here we go with our second recipe:

Pumpkin Pie with Streusel Topping

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks. Stir in 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour filling into pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. While the pie is baking, prepare the streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Blend in the cold butter with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly. Mix in the chopped nuts. Sprinkle the topping over the pie.
Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake an additional 40 minutes, or until set.

Source: Allrecipes.com

I know that not everyone loves pumpkin. Some people are nutty, like myself. So for those who prefer a bit more sweet gooeyness, I chose a Chocolate Pecan Pie. I can't wait to cut into it!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell
3 eggs
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup margarine, melted
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup pecan halves
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Press pie shell into and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate.
Beat eggs, sugar, salt, margarine, and syrup with hand mixer. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell.
Bake until set, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Source: Allrecipes.com

And last but not least...

This recipe hails from our Thanksgiving Queen, Martha Stewart. What's not to love? Pumpkin, white chocolate, all with a brownie texture??? I saw it on Cate's Kitchen, and had to try it!

Pumpkin-White Chocolate Blondies

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into squares.

Source: Martha Stewart

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

You-Won't-Even-Miss-the-Carbs Casserole

2008-11-16T20:56:00.005-05:00

In my quest to cut back on carbs, I'm trying out some new dishes. This one caught my eye because I'm a big fan of cauliflower, so this sounded yummy to me. Scott the carb eater even loved it!

Low Carb Sausage, Mushroom and Chicken Casserole

3-4 cups diced cooked chicken
1 lb pork sausage
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1/2 lb mushroom, sliced
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
16 ounces frozen cauliflower, cooked well and drained
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
paprika (optional)

Brown the sausage with the celery, onion and mushrooms. Stir the softened cream cheese into the sausage mixture until well blended. Coarsely chop the cooked cauliflower. Mix all ingredients and spread in a greased 9"x13" baking dish. If desired, dust the top with paprika. Bake, covered with foil, at 350º for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until hot and bubbly and top is lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes

Source: not sure! Whoops!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

2008-11-11T21:42:00.003-05:00

It was a cold and rainy day, perfect for some stew! I made a big pot of this stew to pack for lunch the rest of the week.

Beef & Vegetable Stew

1 lb lean beef for stew
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 (15 ounce) cans beef broth
8 ounces fresh green beans
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium zucchini, peeled and diced
1/4 cup frozen corn
bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
2 Tablespoons corn starch

In a medium to large pot, heat 1/2 tsp olive oil; brown beef, onion and garlic. Add broth, tomatoes, veggies and seasonings. Bring to a boil; simmer, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to 30 minutes. Mix corn starch with small amount of cold water and add to pot. Let boil for a few minutes until thickened. Discard bay leaf, serve.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T21:24:00.007-04:00

This week I've been keeping up the Halloween spirit with some festive recipes. Any little ghoul or goblin is sure to gobble these recipes right up!

Crescent Mummy Dogs

1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet
2 1/2 slices American cheese slices, quartered 10 large hot dogs
Cooking spray
Mustard or ketchup, if desired

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Crescent Rolls: Unroll dough; separate at perforations creating 4 rectangles; press perforations to seal. Recipe Creations: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles. With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough. Slice cheese slices into quarters (1/2 slice cheese, cut in half). Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog and 1/4 slice of cheese to look like "bandages," stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate "bandages" so hot dog shows through for "face." On ungreased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs (cheese side down); spray dough lightly with cooking spray. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. With mustard, draw features on 'face.'

Source: Allrecipes.com

Chicken Enchilada Mummies

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 lb), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers (from a jar)
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
3 cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend (12 oz)
2 cans (10 oz each) enchilada sauce
12 flour tortillas (8 inch)

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) and 8x8-inch (2-quart) baking dishes with cooking spray.
In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Stir in cumin, garlic salt and oregano. Cook 1 minute longer; drain if necessary. Pour chicken mixture into large bowl.
Reserve 2 tablespoons sour cream in small bowl; refrigerate. Into bowl of chicken mixture, stir remaining sour cream, roasted peppers, chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese blend.
Spread heaping 3/4 cup chicken mixture in center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; arrange 8 seam-side down in 13x9-inch baking dish and 4 seam-side down in 8x8-inch baking dish.
Top each baking dish evenly with enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Spray 2 sheets of foil with cooking spray; cover each baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.

Bake about 50 minutes or until enchiladas are hot. Place reserved 2 tablespoons sour cream in Ziploc bag; cut off 1 corner of bag. Squeeze bag to pipe eyes and mouth on each mummy.

Source: Pillsbury Halloween Recipe Book

100 Things you may or may not know about me....

2008-10-27T23:22:00.005-04:00

I'm stealing this from Sara's blog, because it looked like fun!

1. I was raised an only child with siblings.

2. I have a cat that is diabetic and needs two insulin shots a day.

3. One day I randomly bought a house, even though it was the only one I looked at.

4. I once traded in my car for an SUV so that I could drive home in a blizzard.

5. I have a gay ex-boyfriend...or two...

6. My favorite holiday is Halloween.

7. I was born on the Day of the Dead.

8. I've spent the night in a funeral home.

9. I wasn't scared.

10. I believe in ghosts.

11. but I never saw one.

12. I have a strange obsession with Coach purses.

13. I've kissed a lot of toads in search of my prince.

14. I love living in a city, even if it isn't a very big one.

15. When I was little, I lived next to a farm.

16. even though my parents are still in the same house today, there is no farm anymore.

17. I used to do pointe and my toes got all crooked.

18. they have straightened back out.

19. I could spend all day laying on a beach next to the ocean doing nothing and not get bored.

20. a psychic once told me that I need to be near water or I get stressed.

21. I have anxiety.

22. I started having panic attacks after 9-11.

23. I went to Nursing school for about 3 weeks.

24. I have a college degree in Applied Health Science - Secondary Health Education, but never used it.

25. it is harder than you think to come up with 100 things about yourself.

26. I name my vehicles.

27. I like wine, mainly reds.

28. I once successfully parallel parked a car with a large stuffed ape in my shirt.

29. I have become an aunt 12 times (through birth & marriage).

30. 9 nieces, 3 nephews

31. I am a consultant for a company called Thirty-One.

32. I played powder puff football.

33. I love my Keurig coffee maker.

34. I work for a company that sells joints.

35. I was born in the Orthopaedic capital of the world.

36. I lived with a family in France one summer.

37. I've been to Euro Disney.

38. My favorite movies include Clue, Poltergeist, & Halloween.

39. I love to burn candles.

40. My siblings and I all were given CMC as initials.

41. I love musicals.

42. I was once groped by an old man in China Town NYC and given a free Burberry knock off in return.

43. I had a beta fish named Rico that made it through most of college with me.

44. I'm an Alpha Delta Pi.

45. If you think that the greek system is a way of "buying your friends" then I say it is the best investment I ever made.

46. Oxi-clean really works like it says. Especially when a bottle of Big Red explodes all over your roommate and the carpet.

