Key Lime Pie

Easiest pie to make! It's mine and my husbands favorite pie.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 prepared Graham Cracker Crust
• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 c. sour cream (light)
• 3/4 c. key lime juice (found in the liquor isle)
  
• 1 T. grated lime zest

CRUST: 1 1/2 sleeves of Graham crackers, 2 cups crushed. 1/4 c. sugar. 1 stick butter, melted. Combine and press into a pie pan. Bake @ 350* for 10 minutes.

DIRECTIONS: Mix ingredients until smooth. Pour into a prepared pie crust. Bake @ 350* for 8 minutes. *You don't want to brown the pie. Just bake long enough to see tiny pinhole bubbles come to the surface. CHILL the pie. Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream if desired.

The slice in this pic isn't chilled. Couldn't wait. :) Still so good!

This pic is 3 day old pie. Chilled in the fridge. As you can see it sets up very nicely and tastes even better after a few days!

You can add a drop or two of green food coloring for a yummy green treat for St. Patrick's Day!


Enjoy!

Crock pot Chicken Parmesan

One of my new favorites! So good and definitely a keeper!!
Recipe from Chef in Training.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 c. Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 large (32 oz) jar of Spaghetti Sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the 1 T. oil in the bottom of the crock pot. *I just sprayed mine with oil and the chicken did get a bit crusty/burnt against the crock pot. So I will just follow the instructions next time or place some sauce into the bottom of the pot.
   
2. Combine the crumb, Parmesan cheese and S&P.
   
3. Dip the chicken breasts into the egg and then the crumb mixture. Place chicken in crock pot. Top with Mozzarella Cheese and then the sauce.
   
4. Cook on low for 7-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Serve over pasta.

*I cooked mine on high for 3-4 hours and it still turned out nice and tender.

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

Recipe from The Country Cook.
May not be exactly like olive garden, but it's pretty dang close! Great dressing.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pkt. Good Seasonings Italian Dressing PLUS--> (Ingredients needed to make dressing; oil, water, vinegar)
• ½ t. dried Italian Seasoning
• ½ t. salt
• ¼ t. pepper
• ½ t. sugar
• ¼ t. garlic powder
• ½ T. mayo (no Miracle Whip, please)
• ¼ c. olive oil
• 2 T. white vinegar
• 1 ½ T. water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare Italian dressing according to the instructions on the back of the packet. I used the less oil instructions.
2. Mix in all other ingredients. Mix well with a whisk or shake it well in a mason jar with lid.
   
3. Serve over salad fixings.
   
4. Keeps well in a sealed container for up to 4 weeks! Shake well before using.

I made the "Olive Garden" garlic bread sticks from The Country Cook blog as well.

The dough is very easy to work with. Tastes like Olive Garden's bread sticks, but not the same texture. A good recipe, but I think I'm gonna stick with my super easy bread sticks recipe. Seriously so easy and can be ready to eat in 20-25 minutes.

Bubbly Love Potion

Recipe found HERE.
My kiddos gulped this up fast! It was a fun drink for our Valentines dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (12-ounce) can pink lemonade concentrate
• 4 cups raspberry sherbet
• Can of Sprite
  

DIRECTIONS: Mix the lemonade with recommended water. Combine 4 cups of sherbet with 4 cups of lemonade in the blender. Spoon into individual glasses and gently stir in the sprite.

Monster Cookies

I got this recipe from Pioneer Women. Man, her recipes never disappoint! Another awesome cookie recipe to add to my collection. :) My kids loved helping me make these "monster" cookies. It's a good one to let them help since there is a little of everything for them to dump in!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 sticks Butter (salted) Softened
• 1/2 c. Sugar
• 1-1/2 c. Brown Sugar, Packed
• 2 lrg. Eggs
• 1 T. Vanilla
  
• 1-1/2 c. Flour
• 1/2 t. Baking Soda
• 1 t. Baking Powder
• 2 t. Salt
• 1-1/2 c. Oats (either Quick Or Regular)
• 1/2 c. M & M's (more To Taste)
• 1/2 c. Pecans, Chopped (more To Taste)
• 3/4 c. Chocolate Chips (milk Or Semi-sweet)
• 1/2 c. Peanut Butter Chips
• 2-1/4 c. Rice Krispies cereal
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream butter with sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to mixing bowl and mix till combined. After that, add in remaining ingredients in whatever quantity you prefer. Add more nuts if you'd like, or more M & M's, more peanut butter chips or chocolate chips.

