Christmas Cooking...

So, what Christmas goodies are you making this year? Can you believe it's already time to start thinking about teachers, parties, etc...?!?! I've had these bookmarked since last year and thought these were really great ideas!

So, here's what made my list...

Frito Candy
Oma's Peppermint Cookies
White Chocolate and Peppermint Popcorn
Empty Tomb Marshmallow Delights
Hot Chocolate on a Stick - with Christmas sprinkles or even crushed peppermint!

I'd love to hear your ideas - I might even need to adjust my list!!! ;)

New Favorite Enchiladas...

I found this recipe over at Family Favorite Recipes and it has quickly become our family's new go-to enchilada recipe!!! You've got to give it a try!!! Thanks Erica :O)

Easy Cheesy Enchiladas

Sauce ingredients:
2 Tbs. oil
1 med. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 can (14 oz) Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup Chicken or Beef stock

12 Corn tortillas
3 Tbs. oil
4 scallions, chopped
3 Tbs. cilantro leaves, finely chopped (we use more of course)
4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF. Heat the 2 Tbsp. oil in small pot over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until tender (about 7-8 minutes). Season with salt and pepper, chili powder and cumin. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and stock, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. While the enchilada sauce is simmering, place a skillet over medium heat and a little oil (3 Tbsp). Using tongs, soften each tortilla for 15 seconds on each side in the oil, shake off any excess then transfer to a plate covered with paper towels. Repeat this process with the rest of the tortillas. In a bowl, combine the scallions and cilantro with 3 cups of cheese. Fill each softened tortilla with about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and roll it up. Set the rolled tortillas in a row in a baking dish. When all the tortillas have been rolled, ladle the sauce evenly over the dish and top with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake until bubbly and brown on top, about 15 minutes. Serve with spanish rice, refried beans, and guacamole!

New photo...

for this old recipe!

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Happy Taco Day!!!

October 4th is National Taco Day!!! What a great food to celebrate!!! :O)

Migas Breakfast Tacos

Follow the recipe here and then serve wrapped in a tortilla!!! What a perfect way to start your day!!!

Who would have thought....

that Jessica Simpson cooks? Well, she does and here is one of her favorites! It comes from one of her parent's church cookbooks and her mom used to make this all the time while she was growing up! I thought it would be perfect for this cold front that blew in! LOL - it's still in the high 80's!!! Now with football on TV, it really puts you in the mood for colder weather and comfort food! And this really fits the bill! And since my oldest requests this all the time, I thought it was time to put in on the blog. So, enjoy :O)

Jessica Simpson's Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

3 rolls of croissant rolls, divided
1 small rotisserie chicken, cubed (we cook a few chicken breasts instead)
1-2 cups frozen mixed veggies (my addition)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Roll out the cans of croissant sheets and separate into diamond shaped sections. Place a small handful of rotisserie chicken on each diamond, fold dough over and press ends together to create dumplings. Cut up any excess dough into strips. Line a 9x13" baking dish with one layer of dumplings. Toss in the frozen veggies in between all the dumplings. Pour the can of cream of chicken soup over the layer of dumplings, followed by the can of cream of mushroom soup, and then your chicken broth. Place strips in a crisscross pattern on the top of the dumplings and soup mixture, season dish with salt and ground black pepper and bake until the dumplings are tender and cooked through and the top is bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes.

**she does fat free of everything - but I of course took that off!!! ;-)

School is in session!!!

So, that means I am in desperate need of quick and easy meals!!!! This is definitely a kid favorite in our house! Thanks Big Red Kitchen for coming to my rescue :O)

White Castle-like Sliders

1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 pounds ground chuck- 80/20 ground beef
1/2 t. seasoned salt
6 slices cheddar cheese
24 small party rolls
24 dill pickle slices

Evenly spread the onions on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently press the ground beef on top of the onion flakes. Press evenly making one giant patty. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the excess grease from the top of the patty. Top with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes. Remove from oven, let set 5 minutes then cut into 24 patties. Slice open and separate each party roll. Place bottom of rolls on a large platter. Using a spatula lift patty with onion layer onto each bun bottom. Top each slider with a pickle slice then the bun lid. Serve immediately.

Makes 24 Sliders.

* I think next time we will cut back on the onion flakes - just a tad too much for our tastes!