47. Phreakshow was my favorite cover band to see at the Bluebird on 15 cent beer night in college.

48. I miss college.

49. I am technically a minority by law.

50. I am a Potawatomi Indian.

51. My favorite teacher was my 6th grade teacher Mr. Hunter.

52. Since graduating from college, I've worked for 3 fortune 500 companies.

53. I am liberal.

54. I don't like when conservatives try to "convert" me.

55. I won't try to convert you if you are conservative, but I will hug you. Like a tree.

56. I ran into Carson Daly at a bar in Cancun.

57. I love to tailgate for the Hoosiers.

58. I miss Bobby Knight.

59. When I was 11 I sold enough girl scout cookies to earn a free week of camp.

60. My bestfriend Amy and I went to Camp Singing Hills that summer.

61. Amy has been one of my best friends for 23 years.

62. Penguin Point french fries are the best in the world.

63. We should have bought that bus.

64. My first concert was Vanilla Ice with my friend Jamie in 6th grade.

65. MC Hammer was sold out.

66. I loved Milli Vanilli. Still do.

67. The Rathskellar Bier Garden is one of my favorite places in the city.

68. One time a 90 ft. tree fell through my parents' house.

69. If I hadn't switched bedrooms, I wouldn't be writing this.

70. It happened the day after I wrecked my mom's Lincoln Continental. (which paled in comparison)

71. Your mother is a hamster, and your father smells of elderberries!

72. I buy DVDs and then never open and watch them.

73. I have a scar on my right leg from when I fell off the swing set.

74. It should have had stitches, but the babysitter didn't do anything about it

75. I never missed a day of school all through elementary.

76. I bit my orthodontist on purpose.

77. Going to the dentist has never bothered me.

78. My house was robbed a few years ago.

79. I still get pissed thinking about it.

80. My parents got hit by a train.

81. My parents almost died in a hotel fire when I was 5.

82. My parents are the luckiest unlucky people I know.

83. I don't like Starbuck's coffee.

84. My boyfriend makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches.

85. He also makes big messes.

86. I love him anyway.

87. I love 80's music and miss big bangs.

88. I wonder if big 80's hair will make a come back?

89. I wonder if you can still buy Aqua Net Hairspray?

90. I know you are, but what am I?

91. I love getting pedicures.

92. I've been a bridesmaid 7 times.

93. Dark Green, Champagne, Burgundy, Navy, Dark Purple, Butterscotch, & Red were the dress colors.

94. The next dress I wear to a wedding better be expensive and white.

95. I love children but can't imagine having one of my own right now.

96. Right now my sinuses are killing me.

97. I graduated from High School in 97.

98. My high school looks more like a federal prison than a high school.

99. I want to own a house with a pool someday.

100. I know all the words to the Madonna Like A Virgin CD.

Autumn Open House

2008-10-26T13:10:00.006-04:00

For those of you who don't know, and if you read my blog you do... (shameless plug coming*)

my dear friend Beth and I have started a little business. We are carrying two product lines:

www.mythirtyone.com/crista

http://www.athome.com/

*Please let me know if you'd like to order something, host a party, or become a consultant!

So on Saturday we decided to hold a little open house to showcase our products and give us a chance to go over all of our consultant information, since we are both very new at this.

I began searching for some good fall recipes last week and I couldn't decide between two that I found on another favorite cooking blog "Good Thinks Catered" by Katie. So I tried both, and they were unbelievably yummy! Katie is now my dessert hero!

Spiced Pumpkin Pie-lettes

1/2 recipe basic pie dough (I used 2 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts to save time)
1/3 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground allspice
3/4 c. canned solid pack pumpkin
1 Tbsp molasses
1 large egg plus one egg yolk
1/2 c. cream

Place a heavy baking sheet in oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray mini muffin tin with baking spray. Roll out pie dough and using 2.5 - 3 inch circle biscuit cutter, cut dough into 24 circles. Press each circle into mini muffin tins, pressing dough up the sides. In small bowl, combine pumpkin, molasses, and eggs. Stir to combine uniformly and set aside. In large bowl (preferably with a spout), combine sugars, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and whisk to combine thoroughly. Whisk pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients. Slowly mix in cream. Carefully pour pumpkin mixture into each of the muffin tins, leaving 1/8 inch at the top of each crust. Place mini muffin tin on top of preheated baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until filling puffs and center is fully set, about 10 additional minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before removing from tins to serve.

Source: Good Things Catered

Apple Spice Cookie Bars

2 c. plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
small pinch ground cloves
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. packed brown sugar 1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract 2 apples, cored and diced (a little less than 2 c.)
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 9x13 pan with foil and baking spray. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Whisk to combine well and set aside. In bowl of stand mixer, combine sugars and butter and beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine. Turn mixer on slow and fold in flour mixture a little at a time until just combined. Fold in apples. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle top generously with cinnamon sugar. Place in oven and bake until cooked through, when top slightly bounces back to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan, cutting and serving. (bars will be very soft)

Source: Good Things Catered

Chloe is doing her part to get into the Autumn spirit by becoming part of the centerpiece on the dining room table.

Cream of Crap Dinner

2008-10-26T12:46:00.004-04:00

If you read posts on any cooking board, you will come to find that there are 2 kinds of people. Those who cook with "cream of crap" and those who don't. Being from Indiana, where Green Bean Casserole is part of every holiday meal, we are tend to fall in the "cream of crap" cookers category.

So when you open my pantry (which is way to small and over stuffed) you will usually find at least one kind of "cream of crap" on hand. Having avoided the grocery this past week in hopes to use items from my overly stuffed freezer, I looked in the pantry and found a lone can of Campbell's Cream of Broccoli soup. The can boasted that it contained 5 recipes on the label, so I decided I'd try one if I had all the called for ingredients. Thanks to some frozen chicken and broccoli spears in the freezer, I was all set to make Campbell's Chicken Broccoli Divan. It was a very easy and really tasty casserole. I served it over rice, but you could eat it alone or even over noodles.

Chicken Broccoli Divan

1 lb broccoli, cooked and drained

1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 can Cream of Broccoli Soup

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

4 Tbs. dry bread crumbs

2 Tbs. butter, melted

Place broccoli and chicken in a 2 qt. baking dish. Mix soup and milk and pour over broccoli and chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Mix bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over top. Bake at 450 for 20 min.

Source: Adapted from Campbell's

Ghoul's Night

2008-10-21T20:43:00.011-04:00

Halloween is by far my most favorite holiday. I am so excited that it was my turn to host our monthly girl's night in October. I spend a lot of time coming up with decor and an eerie menu for my favorite ghouls. Without further ado - enjoy my freaky food and creepy centerpiece!

Set the mood with jars of body parts and piles of bones.

It wouldn't be Ghoul's Night without wine!

Spider Web Dip

1 (14 ounce) cans refried beans
1/2 lb lean hamburger
1/2 packet taco seasoning mix
1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chilies
4 ounces medium hot chunky salsa
1 cup four cheese Mexican blend cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips

On a round dish spread out refried beans. Prepare hamburger meat as directed on taco seasoning packet. Add chilies and let liquid boil out. Mixing a few times so the burger doesn't stick. When most of the juice is evaporated put the meat mixture over the refried bean layer. Spoon on salsa and spread across meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in 350 oven for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted. In the meantime, spoon the sour cream into a small Zip-Lock bag, and cut the corner and draw a spider web design.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Source: Adapted from Recipezaar.com

Macaroni & Sneeze

1 2/3 cups (about 7 oz.) dry small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (12 fl.oz.) Evaporated Milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups shredded Four Cheese Blend
1 cup shredded Montery Jack Cheese
Green food coloring

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 2-quart casserole dish.
Combine cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1½ cups Four cheese blend until melted, liberally add green food coloring. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with Montery Jack cheese.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

Source: Adapted from www.verybestbaking.com

Snake Sandwich

1 can crescent rolls
Flour for dusting
4 tablespoons spicy mustard
7 ounces thinly sliced ham
7 ounces thinly sliced turkey
7 ounces thinly sliced roast beef
8 ounces Monterey Jack, grated
Liquid food coloring
3 egg yolks
2 whole cloves
2 small pimiento-stuffed olive slices
1 strip jarred roasted red peppers

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a cookie sheet with foil. Grease the foil and set aside.
Dust a flat surface lightly with flour. Spread out the crescent dough — do not separate. Pinch together the seams so that you have 1 piece of dough. Roll out to make a large rectangle. Make sure the dough is not stuck to the surface at all.
Brush the dough with the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border. Layer the meats down the center of the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border on either end. You can feel free to use your favorite cold cuts.
Top the meats with the cheese. Fold 1 side of the dough over the filling, lengthwise. Then, fold the other 1/2 over and press the seal the filling inside. Take egg yolks, and beat lightly with a fork, add food coloring if desired. Brush the egg yolk over the top of the dough. The yolk will act as the glue to hold. Press the outside of the dough to make sure everything is sealed tight and to make an even thickness for the body of your snake. Taper 1 end of the dough to form a tail shape. Form the other end into a head shape.
Transfer the snake to the foil lined sheet tray. Form into an "s" shape so it looks like the snake is slithering. Insert 2 cloves into the head to look like nostrils and 2 stuffed olives for eyes. Create a mouth or tongue with the roasted red peppers. Bake the snake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Source: Adapted from www.foodtv.com

Devils Food Chocolate Cheesecake

Go to your nearest Fresh Market and buy this from the bakery!!!

