Pro-shoe-what?!

The workers at Wal-Mart have never heard of prosciutto…have NO idea if they carry it…and, obviously, have NO chance of leading me to it. So I opted for Canadian Bacon instead! And even though I've never had this recipe with prosciutto, it was SUPER delicious with the Canadian bacon! And, if you happen to be grocery shopping at Wally World, good luck!

Chicken Tetrazzini With Prosciutto and Peas

3  ounces  finely chopped prosciutto (I used Canadian bacon instead)
2  teaspoons  vegetable oil
1  (7-oz.) package vermicelli
3  cups  chopped cooked chicken
1  cup  (4 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese
1  (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1  (10-oz.) container refrigerated Alfredo sauce
1  (4-oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained (I left this out)
1/2  cup  chicken broth
1/4  cup  dry dry white wine
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
1  cup  frozen baby English peas, thawed
1/2  cup  slivered almonds

1. Sauté prosciutto in hot vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

3. Meanwhile, stir together chicken, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and next 6 ingredients; stir in prosciutto, pasta, and peas. Spoon mixture into 6 lightly greased 8-oz. ramekins or a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until bubbly

Chocolaty Goodness, Y’all!

I got this yummy recipe from my friend…and, when I googled it, I found the video of Paula making these amazing cookies. She’s such a hoot, y’all! :) And, these cookies will not disappoint! (My three year old has eaten WAY too many…and so has his Momma!)
Paula Deen’s Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (18 oz.) box moist chocolate cake mix
Powdered sugar

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large bowl cream the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Beat in the egg.
- Beat in the vanilla.
- Beat in the cake mix.
- Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Roll the chilled dough into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in the powdered sugar.
- Place on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Cookies will remain soft and "gooey".
- Cool completely and sprinkle with more powdered sugar.

Chocolate x3

I made this for our Life Group this weekend and it was SUPER yum! Thanks, Southern Living, for another great recipe!

Triple Chocolate Coffee Cake

1  (18.25-ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1  (3.9-ounce) package chocolate instant pudding mix
2  cups  sour cream
1  cup  butter or margarine, softened
5  large eggs
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
3  cups  semisweet chocolate morsels, divided
1  cup  white chocolate morsels
1  cup  chopped pecans, toasted

Beat first 6 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 30 seconds or just until moistened; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels; pour batter evenly into 2 greased and floured 9-inch square cake pans.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pans on wire racks.

Microwave white chocolate morsels in a glass bowl at HIGH 30 to 60 seconds or until morsels melt; stirring at 30-second intervals until smooth. Drizzle evenly over cakes; repeat procedure with remaining cup of semisweet morsels. Sprinkle cakes evenly with pecans.

Back to the ‘ol Grind

So, this little blog has been pretty quiet! Due to lots of eating out this summer, being preggo, the birth of our sweet Nash…AND being blessed with fabulous meals 3 times a week for about a month and a half, our kitchen has stayed fairly clean! :) But, it’s time to get back to business! … Nash is now two months old…Quinn has started school…and with Fall on the horizon, I’m ready to cook yumm-o meals again!

So, stay tuned! I have LOTS of bookmarked recipes that I can’t wait to try!!!

For My Baby Daddy

My husband is a HUGE fan of Heath bars! I mean...he LOVES them! So, when my dad reminded me of the cookie recipe on the back of the "Heath bits," I decided it was time that I make them for him! He loved them...as did Nash! :) We'll be making them LOTS for sure!

Scrumptious Heath Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1-1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) Heath Bits

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in large bowl until blended. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in brickle. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. About 6 dozen cookies.

The Benefit of Buying Store Brand...

I'm not a grocery snob! I'll totally try the store brand kind of something (of most things) if it's a better deal! Recently, I got the Kroger brand Graham Crackers. Not only were they good, but they came with a yummy looking recipe on the back! ...Irresistible Graham Cracker Cookies. And, after I made them, I couldn't stop talking about them! They are G.double O. D! I really may have finally found a recipe for cookies that I like better than my slice and bake! ... Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Irresistible Chocolate Chip Graham Cracker Cookies
1 1/2 cups Honey Graham Crackers, finely crushed
1/2 cup All-purpose flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 (14 oz.) can  Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup margarine, softened
2 cups Semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Crush graham crackers to make 1 1/2 cups. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In another bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk and softened butter until smooth. Add vanilla extract. Add crumb mixture and stir until smooth. Add chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen.