Happy Labor Day :O)

I'm sure most of you are grilling today - well, here in Tomball and most of South Texas we've been having torrential downpours off and on all day. Instead of grilling, we are having a fish fry. In the spirit of this holiday weekend, I thought I'd post this photo from a while back... Enjoy!!!

Margarita Pork Tenderloin
(from myrecipes.com)

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green onion, minced
1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons tequila
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins

Combine first 10 ingredients in a shallow dish or large zip-top plastic freezer bag. Cut pork diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices, and add to tequila mixture. Cover or seal, and chill 1 hour, turning occasionally. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade. Grill, covered with grill lid, over high heat (400° to 500°) 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until done.

* We served this with Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole, that I'll try to post tomorrow.

Last Dish of the Summer....

This is a wonderful Taste of Home recipe - just perfect for those warm summer evenings! My hubby was not to thrilled with the idea of eating strawberries on top of his grilled pork, but he loved it!!! It was actually a great combination! This was even better right on top of the salad!!! This would be a great recipe to impress your dinner guests with!!!

Sweet and Tangy Chops

3/4 cup raspberry vinaigrette
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper
4 pork loin chops
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

In a small bowl, combine the vinaigrette, onion, brown sugar, paprika and Worcestershire sauce; set aside. Combine rosemary and pepper; rub over both sides of pork chops. In a large skillet, cook chops in oil over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. Pour vinaigrette mixture over meat; cook 3-4 minutes longer or until pork juices run clear. Remove chops and keep warm. Add strawberries to the cooking juices and toss to coat; serve with pork chops.

* We grilled the pork instead and just mixed the vinaigrette mixture in a saucepan on the stove. Towards the end of the cooking time, we added the strawberries to the pan and then poured over the pork when ready to serve.

Summer Favorite!!!

My kiddos requested this all summer long!!! We had it several times - not only is it to die, for but it is soooo easy!!! So, how could I say no? Thanks Robin Sue for a great idea!!!

Cookie Dough Pie

15.25 ounce package Chips Ahoy Cookies- Original kind

8-12 ounces Cool Whip
1 1/2 cups milk

Quickly dip cookies in milk, shake off excess liquid, and layer in 9 inch pie plate, breaking cookies to fill any gaps. Once the first layer is complete, top with a thin layer of Cool Whip. Repeat twice more making last layer of Cool Whip a bit thicker. Garnish with chocolate syrup if desired. Place in freezer 2-3 hours before serving. Serves 6-8.

Back to School Breakfast...

Man, where did the summer go? I can't believe the kiddos have already been in school a whole week?! I need some back to school breakfast ideas!!! What are y'all cooking at your house? My oldest loves French Toast and this is his favorite recipe! It's my favorite because it's quick and easy!!!

Favorite French Toast

4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
12 slices white bread
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
Toppings: syrup, powdered sugar, whipped cream, strawberries, etc...

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk, brown sugar and nutmeg; stir well to combine. Soak bread slices in the egg mixture until saturated. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Brown slices on both sides, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve hot. Add whatever toppings you desire. Enjoy!

Picnic Pasta Salad

This is a wonderful recipe I got from over at Teri's Kitchen. My hubby went back like 4 times and said I really needed to blog about it!!! So, how could I not?! The addition of Parmesan cheese to this pasta salad gives it a very unique flavor and the tomatoes add texture and an unexpected burst of freshness! This would be great to take to a church potluck or your last picnic of the summer!

Pasta and Parmesan Cheese Salad

8 oz. elbow macaroni or pasta shells, cooked al dente
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped dill pickles
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup chopped tomatoes

Combine all ingredients, preferably while pasta is still warm, except for the mayo and tomatoes; toss lightly. Add the mayo and mix well. Refrigerate for at least several hours or overnight. Before serving, add the tomatoes and toss. Bring to room temperature. Taste for seasoning and, if needed, add a little more mayo or cheese. Serves: 6

Notes from Teri... If you are serving the salad within several hours, you can add the tomatoes in the beginning. She prefers to use halved cherry or grape tomatoes. Since the dill pickles and cheese are salty, taste carefully before adding salt to the salad. She usually adds a little of the pickle juice and, when it is in season, some chopped fresh dill. To make life a little easier, dill cubes can be used. Other pasta shapes, such as small penne rigate or larger elbows can be used. As for the Parmesan cheese, her Mom's original recipe called for the canned variety. At the time, they thought it was very good, and would not hesitate to use it in this recipe. However, now she prefers freshly grated cheese of higher quality, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano. It costs more, but you will need less because it has so much flavor. The choice is yours. This recipe can easily be made in any amount.

