The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife

Blueberry Oatmeal Maple Smoothie

2012-02-29T11:22:00.000-05:00

Drinkable blueberry oatmeal...that's exactly what this smoothie tasted like. It was delicious! I love smoothies of pretty much all flavors, and blueberry is one of my favorites, but this was the first time I ever put oats into one.

I followed the recipe when it came to mixing the 1/2 cup of oats and the cup of yogurt, but then in the morning, since I was making this for just myself, I only put half of that mixture into a blender. I then halved the rest of the ingredients and it was perfect for just one person. It made all of what is in that cup above...not one drop more. And since I only used half of the yogurt/oat mixture, I can have this for breakfast again tomorrow!

If you're a smoothie, blueberry, or oatmeal lover, than I definitely recommend trying this. It's super easy and very filling. The hardest thing about this is remembering to mix the oats and yogurt and put it in the fridge overnight. I wanted this for about 3 mornings in a row until I finally just left myself a huge note on the fridge to remind myself to prep it the night before :)

'Blueberry Oatmeal Maple Smoothie'

Source: Closet Cooking

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup yogurt
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen...I used fresh)
2 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup milk (or any other liquid you prefer, such as apple or orange juice)

Directions

1. Mix the rolled oats into the yogurt and let sit in the fridge over night, covered.

2. Puree everything in a blender.

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Stuffed Pizza Rolls

2012-02-28T10:41:00.000-05:00

For two people who do not like pizza (myself and Jesse) we sure did scarf down these rolls! Even though I know Jesse hates pizza, I still wanted to give these a try since they were something different. I'm glad I did cause we all really liked them.

What's nice about recipes like this is that you can do whatever you want with it. The girl I got this from stuffed hers with pepperoni and mozzarella. Since I despise pepperoni, I stuffed mine with sausage crumbles and mozzarella cubes (I got the Jimmy Dean pre-cooked crumbles to make things easier), and they were awesome.

If you really want to get fancy you could chop up some green pepper and onion and toss that in...it's really just personal preference. One thing though...whatever cheese you decide to go with, whether it be mozzarella or cheddar, I highly recommend buying a little block of it and cutting it into cubes. It's a heck of a lot less messier than using shredded cheese. Unless you're looking to use up some shredded cheese you have lying around. In that case, it would makes sense.

'Stuffed Pizza Rolls'

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough

marinara sauce

3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon melted butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

8-12 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced or grated

Pizza toppings of your choice

(ham, pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees and lightly spray a baking dish or large pie plate.

2. Unroll pizza onto a lightly floured surface and press into a large rectangle. Cut rectangle into 12 squares. Place sausage and 2 cheese cubes (or desired toppings) into the center of each square. Gather the four corners up and pinch closed to create a ball. Place each ball seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining 11 squares.

3. In a small dish stir melted butter, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings together. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter mixture, then sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over rolls.

4. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

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Mini S'more Pies

2012-02-27T11:32:00.000-05:00

My sister sent me this recipe awhile back and I couldn't wait to try it. I love s'mores, and baking them into a mini pie sounded just about perfect...and it was. It soooo was.

Just be warned though, these are pretty time consuming to put together (at least to someone like me, whose idea of baking is mixing together a box of cookie mix). Brushing the butter onto each individual round, then covering each side in the gram cracker mixture can be a bit slow going, but it was totally worth it.

Unfortunately when I was making my grocery list, I forgot to add Gram Crackers to it. I almost didn't make this till I noticed I had some chocolate chip Teddy Grahams in the cabinet. Jesse wasn't too happy about it, but I pounded what was left in the box into tiny little crumbs and used that instead. Worked out pretty well, if I do say so myself! After taking his first bite of one of these pies, Jesse quickly forgave me :)

So thanks again Chels for another yummy recipe! Keep 'em comin'!

'Mini S'more Pies'

Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients

Crust

1 box refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling

1/2 cup marshmallow Fluff

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened (1 oz)

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.

2. Unroll pie crusts. With 3-inch round cutter (I used the top of a drinking glass), cut 8 rounds from each crust. In small shallow bowl, mix cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar. Brush both sides of pie crust rounds with butter; dip into crumb mixture to coat. Place 8 coated pie crust rounds on cookie sheet.

3. Stir together filling ingredients. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon filling in center of each of the 8 rounds. Place remaining pie crust rounds on top of the filling on each. Pinch edges to seal.

4. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store covered in refrigerator.

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PBJ Banana Dog

2012-02-24T13:54:00.000-05:00

I came across a grainy photo of this little concoction on Pinterest last week. I clicked it, but it led to nowhere. Just a random photo someone nabbed from the web somewhere. I have no idea where the Pinned photo originated from, or where the recipe originally came from, but it's genius. Pure. Genius.

I described this to my husband the other day as a snack I'd be making for Jesse sometime this week. He said it sounded absolutely disgusting and Jesse would take one bite and toss it. HA! Shows what he knows! I made this for him when he came home from school yesterday...absolutely devoured it! He was a peanut buttery banana smeared mess afterwards, but there wasn't one single crumb left on that plate!

So Mom's, if you've got little one's who love their PB&J, and you want to sneak a little more fruit into their diet, then I suggest giving this bad-boy a whirl. To say Jesse enjoyed this would be a colossal understatement. I will definitely be making this again and again. Plus, it's an awesome way to use up hot dog buns!

'PBJ Banana Dog'

Source:Pinterest

Ingredients

Peanut Butter

Jelly

Hot Dog Buns

Bananas

Directions

Yeeeeeah...I think this is pretty self explanatory. Enjoy! :)

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Veggie Wraps

2012-02-23T09:59:00.000-05:00

While I would like to categorize these as 'healthy', most health nuts would probably strongly disagree with me. Sure there's carrots and broccoli.....mixed into a whole container of cream cheese! I love cream cheese. You could smear a big 'ol glob of cream cheese onto an old shoe and I'd devour it happily for breakfast.

There is such a thing though as to much cream cheese though...and these wraps were pretty much there. The original recipe that I followed called for only 1/4 cup of chopped broccoli and carrots. I'm upping that to 1/3 cup. You could add even more than that if you want. Don't get me wrong, these were really good, and definitely something that I'd make again, but adding more veggies certainly wouldn't hurt.

You could also use fat-free cream cheese...I'm sure that would help with those looking to make this a bit healthier. Personally I've never tried fat-free cream cheese, so I have no idea how it would affect the taste, but it's probably not that big a difference.

This is another one of those recipes that's great for either a quick lunch idea, or for appetizers. Cut them into bite-sized pieces, add a toothpick and BAM! Instant finger food!

'Veggie Wraps'

Source: Adapted from New To Veggie World

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 bunch green onions

1/3 cup chopped shredded carrots

1/3 cup chopped broccoli

4-6 flour tortillas

Directions

1. Mix cream cheese, dill weed, and garlic powder until well blended.

2. Chop onions, carrots, and broccoli and add to cream cheese mixture.

3. Spread evenly over tortillas. Roll tortillas and cut into one inch segments.

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Parmesan Baked Eggs

2012-02-22T10:00:00.001-05:00

I can not believe how much I loved this breakfast. Seriously...L-O-V-E-D it! I expected to like it (you know how I love my eggs), but I'm really not that crazy about Parmesan cheese. I thought it would be something I'd make once, just to try, than move on. Nope...this will also be my breakfast tomorrow. And most likely the next day as well.

Now, I realize you may be looking at that picture thinking, 'Ummm...those eggs are NOT cooked'. Yes, they are. I promise. The girl I got this from (her name is Lindsay over at Pinch Of Yum) spent a LOT of time and energy coming up with the absolute perfect cooking time. I made these eggs exactly as stated (though I do believe I added just a tad too much heavy cream to my ramekin, which could also contribute to this looking a little 'liquid-y'), and the eggs were perfect.

You've also got to remember that there's the herbed butter in there too, so that also affects the consistency. Normally, I absolutely would have used the fresh herbs that the recipe calls for, but since I forgot to pick them up when I was at the store, I used dried instead. If it's this good with the dried herbs, I'm sure it's even better with the fresh stuff, so I'd recommend using them if you've got them.

I toasted up two pieces of Italian bread, cut them in half and used my fork to scoop the buttery, eggy goodness onto my bread, and ate the whole thing that way. So...Friggin...Good. Even with the Parmesan, which I sprinkled on right before serving it.

Lindsay, I don't know you, and you don't know me, but I think I may love you. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing breakfast recipe! This is something that I will be making a lot in the future. Starting with the rest of this week!

'Parmesan Baked Eggs'

Source: Pinch Of Yum

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon oil

1 green onion, minced

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

6 eggs

1 tablespoon heavy cream

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, heat butter and oil. Add green onion and saute until soft and fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Add herbs and salt; remove from heat and stir to combine. The mixture should be somewhat coarse and just a little buttery.

2. Heat the oven to 375. Place a small pat of butter (about 1 teaspoon) in the bottom of each of 3 ramekins. Place in oven until butter is melted.

3. Remove ramekins from oven, add 1 teaspoon of cream to each, and crack 2 eggs into each ramekin without breaking the yolk. Sprinkle the herb mixture over the top of each ramekin and return to the oven. Bake for about 7 minutes.

4. Turn up the heat to the broil setting and let the eggs broil for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven when egg whites are just set and yolks are still soft. Let stand for 3-5 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper.

**A Note From Pinch Of Yum Included With Her Directions**

I found the timing of this to be really important – down to the minute. The eggs might look like they aren't done if they are runny on top, but that can just be the cream rising to the top of the ramekin. If you cook these too long, the yolks get hard and they aren't as good. Also, if you want the cheese to be melted on top, add the cheese before putting the ramekins in the oven. I didn't do this because it made it trickier to see if the eggs were done or not.

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Banana Nutella Ice Cream

2012-02-21T09:51:00.000-05:00

"Really?? Another Nutella recipe"...you say? Well, I figure since I've got the stuff, I might as well use it. This is another recipe I found on (you guessed it...) Pinterest, and for only two ingredients, I can't believe how good and easy this was!

I picked up these Mickey popsicle molds during one of our recent trips to Disney. I imagined all the wonderfully tasty popsicles I was gonna make...all the healthy fruit pops I was planning to experiment with. Yeeeah... that hasn't exactly happened yet, so I was definitely psyched to take them out of the cabinet, dust them off and use them for this. You don't have to have molds, you can always just pour the mixture into a few ramekins (as long as they're freezer safe) and just have regular ice cream.

Let me warn you though, this is a very rich and heavy ice cream. One popsicle was MORE than enough to satisfy me. Jesse got through about half of one. He liked it, but they certainly are filling.

Well, I'm almost done with that container of Nutella so you can expect one, maybe two more Nutella recipes from me sometime in the near future, but then I promise...no more for a few months. It's hard not to use it all the time though, it's just so damn good! :)

'Banana Nutella Ice Cream'

Source: Rumkihn Crafts

Ingredients

3 Bananas

1/2 cup of Nutella

Directions

1. Place the bananas and the Nutella into a blender and blend until completely smooth.

2. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds or a freezer safe container and freeze for several hours.

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Corn Dog Muffins

2012-02-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

I saw these on Pinterest and thought they would be a cut idea for Jesse's birthday lunch yesterday. He loooooved them! I'm so glad since he's all of a sudden turned into a super picky eater. Completely out of the blue...not sure why.

I followed the recipe and made my own corn muffin mix (mainly because I needed to get rid of some cornmeal I had in my cabinet) and got 12 muffins, with batter left over (I think you'll get 24 using all the batter). While this didn't take much time to put together, you could always use packaged corn muffin mix to make it even quicker. That would make this incredibly easy and would also make less muffins if you don't need 12 of them.

The original recipe also calls for a mini muffin pan. Yeeeeeah...I don't have one of those, so I just used a regular muffin pan. Worked just fine. I filled the muffin cups about half-way then popped a hot dog piece in the center.

I'm so glad I found these! They're a super easy kid-friendly recipe that I know I'll make again and again (though probably with a bag of corn muffin mix since I don't need so many). Hey...if Jesse'll eat it, I'll make as often as he wants!