3. Add Rice Crispies at the very end, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix!

4. Scoop into balls of dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375* for 12 minutes or until golden brown, then allow to cool on a rack.

*Crunchy, chewy and delicious! I'm gonna omit 1 t. salt next time because it was extra salty, but that is the only thing I will change. Great recipe!!

Super Slow Sloppy Joes

I got this recipe from my Rival Slow Cooker cookbook.
My hubs looooves Sloppy Joes. It hasn't ever been my favorite, but I do really like this recipe!! It is WAY better then the canned stuff!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lbs lean ground beef or turkey
  
• 1 c. onion, chopped
  
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 1/4 c. ketchup
• 1 c. chopped bell pepper (red or green)
  
• 5 T. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 3 T. vinegar
• 3 T. mustard
• 2 t. chili powder
• Hamburger Buns

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown the meat with the onion and garlic in a large skillet over med-high heat. Brown in 2 batches if needed and stir to separate the meat. Drain the fat.
2. Combine all other ingredients (excluding the buns of course) in the crock pot. Add in the beef mixture.
   
3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve on hamburger buns. May add cheddar cheese on top if you prefer!

*I add in an additional 1-2 T. mustard for extra tang. I'm sure you can heat this all up on the stove if you didn't put it in the crock pot earlier in the day. I would just simmer it all for at least 20 minutes after browning the meat. It really tastes great in the crock pot though! It's tender and flavorful.

sloppy joes. slop. sloppy joes.... yum.

Smartie Cookies

My sugar cookie & icing recipe is HERE. Perfect sugar cookie. Just be sure to chill the dough for at least an hour, so that it is easy to work with. I usually roll the dough into a log and wrap it in saran wrap to chill overnight in the fridge.

I made these cookies for each of my twins preschool classes for all the smarties in their class. My boys loved putting the smarties on and counting as they went to be sure they all had 6 smarties each. The smarties actually taste really good on this cookie. Makes for cute "sprinkles" too.

Crispy Southwest Chicken wrap + homemade tortilla

My husband loves a good ol' "Tyson burrito" (Ranch beans, rice, cheese and green taco sauce), but he loves this new creation even more. I found THIS recipe, but I switched things up a bit to make it Tyson burrito style. My husband would eat this daily if I made it for him!! We all really like it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c. Chicken
• 1 can Ranch Beans
  
• 1 c. Rice, cooked
  
• 1 (7 oz) can Salsa Verde
• 1/2 c. diced Green bell pepper
• 1 green onion, excluding the white part
  
• 1/4 c. Cilantro
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 t. Chili powder
• 1 t. Cumin
• 1/2 t. Garlic salt
• Shredded Mozzerella Cheese or fiesta blend cheese
• Sour cream
• tortillas

• 

I used to always make these with green taco sauce, but this last time I used salsa verde instead and it was SO good!

1. 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook chicken in small pot of water. Shred when done.
2. Add in all ingredients to the pot, excluding the last 3 ingredients and heat through. *Add the salsa verde in to taste. I use almost the full can.
3. Lay out the tortilla. Spread on some sour cream (must use!). Sprinkle on cheese and spoon on some bean mixture.
4. Place seam side down on a hot griddle or pan. Turn once to get both sides nice and crispy.
   

*This is a quick meal, but if you make the homemade tortillas it will take a little time. Tortilla recipe below...

Cafe Rio flour tortilla
makes 6 tortillas
Recipe from Tastebook.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 c. flour
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 2 t. baking powder
• 3/4 c. shortening
• 3/4 c. Hot water

DIRECTIONS: *I used my kitchenAid mixer, but this can be done by hand.

1. Combine flour, salt and baking powder.
2. Mix in the shortening until the dough forms small crumb.
3. Gradually add in water until the dough comes together. (I had to add in extra water)
4. Mix with dough hook or knead for 3 minutes until smooth.
5. Plop the dough on the counter and cover with a damp towel. *Let sit for 1 hour*
   
6. Roll out tortillas. Can use a plate over the dough to trim around for a perfect circle. Keep covered with slightly damp towel.
   
