Oven Roasted Potatoes

Ack, I can't find the folder this picture is in.
These potatoes took forever, I'm not sure they were worth the trouble

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb hickory smoked, thick sliced bacon
 3 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
 2 cloves garlic, minced
 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
 coarse salt
 fresh ground pepper
 fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Scrub potatoes and place in a large pot.  Fill pot with water until potatoes are covered by 2-3 inches of water.  Bring water to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.  My potatoes were fairly large, so this took close to 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, partially freeze bacon for easier cutter.  (Ten minutes in the freezer works well.) Slice bacon strips in half, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.  I like to cut my bacon prior to cooking.  It’s easier to work with in the skillet and easy to drain with slotted spoon.

3. Preheat oven to 425. Mince garlic & parsley. Brush olive oil and bacon drippings on pan. Place potatoes on pan. Sprinkle with s&p. Bake 20 minutes and flip. Bake 20 minutes. reduce to 375, turn potatoes and sprinkle with bacon, garlic, and parmesan.

Shannon's Sweet Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken

I know, I know, no picture, ugh. This was a dump and go recipe. WE liked everything except the flavor of the soy sauce.

1 cup pineapple juice   (or 2 cans crushed pineapple)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup light soy sauce  YUCK, leave this out.
 2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins.

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hrs and they should just fall apart. Enjoy!   

Note from Shannon: We made this tonight, with a few personal touches, and it turned out amazing! Instead of just pineapple juice, I added 2 cans crushed pineapple, 1 medium onion, rough chopped, ginger, salt, pepper and a container of teryaki sauce. As it cooked down, I added splashes of chicken broth to keep it moist. It turned out SO good. We served on a bed of rice seasoned with ground ginger and soy sauce.

Crock Pot Brown Sugar Bourbon Chicken

1 – 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 packet McCormick Grill Mates brown sugar bourbon marinade (I could not find at HEB, had to go to Wal-Mart).

1.  Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your crockpot.  Follow the directions on the back of the marinade packet and whisk together ingredients.
2.  Pour all of the marinade over the chicken.  Cook on high for 4 – 6 hours or until chicken starts to fall apart.
3.  Remove chicken breasts from crockpot and discard the remaining sauce.  Serve with your desired side dishes.
 It doesn't get much easier than this! I enjoyed this chicken. It makes me want to buy one of each of the seasoning packets and try them all.

Crock Pot Pesto Ranch Chicken

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
6 ounce jar of pesto
1 package Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions
 1.Turn crock pot to high setting. Place chicken thighs, pesto, ranch dressing and chicken broth into crock pot.
2. Stir gently to combine all seasonings. Close with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

This was a bit salty, otherwise, it was good.

Southwestern Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

 

I found this on Pinterest, a very PUBLIC place to share everything, but was recently warned by blogger because I used someone else's work. If the original author could have been traced, I would have given credit to the author, as I ALWAYS do, linking back to the original post.
If the original author would have contacted me in the first place, this could have been handled differently. It was reported and blogger took this post down.

Hopefully I have now complied with the rules-good grief!



Large head of romaine
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn (I used frozen, thawed)
5 green onions
Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing* or other dressing of choice

Finely chop romaine, bell pepper, tomatoes, and green onions.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.
Toss with desired dressing.
*Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
Directions
Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Oh yes, another good salad. Perfect summer meal!

Grilled Caesar Wrap

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces), trimmed
Pinch of salt
1 small romaine heart
2 1/2 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese
2 8- to 9-inch spinach wraps, warmed


1.Preheat grill to medium-high.
2.Combine lemon juice, oil, mayonnaise, garlic and pepper in a medium bowl.
3.Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Sprinkle chicken with salt. Cut romaine in half lengthwise, leaving the root end intact. Grill the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Two minutes before the chicken is done, place the romaine on the rack and grill, turning once or twice, until lightly charred and beginning to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes total.
4.Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Cut the root ends off the romaine, then chop the leaves. Add the chicken, lettuce and Parmesan to the bowl with the dressing; toss until well combined. Fill each wrap.

Yes, another easy meal that was healthy and tasted good! Serve with fruit salad.