Summer Cook-off...

Butter Brickle Frozen Delight

We, here on Three On Food, have decided to do some joint-venture cooking! We thought every season it would be fun to try a recipe and then we could all comment on what we liked about the recipe, what we would do different, etc... all within the same post!!! So, Tara picked our first recipe that just screamed SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!! Yummmm.... Let's get cookin'....

-------------------------------------------------------------

Butter Brickle Frozen Delight
recipe: allrecipes.com

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1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup white sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (12 ounce) jar caramel topping


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup melted butter and white sugar until well mixed. Press into bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake 6 minutes, until set. Cool completely. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter and pecans until well mixed. Lightly pat onto a baking sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until light brown. Crumble while still hot. Cool completely. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in condensed milk until well blended. Fold in whipped topping. Spread half of the cheese mixture over the crust in the springform pan. Sprinkle half of the oat crumbles over the cheese mixture, and spread half of the caramel sauce over that. Repeat layers. Freeze until firm, remove pan sides and serve cold.

Tara... Okay, so when Kathy told me about her idea of doing this summer cook-off thing I thought "Cool, that sounds like fun!" but it just so happened that I had also embarked on another adventure of.... losing weight!!!! or shall I say "trying" to lose weight! I had been eying this recipe and had it saved in my Allrecipes box for a while and when Kathy said those magic words I knew the exact recipe I wanted to try. But, on my recipe I did everything low fat/low sugar as I could! and let me tell ya is was still awesome!!! So what I did next was when it was ready to be gobbled up I took a very small sliver just to have a few bites so I could tell how YUMMY it was and I gave all the rest away to my neighbors. Let me tell ya, they all loved me before but after my husband and I delivered this to all of them they loved me even MORE!! ;o) So, not only did we love this recipe but all my neighbors did as well! And the give away worked cause I lost 6lbs. on my first week of my weight loss journey!! Here's to continued success for me!!! Happy cooking!!!

Here's what I changed in the recipe:

• substituted I can't believe it's not butter for butter.
• 1/3 less fat cream cheese for regular cream cheese.
• fat free sweetened condensed milk for regular sweetened condensed milk.
• and I only used 1 (8oz) container of sugar free frozen whipped topping instead of the 12 oz of regular frozen whipped topping.
  

Kathy... We really liked this recipe, well almost all of us except for our 14 year old who can't eat nuts right now because he has an expander in his mouth!!! :( Hubby said it sort of tasted like popcorn!?! It was very good, but I'm not sure I'd ever make it again. There's nothing wrong with this recipe - I'm just a chocolate lover!!! If you love caramel - then this is the recipe for you!!! If you decide to make this one, here's some things you should know... I bought the 15oz. tub of Cool Whip and just didn't use it all. Also, I cooked my oats and nuts mixture the whole 15 minutes and ended up burning the ones on the edges. I also didn't spread my oats and nuts thin enough, so I felt like the ones in the middle didn't get toasted enough. If I were to do this again, I would just stir half-way through and keep a careful eye on them!

If you want to join in on our little Food Challenge... Try the recipe and leave us a comment and let us know what challenges you had or what changes you made! We'd love to hear from you :O)

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Hi all! I know I should've taken a picture of this Chicken Tamale Casserole recipe, but I was soo hungry, I didn't think about it until it was gone...there were NO leftovers here tonight! Being a mexican-food LOVER, I've been wanting to try this recipe. It was soo darn easy and very very yummy! Everyone loved it! The only thing I didn't do was add chiles, and next time I will use a different cornbread mix, Jiffy is a little sweet, and I love Jiffy, but I think this needs a less sweet version. We added guacamole and sour cream to top it off!! ENJOY!!
*Cindy*

My kinda Carne

I know that Kathy has posted her version of Carne Guisada on here before but this is my version. Not really sure if Guisada & Guizado are the same thing or not? Anyway, this is another awesome recipe from my sweet neighbor Denise (Mama Nise as we know her!). The hubby and I like to eat this with some Spanish rice and tortillas. The kiddos however like me to shred it up and make quesadillas with it. Either way it's all GOOD! Have you ever made Carne Guizado/Guisada before and if so how'd you do it?