Tips Worth Writing Down!

Here are some fun tips that I recently got in an email! ...Who knew?!?!...

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelettes rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt chocolate mint patties in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

Reheat Pizza:

Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm.This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs:

Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting:

When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated bread:

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Get Rid of Ants:

Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

Before the game...

Before Matt's basketball game the other night, I knew he'd need to eat, but he'd need something light! This new recipe was the perfect choice! We loved it!!! And, it's yummy leftover!

Quick Chicken-Parm Pasta
2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli
1 pkg. (6 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Italian Style Chicken Breast Strips (or any type of pre-cooked fajita type strips)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 to 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tomato, coarsely chopped


Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, microwave broccoli in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min. Stir in chicken. Microwave 2 min. or until heated through; drain.
Drain pasta; place in large bowl. Add oil and cheese; toss to coat. Add broccoli mixture and tomatoes; mix lightly.

During the game...

Made this the other night! It actually went with our dinner, but it would be a great "game snack!" One the guys will surely appreciate!!!

Beer Cheese Spread
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup beer
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Toasted pita chips, assorted crackers, and/or tortilla chips
 
Let the cheddar cheese stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a medium bowl combine cheese, beer, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. Serve with pita chips. Makes about 1-1/2 cups (twelve 2-tablespoon servings).

A Bachelor Basic

When Matt was a bachelor, this was one of his staple meals! And, when we started dating/got engaged/were newlyweds, we dined on it frequently as well! It was quick and easy...and, I even came to crave it! ...Honeslty, it had been years since I'd thought about this tasty treat, and when we made it a few weeks ago, it took me back! I must admit that I still LOVE it!...who cares how "bachelor" it is!?

Bachelor Matt's Chicken & Rice

1 package of Knorr Chicken rice side
1 can of white chicken

Make the rice according to packet directions. Add chicken half way through cooking time and continue to boil. Serve with good 'ol Saltine crackers.

Hot Wings in a Bowl

If I had known that two days after eating this soup on a 70 degree day we’d have snow, I would have saved it…but, oh well! :) Only in Texas, right? … This is a YUMMY and easy “guy-friendly” soup recipe. We actually had two of Matt’s friends over to eat it and they definitely enjoyed! … It’s like hot wings in a bowl…if that’s not manly, I don’t know what is!

Buffalo Chicken Soup

1  2-1/4 to 2-1/2 lb. deli-roasted chicken, skinned, boned, and coarsely shredded
2  Tbsp. butter
1/2  cup coarsely chopped celery
1/2  cup chopped onion
2  14-oz. cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2  cups milk
1  tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce (we used Chipotle Tabasco)
1-1/2  cups mozzarella cheese (6 oz.)
1-1/4  cups shredded colby jack cheese (the recipe called for crumbled blue cheese, but we’re not fans) (5 oz.)
1/2  cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz.)
1/3  cup all-purpose flour
extra Bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)

In large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in broth, milk, and the 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce.

In bowl toss together mozzarella, 1 cup of the colby jack (or blue cheese), Parmesan, and flour. Add gradually to soup, stirring after each addition just until melted. Stir in three-fourths of the shredded chicken; heat through. Top with remaining chicken, blue cheese, and hot sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Grasshopper?

I have no idea who or why mint+chocolate is often called grasshopper, but who cares!?!?!? This cake is FABULOUS! I mean YUMMY!!! I added way more mint extract than they called for and more green food coloring too! LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT! :)  This may have become a St. Patrick’s Day tradition! Grasshopper Fudge Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons mint extract
3 egg whites
12 drops green food color
1 jar (16 oz) hot fudge topping
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.

Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mint extract and the egg whites. Reserve 1 cup batter. Stir 3 drops of the green food color into reserved batter; set aside. Pour remaining batter into pan.