Trisha Yearwood's Key Lime Cake

1 3-ounce package lime-flavored gelatin
1¹/3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 large eggs, slightly beaten
1½ cups vegetable oil
¾ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

GLAZE:
½ cup Key lime juice (from about 25 small Key limes or 4 large regular limes)
½ cup confectioners' sugar

CREAM CHEESE ICING
½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1-pound box confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. (I had to use 2 10").
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the gelatin, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir to mix well.
3. Add the eggs, oil, orange juice, lemon juice, and vanilla.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the 3 pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness by lightly touching the tops of the layers or inserting a toothpick.
5. Cool the layers in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto racks. While the layers are still hot, mix the lime juice and confectioners' sugar and pour it over the layers on the racks. You can pierce the layers with a fork to allow the glaze to soak in better. Allow the layers to cool completely as you prepare the icing.
6. Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is smooth and easy to spread. Spread the icing between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake.
7. The cream cheese icing is optional. This cake is beautiful and tastes great with just the glaze poured over it.
 Key limes can be hard to find. Substitute regular lime juice for key lime juice without sacrificing flavor

In my opinion: This cake was fabulous!

Jessica's Chicken Cobbler Casserole (Southern Living)

I have the best friends who share the best recipes. My sweet friend, Jessica, made this casserole for me when I returned home from the hospital. Oh my goodness, I fell in love. This is going to be the first meal I prepare in the Fall when it cools down enough to use the oven.

6 tablespoons melted butter, divided
4 cups cubed sourdough rolls
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 medium-size sweet onions, sliced
1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup white wine
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup drained and chopped jarred roasted red bell peppers
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Preparation
Toss 4 tablespoons melted butter with next 3 ingredients; set aside.
 Sauté onions in remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat 15 minutes or until golden brown. Add mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes.
 Stir in wine and next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until bubbly. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch square baking dish; top evenly with bread mixture.
 Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken Bacon & Avocado Chopped Salad

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts     
salt and pepper                                        
1 Tbsp. olive oil                                      
8 cups chopped Romaine lettuce            
8 slices bacon, cooked and diced          
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled            
2 avocados, pitted and diced        
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup garlic vinaigrette (see recipe below)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Garlic Herb Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (optional)
pinch of salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasonings
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook for 3 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. (Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken.)
3. Remove chicken and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Dice chicken into small pieces.
4. Add the diced chicken, lettuce, bacon, blue cheese, avocados and tomatoes to a large bowl, and toss until combined. Drizzle or toss with garlic vinaigrette and serve immediately.
To Make The Vinaigrette: Whisk all ingredients together until combined

I have only just begun to appreciate serving salads as a meal. This is one of the first I tried and we were pleasantly surprised. We used our own dressings.

"Fat-burning" Tilapia

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was noted that: cayenne, ginger, and mustard are 3 ingredients that help you burn fat just by eating them.

Sorry, no picture yet:(

•¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
 •2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
 •1 teaspoon paprika
 •1 teaspoon ginger
 •1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
 •1 teaspoon dried mustard
 •1 teaspoon chili powder
 •1 pinch cayenne pepper
 •4 tilapia filets, thawed

 1.Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
 2.In a medium-sized bowl combine olive oil, garlic and seasonings.
 3.Dip each filet into the seasoning and place it on the baking sheet.
 4.Pour any remaining seasoning over the filets on the sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven.
 5.Bake for 10 -12 minutes until fish flakes easily.
In my opinion, I loved this recipe! The seasonings were a bit much for my girls so be careful if you are making this for small children.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)
6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

1.Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.
 2.Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

Oh yeah! Another yummy meal. I'm starting to really like these wraps and melts! For more great wraps and melts click on the "wraps" label on the right.

Butterfinger Pie

This is not my picture. If it is yours, let me know and I will gladly give you credit.

6 (2 1/8 ounce) butterfinger candy bars, crushed (about 19 mini bars)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (12 ounce) carton Cool Whip This is the BIG one.
1 graham cracker crust (I used a smaller one and it was perfect)

1 Mix first three ingredients together.
2 Put it in pie crust.
3 Chill.
Wow, this was just too delicious. It was super easy, too! Make sure you get it out of the freezer at least an hour before serving.

Julia's Powerballs

My friend, Julia, told me about these quick and easy after-school snacks. They were a huge hit with all 4 of my kids. I snuck several myself.

2 c oatmeal
1 c chocolate chips
1 c peanut butter
2/3 c honey
(flour if you need to firm them up a bit)

If you have an electric mixer, I recommend tossing all the ingredients in and letting the mixer do all the work. Otherwise, you'll have oatmeal under your nails and all over the place. The kids can roll them into balls. They are pretty mushy so I put ours into the fridge to firm up.

They were a fabulous treat in our house and the kids are dying to make more. If you have more than 4 kids, you may want to double the recipe or they'll be gone the first day.