'Corn Dog Muffins'

Source: Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

8-10 all-beef hot dogs, cut into 1.5″ bites

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375. Combine butter and sugar in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Add eggs and whisk to incorporate. Add buttermilk and whisk to incorporate.

2. In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, cornmeal, flour, and salt, and stir to combine. Whisk into wet ingredients in two batches.

3. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray, and spoon 2-3 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Place one hot dog bite into the middle of each cup.

4. Bake for 8-12 minutes (oven temperatures vary), or until cornbread is golden brown. Cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, and re-heat for 20-30 seconds before serving.

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I Finally Made A Facebook Page!

2012-02-18T14:49:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what in the world took me so long, but I finally made a Facebook page for 'Kitchen Life...'! Setting it up has taken a lot more time than I expected, but I wanted to do it right, so I don't mind.

Why now, you ask? Well, I noticed the other day how all my favorite blogs had 'Follow Me On Facebook' links...I'd of course seen them before, but for some reason always assumed it was their personal FB pages (I can be a bit slow sometimes). When I actually took the time to click and see where they lead, I thought it was a great idea! Now I can get all my favorite blog updates straight on my wall!! (Yes, I did just crawl out from under a rock, thankyouverymuch)

SO! For anyone who's interested, here's the link to my 'Kitchen Life' Facebook page...

The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife on Facebook

...a huge thank you to all my friends who already added me. I get so excited when I find new recipes that are good, and I can't wait to share them my friends. That was the whole reason I started this blog in the first place, was to have one go-to place to share new recipes with people (well, actually it started because my extremely pushy friend Lindsay just would NOT let up until I started a blog, but that's neither here nor there...)

Ok guys, hope you all have a great weekend! I have a birthday cake to make and presents to wrap for my sweet little guy who's turning 4 tomorrow! Still can't believe it. He needs to stop growing up...seriously.

Apple Pancake Rings

2012-02-17T10:04:00.004-05:00

Apple rings dipped in Bisquick, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, then covered in syrup...yeah...it was a tasty breakfast.

I saw this on Pinterest awhile ago and wanted to make it, but then forgot about it. I'm so glad I went through my recipe boards looking for recipes this week, cause I stumbled on it again. If you can slice an apple and mix together some Bisquick mix, then you can make this breakfast.

I did need to buy a straight apple corer, but I was able to find that at the grocery store, so no worries there. While sprinkling the cinnamon sugar on at the end isn't totally necessary, I definitely recommend it...as well as the maple syrup. I took a bite without syrup and it was way too dry.

I'm most likely gonna make this again this coming weekend. I think it's something that Jesse will really enjoy since he loves both apples and pancakes. This is definitely a kid-friendly recipe, one that you can even have the kids help you make! I know I've said it about a million times, but I'll say it again...I love Pinterest :)

'Apple Pancake Rings'

Source: New To Veggie World

Ingredients

1 cup Bisquick baking mix

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

2 medium apples, pared and cored

1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar

Directions

1. Whisk together baking mix, egg, and milk until smooth. Add pumpkin pie spice and lemon zest to batter and mix until incorporated.

2. Core and cut apples width-wise into 1/8″ slices. Dip apple slices into the batter and place on a heated greased griddle or skillet. Cook on medium-hot heat until golden brown (about 2 minutes per side).

3. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve hot with syrup.

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Roasted Grapes with Thyme and Ricotta on Grilled Bread

2012-02-16T09:18:00.000-05:00

Ok...technically, this is an appetizer. At least that's how I would categorized it. I, however, chose to make it my lunch. I'm always on my own for lunch since Jesse eats a big one at play-care every day, and Heath is at work. Sandwiches and salads get old, so now I've started trolling the web for yummy appetizers that I can turn into my lunch...this is just such a recipe.

Out-friggin-standing. That's what this was. And so stinkin' easy! Well...when you make it my way it's easy. If you follow the source of where I got this from, she actually made her own ricotta cheese. Yeah...not in a million years is that happening over here.

I've never roasted grapes before, but now that I've had them I want to put them on everything! They're so juicy and flavorful...yum! So...while this is an awesome appetizer (one I will definitely be making the very next time I have company over), this was also an excellent lunch. Whenever and whatever you choose to make this for...enjoy!

'Roasted Grapes with Thyme and Ricotta on Grilled Bread'

Source: Alexandra Cooks

Ingredients

grapes
olive oil
salt
fresh thyme sprigs

loaf of French bread, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
olive oil

ricotta cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450. Spread grapes onto a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Lay thyme leaves over top. Toss all together gently with your hands. Place pan in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until grapes just begin to burst.

2. Meanwhile, heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Brush the bread with olive oil. Grill until nice and toasty.

3. Assemble the open-faced sandwiches: Spread ricotta over bread (I heated mine in the microwave for 20-25 seconds so as not to put cold cheese on the warm bread). Top with roasted grapes. Discard thyme sprigs and sprinkle with fresh (non-cooked) thyme leaves.

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Cream Cheese and Chive Scrambled Eggs

2012-02-15T15:12:00.001-05:00

Well...this was SUPPOSED to be an omelet, however since I suck at making omelet's I changed the recipe (while in the process of cooking it) to scrambled eggs, something I happen to excel at. I read the directions very carefully and attempted to make it the right way, but I just new it was going to be a mess. It's fine. I'm perfectly happy with scrambled eggs...four of them may have been a bit much, but it's cool.

I've been putting cream cheese in my scrambled eggs for yeeeeeaaars. It's something my Mom does every now and again, so I picked it up from her. Usually when I do it though, it's to make a burrito. Scrambled eggs with cream cheese, salt and pepper rolled into a warm tortilla...good stuff.

The fresh chives really added a great flavor to these eggs, so if you have some leftover from another recipe and are looking for something to do with them, try this. They lazy part of my mind (which happens to be a very large part) is wondering how Onion and Chive cream cheese would taste. I imagine it would have just as much flavor, but with less work. Hmmm....gonna have to try that one of these days!

'Cream Cheese and Chive Scrambled Eggs'

Source: Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

4 eggs

2 tablespoons minced chives

2 tablespoons water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 ounces cream cheese, cubed

Directions

1. Over medium heat, heat a skillet sprayed with cooking spray (or melt butter in the pan...whichever you prefer).

2. Whisk the eggs, chives, water, salt and pepper. Add egg mixture to skillet.

3. As eggs begin to set, push cooked edges toward the center, letting uncooked portion flow underneath. Sprinkle the cream cheese over the eggs and continue to scramble until the cheese has melted and eggs have reached desired doneness.

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Nutella Strawberry Shortcake Cups

2012-02-14T11:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!! I've gotta be honest, I really couldn't care less about this holiday, but since it comes around every year, I at least acknowledge it. Heath and Jesse usually 'surprise' me with the required flowers and heart-shaped box of chocolates, but it's not necessary. I don't need a specific day for them to tell me they love me and to bask in my awesomeness...they can do that all year.

Now these....these I dreamed up while lying on my death-bed the other night fighting what I believe to be the plague, but is most likely just a really bad head cold. After the tremendous success of the Banana Pie Cups, I was thinking of what other dessert would be good in a cup (I really dig the whole 'cup' thing since everyone gets their own individual serving...plus it looks pretty).

I considered doing a chocolate version, but I just wasn't feeling a whole cup of chocolate. After finishing off the rest of the strawberries from the Nutella French Toast, I realized how long it had been since I'd had fresh strawberries, and I wanted more. That's when the Strawberry Shortcake popped into my head. With only 3 parts it's perfect as a cup dessert! The Nutella I added at the last minute because it happened to be on the same shelf as the sugar. I saw it and though 'Why not?'...so in it went. It was very good, so glad I added it.

Ok guys, whether you love it or hate it, I wish you a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved ones! I'm off to fill up on cold medicine and half a box chocolates, then hopefully pass out into a blissful sleep surrounded by tissues in my bunny suite (aka: my pink Hoodie-Footie). I know...I am one sexy Mama on Valentine's Day.

'Nutella Strawberry Shortcake Cups'

Source: Myself (though I'm sure I'm not the first person to think this up)

Ingredients

1 pound fresh strawberries

1 package of shortcake cakes (mine had 6 in the pack)

Whip cream (I used Cool Whip cause that's my favorite)

4 tablespoons of Nutella

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Slice the strawberries and place in a medium bowl. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir to coat all the strawberries.Set aside.

2. Cut one of the shortcakes into large chunks. Place in the bottom of a large glass or Ball canning jar. Top with a couple spoonfuls of strawberries, one tablespoon of Nutella, the whip cream*. Top with half of a a chopped shortcake, another spoonful of strawberries, one tablespoon of Nutella and whip cream.

3. Garnish with a whole strawberry if desired. Makes 2 cups when placed in Ball jars. You can always do only one layer in a smaller glass and get a couple more.

*To make getting the whip cream into the cups less messy, I spoon a bunch of it into the corner of a plastic baggie, snip off a small piece of the corner, then use it as a pipping bag. MUCH cleaner than spooning it into the jars.*

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Roasted Portobello Mushroom Caps with Eggs

2012-02-13T16:31:00.000-05:00

I had every intention of making this for breakfast, but Jesse and I got back from our Disney trip Friday afternoon, and Heath got back from Norfolk about the same time, and since we had NO food in the house I had to go grocery shopping. Enough for a few days...just to get me to Tuesday, an acceptable shopping day (I HATE shopping on weekends or afternoons. The store is MUCH more crowded than my normal 8:30am on a weekday).

I ended up making this for dinner for myself Friday night. It was really good! Pretty basic. There's no surprise flavors with this one. Portobello mushroom, egg, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Not much to it. You know I'm always looking for new breakfast ideas, and this jumped out at me because it was such a different combination than the normal 'bacon and eggs'.

I'm glad I tried it! I don't get nearly enough mushrooms in my diet, so this is a nice recipe to have in my collection. Alright guys, have a great week!

'Roasted Portobello with Eggs'

Source: Inspired Taste

Ingredients

4 Portobello Mushroom Caps

4 Eggs

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375. Lightly brush any dirt from the mushroom caps with a damp towel.

2. Season the mushrooms with olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Bake mushrooms the mushrooms bottom-up for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

4. Cook eggs as desired and place on top of the baked mushrooms.

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Nutella French Toast with Strawberries

2012-02-12T11:16:00.003-05:00

Look at this. Just...look at it. You need this. You know you do. And with Valentine's Day 2 days away, now is the perfect time! Doesn't that just scream 'I love you!'?

This tasted exactly like a chocolate covered strawberry, but in breakfast form. It was soooooooo stinkin' good. Definitaly in the top 5 'Best Breakfast's Ever'...and it's not even eggs!

If you're a fan of Nutella, then this is definitely a recipe for you. Chocolate and strawberries...they were made for each other. I will absolutely be making this again...soon. Like, tomorrow :)

Well, hope you all have a wonderfully romantical Valentine's Day and a great week!

'Nutella French Toast with Strawberries'

Source: Cook Like A Champion

Ingredients

1 cup sliced strawberries
2 teaspoons sugar
Juice of half a lemon
4 slices of bread (I used Italian)

About 1/2 cup Nutella
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
butter (for the pan)
Powdered sugar for serving

Directions

1. Combine the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss to coat and set aside to macerate at room temperature.

2. Spread desired amount of Nutella over 2 slices of bread. Top each with the remaining bread. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

3. In a shallow dish or pie plate, whisk together the egg and milk. Whisk in the melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the heated skillet and swirl to coat.

4. Dip each sandwich into the egg mixture, soaking for 30 to 40 seconds per side. Add the slices to the pan in a single layer, taking care not to crowd the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until light golden brown. Flip and continue cooking an additional 1-2 minutes. Add more butter as needed.

5. Transfer to a plate, dust with powdered sugar, then top with strawberries. Serve immediately.

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Rosemary Apple Butter Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2012-02-05T15:21:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I lied. One more post to share before Jesse and I take off on our Mama/Son Disney Extravaganza tomorrow :)

I forgot I had this recipe to make this week, so I had it for lunch this afternoon...good stuff right there. I LOVE grilled cheese sandwiches and have surfing the web lately for some new and different ideas. I believe I found this one on FoodGawker, and the use of Apple Butter totally caught my attention.

