BLT Blowout...

As usual, the other day Tara and I were discussing what we were making for dinner. I told her about the Betty Crocker email I had gotten and thought the BLT wrap looked really good. It was a good thing too because my pantry was bare and those ingredients were about all I had. Well, she had the same ingredients on hand too. So, we both made the same dinner Monday night. Being a recipe follower - I made it exactly as I was instructed to!!! ;) lol... It was very good but Tara's version might have been better. I think the Ranch dressing that she added probably took it up a notch. Guess I'll have to do it that way next time!!!

Kathy's BLT Wraps

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
2 cups bite-size pieces lettuce
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 large tomato, chopped
1/3 cup mayo or salad dressing
6 flour tortillas

Toss all ingredients except tortillas. Spread one-sixth of bacon mixture on each tortilla. Fold up bottom third of each tortilla; roll up to form cone shape with folded end at bottom. Enjoy!

Tara's BLT Wraps

Ingredients:

• chopped lettuce
• chopped tomatoes
• 6-8 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon
• chopped avocado
  
• couple squirts of Ranch dressing
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and wrap it up!

Tara

Rachel from Rachel VS. "The Kitchen" is celebrating her 100th post today!!! Congrats Rachel!!! She's also having a giveaway - so go on over and check it out!!!

Cuban Midnight Sandwich...

The medianoche earns its name from the time that it was typically eaten. After a night of dancing, the medianoche is a perfect way to stave off hunger. We're not dancers and we didn't eat this at midnight, but it was still wonderful!!! I couldn't believe even my kids loved it!!!

Medianoche

1 cup mayo

5 Tbs. Italian dressing

4 Tbs. mustard

3 thin slices of ham

3 thin slices roast pork hot or cold (I used leftover pernil)

3 thin slices of Swiss cheese

3 or 4 slices of pickles

1/3 cut Cuban bread (sweet yellow bread) or a substitute bread

In small bowl, mix together mayo and Italian dressing. Slice the bread open face so that both halves are still barely connected. Spread mixture on your rolls and then spread mustard on both halves. Add the ham, and then the roasted pork. Add your Swiss cheese and then a few pickle slices. Make sure to rub your sandwich press with a little Olive oil, or brush some soft butter on the outside of the bread. Place the sandwich in a sandwich press and press down until the cheese is melted and the bread is slightly hard to the touch. (Really watch this - my sandwich kept slipping apart! Maybe I had too much mayo and mustard?!) When finished, slice the sandwich diagonally across the middle so that you have two triangle shaped wedges. Enjoy!

* Mayo and Italian Dressing is not the traditional Cuban sandwich, but it was a really nice change!

Spring Break request...

The only thing that my oldest son really requested to eat while out this whole week was his favorite -- Egg Salad Sandwiches!!! Here's our recipe...

Our Favorite Egg Salad Sandwiches

8 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
2-3 Tbs. chopped green onion
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop. (Week old eggs peel better!) Place the chopped eggs in a bowl, and stir in the mayonnaise, mustard and green onion. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir and serve on your favorite bread or crackers. If serving on a lettuce leaf - you might add a little paprika for color!

This looks sooo good!!!

I can't wait to try this! If any of you beat me to the punch - let me know how it turns out!!!

Pineapple Chicken Salad Pitas
(photo and recipe from Cooking Light)

Almonds add crunch to the filling, though you can substitute toasted walnuts or pecans, if you prefer.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, each cut in half
8 Romaine lettuce leaves

Preparation

Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Line each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf; fill each half with 1/3 cup chicken mixture.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed pita halves)

What's your favorite... tuna recipe?

Eating tuna sandwiches really brings back memories of picnics with my grandparents! Here's my grandmother's recipe - my favorite!

Tuna Salad Sandwiches - adjust these to your liking:

tuna, rinsed and drained
miracle whip
eggs, boiled and chopped
1 red delicious apple, chopped
pecans, chopped



Sometimes I want tuna sandwiches, but I want something a little different. Nothing beats a good tuna melt...

Tuna Melt
I follow the recipe but add more mayo and mustard, otherwise it's a little too dry. I then put it on toasted bread with cheese and anything else you might want on there!

Deceptively Delicious???

I just had to tell you all that I bought the Deceptively Delicious cook book by Jessica Seinfeld and tried a recipe yesterday on my daughter, Madeline. It was the grilled cheese sandwich with sweet potato puree. She took one bite and spit it out!!!!! I didn't think it was that bad but boy could she tell the difference. The baby liked it and so did the dog ;-). So, this morning I was thinking "what am I going to do with all this sweet potato puree?", and I tried another of her recipes. (I'm not giving up!) This time it was Pancakes with sweet potatoes. This went over a lot better than the grilled cheese. My son and the baby ate it with out a flinch. Madeline ate a few bites but I just think she wasn't in the breakfast mood this morning. It's hit or miss with her sometimes with breakfast, but at least she took some bites without spitting it out!!
So, if you are feeling a little adventurous give these a try!!

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sweet potato puree (I think it would be better with maybe just 1/3 cup??)
1 tbsp soft tub margarine spread
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 slices bread (the recipe calls for whole wheat bread but I just use what I have on hand)
** In a medium bowl, mix the cheese, puree, margarine, and salt. Spread two slices of the bread with the cheese mixture and top with the other two slices.
**Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Cook 4-5 minutes per side, until the bread is crisp and the filling is melted. ( I put margarine spread on both sides of my sandwich)

Pancakes
1 cup water
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1/4 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pancake mix
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
Maple syrup, for serving

**In a large bowl, mix the water, sweet potato puree, and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, if using. Add the pancake mix and stir just to combine - the batter should be lumpy.
**Coat a griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over med-high heat. When the pan is hot add the oil and spoon the batter onto the griddle or pan, using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.
**Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancakes and the batter is set, 2-3 minutes. Flip the pancake and cook until golden brown on the other side, 2-3 minutes.
( I used Bisquick and instead of water I put milk in mine. I forgot to put in an egg and they still turned out good.)

I'm really excited to try out some more recipes....Although, I can't tell you that my kids are though???!!!!