A Supreme Dinner

2008-10-17T23:09:00.003-04:00

I saw this recipe on another food blog I like, Taste and Tell. It tasted as good as it looked and although it looks like it calls for a lot of ingredients, the only things I needed were chicken and mushrooms. Everything else was in the pantry. I also had a large bag of baby spinach to use up, so I tried a creamed spinach recipe that called for things I had on hand and it was also great, but I'd probably use more spinach next time, as it was very creamy!

Chicken Supreme

6 bone-in chicken thighs

3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

dash of paprika

1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup diced onion

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

dash of pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cold water
1 cup sliced mushrooms

olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with the seasoned salt and paprika. Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish. Combine the chicken broth, wine, onions, curry powder and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until chicken is done.When chicken is almost done cooking, heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender. Remove from heat.When chicken is done, remove from oven. Remove chicken from pan and cover to keep warm. Strain the pan juices, and reserve for the sauce. In a small pan, blend the flour and the cold water. Slowly stir in the pan juices. Cook and stir over low heat until sauce thickens, the boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and heat through. Serve chicken with the sauce.

Source: Better Home And Gardens New Cookbook

Creamed Spinach

5 Tbls. butter - divided

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 dash ground nutmeg

1 cup half and half cream

4 oz. cream cheese - low-fat okay

1 sm. onion - minced

3 cloves garlic - minced

(2) 10 oz. pkgs. frozen chopped spinach - thawed (I used fresh baby spinach)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 Tbls. butter; stir in flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; slowly whisk in cream; stir in cream cheese. Increase heat to medium; whisk mixture constantly until thick and smooth; remove from heat and set aside. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook onions and garlic in remaining 2 Tbls. butter until transparent; stir spinach and water into pan. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Stir spinach mixture into creamy mixture; return to medium heat; heat, stirring often, until warmed throughout. Remove from heat; fold in Parmesan.

Source: Robbies Recipes Collection

The Leaves are Fallin'

2008-10-17T22:56:00.003-04:00

With colder weather creeping up on us, I felt like it was time for some good ol' Chicken Soup. My friend Beth and I love to cook as much as I do, and bought a neat soup cookbook. I copied a few recipes and we tried this one this week. It was very fast to throw together, and very flavorful. Perfect for any fall night!

Roasted Chicken & Noodle Soup

1 Rotisserie Chicken
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
2 medium carrots, sliced (1 cup)
2 celery stalks, sliced (1 cup)
3/4 cup uncooked pasta (I used spirals)

Remove skin and cut up chicken. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they begin to brown, then reduce heat to medium and allow to caramelize. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, heat the broth, black pepper, carrots, & celery in a pot and bring to a boil. Stir in chicken and pasta and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10 min until pasta is tender, stir in
onions and serve immediately.

Source: Swanson Soup Cookbook

Quick Quiche

2008-10-14T18:15:00.000-04:00

This recipe was very easy and tasty. Reheated well!

Bacon Cheeseburger Quiche

1 lb. very lean hamburger
1 small chopped onion
4 slices crisp-cooked bacon, chopped in bits
3 eggs1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup half-n-half
8 oz. shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese
garlic powder to taste (optional)
white pepper

Brown hamburger in skillet with onion. Remove and mix in bowl with bacon pieces, breaking up any larger clumps with a fork or pastry mixer until you have a fine mix. Drain well of any excess grease and press into the bottom of a deep-dish pie pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine remaining ingredients in mixer bowl and whip well. Pour mixture over beef "crust" and bake 40-45 minutes until top is browned and "set". Cool 15-20 minutes before slicing. This can be packaged in Ziplocs or plastic containers for meals quickly microwaved over the next 3-5 days. (Does not freeze well, though.)

Source: lowcarb-recipes.com

Fabulous Feta!

2008-10-14T18:00:00.002-04:00

I appologize in advance about the this post and the next one. Neither will have photos. :(
I took photos, but someone who shall remane nameless (and has a curly mullet in his photo on the sidebar) apparently deleted them from the camera before I posted the recipes...

This was very quick and easy!

Bacon Feta Chicken Breasts

6 thin chicken breast cutletts
6 slices of bacon
3/4 cup crumbled Feta

Sprinkle each chicken breast with some feta cheese, role up and wrap with a slice of bacon. Bake at 375 for 30 min, or until juices run clear.

Monday Night TV!

2008-10-13T21:28:00.005-04:00

While I'm bummed for all the Brighthouse customers in my area, because they no longer get CBS (due to lots of corporate greed on both sides, but that is another blog), I'm happy because it means that Ali comes over for The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. It also gives me a good excuse to try new recipes!

Tonight I made a recipe from Mary Ellen's blog, she always has amazing recipes, so I knew this would be great!

I made a second recipe from Blogging...It's Whats for Dinner, and it was very good as well.

Chicken Florentine Style

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red Pepper flakes
Paprika
6 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
20 oz fresh baby spinach

Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, paprika red pepper flakes. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off any excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep it warm. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until the shallots are translucent, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute. Add the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce reduces by half, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce, and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and saute until heated through. Season the spinach, to taste, with salt and pepper. Arrange the spinach over a platter. Place the chicken atop the spinach. Pour the sauce over and serve.

Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

4 large tomatoes
8 oz mozzarella, sliced
8 oz shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
garlic salt
fresh cracked pepper
paprika

Slice tomatoes into thick rings, about 1 inch thick. Place them on a greased broiling pan. Sprinkle tomatoes with garlic salt and pepper. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each tomato. Then sprinkle the tops with shredded cheese. Sprinkle the tops with paprika. Broil for about 5-6 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned.

Big News!

2008-10-05T14:31:00.007-04:00

No, I'm not engaged or pregnant or winning the lottery...but I am:

A new Thirty-One Gifts Consultant!

I'm so excited! I can't wait to get started, only I fear I will spend all my money on our products.

Our products can be personalized or monogramed for no additional cost and make great gifts for kids, friends, family, teachers, etc. Get all of your Holiday shopping done early! Plus if you host the party, you can earn free and half price items.

Since this is a cooking blog, I'd like to point out the ADORABLE adult and kid's aprons that are completely personalizalbe for under $30 for the chef in your family, or your fellow cooking friends.

Please check out my website, www.mythirtyone.com/crista, and let me know what you think! If you are insterested in hosting a girls night, or even just a catalog party for those of you not in the area please let me know!

I'd also love to help you become a consultant yourself if you love the product as much as I do.

Some Like It Hot!

2008-10-01T20:28:00.003-04:00

It was one of our first cool evenings tonight, so I thought I'd spice things up. These pork chops were awesome and very spicy. You can easily adjust the heat to your taste. I served them with Trader Joe's Vegetable Jambalaya, and it was great together. I'll definitely be making these again soon!