7. Heat over med/high heat in pan. Cook for a minute or until no longer doughy. DO NOT OVERCOOK.
   

*I used bread flour because I'm out of all purpose flour. I rolled it out very thin, but it still made for a thicker tortilla. It was good! Gotta heat it longer in the pan though.

Slow cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

Easiest crock pot meal, ever and tastes great!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4-5 chicken breasts
• 1 (10oz) can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 c. Milk
• 4 oz sliced ham
• 4 oz sliced swiss cheese
• 1 (8 oz) pkg. herbed DRY stuffing mix
• 1/4 c. butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the soup & milk. Spread small amount in the bottom of crock pot.
2. Place in the chicken. Cover chicken with slices of ham and then slices of cheese.
3. Spoon over the remaining soup. Sprinkle the stuffing mix and drizzle melted butter over top of stuffing.
4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

*I cooked it on high for almost 3 hours and it was perfect. Tender and tasty! My pickier eater is not a fan of stuffing. We eat it a couple times a year, so he didn't like this dinner much. The rest of us really liked it and I will definitely be making it again soon!

Recipe from Chef in Training.

Broccoli Salad

My husband isn't much of a salad eater, but he likes this one!

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 c. broccoli
• 5 bacon strips
• 1/3 c. red onion
• 1/3 c. sun flower seeds
• 1/4 c. craisens
• 1/2 c. Shredded cheddar cheese (opt.) *I leave this on the side.
  

DRESSING: 1/2 c. mayo, 3 T. sugar and 1 T. vinegar.

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients and add in the dressing to taste.

Avocado Chicken Salad

Just found THIS new recipe and it's got all my favorites in it. It is SO super good! My kids really liked it as well! We ate it in a pita and added crushed tortilla chips on top for crunch. YUM! It would be great on a croissant roll as well OR you can eat it without the sandwich. Just scoop it up with tortilla chips! Mmmm... That could get a little dangerous though. I would prooooobably, accidentally, ;) devour the whole bowl.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 1 large avocado
• Mayo (Maybe 3-4 T.)
  
• Green Onion
  
• Cilantro
• Lime Juice
  
• Salt & Pepper *light on the salt & extra pepper :)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine chicken, mayo (NO miracle whip), green onion, cilantro and salt & pepper. Just add it all to your liking.
2. Mash up the avocado with lime juice. Leave it a bit lumpy. :) I added maybe around 2-3 T. lime juice, but again just add it to taste.
   
3. Stir the avocado in with the chicken and make adjustments if needed.
   
4. Serve with tortilla chips.

*I used Chipotle Mayo. yum!

Verde Chicken Mexican Lasagna

LOVE this recipe!! Super easy and one I will make again and again. My kids ate it up too! Just got to add a bit of sour cream on top of theirs because it does have a little spice to it. Perfect amount of spice for my hubs and I. I love a quick and delicious dinner!!

This recipe is the winner of the best casserole dish by LDS Living Magazine. Recipe from GIRLS IN APRONS.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded
  
• 1 16 oz. container sour cream
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups green salsa
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed and drained
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro (plus additional for garnishing)
• 12 soft taco size flour tortillas *I used 6 medium size tortillas
  
• 1 package (8 oz) shredded Mexican blend cheese

(I used 2 of these cans for the green salsa)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix chicken, sour cream, black beans, salsa, corn, cilantro and spices in a large bowl. Taste and adjust for seasonings to your preference.
   
2. Cut tortillas in half with kitchen shears.
   
3. In a 9x13 dish, scoop 1/3 of the chicken mixture into bottom of pan. One layer of tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 layers.
   
4. Bake @ 350* for 20 -25 minutes. Serve with sour cream and additional chopped cilantro.

I like the crispy top.

*I used 2 1/2 cups chicken (9 chicken tenders). I always just buy a huge pack of frozen chicken tenders because I can cook them up faster than a full chicken breast. Also I never have to trim off the fat because there isn't any on the chicken tenders.

*I only used 2 tortillas per layer. I cut them in half with a pizza cutter and fit one on each side of the pan. I must of had the medium size tortillas...