Carne Guizado

1 lb. stew meat
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) beef broth (bouillon)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 small chiles serranos (I have never added these but I'm sure they'd be DELISH!)
3/4 cup water

Brown meat in oil until brown on all sides. Pour off grease. Add tomato paste, beef broth, salt & pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chile peppers, and water. Bring to a boil and then turn very low, cover and simmer about one and 1/2 hours, or until meat is tender.
Dissolve about one teaspoon cornstarch in small amount of cold water and slowly pour into stew, which is simmering, until proper thickness of gravy is obtained. Serve with rice. (FYI...This batch I took a pic of was the perfect consistency at the end of cooking that I didn't have to add the cornstarch. So you can skip the last part of the directions if the gravy is to your liking!)
Enjoy!!

Tara

Tropical Teriyaki Fish Fillets

Made this wonderful dish tonight! I'm not great at taking pics like Tara and Kathy, b/c I can't wait to eat and to be honest, the last thing on my mind is taking a picture...I just wanna eat...LOL!! Here's the recipe....then I'll add what I changed...

Tropical Teriyaki Fish Fillets

4-6 fillets, your choice (recommended tilapia)
1/3 jar Cookwell & Co. Teriyaki Glaze
3 tbsp Adam's Reserve Southwest Ancho Sear N' Crust
1 package HEB mango pico de gallo
4 tbsp Grapeseed Oil (can use EVVO)
*salt and pepper to taste

1. Rub 1 tbsp grapeseed oil on fish fillets then season with SW Ancho and salt and pepper.
2. Heat skillet on high heat about 2 minutes or until hot but not smoking, add grapeseed oil and after 30 seconds add your fish.
3. Pan sear on each side until done, for tilapia, 2 - 2.5 minutes each side.
4. Once fish is done cooking add teriyaki glaze to pan and top with mango pico. Fish should be served immediately.

**I had this at HEB and it was so wonderful. I did purchase the Ancho seasoning b/c I can use it for other food for baking, grilling...whatever. I cooked everything like the recipe calls, but thought I had some teriyaki glaze at home, and when I started cooking, didn't have any, so I totally omitted #4...instead after I cooked the fish, we topped it with sliced avacado and tomatoes...it was soo great. This recipe is so versitile, that's why I love it. I can't wait to make it following the recipe, I know my husband will LOVE it! I served it with rice and broccoli ... soo very yummy! I thought of taking a pic this time, but my fish didn't look great...lol...so I didn't want to embarass myself!!

Enjoy!!

Cindy

A big thanks to Christy's Granny Jordan!!!

I found this great recipe over at Christy Jordan's Southern Plate. It's a classic recipe with a unique twist - an addition of ritz cracker crumbs and potato chips! We were in such hurry that we just served it cold! Wouldn't this be perfect by the pool!?!

Granny Jordan’s Chicken Casserole/Salad

1 cooked, cut up chicken

1/2 cup mayo
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 boiled eggs, cut up
3/4 cup celery, diced
onion, diced (I used half of an onion)
1/3 cup cracker crumbs (I omitted these)
Potato Chips
Ritz crackers
Lettuce

Mix chicken, mayo, soup, eggs, celery, onion, and cracker crumbs in a bowl. Spread into an 8×8 pan. Top with crushed potato chips. Bake at 350 for twenty minutes. Serve hot or cold. If cold, serve over bed of lettuce with Ritz crackers.

Not something new but...

I know there are millions of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there and this is just the same ole one off the back of the Nestle Toll House bag. But, I just had to put the word out! These mini morsels ROCK! You get at little bit of heaven in every bite with these little chocolate chips. I feel with the bigger chocolate chips that sometimes you get more cookie without any of the chocolaty goodness. As you can see in the pics there is little bits of chocolate all over!! We loved them and who doesn't like chocolate??!!

**My little sous chef helping me in the kitchen. Hopefully she'll keep her beautiful, girly figure unlike her mother. ;o)

Original Nestle Toll House Mini Morsel Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups Nestle Toll House Mini morsels
1 cup chopped nuts (optional, we didn't add these)

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated and brown sugar, and vanilla in large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

ENJOY!!!!

