I'm all about easy meals...

especially for the summer when the kids are home. We tend to get busy playing, and don't really want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. If you are the same, then give this recipe a try. I saw it in a Betty Crocker magazine while standing in line at the grocery store. My whole family really liked it!

Baked Chicken Panzanella

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used Tyson chicken strips, cut up)
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic, onion, and oregano, drained
1/4 cup sliced green onions (about 4 medium)
1 pkg. (5 oz) Italian seasoned croutons
1/4 cup Italian dressing
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sliced fresh basil leaves (I just sprinkled a little dry basil on)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In an ungreased 2 quart baking dish, layer chicken, tomatoes, green onions, and croutons. Drizzle with Italian dressing. Cover with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Uncover; top with cheese. Bake about 10 minutes longer or until hot and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil.

A lesson in contrast...

When I saw this on myrecipes, I just knew I had to try it. Talk about summertime grillin'!!! The sweet juiciness of the peach paired with the rich, peppery bite of the arugula and then the tartness of the vinegar -- Wow!!! We loved it! And for once, we didn't change a thing!!! This is definitely a meal to impress!!!

Grilled Peaches and Pork

4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large peaches, peeled, halved, and pitted (about 12 ounces)
Cooking spray
6 cups trimmed arugula
1 teaspoon turbinado or granulated sugar

Place each piece of pork between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each piece to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Combine 2 tablespoons vinegar, juice, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon juice mixture. Pour the remaining juice mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally. Preheat grill to medium heat. Place peaches, cut sides up, on a plate; drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until pork is done. Set aside. Place peaches, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 4 minutes or until soft and slightly browned. Turn and cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Cut each peach half into 4 slices. Slice pieces of pork into 1-inch-thick strips. Drizzle trimmed arugula with reserved 1 tablespoon juice mixture, tossing to coat. Divide arugula evenly among 4 plates. Top with grilled pork strips and peach slices; sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar.

* We grilled the peaches with the skin on, which made peeling afterward so much easier!!!

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!!!

Something different...

My family and I LOVE Chicken Cordon Bleu. The other day I ran across this recipe on Allrecipes and thought these would be fun to make. They were a big hit at my house and will definitely be on the menu again, real soon!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites

16 ounces ground chicken
3/4 cup cooked, diced ham
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs ( I used Progresso Bread Crumbs - Italian Style)
6 ounces Swiss cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
canola oil for pan-frying

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine the chicken, ham, and egg in a large bowl until well blended. Gradually add bread crumbs until the mixture loses its stickiness and can be easily formed into balls.
Form the chicken mixture around the cheese cubes, forming 2 inch balls. Place on a plate.
Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a deep skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry the balls until the outsides are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels, and place in baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven until cooked through and cheese is soft, about 20 minutes. Cool briefly before serving.

**Before frying the chicken balls in the oil I rolled them in more bread crumbs to give a outer crunch....YUMMO!

Tara

A Good summer salad...

I'm not really sure if we've posted this recipe before or not but this is one of my faves! We had it for dinner last night and I forgot to take a picture of it before I plunged into it. The longer it sits the better the flavors can soak in, but I do like the crunchiness of the noodles and they will get softer the longer it sits! ENJOY!

Broccoli Slaw

1 pkg Broccoli Slaw

2 pkg Ramen noodles, chicken flavor, crunched up with your hands

1 cup slivered almonds

1 cup sunflower kernels

3-4 chopped green onions

**Sauce**

½ cup sugar

½ cup white vinegar

1 cup vegetable oil (I use a little less, maybe like 3/4 of a cup)

2 tsp. sesame oil

2 pks seasoning from ramen noodles

Mix the first 5 ingredients into a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl mix the 5 ingredients for the sauce. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the sauce on top of slaw mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. ENJOY!!

I found the neatest tip...

for the BEST CORN ON THE COB EVER!!!! I found it over on Feasting Friends. Missy found a new technique that will give you that "sweet taste" every time you make corn on the cob. The secret is just adding a few simple ingredients to your water!!! For years I've been boiling my corn in just plain ol' water! She says that if you try it this way - you'll never go back to just plain water ever again!!! I can't wait to put some corn on my menu for this next week!!! How 'bout you? What's your secret to making sweet corn?