*There are 3 layers total. You will add around 2 cups of meat mixture for each layer. My hubs requested more tortilla, so I'm gonna add another layer of tortilla next time. Otherwise I think it's perfect as it is! ANJOY! :)

Reese's copycat

I love anything Reese's, so I had to try THIS recipe. I love that it's homemade. Way cheaper than buying a bag of Reese's and it tastes very similar to the real thing! You can place it in a mini cupcake liner or roll the dough into an egg shape for Easter. I rolled out the dough and used an ity bity heart cookie cutter for Valentines Day.

You will definitely want to HALF the recipe because this is a BIG batch.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 c. Powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 c. Peanut Butter
• 1/4 c. Butter
• 2-3 T. Milk
• 3 c. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 T. Shortening

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine powdered sugar, peanut butter and butter. Add Milk 1 T. at a time until it becomes a nice workable dough. It will be just like play dough and easy to work with.
   
2. Form dough. Set on parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze for 1 hour.
   
3. Melt chocolate and shortening in microwave. Stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
   
4. Dip dough in melted chocolate to coat and set on parchment paper.

* I used a fork to dip the dough in chocolate. Then I would tap the fork on the cup to get the excess chocolate off before setting it on the parchment paper.

* I did HALF this recipe and it made a whole cookie sheet... 52 hearts! They are about the same size as a small Reese's cup.

*TIP: You can measure peanut butter in a measuring cup of water. This way it won't stick all over the measuring cup. Easy clean up!

NO BAKE Granola Bars

Healthy granola bar. Only way to eat them is frozen!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 overripe bananas, mashed
  
• 3 T. Cocoa Powder
  
• 2 T. honey
• 1 T. Maple Syrup
• 2 T. Peanut Butter
• 1 1/2 c. Oats
• 3/4 c. Rice Crispy cereal
• 3 T. Craisens
• 3T. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
• Coconut for top
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix the mashed bananas, Cocoa Powder, honey, syrup and peanut butter.
   
2. Add in the oats and cereal.
   
3. Fold in craisens and chocolate chips.
4. Press into muffin tin with liners. Top with coconut and freeze for 1 hour.

*******

So I would like to say that we love these, but I threw most of them away. I would delete this one if I hadn't already posted it, but maybe some of you might like it. I don't think I will make this one again.

Tuna Melt

Simple and delicious. :)

INGREDIENTS:

• Canned Albocore white Tuna
• Mayo
• Mustard, little bit
  
• Dill pickles, diced
• Cheddar cheese
• Provolone cheese
• Bread, *My easy & delicious wheat bread recipe HERE.
  

DIRECTIONS: Heat up the griddle or pan on medium heat. Mix the tuna, mayo, mustard and pickles to taste. Butter the bread. Place on a slice of provolone cheese, tuna mixture and a slice of cheddar cheese for each sandwich. I heat it low and slow, so the cheese gets gooey and for extra crispiness.

Dump Cake

I raided my Mom's pantry last weekend for dessert. This is what I came up with. It's similar to a cobbler. It's super easy and a quick dessert. Just missing the vanilla ice cream!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans Cherry Pie Filling
• 1 Pkg. Yellow cake mix
• 1 stick butter, melted
• chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS: Dump the cherry pie filling into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle an even layer of the cake mix. Drizzle on the melted butter. Top with pecans. Bake @325* for around 30 minutes.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Chocolate Nutella Cookies

Today I was eating my favorite SNYDER pretzels and then decided to try it dipped in Nutella. It was GOOD! I'm sure you all gathered by now that I LOVE cookies. So I got to thinking I HAVE to make a Nutella Pretzel cookie. I found a good looking recipe HERE. No egg, weird, but it worked! Tastes like a brownie!! Crazy good.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/4 c. flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2/3 c. cocoa powder
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1/2 t. hazelnut extract *I just used 2 t. vanilla
• 1/3 c. Nutella
• 1/3 c. milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugars.
3. Blend in extract and Nutella spread until smooth.
4. Mix in HALF of the dry ingredients.
   
5. Stir in the milk until combined.
6. Then add in the remaining dry ingredients.
7. Chill dough for at least 15 minutes. *I chilled the dough for a few hours.
8. Bake @ 325 for 10-12 minutes.
   

*I wanted to play with the cookies a bit. So I tried out different toppings for the cookie. It was fun! Check it out below....

FYI- The chocolate candies and pretzels were topped immediately after the cookie came out of the oven. NOT before.