Tara

The Perfect Corn Salad

Here is another awesome recipe from our bunko friend Heather! She made this at our last bunko gathering with chicken breast and spinach salad and it was so superb that I told her she HAD to give me the recipe "or else!!". ;o) She gladly emailed it over to me and I had a terrific dinner with it and some grilled fish.
I know there are several kind of corn salad recipes out there, what's your favorite?

Heather's Corn Salad

• 2 cans corn, drained ** Heather had 3 cans of corn in her recipe but I thought 2 were fine!**
  

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

• Fresh Pico de gallo, (as much as you like) I didn't have this on hand so I just chopped up some onion, tomato, garlic, 1 jalapeno, and cilantro.
• add more cilantro if you'd like...I'm not a very big cilantro fan so I didn't add a whole lot!
• Balsamic vinaigrette dressing (recipe below)...don't add too much!

Mix everything together and refrigerate overnight or at least a couple of hours.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup Balsamic vinaigrette
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup white cooking wine
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. ground cumin

Mix together and pour over salad

Tara

Another Go-To Meal...

This is a true family favorite for all in our house! I found it forever ago at Real Mom Kitchen and it quickly became a go-to meal for us! This is a perfect recipe to use when you have no time to spend in the kitchen!

Enchilada Style Burritos

8 frozen prepared beef and bean burritos
2 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1-1/4 cups water
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp beef bouillon granules
3/4 tsp ground cumin
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Mexican Cheddar

Place frozen burritos in a greased 9x13-in. baking dish; set aside. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually stir in water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the tomato sauce, chili powder, bouillon, cumin and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Pour over the burritos. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. Add any additional toppings that you desire.

I'm baacckkk!!!

I have been out of the loop for awhile...really there are no excuses. I did however try to come back, but I think Kathy and Tara locked me out...I couldn't post anything! LOL! Let me grab my recipes and I'll be back with some posts...however, mine do not come with pics, YET!!! Plus I just figured out how to blog a faster way on my computer, and I need to make sure it works :) !! SOOO great to be back!!

Cindy

Blueberry Buckle

The moment I saw this over at Lynda's Recipe Box I knew I just had to make this! I wasn't too sure how my husband and kiddos would take to it but let me tell you...They LOVED it! My husband immediately put a huge scoop of ice cream on top while it was still hot and devoured it! I hope there's still some left for breakfast in the morning! Let me know if you try it!



Ingredients:
For the cake-
2 cups of cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) of unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk- I've used whole and 2%, both with good results
3 cups of fresh blueberries
For the topping-
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, chilled- 2 ounces
Directions-
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and ground nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and the sugar together until creamy and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the milk, and beat until incorporated. Repeat until the ingredients are combined. Gently stir in the blueberries and pour cake mixture into the prepared pan.
For the topping:
In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add the cold butter in chunks, and mix with a fork or pastry blender until there is a crumb-like mixture. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the cake. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 35 minutes, or until golden. I tested with a tooth pick and my cake took about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Bar-b-Que Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I know there are a lot of BBQ pork recipes out there but this one is my tried and true that I run to every time. I use McCormick's BBQ Pulled Pork Slow Cooker seasoning packet. All you need is ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar...which most of us already all have in our pantries. Mix up the ingredients, add to slow cooker with your pork roast and cook!! It's as easy at that...just throw everything in the crock-pot in the morning and have delicious pulled pork sandwiches later on for dinner! McCormick has several different Slow Cooker seasoning packs like these. Has anyone ever tried any of the other ones? They all look wonderful. This was a great ending to a wonderful day at the pool! Definitely a super easy dinner!!! Enjoy!

New Quiche Recipe...

I got this wonderful recipe from myrecipes, which is from Southern Living - and let me tell you this has "Southern" written all over it!!!!!! The crust is the best part which will remind you of a classic Southern cheese wafer! This is perfect for brunch, or for dinner with soup and salad!

Chicken-Pecan Quiche

1 cup flour
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup minced onion
3 drops of hot sauce
1/4 cup pecan halves

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Add oil; stir well. Firmly press mixture in bottom and up sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Cool completely. Combine sour cream and next 3 ingredients; stir with a wire whisk until smooth. Stir in chicken, 1/2 cup cheese, onion, and hot sauce. Pour chicken mixture over prepared crust. Arrange pecan halves over chicken mixture. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Summer Snackin' with the Kids...