Cajun Pork Chops

1 lb. Pork Chops
1 Medium Onion (julienned)
2 Stalks of Celery (cut in 1 in. pieces)
1 Red Pepper (julienned)
1 Green Pepper (julienned)
Olive Oil
Cajun Seasoning
Hot Sauce

Sprinkle pork chops generously with Cajun seasoning. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute the onions and peppers until onions are translucent.Add pork chops and cook one side until browned. Turn chops and cover skillet, cook for 8-10 min. or until pork chops are done. Remove from skillet, place on platter and shake hot sauce over everything.

Source: Adapted from stellastyle.com

Fishy Wishy

2008-09-30T20:38:00.003-04:00

I feel like all we eat sometimes is chicken. And while chicken is good, there is only so much you can do with it. So tonight I thought I'd try a new fish recipe. It was really good, and you could make the recipe with any kind of white fish, and adjust the seasoning to your favorite herbs.

Flounder Baked in Sour Cream

1 pound of flounder fillets
1 Tablespoon and 2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a flat 2 quart casserole with the 1 Tablespoon butter. Arrange the flounder in the casserole. Mix the remaining ingredients (except butter) together with the sour cream and spread over the fish. Dot with the remaining butter. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Source: Stellastyle.com

Breakfast Quesadillas

2008-09-28T12:50:00.003-04:00

This recipe was so easy to make, almost everything came out of the freezer. I had chopped onions, chopped peppers, flour tortillas, and breafast sausage patties all frozen in the freezer. The only other things I needed were eggs & cheese! I threw this together this morning because neither of us felt like going out for breakfast. They were great!

Breakfast Quesadillas

1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diece green pepper
4 large eggs
2 sausage patties, (pre-cooked and chopped)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 large flour tortillas
olive oil

Sautee onions and peppers over medium high heat until soft. Add sausage. Whisk 4 eggs together and add to skillet. Cook until eggs are done.Heat another skillet over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Add a tortilla and fill one side with egg mixture and top with shredded cheese, then fold. Cook on both sides for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is browned.serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

Veggie "No Mac" and Cheese

2008-09-28T12:32:00.004-04:00

So this pretty much defeats the healthiness of the veggies, but boy is it good! Plus it satisfies the macaroni & cheese cravings with little carbs!

Veggie "Mac" and Cheese Casserole

Kosher salt, as needed, plus 1/2 teaspoon
2 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
Vegetable oil spray 1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar, plus 1/2 cup for topping the casserole
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt.
Spray the baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and pat between several layers of paper towels to dry. Transfer the cauliflower to an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, and whisk in the cream cheese and mustard until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, salt, pepper and garlic and whisk just until the cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, pour over the cauliflower, and stir to combine. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until browned and bubbly hot, about 15 minutes. Serve.

Source: Adapted from foodtv.com

Easy & Cheesy

2008-09-18T19:13:00.007-04:00

Here is another easy fast and flavorful recipe using similar ingredients as the one below. It is a great way to work veggies into your meal.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus a few whole leaves for garnish

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 dashes cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup julienned green bell pepper

2 tablespoons diced red onion

1 medium plum tomato, cored and diced (about 1/4 cup)

4 ounces shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Whisk together the oil, chopped cilantro, cumin, salt, garlic, pepper, and cayenne in a bowl; add the chicken and toss to coat.

Transfer chicken to a foil-lined baking sheet and arrange the green pepper, onion, and tomato over each. Roast until the largest piece is just cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from oven and immediately top with the cheese and serve as the cheese melts. Transfer the chicken to a platter or among plates and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Source: Adapted from Foodtv.com

Make yourself a Quesadilla!

2008-09-18T19:13:00.003-04:00

This week I went searching for recipes that use similar ingredients, to minimize the groceries and likely hood of throwing out left over food. So here is one of the dishes I made and they were very tasty. Stay tuned for more recipes using similar items!

Fajita Quesadillas

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, julienned
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons sliced green onions

In a large saute pan, heat oil over high heat. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, and garlic, and add to the hot oil. Next add the peppers and onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Melt butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add quesadillas and cook for about 2 minutes on each side until toasty and the cheese is melted. Garnish with cilantro and scallions, and serve with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

Mucho Yummy!

2008-09-12T21:12:00.004-04:00

I've been trying to cut back on the carbs lately, but sometimes that makes for a pretty boring diet. Not anymore! This is probably the most creative low carb dish I've ever made, and it was awesome. I didn't miss carbs at all! Even if you are eating carbs, you should try this dish anyway, it was delicious!

Low Carb Taco Bake

Crust

4 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Topping

1 lb ground beef
3 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/4 cup tomato sauce
4 ounces chopped green chilies
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

For the crust, beat the cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add the cream and seasoning. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish; spread the cheese over the bottom. Pour in the egg mixture as evenly as possible.

Bake at 375ºF, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before adding the topping.

For the topping, brown the hamburger; drain fat. Stir in the seasoning, tomato sauce and chilies. Spread over the crust. Top with cheese. Reduce oven to 350ºF and bake another 20 minutes or so until hot and bubbly. Serve with the toppings of your choice (add additional carbs).

Source: Recipezaar.com

Spinach & Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken

2008-09-12T18:43:00.004-04:00

I found this recipe on Cooking Light, but adapted it a little at the end by adding sour cream. It was very good. The blue cheese was very mild, I might add a little more next time.

Spinach & Blue Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup sour cream

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup onion; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add spinach, and sauté 3 minutes. Combine spinach mixture, cheese and 1 teaspoon mustard in a small bowl. Stir well; set aside. Wipe pan dry with a paper towel.

Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 2 tablespoons spinach mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken with pepper.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from skillet. Set aside, and keep warm. Add 1 cup onion to pan, and sauté 5 minutes. Add wine and thyme; cook 3 minutes or until reduced by half. Add broth and 2 tablespoons mustard; cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick, add 1/4 cup of sour cream, stirring occasionally. Return chicken to skillet; cover and simmer 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve sauce with chicken.

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light

Souper Cheezy!

2008-09-12T18:30:00.005-04:00

This soup was awesome! Perfect for a cool fall day. I'm sure to be making more pots of this soon.

Loaded Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1/2 cup diced onions
5 cups frozen broccoli
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
2 oz cream cheese
2 TBS butter
salt & pepper to taste
12 oz chicken breasts
2-3 tsp corn starch

Combine all ingredients (except chicken & corn starch) in a pot and cook over medium heat.

Meanwhile, dice and cook the chicken. Add cooked chicken to pot and bring to a boil. Mix corn starch in a few tsp. of water, then add to the pot and allow soup to thicken.

Top with additional sour cream, shredded cheese, and bacon bits if desired.

Better Than B-dubs! (BW3's)

2008-09-08T20:25:00.006-04:00

As you can see from my blog, I love salads for dinner! I also love spicy foods, so Buffalo wings are also one of my favorites. Throw the two together and you've got a great spicy salad. You can put out the fire with some semi-homemade Ranch dressing of course!

Crista's Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad

1 Chicken Breast, cut into strips
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
salt & pepper
Vegetable oil
1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot
1/4 cup melted butter
Salad Mix
Grape Tomatoes
Shredded Cheese
Ranch Dressing

Season chicken strips with salt and pepper. Combine flour with garlic and cayenne pepper. Dredge strips in flour and shake off excess. Next, toss chicken strips in the beaten egg, and then coat a second time with the flour mixture. Pan fry in a skillet over medium high heat in vegetable oil until browned on both sides.

Combine Frank's Red Hot and melted butter. Toss chicken strips in the hot sauce mixture and serve over a salad of lettuce, grape tomatoes, and shredded cheese.

Bread+Cheese=Yum!