Apple Butter is something I discovered only since living down south. I'm sure they sell it in the Northeast, but I don't remember ever seeing it. I know my own family never used it and I don't remember any of my friends having it at their house either. My husband loves the stuff, he grew up with it, so we always seem to have a huge jar of it in the fridge.

The fresh rosemary was a nice touch too. The original recipe called for sliced cheddar cheese, but I switched mine to muenster cheese. I just prefer the way it melts...it's the perfect 'grilled cheese cheese'.

Ok guys...I swear, I'm done for the week. I've got 437 loads of laundry to fold, a suitcase to pack, and a Superbowl to watch (GO PATS!!!). Have a great week!!

'Rosemary Apple Butter Grilled Cheese Sandwich'

Source: Adapted from Framed Cooks

Ingredients

2 slices of your favorite bread (I used Italian)
One teaspoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon apple butter
One teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
Sliced Muenster cheese

Directions

1. Smooth butter over one side of each bread slice; top other sides evenly with apple butter. Sprinkle rosemary over the side of the bread that is coated with apple butter. Top with sliced cheese and remaining bread slice, buttered side up.

2. Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, turn down heat to medium and grill sandwich 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

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Honey Butter Spread

2012-02-04T14:46:00.000-05:00

Ok, I admit...this isn't really a recipe. It's more just a tip on how to jazz up ordinary butter. I saw it on Pinterest and gave it a try...it's good! And simple!

I spread this on Glazed Lemon Cake that I bought already made at Publix, though if you click on the link of where I got this from, she has a link to Ina Garten's Lemon Cake, which is probably going to be better than anything you can get at you're local grocery store. I just didn't feel like baking.

Well guys, hope you all have a great week! I won't be around again till the 13th. Heath has to head up to Norfolk for Navy stuff so I figured, since he's not going to be around all week, Jesse and I might as well take a mini-vacation of our own...so we're going to Disney World! Just me and my Bubba hangin' with the Mouse! Heath is green with jealousy, but he'll get over it. Since it's the only place we ever seem to go for vacation (my husband is slightly obsessed with the place), I'm sure he'll get back there soon enough. Ok...see ya in a week!

'Honey Butter Spread'

Source: Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons honey

4 Tablespoons room temperature/soft butter

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions

1. Soften butter for 10-15 seconds in the microwave if it’s cold.

2. Pour in the honey into a bowl with the butter and stir until smooth. Add powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Add more powdered sugar for a thicker spread.

*You can use this on just about anything...bread, rolls, pancakes, toast. Whatever you'd normally put butter on!*

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Avocado, Orange Juice and Yogurt Smoothie

2012-02-03T16:47:00.001-05:00

I had 3 avocados sitting on my kitchen counter waiting to be used. Since we're all going to be out of town this coming week, I really wanted to use them instead of throw them away. I googled 'Avocado Breakfast' and found this cool site called The Amazing Avocado. I was looking to see if there was a recipe I could make that didn't have too many ingredients, since I wanted to use up what I had on hand. This fit the bill.

I figured this smoothie could go either way...really good, or totally nasty. Luckily it was the former. It actually kind of tastes like an Orange Julius with a slight hint of avocado...it's really good. And the craziest thing is that Jesse LOVED it! The boy won't go near pizza, but give him an avocado smoothie and he's all over it!

If you're a smoothie fan or looking for a quick, light breakfast idea, then I highly recommend this. I'm so glad I tried it. I almost didn't...I almost let the whole 'Ewwww...it's green!' thing prevent me from making it, but it was definitely far better than I was expecting. Oh, and I tossed a couple ice cubes in my blender...just so it would be cold when it was done. Enjoy!

'Avocado, Orange Juice and Yogurt Smoothie'

Source: The Amazing Avocado

Ingredients

1 small avocado, peeled and pitted
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

2-3 ice cubes (optional)

Directions

1. In blender, combine avocado, orange juice and yogurt. Blend until smooth; pour into 2 glasses.

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Chocolate Apricot Cookies

2012-02-02T17:12:00.000-05:00

I first saw these cute little cookies on Pinterest. When I checked them out and saw what was in them, that's when I decided to make them. It's not often that I use apricots in a recipe. Actually, aside from some apricot jam, I've never used apricots in a recipe. They're pretty tasty!

Just like the girls who originally made this, I also used pre-made pie crust. You all know how I feel about baking, so there was no way in hell I was making my own. Two crusts yielded 18 cookies. These are super easy to make, and very good. Note that I said easy...NOT quick! While the filling is a cinch to mix up, cutting out the circles (I too used a regular drinking glass to get 3" circles), dropping the filling onto each one, then folding and sealing them takes a bit of time, They cook pretty fast though...about 11 minutes.

I really liked these, and you can switch out the apricots for so many different things...walnuts, pecans, crushed cookie or candy (for some reason Andes Candies just popped into my head...YUM!), or whatever else you may fancy. This is definitely something I'll make in the future for a get-together. They're no trouble to make, and you can easily alter the recipe to make a whole bunch if you need to!

'Chocolate Apricot Cookies'

Source: Please Note

Ingredients

1 box refrigerated pis crust (1 box will have two crusts)

1/2 lb. dried apricots, chopped medium fine

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons apricot jam

Rum (I used 1 tablespoon of rum extract, found in the baking aisle)

Powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Chop the apricots and melt the chocolate chips. (I melted min in the microwave. Pour into a bowl and cook for 20 seconds; stir. Continue cooking at 20 second intervals and stirring in between until chocolate is melted)

2. Mix the apricots, chocolate, and jam. Add enough rum to thin moderately... about 2 tablespoons.

3. Cut the dough into 3" circles. Place 1 rounded teaspoon of filling onto each circle and fold in half to form a crescent. Pinch the edges to seal.

4. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Bake until lightly browned. Watch carefully to make sure the bottoms don't burn. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

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Lemon Blueberry Muffins

2012-01-31T13:43:00.000-05:00

Omg...these muffins were SOOOO good! I saw them in one of my recent Taste of Home magazines and thought they would be tasty. Well...they were definitely tasty. Lemons and blueberries mixed together in a muffin...can't go wrong there!

Now, I'm not gonna lie, these were a bit of a pain-in-the-butt to make, but that's probably just me. I do NOT like baking. If you notice, there are very few baked goods on this blog. I can do it, I just don't feel I'm very good at it, and I'm convinced that my lack of confidence shows in whatever it is I'm baking. I've never been good with electric mixers, flour, sugar, 'folding in' stuff...no thanks. Always makes me feel awkward and inept in the kitchen. But every now and again I'll put aside my baking discomfort and make something that looks good. In this case, I'm glad I did.

I planned to use fresh blueberries for these, but apparently when making my shopping list I entered in 'Frozen Blueberries' on my phone app, so that's what I bought (I have tunnel vision when grocery shopping. I buy exactly what's on the list...nothing more, nothing less). I just emptied the bag into a large bowl and defrosted them in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Worked out just fine. Oh, and the glaze isn't absolutely necessary. In fact, if I make these again I think I'll just skip it. It gets hard and breaks off anyway. The only thing it added to was the mess in my kitchen. Ok guys, I'm off to fold mounds of laundry (don't be jealous)...have a great week!

'Lemon Blueberry Muffins'

Source: Taste of Home

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Dash salt

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

GLAZE:

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, lemon juice and peel.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

3. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

4. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, butter and vanilla; drizzle over warm muffins.

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French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2012-01-30T13:29:00.000-05:00

Excited anticipation...extreme rage...pure bliss. Those were the range of emotions I went through while preparing this delicious little sandwich. I set out making this sandwich for myself for lunch all happy and excited to try it. I carefully sliced the onion all nice and thin. I lovingly shredded the two cheeses by hand while keeping an ever watchful eye on my caramelizing onions. Once everything was in place I turned to get my two slices of Italian bread, and THAT is where the extreme rage set in.

You see, my husband and son have this TERRIBLE habit of using things up and

1. Not telling me...

and

2. Leaving the empty container where it is.

When I turned to get my bread, what did I find? Four sorry little end pieces that were in no way going to make a yummy grilled cheese sandwich. I was livid. Luckily they were out bowling, so they escaped being beaten to death with the end pieces of a loaf of Italian Bread (I was angry enough...I could have made it happen).

SO...what was left. Well, I had some Cinnamon Raisin bread (on this sandwich? Ewwww), and a couple sub rolls. The sub roll it was. To make it possible to brown the bread I carefully sliced off the top and bottom portions of the roll, then sliced it in half. After buttering the top and bottom I placed in it the pan, loaded it up with the caramelized onions, both cheeses, and continued to make it as you would normally make a grilled cheese (being extra careful to flip it since it was so damn long).

Upon trying my first bite...back to pure bliss! All is forgiving! I no longer care to beat my family to death with bread (though there will be a serious bitch-out when they get home). I cannot get over how good this sandwich was...sub roll and all! You're probably looking at the ingredients thinking...'Really? You actually want me to shred my own cheese just for a grilled cheese sandwich??'...YES! Yes I do! You will NOT be disappointed! Whether you make it on Italian bread, sourdough bread, or a friggin ghetto-fabulous sub roll, just TRY IT! You'll thank me....you'll see ;)

'French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich'

Source: A Bird in the Kitchen

Ingredients

(I cut this down to make a sandwich just for myself. I shredded all the cheese, then mixed it together in a baggie, keeping the leftover in the fridge for future sandwiches)

4 yellow onions, halved and sliced thinly

2 tablespoons butter

dash of salt

8 oz fontina cheese, shredded

8 oz gruyere cheese, shredded

1 loaf sourdough bread or Italian bread, sliced

Butter, for the bread

Directions

1. In a heavy sauce pan melt the butter and toss the onions to coat. Season with a little bit of salt and cook on medium heat till caramelized and brown, stirring frequently, about 6-8 minutes. Once caramelized remove from heat and set aside.

2. Butter two pieces of bread. Place one slice butter side down in a greased skillet. And add a few tablespoons of the onions and an ounce each of fontina and gruyere. Cook over medium heat until browned on both sides.

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Avocado, Cream Cheese, and Salsa Pockets

2012-01-27T16:55:00.000-05:00

This another recipe made at my sister's suggestion. I'm thinking I'll just let her pick all my recipes from now on, and I'll just cook them. Unfortunately since she lives 877 miles away, I can't share them with her. Only for another 6 months or so. Then we'll be stationed back in my beloved Rotten Groton and I'll get to live near all my friends and family again. At least for a couple years.

Knowing my new obsession with avocado's, this was an awesome recipe for her to suggest. Avocado, salsa, and cream cheese? Yes please! Now, I've never been a huge puff pastry fan, and I almost didn't use it here. I was >thisclose< to substituting crescent roll dough instead. After talking it over with my mother though, it was decided that crescent roll dough would probably be too 'heavy' for the filling. It just seemed like it should be in something light and fluffy.

This was SO easy to make and would be an awesome breakfast to make if you have guests staying with you. You don't even have to mix anything together! Just drop some mashed avocado onto a pastry square, top with cream cheese, then some salsa, and make a pocket...simple!

Chelsea, thank you again for another tasty breakfast recipe (Jesse would like me to pass along a big EWWWWW!! He was not impressed). Love you!!

'Avocado, Cream Cheese, and Salsa Pockets'

Source: Love Veggies and Yoga

Ingredients

1 large sheet puffed pastry, thawed

1 ripe avocado, halved and mashed

1/3 cup cream cheese

1/3 cup salsa

salt and pepper, sprinkled to taste

1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400F and spray two baking sheets with cooking spray. (I lined mine with foil then greased it)

2. Thaw puffed pastry for about 10 minutes. With a knife, slice the pastry into approximately 2-inch by 2-inch squares. (I only used one of the two pastries that came in the box, and made 9 squares, or 4 pockets. You can get 18 squares, or 9 pockets if you use the whole box)

3. On half the squares, place a dollop of avocado, then cream cheese, then salsa. Season with salt and pepper. Use the remaining squares as the tops and place over top the filling. Seal the pockets by pressing the edges with a fork. Seal well so no filling oozes out during cooking.

4. In a small bowl beat an egg with a fork and apply an eggwash to each of the pockets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until desired browning and puffing has occurred.