Okay, this photo was taken way back during the spring, but who says you can't use a bunny plate in the summertime?! And this cute little cookie is good year round!!! It's also very easy so the kids can help out, if you can get them inside. I love to make fruit dip for our strawberries and decided that it would be a good combination with sugar cookies. This kid snack was a BIG hit - even with the adults!!!

Strawberry Shortcut Cookies

Fruit Dip
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 (7oz) jar marshmallow creme

Using an electric mixer, blend cream cheese and marshmallow creme until mixed thoroughly. Store leftover dip in refrigerator.

Sugar Cookies - make according to directions or your favorite recipe.
Strawberries - Rinse, hull, and slice strawberries.

Once cookies have cooled, layer them with the fruit dip and top them off with your strawberries!

The BEST summer dessert!

I found this recipe a few years ago on Allrecipes and have been in love with it ever since! This is one of my all time favorite desserts. The crunchy,sweet & salty layer of the pretzel bottom pairs up perfectly with the strawberry-cheesecake layer! Definitely add this to your summer time desserts. It will not be a disappointment!

Strawberry Pretzel Bliss

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
• 4 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the pretzels, 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Mix in frozen strawberries, and stir until thawed...you may want the jello to thicken up a little in the fridge before pouring it over the next layer that way the layers won't bleed together. Pour jello mixture over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.

ENJOY!!

Tara

"Jamaican" ME CRAZY!!

I don't know about you guys but we are big chicken eaters around here and I'm ALWAYS trying to find new recipes for it. And let me tell ya this one from myrecipes.com is a keeper!! I wasn't too sure about the allspice, but all the flavors in this was absolutely wonderful. The chopped jalapeno gave it that little extra "POW". Thumbs up all around my table tonight for this one!

Jamaican-Spiced Chicken Thighs

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 chicken thighs)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper ( I didn't add this...we don't like spicy around here.)
  
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; add chicken, tossing to coat (**I marinated my chicken overnight). Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes. Turn chicken over; cook 6 minutes or until done. FYI...I ended up grilling my chicken out on the grill...to me everything tastes better from the grill!! ;o)

ENJOY!

Tara

Chocolate Chip Bunko Bars!

This post is dedicated to my neighbor, Kristen. She made this for bunko a few years ago and we called it "Kristen's BIG chocolate chip cookie". But, it's only big in the pan until you cut it into bars! So, I had to rename it! ;o) Anyway, it's super yummy and makes a lot! Kristen recently added a new addition to her little family so these were the perfect treat to send over to her house...that way my big mouth won't have any excuse to gobble them all up!!!

Welcome to the world little Julie Grace!!

Chocolate Chip Bunko Bars

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks of butter ( I used "I can't believe it's not butter"), at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups milk chocolate chips

Mix first three ingredients in a medium bowl, set aside. Beat the butter and sugars together with a mixer. Add vanilla and add the eggs, one at a time. Slowly add the flour mixture next. And last but not least...add the heavenly, milk chocolate chips. Spread the batter in a greased 9 X 13 pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

ENJOY!! ;o)

Tara

My 40th Birthday Bash...

Tara and my sweet, sweet Hubby have been in cahoots for about 6 weeks now!!! It all started with girlfriends showing up on my doorstep that I haven't seen in forever!!! We all went to dinner and more girlfriends showed up. We then had an amazing "Melinda cake" and they showered me with lots of sweet, wonderful gifts. We then headed off to the resort for tons of fun and then lots of pampering the next day!!! I can't remember when I've felt that special!?! Thanks Tara for all your time, effort, and love that went into planning such an amazing birthday weekend!!! It's one I'll never forget!!!

And since we're all about food - here I am about to dig in to Cafe Adobe's Signature dish... The Avocado Adobe which is a half of an avocado, stuffed with cheese and my meat choice was grilled steak, and then it is lightly battered, fried and topped with ranchero sauce. It is served with pico, rice, and beans! I can't wait to go back and have this again!!!



The next day we ate at Tommy Bahama's and we had The Saba Steak Salad!!! Which is marinated, char-grilled tenderloin medallions, grilled potatoes, roma tomatoes, shiitake chips, garlic aioli & tamarind vinaigrette and it was the BEST salad I've ever had in my life!!! No one makes a better steak than my Hubby but this meat just melted in your mouth!!! OMGoodness!

I wish you all could have been there with us!!! Good food, good times, and great friends - does it get any better?