Drop green batter by generous tablespoonfuls randomly in 12 to 14 mounds onto batter in pan. Cut through batters with metal spatula or knife in S-shaped curves in one continuous motion. Turn pan 1/4 turn; repeat cutting for swirled design.

Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Carefully spread fudge topping evenly over cake. In medium bowl, stir whipped topping, remaining 1/2 teaspoon extract, and remaining 9 drops green food color until blended. Spread whipped topping mixture evenly over fudge. Garnish with mint candy pieces or sprinkles. Store covered in refrigerator.

Lucky Fish

I have had this recipe bookmarked from Cara’s blog for some time now, but just now got around to trying it. Even though her pictures look WAY different than mine, it was really good. I think she used the “sprinkly” parmesan cheese and I used the kind that comes in the tub!? Not sure! Regardless, it was yum! The fish just crumbled apart when we put it on top of our rice! And, the green bell peppers made it fun for our St. Patty’s Day meal! :)  Tilapia Bake

4 tilapia filets
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup chopped onions
1 green {or red} bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup {1 stick} butter, melted
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread the onions & peppers in a 13x9 baking dish. Season the fish with salt & pepper and place on top. Pour the butter on top of the fish and then sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce. Bake for 25 minutes {or until cooked through}.  Remove from oven & sprinkle fish with parmesan cheese.

Place under the broiler for about 2 minutes or until cheese browns.  Remove from dish and serve peppers & onions on top of fish. Serve on bed of white rice.

That’s Amore!

I recently found this recipe on Betty Crocker’s website and couldn’t wait to try it! I thought it would be something I would love and that Matt would entertain! But, WAS I WRONG! I think he raved more than I did!!! The next evening, he even said, “Well, it’s good…but it’s not like last night!” … Needless to say, this WILL be made again. …

And, when you look at the recipe, know that we added WAY more cheese than they told us to! :) Rustic Chicken Pizza

1 can (13.8 oz) refrigerated classic pizza crust
1/2 cup ranch dressing
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups chopped deli rotisserie chicken (from 2- to 2 1/2-lb chicken)
1 box (9 oz) frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese (about 4 1/2 oz) {comes in the container like Parmesan cheese}
3 plum (Roma) tomatoes, sliced

Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Unroll pizza crust dough; place in pan. Starting at center, press out dough with hands to edge of pan.

Bake crust about 6 minutes or until crust begins to dry. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix dressing and Parmesan cheese.

Remove partially baked crust from oven. Spread dressing mixture over crust. Top with chicken and spinach.  Sprinkle with Asiago cheese. Top with tomatoes.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Cut into wedges. And, look what was at my feet as we were eating. We’re keeping Zoe for a few weeks…and, along with our two puppies, I’d say she was a fan of the pizza too! … {But…shhhhh…don’t tell Slickpaw that we sneak her bites! :)

Every "Letter of the Week" Needs a Dessert Like THIS...

When I googled "S'mores" recipes for Quinn's S week, Betty Crocker gave me the perfect choice! And, MY was it yummy!

Confession: My preggo self loved this for breakfast, dessert and an occasional afternoon snack! :)

S'mores Brownies
1 box (1 lb. 6.5 oz)  brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)

Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box
3 cups miniature marshmallows
graham crackers, broken into small pieces
2 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 oz each), broken into 1-inch squares

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray or shortening. Make and bake brownies as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan, using water, oil and eggs.

Set oven to broil. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows and graham crackers over warm brownies. Broil about 4 to 5 inches from heat 30 to 60 seconds or until marshmallows are golden brown. (Watch carefully marshmallows and graham crackers will brown quickly.) Sprinkle with chocolate candy. To serve warm, cool about 30 minutes. For brownies, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

A Keeper

While we had company over a few weeks ago, I stepped out on a limb and made a new Southern Living dessert recipe! And, I was SO glad that it was a keeper! Everyone raved...and, I'll make it again, FOR SURE! Enjoy!

Banana Bread Cobbler

1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 medium-size ripe bananas, sliced
Streusel Topping
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk together flour and next 2 ingredients just until blended; whisk in melted butter. Pour batter into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Top with banana slices, and sprinkle with Streusel Topping. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with ice cream.