Sweet Corn on the Cob

4 ears of corn
water (enough to cover the corn)
3/4 cup Heavy cream (or substitute with milk)
2-3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter (optional and to add to the water)

Fill a large stock pot with enough water to cover the corn. Add milk, sugar and butter. Stir to mix. Bring to a boil, then add corn cobs. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes, or until just tender. Do not over cook or the corn will become tough. Also, never salt the water, as it also toughens the corn.

Using long tongs remove and place on a plate or in a bowl, then cover with foil until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Beat the Heat...

Here's a recipe I found over on San Diego Cooks. What fun recipes they have!!!! Perfect for summer time!

Raspberry Pineapple Bliss

1-2 Packages Macaroon Cookies
1 (half gallon) Pineapple Ice Cream
1 (half gallon) Raspberry Ice Cream

Let both flavors of ice cream thaw slightly and then mix together. Make into ice cream sandwiches or crumble the macaroons and put one layer cookie, one layer ice cream until it fits in the bowl that you have chosen. Put back in the freezer for a few minutes. Serve and Enjoy!

* I think this is a great recipe to play with! The possibilities are endless! We are big chocolate lovers, so the next time we make this I might go more that route!

Chicken Tortellini Bake...

This is a great recipe that I found over at My Kitchen Cafe. The only changes we made were that we added garlic. Excuse the messy photo - I forgot to take the photo beforehand and that's all that was left!!!

Chicken Tortellini Bake

16 ounce package of cheese tortellini
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups (about 2 chicken breasts) chicken cut up into bite size pieces
3 green onions finely chopped, white and green parts
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup sour cream
2-4 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook tortellini for 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken for 1-2 minutes and add the fresh mushrooms, garlic and green onions, cooking until chicken is done and mushrooms are golden brown. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Mix in sour cream until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened. Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray. Pour tortellini in bottom of 9X13 pan. Sprinkle half the cheese over tortellini. Put cooked chicken/sauce mixture on top and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake covered with tin foil at 350 for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for additional 10-15 minutes until bubbly and golden brown around the edges.

An Award and Pizza Casserole...

Or what my kids like to call "Bubble Pizza"! This is so good that even the BIG kids in your house will love it!!! Yes, you're the BIG kid I'm talking about!!! ;)

Bubble Pizza

2 cups pizza cheese
16 oz. browned sausage (or pepperoni, hamburger, or bacon)
1 jar of pizza sauce
2 tubes buttermilk biscuits
*Note: I don't put veggies in this b/c my kiddos don't like them, but feel free to add whatever you would order on your own pizza.

Brown and drain the meat. Cut the 2 tubes of biscuits into quarters. Put the biscuits into a bowl along with the jar of pizza sauce. Add the meat and any other toppings you may have. Mix it all together. Pour into a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. After baking for 20 minutes, take it out and add your cheese. Now pop it back in the over for 10 more minutes. Enjoy!



Heidi, from Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi was so sweet to send me the Kreativ Blogger Award. Thanks Heidi, I sure appreciate it!!! :o)

There are rules to this award, so here they are:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.


I don't know if anyone will find any of these things interesting, but here goes:

1. Been married to my best friend for 17 years!!! I know this is wierd... but I really love watching him do yard work! One would think it would be nice of me to help him out - nope, I just watch!!! I do visit with him to keep him company though!!! What a sweet wife he has!!! ;) lol...

2. I love summertime because that means I have all of my kids home with me! I hate it when school starts in the fall!!! I know, you're thinking I'm not normal!!! So, please forgive me for not posting more - I'm taking advantage of these precious few months I have my kiddos all to myself!!!

3. I HATE to shop! I hate going to the grocery store and Wal-mart weekly! And believe it or not, I even hate shopping for myself!!! Which is why I tend to not buy trendy clothes! I need things that will always be in style. I only really go what you would consider "fun shopping" twice a year - once for school clothes and the other is for Christmas gifts. And I try to do online shopping whenever I can get away with it! I know - I'm definitely not normal!!!

4. I hate getting shots but I don't mind getting them in the mouth from the dentist!!! Yes, I'm a wierdo!!!

5. I have a bad habit of eating ice! I know - pretty annoying!!! That just reminds me... it's time to schedule my dental appointment!