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Cajun Turkey & Brie Panini

2012-01-26T15:09:00.000-05:00

This one is for my sister. She sent this to me last week and I just had to make it. I love both Brie and panini (maybe not as much as she does, but still), so it was sure to be a hit. At first I was somewhat scandalized at the thought of not putting anything on the bread...no mayo or mustard...just dry bread?!... but the brie melted so nicely that nothing was needed.

I love trying new types of panini. Even though it's still just a sandwich, it's a fancy sandwich (in my world, panini is fancy), and there are so many yummy combinations to try (I have a Brie and Raspberry sandwich sitting on my to-be-made list that look awesome!).

Anyway, thank you Chelsea for the great recommendation! I've got a few other suggestions from her that I'm making this week and can't wait to try. Keep those links comin' girl! (You guys should see this Mini S'mores Hand Pie link she sent me today...DROOL!) Have a great rest of the day fantasizing about those ;)

'Cajun Turkey & Brie Panini'

Source: Laurens Latest

Ingredients

2 slices Italian Bread
6-8 slices Cajun Turkey Lunch Meat
¼ cups Baby Spinach
2 long slices of Brie Cheese
Butter (to butter the outside of the bread)

Directions

1. Preheat panini press.

2. Layer the cheese, turkey, and spinach onto one slice of bread. Top with remaining slice.

3. Butter the outsides of the bread and place on the panini press for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and the bread is crispy.

4. Remove, slice in two and serve warm.

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Crescent Egg Puffs

2012-01-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know what you're thinking..."Really? AGAIN with the eggs baked into some type of dough?". Yes...I love eggs...deal with it. This was actually an accident. I didn't like dinner the other night so I decided to make myself something different. I was headed into the kitchen to make these, but I saw I didn't have any biscuits. I did have some crescent rolls that needed to be used though.

I actually prefer the crescent rolls to the biscuits. No matter how much you beat a biscuit out, it always starts to shrink back down, which is a huge pain when you're trying to push it into a muffin cup and get it to hold an egg. When using crescents, just keep two triangles together to form a rectangle and seal the perforations. Slice that rectangle right down the middle so you have two squares. Put each square into it's own little muffin cup and gently press down to mold it to the sides.

Since crescent dough isn't as elastic-y as biscuit dough it holds it's shape and allows you to take your time preparing them. As for the rest of the recipe...it's identical to this one. That's just what I like in mine though. You can add whatever you want...your cheese of choice, sausage instead of bacon, maybe some diced ham or tomatoes. Ok...I promise I'll let a few more months go before I try baking an egg into something new :)

'Crescent Egg Puffs'

Source: Myself

Ingredients

1 tube of crescent rolls

8 eggs (or however many you want to make)

1/2 cup real bacon bits

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sliced green onions

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350. Lightly spray a standard-sized muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Open the crescent rolls and separate into 4 rectangles (2 triangles kept together with the perforations sealed). Slice each rectangle in half making 8 squares. Place each square into a muffin cup and carefully press into the sides of the cup, forming a bowl.

3. Crack an egg into each cup, top with bacon bits, cheddar, green onions, salt and pepper.

5. Bake for 13-15 minutes, depending on how much you want your egg cooked.

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Baked Crab Rangoon

2012-01-24T14:37:00.000-05:00

I looooove crab rangoon. I always order it whenever we get Chinese. The problem I have with the rangoon from the Chinese place is that it's usually in that star shape. The means there's a whole bunch of crispy shell at one end, and just a little bit of crabby goodness at the other. I prefer more crabby goodness, less crispy shell.

I've seen a few variations of this recipe running around on Pinterest and I decided to give this one a try. It was an easy recipe to make, but definitely requires patience to put together. Wonton's are NOT a whole lot of fun to work with, not to mention that you get about 4,736 in a package...I used 12. Not sure what I'm gonna do with the other 4,724. (BTW, wonton wrappers are usually found in the produce section of your grocery store. Mine were near the bean sprouts).

I do feel the need to repeat what was said on the blog that I got this recipe from though...if you make these, make sure you seal those edges really well, otherwise filling will ooze out of the sides while cooking. Having read that I did my best to seal them completely. Even so some filling still came out (that could be from over-filling though).

Anyway, I'm glad I tried these, and they're definitely something I'd make again. I use just regular Raspberry Preserves heated up in the microwave for about 25 seconds as my dipping sauce, but you can use whatever you prefer.

'Baked Crab Rangoon'

Source: Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sour cream
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup crab meat, drained
wonton wrappers

Directions

1. Heat oven to 415. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, cream cheese, scallion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sugar together until well combined. Fold in the crab meat.

3. Lay a wonton wrapper on your work surface. Place 1-2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of the wrapper (do not overfill), then brush two adjacent sides of the wrapper lightly with water. Fold the wrapper over on the diagonal. Press around the filling to remove air pockets, then press the sides to seal the wrapper tightly. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

4. Spray the tops of the wonton wrappers lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and crisp. Serve with dipping sauce of choice.

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South of the Border Sandwiches

2012-01-23T14:01:00.000-05:00

I'm not a huge traditional sandwich kinda gal. I like panini's and some hot sandwiches (like cheesesteaks), but for the most part, I struggle with lunch. A plain old sandwich is just boring...a lot of times I find myself saying 'why bother?', and I end up skipping lunch altogether. Lately though, I've been on the hunt for some new and exciting lunch recipes. I figure between all the blogs I follow, and all the new blogs I find weekly, there's GOT to be something better than just a ham and cheese sandwich. Well...there is, and this is one such recipe.

As soon as I saw these yummy little sandwiches on Pinterest, I knew I had to have them. The black olive mayo sauce sounded so good (and was!), and avocados have become my new favorite thing. These sandwiches were a cinch to throw together and would make an excellent appetizer for any party or get together.

Jesse wasn't really a big fan, so he ended up with his normal PB&J, but Heath and I both LOVED them. This was such a great combination of flavors, and you can make as many or as little as you need. Let me just warn you though, these do NOT re-heat well. Actually, they don't re-heat at all, so don't even try it. I did...all you end up with is mushy bread and a brown avocado.

I'm so glad I found these. Not only did I find a tasty new recipe to add to my lunch favorites, but I also found a new blog to follow. This girl has a lot of great recipes, and as soon as I get find the time I plan to sit down and go through them all!

'South of the Border Sandwiches'

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread, cut into 3/4" thick slices

1/2 cup black olives, chopped (I bought mine already chopped in a small can)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
1 pound thin sliced deli turkey
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados, sliced
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup pepper jack or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a bowl combine olives, chili powder, cumin, and salt...set aside 2 tablespoons of this mixture. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, and green onions to the remaining olive mixture.

3. Place bread on a greased baking sheet and spread 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture on each slice. Top with slices of turkey and tomatoes. Top with avocados and cheeses. Sprinkle with the reserved 2 Tablespoons of olive mixture. Bake for 15 min.

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Blueberry Yogurt Granola Parfait

2012-01-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Grrr...I had this post all typed and ready to go, but when I came on here to post it, I somehow deleted it. Annoying. ANYWAY! This is my second recipe in row from Cookin'Canuck. I noticed this after finding the Poached Egg on Toast recipe below. As soon as I saw the pictures, I had to make it. I'm so glad I did...it was SO good. And crazy easy.

I did change some things around though. The first was the use of Agave Nectar. It took awhile, and I had help, but I finally located it at my local Publix. I (and the woman who helped me find it) just looked at it, both thinking 'Huh...looks a lot like really expensive honey'. So I didn't buy it. Instead I just used honey, and it was wonderful.

I also used regular Vanilla Yogurt instead of Greek yogurt. I tried the Greek stuff ONCE. It was one of the most vile things I have ever put in my mouth. It was nowhere near it's expiration date, but maybe I just got a bad batch. My mother loves it, swears it's wonderful, but I'm scared to try it again. The stuff I had was absolutely disgusting.

This was also the first time I've ever purchased loose granola, and let me just say, I will ALWAYS have some in the house from now on. I love it! I went with Bear Naked's Banana Nut (the banana and the blueberries were great together), and it added a so much flavor. I can't wait to try some of the others.

That's what I love about a breakfast such as this...it's simple, fast, and so versatile. Mix it up with various combinations of fruits, yogurt and granola flavors. Plus this kids will love it, especially if you let them put it together themselves. Jesse inhaled his!

'Blueberry Yogurt Granola Parfait'

Source: Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup granola (your favorite kind)

1 tsp honey

Directions

1. Place the frozen blueberries in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on the defrost mode until the blueberries are soft and have released some juice (about 3 minutes)

2. In a small glass or bowl, scoop half of the blueberries and juices into the bottom.

3. Layer with the yogurt, granola, honey, and more blueberries.

4. Serve. Stir together before eating, if you wish.

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Poached Egg on Toast with Chipotle Mayonnaise, Bacon & Avocado

2012-01-18T13:42:00.002-05:00

I found this recipe a few days ago on Pinterest and decided I needed to try it. I've never been a big fan of avocado, but since it's supposed to be super healthy, I figure I should try and eat some more of it. I didn't have huge expectations for this meal...I kind of thought it would be a little bland. HA! I could NOT have more wrong. This was excellent!

If you click on the link for Source, you can get the recipe how it was originally written. I, however, kind of jacked it up...in a good way though. Well, good for lazy people. She actually made her chipotle mayo using regular mayo, chipotle pepper, lime juice, and adobo sauce. I must have just glanced at that when I was making my shopping list, because I bought chipotle mayo already made (Kraft has all kinds of flavored mayo's...chipotle happens to be one of them).

You can either make it her way, which isn't difficult at all, or my way, by purchasing pre-made chipotle mayo and adding some lime juice to it. If you want to give it a kick, go ahead and add the chipotle pepper to it as well. It gives the whole dish a great flavor. I also used pre-cooked bacon, but that's no surprise.

Oh, and my poached egg looks all chopped because I make mine in a pan. I can NOT for the life of me make a poached egg the regular way, so I bought a little egg poaching pan. It makes them come out in a perfect little circle (which is definitely more desirable than the gooey disgusting mass that is my regular poached egg, but not as photogenic, so I cut it). As for the ingredient measurements, I'm posting hers. I cut this down significantly though since I made it only for myself. It's simpe enough to adjust to your needs.

' Poached Egg on Toast with Chipotle Mayonnaise, Bacon & Avocado'

Source: Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

Bottle of chipotle mayonnaise

1 chipotle pepper*
1 tsp adobo sauce*
2 tsp fresh lime juice

8 slices crusty bread
1 avocado, cut into 16 slices
4 slices bacon, cooked until crispy (or pre-cooked bacon)
8 eggs
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro

Directions

1. For the chipotle mayonnaise: In a medium bowl, stir to combine mayonnaise and lime juice. If you'd like a spicier mayo, add a chipotle pepper and adobo sauce.

2. Toast bread until golden brown. Spread 1 tablespoon chipotle mayonnaise on each piece of toast. Top each with 2 slices avocado and two pieces of bacon, torn in half to fir on the bread.

3. Poach eggs. Lay one poached egg on top of each piece of toast. Garnish with parsley or cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately.

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Fried Oreo's

2012-01-17T17:21:00.000-05:00

Many years ago at the annual Ledyard Fair in my hometown of Ledyard, CT, my friend Danelle introduced me to fried Oreo's. I was initially disgusted by the thought of frying a cookie, but she was pretty adamant about my trying one. Bliss...pure bliss. They were soooo good!

From then on, every fair we go to, I'm always on the lookout for fried Oreo's. I figured it was certainly possible to make these at home, but I thought it would make a huge mess, and I didn't feel like messin' with a batter and hot oil. Then I saw them pop up on (where else?) Pinterest. I pulled up the recipe and it sounded simple enough. I never thought to use Bisquick. I figured there was some special better I needed.

If you should find yourself with some Bisquick, some Oreo's, and some vegetable oil, then you need to try these. I just used a medium sized saucepan filled about half-way with oil, heated it on medium for about 5 minutes, then plopped the battered cookies right in. They take about 2 minutes on each side and I was able to do 5 at a time. Really, the mess was pretty minimal!