Streusel Topping
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup uncooked regular oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Stir together brown sugar, flour, and butter until crumbly, using a fork. Stir in oats and pecans.

Dressing...with a KICK...

We recently went to some new church friend's house for dinner. Not only did we fall in love with their family, but we fell IN LOVE with their homemade dressing recipe! I seriously COULD NOT stop thinking about it after that evening. And, sweet Irline even made me some and brought it to church! :) Since it's something that she just makes according to her taste, she doesn't have a recipe, but she gave me a pretty good idea of how to make it. I haven't done it on my own yet...but I can't wait to try!

Here are the ingredients:
buttermilk ranch
fresh cilantro
jalapeno
honey
lime

And, she said...
Try 1 cup ranch, 1 cup of cilantro leaves (do not include the stem), half of jalapeno with some seeds (it's the seeds that gives the spice so it's up to you how spicy you want it) and about 2 tbs of honey. I use a magic bullet to blend all together. You can use a food processor, however a blender may be too big. And don't forget the lime!

And, even though I think it would be good on ANYTHING (especially a great chicken nugget dip), she served it over salad with cheese, tomato, beans and corn! It was GOOOOOODDD!

Chick-fil-a-ish!

 

I recently used this recipe and made little chicken nuggets instead of strips! I took it to our church’s Mom’s group, served with BBQ sauce, and EVERY SINGLE ONE of them was gone by the end! I must admit that I think I liked them better as little nuggets! … Thanks again, Meredith, for this great recipe!

I will NEVER make my kid’s birthday cakes!!!

I AM NOT…I REPEAT…AM NOT a cake decorator/baker/or anything of the like! It is SO hard to me. My cakes always stick, the icing is always too thick or too runny, and the finished product always looks like poo! Thankfully, they still taste good…and, if I’m making a cake, I know that the fact that I made it will overshadow how ugly it is.

So, for Mammer’s birthday, I made another attempt at a cake…and FAILED miserably! But, at least the strawberries were huge and pretty…and it tasted YUMMMMMMYYYY!!! And, if you’re aware of my preggo love for Strawberry Soda, you know that this was right up my alley! Strawberry Soda Cake
1 - package Strawberry Cake mix (any brand)
1 1/3 cups Strawberry Soda
(strawberry soda is substituted for the amount of water on the cake mix)
2 - 3 Eggs (if you want it lighter and fluffier use three eggs)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 – 2 lbs Fresh Strawberries (Sliced)

Add cake mix to a large mixing bowl. Add egg, oil and strawberry soda. Beat until smooth. Pour into two round cake pans that have been greased and floured. Bake as directed on cake mix or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. When cake is done remove from oven and cool in pans for 15 minutes. Then remove to a wire rack and completely cool. Frost first layer with icing and arrange sliced strawberries on top. Add the second cake layer and frost top and sides with more icing and top with more sliced strawberries. Save one whole strawberry for the middle of the cake. Gently slice and fan the whole strawberry, Place on top in the middle of the cake.

Measurements vary depending on what brand of cake mix you use. Follow the directions on the back of the box substituting strawberry soda for the amount of water listed. Also add the amount of eggs and oil stated on the mix, I use Duncan Hines.

 

***For my icing, I made a typical cream cheese kind. Cream Cheese, Powdered Sugar and Vanilla!

Ole!

Here's another goodie that I got from a freind's recipe blog! And, after a F.I.T. from the little man because he didn't want to try it, he gave it a taste and then said, "I think I'm gunna need to use my fork!" In other words, he liked it! Little stinker! We'll make this again, for sure!

The Carrol Family's Fiesta Chicken
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breats, uncooked

1 can of Fiesta Corn
1 –1 1/2 cup{s} Salsa
Shredded Cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Tear pieces of foil for each piece of chicken. Place chicken breast in the center of the foil. Evenly divide the salsa and pour on top of the chicken. Divide the can of fiesta corn and pour on top of salsa/. Fold the foil over the top and close the edges tightly! Place foil packets on cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30+ minutes and remove. (Make sure your chicken is done...bake more if needed)

Open packets and top with shredded cheese. Place back in the oven for 2 mintues with foil packets open so the cheese can melt.

Serve over white rice and top with sour cream!