6. I'm donating my hair to Locks of Love at the end of summer!

7. I LOVE to eat and try new recipes. I don't eat low-fat anything!!! I eat what I want when I want - as long as I'm hungry for it. If you're interested, here's how I stay thin!

I would like to pass this award along to:
Jamie from Mom's Cooking Club
Penny from Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen
Tina from Mommy's Kitchen
Teresa from A Blog About Food
Delectable Dining
Rachel from Rachel VS. "The Kitchen"
Kim from The Ungourmet

No1here's newest creation...

My husband is the KING of throwing things together and making a wonderful meal. I didn't feel like cooking the other night, so he goes into the pantry and the fridge and says "I have it!" I wish I had that gift!!! Here's what he came up with...

Poor Man's Ceviche

2 Tilapia fillets
1 can black beans, drained
2/3 cup frozen corn
chopped tomato
juice of 2-3 limes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
chopped cilantro
salt & pepper

Cook the fish the same way as in the fish taco recipe. In the meantime, mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl. Add your cooked fish, and give another stir. We ate this with Tostito Scoops.

Ooey Gooey Goodness...

I can't believe I'm just now getting around to making this!!! I've been meaning to for years!!! It was so good that even my non-dessert-loving-husband loved it!!!

Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cake

Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare Filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey. I sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar on top before serving. Yield: 6 to 8 servings, or more if cut into small squares!

Kathy's menu - week 32

Monday - BBQ Ribs, Beans, Coleslaw, Fried Okra, My Cheddar Beer Bread

Tuesday - Taste testing... Curried Coconut Chicken and Rice

Wednesday - Burritos and Chips

Thursday - Steak, Baked Potatoes, Green beans, and Rolls

Friday's Fun Kid Pleaser - Bubble Pizza and Salad

Saturday - Hoisin and Bourbon-Glazed Pork Tenderloin, Tomato Relish, and Rice

Sunday - Chicken Tortellini Bake and Crusty Bread

Two More Lovely Awards...

Teresa over at A Blog about Food and Heidi from Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi were sweet enough to leave us girls the One Lovely Blog Award - how exciting!!! This award is to be passed to ten other bloggers. Which is really hard, since we all tend to love the same blogs!!! Here goes... We'd like to pass this on to...

1. Katy at Food for a Hungry Soul
2. Delectable Dining
3. Carrie at Cooking with Carrie
4. Kara at Kara's Kitchen Creations
5. Christy at Christy's Kitchen Creations
6. Monica at Lick The Bowl Good
7. Dana and the girls at San Diego Cooks
8. Chelsea at Mmm...Cafe
9. Amy and Amber at The Sisters Dish
10. Jaime and Jen at Jaime & Jen Dish

Chicken, Pasta and Alfredo...

Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup butter
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 box of linguine or other pasta

Cook noodles, and set aside. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, cream, white pepper, and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir often. Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickended and is smooth. When sauce has thickened, add the Mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth. Stir frequently! You can either place pasta on serving plates and spoon sauce over pasta, or I just added it all to the sauce to warm back up and evenly distribute the sauce. Serves: 4-6

Italian Grilled Chicken

Chicken breasts
Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
Juice of a medium lemon

I clean my chicken breasts, and pour enough Zesty Italian dressing to cover it all. Let it marinade in the fridge for as long as I want it. Then in the last 30 minutes, add your lemon juice to the marinade. Then grill it up!!!

*This is how I cook my chicken for fajitas, minus the lemon!! Yummm, the best!!! I thought the lemon would be a nice touch with the pasta - and it was!!!

Burrito Battle...