2008-09-08T20:18:00.003-04:00

Ask any Indiana University grad what the best night time study food is, and I bet 75% would answer cheese stix from either Mad Mushroom or Pizza Express. I'm torn, they were both delicious!

I thought I'd make my own and see how they came out. Oh, and of course dip them in Ranch! :)

Crista's Cheezy Stix

Pillsbury Thin Pizza Crust
Olive Oil (I used Zesty Italian Flavored)
Shredded Cheese (I used Colby Jack)

Roll out dough on a cookie sheet. Brush with oil. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake as directed on the pizza crust tube.

Toppings Galore!

2008-09-08T20:11:00.004-04:00

I love Cobb Salads. Especially Cobb Salads with Ranch Dressing! And since I have a huge container of freshly made Ranch, I'll surely be posting recipes that will allow you to use it all up!

Here is my version of a Cobb Salad, with all my favorite toppings. Feel free to make substitutions. It is a great way to use up veggies and cheeses from your fridge!

Crista's Cobb Salad

Lettuce
Blue Cheese crumbles
Diced tomatoes
Grilled chicken strips
Diced red onion
Bacon pieces
Shredded Colby jack cheese
Hard boiled eggs
*Ranch Dressing of course!*

The 5th Food Group....Ranch Dressing

2008-09-08T19:58:00.004-04:00

I believe in the following theory:

Anything can be improved upon if it is covered in or dipped in Ranch dressing.

But not the nasty bottled stuff! You must make your own to achieve a Ranch euphoria! :)

Here is a doctored up version of the recipe you will find on a packet of dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix.

Crista's Better Than the Bottle Ranch Dressing

1 packet dry ranch dressing mix (Hidden Valley)
1 cup light mayo
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and store in the fridge for a few hours. Enjoy!

Easy Asian Chicken

2008-08-19T19:16:00.005-04:00

This is another Dinner Diva's recipe. It was selected from Cooking Light, and I've loved everything I've tried from CL, so I knew this would be great. The recipe suggests serving it over noodles, but I opted for rice because that is what I had on hand.

Orange Mandarin Chicken

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges in light syrup, undrained
1/2 cup chopped green onions 1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned.While chicken cooks, drain oranges in a colander over a bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons liquid. Add oranges, 2 tablespoons liquid, onions, jalapeño, and garlic to pan. Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes. Combine broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch; add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 6 tablespoons sauce)

Nutritional Information CALORIES 212(16% from fat); FAT 3.8g (sat 0.7g,mono 1.3g,poly 1.3g); IRON 1.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 27mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.2g; SODIUM 562mg; PROTEIN 27.2g; FIBER 0.7g

Omnivore's Top 100

2008-08-19T11:10:00.002-04:00

Here's a game for you, for fun!

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Wrapping Up a Busy Summer

2008-08-18T20:03:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the delay in recipe posting! I haven't had much time in the kitchen this month. We've had a busy August. We traveled up to Michigan for some much needed R&R on the beautiful white sand beaches of Traverse City and Glen Arbor. We sampled (and bought) way too much wine from various Leelanau wineries. Our favorites include Ciccone Vinyards (Madonna's Dad), Chateau Chantal, and Chateau Grand Traverse. Another favorite store of ours is The Cherry Republic, they have so many neat jellies, sauces, jams, salsas, and treats! After we got back to Indy, we of course had to go to the Indiana State Fair for some deep fried food on sticks, and grilled cheese sandwiches from The Dairy Barn! August also brought us the release of American Teen , which I was looking forward to seeing because it was filmed in my hometown, and I know a few of the families featured in the film. I personally loved the film, and felt it was a real and true view into the heads of most teens during high school. Go see it!

So now that I'm back and have a little time in the kitchen, I'm hoping to get my blog going again. Although I will be in Virginia a couple of times over the next few weeks for work, so I apologize in advance for another brief hiatus! If anyone has any recommendations for things to do in Richmond, VA, be sure to tell me!

I've recently joined a group of girls called The Dinner Divas, and hope to be trying out as many recipes as possible with the ladies! This first recipe was a winner. Perfect for summer, fresh and delicious!

Chicken Cobb Burgers

For the burgers:

8 (1/2- thick) strips bacon

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, 90 percent lean

2 tablespoons canola oil

Salt Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

4 burger buns, split

1 large ripe beefsteak tomato, cut into 4 slices

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 8 slices

For the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely shredded romaine lettuce

For the burgers:
Heat the grill to medium. Place the strips of bacon on the grill (lay them across the grate so they don't fall through) and grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Increase the heat of the grill to high.
Form the meat into 4 (6-ounce) burgers, brush with the oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill the burgers until golden brown on both sides and cooked completely through, about 5 minutes per side. Top the burgers with the blue cheese, close the cover, and continue cooking until the cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute longer.
Place the burgers on the bottom half of each bun and top with a slice of tomato, 2 slices of avocado, 2 slices of bacon and some of the dressed romaine. Cover each burger with the bun tops and serve.

For the vinaigrette:
Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper and oil in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using to allow the flavors to meld. Just before assembling the burgers, place the romaine in a medium bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.

Source: Bobby Flay

Peachy Keen!

2008-08-01T21:44:00.005-04:00

I've been trying to make this recipe for a few weeks now. The first time I tried, the peaches I bought were too soft and fell apart while I was cutting them. The next time I tried to make the dish, I realized Scott drank the Mt. Dew (yes, there is indeed Mt. Dew in the recipe).

Tonight I finally had some firm peaches and a bottle of Mt. Dew in the fridge! I was very leery of this recipe, but intrigued by the ingredients. It turns out like a dumpling surrounded by a very sweet syrup. It is really yummy, and very easy to make. I think this recipe would also be great with apples this fall. (I made a half batch of the recipe below.)

Peach Enchiladas

2 packages (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent roll dough
4 firm peaches, peeled, pitted and quartered
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 citrus-flavored soda (12-ounce can) such as Mountain Dew

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13-inch by 9-inch by 2-inch pan with non-stick spray, set aside.Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into triangles. Place 1 peach quarter on the wide end of a dough triangle. Roll up from large end to small end to encase the peach slice. Place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining crescent dough and peaches.In a small bowl, combine sugar, melted butter and cinnamon. Pour mixture over rolls. Pour soda over top and bake for 45 minutes.

Source: Indianapolswoman.com

Cream Cheese Chicken

2008-08-01T21:23:00.005-04:00

I love to cook with wine! Even better, since this recipe calls for very little, there is that much more left for the cook to enjoy! :)

I've been meaning to try this recipe for a long time, and I'm so glad I finally did. The sauce is incredibly good, and it was fantastic over mashed red potatoes. It would also be good over noodles or rice.

I got this recipe from the What's Cooking board on TheNest.com. It was posted by Mary Ellen, who is always posting delicious looking recipes. I'll be sure to try more soon!

Cream Cheese Chicken

3 chicken breasts, trimmed and kept whole or cut into strips or chunks
1 can chicken broth, separated
4-8 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes
4 oz cream cheese
1.5 tbs flour
2 tsp white wine

Put chicken in large pan with a little bit of olive oil. Add red pepper flakes and pressed garlic (I used minced). After 1-2 min, add white wine to deglaze the pan and then add ¾ can chicken broth. Bring to a boil then simmer 20-25 min until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and place in a covered dish; keep warm. Mix flour with remaining broth and add to pan; mix. Add cream cheese, mix until thick and bubbly. Pour sauce over chicken.

Source: Mary Ellen on thenest.com

Pink & Blue Cupcakes

2008-07-26T18:43:00.004-04:00

My friend Lisa's baby shower is tomorrow afternoon, and I volunteered to be in charge of the dessert. I had seen these yummy looking Strawberry cupcakes in another food blog I like, Good Things Catered, and thought pink cupcakes would be cute for a baby shower. Since Lisa isn't finding out what sex her baby is, I decided to do one batch with strawberries, and another batch swapping the strawberries for blueberries. Both flavors came out great!