Strangely enough Jesse was not at ALL interested in these. He wanted plain Oreo's, so that left me to eat them...by myself since Heath was out of town. See that basket up there? I ate all but two. TWO. Yeeeeahhh...I was hurtin' for a bit afterwards, so take my advice...SHARE! Be sure that if you're making these, there are other's around who will help you eat them! :)~

'Fried Oreo's'

Source: My Tidewater Moms

Ingredients

1 (20 ounce) package Oreo cookies

2 cups Bisquick

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

3 teaspoons oil

vegetable oil (enough for deep frying)

Directions

1. Blend Bisquick, eggs, milk, and 3 tsp oil until smooth.

2. Preheat your deep fryer to about 375°F (use a thermometer if you wish to deep fry in a pan).

3. Dip the cookies in the batter mixture until totally covered and then place in the hot oil (cookies will float).

4. Keep checking and turn over the cookie when bottom side of Oreo is brown (about 2 minutes).

5. Keep a close watch because it only takes a short time to brown.

6. Remove cookies and eat warm. Sprinkle with Powered sugar if desired.

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Bacon Pancakes

2012-01-16T13:44:00.000-05:00

This is why I love the Internet. You come across recipes such as this. So simple, yet so good. I've been meaning to make this for a couple weeks now, but every time I remembered it was about 7 at night. Finally yesterday, just as I was getting up to make French toast, this popped into my head. Let me just say, it was everything I thought it would be :)

Normally I would use regular bacon, but I have some pre-cooked stuff that I'm trying to use up. I gotta tell you, I recommend using that if you can. So much quicker and a lot less messy. Just heat your pan (no need for cooking spray), set your bacon in it (I was able to cook 3 at a time in my largest pan), and spoon your pancake batter across each piece of bacon.

I imagine most kiddo's will LOVE this...I know Jesse sure did! Heath was pretty bummed that I didn't make this while he was home, but oh well. He's currently golfing with friends down in Disney World, so I have very little sympathy for him :)

Have a great week!!

'Bacon Pancakes'

Source: Cooking With Mel

Ingredients

8 pieces bacon, cooked

1 ½ cup pancake mix

3 tablespoons oil

1 egg

Directions

1. Whisk together the ingredients for the pancake batter. Allow to sit.

2. On a hot griddle or large pan, cook the bacon. Remove to a paper towel and allow the grease to come off.

3. Wipe the griddle or pan down with a paper towel. Depending on how much space you have, add a few pieces of bacon at a time and spoon a small portion of the pancake mix over each slice of bacon. Make sure the bacon is fully covered, but don't make them too thick.

4. Cooking on medium heat, flip pancakes after 2-3 minutes (you'll know they need flipped when the batter on the top becomes filled with little bubbles).

5. Remove to a plate and keep warm while cooking remaining pieces of bacon.

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Fried Egg BLT

2012-01-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

Now, I realize this isn't exactly a recipe, but I'm posting it because it's something that may not have occurred to some people to do. I was one of those people. I was surfing the web trying to get some new breakfast and lunch recipes when I happened upon this. I just about smacked myself right in the forehead and yelled 'Of COURSE!!"

I love BLTs...I LOVE eggs. Why in the world did pairing the two together not dawn on me sooner?! So easy, yet I just never thought of it. So that's why I'm sharing such a simple 'recipe' today. To bring awareness to others that this can be done.

For those of you who already knew of this, and have been doing it for years and are laughing at my ignorance...hush. For those of you who are right now smacking your hand to your forehead...you're welcome ;)~

'Fried Egg BLT'

Source (the site that gave me the idea, though I didn't use their recipe): Food and Wine

Ingredients

2-3 bacon slices (I bought the pre-cooked)

1 tomato; sliced

Iceberg lettuce

1 egg

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Bread of choice; toasted

Slice of cheese (optional)

Directions

1. In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, turning, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. (Skip this step if using pre-cooked bacon)

2. Spread the mayonnaise on both slices of toast, then top with lettuce, bacon, tomato and cheese (if using).

3. In a small skillet sprayed with cooking spray, add the egg and fry over medium heat, turning once, until crisp around the edge, about 4 minutes; the yolk should still be runny. Slide the egg onto the sandwich, and top with remaining bread slice.

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Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownies

2012-01-13T19:20:00.000-05:00

Ok...are you seeing this?! It should be illegal. Seriously, this dessert probably added about 1,000 unwanted pounds to my ass, but I don't care...it was SOOOOO worth it! I saw this on Pinterest last night, and today Jesse and I stopped off at the Publix to pick up everything we needed. I just HAD to make this.

Now I'll (of course) share the link of where I got this from, but I just want to say I took the lazy route. She actually made her chocolate chip cookie dough from scratch...I did not. I bought a roll of Tollhouse cookie dough, squeezed it out into the baking dish, and flattened it out with my fingers.

Also, she made hers in a 9x13 baking dish...I made mine in an 8x8. I just did NOT want that many of these evil little brownies starring at me from the kitchen counter. As it is I still have 5 of them in there...taunting me.

I absolutely recommend this. The girl who thought this up is both a genius, and the devil. I am NOT a big dessert kinda gal, but this just NEEDED to be made. Tell you what though, I think I won the 'Best Mom of the Year Award' from Jesse today for serving this up. To say he loved it would be a colossal understatement :) Enjoy!

'Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownies'

Source: Kevin and Amanda

Ingredients

1 log of chocolate chip cookie dough
1 package Double Stuffed Oreos
1 box brownie mix with the chocolate syrup pouch
1/4 cup hot fudge topping

Vanilla ice cream (if desired)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350.

2. Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish. Top with a layer of Oreos.

3. Mix together brownie mix, adding an optional 1/4 cup of hot fudge topping to the mix. Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos.

4. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 15-25 minutes. Brownies are down when a toothpick inserted 2″ from the edge comes out clean or with moist pieces clinging to it. Let cool completely before cutting and serve with vanilla ice cream.

**To half this recipe for an 8×8 brownie mix, simply half the chocolate chip cookie dough ingredients. Enjoy!**

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Three Cheese Balsamic Pancetta Mac N Cheese

2012-01-12T17:55:00.000-05:00

I loooove Mac n Cheese, and I've been on the hunt for the perfect homemade Mac n Cheese recipe for just about forever. My favorite recipe? The blue box. Yep...I love me some Kraft Mac n Cheese, and I am not ashamed to say it!

This recipe I saw on Pinterest and thought it sounded interesting. I like balsamic, and I've never cooked with Pancetta before, so I figured I'd give it a go. Unfortunately, it just wasn't a big hit in our house. Heath (who's not a big Mac n Cheese fan to begin with) and Jesse took one bite and flat-out refused to eat it. My Aunt Peggy happens to be in town for the week for a conference, and she came for dinner the night I made this. She said she liked it (though I'm convinced she was just being polite :)...as for myself, I liked it. Didn't love it, but I ate my whole bowl.

It's definitely different. I think that's what threw Heath and Jesse off so much. It's absolutely not your run-of-the-mill Mac n Cheese recipe. The balsamic and rosemary really add a unique flavor, so I'm willing to bet most little one's just won't like this.

So, while I realize this post seems to be all negative about this recipe, it really wasn't that bad. As I said, Peggy and I ate all of ours, but the boys just did not care for it. Eh...what are you gonna do? You win some, you lose some!

'Three Cheese Balsamic Pancetta Mac n Cheese'

Source: Sprinkled With Flour

Ingredients

2 packages of thinly sliced pancetta ( 3 ounces each)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, separated
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
1/2 cup half and half, warmed
6 ounces gouda cheese, shredded
4 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
2 ounces smoked gouda cheese, shredded
10 ounces cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta
salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400. Place a large pot of water (for the pasta) over high heat and cover. Roll up the pancetta slices and slice into strips with a sharp knife. In a large pan over medium heat, cook the pancetta strips until just starting to crisp, about 3-4 minutes, drizzle 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar over the pancetta and stir. Allow the cooked pancetta to drain on a paper towel and set aside.

2. In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter has melted, whisk in the 4 tablespoons of flour. Continue to cook and whisk the flour for about 30 seconds. Add the rosemary and continue to cook for another 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the warmed milk and half and half, continue to whisk continuously so that there are no lumps. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer, stirring constantly.

3. While waiting for the sauce to simmer, liberally salt the pot of boiling water. Add the pasta to the water and cook for about a minute less than package directions.

4. When the sauce has come to a simmer, stir in the 6 ounces of gouda, and the fontina cheese until melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in about 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, or more if you want a more pronounced flavor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain the cooked pasta and stir into the cheese sauce until combined.

5. Pour the macaroni mixture into a 13x9 baking dish, and sprinkle with half of the smoked gouda. Top with the cooked pancetta and then the remaining smoked gouda.

6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the topping is crisp and the cheese is bubbly. If the pancetta starts to get too dark, cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Serve hot.

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Chipotle Bean Burritos

2012-01-11T14:22:00.002-05:00

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I needed to make it. Heath loves Mexican, and I love bean burritos. These were super easy, and really good. Heath thought they were kind of boring, but he likes his Mexican to have some heat to it. I absolutely do not. You can always spice it up to your liking though buy adding some Tabasco or some other hot sauce. Or, if you're family doesn't mind, just cook it right into the beans.

Even Jesse, who's been uber picky lately, ate some of it (with enough tomatoes and sour cream, I think he'll eat anything). This is definitely a recipe I'll keep around for an easy night of cooking. Ya know, I have to wonder...what did I do before Pinterest? That's where I found this recipe (as well as MANY others I've tried recently), and I just love how many different and wonderful recipes are to be found on that site. The only downside though is that I spend WAY too much time pinning when I should be doing other things!

Have a great day guys!

'Chipotle Bean Burritos'

Source: My Recipes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup water

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained

3 tablespoons refrigerated fresh salsa

6 flour tortillas (10 inches)

1 cup shredded Mexican Cheese blend

1 1/2 cups chopped tomato

1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

6 tablespoons sour cream

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chili powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

2. Stir in 1/3 cup water and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.

3. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla.

4. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon onions, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

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Buffalo Chicken Tacos

2012-01-10T10:18:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I am LOVING the warm weather we're having here in Charleston, but unfortunately, I don't think it's gonna last :( Oh well...at least it's not snowing! Ok so, this recipe...most people who know me know that I am NOT a fan of spicy food. I am just about the biggest baby ever when it comes to hot stuff. Heath loves it though, so that's really the only reason I made this recipe. That and it looked really good.

I was unaware that pretty much ALL wing sauce is hot, but I did manage to find some Texas Pete Extra Mild Sauce. Not too bad! I was even able to eat one of these! Well..ok, only half of one...but still, that's progress!

Definitely not a recipe for the little ones though. Jesse INSISTED on trying a bite. He just wouldn't leave it alone. He quickly discovered that he's just like his Mama...a total spicy food wuss :)

'Buffalo Chicken Tacos'

Source: Mrs. Regueiro

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
⅓ cup flour
3 tablespoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce, plus extra for garnishment
1 Tablespoon olive oil
10 6-inch flour tortillas

Topping Ideas:

Shredded Lettuce
Diced onions
Avocado slices
Ranch dressing
Green onions, sliced thinly

Directions

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. In a large bowl combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season the chicken pieces with pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven and once it gets hot, add chicken and cook on both sides – about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is done, set it aside in a bowl and toss with ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce.

4. Assemble 10 tacos, dividing the toppings evenly among each taco.

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Paula Deen's Shrimp Salad Sandwiches

2012-01-06T16:17:00.000-05:00

Ok so this recipe TOTALLY makes up for the previous one. I may not have been crazy about the Mexican Chicken Casserole, but I absolutely loved this shrimp salad. Aside from some shrimp salad I had at the 'Shrimp n' Grits Festival' when we lived in Georgia, this is the best shrimp salad I've ever had. Miss Paula Deen...I love you again :)

Publix usually has the 1 pound bags of frozen cooked shrimp on sale ALL the time, so I had some in my freezer when I decided to make this...perfect use for it. I (of course) added a bit more mayonnaise than the recipe calls for, but other than that, I made no changes. I just loved this so much. In fact, as soon as I'm done posting this I'm heading in straight into the kitchen to make another sandwich using the leftovers (sure it'll ruin my dinner appetite, but I really don't care).