Well, I finally got around to trying Heidi's Brown Bag Burritos! They were very good!!! Much like Taco Bell's! I don't know... we're a little partial, we really love my mil's recipe best!!! We really love the garlic flavor in it. Both are great though. Guess you'll have to try both and you be the judge! Be sure to keep me posted! :o)

Brown Bag Burritos

1 lb. ground beef
1 can refried beans
2/3 c. enchilada sauce
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. minced onion
1/2 TBSP chili powder
1/2 TBSP garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 c. shredded colby/jack
10 flour tortillas

Brown and drain meat. Add all ingredients, but tortillas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Fill tortillas and roll up. Serve with shredded lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa

Gram's Famous Burritos

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger meat
leftover pinto beans
1 8oz. jar Picante sauce
garlic powder, to taste
black pepper, to taste
Burrito tortillas

She makes about 4 cups dried pinto beans and has a meal with them and then refrigerates the leftovers. Then she cooks her hamburger meat and drains it. Then she adds her leftover beans to the skillet of meat to warm. Then add the picante sauce, garlic powder, and pepper to taste. She wraps all her burritos in saran wrap and puts them in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks, but I promise you they will not last that long!!! Or if you do have extras, you can freeze them!!!

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!

Tara's Menu and a super YUMMY marinade!!

Well I have not posted a menu in quite a while so I though I'd surprise you all! These are in no particular order...just gonna make them as the days go on! It's summer time so dinners are going to be fast and easy around here! My dinner tonight is going to be grilled pork chops marinating in a garlic, herb and wine marinade made by McCormick. If you ever run into these little packets they are a must try!! I've had this one before but my favorite is the tomato, garlic and basil, which is AWESOME on chicken!!! You can go to www.McCormick.com and see all their products. They are all super yummy!

Other Menu items:
**Chicken nuggets (I make mine with Shake N Bake, Parmesan crusted)
**Fried Ravioli with marinara sauce
**Sloppy Joes
**Meatloaf with mashed potatoes
**Grilled Ham steak: I'll be trying Wal-mart Woman Ham steak from Heidi's blog.
**Tacos: Heidi's Taco Puffs look good too! Maybe I'll try these instead of plain ole crispy tacos?? AWESOME blog Heidi!!!
**Bacon Wrapped Cheesy Chicken...this looks to die for!!

And, that's all I've come up with so far! Wishing everyone a safe and happy summer!!

As requested...

Sorry it took me so long to post this recipe!!! May is really crazy here at our house with all the year-end school events!! Hopefully June will be better. Of course we're leaving tomorrow for vacation! I'm sure I'll be back to posting in about a week. Until then here's that recipe I promised you, Kim!!!

No1here's Borracho Beans

In 1-2 Tbsp of oil sautee 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced, and 1/2 medium onion, chopped, until translucent.
Add 2 minced cloves garlic and satuee for another minute.
Add 3/4 can beer and boil for about 5-10 minutes (reduce/evaporate alcohol).
Add big can of pinto beans and half a can of water. Return to boil for 5-10 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes and cilantro. Salt & pepper to taste. Simmer until ready to eat.

Memorial Day Fare...

We had this last night and it was very good! It was so different and unique that I had to share it with y'all! We had so much grilling going on and visiting with family at the same time, that we didn't get around to taking any photos! But this is exactly what it looks like. The photo and recipe both come from Southern Living - my favorite!!!

Grilled Potato Salad

8 bacon slices
4 medium-size red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (I used 8 small russet)
1 large white onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips (I used 1 red onion)
Potato Salad Dry Rub
Potato Salad Dressing
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley (I omitted this - not a parsley fan)

Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Cook bacon, in batches, in a large skillet over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon. Add potatoes, onion, and Potato Salad Dry Rub to hot drippings in skillet, tossing to coat. Remove potato mixture with a slotted spoon. Grill potato mixture, covered with grill lid, over 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat in a grill wok or metal basket 30 minutes or until tender, stirring every 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add Potato Salad Dressing, and toss to coat. Stir in bacon. Garnish, if desired. Serve warm.

* We ended up grilling so much food, that to save time - I just put these in the oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour! They might have missed some of the smokey flavor from the grill, but still very good!!! Next time we'll throw them on the grill and see how they compare!

Potato Salad Dry Rub

2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried crushed rosemary
1/8 tsp. celery seeds

Stir together all ingredients. Store in an airtight container up to 1 month. Makes: about 2 Tbs.

Potato Salad Dressing

5 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Stir together all ingredients. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Makes: 1/2 cup

Gone, but not forgotten...

I just wanted to say "thank you" to the families of ALL servicemen out there that have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom!!! Click here to watch a very touching video and remember that this is a National Day of Mourning!!!!