Strawberry Cupcakes

Cake Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/3 c. buttermilk

1/4 c. oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 c. chopped strawberries

Frosting Ingredients:

1/4 c. strawberries

1 Tbsp. strawberry liquor (I sub 1 tsp. vanilla & 2 tsp. water)

1/2 tsp lemon juice

8 oz. cream cheese, room temp

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

1 3/4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 Tbsp vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 cupcake pans. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl. In bowl of mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add buttermilk, oil and vanilla until combined. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in berries. Fill cupcake pans 3/4 way. Bake for 20 minutes. For frosting, put berries, liquor, and juice in saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce to a simmer for 5 mins. Let cool then blend until smooth. In bowl of mixer mix cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add sugar, then vanilla. Add berry puree until smooth. Frost cupcakes when they are completely cooled.

Source: Good Things Catered

Ooey Gooey Goodness

2008-07-26T18:36:00.005-04:00

Since I was going to be doing some baking today, I figured I might as well make something for dinner that utilized the oven. After searching for a good baked pasta dish, I found this recipe that sounded really good and cheesy, and it turned out great. It made a TON so I guess we'll be eating this for a few days.

Baked Ziti

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Fun at the Farmers' Market

2008-07-20T18:42:00.005-04:00

For the first time since I've lived in Indy (7 years in August), I ventured to the Broad Ripple Farmers' Market. There are tons of booths with all kinds of fruits, veggies, and baked goods, not to mention a ton of other neat stuff. To get my energy up to fight the crowds on the hunt for the best deals, I stopped by the Rene's Bakery stand to get a chocolate croissant. If you've never been to Rene's I highly recommend it, everything I've ever tried has been delicious.

After doing a lap to see what all the vendors were selling, I managed to do all of my shopping at one booth, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, which I used in the very fresh and yummy recipes below.

Green Beans & Potatoes

2 pounds fresh green beans (rinsed & trimmed)

5 red potatoes (cleaned & quartered, not peeled)

1/4 lb bacon, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped fine

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and bacon in a dutch oven until desired crispness. Place green beans and potatoes in the dutch oven with just enough water to almost cover. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn down to medium and let beans cook slowly for 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on how tender you want them.

Creamy Corn

4 cups fresh sweet corn cut from the cob or equivalent amount of frozen corn
1/2 of an 8oz tub chive and onion-flavored cream cheese
1/2 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of celery soup
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/3 cup milk

Blanch corn in large saucepan of boiling water and drain. Add chive cream cheese, soup and green and red pepper. Stir in milk to thin the mixture and make it creamy. Warm over medium heat until the diced peppers are medium crisp.

Source: Indianapolis Woman Magazine

Hot Crash Potatoes!

2008-07-15T18:05:00.006-04:00

Oh my gosh, these are so good! You really have to try them! Everything that the Pioneer Woman cooks looks so yummy, and after seeing these on a lot of other food blogs with rave reviews, I knew I had to try them. But first I had to run to Target, my happy place, and buy a potato masher. It was a good investment, even if I only use it to make this recipe!

Hot Crashed Potatoes

red new potatoes (as many as you'd like)
olive oil
salt
pepper
dried herbs (I used rosemary)

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Pre-heat oven to 450. Place potatoes on an oiled cookie sheet. Press down in a criss-cross with the potato masher to flatten potatoes like a cookie. Brush each potato with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and desired herbs. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 20-25 min.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Sunday Morning Cheddar Biscuits & Gravy

2008-07-13T10:30:00.004-04:00

I don't think I've made biscuits and gravy since 8th grade home-ec, but it is still just as easy now as it was then. This time I took a hint from our local Taste Cafe and added some Sharp Cheddar to the mix and they were delicious! (Pardon the shadows in the picture, just the metal cris-crosses on the old 1920's windows)

Cheddar Biscuits & Gravy

Biscuits:
1 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon butter, melted
1/4 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar
Gravy:
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Combine milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until blended, then stir in cheese. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Stir in butter until melted. Sprinkle with flour. Gradually stir in milk, and seasonings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until desired thickness. Serve over biscuits and top with additional cheese if desired.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes.com

Back in the day...

2008-07-10T20:25:00.005-04:00

In college, a bazillion years ago, I waitresses at a little Mexican place called Tortilla Flat. We had the best salsa! (don't ever get fresh salsa in your eye by the way) Most of the food was grilled and or vegan, so as Mexican restaurants go, this one was on the healthier side. One of my favorite dishes were the grilled chicken quesadillas. So tonight I replicated them the best I could, and they turned out great!

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

4 large flour tortillas
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 chicken breast, grilled & diced
2 cups shredded montery jack
sour cream
salsa

Grill chicken (I used a mesquite marinade) and dice. Place 2 tortillas on a cookie sheet (for easy transportation) Top each tortilla with half of the chicken, onion, tomato, and cheese and then top with the other tortillas. Grill the tortillas over medium high heat for about 3 minutes on both sides or until cheese is nice and gooey. Slice and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Cleaning out the Fridge Fried Rice

2008-07-07T19:44:00.005-04:00

We've had a busy weekend with no time for grocery shopping! Ok, well we probably had a lot of time for grocery shopping, but chose to be lazy. We kicked off our fun 4th of July weekend by attending a Tom Petty concert with my parents on Thursday night. I even caught Mom & Dad singing along and dancing a few times! For the 4th, we went to a cookout at our friends, the Stones. As always it was a great time with lots of great food. We had planned on heading downtown to see the fireworks, but after driving down and seeing that parking could be an issue, and both of us being downright tired, we headed home. Much to our surprise, our backyard neighbors had closed off their block and were putting on a professional show of their own. I'm sure it was highly illegal, and I cringed every time I watched ashes fall towards my roof, but the fireworks were amazing. On Saturday, Ali and I rode our bikes into Broadripple Village for lunch at La Piedad. It is so great to live in the heart of a city near so many cute shops and restaurants. If you've never been to Broad Ripple, come check it out! Saturday evening, Scott and I headed back up to Verizon Wireless Music Center to see John Mayer. (my 5th time!-yes I'm a huge fan) Sunday morning we headed out for some of the city's best biscuits and gravy at Taste Cafe & Marketplace, also in our neighborhood. We wrapped up the weekend by setting off fireworks with Scott's cousin Bill's family.

So back to my non-grocery shopping laziness...tonight I cleaned out the freezer, pantry, and fridge to create some fried rice. It was great, and you can mix it up with any ingredient you have on hand.

Clean out the Fridge Fried Rice

1 chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 egg
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium white onion chopped
1 roasted red pepper chopped
4 cups white rice (cooked)
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste

Scramble the egg in a large skillet, then set aside. Season and saute the chicken, and set aside. Add about a tablespoon of oil to the skillet and saute rice and veggies until veggies are tender. Add desired amount of soy sauce while cooking. Add all ingredients back into the skillet and toss.

The Fresh Market!

2008-07-07T19:25:00.005-04:00

I'm so excited that we finally have a long awaited grocery store in my very own neighborhood. It has been a few years since Meridian Kessler had a grocery, making it a real pain, especially when you realized you are only one item short of a recipe, or just need milk for your cereal.

Luckily, The Fresh Market, chose to build a brand new store complete with rooftop parking.

In honor of the new store, and to have a good excuse to go shopping, I picked two recipes from the store's website to try. They were both delicious!