If you love shrimp or have been looking for a decent shrimp salad recipe, than I absolutely recommend this one. Can't wait to make it in the summer for some friends or for a get-together so I can share it. I was SO good :)

'Paula Deen's Shrimp Salad Sandwiches'

Source: Paula Deen

Ingredients

1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined
3 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Dash onion salt
Salt and pepper
Seasoning salt
Celery salt
8 slices your choice bread, toasted
Lettuce and tomato slices, optional

Directions

1. Place shrimp in a food processor and pulse until finely minced (I just chopped mine with a knife. I wanted bigger chunks of shrimp).

2. Transfer shrimp to a bowl and add eggs, celery, and mayonnaise; mix well. Add seasonings, to taste, and stir to combine.

3. Spread additional mayonnaise on both sides of bread. Heap shrimp salad onto bread and then cut sandwiches in half. Serve with lettuce and tomato, if desired.

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Paula Deen's Mexican Chicken Casserole

2012-01-05T14:24:00.003-05:00

Well, this may be the first Paula Deen recipe that I've ever made that I am NOT raving about. It wasn't bad, Heath LOVED it (said it reminded him of something his mom used to make when he was little, though that had Doritos in it)...but I won't be making it again. Jesse wouldn't touch it.

I will say though, if you're looking for something easy on a weekday, then this definitely fits the bill. Mix everything together in a big bowl then layer with flour tortillas...doesn't get much easier than that (a quick tip for the chicken...buy a cooked rotisserie from the grocery store and shred it. They're usually pretty cheap and it saves a lot of time). I think what I didn't like about this was how creamy it was. The texture was just not very appealing to me. While I am absolutely NOT one of those snobby people who are 'Too Good' to use condensed soups when cooking, I do think this was a bit much. The chicken totally got lost in all that 'Cream Of...' and cheddar cheese sauce.

So, even though Heath loved it, I don't think I'll be adding this to the family favorites. I don't discourage anyone from trying it though. It is by no means a bad recipe, it just didn't sit right with me. And it's certainly a quick and easy dinner to have on hand for those busy days when the last thing you feel like doing at the end of your day is cooking.

'Paula Deen's Mexican Chicken Casserole'

Source: Paula Deen

Ingredients

1 10 3/4 -ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 10 3/4 -ounce can cheddar cheese soup
1 10 3/4 -ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 10-ounce can tomatoes
1 whole chicken, cooked, boned, and chopped or 4 cups leftover cooked chicken
11 1/2-ounce package flour tortillas
2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the three kinds of soup and the tomatoes. Stir in the chicken.

3. In a greased 13 x 9- inch pan, layer the tortillas and the chicken mixture, beginning and ending with tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

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Egg Nog French Toast

2012-01-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

I've been seeing a lot of recipes for egg nog French toast this winter, so I finally decided I needed to try it. It's a wonder that such an easy recipe didn't pop into my head earlier since I LOVE egg nog. I get so excited when I start seeing it in the grocery store every November, and always have some in my fridge until I can no longer purchase it.

Heath can't stand the stuff, but Jesse just destroys it! I'll give him a glass and he downs the whole thing in one big gulp. While we're not usually big on French toast in this house (we like it, but I rarely ever make it), this was really good. Since the recipe I used didn't exactly have conventional measurements (a splash of egg nog, a knob of butter), I put a LOT of egg nog into my egg mixture...I'd say close to a cup, and the taste definitely came through in the bread . Jesse ate all of his and half of mine!

I'm glad I tried this, and I can't belive how easy it is! Every now and again I'll have a carton of egg nog that's either very close to or at it's sell-by date. Instead of throwing it out, I'll just use it to make this for breakfast! It's absolutely a recipe that put to good use all throughout egg nog season!

'Egg Nog French Toast'

Source: Adventuress Heart

Ingredients

3-4 eggs

1/2 - 3/4 cup of egg nog

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon of butter, for frying

6 slices of thick bread (I used Challah Bread...also called Egg Bread)

Directions

1. Mix eggs, egg nog, vanilla, and salt in a shallow dipping dish

2. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.

3. Dip the bread in the egg mixture, let it soak a few seconds, turning once. Place each slice into the pan and cook till golden brown on each side (about 3-4 minutes on each side)

4. Enjoy with maple syrup or your favourite topping.

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Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

2012-01-02T13:11:00.000-05:00

I have absolutely NO idea what possessed me to make this recipe. While I love grilled cheese sandwiches, I do not like tomato soup. Now, I'll admit that my only experience with tomato soup has been Campbell's condensed stuff, but still...not a fan. Maybe I was just sick of looking for recipes so I printed out the last thing I looked at, or maybe I was really tired when putting together my shopping list...who knows. But whatever the reason, I purchased everything to make this, so I made it.

While this wasn't a difficult recipe, it WAS a pain-in-the butt. Boiling the tomatoes for 10 seconds, then shocking them in ice water so you can peel the skin off, then chopping them. Transferring the chunky soup from the pan to a blender, then to a bowl, then back to the pan...UGH! Certainly not my favorite recipe to put together!

Once everything was all said and done though, this was actually really good. Heath didn't care for it (he still ate it though), nor did Jesse, but I actually ate all mine! Now, I'm not gonna lie...will I make this again? Probably not. But if anyone were to ask me if I know of a good homemade tomato soup recipe, I wouldn't hesitate a second to offer up this one. I'm glad I gave it try...it was nice to see what REAL tomato soup is supposed to taste like!

'Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches'

Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients

2 lb fresh tomatoes (about 4 to 5 medium)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. In large saucepan, heat 3 quarts water to boiling. With sharp knife, cut shallow X in bottom of each tomato. Add to boiling water, 2 or 3 at a time, for 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove tomatoes from boiling water; immediately plunge into ice water until cold. Drain. Peel and chop tomatoes.

2. In heavy 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion in oil 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in chopped tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, salt, nutmeg and red pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes or until tomatoes are soft. Stir in whipping cream.

3. In blender or food processor, place 2 1/2 cups tomato mixture. Cover; blend on medium speed 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour mixture into large bowl. Repeat with remaining tomato mixture. Return pureed mixture to saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Top each serving with basil.

4. Serve with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

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Bacon Egg and Cheese Ring

2012-01-01T15:05:00.000-05:00

I came across this recipe on Pinterest, and I just had to make it. Scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese, and crescent rolls?! Yes please! Everyone in this house loved it. It's basically your entire breakfast rolled into one handy bite-sized wedge!

This is another dish that you can really do a lot with. In place of bacon, maybe sprinkle some sausage. If you like your eggs to have a kick, drizzle some Tabasco over the eggs. Green onions, chives, or some chopped tomatoes and green chilies for a Tex-Mex Egg Ring (hmmm....that actually sounds pretty good). I added season salt (called Pop-Pop salt in this house because my Grandfather ALWAYS sprinkled it on his eggs...I didn't learn that Pop-Pop salt was actually just season salt till I was about 16. Seriously.), but you can add any seasoning you prefer, even just salt and pepper. The possibilities for this are endless!

Well, I hope you all had a safe and exciting New Years Eve, and I look forward to all that 2012 has to offer. We celebrated our last Thanksgiving and Christmas in this house, and are planning another military move later this year (fingers crossed for Groton, CT!!) where Heath will do his submarine XO tour. I'm ready...I tend to tire of a place quickly, so leaving Charleston is ok with me! Best wishes to all my friends and family in 2012! Can't wait to see what the year holds for everyone :)

'Bacon Egg and Cheese Ring'

Source: Bacon Time With the Hungry Hungry Hippo

Ingredients

1 can of crescent rolls
5 large eggs; scrambled
1 cup of shredded Colby and Monterrey jack cheese
8 slices of cooked bacon (I bought the pre-cooked stuff)

1 teaspoon of season salt

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Scramble eggs on stove top. Lay out crescents
on a parchment lined pizza pan in a star formation (the longer sides of each crescent on the inside with the pointed ends pointing out.)

2. Place cooked bacon around the inside center of the ring. Top with about 1/3 of the cheese, scrambled eggs, season salt (or whatever seasoning you're using), and remaining cheese.

3. Fold pointed tips of each crescent over the filling and join in the center of the ring. Press all the points in the center down to seal them together.

4. Place in oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown. Slice in between each crescent to make 8 individual pieces.

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Turkey Cranberry Monte Crisco

2011-12-30T16:24:00.003-05:00

I was bumming around on Miss Paula Deen's website looking for some dinner ideas, when I came across this. I love turkey and cranberry together, so this looked right up my alley. I've never made a Monte Crisco before, but they sure are tasty.

Let me just say though, if you can get the Fontina cheese already grated, or you can get the deli in your grocery store to do it or you, DO IT! Grating the cheese for this was the biggest pain in the butt. I don't have a fancy cheese grater since I rarely grate my own, so it was a lot of work.

Also, I think this recipe is geared more as a leftover idea, so it calls for thicker slices of turkey breast...I didn't have that, so I used thin sliced deli lunch meat. Worked just fine. I used the Challah bread that I had leftover from the Egg Nog French Toast that I made yesterday (I'll be posting that at a later date), and it was really good, though I'm sure a thick-cut french bread would also be just as good. Enjoy!

'Turkey Cranberry Monte Crisco'

Source: Paula Deen

Ingredients

8 slices bread (potato bread, challah, or any other soft bread)
1 cup fontina cheese, grated
8 slices cooked turkey breast
1/2 cup whole cranberry sauce
1 cup baby arugula leaves
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk
pinch nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Lay the 4 slices of the bread out on a cutting board. On each slice, place 2 tablespoons of the fontina, followed by 2 slices of the turkey, and 2 tablespoons of the cranberry sauce.

2. Equally divide the arugula leaves and place on next layer. Top with the remaining fontina and remaining bread slices. Press down ﬁrmly on sandwiches to seal in the ﬁlling.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, and nutmeg. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter.

4. Dip each sandwich into the egg mixture coating both sides. When butter is melted in skillet, add the sandwiches and cook until golden brown. Flip sandwich and repeat with other side, adding more butter if necessary.

5. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels, and let sit for a few minutes. Cut in halves and serve.

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Banana Pie Cups

2011-12-29T15:33:00.000-05:00

Ya know, I really should start paying closer attention to where I get my recipes from. The online recipes are easy cause I usually just email them to myself, but whenever I get something from outside the Internet, I never seem to remember where it came from. This I found in a magazine...I want to say Women's Day, or Family Circle...maybe Cooking Light. I don't know.

The first time I made this was a couple weeks ago when we had company over. They were a big hit, and were so easy to throw together. The recipe called for these to be more of a 'shooter', but they seemed too small to me. I'll admit, one of these (in a Ball canning jar) is a lot, so if you have glasses that are a little smaller than these, I say use them.

The cool thing about this recipe (besides being so easy), is how many ways you can change it. This is the banana version, but I think next time I'll try a chocolate one...I'm thinking crushed Oreo's on the bottom, chocolate pudding, maybe some grasshoppers, and whipped cream? Sounds good to me!

'Banana Pie Cups'

Source: A women's magazine...or maybe a cooking one?

Ingredients

Crushed vanilla wafers

Vanilla pudding

Ripe bananas; sliced

Whipped topping

Directions

1. Crush vanilla wafers in a plastic bag and spoon about 1/3 cup into the bottom of a glass.

2. Pour vanilla pudding over top wafers (I found it easiest to put the pudding into a plastic bag, snip the corner and squeeze it in...gives you a bit more control and it's less messy).

3. Top pudding with sliced bananas, then refrigerate if not serving immediately.

4. Once ready to serve, top bananas with whipped cream (I use Cool Whip, so I do the plastic bag trick again for a neater appearance. Or you can use canned whipped cream).

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Slow Cooker Italian Beef

2011-12-28T15:05:00.000-05:00

I cannot for the life of me remember where I found this recipe. I know it was in one of the many, many cookbooks I checked out of the library, but I just can't remember which one. I think it was in a 'Fix-It-And-Forget-It' book, but I'm not sure. I Googled it, but there were so many different variations of this, and none of them were this particular one.