1. Plain cookie dough (chilled)
2. Course chopped pretzels
3. Rolo in the middle
4. chopped pretzels inside
   
5. Semi-sweet chocolate chips
6. chopped pecans + Semi-sweet chocolate chips
7. whole pretzel in middle
8. Rolo in middle + finely chopped pretzel on top
   
9. Craisens... My 5 yr. old requested this one. He LOVED it!
10. Peanut butter Chips
11. Ball rolled in sugar + topped with Hershey Kiss
12. Ball rolled in chopped pecans + topped with Hershey Kiss
13. Topped with Reese's Peanut Butter cup

14. Also plain, but most brownie like.
I thought this one was interesting because I didn't expect it to turn out this way. The dough was soft and no longer cold when I put it in the oven. I baked it an extra couple minutes longer than the other cookies. Perfect-o.

Although I wanted to, I didn't try them all! I just really don't want to gain 50 pounds over night, so I had #8 the Rolo with pretzel on top. It was fantastic! Brownie like cookie with caramel in the middle and crunchy salted pretzels on top. WINNER! I also had a bite of the #14... couldn't resist it. Totally had the same texture and taste as a brownie. YUM.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Wow. These are yuuuuummy! I got the recipe HERE. I made a couple small changes to the recipe. My suggestions are at the bottom.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ c. + 2T flour
• 6 T. cocoa pwd.
  
• ½ t. baking soda
• ½ t. salt
• ¾ stick (6T) Butter
  
• ¼ c. + 2T creamy peanut butter
• ½ c. sugar
• ½ c. brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla
  
• 2 T. milk
• 2 c. frozen Reese's peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped. Save 1/2 c. for top.
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
   
2. Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars in a mixer until fluffy.
3. Blend in the egg, vanilla and milk until smooth.
4. On low speed mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
5. Fold in 1 1/2 c. peanut butter cups.
6. Roll into ball and press some chopped peanut butter cups on top.
   
7. Bake @ 350* for 12-14 minutes. *Took my cookies 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake them! You want to take them out when they are still slightly soft.
   

*I chilled the dough overnight. I did not add the 1 1/2 c. peanut butter cups to the dough. Instead I added 1/2 c. semi sweet chips and 1/2 c. peanut butter chips. Baked the cookies and then immediately topped them with chopped Rolos and chopped Reese's peanut butter cups. YUM.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

This is one tasty cookie! Recipe found HERE.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 c. flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 3/4 t. ground ginger
• 1/4 t. ground cloves
• 1/4 t. nutmeg
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. butter
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 c. pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 c. oats
• 1 c. White chocolate chips
• 1 c. Dried Cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream in a mixer the butter and sugars. 3 minutes til fluffy.
3. Blend in the egg, vanilla and pumpkin puree.
4. Add in the dry ingredients just until combined.
   
5. Stir in the oats, chips and cranberries.
6. Bake @ 350* for 12-14 minutes. I found mine were done around 10 minutes.
   

* You may not have this issue, but the dough was very wet. I added in a few extra tablespoons of flour. I also did half white chips and half semi-sweet chips.... because I love chocolate.

* I chilled the dough for an hour.... longer would have been better, but I just couldn't wait any longer! It's great to chill the dough prior to baking for better consistency and it keeps the cookies from spreading when baking. These cookies seemed to brown quickly on the bottom, so I moved them up to a higher rack in the oven.

I used fresh pumpkin puree from my freezer stash. Wanna learn how to puree a pumpkin? HERE is my step by step instructions.

Burrito Burger

I like my buns on the burnt side. OK not really... just got distracted with 3 kiddos in the kitchen.

This is a tasty Burger! A nice switch up from the traditional hamburger. My husband is a burrito lover and I'm an avocado lover, so I knew it would be a hit. My kids loved it too! I saw this on Rachel Ray's cooking show. You can find her recipe HERE.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb ground beef (I used turkey)
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
  
• 1/2 c. leftover white or brown rice, cold
• 1 T. grill seasoning
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 1/2 t. ground cumin
  
• 1 1/2 t. ground coriander (I didn't use this)
• 4 crusty rolls, split
• 4 leaves red-leaf lettuce
• 1 tomato, sliced

INGREDIENTS for the Gauc spread:

• 1 avocado, mashed
  
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, grated
  
• 1 lime juice and zest
• 1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, combine the beef, beans, rice and seasonings. Form into 4 large patties (You really can make 5-6 good size patties). In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once. Should only take around 10-15 minutes.
2. While the burgers cook, in a medium bowl, mash together the avocado ingredients. Stir in the sour cream lastly.
3. Fix your burrito burger the way you like and spread the Gauc dip on the buns. yum!
   