Asiago Cheese Dip

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Asiago cheese, shredded and divided
2 green onions, sliced and white ends removed
1/4 cup white mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, blend mayonnaise, sour cream and 1/2 cup Asiago cheese. Fold in onions, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Pour mixture into a loaf pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with crackers, TFM French Rounds or pita chips. (I used TFM Garlic French Rounds)

Sausage & Spinach Penne Pasta (w/Mushrooms)

1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
1 (16 ounce) bag fresh spinach
4 tablespoons TFM Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
salt
dried crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 cup Romano cheese
1 pound TFM Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
* I added about 6 ounces of fresh mushrooms*

Take sausage meat out of casings. Sauté until cooked and then place on paper towel lined plate to absorb fat. Keep warm.
Heat olive oil in pan; add sliced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. (Cook mushrooms here if desired.) Add washed spinach leaves and sprinkle with salt and crushed red pepper. Simmer 4 minutes until cooked and stems are soft. Add sausage, toss to mix. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile cook penne according to package directions, drain. Toss spinach mixture, cheese, and pasta together. Top with additional cheese before serving.

Source: The Fresh Market

Goonies Never Say Die!

2008-06-28T10:00:00.004-04:00

I love the Indianapolis Museum of Art. They have a lot of fun things to do that don't involve walking around looking at old paintings. One of which occurs every Friday night in the summer, weather permitting. The Summer-Nights Film Series always has a little something for everyone. This week's movie was Goonies. If you are a child who grew up in the 80's, as did most of my friends, I'm sure you've seen this movie. My friends Sara and Megan and I have been planning the outing to see Goonies since they announced it on the schedule. We thought we'd do a pirate theme, in honor of One-Eye'd Willy, and then also some Italian in honor of the Fratelli's. Unfortunately, due to storms late last night, the film itself was rained out, but we did get to go enjoy a lovely picnic on the museum grounds and watch some pre-movie entertainment. I was in charge of sandwich and drink, so here's what I took...

Fratelli Grinders

1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup black olives, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 (1 pound) loaf round, crusty Italian bread
1/2 pound sliced deli turkey meat
1/2 pound sliced ham
1/4 pound sliced salami
1/2 pound sliced mozzarella cheese
6 leaves lettuce
1 tomato, sliced

In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and garlic. Season with parsley, oregano and pepper. stir in olives and mushrooms. Set aside.
Cut the off top half of the bread. Scoop out the inside, and leave a 1/2 inch outside wall. Spoon 2/3 of the olive mixture into the bottom. Layer with turkey, ham, salami, mozzarella, lettuce and tomato. Pour remaining olive mixture on top, and replace the top half of bread. Wrap securely in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Pirate Rum Punch

2 cups Malibu Tropical Banana flavored rum
1 dash grenadine syrup
2 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 large can (around 20 oz) crushed pineapple
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 lime, sliced into rounds
1 lemon, sliced into rounds

In a large punch bowl, prepare the orange juice according to package directions. Add the can of crushed pineapple. Stir in the rum, banana liqueur and Grenadine. Float slices of orange, lime and lemon on top.

Take a Chance on These...

2008-06-21T14:54:00.006-04:00

Tonight a large group of friends & I are going to Conner Prairie for a picnic and to attend the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Symphony on the Prairie. Tonight's performance is an ABBA tribute, complete with a Swedish ABBA cover band. We are cheating in packing our picnic dinner with carry out from Dagwood's. I thought I should at least take something Swedish to celebrate, so I found this cookie recipe. They are great!

Chocolate Swedish Angel Crisps

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream together the shortening, sugars, and butter until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Stir into the sugar mixture.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Roll the balls in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Soup-er Easy Supper

2008-06-21T14:48:00.002-04:00

This turned out to be a very simple weeknight supper. All you need is some pork chops, an onion, and some noodles!

Speedy Golden Mushroom Porkchops

3 pork chops
Seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 can condensed golden mushroom soup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Season porkchops with seasoning salt and pepper, and place in a greased small casserole dish.
Cover porkcops with onion, then cover with soup.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.

Serve over egg noodles if desired.

Girls Night

2008-06-19T15:18:00.004-04:00

Once a month, three of my friends and I get together for our "Girls Night." We rotate houses monthly and have been doing so for going on 3 years I'd guess. It used to revolve around a giant bottle of cheap wine, but as we've aged we've thrown dinner into the mix, and even splurged on some better wine! The fun conversations and sisterhood has not changed though! Last night I served these with grilled filets, roasted corn on the cob, and ice cream sundaes for dessert. I forgot to take a picture though, sorry! They were very yummy and I have to confess I baked and assembled them the night before and just heated them before dinner. It was a great time saver!

Twice Baked Potatos

2 large baking potatoes
4 slices bacon
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar & Montery Jack cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. (Or cheat like I did and use the pre-cooked bacon.)
When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 3/4 cup cheese. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese.

Bake for another 15 minutes.

Three Cheese Chicken Bake

2008-06-12T20:20:00.002-04:00

I think one of the reasons I like chicken casserole is that it calls for cooked chicken. Almost anytime I have a recipe that calls for this, I see it as a wonderful chance to cheat and buy a delicous moist rotisserie chicken from the deli. Chloe & Mulligan love this becase it means they get to feast on the left over scraps, assuming Mulligan doesn't wrestle the entire bird off the counter before you can pick it appart.

Three Cheese Chicken Bake

1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 ounces pimientos, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cups cottage cheese
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

In a skillet, saute onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in the soup, mushrooms, pimientos and basil; set aside.
In a large bowl, chicken and cheeses; add mushroom sauce and mix well. Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Serve over rice if desired.

Source: www.recipesecrets.net

Jinxed Meatloaf

2008-06-12T20:03:00.004-04:00

I hadn't done a crock pot recipe for a while, so we picked this one to try. Sunday night I mixed it together, gingerly placed it in my crock pot liner, and put it in the fridge. Scott is in charge of starting the crock pot the next morning. Well as fate would have it, somehow the temperature setting was turned to "Keep Warm" instead of "Low." I'm fairly sure it would have taken a good 25 hours to cook the loaf at that rate. As luck would have it, I happened to run home at lunch, which I don't normally do, and popped the setting up to low. I figured it wouldn't matter much since we normally eat dinner late. Everything was cooking happily until sometime in the afternoon during a thunderstorm, our power went out. When the power finally came back on around 6:30pm, I finally said to hell with it and threw the meat loaf in the oven. Surprisingly it turned out very moist and tasty, considering its rocky cooking time.

Crock Pot Meatloaf

2 lbs lean ground beef
2 eggs
2/3 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup ketchup

Reserve 2 T. ketchup. Combine ground beef, eggs, oats, soup mix and remaining ketchup. Shape into loaf and put into crock pot. Top with remaining ketchup. Cover, cook on low 8 - 10 hours.

Source: Rival

Fresh Flavors

2008-06-12T19:17:00.004-04:00

Tonight I decided to finally use up the can of pizza dough that has been lingering in the fridge. I thought I'd top it with some fresh summer flavors, and it came out great!

Crista's Pizza Mahgarita

Sauce:

14 oz. crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Saute onions until tender, add garlic and saute for a minute. Add in sauce and other seasonings.

Pizza:

Pre-made pizza dough
sauce (see recipe above)
8oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves

Roll out dough on an oiled cookie sheet. Pre-bake crust at 425 for 8 minutes.

Spread sauce thinly over pizza. Add cheese and sprinkle with basil. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

Double Take

2008-06-11T18:11:00.003-04:00

As promised, I've re-vamped last nights leftovers into a tasty and healthy dinner! I need to try and do this more often, as it only took me 15 min to have dinner ready! Perhaps I'll have to try some of Robin Miller's menu plans in the near future, as she is always coming up with good ideas.

Fast Fajitas

Left over grilled chicken, sliced into strips
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
tortillas
sour cream
salsa

Heat oil in a pan over high heat. Add onion, peppers, and seasonings and saute until veggies are tender. Add chicken and allow to heat through. Serve with tortillas and desired toppings.