Either way, this is absolutely amazing. Really. Heath LOVES it. It's our new favorite slow cooker Beef recipe. I'd never even heard of Pepperoncini peppers before making this, but they are GOOD! A little spicy (I think so, but most people wouldn't be bothered by them), but good.

The first time I made this I served it on Hawaiian Bread burger buns, but there's so much juice (you DEFINITELY want to spoon some juice over the meat), that you couldn't pick it up and eat it like a burger...we had to cut it with a fork and knife. This time I still used the Hawaiian Bread (it's my favorite), but I used the small rolls that come in a 12 pack. I sliced three of them in half and spooned some meat and juice over top...YUM! I'm telling you...TRY THIS!! It's absolutely in the top 5 of the best slow cooker recipes I've ever made!

'Slow Cooker Italian Beef'

Source: Some random cookbook from the library

Ingredients

3 lb. Beef Chuck Roast or Sirloin
1 onion, quartered
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 can can Beef Broth (14 oz)
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian salad dressing
1 envelope dry Au Jus mix
1/2 jar Pepperoncini Peppers and juice (from 16 oz jar)

Directions

1. Place meat and the onion in a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
2. Mix together salt, pepper, broth, salad dressing, and Au Jus mix in a medium bowl. Pour over meat.
3. Add peppers and juice.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
5. Remove meat from cooker and slice or shred.
6. Place meat, peppers, and onions on burger bun or slice of bread for open faced sandwiches.
7. Ladle juice over top.

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Overnight Tex-Mex Egg Bake

2011-12-27T15:08:00.000-05:00

Well, I promised to share our Christmas Day breakfast with you all, and here it is. It's another

recipe that gets prepared the night before, and it is FANTASTIC! Really, this was so good. I found it over at Betty Crocker, and this is absolutely a recipe I'll make again throughout the year.

This is already an easy recipe to begin with, but you can make it even easier by using the Jimmy Dean pre-cooked Sausage Crumbles.

I used just over one and a half bags, and it was perfect. You can use different kinds too...there's Hot as well as Turkey Sausage. You can also use whatever shredded cheese you may have on hand. I didn't buy enough Colby-Jack, so I just threw in some cheddar. I actually decided to make this for Heath since he loves anything even slightly Mexican, but I ended up loving it the most! Even Jesse dug it!

'Overnight Tex-Mex Egg Bake'

Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients

12 oz pork sausage (I used pre-cooked crumbles)

5 cups frozen southern-style hash brown potatoes (from 32-oz bag)

1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles, undrained

3 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese (12 oz)

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup salsa

Directions

1. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Spread frozen potatoes in baking dish. Sprinkle with sausage, green chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. (If you're not using the pre-cooked stuff, then cook your sausage in a skillet first, breaking it up till it's no longer pink...about 8-10 minutes),

3. In medium bowl beat eggs, milk and salt until well blended. Pour over potato mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 12 hours.

4. IN THE MORNING: Heat oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into squares. Serve with salsa, chopped green onions, and sour cream if desired.

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Overnight French Toast

2011-12-26T12:35:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Santa was very good to the Johnmeyer's this year and we had a wonderful day! Breakfast in our house is usually every man for himself. Heath and Jesse get up MUCH earlier than I on the weekends, so they make something when they get up, then I'll make myself an egg whenever I finally arise, though usually, it's almost lunchtime.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day however were the exception. I wanted to make something special, yet something easy...this fit the bill (as did our Christmas Day breakfast, but I'll share that at a later date). This super simple French Toast is prepared the night before, then tossed into the oven and baked the next morning...SO easy. I've seen recipes like this in the past, but this was my first time making one. I can honestly say I will be making 'night before' recipes for the holidays every year from now on. It's so easy, and there's nothing better than having a great breakfast ready after opening gifts, and all you had to do was bake it!

This recipe calls for 10 slices of bread, but as you can see, I only used 6...I knew 10 slices would be more than we needed. Should you need more, this is a simple recipe to double. I can't believe I've never tried one of these types of recipes before...so glad to have discovered this!

'Overnight French Toast'

Source: Alaska Mom

Ingredients

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
10 slices of thick-cut french bread
8 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecans, measured then chopped
maple syrup and/or powdered sugar for topping (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine melted butter and brown sugar. Pour on the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish.

2. Arrange slices of bread in the baking dish, overlapping if necessary. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a bowl and pour evenly over bread slices. Sprinkle chopped pecans over bread slices.

3. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours.

4. In the morning, take the baking dish out of the refrigerator and let sit on the counter for at least 10 minutes – while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes. If the top starts browning too quickly, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the pan for the last 10 minutes or so. You want it to cook long enough to make sure the bottom part is cooked, but don’t dry it out completely.

5. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Serve with maple syrup and/or powdered sugar, if desired.

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Chicken Florentine Puffs

2011-12-24T10:12:00.000-05:00

When I first saw this recipe on Food Gawker I thought two things...1st: Wow, that looks really good!...and 2nd: Wow, that looks like a pain-in-the-ass to make! I was right on both accounts. This was very, very tasty, but it's also a pain to make. It's not difficult, it's just time consuming, and I've never liked working with puff pastry (I've never been very good at baking or working with pastry). I will say though, while a bit of an effort, it was absolutely worth it. These were excellent! Even Heath, who usually whines whenever there's spinach in a recipe, really liked it!

Now, my only issue with this was the cooking time and temperature. The original directions said to cook at 300 for 15-18 minutes. Well, after almost 30 minutes at 300 and STILL no browning, I jacked the temp up to 350 and they finally started to brown. In my directions I've altered the oven temp, but am keeping the cook time at 15-18 minutes. All I can say is, make SURE you keep an eye on this while it's cooking. The filling isn't important...since the chicken is already cooked you're basically just heating that, it's the puff pastry that you want to get flaky and golden brown.

Well, Merry Christmas Eve to everyone, and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday! Till next time!

'Chicken Florentine Puffs'

Source: One Lovely Life

Ingredients

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed and rolled out
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1 (10oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out
1 roasted red pepper, diced (I got mine fro a jar)
4oz cream cheese, softened
1c Gruyere, grated
2-3 Tbsp fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
1 Tbsp water

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, spinach, red pepper, cream cheese, Gruyere, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss until well combined and cream cheese is completely mixed in. (I found it was easiest to just use my hands, like when you mix up ground beef for burgers).

3. Make an egg wash by beating egg with water.

4. Roll out puff pastry. Slice each sheet into 4 pieces making 8 squares total. Divide filling among the 8 squares, placing the filling in the center. Brush the edge of one half of each pastry with egg wash and fold in half diagonally to form a triangle. Press down the edges with a fork to seal.

5. Brush the top of the each puff with egg wash. Make 2-3 small slits in the top to allow steam to escape during baking.

6. Place puffs on two baking sheets lined with parchment or foil sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at for 15-18 minutes, or until golden. Keep an eye on them to prevent over-browning or burning.

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Slow Cooker Maple Sage Pork Roast

2011-12-22T10:22:00.000-05:00

This is the second time in as many weeks that I've made this recipe. That pretty much NEVER happens in this house. I'm not a huge fan of pork, even when it's prepared in the slow cooker, but this is, without a doubt, my favorite pork slow cooker recipe EVER!

The first time I made it Heath was out of town, so I made it again last night so he could try it. Apparently he wasn't as blown away by it as I was, but he's never been a huge fan of recipes that call for maple syrup. This recipe is also the first time I've ever cooked with butternut squash. Luckily Publix sells little containers of it already cut and cubed in the produce section, so I didn't have to mess with the headache of trying to cut through one (I hear it's a pain).

I just cannot recommend this recipe enough. It's so easy to throw together and the veggies and meat are cooked to perfection. Tender juicy meat, soft juicy veggies, all with a hint of sweetness from the maple syrup (I used Publix brand syrup, so don't think you need anything fancy). Jesse even liked it! Well, the veggies, not so much the meat...but I'll take it! I

m telling you...TRY THIS! You won't be disappointed!

'Maple Sage Pork Roast'

Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients

2-3 lb boneless pork shoulder roast

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons dried sage

1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon granules

1/2 cup water

2 cups 1 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash

2 cups baby-cut carrots, cut in half lengthwise

2 small onions, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Place pork in a greased 4-5 quart slow cooker.

2. In small bowl, mix syrup, garlic, sage, bouillon granules and 1/2 cup water; spoon over pork. Arrange squash, carrots and onions around pork.

3. Cover; cook on LOW heat 8 to 9 hours.

4. Remove pork from cooker and shred using two forks. Serve with vegetables.

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Brie En Croute

2011-12-19T22:16:00.007-05:00

No, no...this certainly is not one of my better pics, but don't let that fool you. This appetizer was WONDERFUL! I saw this on (where else?) Pinterest a week or two ago and had to make it. We had some friends over this past Saturday so I figured that would be a great time to try it out...it was definitely a hit. I'm actually going to make it again on Christmas Eve for just us.

Now, this is a Paula Deen recipe, so while it does taste fabulous, it's probably not very good for you. If you don't mind living a little during the holiday's, then I say add this to your holiday menu. The original recipe (which I'll post a link for under Source) calls for wrapping the brie in a puff pastry. I chose instead to wrap it in crescent roll dough, which is probably why my photo looks SO different from Miss Paula's. I'm just not a huge fan of puff pastry, I find it to be dry and thin...I MUCH prefer crescent roll dough. I doubt Paula would mind ;) I also decided to use Pecans instead of Walnuts...again, just personal preference.

Ok well, I'm off to bed early tonight. I've got a great week of recipes coming up that I can't wait to share. It's kinda nice being able to cook repeat recipes! Till next time!

'Brie En Croute"

Source: Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

1 tube of crescent rolls

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup pecans

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (8-ounce) wheel Brie

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

Crackers, for serving (I used Town House)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375.

2. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the pecans in the butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon and stir until pecans are coated well.

3. Carefully slice only the top of the rind off the Brie. Place the pecan mixture on top of the Brie and sprinkle the brown sugar over the mixture.

4. Unroll the crescent roll dough out on a flat surface and seal all perforations. Place the brie in the center of the dough. Gather up the edges of the dough, pressing around the brie and gather at the top. Gently squeeze together the excess dough and fold over.

5. Brush the beaten egg over top and side of the dough. Place the wrapped Brie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

6. Serve with crackers.

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Breakfast Egg Melts

2011-12-12T14:47:00.011-05:00

Well, as I'm sure you've probably guessed by now...I love melts. Breakfast melts, lunch melts, I'm not picky. I can't remember where exactly I found this recipe (it was either Pinterest or FoodGawker), but it looked good, so I had to try it. I never thought to try something new with hard boiled eggs. Usually I inhale them too fast for me to ever have any leftovers. I've lost track of how many times I've made hard boiled eggs for egg salad, but then ate all the eggs before I got around to making it.

Now, I know I've been posting QUITE a bit of breakfast recipes here lately, but as you know MWT gets all my dinners. Hopefully though, I'll be able to post more dinners here this month and next month though because two things have happened...

1. MWT gave me the rest of the month off from cooking their recipes and taking pictures, but I'm still gonna get paid. They said to think of it as a 'Holiday Bonus'...awesome! So, that opens up the rest of the month for me to be able to make whatever I want for dinner (I've got quite a collection built up on Pinterest that I can't wait to try)!

and

2. While I'm still working on Slow cooker recipes four days a week for MWT, the other three days I'm doing their breakfast recipes...so that leaves three dinners a week that I can make whatever I want. Yay!

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOOOOVE my job, but while bummin' around on the web I come across some yummy looking meals that I REALLY want to try, but just can't, so I'm definitely looking forward to some 'open cooking' :)

Ok guys...if you don't hear from me for the rest of the week, then have a great one! Little Jango's starting to stir, so I'm gonna need to take him out. Later!!

(The newest addition to our family...Mr. Jango Johnmeyer! And yes that's Jango...as in Fett. I'm a total Star Wars nerd. He's a 6 week old American Eskimo and we just love him to pieces!)

'Breakfast Egg Melts'

Source: Adapted from Real Simple

INGREDIENTS

4 English muffins

olive oil

tomato slices

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

shredded cheese (I used Monterrey Jack)

Chopped green onions

dill weed

salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Make Hard-Cooked Eggs.