*I used pinto beans because that is what I had in the pantry. Wish I had red onion on hand... love red onion! I used green onion and it worked fine. This recipe is great for using up the leftover rice in the fridge. I had these burgers fixed up in no time! I cooked it up on my large griddle. Had the buns toasting on one side and the meat cooking on the other. I also melted mozzarella cheese on top of the patties. :) Great recipe.

Teriyaki Chicken

I make this quick and easy dish when I need to get dinner made in a hurry.

INGREDIENTS:

• Rice
• Chicken tenders
• Carrots
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Green Onion
• Teriyaki Sauce
• Salt & Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Get the rice cooking.
2. Brown chicken in a large pan with oil. Brown both sides until about done.
3. Add in a little water and pour favorite Teriyaki sauce over chicken.
4. Throw in the Vegetables and season with a little salt and pepper.
5. Cover and heat until vegetables are tender. Serve over rice.

The Chewy (Alton Brown's)

Hello perfect chocolate chip cookie.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (MELTED)
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 1/4 c. Brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg YOLK
• 2 T. Milk
• 1 1/2 t. Vanilla
• 2 1/4 c. BREAD flour
• 1 t. salt (I use 1/2 t. when using salted butter)
  
• 1 t. Baking soda
• 2 c. Chocolate Chips (I use 1 1/2)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine sugars and butter on med speed.
2. Add in the eggs, milk and vanilla.
3. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to cream mixture until thoroughly combined. Fold in Chocolate chips.
4. CHILL DOUGH with saran wrap pressed against the dough.
   
5. Scoop onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. 6 big cookies per sheet.
6. Bake @ 375 for 14 minutes.
   

*Definitely CHILL the dough. The longer it's chilled the better! I chilled the dough overnight.

Turkey & Bacon sandwich

Just missing the alfalfa sprouts. Yep, we rock Christmas plates year round. :)

INGREDIENTS:

• Turkey lunch meat
• turkey bacon
• tomatoes
• Avocado
• salt & pepper
• alfalfa sprouts
• toasted sandwich roll with melted cheddar cheese

Torrey's Easy Wheat Bread

It's always a hit and miss when experimenting making my own recipe. I'm so glad this one turned out perfect on the first try! It's made just the way I like it and it's so soft and tasty. Definitely a keeper and one I will make again and again!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/4 c. White bread flour
• 2 c. Whole wheat flour
• 1/4 c. Vital Wheat Gluten flour
• 2 T. Active Dry Yeast
  
• 1 T. Sugar
• 1 T. Powdered Milk
  
• 1/2 T. Salt
• 1/4 c. Honey
• 1/4 c. Oil
• 2 c. Hot water

DIRECTIONS: (I use my KitchenAid mixer)

1. Pour all dry ingredients into the mixer. Give it a quick stir. Add in the honey and oil.
   
2. Turn on low "stir" speed and gradually add in the hot water until the dough comes together. You may not need the full 2 cups. The dough will pull away from the bowl and be sticky to the touch, but not sticking all over your fingers. So just add the water in slowly. If it gets too sticky then add in more bread flour.
3. Once you get the right consistency keep it in the mixer with the dough hook and leave on speed 2. Knead in the mixer for 6 minutes.
   
4. Spray the counter with oil. Plop the ball of dough on the oil and cover with towel. Rise for around a 1/2 hour.
5. Roll the ball dough back down and cut with knife to divide into 2 loaves. Place the shaped dough into 2 greased loaf pans. Rise again for about another 1/2 hour until loaf is almost double in size.
6. Drizzle 2 T. melted Margarine on top of each loaf and bake @ 375* for 20-25 minutes. Be sure to put the loaf close to the bottom rack because it will rise over the top of the pan. When finished baking you can tip the loaf out of the pan to check if the bottom and sides are done. Leave it out of the pan to cool.
   