Sauteed Corn & Green Beans

1 cup left over green beans
1 cup left over corn on the cob, taken off the cob :)
olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat, saute garlic for a minute or so. Add veggies and heat through.

Summertime!

2008-06-10T20:13:00.006-04:00

Nothing screams summer like grilled sweet corn! (If you live in Indiana anyway) Even though the best corn is yet to be harvested, the current crop available at the grocery is pretty decent.

Tonight I grilled some chicken and corn, and tomorrow night I have a whole meal planned with the left overs, so be sure to stay tuned for those.

Sweet N' Spicy Roasted Corn

Shuck and clean the corn, then add to boiling water for 10 minutes. Wrap each cob into foil and grill over medium-high heat for 15 minutes, turning frequently.

Serve with the following butter sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat and mix in other ingredients.

Grilled Chicken Marinade

2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, mustard, pepper, and garlic powder. Place chicken in the bowl, and coat with the marinade. Cover, and allow chicken to marinate a maximum of 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the grill for high heat.

Oil grill grate. Discard marinade, and place chicken on grate. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.

Source: Allrecipes.com

When the going gets tough...

2008-06-08T17:01:00.004-04:00

The tough pick strawberries!

Sometimes life hands you lemons. Maybe your roof keeps leaking, or your roommate thinks you are her taxi. Perhaps you don't like storms or some evil bastard broke your heart. No matter what crappy hand life deals you, you can always pick stawberries and mix them with the lemons for a treat. And heck, if like has been particulary bad, add some vodka!

This fun filled weekend started off by Ali taking me on my very first strawberry picking excursion. We made it back just in time to hear the storm sirens. Since our original plans for watching an outdoor movie were stormed out, our friend Sara came down for a makeshift girls night of pizza, wine, and trivial pursuit. It finally stopped raining Saturday afternoon, so Ali and I ventured downtown to our favorite annual festival, The Vintage Indiana Wine festival. Our goal was to sample wine from every winery there (19) and we did! Although it was very hot and humid, it was fun as always and being the responsible drinkers we are, we asked Scott to come pick us up. What a good guy! Sunday, Scott and I tried a new (to us) breakfast place, a little down home cooking hole-in-the-wall place called Keystone Deli. The home fries were delish! To top it off with a lazy afternoon, Ali and I spent the day at the pool! When I got home, I cooled off with this slushy drink...

Strawberry Lemonade Slushy

16 oz. Crystal Light Pink Lemonade
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup ice cubes

Mix all ingredients in a blender until frothy. Drink!

Source: Adapted from Kraftfoods.com

Yard Day Mac N' Cheese

2008-06-01T14:25:00.008-04:00

Today was "Yard Day." Our dear friend Ali has had a few yard tragedies in the past year (new sewer line, sunken fence, not to mention the ginormous limb that fell on her garage this weekend), so today we all pitched in to get her yard back to normal. Courtney, Lisa, and I supplied our burly men, Brian, Dave, and Scott to do the heavy lifting and labor. Court and Lisa tended to Avery and I took over Ali's kitchen to get lunch ready. After searching all week for the best gooey mac n' cheese recipe, I found one on the Nestle website (using their Carnation Evaporated Milk) and it was AWESOME!!!

Creamy Mac N' Cheese

10.5 oz dry small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cans (18 fl. oz. total) Evaporated Milk
1 1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups (16 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 9x13 dish.

Combine cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 3 1/4 cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

Source: Nestle.com

Cookout Cookies

2008-05-25T21:50:00.006-04:00

I'm in charge of bringing a dessert to the Saxe's cookout tomorrow. I'm excited to go, not only to finally meet the newest Saxe, Annabel, but also because the Zimmermans are visiting from California. I decided to make two different but similar treats to feed the crowd.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 lb shortening stick
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Cups Oatmeal
6 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
6 oz. milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat together shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Combine flower, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix well. Stir in oatmeal and chocolate chips by hand. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls on to cookies sheets and bake for 10-12 min.

Source: Me

Oatmeal Carmelitas

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9x9 inch square pan.
Combine the 1 cup flour, baking soda, oats, brown sugar, salt and melted butter. Mix to combine, mixture will be very crumbly. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
Let cool slightly then sprinkle over the crust the chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Mix the caramel ice cream topping with the 3 tablespoons of flour and drizzle over the chocolate chips. Top with the remaining oatmeal mixture. You will need to break it into small pieces to cover.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Let bars cool before cutting.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Speedy Beer Cheese Dip

2008-05-25T21:42:00.004-04:00

This is a great dip to snack on while watching the Indy 500, which happend to be today. It is very quick to make, and is a crowd pleaser. My friend Denise made this last weekend at a cookout and even the non-beer drinkers enjoyed it a lot.

Beer Cheese Dip

2 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 packet ranch dip mix
1/2 cup of beer

Mix all ingredients together and garnish with green onion if desired. Serve with pretzels.

Source: Hidden Valley

My Favorite Casserole

2008-05-24T10:27:00.004-04:00

If you know me, chances are I've fed you this. It is my favorite breakfast casserole, and it is always a hit at baby showers, office breakfast meetings, or for dinner if you ask Scott. This past Friday I decided to take this to the office on Friday morning. We were closing the office to take a 33 ft RV down to the track for Carb Day (part of the Indy 500 festival for you non-Indiana people). Seeing as I knew the rest of the day would involve consuming mass quantities of beer and booze, I figured the more food in our stomachs, the better! So when I mentioned to Scott on Thursday that I was at the grocery buying things for the casserole he got a little whiney that he wouldn't get any casserole. So I ended up making him one too.

Crista's Favorite Breakfast Casserole

1 pound breakfast sausage
3 cups hashbrowns (thawed if frozen)
1/4 cup butter, melted
12 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup onion, shredded
1 (16 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
6 jumbo eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside. In the prepared baking dish, stir together the shredded potatoes and butter. Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with the mixture. In a bowl, mix the sausage, Cheddar cheese, onion, cottage cheese, and eggs. Pour over the potato mixture. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the casserole comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Break out your Lederhosen!

2008-05-22T20:04:00.005-04:00

To celebrate my German heritage, and also because Kroger was having a sale, I made a really tasty German style casserole. I was inspired by the Kroger Sales ad the other day. They were having one of their "dollar" sales, and I saw that both Polish sausage and sauerkraut were on sale for $1 each. Throw in a few cheap red potatoes and a few other pantry staples and you've got this entire dish for under $3!

Polish Sausage Bake

5 small potatoes, scrubbed and cubed with skin
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup cream
1 pinch ground nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lb sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 pound polish sausage, sliced 3/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place potatoes into a large saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

Once tender, drain potatoes, and mash with 2 tablespoons butter, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Place the drained sauerkraut into a casserole dish and top with sliced kielbasa. Spread with mashed potatoes and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
Bake in preheated oven until heated through, 20 to 30 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Eat Dirt!

2008-05-19T19:19:00.004-04:00

Ok, well eat mud anyway... Mississippi Mud Brownies that is. I made these to take to a cook out at the Hunsche's. Since Denise spent a few years growing up in Mississippi, I made these in her honor. These are very rich, so cut them small. (This way if you eat 5 you don't feel so guilty.)

Mississippi Mud Brownies

1 cup butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (10.5 ounce) package miniature marshmallows

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 cup of butter. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa until smooth. Mix in the white sugar, eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in the flour, then fold in pecans and marshmallows. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cool in pan.

To make the frosting: In a medium saucepan, melt together 1/2 cup of butter and 1/3 cup of cocoa. Mix in confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the milk, a tablespoon at a time until icing is a nice spreading consistency.

Source: Allrecipes.com