2. Toast 8 English-muffin halves and place on a cookie sheet. Slice each egg into 4 (in half, then each half in half)

3. Drizzle each with olive oil (I like a lot), then layer on tomato slices, 2 egg slices per muffin, and a little shredded cheese. Sprinkle with green onions, dill weed, and salt.

. 4. Broil 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.

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Bloomin' Bread

2011-11-29T20:22:00.001-05:00

Here's yet another little recipe I picked up on Pinterest. I've never had the Bloomin' Onion at Outback Steakhouse...probably because it's likely to induce an instant hear attack, but it does look tasty. I much prefer this bread version though. Bead, cheese, butter and green onions...good stuff.

The only tricky part about this recipe is slicing the bread. Slicing in one direction is a cinch, but then going back the other way can definitely be a bit tricky. Just be patient and don't tear the bread. It doesn't have to be perfect. As long as you can place cheese slices in between the cuts, you're good.

I made this on a Saturday afternoon as a snack for Heath and Jesse while they watched football...it was a hit. I don't know that I'd make this for a huge group of people since it's such a 'hands on' appetizer, but for a lazy weekend, it was a great snack.

'Bloomin' Bread'

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything via Pinterest

Ingredients

1 unsliced loaf sourdough bread

12-16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup finely diced green onion

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut the bread lengthwise and widthwise without cutting through the bottom crust.

3. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Insert cheese slices between cuts. Combine butter, onion, and poppy seeds. Drizzle over bread. Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
Unwrap the bread and bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

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Easy Crab Melts

2011-11-23T11:17:00.002-05:00

I love melts...they're so easy and filling, and it's certainly better than a boring 'ol sandwich for lunch. My favorite melt in all the world is this, which I shared over a year ago. I still make it at LEAST once a month.

Before making this I had never used canned crab meat. When I think 'canned seafood', I'm usually pretty grossed out, but this was really good (I'm a firm believer that mayonnaise makes everything better)! If you really have an issue with canned seafood, you can always get a little container of fresh crab meat from the seafood section of your grocery store. My Publix has a little refrigerated display next to the seafood case with things like seafood dips, salmon lox, and crab meat. I think I may try that next time I make this, just to see if there's a real difference.

Ok well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so everyone have a WONDERFUL drama-free family holiday!! (If only, right?) Here at our house we're keeping it super simple this year since it's just me, hubby, and the boy. No visitors! I'll be making a slimmed down version of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, then we'll probably just take naps, and play board games (my favorite!). Well...till next time!

'Crab Melts'

Source: Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 can (6 ounces) crab meat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

5 teaspoons minced celery

1 tablespoon minced green onion

2 English muffins, split

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1.In a small bowl, combine the crab, mayonnaise, celery and onion. Toast muffins in a toaster until they're lightly toasted (or you can place them on a greased baking sheet and broil them for 3-4 minutes)

2. Spread each muffin half with crab mixture. Top cheese and broil until bubbly.

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (From Scratch!)

2011-11-16T11:40:00.001-05:00

I've been hankering for some really good chicken noodle soup. Some homemade, 100% from scratch, chicken noodle soup. I looked all over the internet for recipes, but many of them said to use store bought chicken stock. Now, there's certainly nothing wrong with that...I've used it plenty of times in the past. But I really wanted to make my own. Some recipes (Paula Deen's comes to mind) had homemade chicken stock, but all kinds of weird ingredients that one doesn't usually associate with chicken noodle (like mushrooms, Parmesan cheese and heavy cream?..no thanks).

I finally found a regular 'ol traditional Chicken Noodle Soup recipe from Tyler Florence. I'm not really a fan of Tyler's...I've never seen his show and I wouldn't recognize him if I saw him on the street, but his recipe was by far the best I found (with the exception of the turnips...I left those out). Yes, making soup this way takes a little extra time and effort, but not much, and it's DEFINITELY worth it! Most of the time (1 1/2 hours) the stock is just sitting on the stove simmering. The veggies that go into the stock don't have to be neatly sliced or chopped. You just cut them one or twice, mainly so they fit in the pot. Let simmer then just strain the stock, set the chicken out to cool, and throw out all the veggies (they lose all their flavoring to the stock, so you want new veggies for the actual soup).

And speaking of the soup, I made things a litter easier on myself and less time consuming by buying already chopped onions, celery, garlic, and sliced carrots at the store. Of course you can chop them if you don't mind, but I just didn't feel like it. Honestly, the biggest pain-in-the-but about making chicken noodle soup is picking apart the chicken and shredding the meat, and you'll have to do that anyway...even if you use store-bought chicken stock.

SO! Here's Tyler's amazing recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup. If you really don't want to make your own stock, just substitute store bought in the directions...I promise though, it's not that bad :)

'Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (From Scratch!)'

Source: Food Network

~Stock Ingredients~

1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded

2 carrots, cut in large chunks

3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks

2 large white onions, quartered

1 head of garlic, halved

1/4 bunch fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

~Stock Directions~

1. Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot or dutch oven, over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak.

2. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.

3. Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container. Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Discard the vegetables.

4. Use the stock immediately OR if you plan on storing it, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze.

~Soup Ingredients~

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 celery ribs, chopped

4 fresh thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

2 quarts of above chicken stock

8 ounces dried wide egg noodles

1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Salt and ground black pepper

~Soup Directions~

1. Place a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.

2. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper.

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Sweet & Salty Pretzels

2011-11-15T15:12:00.002-05:00

I saw this yummy little snack on Pinterest, and decided it had to be made! I loooove sweet and salty snacks. In fact, I can no longer eat plain Ruffles potato chips without a side of something chocolate (usually mini Kit-Kats, or Hershey's Kisses). If Ruffles made chocolate covered potato chips, I'd be in heaven...or trouble.

Anyway!! This is a simple snack that is great for the kiddos. If you've got school age kids, you can just toss some of these in a little baggie and throw them in your kids lunch. If you don't have school age children, that's ok. You can just keep them in the fridge and give your toddler a couple as a treat, then eat half the platter yourself while he's napping. (Which MAY have been what happened in my house) ;)~ You can also make these for holidays just by changing the colors of the M&M's...red and green for Christmas...yellow, orange and brown for Thanksgiving...pastel M&M's for Easter...you get the idea. Ok guys...I'm off to load the dishwasher and fold laundry (don't be jealous)...till next time!

'Sweet & Salty Pretzels'

Source: Pinterest

~Ingredients~

1 bag of mini pretzels

1 bag of Hershey's Kisses (you can use any kind you like)

1 bag of M&M's

~Directions~

1. Heat oven to 275

2. Line up pretzels on a large baking sheet. Place one Hershey's Kiss on the center of each pretzel

3. Bake for 3 minutes...just enough to soften the kiss, but not melt it

4. Remove from oven and immediately press on M&M into the center of each kiss. Place in the fridge and allow to cool completely.

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Biscuit Baked Eggs

2011-11-09T15:44:00.002-05:00

Yes, yes, more eggs. Well, what can I say...I love eggs! I eat at LEAST one a day...sometimes as many as three. Every. Single. Day. Can't get enough!

This yummy little recipe I found on...wait for it...PINTEREST! I know...shocking. That's where I seem to be finding most of my breakfast and lunch recipes these days. I've got a lot of good stuff coming up though, so I can't complain.

What I love about this recipe (besides the eggs) is how versatile it is. You can put whatever you want on these things...totally up to you! I just used what I had on hand (I meant to add shredded cheddar cheese, but I was so excited to get these in the oven and eat them that I completely forgot).

One thing I'll say though, after cooking for 15 minutes the egg still seemed a bit wobbly (which I took to mean 'not done'). I decided to take them out anyway though since any longer and the biscuit would have started to overcook. Turns out they were PERFECT! The yellow was runny...just the slightest edge of it had started to harden, and the egg white was definitely cooked. So, looks can be deceiving. If you want a runny egg, then I wouldn't recommend cooking these any longer than 16 minutes. Ok guys...enjoy! I'm off to Pin!!

'Biscuit Baked Eggs'

Source: Pinterest

1 tube refrigerated biscuit dough (I used Grands!)

8 eggs (or however many you want to make)

1/2 cup real bacon bits

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon dill weed (my personal preference. Substitute any spice you like)

salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 400.

2. Lightly spray a standard-sized muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Open the biscuit dough and press one biscuit round into each muffin cup. To be sure there is room for the eggs, make a deep well in your dough by pressing the biscuit all the way up the sides of each muffin cup.

4. Crack an egg into each biscuit, top with bacon bits, cheddar, dill weed, salt and pepper.

5. Bake for 14-17 minutes. To ensure the center of your egg stays soft-cooked, remove the biscuits from the oven as soon as the edges begin to turn golden brown.

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Hawaiian Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

2011-11-07T17:04:00.001-05:00

Looks good, doesn't it? I came across this recipe while surfing my newest obsession...Pintrest. I absolutely LOVE King's Hawaiian bread. My parents used to buy it every now and again when I was younger. It was really hard to find for awhile, but now it seems to be pretty much everywhere. Publix carries all their King's breads in the bakery section, not with the regular bread (I love their Hamburger rolls as well...SO good with a big juicy burger!).

I'm not a huge Swiss fan, but when I saw the photo for these, I couldn't pass them up. I made them this past Saturday for lunch. It was perfect for the three of us. Out of the 12 little sandwiches that were made, only 3 were left...I'm telling you, they're tasty. Of course if you're dead-set against Swiss you could always put together a different combo. The main thing is the use of the Hawaiian bread, and the Dijon onion sauce.

Ok guys...just thought I'd share this yummy little snack/lunch/lazy dinner idea. I'm sure I'll be back with more yummy recipes I found on Pintrest...I have a whole Board dedicated to good-looking food!

'Hawaiian Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches'

Source: King's Hawaiian

1 12 pack of King's Hawaiian Original Rolls

1 lb. deli ham, shaved

1 lb. Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

1 1/2 sticks butter

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3 teaspoons of poppy seeds

1 onion, chopped

1. Heat oven to 350. Melt butter and mix in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion and poppy seed. Simmer for several minutes.

2. Cut the entire pack of rolls in half, horizontally (keeping all top and bottom halves in tact).

3. In a greased 9x13 pan, place bottom half of rolls and spread 1/3 of the onion mixture over the bottom of the rolls followed by the ham and cheese.

4. Replace the tops of the rolls and spread the remaining onion mixture over top.

5. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes and, once finished, separate for serving.

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Mexican Rice Bowl with Fried Egg

2011-11-01T16:54:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! I know it's been F-O-R-E-V-E-R, but I've been keeping pretty busy with all my MWT cooking. Every now and then I'll come across a recipe that I can't use for MWT (I have one of those waiting in the wings), or I'll see something that I just HAVE to make, so I take a night off from work to make it. This was one of those recipes.

I know...doesn't look like anything special, does it? Some rice, beans, corn, salsa and sour cream. And an egg. The egg is what sold me. I LOVE eggs. Mainly dippy-eggs (or over-easy to the rest of the world. Didn't find out that's what they were really called till I was 18 and ordering breakfast at an IHOP with friends...nearly got laughed out of the place. Thanks Mom). Instead of putting a fried egg on mine, I used a dippy-egg, but it's whatever floats your boat.

I came upon this recipe at my friend Cassie's blog. She's one of those ~~annoying~~ rare people who can just open up her cabinets, see what she's got, and make an amazing dinner. How lovely ;)~ I, unfortunately, am not one of these blessed people...I have to follow a recipe. But, thanks to people like Cassie, I come across yummy recipes such as this, and am a rock-star to my boys...thanks dear!!

'Mexican Rice Bowls with Fried Egg'

Source: Cassie Craves

1 cup white or brown rice

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can chopped green chilies (4 oz)

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup shredded pepper-jack cheese

Eggs

Salsa, sour cream, avocado, chopped cilantro for serving, if desired

(I did not desire...I despise cilantro)

1. Cook rice according to package directions. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, corn, black beans, green chilies, salsa and shredded cheese; set aside and keep warm.

2. Fry eggs to desired doneness. Top each serving of rice with a fried egg and any desired toppings.

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