It's an easy one! Promise!!! :)

AND it stays fresh & soft all week! :) :)

Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole

Oh man this breakfast is seriously SO good!!! It's sorta like french toast, but better!

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 slices of Bread, cubed
  
• 2 c. pumpkin puree
  
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. gr. ginger
• 1/2 t. gr. nutmeg
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 t. vanilla
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 c. milk
• 1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans for top (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the cut up bread into 9x13 dish.
2. Combine all other ingredients and pour over bread.
3. Cover with saran wrap and put in fridge over night.
   
4. Next morning Bake @ 350 for 45 minutes.
5. Serve warm with butter, syrup and powdered sugar over top!

OPTIONAL: Before baking- I mix 1/4 c. Brown sugar, cinnamon and a few Tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle it on top. You can grate the butter to combine the crumb easily.

*I make half the recipe. Using 4 THICK slices of homemade bread and put it in a 11x7 pan, but an 9x9 will work fine! I also use fresh pumpkin puree that I have stashed in the freezer, but if you don't have pumpkin on hand I'm sure applesauce would be fantastic as well!

Pumpkin Puree 101

Isn't this pumpkin awesome!! My blue eyed pumpkin is awesome too, but the one on the right I got from "The Farm" in North Las Vegas. I bought it after Halloween, so I got it half off! yipee!! 25 POUNDS, SO fresh and tastes amazing.

I'm gonna give you step by step instructions on how I puree a pumpkin. I love pumpkin, so I like to buy a massive one, puree it and freeze it in individual bags for later use. WAY cheaper than buying canned pumpkin and WAY fresher tasting. The smaller pumpkins are typically used for cooking, but I think the large ones are great! Although they are not as sweet as the small pumpkins they taste just as good and you get more for your money!!

Here we go! You may want to come back to this post in the fall when you puree your pumpkin(s)!!

Cut the stem out of the top like you would a jack o lantern. Then you can hold on to the pumpkin from the hole and peel off the shell downward with a knife. Make sure no little ones are around. This step gets a little dangerous with the knife!

Now just slice off a layer.

Cut into cubes on a cutting board.

Throw in a bowl. Don't worry about getting ALL of the pulp off the pumpkin. A lot of flavor is actually in the pulp.

Save the seeds in a bowl if toasting the seeds later. I use THIS recipe for the seeds. YUM.

*A little tip, place the seeds in a bowl with water. Stir it around and the seeds will float to the top and the pulp will sit on the bottom of the bowl. It's the easiest way to get the pulp off! Then just set the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Dry them out for a day or two. Then you can pull any extra dry pulp pieces, that you didn't get, right off. Works best to bake the seeds when they are completely dry.

OK back to the puree! On high heat bring water to boil in a steam pot. Pour pumpkin into the pot and cover. Reduce to medium heat and steam for around 15 minutes. Don't steam the heck out of it! You want the pumpkin to be just tender enough to puree it and you don't want to loose all those nutrients.


You're still cutting pumpkin right?!! Keep it coming. You will stay busy cutting, steaming and pureeing if you got yourself a big pumpkin... or many pumpkins.


Remove steamed pumpkin from the pot and pour into another bowl. Check the water in the pot and add more if needed. Bring the water back up to a boil and steam a new batch of pumpkin.

Now on to the puree! I don't have a food processor, but my blender works just fine. You shouldn't have to add any water to the puree. If you HAVE to, then use water from the steam pot. Try not to use extra water though. I use a long spoon to carefully shove the pumpkin to the blade while it's in the blender. This moves it along.

Get the bags ready for freezing.

I do about 2 cups because most recipes call for a can of pumpkin, which is a 15 oz. can.

I love this cute little pitcher! I use it for pouring gravy or sauce.....

I also use it to make pouring into a zip lock bag easier. No mess!

Zip up the freezer bag and try to get all the air out of it. Then let it cool on the counter for a bit before putting it in the freezer. That way it doesn't defrost the freezer! When ready to use pumpkin, just fill up the sink with HOT water. Plop the bag into it and it will thaw out fairly quickly.

I ended up with 21 bags from this 25 lb pumpkin!! For a total of 42 cups of pumpkin puree! I was so excited! It takes a little time and effort, but definitely worth it!! I've enjoyed the pumpkin all winter and I'm still using up the last little bit.